“Hello, Delaney,” Rena said.
“Lass,” Dr. Eban said.
I suspected they all knew about the books; the fact that Rena had brought them into the shop as well as the fact that I’d taken one to show Dr. Eban. I didn’t know what I would say if they brought them up, but I told myself to somehow be prepared.
“That was lovely. Thank you for inviting me,” I said.
Elias rejoined us.
“Dr. Eban,” he extended his hand, “Elias McKenna. I’m a friend of Delaney’s. Yer service gave me a curiosity. Do ye have a moment that I could ask ye a question in private?”
“Of course. Let’s step this way.”
“Did Delaney tell you I accosted her?” Rena asked Sophie.
“She mentioned that you went tae talk tae her.”
“I’m sorry, Delaney. I was just so upset. But I’ve got my wits about me again,” Rena said. “Forgive me?”
“Of course,” I said as I looked closely at Rena. Was she being sincere? “How are you doing?”
“I’m not exactly sure how I’m supposed tae be doing, but it’s all a wee bit difficult right now.” She looked at Sophie. “We’ve considered withdrawing from school for the rest of the semester, but I just don’t know.”
“You’re pretty far into it for withdrawal, aren’t you?” I asked.
Rena shrugged as she and Sophie shared a frown.
“Well, I didn’t know Mallory all that well, and you have to do what you have to do, but I do think she would like to see the two of you become doctors as soon as is feasibly possible.” If they didn’t have anything to do with her murder, I had no doubt that was true. I had been around the three of them together for only a short time, but I could see their friendly support of each other, void of envy but perhaps fueled by a little professional competition; the good kind that made them each strive to be better, not behave spitefully.
Sophie and Rena looked at each other, and I was pretty sure they both had to work hard to hold it together.
“Aye,” Rena said.
“Aye,” Sophie said.
Elias and Dr. Eban finished their brief conversation and approached us. The two men shook hands, and then Dr. Eban turned and left without telling any of the rest of us goodbye.
Sophie and Rena shared another look and then abruptly told us goodbye before they left too.
A few seconds later, other than a few people still sitting in the purple chairs, Elias and I were the only ones remaining in the church.
“What did you talk about?” I asked him.
“I wondered how one went aboot donating their body tae medicine.”
“Really?”
“Aye. I’ll talk tae Aggie tonight, but it makes sense tae me.”
“Okay.” I blinked. I had questions, but figured Aggie should ask them first.
“Where tae now, lass?”
“Any chance you’d like to try to see a roomful of skulls?”
“I havenae ever had such an offer, but I suppose it could be interesting.”
“I don’t know if we can get in, but let’s try. I just need to make a phone call.”
“I’ll drive.”
TWENTY
“Delaney, always good tae see ye,” Artair said as he greeted us outside the university’s skull room. “Ye too, Elias.”
Though Joshua had offered to set up an appointment to show me the skull room, he hadn’t been available today. I’d called Tom to let him know my plans had been thwarted, and he said he would call his father, Artair. I protested because I knew Artair had been busy with his sister, but Tom thought it would be good to give his father something else to focus on.
Artair shook both of our hands and hugged me. A librarian at the University of Edinburgh library, to me he was more than Tom’s dad. He was a friend, someone I’d come to admire and care for. He was also someone who had helped me when I’d needed information I thought might lead to the discovery of a killer.
“How’s your sister?” I asked.
“Same,” Artair said with a sad smile. “I’m glad Tom called tae see if I was available tae show you the room. Good tae get my mind on something else.”
“Aye,” Elias said.
“I’m sorry she’s not well,” I said.
“She’s auld,” he said, as if trying to convince himself as well as tell us.
The skull room was off-limits to the public; however, as Joshua had said, visits could be arranged if research was involved. I didn’t think I could qualify on my own, and I was in a hurry. If anyone could get us in, Artair had the connections. He hadn’t even needed connections; he was able to go into the skull room anytime he wanted. Dr. Eban was the keeper of the keys, and had given one to Artair a long time ago.
“Thanks for doing this,” I said.
“Och, my pleasure. I haven’t been inside in some tiem, but last year when I was helping put together some book lists for the medical school, one of them was about genetic deformations. A horrifying subject, but one that I found utterly fascinating. I ended up in here. There are more than skulls inside. Ye’ll see.”
I’d heard as much, but Elias raised his eyebrows at me.
Artair pushed open the door and signaled us to go in ahead of him.
“Wow! It’s exactly as advertised. A roomful of skulls.”
“Aye,” Elias said.
“Aye,” Artair said. “It was built specifically for the wee things.”
The space we stepped into wasn’t vast, but it felt stately and not gruesome, despite the rows of skulls surrounding us. The skulls were in glass-front display cases against the walls on the main floor as well as on the upper level, which also had a walkway balcony around it. We were greeted by three skulls in their perpetual death smiles perched on a small table in the middle of the room. Beyond the greeters, rows of vacant eyes appraised us, toothy smiles sending their forever approval.
“The wood-paneled ceiling and the tile floor are original, built back in the 1880s. The only additions since then are the smoke detector and the fluorescent lights,” Artair said.
A large window
