Page 3 of Hold a Candle

“And ye didn’t get a frontal look at the man who ran away?” she asked when he finished.

“Nay, but I do believe it was a man from the way his jeans hung down his backside,” Jamie replied. “Not too many lasses I’ve seen with narrow hips and broad shoulders like that. Probably young, maybe even a teenager, since he was faster than a rabbit.”

“Is anything missing?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t had a chance to look around,” Jamie confessed, his dark brows furrowing. “I’ve been informed it’s a crime scene, and I can’t get inside to check anything out.”

Pauley glanced briefly at Withers and Kearns, noting Wither’s sudden flush. Although he and Kearns had joined the department a year apart, Withers joining behind Kearns, it was obvious that he considered himself the senior partner of their duo. Idly, she wondered how long Kearns would put up with the ladder-climbing oaf? She’d seen his like before. The kind of man who considered himself superior in his job simply because he had the male anatomy.

The sound of tires on the asphalt behind her had her turning to view the vehicle pulling in. The sleek, black, Jeep Wagoneer must belong to Darro and Lucerne MacCandish, the owners of the Happy Housekeeper’s building. Curious, she watched him get out of the vehicle and come around to help his pregnant wife out her door.

Rumor had it that Lord MacCandish was an intimidating man who didn’t go by his title, even though it was the real thing. She’d never spoken to him. If and when he called, he was always directed straight to Quinn Tannock, the chief constable.

As he helped his wife up the steps to the landing, her gaze kept creeping up as he got taller. She was definitely impressed by his size and height; the man must be 6 ft 5 inches at least. Broad shoulders with a well-muscled physique you wouldn’t want to run into in a dark alley. With piercing blue eyes and a regal bearing, he was a man in charge of the world around him as he saw it. Even so, she noted how gentle he was with his wife.

“Dad,” Lucerne exclaimed, hugging Jamie. “Are ye all right? The police said there was a break in.”

“I’m fine, honey,” Jamie replied, giving her a hug and then reaching out to shake hands with MacCandish. “Darro, good to see you.” He nodded towards Pauley. “This is Detective MacBride.”

Lucerne and Darro both nodded to Pauley, and Darro gripped her hand in a firm clasp. “Can we go inside where my wife can sit down?” he asked.

Jamie shot Darro a warning look and a negative shake of his head at Lucerne. “That’s nae a good idea, honey. Ye can sit here.” Jamie stepped inside and reached for his daughter’s arm to help her down into the lawn chair he’d just vacated. “It’s best for ye not to go inside just yet.”

Understanding lit up Lucerne’s green eyes as she gratefully accepted her father’s assistance. “That bad, is it?”

“It’s nae a pretty sight,” Jamie agreed. “With yer recent reaction to the sight of blood, ye might want to stay out here, lass.”

Darro turned to Pauley. “Am I able to view my wife’s business, or is it going to be closed for now?”

Pauley nodded, impressed that he had asked. “Aye, ye and Mr. MacNamara can go inside and determine if ye think anything is missing, just don’t touch any surfaces. I’ve got a team coming to sweep the premises for fingerprints and process the scene.” She hadn’t seen the crime scene herself yet, but she’d heard it was bloody. She should have been here earlier, but the man was still alive, although unconscious, and he’d been immediately rushed to the hospital. Since he’d died enroute, no one had been able to question him.

Lucerne frowned. “The only thing of any value would be the petty cash. I have a safe that came with the building, but there isn’t anything of value in it, just a few business papers. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to rob the place.”

“It doesn’t look like a robbery, Lucerne. It looks more like a fight that resulted in lethal consequences. At the risk of sheer speculation, it appears as if someone was looking for a place to hide and was followed inside by the pursuer. Which one being the real victim is yet to be determined.”

“Watch a lot of crime shows do ye, Mr. MacNamara?” Pauley taunted, secretly impressed with his analysis.

Jamie’s eyes narrowed, his dark blue eyes studying her. “Let’s just say I’ve had a bit of crime scene analysis in my past and leave it at that,” he replied, a glint of humor appearing in the dimples that carved into his cheeks with his smirk.

“Did ye hide the bodies?” she mocked, not really used to be challenged in this fashion, but finding it amusing just the same. His smile was the real killer, it was fascinating and caused her breath to hitch slightly.

“Do ye have a rubber glove, detective?” Darro interrupted. “Jamie can check in the desk drawer for the cash box. Like Lucerne said, there’s nothing else of any value. Just the basics in the kitchenette for tea or coffee, a few dishes and a biscuit stash.”

“I’ll go in with ye and ye can show me,” Pauley said. “I doubt my gloves would fit either of ye.” She took two white gloves out of her pocket and slipped them on. She turned to Lucerne. “If ye need anything, just let the constables know and they’ll come get us,” she instructed with a gentle smile.

Lucerne nodded with a frown. “Thank ye, but I’ll be all right. I can’t imagine where this nausea towards blood came from. I’ve never had it before now. It’s like all my senses are heightened and I can even smell it. Ugh!”

Pauley chuckled with sympathy. “It’s the pregnancy it can do strange things to yer body. With my first baby, I couldn’t stand the smell of haggis. I couldn’t cook it, I couldn’t eat it, and I couldn’t be in the same room with it.”

Withers snickered from where he and Kearnes stood with their hands behind their backs. Pauley glanced over at him with a fiery glare. “Ye got something to say, Withers? If so, spit it out where we can all hear ye. I’m sure yerfinemind must have a lot to add to the conversation?”

Withers turned red and muttered. “Nay, I’ve nothing to say, ma’am.”

Pauley’s eyebrow shot up. “Ma’am? Be professional, Constable Withers.” She waved her hand at his general appearance. “I don’t want to see ye again with yer boots unpolished and yer shirt sticking out between yer buttons, and I never want to hear ye address me as ma’am again. It’s Detective MacBride, or boss, take yer pick,” she added caustically, putting the young man firmly in his place.

“Aye, Detective MacBride,” he replied, standing up smartly and staring straight ahead.

Pauley nodded and stepped up to open the back door, Darro and Jamie following her inside. “This certainly looks like a fight,” she observed with interest as her glance raked around the room. The coppery smell of blood was in the air and she sniffed delicately.

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