Page 20

Chapter Twenty

For the first time in days, we were allowed outside. The sun shone brightly, but it brought absolutely no heat to our long walk up the hill to the church. Ewan and his men had done a wonderful job of clearing the path, so that we could easily make it while holding up Angie’s dress.

She’d sent everyone ahead, as she would be making her grand entrance soon. Halfway up, she stopped and turned to Mara and me.

“I need to know if he killed Robbie,” she whispered.

“Caleb?” Mara asked.

Angie sighed. “No, the man I’m about to marry. You two are so good to me, and I have a feeling you’d hide evidence if it pointed to him, just to make me happy.”

I sort of snort laughed.

“This isn’t funny. I’m serious.”

“How is it protecting you if we let you marry a murderer?” I asked.

She frowned. “Oh, I hadn’t thought about it like that.”

“He left his stag early, but you told us he was passed out in your room when you left the hen party. And we know there is no way he’d hurt you. The question is, why don’t you know it?”

She scrunched up her face and then blew out a breath. “I do.”

“That’s what you’re supposed to say to him,” Mara joked.

“I’m scared,” she said. “Someone tried to kill me to keep me from marrying him, and I think it just hit me how short life can be for some people. Look at Robbie. I don’t know the reason he was here, but he didn’t deserve to die.

“And who threw the gargoyle at you? Caleb? Why? I have so many questions.” Her skin turned pale—well, more than usual.

“Stop. Take a deep breath,” I ordered. “I mean it—breathe.”

She was about to argue.

“Do it or we drop the dress.” Mara held her train up.

Angie’s eyes widened. Then she took a deep breath.

“And another one,” I coached.

She did it again.

“You’re spiraling, and you have cold feet. It’s thirty degrees so that’s understandable,” Mara said. “But you love him, and I’ve never seen a man more in love with a woman. So, in the immortal words of our friend the doctor, standing right there, ‘Let’s do this.’ ”

That made us all laugh. I did have a habit of saying that.

“Come on,” I said. “I’m freezing.” That wasn’t a lie. My boots were killing me. They were tight around my bruised calf. After the wedding, I’d find some other shoes to wear.

As we came to the top of the hill, the church—well, it was really more of a Gothic cathedral—came into view. The perfect place for our friend to marry.

“I’ve never seen a more beautiful church,” I said. There were arched windows with stained glass, and stone walls. The high-pitched roof led to a sculptured steeple, and the church bell rang loudly as we neared the entrance.

A man paced back and forth in the vestibule.

“Lass, finally. I thought you’d run away and left us with all that cake.”

“Da, I was afraid you might not make it. Dara said your plane from London was late.”

He kissed her cheek and then helped her pull her veil down. “Blasted weather,” he said. “Those Londoners don’t know what to do with so much snow. Do you have cold feet? You seem down at the heel. I’ll put you in the rig and take you home right now. Just say the word, darlin’.”

I’d never met him, but I quite liked Angie’s dad.

“Da, walking in these shoes takes time.” She showed him her six-inch heels. She’d debated between those and a pair of purple Converse All-Stars. I would have gone for the latter. Warmer and more comfortable than the red-soled Louis Vuitton’s she wore. Another gift from Damien.

“Aye, women and their shoes. Well, lass. You ready?”

She glanced back at us and smiled. “I am.”

We gave her a quick goodbye and then squeezed past the bridesmaids blocking the entry. They were dressed in varying shades of purple. Even Tiffany and Marianne smiled today as we passed.

As we entered through the doors, everyone glanced back at us. Damien’s attention had been on the priest, and he turned toward us. I gave him a lame thumbs-up, and he smiled.

The church was full. Mara and I squeezed into the last pew, along with Ewan and Jasper.

They wore formal jackets and ties with their kilts.

“You both look handsome,” Mara whispered.

The two men smiled.

“You’re looking gorgeous, and you too, Doc,” Jasper said.

“We clean up well,” I joked.

“Aye, we do,” Ewan said. He gave me a strange look.

What is that about?

The doors opened, and the bagpiper played a haunting tune I didn’t recognize.

The bridesmaids came down, and then Angie.

The crowd gasped, as they should have. She was angelic and beautiful in her perfectly designed wedding gown that was a mix of formal and punk. The tight bodice of lace, sat atop a full pleated skirt. Inside the pleats was her trademark purple in satin, which was only visible when she walked. Her family’s plaid lay across her chest.

Damien’s face brought tears to my eyes. If she’d had any doubts, they had to have been assuaged when she saw him. She’d already gone past us, but I was certain she smiled at him as well. He reached for her as if he couldn’t wait, and she was only midway down the aisle.

A handkerchief appeared before me, and I glanced up to find Ewan watching me carefully.

“Thanks,” I mouthed, and took it from him.

The acoustics were poor, so we couldn’t hear much of what was going on up front. Only the minister wore a microphone, and he spoke half Gaelic and half English, and had a heavy Scottish accent. I didn’t understand much.

An hour later, Angie and Damien came back down the aisle, laughing all the way.

We waited for the bridal party to exit, before following everyone down to the castle for an early dinner. The sun had gone down a while ago, and the temperature had dropped again. Not that it had been warm before.

Since we were some of the last to leave, we arrived after everyone had gone into the dining room. Angie and Damien were in the hall, talking to his mother.

“Aye, we understand,” Damien said. “I didn’t expect you to be here at all, Ma. Truly. I’m grateful, but we understand.”

The other woman kissed his cheek and then hugged Angie. I’m not sure who was more surprised, the bride or the groom.

Then his mother turned toward us.

“Oh, Doctor, may I speak to you?”

I nodded.

Ewan didn’t leave me alone, but he did step away, nearer the door.

Cheers went up in the ballroom as the happy couple stepped inside.

“Thank you,” she said. “The doctors told me he wouldn’t have survived were it not for your care. His heart is weak, and his kidneys—they aren’t certain what will happen there. We must take it one day at a time.”

“That’s a good attitude. You both have a long road ahead, but with you on his side—well, that’s a bonus.”

“Your kindness is not deserved, but I’m grateful you were here. There is one thing—” She frowned.

“What is it?”

“He promised me he had nothing to do with Robbie’s murder. I believe him. I’m his mother, but I asked if there could be no more secrets between us. I would help him in any way I could. But he swore on his nan’s grave that he wasn’t involved.

“He loved my mother. Probably out of everyone in the family, she is who he was closest to. I understand that we shouldn’t trust addicts, but like I said, I believe him.”

She’d been speaking rapidly and stopped to take a breath.

I wasn’t sure how to reply to what she’d said. The evidence was damning, and I’d been duped by the last killer I’d tangled with, so trusting my instincts in situations like this—well, I simply didn’t have the experience Ewan had.

He was a barrister as well as the constable, for many years in Sea Isle. That, and he had a great deal more experience with criminals.

“It’s good he has you on his side,” I said. That seemed the most nonpolitical thing I could say.

“I understand we come off as spoiled and entitled. Those remarks are deserved,” she said. “But please help me convince the police that my son is not a murderer. He is many things, but he isn’t that. You need to find the real killer—the person who harmed my son.”

I nodded. “When I get home, I’ll be better able to check our findings with the proper equipment.”

“That’s all I ask. I must go. I didn’t want to miss the wedding, but I don’t want to leave Caleb alone for too long. He’s miserable.”

After she left, I stood there, not sure what to think.

“He’s guilty,” Ewan whispered.

“Of something,” I said. “But murder? I’m not certain. We need to keep our eye out for the petite dark-haired woman the housekeeper and Tommy saw.”

He sighed. “Neither could identify any of the guests from the photos. They may have got it wrong.”

“Not even Samantha?”

“Nay. She said too many of the women looked alike. She’d not paid much attention to the one who stayed when the others left.”

“But the kitchen staff would have seen her. Ideally, if she took the dishes to be washed.”

“Aye. We checked. The bowl is missing. She—or whoever it was—never took it back.”

“They stole the bowl?”

He shrugged. “Or hid it somewhere.”

Ewan guided me into the ballroom, which had been set up elaborately for the wedding dinner. Much like the breakfast, there were beautiful place settings, flowers, and linens, but the overall feel was even more elegant.

Luckily, I’d been seated with my friends. I’m sure I had Angie to thank for that. We were back in a corner, which made it easy to watch the room. Haggis was the main protein, but I’d opted for a vegan meal when I’d rsvp’d.

I’d tried haggis—once. Mara and her family swore if it was made right, I’d love it as much as any Scot.

They were wrong.

I was adventurous when it came to food, but it had to taste good.

Over the first course, there were several toasts. Angie’s dad, her mother, and others told funny stories about the couple. As that sort of thing goes, it was far less embarrassing than at other weddings I’d attended.

While it took me a minute to notice, Marianne was missing. She’d been there for the ceremony, but every seat was full for the dinner, and I couldn’t find her anywhere.

“Have any of you seen Marianne?” I asked.

Abigail had been about to eat some of her soup. “When I went to check on Tommy, she had one of the valet’s bring her car around. Maybe she didn’t feel right celebrating given what happened to her cousin.”

“I—you’re probably right.”

Mara cocked her head. “Or she might have been making a fast getaway. She probably has all the evidence you need in her trunk.”

Ewan, who was seated on my left, choked a bit. Instinct took over, and I patted his back.

“Are you okay?”

He put his napkin to his mouth and nodded.

“I don’t think it’s her,” I said. “Why would she kill her cousin?”

“We are not discussing the suspects,” Ewan said. “This is an—”

“Ongoing investigation,” everyone said at the same time, and then we laughed. Well, everyone except Ewan.

“There’s something I need to check on,” he said. Then he was gone.

“Aww. I think we hurt the Laird’s feelings.” Mara smiled.

“He’ll get over it,” I said. “Abigail’s right, though. She probably needed away from this place.” But she’d just moved up my list—motive or not.

“Do you think Caleb did all of this?” Mara asked.

“You know, better than anyone, my thoughts about that. He had the means, motive, and opportunity, but it doesn’t track. I think our killer or killers are still here.”

Everyone turned at the same time to glance over the crowd.

“I don’t feel like I have any more clues than I did four days ago, when all of this began.” I sighed. Being a sleuth wasn’t as easy as Vera and the rest of the gang on Brit Box and Acorn TV made it seem.

The only person in the room who wasn’t talking or smiling was Mr. Carthage. He appeared as if he wanted to be anywhere else but in that room. He shoved his food away and crossed his arms. With his ridiculous scowl, he reminded me of a petulant child.

His youngest son had been accused of murder, and his eldest son had married a woman he didn’t like. That man was prickly and sour on the best of days, but this situation had not gone to plan.

The current stepmom, Dara, pointed a finger at Angie’s dad. They wore fierce looks.

“I wonder what that’s about. She does not look happy,” I said.

Mara and Abigail followed my line of sight.

“Oh, maybe he was up to no good,” Mara whispered, “and she found out. I thought it was highly suspicious that he didn’t make it before the storm hit. Maybe he was hanging out with Angie’s mom number five, or is it six?”

“Mara,” Abigail chided.

“I don’t blame him,” Jasper said. “That many ex-wives in one place, who would want to do that?”

He had a point.

“From what Angie said, he’d been stuck in London because of the weather. He couldn’t fly out until this morning,” I said.

“Way to ruin our fun,” Mara said.

I grinned. “Well, we don’t know why he was in London or who he might have been with there.”

“That’s the spirit, Em,” Mara said.

The stepmom stood and then tossed her napkin on her chair.

Angie’s dad grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her down to her seat, but she pushed off his hand. Then she left the room.

“Maybe I should check on her,” I said. “She seems upset.”

Angie whispered something to her groom. He frowned and then nodded. She rose from her seat and followed the stepmother.

Mara and I were up and out of the room before Jasper and Abigail could finish their soup.

Angie had stopped the woman halfway down the hall.

“Luv, it’s nothing for you to worry about,” Dara said. “He’s just pushing my buttons.”

“Are you ill?” I asked Angie. “We saw you jump up quickly.”

Dara turned and narrowed her eyes at me.

“My sweet stepdaughter was just checking on me,” she said. “Nothing to get your nose out of joint about.”

She was not happy with me for some reason.

“My da is being his cantankerous self,” Angie said. “Please don’t leave— not just yet. I can move you to another table.”

The woman turned to Angie. “No, luv. You’re right. I let him get to me. Let me freshen up a wee bit, and I’ll come back.” She took off.

“Sorry we butted in. We just wanted to make certain you were okay,” Mara said. “We didn’t mean to—”

Angie waved a hand. “If you ask me, they are equally awful to each other. She’s extremely high strung, and my da—he’s a highly suspicious man. He thinks she’s having an affair. He saw something in their room. At least, that’s the bit I overheard.”

I knew it.

Mara and I exchanged glances, but I gave a slight shake of my head. This didn’t seem the right time to share that I’d heard a man in Dara’s room when I’d stumbled against her door.

When I checked her room, there was no sign of another man. That didn’t mean he wasn’t staying in another room and showing up at hers for some fun.

Maybe that’s what I’d picked up on with Dara. She was an unpleasant woman, but perhaps the affair was what she’d been trying to hide. When I’d questioned her about a man in her room, she’d told me it was someone on the telly.

That’s why she didn’t like me.

“Nothing for you to worry about,” Mara said. “Everything is so wonderful tonight—don’t let them get to you. Let’s go celebrate.”

Angie laughed. “First, come help me wee. I’ve been holding it since the ceremony started.”

We did as she asked, holding up her wedding skirts as friends will. Then we all washed up and headed back to the dinner.

By the time all the courses were served, I was so full. A nap was imminent.

Mara gently punched me in the shoulder. “Wake up. It’s time for the reception.”

“Scottish weddings are very long.”

Jasper, Abigail, and even Ewan, who had returned during the fourth course, laughed.

“Aye,” Mara said, “but next is dancing. That will wake us up. There are hours to go.”

Hours? All I wanted to do was curl up in the fetal position and sleep for days. But this was my last chance to observe everyone before they went on their way.

While I hadn’t known Robbie, I’d heard the stories about him. He didn’t seem the type to hatch a plot to stop a wedding. More likely, Caleb had told the truth about what Robbie said about him doing something wrong but wanting to make it right.

Maybe he’d been determined to confess all to Angie and Damien.

“Supposition. No evidence.” I could hear Ewan in my head.

In my theory, though, Caleb became the perfect scapegoat. He’d been half out of his mind going through withdrawals over the past several days. If things had gone wrong with Robbie, the killer might have used Caleb without him even being aware.

He’d been wasted most of his time at the castle. No one was at their best with that kind of brain fog. What had happened had taken cleverness and premeditation.

None of the evidence we were missing had been found in Caleb’s room. I’d even gone through his things with his mother in the room. She’d given me permission.

Someone had used him. Maybe even tried to kill him with the poison. If he were gone, whatever he might have seen would go with him. He was the perfect scapegoat.

Then there was the mean woman Tommy had told us about. She’d been yelling at Robbie near the garage.

“I wish Tommy and Samantha could have picked out the woman they both saw,” I said, as we headed to the other ballroom for the reception.

“Who is Samantha?” Mara stood beside me as we waited to enter the reception area.

I explained.

“Tommy saw a woman arguing with Robbie. If we could identify her—that might be the puzzle piece we’re missing. But Ewan said neither of them could tell them which woman it was on the list. Too many of them looked the same.”

“The same?” Mara appeared puzzled.

“Yes. That’s it.” Everything clicked in my brain.

“You know who the killer is?”

“Sort of,” I said. “Who at this wedding looks nearly identical to one another?”

“The steps,” Mara said. “They have the same sort of appearance. I nearly mistook one of them for another tonight.”

“Exactly.”

“They all seem to love Angie, though. Why would they want to stop the wedding or risk killing her?”

“Because we don’t know the whole story. I have someone in mind, but we’ll need to watch all the steps carefully at the reception. Whichever one it is, they could leave and dump all the evidence.”

“Please don’t tell me we have to search their rooms again.”

“No. I have another plan.”

She sighed. “I have a feeling it’s dangerous.”

She was right.