Page 108 of Death on a Scottish Train

“Hello?” I called out. While the door was open, there didn’t seem to be anyone inside.

“Just a minute,” Henry called out.

“Henry? I just need to know where Ewan is,” I said.

He came out of an office holding a bunch of files.

“He and Carl are checking out a break-in. Can I help you?”

“A break-in? Where?”

“I dinnae think I should say.” He had a worried expression like I might press him on the subject.

“It is OK. Maybe, you can help me. I was curious when going through the victim’s files, if you found he had any sort of life insurance?” That was only sort of a lie. I hadn’t thought about the life insurance until a few moments ago.

“I can check the case notes. Let me put these down, and I’ll take a look.”

He looked through a number of pages.

“It says here, we are still searching the boxes and itemizing. He had so many files. It is not listed by the forensic accountant. She just sent in the first part of her report, but there is a second half to come.”

“But so far, you haven’t found anything pertaining to insurance?” That should have been the first place for me to look. But I was still a novice when it came to investigating.

“Not yet.”

“Do you mind if I take a look through the files from his home and office?”

Henry blew out a breath. “Doc, I dinnae think the ACC would be happy about that.”

“I’ll take the blame. We can tell him I snuck into the station.”

“I’m not one for lies,” he said.

“Well, I’ve tried to text Ewan twice, and he hasn’t answered. I have one of my gut feelings that Jacks’s death might be tied to insurance or some kind of payout. As the coroner, I’d like to see those files. I adore you, Henry, but I’m fairly certain you have to let me look.”

The color drained from his face. “Is that true?”

I nodded. “Ewan agreed to let me in on everything that was going on, so I didn’t get myself into trouble.”

“Well, I suppose that does make sense. Follow me,” he said reluctantly.

He led me to the room where he’d come from earlier. “I’ve labeled everything home or office, and the desk drawer or cabinet it came out of,” Henry said.

He was quite precise and careful about things. I had a feeling that was one of the reasons he and Abigail connected on so many levels.

After a half hour, I found what I’d been looking for, and I sat down in a chair to read it.

The insurance policy was for a million pounds, which gave everyone who had known him motive. The benefits were to be paid out to the sister, and a charity devoted to the restoration of old steam engines. Each party received half of the funds.

That was a lot of motive.

I wonder if the sister knows. She’d said she was owed some sort of payout. And the assistant and girlfriend had talked about the hidden money. Were those two things tied together?

I rolled my eyes. Of course, they were. And the sister had to know. That was why she kept pressing for the body and the death certificate. I took some pictures with my phone and put the files back.

When I walked back out, Henry was still the only one at the station.

“Have you heard from Ewan?” I asked. “I have something to tell him.”