A Dodgy Death by Jacqueline M. Green

Author:Jacqueline M. Green [Green, Jacqueline M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Franklin hit into me with enough force that I tumbled along the damp grass several feet down the outcropping, stopping only when my hip smacked into a large boulder, knocking away my breath.

“Kat! Kat! Are you all right?”

Franklin gingerly stepped down the rocky hill, making sure he had his footing, so he didn’t slide himself. When he got close enough, he reached out and I grabbed his forearm, letting him pull me to my feet. We climbed slowly back up the hill and clambered over the stone wall.

I took a deep breath and brushed off the bits of grass and leaves that stuck to my trousers before turning to Franklin.

“What happened, Franklin? Why did you push me off the wall?”

Franklin’s face, already red from the exertion, turned even brighter as his eyes peered into mine as if imploring me to believe him.

“I’m terribly sorry. It was all my fault but a total mistake. When I went to swing my legs over, I misjudged how close to you I was. I’m so glad you’re not terribly hurt. Please forgive me.”

I nodded grimly. “Let’s just go home, if you don’t mind.”

We didn’t talk much on the way down the trail to the Jeep or on the ride home. As he let me out at the B&B, Franklin again reminded me to come to the upcoming family gathering. I nodded in what I considered a noncommittal way and turned onto the porch.

I made my way quickly to the spare room to change out of my now-damp clothes, the result of rolling on wet grass.

As I started the kettle to make a cup of tea, I heard a window slam upstairs. I turned off the stove and raced up the staircase and down the hallway. The door of the back bedroom, the one that had been Corbyn’s, stood open. I flung myself through the doorway with a yell.

“Hah!”

No one was in the room, but one window was swinging open. I strode across the room to close it, sticking my head out. The window faced a tall tree that hid the upstairs from neighbors’ prying eyes. As I tried to lock the window closed, the broken latch came off in my hand. I stared out the window as my heart sank. Once more, someone had broken into Aunt Selma’s house.

I felt the sobs coming from somewhere deep inside before they started running down my cheeks. I cried as I called the 9-9-9 dispatcher, and I was still crying when Constable Allen showed up at my door.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.