Page 63 of Death on a Scottish Train

She didn’t mention what the news was about, but I assumed it was the case. Abigail and I spent the short amount of downtime we had at the office to go back over the tests. We were still waiting on DNA evidence, which took longer than the rest.

We were able to prove conclusively he was killed by bee venom. We’d also found venom in a few more of his products. All of which, had come from Kiara’s shop.

I liked Kiara a great deal, and I couldn’t imagine her killing anyone. I was certain the venom had been added after the products had been bought from her store.

What I didn’t know was why? Did the murderer mean to implicate the store owner to take the focus off themselves? And why target Kiara? Was it just a matter of convenience?

I found Mara and the rest of our gang, minus Angie, who had gone to Glasgow for business, near a large fire exactly where she said.

“Did you lose all your regrets?” Jasper asked. “That’s what I use the burning for, at least.”

“I try not to have regrets, as I prefer to see every mistake as a lesson. But yes. I let go of the last piece of my past.”

“That is why you are so wise, and I make pastries,” he joked. “I always have regrets. Sometimes it’s having one pint too many. Other times it is falling in love with the wrong person.”

“You are not alone with any of that. I did let go of some of the things I’d been holding onto from my past. We will see how that goes. Sometimes the past likes to hold on tight.”

“So true,” Abigail said. She and Tommy sat on a couple of beach chairs. “I’m still working on that.”

She had a difficult upbringing and had become Tommy’s caregiver at an early age. While she didn’t see it in herself, she was one of the strongest women I knew.

One of the things I loved about my friends was that I could talk to them about anything. They did the same with me. Mara jokingly called it friend therapy, and she wasn’t wrong.

I often spoke to my patients about the importance of having a good support system, and I had one of the best since I’d moved here. I wasn’t sure I’d been closer to a group of people in all my life, and I was beyond grateful for them.

“We waited for you to make the s’mores,” Mara said.

“Well let’s get to it.” I took one of the sticks she’d gathered.

“I want you to know I’ve developed a new skill,” Jasper said. “Mara made me whittle the ends so the marshmallows would stick.”

We laughed.

“Soon you’ll be making bears and lions out of wood,” Mara joked. “It is a good skill to have.”

“So, how long do you keep them in the fire?” Abigail asked.

“It depends. I like a bit of burnt on mine, so I wait till they catch fire and then blow it out. Some people like it to be slightly melted or golden brown. It’s personal preferences. And we have graham crackers in the US, so it will be fun using your Scottish biscuits.”

“Maybe, we should try all the ways,” Mara suggested with a grin.

“Agreed,” Jasper said. “It is chocolate and marshmallow—what can go wrong?”

“I dinnae like fire,” Tommy said from his chair where he played his video game. He hadn’t bothered taking off his headphones, which he wore most of the time when he was out in public.

“I’ll do it,” Abigail said.

After two s’mores, and a cup of coffee, I settled back in my chair. Along the beach, families had put together their own fires. Everyone was making s’mores. I felt like I had made a great contribution to my town.

“OK, I say these should be a part of our weekly get-togethers,” Mara said. “We can make them in Em’s fireplace.”

The others nodded in agreement.

“I’m not sure how you have all survived so long without them.”

“My guess is people will be stopping by tomorrow to thank you,” Jasper said. “Be prepared.”

We laughed again. My shoulders dropped about three inches as I breathed in the sea air, mixed with the burning embers in the fire. It was chilly but beautiful.