MURDER ON THE FARM a gripping cozy crime mystery full of twists (Rina Martin Murder Mystery Book 7) by JANE ADAMS

Author:JANE ADAMS [ADAMS, JANE]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books crime thriller and cozy mystery
Published: 2022-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-TWO

William Trent walked along the footpath towards the farm. He paused, as always, to look down at the place where Ellen had lived.

Where Ellen had died.

It seemed to William Trent that anyone he had ever cared about had been taken from him one way or another. But to lose two women to violence seemed . . . unnatural.

There seemed to be no police activity today, though he assumed someone would still be watching over the place. William found that he was dreading the day when the last of the police cars drove away and the farmhouse would be left alone and uncared for. Open to anyone who cared to break the flimsy lock on the back door. To smash one of the thin panes of an ageing window and lift the catch.

Ellen had installed bolts and even window locks to those windows that would take them, but the house had never been built for defence from the outside world. It had been a home, a shelter, a sanctuary, but those security measures it did possess relied upon the occupants to implement them once they were safe inside. Once the final policeman left, the house would be alone, unprotected, helpless.

William turned away, finding the thought just too much to bear.

He walked further along the ridge and crossed the stile that led to the footpath across the fields of the neighbouring farm. In the distance he could see Jenkins, dog at his side, shotgun broken across his arm. William Trent wondered if the man slept like that. Dog at his side, gun close at hand. He wondered if the police had taken neighbours’ guns for testing and then decided probably not. Unless they had a suspect, it was unlikely they’d go round, farm to farm and take away the everyday tools of the farming trade. It would be like seizing a tractor or a combined harvester.

The farmer watched Trent approach. ‘Afternoon. Rain later, I reckon.’

Trent nodded. ‘Looks that way,’ he said.

‘Off your usual route, then?’

‘I suppose I am,’ Trent agreed.

‘Well, watch out for the cows in the next field down. They’ll not hurt you, but they do get curious. And there’s muck everywhere so don’t you go slipping.’

Trent looked carefully at the man, wondering if he was having a laugh at William’s expense, but he decided not. It was simply advice and observation. ‘I will,’ he said and decided that he’d probably walk back round by the road, at least to Ellen’s farm. He could get back on to the ridge close to there and not have to risk the cows for a second time.

In the event, William had been so lost in his own thoughts that he traversed the cow field and the next without consciously realizing it and the next time he took account of his surroundings, he had reached the road and was only a hundred yards or so from the Richardses place.

* * *

Hilly Richards opened the door and greeted him with a puzzled frown. ‘Can I help you? Oh,’ she added, her frown relaxing.

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