There was a possibility she’d finished work for the day, but it was worth checking. I searched upstairs first but no sign. It was only on the first floor that I had any luck when I saw a housekeeper’s cart disappearing into the staff elevator.
“Wait!” I called out.
A hand stopped the door from closing, but to my disappointment, it wasn’t Sarah who stepped out of the lift.
This young woman with rich dark hair gave me a flirtatious smile. Was she new? “Can I help you, sir?”
“Uh, yes. I’m looking for your colleague. Sarah McCulloch.”
“Oh.” She seemed bemused by my interest in Sarah. “She no longer works here.”
Stupefied by this, I rasped, “What?”
The housekeeper shrugged. “Sarah quit.”
“When?”
The girl blanched at my angry tone and even I was surprised by how irritated I sounded. Even more so how strangely furious I was that Sarah had left without a word.
“Last week was her final week.”
“Where is she?”
“Oh. I’m not … I don’t think I can tell you that, sir.”
Digging into my pocket, I pulled out my wallet and then a hundred quid and offered it to her. “Now can you tell me?”
She stared greedily at the money and then glanced past me.
I looked over my shoulder to see another housekeeper strolling down the hall. Turning back to her, I ushered, “Make up your mind.”
The housekeeper quickly snatched the money from my hand and stuffed it into her pocket. “I overheard her telling Mrs. Hutchinson she was staying at a cottage in Gairloch. She called it Haven’s View Cottage.”
Satisfaction eased my indignation, and I gave her a nod before turning on my heel. It seemed I had some Google Mapping and packing to do.
Four
SARAH
Gairloch, Scottish Highlands
The first time I walked down Gairloch Beach, I fell in love. It was a warm spring day back then, the sand perfectly soft and golden, the waters near shore a vivid turquoise because of the warm Gulf Stream that hit this part of the coast. There was only Grandpa and me on the beach, and I thought this was what peace, true peace, felt like.
I suppose that’s what I was looking for when I bought my wee cottage up on the cliff overlooking Loch Gairloch.
When I arrived at the cottage, I was still raw from my goodbye with Jared and I cried myself to sleep that night. The next morning, however, I woke up determined to embrace my new home and the words I hoped to find there. After cleaning up a bit, I went grocery shopping and even drove farther north to shop in a village that held a weekly market. It was surprisingly busy. Upon my return, I got stuck into my new book.
The cottage was a two-bedroom midcentury bungalow, and it had spectacular views from its large windows. I set up my desk in the living room, facing the view. Unsurprisingly, I got swept up in Juno’s world in the coastal city of Dundee. It felt good. I felt like I’d made the right decision coming here.
Today, however, when I decided to take a break from writing and walk the beach to clear my mind, I noted my legs trembled a little as I got out of the car. Now, twenty minutes later after sitting by the shore on this rare, splendidly sunny October day, I had to admit I wasn’t feeling great. Physically. I stared out at the water, watching it ombre from turquoise to sky blue, my eyes drifting over the coastline to my right, peppered here and there with white homes up the cliff, and to my left a rugged collection of hills. Lifting a trembling hand, I pressed a palm to my clammy forehead and grumbled under my breath.
Perhaps I caught a bug at the market. I’d best return to the cottage.
I pushed up onto my now very weak legs and trudged back along the beach. By the time I reached my car, I felt like I’d run a marathon. My head was pounding and my stomach was sick.
Muttering expletives, I got into the car and tried not to panic at how light-headed I was as I drove along the coast. My bungalow was along from the center of Gairloch, just off the coastal road and up a wee winding lane into the hills where a few homes had been built to enjoy the loch view. The older woman who owned the home next to me was out in her garden, and she waved as I practically slid out of the car. Giving her a half-hearted wave back, I got inside the cottage just in time to make it to the bathroom where I promptly threw up my breakfast.
After I’d purged as much as I was going to from my stomach, I got up on even shakier legs than before. Shivers wracked my body as the room spun and my hair felt damp against my neck.The thumping in my head, along with the dizziness, made it hard to concentrate. How had this come on so quickly?
