Allegra Fairweather_ Paranormal Investigator - Janni Nell [61]
“That’s not true.” Her words held no conviction.
“Cut the crap, Scarlett. You look guilty as sin.”
She took a step back. “If I was a witch, I’d put a spell on you.” She turned to go but I grabbed her arm.
“Maybe you’re not a witch,” I said, “but you know something.”
“Only in regards to the research I’m doing for the book. You know as well as I that the Dedfield Rose heralds disaster. Now let me go.” She tried to shake off my hand but I held on tight.
“If you’ve got anything to do with the deaths of McEwen and Malcolm I won’t stop until you pay for it.”
Scarlett looked terrified. “You’ve got nothing on me. I dinnae kill those men.”
In silence I studied her puckered brow and the eyes that were open just a little too wide. Despite her unease, I believed her. When I let go of her arm, she hurried away. Maybe you didn’t kill them, Scarlett, but you know something.
* * *
By the time I had returned from the rose, evening had descended on Loch Road and was gradually deepening into night. Lights were going on in the houses. Cooking aromas drifted into the street. Despite the coziness of these images I half expected to hear the shriek of the banshee. Luckily I didn’t. There were no Banns of Death to be called tonight but I didn’t think that would be the case for long.
Once inside Mac’s I headed straight for the bar and asked Douglas for a double whiskey. This case was driving me to drink. Not good.
“You look tired,” said Douglas setting my drink on the bar.
I took a sip. It warmed me but it didn’t soothe my soul.
“I thought I was getting closer to solving the case,” I told Douglas, “but I haven’t. I’ve gone backwards.”
“What happened?”
I was grateful he didn’t complain about wasting his money. He was paying me to solve this case and so far I’d come up with a big fat nothing.
“Stuart has admitted The Three M’s saw a naked woman near the rose. I think she might be a witch—part of a local coven that includes Lady Justina and Scarlett Gordon.”
“That sounds like progress,” he said. “But even if either of those women is involved in a coven, why would they kill McEwen and Malcolm?”
“Good question. Problem is I don’t have an answer. Not yet.”
“What if the woman wasn’t a witch,” suggested Douglas. “What if she was an ordinary woman who was harmed by The Three M’s? McEwen and Malcolm could’ve been killed for revenge.”
“Stuart insists they didn’t harm her. According to him they didn’t even approach her.”
“Do you believe him?”
“Yeah.”
Douglas frowned. “What if McEwen and Malcolm harmed her without Stuart’s knowledge?”
“Stuart insists they all watched until she was out of sight.”
Douglas looked as though he didn’t believe that. “The Three M’s drank at Mac’s every night. Stuart could easily have been so drunk he passed out while McEwen and Malcolm were doing…whatever it was they were doing. Stuart could have come to after it was over.”
“It’s possible,” I said hesitantly.
“Or, playing Devil’s Advocate,” continued Douglas, “Stuart could have killed McEwen and Malcolm.”
It was a stretch, but stranger things have happened.
“Okay, Douglas, I’ll play along. What was his motive?”
“To silence them. Supposing Stuart was the one who’d had sex with the woman. McEwen and Malcolm could have threatened to tell Anne.”
I wasn’t convinced. “How would Stuart have made the bite marks on their bodies?”
“It would’ve been difficult,” Douglas conceded, “but not impossible. He could have used the jawbone of an animal.”
“No, I don’t buy it.”
“Aye,” agreed Douglas. “I guess the motive’s a bit shaky too.”
“The real argument against our theories is that they don’t seem big enough to warrant an appearance of the Dedfield Rose. Sure there’s been death, but is that a big enough disaster? Will it disrupt the natural order of things? I don’t think so.” My brain ached. I was exhausted and hadn’t eaten since hours before. “We’ll think more clearly after a good meal.”
“I’m not hungry,” he said, “but I’ll bring you