Page 55 of Death on a Scottish Train

The first one featured the glass blowing artists. The fragile pieces from vases to glasses to spears and statues were gorgeous. I recognized the man behind the counter.

“Evening, Doc,” Mr. Agnew said. “And Mara, they let you out of the pub tonight.”

We laughed. “They occasionally let me have some free time.” The joke was she enjoyed every minute she worked at the pub, and she had taken it over so her grandparents could travel more. After working in the corporate world for a while, she loved having her own business.

“Your work is beautiful,” I said. We’d talked about his studio when he’d come in a few months ago. I’d meant to get up the mountain to it but hadn’t had the time.

“Dinnae be saying that, it’ll go to his head,” his wife said. Mrs. Agnew was a hoot. While he was the artist, she ran the business side of things and was quite practical.

They laughed as if that was the best joke ever. It was hard not to smile around them. In truth, many times she had told me how proud she was of her husband.

“I love these spheres,” I said. The sparkling lights hung from booth to booth, caught some sapphire ones that were mesmerizing.

“They are witches’ balls,” Mrs. Agnew said. “Long ago they were used to help float sea nets. Nowadays, people put them in baskets or on a stand like this.” She held up a brass one.

“I love these,” I said. “And I like the idea of having different colors in a basket.”

“Lara, five booths down, makes the most beautiful baskets,” Mrs. Agnew said. One of the things I so admired about this town was how people looked out for one another.

“I’m thinking this ship needs to go on the back of the bar,” Mara said. “I have no idea how you did that with glass.”

“Lass, you have great taste,” he said. “And ’twas a tricky one.”

“I have a glass box on one of the shelves with the liquor,” Mara said.

“I know the one,” he said. “It will fit.”

We made our purchases and Mrs. Agnew promised to deliver them the next day.

We visited several more booths before Jasper came up. “It’s your turn with Tommy and the Ferris wheel.” He laughed. “I offered, but he wants you.”

I nodded. “We’ve been talking about it for weeks. He thinks it is funny that his sister is afraid of heights. He calls her the bravest woman he knows, except when it comes to Ferris wheels.”

“She is,” Mara said. “Who else do we know who has been through more, and is as kind and smart as she is?”

“You make a good point.”

I headed toward the Ferris wheel where Abigail and Tommy stood waiting. He had an enormous stick of cotton candy but handed it to his sister when he saw me.

I’d loved roller coasters and Ferris wheels when I was a kid. While I’d never considered myself an adrenaline junkie, working in the ER all those years had the same sort of thrill.

But I’d mellowed with age and my new practice as a country doctor was just fine with me. The pace was slower and hours shorter most days.

Helping to solve suspicious deaths in Sea Isle had helped that old adrenaline junkie though. Even if the subject was sad, it was fascinatingto be learning new skills at my age. That said, on the investigating side, I still had a way to go.

When we reached the top of the ride, it paused for longer than normal. My guess was Abigail had asked the operator to do that for Tommy. It was one of his favorite things to be up high and have a view of the town’s two parts. One part down the mountain by the ocean, the other laid out in front of us.

The scene was like a painting, it was so beautiful everywhere I looked.

Tommy pointed toward the sea, where the full moon was reflected over it.

“Gorgeous,” I said softly. I smiled. He saw beauty in so many places, especially in the garden. And many times, he’d share it with me and Abigail. I took my phone out of my pocket and snapped a few pictures. One of which, I would have framed for him.

The ride jolted again and began to roll down. That’s when I saw them.

Jeremy, the dead man’s partner, seemed to be arguing with Catherine, their assistant. He was shoving a finger in her face, and she slapped it away.

I wonder what that is about?