Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
The next day, Baird was transported to a psychiatric hospital in Edinburgh.
I was surprised that Isobel had promised to visit him there while he recovered.
She had an amazing capacity for forgiveness, and she’d believed him.
“It sounds like something my dramatic brother would do,” she said after Baird told her and Ewan everything.
He would be charged, but Ewan had to work with the prosecutor on exactly what charges Baird would face.
I was physically and emotionally drained. So was poor Abigail. When everyone left, we turned to one another.
“Nap?”
“Yes, please. I’ll check on Tommy, and then I’m crashing in the guest room, if that’s OK.”
“You are always welcome.”
Upstairs, I made sure I had everything ready for the All Hallow’s Eve ball that night. I would prefer a night in, but I had to be there. It was Ewan’s party, and I’d promised to be his date.
I tossed and turned and then gave up trying to sleep. I snuck downstairs and headed to my office. I pulled up all the tests on the second Duncan. I had an idea that he’d been accidentally poisoned by the bottles. But something had set him off that night.
Where could he have been? A place where someone had scared him to death.
Everyone had been so involved searching for a killer that poor Duncan number two had been shoved aside.
There were CCTV cameras everywhere in this town.
There had to be a video of him somewhere.
Well, not at the bothie where he’d been staying, but the rest of the town.
There was a camera outside my office. I decided to start there.
The night he ended up at my front door he’d stumbled forward. He kept glancing behind him. But he’d been coming from the part of town where the pub was a short walk down the hill.
My stomach grumbled. While I’d been shoving coffee down my throat most of the day, I hadn’t eaten.
I went down to the pub to get something to eat. I wasn’t up to cooking, I was so tired.
There were a few people in the pub. I was surprised to see Robert McClendon and his friends.
I sat down at the bar. “I thought you kicked them out,” I whispered.
She rolled her eyes. “Grandad let them back in, provided they behaved.”
“I wonder why they’re still in town?’’
“They’re going to the party tonight. I heard his wife is coming into town. Should be interesting since several of his girlfriends will be at the party as well.” She smiled evilly.
“You’re looking for some kind of reality show fight, aren’t you?”
She shrugged. “I just want that guy to get what he deserves.”
I hated to admit I felt the same way.
“Rumor mill was insane this morning. Everything from Baird tried to kill everyone in the caravan park, to there was some sort of witch sacrifice. I usually love this time of year, but I’m ready for it to be over.”
I laughed.
“I have shepherd’s pie. Do you want some?”
“Have I ever said no to that question?”
She giggled. “Coming right up. Pint or coffee?”
“Water.” She appeared shocked. “Long night ahead, and pretty sure I’ve consumed forty ounces of coffee today.”
She frowned. “I thought you were cutting back.”
“Yep. I fell off the wagon.”
“Water it is.”
She went back to the kitchen.
I felt eyes on me and turned to see McClendon and his pals staring.
Ugh. I really didn’t care for these guys. Then McClendon came toward me.
Now what?
“I heard Baird was a murderer, seems I was on to him from the start.”
“He’s a patient of mine, and it’s an ongoing investigation.”
He chuckled. “Right, Doc. We all know he was never a good guy.”
I really didn’t like this jerk.
“I have a question about the other guy who died.”
“Again, an ongoing investigation. You’ll have to talk to the Constable.”
“He and I aren’t exactly on speaking terms. I just want to know if you found anything when you examined his body.”
I turned then. Annoyed by his callousness. “If I did, you would be the last person I’d tell,” I said. “Again, it’s an ongoing case, and I have no comment.”
Mara came out of the kitchen and looked from him to me. “That’s it. Pay up and get out. You don’t get to harass my customers.” She set the food in front of me.
He just stood there and stared at her.
She pulled her cell from her pocket. “Constable, I need some help.”
I knew it was a fake call. Ewan was on his way to Edinburgh. He and Henry had taken Baird there. Even though the party was at Ewan’s estate, he had great people working for him. At least, that’s what he told me before he left.
“We’re gone, lassie.” He threw some bills on the bar and motioned for his guys to follow him.
“Grandad and I are going to have words over those guys. I’m taking over the pub and men like that are no longer allowed.”
“Maybe we’ll get lucky, and his wife will tear him a new one tonight,” I said.
“We can only hope. That reminds me. I have to take lots of pictures, and we have to do a video chat for Jasper. He’s so upset he’s missing the party.”
“Of course. Poor guy, he was really sick. Hey, I have a question, and I know the police probably asked before, but I wondered if I could look at your security tapes. The ones on the front and back cameras.”
“Sure.” She pulled a laptop from under the bar. “Which night?”
I told her.
“OK. Here you go.”
“Thanks.” I ate my food and watched the cameras.
Fast-forwarding every once in a while. I almost missed the moment I needed.
I backed it up. There was Duncan. He was stumbling around.
Obviously, the poison had taken effect. Then a woman stopped him.
They had a heated conversation. She wagged her finger at him. Then she glanced up at the camera.
“What is she doing here?” When she pulled out a gun, I gasped. He took off running and stumbling. She followed him. But she must have lost him at the corner. I didn’t see her on the tape when he arrived at my place. But yes, it was definitely her.
I texted Ewan. As soon as you get back, I need to talk. Right away. Please.
I’d barely sent the text, when my phone rang.
“Em, are you OK?” He sounded so worried.
“I’m fine, but I know what happened to our second Duncan.”
There was a long pause. “Please don’t do anything. Wait for me to get back. Promise me.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “I promise. I’ll be at my office. I’m going to make a copy of what I found and send it to you. I don’t know what we can do, but maybe harassment or something.” I told him what I’d seen.
“Right. An hour and a half and I’ll be back. Do not do anything.”
“OK.” Then I went digging for evidence. I knew there had to be more.
Three hours later, I stood on the other side of the glass, watching Ewan give Robert and Dorrie McClendon the evil eye.
Robert was standing in as her council, even though he wasn’t a lawyer.
I was surprised when Ewan allowed it. But he was a brilliant law enforcement officer, and he always had a plan.
“Can you tell me where you were on—” He gave her the date of the second Duncan’s death.
“At home,” she said. “My husband and I inherited a property, and I’ve been working on it.”
“Just say no comment.” Robert grumbled beside her.
She rolled her eyes.
“Right. So, you weren’t here in Sea Isle at any time that day?”
“No,” she said flatly.
“No comment,” her husband urged.
“I can speak for myself, Robert.” Her tone was biting and completely different than when Mara and I went to visit her. She was the last person I thought I’d find on those CCTV cameras. But she was there, chasing poor Duncan with an old-timey looking pistol. The poor man had been scared to death.
Ewan opened a thick folder on the table. Then he put the photo in front of her. “So you weren’t in front of the pub pointing a gun at our victim?”
She bristled. “Of course not.” But she didn’t sound so certain. “That could be anyone.”
Robert’s eyes were a different story. He was clearly surprised to see his wife with a pistol.
It wasn’t funny what she’d done, but the surprise on his face made me smile.
“Right. You weren’t there. Can you explain this?”
He showed the photo where she looked up at the camera. This time they both gasped.
It was the perfect moment.
“This is all your fault,” she said to her husband.
“My fault? You’re the one who threw out all my things along with a ring that could pay the mortgage for our Edinburgh house for months.”
“A ring you were saving to give to one of your latest flings. Idiot.”
“How did you know the victim had the ring?” Ewan intervened.
She shook her head. “No comment.”
“It’s better for you to be honest with me now. The court likes it when you do. They may be more favorable toward your case.”
“My case? What did I do?”
“These photos show us attempted robbery and assault with a weapon.”
Again, she gasped. “What? I was trying to scare him into giving the ring back.”
“She didn’t know it was in the box,” Robert said. “In a way, it was an accident. We just wanted him to return it.”
“By pointing a gun at a vulnerable man,” Ewan offered.
“He called a week or so ago. He asked me if anything special was missing,” she said. “I thought he was barmy and had no idea what he was talking about. I told him no. Then I explained to Robert about the call, and he lost his mind.”
“The puzzle box was special to me.”
She grunted. “Because it’s where you kept your little gifts for your women.”
“I’m not the one chasing some poor guy around the streets of a small town with a gun. What were you thinking?”
“No, you and your idiots tried to frighten that poor doctor to death. She told you she didn’t have it, and you still wouldn’t leave her alone.”
“Well, at least I didn’t use a teenager to scare her to death.”
It went on and on. Ewan didn’t even have to ask any more questions. For a good half hour, they tossed insults at one another and threw each other under the bus.
It would have been hilarious if the circumstances hadn’t been so sad. But they both ended up in a cell and that was only fair. That was where they belonged.
Hours later, I was in Ewan’s arms. Me in my beautiful emerald party dress from Lulu’s and him in his tux with black velvet lapels.
“You are a wonder,” he said.
I sighed next to him. “Why? Because I solved your cases?”
He chuckled. “It was more about how beautiful you are tonight, and that you’re still on your feet. You have to be exhausted. But yes, you’re brilliant.”
“Thanks, so are you.”
“Smile,” Mara said, from beside us. “Say, hello to Jasper.”
The video showed him sitting on his couch in his PJs. I envied him a little. Not that he was sick, but that he was cozy at home.
“We love you and miss you. I wish you were here. Are you behaving?”
“I am. I’m on season ten of Bakeoff. I forgot how fun this show is.”
“You should try out,” Mara and I said at the same time.
He laughed. “I’ll think about it. You have enough fun for me and you,” he said.
“We will.” I promised. “I’ll be by to visit tomorrow.”
We waved goodbye.
“He’s looking much better,” Ewan said. “We’re lucky to have you, Em.”
He said Em, instead of Doc. That made it even more personal. I laid my cheek on his lapel, so he didn’t see them turn pink.
There was nowhere I’d rather be than with a room full of our friends and in Ewan’s arms in our sweet town of Sea Isle.
I was the one who was lucky.