Page 93 of Death on a Scottish Train

“That’s a lot of responsibility for a kid who is going to be a sophomore in high school.”

“Aye, which is why he is most likely acting out. And this is the last thing his poor mum needs. But we have to teach him, and the others, a lesson. Some time in a jail might do them a bit of good.”

“We call that scaring them straight in America, and you might be right.”

“Kids get bored and do stupid things. But I’ll not allow this sort of thing in my town.”

He had such a sense of pride about Sea Isle, and it was one of the many things I admired about him.

“I don’t blame you. One of the big draws when I came here was that there was so little crime. Though, that was before I found out you’d appointed a special role for me to investigate deaths.”

“It was in the fine print.” He said that every time I complained, and I could finally laugh about it.

“Why did you let me believe you had coroners in Scotland for so long?”

“It is a position I’ve always believed we’ve needed. It’s one of the things the English do right. And thanks to our town laws that give me the right to appoint people to necessary positions, I decided it was time. And let’s not forget, you are good at it.”

Heat spread across my cheeks. “Thanks,” I said. “I swore I would never admit this, but I do enjoy the investigative side of things and not just because I’m a fan of all the mystery series. I’ve always liked puzzles. And the one we’re trying to figure out now is a doozy.”

He chuckled. “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard that word.”

I shrugged. “I don’t use it much, but it is appropriate. I’m certain the murderer is someone close to Jacks. And I understand that most of those people have alibis. But those can be faked. My gut says it is someone who saw him every day.”

“You maybe be right, but …”

“We need evidence to prove it. I know. You always want proof.”

He laughed. “It is how we work in law enforcement.”

“Right, but it’s also annoying. Oh, did your accountant figure out where the stash of cash came from that we found? And did you find any more? I meant to ask that a few days ago. I need to write everything down in my notebook so I can keep track.”

“Aye, we found more in a box in his closet. It was about forty thousand pounds.”

“Wow. I still wonder if he was getting ready to make a run for it.”

“We may never know. His passport is current, though.”

“So, we focus on those who were closest to him. The business partner who was out of town. The assistant who was at a hen party. And maybe the sister who swears she hasn’t seen him in a year, but we have no proof of that.”

“Yes, and those he worked with closely on the train and invited to his home. There are three men who were on his team working to refurbish the interior of the station and the train.”

“I talked to a couple of them the other day,” I said.

Ewan took his eyes of the road for a second and gave me a look.

“Don’t get mad. Mara gave me the list, and I knew they were working as volunteer storytellers as well. I just asked a few questions. You and Henry probably did the same. None of the three, though, remembered seeing him that night. I mean, they could be lying. But that was what they told me. They were honest about how Jacks could be annoying at times, but he was usually right. They seemed to appreciate his attention to detail.”

“Aye, we came to the same conclusions. And while they did have access to his home, they never went to his office, where we found the majority of the tainted lip balms.”

“Hmmm. I hope we catch a break soon.”

“Agreed,” he said.

After dropping me off at the clinic, Ewan said he was heading out to the station to deal with the troubled youth. I’d no more walked through the door and put my bag in the living room, when the doorbell buzzed. I glanced at my phone, to see two large men with a third hanging on their shoulders. Abigail walked up behind them.

I quickly opened the door. “What happened?”

“I’m working the med tent at the games,” Abigail said. “I’m fairly certain Carson has fractured his clavicle.”