Chapter 11
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?”
“No. I’m—as well as can be expected. Do you have any more information about …”
“Not yet,” I said. I handed the first package to Elsie.
“Is it OK?” She looked to her mother.
“Of course, love.”
She pulled the doll and little book from the packaging. “It’s a fairy,” the wonder in her voice was worth the few awkward moments at the door.
Her mom picked up the booklet. “A dream fairy.”
“I love rainbows,” Elsie said.
“Me too,” I said. “They make the world feel magical.”
“Unicorns live by them, did you know?”
I nodded. “Isn’t that cool?”
Elsie smiled sweetly.
“This is very kind of you,” Flora said.
“I saw it and thought of you two. I know life has been—a lot. I want you to know you aren’t alone. I know Ewan offered, but are you sure there isn’t any family we can call to be with you?”
She shook her head. “I have an elderly aunt, and she’s in a home. My husband and I didn’t have any family.” She put her hand on her belly. “He would have been so excited. He wanted a brother or a sister for Flora. We’ve been trying for years.”
I put my hand on hers. “This is for you. And I mean it when I say, you are not alone. When my husband died—there was so much to deal with, and it was like walking through a fog because I was alone. We don’t know each other, but I’m here for you and Elsie.
Whatever you need, medical, or just support.
I have a great group of friends here, and we will look out for you. ”
Her shoulders shook, and she grabbed a tissue. “Thank you,” she said with a warbly voice. “I’m so lucky to have my Elsie. Looking after her helps. But I’m grateful. I have a few friends in Glasgow, but my time is consumed by the shop. I share a text or two with them a few times a year.”
“Well, you have a friend in me. I hope you don’t mind. I picked this up for you.”
I handed her the small gift of the needlepoint sign.
She put a hand to her chest. “It’s lovely and so sweet. Thank you.”
“Is there anything I can do for you? Do you need clothes or snacks? You’ve been here much longer than you expected.”
“Everyone has been so kind. Mrs. Beatty went shopping for us. She’s such a dear. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so much food. Every few hours she’s feeding us. And your constable and his officers have been looking out for us as well.”
She paused, then asked, “Is there anything I can do to help with the investigation? I mean, I don’t know what, but I’d like to provide as much assistance as I can.”
“Your husband’s car was full of items I assume he picked up from the estate sales. We’ve been testing things to make certain they are safe. I’m sure once everything is settled those will be returned to you.”
“That’s understandable, but did you find how he died?”
“The honest answer is that we are still running tests. It seems to be a combination of things. I asked you about the diabetes.”
“I don’t think he knew he had it. He had been saying he was thirsty all the time. And he was constantly napping. I read about it on my phone when you asked me. He had a few of the symptoms, but he would never go to the doctor.”
That wasn’t the first time I’d heard that about a man in Scotland, though I had a feeling it happened all over the world.
“Did Ewan ask you about the ring?” I was taking a chance, and he’d probably kill me.
“What ring?”
Now I’d done it. “Ewan and I found a beautiful diamond and ruby ring among his personal possessions. Did he mention that to you?”
“He was here earlier, but I don’t remember talking about a ring.
He had so many questions and my brain is—you mentioned the fog.
I can’t remember what we had for lunch. But I’m fairly certain he didn’t mention it.
To be honest, it’s probably costume jewelry.
We’ve been carrying more of it in the store. ”
“Right. The thing is, Ewan had a feeling it might be the real deal.”
“No. That isn’t possible. We’d never be that lucky, nor do we have money to purchase something like that. I do our books. We make a small profit each month, enough to live on. And we’re very careful.”
“Ewan may not have mentioned it because he wanted to have the item checked out by an expert. Maybe he didn’t want to worry you about it. ”
She frowned. “Do you think someone killed him for this ring?”
“I—no. I don’t know what to think, to be honest. We aren’t at all sure it was murder. It could have been a series of unfortunate events.”
“That would make more sense. My husband didn’t have the best of luck. He was just one of those people. Except when it came to finding oddities. He was great at his job.”
“Well, for now, don’t worry. Ewan will probably be mad at me for bringing up the ring before he has it checked out. I don’t want you to worry about it. I thought maybe he would have texted you about it.”
“Wait.” She held up a hand. Then she stood and walked over to her bag.
She took out her phone. She sat back down and scrolled down her phone.
“You asked me about pictures. Before I lost contact with him, he sent me a couple of photos. Mostly of tea sets, and a weird box with old apothecary bottles in it. But he found an old puzzle box. It looked like a regular jewelry box, but he said there were several secret compartments. He hadn’t been able to open them all.
He was excited about it, but he didn’t mention any sort of jewelry.
Do you think that might be where he found the ring? Maybe someone wanted it back?”
She showed me the pictures. There were several of the items I’d seen at the station, including the apothecary box. There was more than one puzzle box, and I’d only remembered seeing the one. But they might have been tested by someone else on Ewan’s team.
“Do you mind if I take a picture of that and some of the other items? I want to send it to Ewan. Do me a favor, if you don’t mind. Don’t bring up the ring until he tells you about it. He’ll have my head.”
She gave me a sad smile. “I will. With my brain, I’ll probably forget about it by the time you leave.”
Pregnancy brain was a real thing, even in the early stages. I’d heard the same story from countless women over the years.
I took pictures of all the items her husband had sent her. I wanted to tell her about the apothecary, but I wouldn’t until every test had been run. But I would make certain that anything that went to her was devoid of anything that could hurt her or Elsie.
“I know the police have asked, but part of my job is helping to answer these questions,” I said to her.
“You can ask me anything.”
“Two things. One, was there anyone giving you grief? Any problems with vendors or clients?”
“No. Our clients are picky, and they often use us to source items, we’re known for that.
Mostly that has to do with rare books or bigger items like furniture.
Not a lot of dealers in our business deal with the bigger items. But this shopping trip was for the smaller shelf fillers.
Eight or so days away, and then he was supposed to be home. ”
She sniffed again. “I’ve been trying to make sense of it all, but he wouldn’t do anything that would keep him from me and Elsie.”
“OK, last question. You mentioned that he used to drink but he hadn’t in years.”
“Before we were together, he was a heavy drinker. I wouldn’t put up with it, especially when Elsie was coming along. He stopped, cold. Swore to me he’d never take another drink. Why? Did you find alcohol on him? Is that how he died?”
“It wasn’t on him when he died,” I said, which was true.
“Please, don’t worry yourself. I understand it’s natural to wonder about everything.
We will have answers for you soon. You look after yourself and Elsie.
We’ll do the rest. And if you need anything, I know you just met me, but, as I said, I’m here for you and Elsie. ”
“You’ve been very kind. I wrote down my doctor’s name at home. I was hoping you could send her the tests you’ve run.” She handed me a piece of paper from her pocket. “I was going to bring it by, but the police prefer we stay in.”
“That’s only for your safety. But if you need to get out of the house, just tell them. Make sure you drink enough water and eat, even if you don’t feel like it.”
“Mrs. Beatty is always feeding us, but I’m not feeling much like eating.”
“Hmmm. What actually sounds good to you?”
She smiled. “My mom was English and always made us cheese and pickle sandwiches. I haven’t had one in years but it’s the only thing that sounds good.”
“I’ll speak to Mrs. Beatty, and I’m prescribing cheese and pickle sandwiches and anything that sounds good. Does she know about your pregnancy?”
“I told her. She was worried because I kept getting sick, and she could hear it from her rooms. She’s been sending lots of tea with sugar. But I suppose I should switch out to water.”
“Can I have one? The cheese and pickle?” Elsie asked. She had the most angelic face.
“I’m sure that won’t be a problem,” I said. “Now, you two look after one another, and I’ll come back to let you know as soon as he’s ready to go home.”
She sniffed again. “Thank you, doctor.”
“Just call me Em. And if anything comes up you have my number, and you know where I live. My office and home are in the same place. Don’t hesitate if you need anything.” I took out a couple of packets from my bag.
“Use these natural hydration packets in your water. It will help your body absorb what you need and give you a bit more potassium.”
I left them and then went down to chat with Mrs. Beatty.
“I’m so glad you came by. I hurt for her and that poor child. I want to help in any way I can.”
Then I mentioned the requested food. She cringed at the idea of a cheese and pickle sandwich. “But I remember when I had my children. All I could eat was pasta and salad the first several months.”
“I’m grateful they have you to look after them. You are a sweetheart.”
She blushed and waved a hand. “Anyone would do the same. I’ll take them up some pickle and cheese sandwiches.”
In the entry way, Akif and Henry switched places.
“Hey Doc, you headed over to the event? I’ll walk you over.”
“Akif, I’m sorry you’ll miss tonight,” I said.
“My family will be there,” he countered.
“Oh, don’t you want to be there?” Henry asked. “I don’t mind staying on. The doc can help Abigail with Tommy if the need arises.”
Akif laughed. “No. I’ll be fine here. I’m not a fan of witches. My mother told me stories when I was younger. Please do not tell my children, they will use my paranoia against me.”
We chuckled.
“Noted,” I said.
Henry and I walked toward the library. The event and the fête would take place in the large field behind the beautiful stone building.
“Anything happening with the cases?” I asked.
“You probably know as much as I do,” Henry said. “The constable is bringing back some of the guys the first Duncan worked with on the rig. There were some things that showed up in the victim’s personal belongings that made the Constable wonder about the man’s boss.”
“I had the unfortunate opportunity to witness his bad behavior. Though he was provoked.”
“Oh, that’s right. You were at the pub. We have corroborating statements from the victim’s sister and friend that Duncan was what you Yanks call a whistleblower. Or he was about to be.”
“That certainly is motive.”
“It is.”
“And what about the other Duncan and the estate sales?”
“That one has been a bit hard to track. With everything going on here in town, we’ve a shortage of staff. I’ve been trying to make calls about the estate sales, but I keep getting the runaround. I told the Constable one of us needs to meet these people face-to-face, but things keep coming up.”
“I could maybe help with that,” I said. “I have two afternoons off this week. Abigail had several tests, so I insisted on it. If the estates aren’t too far away, I could maybe visit a couple.”
Henry made a face. “I do not think the Constable would like that much.”
“I’ll bring it up. Besides, he can’t stop me. I can be a curious medical examiner and wanting to follow up.”
He laughed. “It’s your head, Doc.”
We had just rounded the library, when there was a terrible shriek.