The Piper by Charles Todd

Hamish is now alone in the old cabin where he and his grandmother lived.  He'd been out and got caught in the rain but now he's in, making a fire, and has changed his clothes.  He thinks he hears something but isn't sure.  His dog is sure, so he goes back out into the night.

Witness Impulse and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can grab a copy now.

He finds a young man on the beach who has been badly injured.  He was hit in the head with a club and looks on the verge of death.  Hamish takes the boy back to his cabin and cleans up his wound.  He's a piper and when he comes to he's worried about the pipes but Hamish shows him they are in there with him.

When he awakens the next morning he's surprised to find the boy and his pipes gone.  He must have been scared by the incident but why would he run?  Hamish goes to look for him but this time he finds his body and there are already cops at the scene.  They accuse Hamish of his murder but he lets them search his cabin and there's nothing to tie him to the crime.

This is a short story that is done very well.  When Hamish lets it be known around the neighborhood that he has some interesting information about the murder, he's setting himself up as bait.  The bait gets taken but when he's attacked from three sides, it's almost too much.  I never guessed who the murderer was.  It was a twist of irony at the end.  This story is well worth reading.