Rough And Deadly by Paula Williams

Author:Paula Williams [Williams, Paula]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crooked Cat Books
Published: 2019-04-29T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

The village was deserted as I walked back along the High Street. Most of the cottages had been turned into holiday homes and it was still too early in the year for visitors to start arriving. As for the few that weren’t holiday lets, there was no sign of life in them either. The days when villagers stood out on the street chatting away to their neighbours were long gone.

Now, if they were at home, they’d be more likely to be chatting to their ‘friends’ on the other side of the world, via social media.

And, while the cluster of bungalows where Elsie lived might not be as chocolate-box pretty as the ones on the High Street, I reflected, at least Crabshaw Crescent showed signs of real life and didn’t resemble an abandoned film set.

Always assuming, of course, that real life was how you’d describe the sound of Elsie yelling at Prescott, the sight of Olive’s smalls waving about on her washing line or the smell of Creepy Dave frying onions again.

As I walked on, a car drove by and the driver tooted at me. It was Stuart Davies, the chairman of Much Winchmoor parish council. He’d always been very good to me, welcomed me to the council meetings and made a point of ensuring I had all the information I needed. He’d be a good person to talk to for my piece on Margot and I made a mental note to call him when I got back home.

As I walked past the pub, Big Shane Freeman was ambling across the car park to his scooter.

“Katie.” His booming voice echoed down the quiet street. “Thought you’d like to know your aunt’s come back. She’s in the bar now, if you want to see her. Looks like she’s settled in for the afternoon. I’ve left her putting the world to rights with Mary.”

“Thanks, but I’ve already seen her.”

He beckoned me towards him. “You should have been here half an hour ago,” he went on, lowering his voice by only a fraction. “She and her old man put on quite a floor show. Least I assumed he was her husband. Only a married couple could go at each other the way they did. More hammer and tongs than a B&Q stock take.”

He paused to allow me time to laugh at his witticism. I forced a smile.

“At one point I thought I was going to have to throw them both out,” he went on. “Disturbing the peace, and on a Sunday, too.”

I groaned. “Is Uncle Richard still in there? Or my dad?”

Shane shook his head. “Haven’t seen your dad since yesterday lunchtime. But you’ve just missed the other guy. He stormed off about ten minutes ago, face like thunder. Your aunt just sat there, looking like the cat who’d got the cream, then calmly ordered a double gin and tonic. Knocked it back in one, she did.”

‘Well, let’s hope she’ll spend the rest of the afternoon sleeping it off,” I said and added silently, “She’s caused more than enough damage for one day.

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