“Do ye want tae walk up there?” Elias said when he noticed where I was looking.
“Maybe just walk that direction. I don’t want to be too intrusive.”
“Aye,” he said, doubtfully.
I ignored his tone. Slowly, we moved toward them, but didn’t go far before Sophie eyed us. She said something to Dr. Eban and Rena, who both turned and looked at us with furrowed eyebrows.
“Hi,” Sophie said as she approached. “I’m sorry we didn’t look for you. I forgot you were coming.”
“No problem. It was a lovely service. This is my friend Elias.”
After the introductions, she said, “Thank you for being here.”
Her eyes were heavy with dark circles underneath. I put my hand on her arm.
“You doing okay?” I asked.
“Sure. I mean, as well as can be expected.” She stole a glance back toward Dr. Eban and Rena, who were glancing curiously at us.
“Is there a problem?” I asked.
Sophie looked at me a long moment. She wasn’t the same slightly anxious but happy person she’d been before Friday night. I guessed that she was evaluating whether she could trust me. Elias sensed it too, and seemed to pull backward a tiny bit, just enough to give Sophie the impression that he wasn’t listening. I saw a wavering begin in her eyes, and I sensed I was losing her.
Mostly just to keep her there, I said, “I think I upset Rena the last time I talked to her.”
She nodded. “Aye. She’s been upset.”
“I mean when she came to Grassmarket. The article … She was upset, maybe rightfully so. But I didn’t know Mallory before Friday night, Sophie.”
She brought her eyebrows together. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Article? Rena came to see you?”
“Oh. I’m sorry. A reporter from the Renegade Scot approached me as I was looking in a window at the bookshop. I wouldn’t talk to her, but she wrote an article that had a suspicious slant in my direction. The police don’t suspect me,” again, I hoped, “but Rena was bothered, rightfully so. You two and Mallory were pretty good friends, and she wondered if I somehow knew Mallory before. I didn’t.” Hadn’t Rena said they were all upset by the article? Who had she meant by “all” if Sophie wasn’t part of that group?
“I guess I don’t understand, but I never did think you killed Mallory.” She sent another curious glance back to Rena and Dr. Eban. Their three-way silent communication was growing awkward, but Rena and Dr. Eban didn’t approach us. Sophie turned her attention back to Elias and me.
I nodded. “Dr. Eban said lovely words about Mallory too.”
“Aye,” she said as more tears welled.
I looked around, and saw that there weren’t many people left in the church. “Did Mallory’s family attend the service?”
“I don’t think so. Dr. Eban just added that part about Mallory. This wasn’t a scheduled service for her. Why?” Sophie asked.
“I was hoping to give them my condolences,” I said, thinking that all of us on The Cracked Spine staff should have done so already.
Sophie nodded. “Well…”
“Hey, Sophie,” I reached for her arm as she turned, but I stopped myself from grabbing it, “do you know when Rena made it home Friday night?”
“Shortly after I did.” She must have seen the look on my face. “Didn’t we talk about this?”
“Lola saw her come in later.”
“Lola? The young woman who opens the door for everyone?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I don’t know how you know her, but she’s a strange one. I’m not sure you can trust much of what she says. She twists things sometimes.”
“Strange how?”
“Aye. There are … This is unkind, but there are some people who would like tae go tae medical school but just don’t have what it takes. They sometimes hang around us students or just the school. We call them groupies. Lola finds … found Mallory, Rena, and me even more interesting, because we’re a wee bit older than the norm. She sees us as motivation. We see her as a wee bit delusional.”
“Really? She was at the pub Friday night,” I said.
“I didn’t notice her, but I’m not surprised she was there. Did you tell the police?”
“I didn’t see any reason why I should.”
“You should.”
“That she was at the pub?”
“Maybe.” Sophie shrugged.
“Okay. Sure, that might be important.” I looked at Elias and then back at Sophie. Elias got my cue and excused himself, stepping back and feigning interest in some organ pipes on the wall.
“You’re okay? Rena’s okay?”
“No, we’re distraught over Mallory, but I don’t think that’s why you’re curious.”
I didn’t have time to tread lightly. “Is Dr. Eban holding something over you two? I don’t know, do you have some deal with him?” I used the word “deal” on purpose, because I’d seen it in the email from Rena to him.
“What?” Sophie said. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. ‘Deal’?”
I would bet she was lying, but I wouldn’t bet a lot. I couldn’t be certain; we just weren’t that good of friends.
“Dr. Eban really thought there were scalpels in some warehouse that my boss is supposed to have.”
“He probably still does. He’s obsessive sometimes.”
“Do you know who Dr. Glenn is?” I asked.
Her eyes widened briefly. I’d surprised her, and she tried to hide it quickly.
“Who?” she asked.
“Dr. Glenn. He worked at the medical school and the hospital. He wasn’t a real doctor, alleged to have killed some patients, killed his wife. He and Dr. Eban knew each other.”
“I’ve never heard of him.”
Now I knew she was lying. Mostly because everyone in Scotland would probably find his name and his deeds familiar, but, also, she wasn’t working hard to hide the lie.
Dr. Eban and Rena finally approached. I wondered if they’d seen Sophie become uncomfortable and had decided it was time to save her from whatever questions I might be asking
