Page 19 of Death at a Scottish Halloween

“You always do. Thanks again for watching out for us.”

“Welcome,” he said.

Angie came across the hall and stood at the entry. “Can I help you?”

“You don’t have to do that,” I said.

She shrugged. “The sooner I help out, the faster we can get changed and head down to the pub.”

I was exhausted but I’d promised her a pint so we could catch up.

“Right.” I handed her a bin. “We’re only taking what’s ours. That microscope, and some of those beakers off the table. There is tissue paper to wrap them in.”

“Got it.”

“Did you have fun?” Abigail asked her.

“We did. My aunt was hilarious. She really should have never given up the theater. She’s quite the actress. It was all I could do to remember my lines, she made me laugh so hard. I had no idea scaring people would be so fun.”

“Same here,” I said.

“It’s sad that I think some people showed up to see where a man died. We could hear them whispering. Though it didn’t seem to make a dent in the crowds.”

“You make a good point. It was far more crowded tonight. I’m not surprised by the lookie-loos. People are always curious when it comes to true crime.”

“Lookie-loos, that’s a new one for me. Pretty soon you’ll have us all speaking like Americans.” With her heavy Scottish brogue, that was never going to happen (she owned several shops featuring all sorts of outerwear items and tartans), but she was the most fun one person could be.

With the three of us working, it didn’t take long to pack up. We carried the bins downstairs to my SUV and piled them into the back.

“I’m glad you have your car. Do you mind if I change at yours?”

“Not at all. We’ve finally cleaned out the room we were using for storage. I have a proper guest room, now, if you need a place to sleep tonight.”

“I told Grandad, I’d stay with him tonight. He’s already at the pub, and you’ve met him. I’ll be driving him home.”

We laughed. He was a lovely man, but he liked his whiskey.

“Abigail, do you want to come to the pub, or I can run you home?”

She smiled. “Tommy is spending the night at Ewan’s, so I’m free. He and our favorite house manager are baking Halloween treats for the fête.”

Ewan’s housekeeper treated Tommy like the grandson she never had. Abigail had raised Tommy, but she was surrounded by people who loved and supported her.

“Girl’s night,” Angie tossed her fist in the air and wiggled.

“Why not,” I said. “Tis the season to have a good time.”

“What have you done with the doctor? She’s been taken over by an alien, Abigail,” Angie said.

“I can be fun.”

They laughed.

“What?”

“Admit it,” Abigail said. “Your idea of a fun party is watching mystery series and eating pizza.”

“What’s wrong with that?” I pretended to be offended. “Sounds like the perfect night to me.”