Pepper, the Highlander & the Dead Guy

“No boots?” He smiled, handing me the one moccasin. “You shouldn’t be walking in the woods alone.”

I snatched it out of his hand. “Why? Because I’m a woman I can’t walk in the woods alone? Do you walk in the woods alone?”

“I’m a man who can easily protect himself.”

“And I can’t protect myself?” I asked, slipping my moccasin on and walking over to poke him in a very hard chest. “I do just fine taking care of myself, buddy.”

“Pepper, what are you doing here and what have you gotten yourself into this time that I have to get you out of?”

My youngest brother Josh couldn’t have shown up at a worse time. He was one of Willow Lake’s finest, being on the police force seven years now.

I waited for Ian to turn a smug grin on me, but he surprised me when he turned to Josh, and said, “You might want to go easy on her. She came across a dead body.”

“Wow, sis, that’s a first even for you,” Josh said and walked over to slip a strong arm around me. “You all right? And please don’t tell me your nosey nature had you disturbing the area.”

“I’m just fine,” I said, wiggling out of his arm. “And I know not to touch anything.”

“She fell near the body.” Ian said

Josh shook his head. “Dad’s not going to be happy about that.” He glanced down at my feet and grinned. “No boots? Really? You who are always prepped and prepared? And where’s Mo. Why isn’t he with you?”

“He wasn’t feeling well.”

“Got into your stash of jerky again, didn’t he,” my brother said with a smirk.

I ignored his remark, not wanting to acknowledge that he was right.

“Is that you I hear, Pepper? Are you all right?”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at the sound of my dad’s voice and wished I had never taken the walk in the woods.

“What happened now?” my dad asked, making his way toward me.

Josh answered, “She found a dead body.”

“Actually, I saw her stumble down the hill and fall, landing near the body,” Ian said.

Oh Lord, here we go, I thought.

My dad shook his head and pointed at me. “I’ll get to you in a minute.”

I wasn’t surprised that he only gave the dead body a quick glance, then turned his attention on Ian. After all, he could have the murderer standing right in front of him.

“I’m Sheriff Warren Madison. And you are?”

“Ian Macgregor.”

His name caught my attention. Macgregor. Was he a relative of Max? Did that mean he had inherited Willow Lake Lodge? Max had been from Scotland and had relatives there. He had even traveled there through the years to visit. Was Ian one of Max’s relatives? Though only a slight brogue broke through Ian’s words now and again.

“New owner of Willow Lake Lodge and relative of Max’s?” my dad asked.

“Guilty on both accounts.”

“Do you know the deceased?”

“Never met him,” Ian said.

“But he was on his way to Willow Lake Lodge yesterday. He never made it there?” I asked.

“You know the deceased?” my dad asked, turning an annoyed look on me.

“He was a surveyor. Said his name was Robert Stevenson. He stopped at my place accidentally yesterday, thinking the road led to Willow Lake Lodge.”

“How could he have made such a mistake?” Josh said. “He would have had to been blind not to see the sign at the end of your driveway. And what about his GPS? Who doesn’t have a GPS in their car or on their cell phone? How the hell does someone get lost with today’s technology?”

“Not everyone is a tech-geek like you,” I reminded my brother.

“And you have never spoken to the deceased, Mr. Macgregor?” my dad asked.

“No, Sheriff, and I have no idea what a surveyor would want with me. All the papers for the lodge have been signed and filed, the transfer of title made. The property has belonged to me since my great-uncle died.”

“What were you doing in the woods, Mr. Macgregor?”

“I was working on my property when I heard a noise and went to investigate. That’s when I saw your daughter stumble down the hill and land near the dead man.”

My dad turned to me, and before he could find something new to criticize, I said, “That’s it, I’m going home. You know where you can find me if you have anything else to ask me.” I turned and walked away.

“Josh will drive you home. I don’t want you walking these woods alone with a killer on the loose.”

“I’d rather walk.”

“It wasn’t a request,” my dad said in a tone that was all too familiar and even at twenty-eight, I knew better than to argue with him. Also, there was the fact that a killer could be loose in the woods.

“I’ll be talking to you,” my dad called out and I sent him a whatever-wave and followed along with my brother when he came up beside me.