Page 45 of Death at a Scottish Halloween

“Be careful, OK.”

“Always,” I said.

He laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound.

Chapter Eleven

After dropping off my dress, I added a sweater to my jeans, grabbed my mac, and took the shuttle up the mountain and into town. Mrs. Beatty’s was just a short walk from the stop in front of the library. During big events, the roads were shut down between the two parts of town, and only the shuttles and police vehicles were allowed on the road.

Even though this celebration was mainly for those of us in town, there were tourists who liked spending Halloween in Sea Isle. We did seem to make the holidays fun. It was one of the charms of the place.

“Just a minute,” Mrs. Beatty called as I rang the bell.

“I have the door, Mrs. Beatty.” That was Henry. “Remember, one of us checks out the incoming guests.”

“Oh, yes. Yes. Though I dare anyone try to hurt someone in my home.”

I smiled as the door opened.

“Evening, Henry.”

“Hey, Doc. I didn’t know you were coming by.”

“I have some gifts for Flora and her daughter.”

“They’re in their room. Would you like me to bring them down?”

“No, I’ll go up. What number are they in?”

“Five. Have you talked to Abigail? I wanted to make sure she and Tommy were going to the event tonight. Akif is switching out with me for a couple of hours so I can meet them there.”

“Yes, they are still going. I plan to join them there.”

His smile spoke volumes.

“I’m going to head up.”

I felt a bit awkward showing up without any warning. The mother and daughter were on my mind most of the day. I hoped their Duncan really had had an accident. If it hadn’t been for the adrenaline spike, it would have been easier to say exactly that.

And then there was the ring. That didn’t seem to fall into step with anything concerning the couple’s store. And people had killed for a lot less money.

Once I was upstairs, I knocked softly on the door.

It opened slowly, and Flora was there. “Doctor?”

“Hi, Flora, I wanted to check on you two, and I brought a few gifts for you and Elsie.”

She opened the door wider.

Elsie stood behind her. “Presents,” she whispered.

I shrugged. “Just a little something I thought you might like.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Flora said. “I don’t know what to say. Come in.”

The room was large with a sitting room and a separate bedroom. There were a few toys spread out on the coffee table in front of the fire.

“How are you feeling? Any dizziness?”