Lying Under Water: A Sergeant Frank Hardy Mystery (The Sergeant Frank Hardy Mysteries Book 4) by Wendy M. Wilson

Author:Wendy M. Wilson [Wilson, Wendy M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wilson Publishing
Published: 2020-04-30T22:00:00+00:00

12

The High Court

Frank was annoyed with Joey, who’d squeezed between them and was leaning on Mette like a child. He wished the two of them were alone without Joey. He was boiling with anger, the rage blocking him from thinking through what had happened, but he could calm himself much more easily if he was alone with Mette. He had his gun resting on his lap, and the rifle propped beside him, ready to bring down anyone at the campsite who made a move. He doubted anyone would try anything. The killer was not yet out in the open. He would drive him out.

“What do you want to tell me?” he asked Mette again. “Do you think you know who’s responsible for all this?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Burns aren’t telling the truth,” she said. “At least Mrs. Burns isn’t. And Mr. Burns is angry with his wife about something she did. She told me - or at least she implied - she was at home when her baby died. By herself. But he told me earlier she was in Foxton with friends while he was away on a speaking tour. I know she was in the asylum in Wellington for a while and I assumed she’d broken down when her daughter died. But it’s more than that. When I pulled them out of the creek, he said she just wanted to die. She wanted to die, and he wasn’t going to let her get away with it again. Again! I wondered at the time what he meant when he said that.”

“Sounds like she tried to kill herself,” said Frank. “That would be a reason for sending her to the asylum. What’s Hemi up to?” He squinted towards the campsite. Hemi had come out of the supply tent where he’d stored his kit, and had hurried off in the direction of the cow pasture.

“He probably left his gun at the pasture,” said Joey.

“Damn,” said Frank. “He must have. Mette, did you notice if he was carrying it when he came back from milking?”

She closed her eyes and tried to picture the two boys returning from the pasture. “I’m not sure. They were carrying a billy full of milk each. He would have had the gun slung over his shoulder. I remember when he left he was carrying it like that. I think perhaps he wasn’t carrying it, but I couldn’t swear to it. Do you think he’s in danger?”

“He’ll be safe as long as no one moves,” said Frank. He ran his fingers through his hair and grimaced. “I hope he finds it. We have enough trouble already without a weapon going missing. So, back to the Burnses. What else did they say?”

“Mr. Burns was annoyed that Grace had said anything to me. And upset that she couldn’t get off laudanum. I suggested giving her Holloway’s Pills instead, and he was irritated about that. He’s very much against patent medicine. The first time I mentioned trying the pills he reprimanded me, more or less.

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