Read Online Body in the Woods (A Reverend Annabelle Dixon Cozy Mystery Book 3) by Alison Golden, Jamie Vougeot - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alison Golden, Jamie Vougeot
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ridicule.
Dr. Brownson shrugged. “It would have decomposed by now if it were placed inside the skull at the time of death so I think we can conclude it is a relatively recent addition to the crime scene. I imagine the body was found in a rather shallow grave, yes?”
Harper nodded.
“It’s possible that the apple was put there by someone or merely discarded close by and happened to find its way into the skull cavity, perhaps carried there by an animal. A bizarre coincidence, if that is the case.”
Lulled by the warm, inviting atmosphere of the tea shop, and pondering over the elaborate picture of the past that Katie Flynn had just painted for her, Annabelle had spent the past thirty minutes gazing out of the window, deep in thought. Deciding that she should give herself some respite from her reflections on disturbing village events, she picked up a local newspaper from the counter and decided to peruse the lighter, more entertaining sections.
She took a final bite of her cheesecake (which had appeared at her table after she had dispatched the last of her cupcake as if by magic, so little did she remember ordering it), and feeling rather full, she smiled as she read the story of a young boy from Upton St. Mary who had just returned from a trip to the North Pole. She looked up, hoping to find another tea shop customer with whom she could coo over the brave young man, when a stern, familiar figure across the street caught her eye. Louisa Montgomery.
Sure enough, Louisa must have attended to her shopping after that mysterious business in her allotment shed, for her carpet bag was so full that it weighed the teacher down and dramatically slowed her pace. Leeks, bread, and cucumbers were peering precariously over the bag’s rim.
Annabelle hurriedly popped the last raspberry from her cheesecake into her mouth and bustled toward the counter to pay her bill. As soon as she was done, she opened the tea shop door, the bell above it tinkling as she did so. She walked quickly across the street, glad of fresh air and exercise with which to assuage her guilty feelings for being a “little piggy” as her mother used to say.
“Miss Montgomery!” cried Annabelle, cheerily.
At the sound of her name, Louisa spun around so quickly that the cucumber that had been trying to escape from her bag finally made it. It dropped to the floor, bounced once, and began to roll into the road. Louisa quickly leaned forward to pick up the errant vegetable, completely forgetting about the others that were on the edge of jumping ship, too. Three oranges, two apples, and a grimy-looking cabbage were soon rolling away in different directions as Louisa wrestled with her bag to stifle any more escapees.
“Oh gosh!” Annabelle exclaimed, as she quickly darted around the teacher, picking the food items up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Hmph,” grunted Miss Montgomery, her condescending gaze and the barely perceptible shake of her head saying everything her words were not. Annabelle was suddenly all too aware of what Katie had meant when she said that Louisa spoke to everybody as if they were children.
“There you go,” Annabelle said, tucking the veggies back into Louisa’s bag. Louisa snatched the remaining cucumber from Annabelle’s hands and placed it in the bag herself.
“Thank you,” she said, with great difficulty. “But I do not need your help. I do not intend to attend church anytime soon.”
Annabelle, once she had recovered Miss Montgomery’s startlingly curt tone, said, “I do apologize. I was only trying to be helpful.”
“If you wish to be helpful, then do not call my name so rudely when I am carrying my shopping.”
Annabelle watched as Louisa continued to jostle the food, forcing it deeper into her bag insistently. She could see that Louisa was in no mood to talk so turned away and took a few steps down the street before changing her mind and circling back.
“I only wished to advise you,
Dr. Brownson shrugged. “It would have decomposed by now if it were placed inside the skull at the time of death so I think we can conclude it is a relatively recent addition to the crime scene. I imagine the body was found in a rather shallow grave, yes?”
Harper nodded.
“It’s possible that the apple was put there by someone or merely discarded close by and happened to find its way into the skull cavity, perhaps carried there by an animal. A bizarre coincidence, if that is the case.”
Lulled by the warm, inviting atmosphere of the tea shop, and pondering over the elaborate picture of the past that Katie Flynn had just painted for her, Annabelle had spent the past thirty minutes gazing out of the window, deep in thought. Deciding that she should give herself some respite from her reflections on disturbing village events, she picked up a local newspaper from the counter and decided to peruse the lighter, more entertaining sections.
She took a final bite of her cheesecake (which had appeared at her table after she had dispatched the last of her cupcake as if by magic, so little did she remember ordering it), and feeling rather full, she smiled as she read the story of a young boy from Upton St. Mary who had just returned from a trip to the North Pole. She looked up, hoping to find another tea shop customer with whom she could coo over the brave young man, when a stern, familiar figure across the street caught her eye. Louisa Montgomery.
Sure enough, Louisa must have attended to her shopping after that mysterious business in her allotment shed, for her carpet bag was so full that it weighed the teacher down and dramatically slowed her pace. Leeks, bread, and cucumbers were peering precariously over the bag’s rim.
Annabelle hurriedly popped the last raspberry from her cheesecake into her mouth and bustled toward the counter to pay her bill. As soon as she was done, she opened the tea shop door, the bell above it tinkling as she did so. She walked quickly across the street, glad of fresh air and exercise with which to assuage her guilty feelings for being a “little piggy” as her mother used to say.
“Miss Montgomery!” cried Annabelle, cheerily.
At the sound of her name, Louisa spun around so quickly that the cucumber that had been trying to escape from her bag finally made it. It dropped to the floor, bounced once, and began to roll into the road. Louisa quickly leaned forward to pick up the errant vegetable, completely forgetting about the others that were on the edge of jumping ship, too. Three oranges, two apples, and a grimy-looking cabbage were soon rolling away in different directions as Louisa wrestled with her bag to stifle any more escapees.
“Oh gosh!” Annabelle exclaimed, as she quickly darted around the teacher, picking the food items up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Hmph,” grunted Miss Montgomery, her condescending gaze and the barely perceptible shake of her head saying everything her words were not. Annabelle was suddenly all too aware of what Katie had meant when she said that Louisa spoke to everybody as if they were children.
“There you go,” Annabelle said, tucking the veggies back into Louisa’s bag. Louisa snatched the remaining cucumber from Annabelle’s hands and placed it in the bag herself.
“Thank you,” she said, with great difficulty. “But I do not need your help. I do not intend to attend church anytime soon.”
Annabelle, once she had recovered Miss Montgomery’s startlingly curt tone, said, “I do apologize. I was only trying to be helpful.”
“If you wish to be helpful, then do not call my name so rudely when I am carrying my shopping.”
Annabelle watched as Louisa continued to jostle the food, forcing it deeper into her bag insistently. She could see that Louisa was in no mood to talk so turned away and took a few steps down the street before changing her mind and circling back.
“I only wished to advise you,
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