Note Before Dying (Ghostwriter Mystery 6) by Larmer C.A

Author:Larmer, C.A.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: amateur detective, women sleuth, female friendship, mystery romance, ca larmer, ghostwriter mystery, australian mystery adventure, roxy parker mystery
Publisher: C.A. Larmer

As they made their way back to the Holloway house, they found John Holloway standing by the property gate, clearly waiting for them, a grim look on his face. Holloway was dressed in a rugby jersey and moleskins. He had a large, balding head, and wore the heavily lined face of a man who had worked his whole life under a beating sun, a man who clearly thought sunscreen was for sissies. A large chunk of skin had been cut out of his nose and he had pale purple sunspots all over his face.

“Deidre shouldn’t’ve let you come this way,” he barked as they walked up to greet him. Then he cleared his throat and said a little more gently, “Gets a bit rough is all.”

“Oh, it’s nothing we can’t handle,” Gilda said cheerfully, hoping to disarm him.

After he secured the gate behind them, he shook their hands and said, “So you’re lookin’ into the young lady’s drowning then?”

“That’s correct. Is there any more light you can shed on that?”

He shook his head firmly and leaned against the fence. “No light to shed. Poor girl risked it and she paid the price.” He spoke in a monotone, his voice low and croaky.

“You firmly believe it was an accident?”

“’Course I do. Everybody does.”

“Her brother, Sam, doesn’t,” Roxy said defiantly, and he darted his watery grey eyes towards her.

He went to say something, stopped, swallowed hard as though trying to choke back tears, then tried again. “We lost a child once. Long time ago.”

“Oh, I’m so—”

He brushed her off, impatient with her sympathy. “It’s hard to let go. When it happens. It’s hard...” He choked again then coughed away the emotion. “I was the first to find that poor lass, Sunny. There was nothin’ suspicious there. She drowned in the creek and that’s all there is to it. The family’s just got to accept the verdict and move on.” His tone had turned a little snarly again and, again, he seemed to check himself and soften his voice before adding, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d better get back. Deidre’s got lamb chops waitin’.”

He nodded once then turned and walked shakily back towards the house while Roxy stood watching him, chewing madly on her bottom lip.

“Come on then,” said Gilda, making her own way back. “Let’s get out of here.”

Roxy scowled. She felt bad for the old couple, really she did, but she also had a feeling they had more to share about Sunny and the day she was discovered. “They’re hiding something,” she said, catching up to Gilda. “At least I’m sure the old guy is. What a cranky bugger! Aren’t you going to question him further? Surely he can tell you more than that.”

Gilda shook her head. “You may well be right, Roxy, but not now, not tonight. If I know one thing about country folk, it’s never come between a hungry farmer and his dinner, especially when the missus is serving lamb chops.” She smiled. “Come on, there’s something else I want to look into.

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