Chapter 11 #2
“Are you going to tell us what killed him?” Sarah asked.
“I know it isn’t what you want to hear, but we really are still running tests,” I said. I looked at Ewan and cocked my head.
He nodded at me again.
“I can say he had an allergic reaction of sorts. What we can’t figure out is why he went into the office rather than seeking medical help.”
“Maybe, he was searching for the first aid kit that is kept in there,” Sarah said.
“Per the laws, we had to make sure we had a set up on the train and in the station. He and our station master set up the office while we were all volunteering to refurbish everything. He would have known. He had a checklist for that area.”
The Scots in Sea Isle were very fond of their lists.
Maybe, he had gone in looking for an EpiPen. Most people with severe allergies kept the pens on their person or nearby in a backpack or bag. But we hadn’t found one on him or at the scene.
At least, we had part of our answer as to why he was in the office in the first place. Maybe, he’d been searching for an EpiPen.
But it didn’t tell us who had stuck him in the cupboard.
Not long after, the meeting was dismissed. It had been a busy couple of days, and I was ready for bed. But as I went through the pub, I noticed the victim’s sister sitting in the corner alone.
She stared out the window.
“Who are you looking at?” Ewan said from behind me.
I hadn’t heard him come up.
“The sister,” I said.
“I have some follow up questions for her, do you want to come along?”
I stared up at him with surprise. “I don’t think I’m ever going to be used to you asking me to be involved.”
“Like I said before, better to just allow you to be a part of it so you dinnae get hurt.”
He makes a good point. I snorted as I followed him across the pub.
“Ms. Jacks, do you mind if the Doctor and I join you? I have a few follow-up questions about your brother.”
She frowned, but then motioned for us to sit down.
The noise in the pub died down, as people became curious about the ACC and me sitting with someone they probably didn’t know. As I had said many times, we lived in a nosey village where gossip was currency. The whole town would know soon enough about this little encounter.
“I’m not sure what I can tell you,” she said. “Nothing has changed from earlier. My brother and I didn’t talk much.”
“Right,” Ewan said. “Your estrangement was over money?”
“Aye, and the fact that he liked his trains and numbers more than people. We had never been that close for those reasons, but when he lost my savings on a bad investment, I was angry.”
Her eyes went wide as if she realized what she’d said. “Though, not enough to kill him, mind you.”
“When was the last time you saw him in person?” I asked.
She blew out a breath. “About six months ago. We attended the funeral of our great aunt Minerva. I’d forgotten about that. I don’t think we said a single word to one another. He steered clear of me.”
“Was he embarrassed about the financial losses?” I asked.
Ewan nodded as if that was a good question.
“No. If he had been, maybe I could have forgiven him more easily. He said that investments were always a risk and that I should have been prepared to lose it all.” She bristled.
“That wasn’t at all what he said when he’d asked for my money,” she added. “Back then, it had all been a sure thing. He had said there was no way to lose my retirement.”
“That would have made me angry, as well,” I said.
“If he had not been so nonchalant about it or had even apologized, things would have been better between us. If you think his death was suspicious, I would look at his clients. If he acted that way with them, they would have been furious. But he was my brother. I might have been angry, but I couldn’t have killed him or anyone. ”
She made a good point about the clients. I’d been thinking along those lines, as well.
“Were you aware of his allergy to bees?”
She nodded. “He had to be careful all of his life. When he was about twelve, he ended up in the hospital after he was stung twice by some bees in our grandmother’s garden. In fact, after that, he didn’t play outside much. He fell in love with trains and was always adding to his collection.”
“So, the last time you spoke with him was at your aunt’s funeral?”
“Aye. Well, I saw him. We didn’t really speak. But we were aware of one another.”
“And there were no phone calls or any other communication since then?” For some reason Ewan didn’t seem to believe her.
“Not that I can recall,” she said. “We had no reason to speak. As I said, I’d been waiting for him to apologize.
Though, I have to admit, I’d given up on that ever happening.
I’m curious—why all the questions? Are you saying someone killed him?
I’d heard that he had an allergic reaction.
You mentioned the bees. He’d had a problem his entire life. ”
“It is an ongoing investigation, and we are still waiting for a complete autopsy from the doctor,” Ewan said.
“We are nearly done,” I promised.
“Right. But I don’t understand what is so suspicious if it was a bee sting? You know he was allergic.”
Ewan and I glanced at one another.
“What are you not telling me?” she asked.
“We will have more information for you soon,” I said. “As soon as we complete our tests. It takes a few days.”
She sighed. “When will I be able to get into his place? His lawyer has already contacted me. I’m his sole beneficiary, which surprised me.”
“Oh?” That was news.
“Aye. I had no idea. Though, now everything falls to me, I suppose I should put together a wake, and then there is the packing up of his belongings. I would like to get started with that soon. I need to get back to my job.”
“We are almost finished with the investigation at the house,” Ewan said. “I’ll call you when we are done.” They had been checking the house for additional stores of cash. I was curious if they found more. I’d be checking the files on the computer when I went home.
She nodded. “I am confused. I asked before but I would like a straight answer. Do you think someone killed him over money?”
“Hopefully, we will have answers soon,” Ewan said.
“I have your information. I will call when we are finished with his home. And if you would like, there is a volunteer women’s group in town who sometimes help pack the belongings of deceased family.
” He handed her a card. “They’ll also help you find places to donate items to those in need. ”
She took the card from him. “Small towns are so different,” she said. “In Edinburgh, I barely know any of my neighbors. Here, everyone seems to know me, even though we’ve never met.”
Ewan and I smiled.
“Word does travel fast,” I said. “And I will alert you to our findings as soon as we finish, and Ewan gives the OK.” I’d said that already, but I wanted her to understand that we did care and would not leave her hanging indefinitely.
“I can’t help but think you are hiding the fact that someone may have killed my brother.” She held up a hand. “I realize you can’t tell me now. But if someone did hurt him, please catch them and bring them to justice. We may have been arguing, but he was the last of my family.”
Ewan nodded.
We were already on the hunt for a killer and had more than one suspect.
The hard part was finding which one of them did it.