Dressed to Kilt by Hannah Reed Page A

left open. As Gayle told us, other than the lass and fireplace poker on the floor, nothin’ was out o’ order.”
    â€œIf the intruder wasn’t expecting anyone to be in the house and suddenly came upon Katie, that might account for the fact that nothing is missing. She interrupted.”
    â€œAye, it’s possible that it’s as simple as that.”
    I peered into his serious blue eyes. “But you aren’t buying it?”
    â€œI don’t know what tae believe at this point. It happened too close in time tae the murder tae discount a connection. Especially since Katie Taylor was in the tasting room last night. Whether there’s a common thread here or no, I can’t say as yet.”
    â€œYou questioned Katie along with the other guests. What did she say?”
    â€œThe lass didn’t know a reason fer what happened taeHenrietta. Other than her hirin’ Katie tae cater at the tasting, she’d never heard o’ Henrietta McCloud before that. The only connection between the two o’ them is Tainwick.”
    â€œTainwick?”
    â€œAye, the both o’ them are from the same town. Although Henrietta left years ago, before Katie was even born.”
    Tainwick. That name again. Where had I heard it before? Of course, Patricia had mentioned it at the tasting when we’d briefly spoken of the sisters’ pasts. But even then it had a familiar ring to it.
    A moment later I thought I’d figured it out. I enjoy studying maps, and I pull out a map of the Highlands whenever I get a chance. There seem to be thousands of small villages, all with unusual names. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’d seen Wick on the map. And a Tullich. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was one named Tain. Or maybe I actually saw Tainwick on the map and that was where my familiarity with it came from.
    The inspector interrupted my wandering mind by saying, “Noo that I’m thinkin’ o’ that bit o’ information, that both o’ them have a Tainwick background, I better stay here and question Katie Taylor’s family members. It’s not much o’ a clue, but it’s not like we have any others at the moment. Have ye uncovered anything o’ importance this morn?”
    I filled him in on my conversation with Janet Dougal earlier in the morning, omitting the personal tidbit regarding her expressed interest in his marital status. If she intended to pursue him, he’d find out soon enough on his own. I could imagine his dismay at that revelation. He wasn’t exactly fond of her. “Space cadet,” as he’d referred to her, was hardly a term of endearment.
    â€œShe continued to claim that her spat with Henriettawas insignificant,” I finished. “Barely worth mentioning, in her opinion.”
    â€œI have a feeling that woman would butt heads with a goat over a single bit o’ hay in a haystack. Bridie doesn’t have any good tae say about this distant relative o’ hers, and I find the woman more than a bit over the top as well. What’s that little smirk on yer lips fer?”
    â€œNothing. I’m not smirking!” But I must have been. I just couldn’t get over the image of Janet Dougal chasing Jamieson far and wide over the snow-covered hills of Glenkillen. I attempted to straighten my expression appropriately.
    After a piercing gaze, he abandoned the possibility of an explanation and asked, “Ye haven’t mentioned Patricia Martin. What’s on with her?”
    That was exactly the right question to wipe the smirk off my face. So much for staying one step ahead of him. I’d really tried and would have succeeded if not for Katie’s attack. I’d been on my way back into the inn when the news of Katie reached me. “I was about to find out when you called me away to come here.”
    â€œIt’s probably my own fault that ye haven’t managed tae pin her down. After all, I