“I see. I don’t understand why you couldn’t tell me that.”
“Because I’m just an employee at the bookshop, Bridget. I didn’t find the body. I didn’t know anything. I don’t know you. The police had been there and we’d been asked to close the shop for the day. I felt like it was all none of your business, none of anybody’s business at that moment.”
“You knew the victim though, right?”
“I’d only met her that night. She was a student at the medical school and I’m friends with two other students. She was at the pub with them. That’s it. I didn’t get to know her at all, but she seemed like a sweet person.”
“Yeah, the medical school,” she said.
“What about it?” I tried to make my pounce sound like normal conversation.
“I’m not sure.” She looked at me. “You know anything about a professor there named Dr. Eban?”
“I know who he is.” I paused. “Is he involved somehow?”
Distractedly she shook her head. “I don’t know, but I’m trying to get an interview with him. He was friends with Dr. Glenn.”
“I’ve only recently heard about him. He was a murderer?”
She was perplexed. “You don’t know who Dr. Glenn is?”
“No idea.”
“God, I hope the police do.”
I didn’t tell her that it was from an officer that I’d recently heard Dr. Glenn’s name. “Tell me about him.”
“There’s too much tae tell. Look him up. He was friends with all of them: Dr. Eban, his wife, who is also a doctor and a professor at the university, as well as Mallory Clacher’s father. They worked together back in the day, until … Well, it’s hard tae think that Dr. Glenn has resurfaced, but if he has,” she shook her head, “we’re all in danger.”
Dr. Glenn had gone from being a mere curiosity in my mind to being someone who could feasibly have been involved in Mallory Clacher’s murder. “Tell me more about Dr. Glenn, Bridget.”
She looked at her watch. “I would if I had the time, but I don’t right now. You’ll find all you want on the Web. If you want tae meet later, I could.”
The urge to say “yes” was strong, but I pushed it away. I’d look him up on my own. “Mallory’s dad’s name isn’t Conn, is it?”
She smiled. “You know more than you’re ever going tae tell me. No, her father’s name is Boris. Boris has a brother, a real troublemaker for the family. That’s Conn Clacher. He’s not a killer, but he’s trouble nonetheless. Oh, hell, are the police looking at Conn as the killer?”
“No! Not that I’m aware of at least.” I paused, and then decided to be straight with her so she wouldn’t bother the Clachers. “Gaylord has represented a Conn Clacher. He was at the bookshop the day you saw him so Tom and I could talk to the police with an attorney present. There could be a conflict in him representing us, that’s all.”
She nodded slowly. “You a suspect? Anyone at the shop a suspect?”
“No, we just needed to give statements of our whereabouts the night of Mallory’s murder. We aren’t suspects.”
We were two people avoiding telling each other everything, and both of us probably knew it. Briefly, I thought again about meeting her later, but decided not to.
I said, “I don’t know who the police suspect.”
“You know that her father, Boris, is part of the medical school administration?”
“Do you think that matters? I’m sure many students throughout the school have ties to the university.”
“Aye. Something’s going on at that medical school, but I can’t figure out what or how it’s connected to your bookshop. There has tae be something.”
“I don’t know what to say. I know nothing about any connection.”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d help me figure out what it is,” she said.
I swallowed hard. “How?”
“Get me an interview with your boss, Edwin MacAlister. He’s a mystery himself. I’d be curious as tae what he has tae say.”
I didn’t want to try to get her an interview with Edwin, but I was just anxious enough about the murder that I might consider asking him.
“I’ll try,” I said with a sigh. “But he has no ties to the medical school.”
“Right. Edwin MacAlister has ties tae everyone and everything in Edinburgh.” She smiled and stepped toward the Renegade Scot’s doors.
“I will try,” I said.
“Thanks. Hey, I’m sorry,” she said.
Two apologies.
“Thanks,” I said.
“I know you’re dating Tom,” she added as she reached for the door handle.
“I am.”
“You guys have been together almost a year?”
I nodded. I really didn’t want to talk about Tom with her.
She squinted and cocked her head. “You’re not his type.”
Ouch. I laughed.
“But I think that must be why he’s so taken with you. For the first time ever, I think he fell for the inside before the outside.”
“Well, that’s an interesting backhanded compliment, but I’ll take it.”
“It’s true that he’s smitten and you’re pretty enough, but … well, lots of women would have liked that kind of attention directed toward them, and he could get prettier.”
Fair point.
She continued, “I would have liked his attention long-term, because he’s a lovely man, but he’s not good with breaking things off. He’s not so lovely then.”
“I’ll deal with that it if happens.”
“Aye. You’ll have no choice.”
I nodded again. And bit back words that might make me sound as bitter as she did.
“I want you tae know that I don’t resent your relationship
