“Did you eat and drink the same items as everyone else?”

Elliot cut in. “My client can hardly vouch for what everyone else ate and drank.”

The detective gave him a look.

“Food-wise we were all given haggis, neaps and tatties—mashed turnips and potatoes,” Darby explained. “There’s an address to the haggis and everyone was given a ‘wee dram’ of whisky for the toast.” She grimaced. “I am not a fan of scotch, but I drank a little of it anyway.” Trying to fit in. Trying to be normal. “After the meal ended, they cleared the tables for the dancing. I stuck to non-alcoholic drinks after that because I was driving.”

She frowned. She had the vaguest memory of walking to her truck with Martin. Had it just been the two of them? She tried to pull something out of the blackness of her mind, but there was nothing. Frustration ate at her.

“What time did the party go on until?”

“Midnight? I’m not sure. I hadn’t expected to stay so late, but I was having such a good time.” Her stomach cramped. Martin was dead. He’d never have a good time again.

“Did Martin drive to the dance?”

Darby bit her lip, thoughtfully. “I don’t know. His car was at his house this morning, so I guess he walked to work yesterday morning and maybe caught a ride to the dance straight from work. Ask the other students.”

“He walked to work?” the detective asked sharply.

“Martin liked to walk. He often walked into work. Or skied. We didn’t go to the dance together. We were friends, but we weren’t more than that.” She had the feeling Martin had wanted to be though. Had he made a pass at her last night?

“You didn’t give anyone a ride?”

Darby tried not to fidget in her seat. “I didn’t. I like to be able to leave whenever I want.”

She avoided looking at the mirrored window and glanced at Elliot instead. The set of his mouth told her he knew why. She suffered panic attacks. When they hit, she had to get away from everyone and freak the hell out on her own. Usually, she’d call Eban who got her through the worst episodes.

She relied on him too much she realized. Even today she’d asked a lot of him, and he’d dropped everything to get here sooner than she’d possibly imagined.

It wasn’t fair to be angry with him. She didn’t want to let him down. And she didn’t want to be the flaky kidnap victim who didn’t know when it was time to let go. But perhaps she was already there?

Why else would he stay so far away from her? She needed to let the man go.

She swallowed tightly. Regardless of the uncertainty of her relationship with Eban, she wasn’t about to admit to panic attacks to this cold-eyed officer of the law.

“Do you know if anyone else had trouble remembering what happened last night?” Darby asked instead.