Pepper, the Highlander & the Dead Guy

My dad asked Ian a few more questions while Josh looked around.

“No signs of a break-in,” Josh announced.

“I leave my door unlocked. I trust everyone here,” Ian admitted, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “At least I thought I could.”

“Which means anyone who stays here could have entered without a problem,” my dad said. “It also means no breaking and entering with intention to steal anything since your place wasn’t broken into and nothing was stolen that you know of, which makes the crime a misdemeanor… vandalism.”

“Not a high priority crime,” Ian said.

“The guy made one mistake,” my dad said, and I saw Josh send my dad a curious look. He didn’t know what he was alluding to, but I did. My dad turned to me. “Know what that is, Pepper.”

I was chomping at the bit to answer. “He let us know that he’s looking for evidence that will help reveal and no doubt convict the murderer.”

My dad and Josh went downstairs to talk to whoever was there tonight and see if anyone could tell them anything. He told me to wait until he got done since he intended to follow me home. I didn’t argue.

I took off my jacket before sitting on the gorgeous, burnished mahogany leather couch amid packing boxes that had yet to be opened.

“Now there’s the Pep I’m familiar with,” he said with a smile and nod at my pajama top.

“I sometimes think you’ve seen me more in my PJs than clothes.” I almost rolled my eyes, that I’d left myself open to a response most men would give and was pleasantly surprised to learn Ian wasn’t most men.

“I like that you feel comfortable enough with me to wear your PJs.”

“And here I thought you’d say—”

“That I’d want to see you naked? That’s a given, Pep, and you cannae tell me you have no’ thought the same of me.”

He got me and, my cheeks blossomed red, recalling what I’d seen under his kilt.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page, Pep,” he said with a chuckle. “Any thoughts of what might be in that envelope Edwina gave to Struthers or what the key might open?”

I was glad he changed the subject and eager to give my opinion. “What would someone hide for that many years?

We answered simultaneously. “A secret.”

“A secret enough to kill to keep,” I said. “A secret your Uncle Max kept.”

Ian rubbed at the back of his neck. “I dinnae know my Uncle Max well, though I do recall my da saying that I got my good looks from him.”

I smiled, recalling Max Macgregor. “He was a handsome devil. All the women around here couldn’t keep their eyes off him from what my mom said. But he was faithful to his wife, Trudy.”

“My da couldn’t believe it when I found out that I had inherited this place. Why leave it to me and not his brother? But my dad told me Uncle Max always spoke highly of me. He told me he couldn’t understand why his brother had wanted to go to the United States and own and run a lodge in a small village. He had been surprised when Aunt Trudy agreed to it, though I do remember her returning home for visits far more often than Uncle Max. My da was also surprised that it worked out for his brother since he told me that Max never had good business sense.”

“That’s odd. The lodge was a hugely successful business for a longtime, though it started to decline a few years before Trudy died.”

“I remember attending her funeral,” Ian said. “She was buried in the Macgregor family graveyard.”

I scrunched my brow, recalling Max’s funeral. “Max is buried here.”

“From what my da told me it was his request to stay here. He had told my da that he’d made a life here and this was where he wanted to stay. I’ve been meaning to visit his grave.”

“I can take you. He’s buried where most of my family and most everyone who has lived their whole lives here are buried—Verbena’s Cemetery.”

Ian looked at me oddly. “I thought he was buried in Churchyard Cemetery.”

“Locals call it Verbena’s Cemetery. Verbena Willow was the daughter of the founding father of the town, Ignatius Willow. She died young and was buried on family land which was donated to the church so that her final resting place would remain undisturbed and not be moved or lost through the years as is the fate of some old cemeteries.”

“It was my uncle’s request so I’m happy he’s where he wanted to be,” Ian said.

“Pepper, time to go,” my dad called out.

Ian walked with me to my truck and gave me a quick kiss and reminded me he’d see me tomorrow morning at ten back here. Josh followed me home and all the way I couldn’t help but wonder why Max Macgregor hadn’t been buried with his wife in the family plot.