FAIR GAME by Annette Dashofy

Author:Annette Dashofy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cozy mystery;henery press;mystery series;police procedural;women sleuths
Publisher: Henery Press
Published: 2019-02-07T17:09:33+00:00

Nineteen

Zoe sat outside Windstar’s stall in one of the molded plastic lawn chairs she’d brought from her front porch and reveled in the relative quiet. The Pony Barn was mostly void of humans at the moment, and even though her ears still hummed from the noise of the modified tractors, she could hear the soft horsey sounds of munching with an occasional snort. Darkness had brought cooler air. While the roar of diesel engines continued to drift up the hill, Zoe embraced the peace.

Patsy appeared in the barn’s doorway and shuffled over to claim the second lawn chair. The harsh light of the overhead bare bulb did little to improve her glum expression.

“Have you seen Shane?” Zoe asked.

Patsy turned to her. “Seriously? You had to mention his name.”

“Only because Pete and I have been all over these fairgrounds looking for him to no avail.”

“Pete? What does Pete want with him?”

“It seems he knew Vera Palmer.”

“Really?”

“He never mentioned to you that she was his accountant?”

Patsy continued to glare. “How many of your old boyfriends shared the names of their bookkeepers with you?”

“Good point. Sorry I brought him up.”

Patsy sat back in the chair. After several long moments of silence, she said, “No, I haven’t seen him. Not since this morning when he decked the judge. Who then took it out on me.”

“I don’t think Cody held Shane’s behavior against you.”

Patsy shifted to face her. “Whose side are you on?”

Zoe considered mentioning Jazzel’s poor manners but decided against it. “Forget I said anything.”

Patsy relaxed, and they let the silence settle around them again.

But another topic had been festering in Zoe’s mind for hours. “Cody wants to buy Windstar.”

She’d expected Patsy to either leap or fall out of the chair. Instead, Zoe wondered if she’d fallen asleep and hadn’t heard. But then Patsy sat up and turned toward her. Slowly. Deliberately. “That son of a bitch.”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you gonna do it?”

Zoe wanted to say no. Of course not. She’d never sell Windstar. Wouldn’t even consider it. Instead, she said, “I don’t know.”

Patsy flopped back, closed her eyes, and swore.

“I didn’t say I was. I said I don’t know.”

“But you’re thinking about it.”

“Well…yeah.”

Patsy swore again.

“How many years do you think it’s gonna take to make my house livable?”

“It’s almost there now. You have electricity and water.”

Which was part of the problem. The memories from last spring of how she’d been given that gift. Of who’d been responsible for the repairs. And why. If Patsy didn’t want to talk about Shane, Zoe most definitely didn’t want to broach the subject of what had happened to her brother. “I don’t have appliances or furniture. I need new windows and probably a new roof. The house is little more than a shell.”

“So you’re gonna sell your horse to pay for fixing up your house?”

“No.” She said it too fast. And knew the rest of the equation had just added up for Patsy.

“You’re gonna get rid of the farm and stay with Pete.”

“I…don’t know.”

From the far end of

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