Beating About the Bush: An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M. C. Beaton

Author:M. C. Beaton [Beaton, M. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Cozy, General, Women Sleuths
ISBN: 9781250157744
Google: lh2KDwAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1250157722
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Published: 2019-12-03T12:52:00.415308+00:00

Agatha was invigorated with the thrill of the chase, and Toni struggled to keep up as she pounded the pavement all the way back to the office. When they arrived, Patrick was waiting by Toni’s desk.

“I should have it on my screen,” Toni said, sitting and tapping at her keyboard. “Here’s the photo you sent.”

A formal picture of a detachment of soldiers flickered onto the screen, front rows sitting, back rows standing, all wearing dark berets and dusky green-and-beige desert camouflage.

“This is Bream and Dunster’s unit photographed in Afghanistan,” said Mulligan.

“That’s them,” Agatha pointed, “in the back row.”

“But when I looked at it on my phone,” said Toni, “I spotted another familiar face.”

She zoomed in on the photograph and moved it around on the screen to show a smiling figure in the front row.

“Sayer!” gasped Agatha.

“Actually,” said Mulligan, “he is Lieutenant Neil Webster. Once Toni

identified him, it was easy to check him out. He joined the army straight out of university and served with Bream and Dunster in Germany. He even spoke for Bream at his court martial. He was a martial arts, fitness, and survival expert—obsessed, it seems. Then a Land Rover he was driving alone in Helmand was blown up. No body was ever recovered.”

“That’s because there was no body!” Agatha crowed. “He’s alive and well and up to no good at Morrison’s!”

“We should let the police know about him,” said Toni.

“All in good time. Let’s find out what those three are up to with Albert Morrison first. Wizz-Wazz should be able to help us with that.”

Agatha crossed to her office, picked up the phone and hit a speed-dial number.

“Roy?” she said as soon as the call was answered. “It’s me.”

“Agatha, darling,” gushed Roy Silver, “long time no hear.”

“We spoke just a couple of weeks ago.”

“Two weeks is a lifetime in this business, darling, as you well know.”

“I need you up here tonight, Roy.”

“Tonight? But I couldn’t possibly, Aggie. I am absolutely and totally rushed off my poor little feet. Why else would I be in the office on a Saturday?”

Agatha imagined Roy Silver sitting with his feet on his desk in the London offices of Pedman’s PR, the company that had bought her own PR business.

He was the only one of her former staff still with Pedman’s and had taken several giant steps up the career ladder due to Agatha having handed him a treasure trove of opportunities on a plate.

“Roy,” she said, “you owe me, and this is going to put you back on the national stage again, right in the spotlight. There’s been a murder.”

“Another murder?” he squealed. “Do tell, darling.”

By the time Agatha had finished spinning Roy Silver the tale of a sweet, adorable donkey who was to be put to death for a crime she did not commit, she had him eating out of her hand.

“I can see the headlines now,” he said. “‘Donkey Framed for Murder.

Wizz-Wazz Is Innocent.’ I’ll start rounding up the press pack and the TV and radio right now. We’ll get them all at Morrison’s for the first press call on Monday morning.

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