would do that,” he inclined his head toward Forveleth, “what think ye he would do to ye?”
“I am nae worried about that,” she told him bluntly.
His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. “Ye are nae worried?”
“Of course, nae. Because ye are goin’ to help me.”
Murdoch joined them, eager to divulge what he’d learned from members of the crowd. Ignoring his laird’s astonished expression and Keevah’s determined one, he said, “I was just talkin’ to a few people in the crowd. They say this is the seventh woman killed in the past four months.”
Keevah and Lachlan turned to him, raised brows and mouths agape.
“Seventh?” Lachlan was beyond incredulous.
“Aye,” Murdoch said. “All whores, from what I am learnin’.”
“Do nae use that expression,” Lachlan warned him.
Murdoch cocked his head slightly. “What are we supposed to call them?”
“Women,” Keevah replied sternly. The fire in her eyes warned him not to argue.
Although he didn’t quite understand what difference it made, he acquiesced out of respect. “Verra well, m’lady.”
Just then a rather loud voice broke over the din of the crowd. “Be gone with ye,” the man shouted. “There be naught to see here.”
Curious, Keevah walked back to the entrance of the alley.
“I said be gone with ye,” he shouted again.
’Twas a man of average height and build, with a bit of a belly protruding from his open wool cloak. His brown trews looked a bit small for a man of his size. Dark of hair, blue eyes, and a full beard, he held an air of either confidence or arrogance. She wasn’t sure yet which of the two it was.
“I said be gone,” he groused as he looked at Keevah.
’Twas arrogance.
“Why are ye dispersin’ the crowd?” she asked. “Should ye nae question them?”
From his expression, he found her revolting. “I am the sheriff,” he told her, pulling back his shoulders. “I said leave or ye will find yerself in gaol.”
Keevah ignored him. “She was my friend,” she told him. “I would like to help in any way I can.”
“Ye be a whore then?” He spit on the ground.
Unbothered, for she’d been called far worse, she asked, “What does it matter? She was still my friend. Her name was Forveleth Boyle.”
Lachlan placed a hand on the small of her back. “Mayhap we should do as the sheriff requested.”
“He did nae make a request; he gave an order. And I refuse to abide it.”
He rolled his eyes heavenward and prayed for enough patience to get him through what he was quite certain would be an ugly situation.
“Fancy yerself a bit of time in my gaol, do ye?” the sheriff asked as he glowered at her.
“Of course, nae. I want only to help.”
He looked at Lachlan. “Ye best get yer whore under control, laddie, elst I will toss ye both into gaol and throw away the key.”
He’d barely finished his sentence when Lachlan was upon him. He grabbed the sheriff by his tunic and lifted him off the ground. “Ye will apologize to my fiancé and I advise ye never to take that tone with her again.”
“Who the bloody hell do ye think ye are?” the sheriff asked angrily.
“Lachlan MacCullough.”
Apparently, the name meant nothing to the sheriff. He continued to shout to be released and began calling out for his deputies. Only one came running to his aid.
He took one look at the verra angry Lachlan MacCullough and stopped dead in his tracks. Withdrawing his sword, he pointed it at Lachlan’s throat. “Ye might want to put the good sheriff MacHenry down.”
Murdoch came up from behind the deputy and put the tip of his sword against the man’s throat. “Be verra careful what ye do next, laddie. Give it a good measure of thought.”
Keevah had had enough. “Of for heaven’s sake!” she exclaimed loudly. “Can we end this pissin’ contest and focus on the matter at hand? A young woman lies dead at yer feet and all the four of ye can think of is who will kill the other first.”
“But he insulted ye,” Lachlan reminded her.
“I have been called far worse,” she told him. “Now, please, put the man down and let us get on with findin’ out who killed Forveleth.”
The sound of the name changed the deputy's countenance entirely. His skin turned ashen before he knelt down next to the body. Slowly, he pulled back the linen. For a moment, Keevah believed he might faint. “Forveleth.” He shook his head and closed his eyes.
“Ye knew her?” Keevah asked.
“Aye. She was a friend.”
“Bah!” the sheriff