Yuletide Market Murder: A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth (A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery Book 11) by Victoria Tait

Author:Victoria Tait [Tait, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kanga Press
Published: 2024-10-18T00:00:00+00:00

Ten minutes later, Dotty returned with Zach and Butter, who was dancing around their feet. Dotty was carrying his lead, although he normally ran freely around the grounds of the hall. She was wearing her grey peaked hat and blue padded jacket.

“Just the morning to blow the cobwebs away,” Peter declared as they descended the front steps.

It was bright but chilly with a cold breeze.

Peter added, “I believe it’s forecast to snow later this week, and it certainly feels cold enough for it.”

“A white Christmas. That would be prefect.” Zach grinned.

“Or chaotic. We’re not geared up to deal with extremes of weather in this country,” remarked Peter. “Which direction?”

“Dotty wants to visit the wood,” Zach replied.

They turned right, walking behind the circle of stalls, which included the ones for the Cats Protection League and Tillson and Renshaw. There was a low murmur of voices as stallholders prepared for the final day of the Yuletide market.

“Come on, Butter,” Dotty called, as the fawn terrier disappeared through an open flap into the back of a nearby stall. He raced out and scampered across the parkland.

“Why are you interested in the wood?” Peter asked.

“I’ve been meaning to explore it and see where it leads ever since I arrived. And then Denise told me it was where Gemma and her friends were playing before Ned disappeared.”

“That’s right. Did she tell you what happened?”

“She didn’t tell me,” Zach said, sounding interested.

Peter repeated the story that Denise had told Dotty as they walked along a well-trodden path in the damp grass.

“It’s plausible the children did hear a gunshot. Cecil Alderton was proud of his attempt to protect his property, and blood was found at the scene. It’s likely he hit at least one of the thieves. Ned’s bike was discovered by the police at the spot the kids said they’d hidden them, so I think there’s no doubt he was kidnapped by the thieves as they returned to their vehicle. Fresh tyre tracks were also found at the entrance to a track at the top of the woods.”

“It must have been terrible for the community. Losing a child,” said Dotty.

“Yes, although Edward and his grandmother hadn’t been in the village long by local standards. But his friends were affected most.”

“Denise told me Gemma went off the rails,” Dotty acknowledged.

“Who could blame her?” said Peter.

“Gary virtually dropped out of school and got mixed up with a gang from Leicester. He was finally arrested after a series of minor thefts and acts of vandalism and sent to a juvenile facility. And Max became even larger, before his family finally admitted he was obese and needed help, and he spent an entire summer at a special camp.”

“How do you know all this?” Dotty asked. “It wasn’t your case, was it?”

“No, but as you know, I’m still interested in the robberies. Every few years, a stolen item turns up at an auction, but I’m no closer to finding the thieves.”

“They could be …” Zach trailed off.

“Dead or in prison for other crimes?” suggested Peter.

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