Read Online Bones & Boxes: a Hetty Fox Cozy Mystery (Hetty Fox Cozy Mysteries Book 1) by Anna Drake - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Anna Drake
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appreciate your coming in with this information. When I make an arrest, I’ll let you know.”
What? He was giving me the brush off?
***
When I reached home, I slammed the closet door closed and glared at Andrew. “Oberton thinks I’m a nosy old woman”
Andrew chuckled. “You nosy? Hetty, it sounds like he has you nailed.”
I tossed my purse down onto a chair. “Oh, what do you know?” I stomped off to the kitchen. “You’re nothing but a ghost.”
“Ah, but I’m a ghost with an excellent memory.”
“What does that mean?”
“From what I remember of you when we were young, you were not only nosy but competitive too. You want to track down the killer before the police do. Come on now, fess up.”
Ignoring him, I filled my cat’s bowl with fresh water. “Blackie?” I called out.
At least he never made fun of me.
Blackie strolled into the room. I pulled down the kitty treats and set out three of them on the floor. He launched into them.
I looked back to Andrew. “So why are you home? Did you finally get bored with spying on poor Mr. Hubbard?”
“He’s at work. He barely talks to anyone there. I’ll go over to his house tonight. Maybe something interesting will turn up.”
“I wish you wouldn’t.”
“Hey, I’m not hurting anyone, and maybe I’ll discover something useful.”
“I don’t suppose you can travel through time?”
“Sorry, no. I wish I could. I’d go back and revisit those years before I died.”
I flinched. How callous of me to remind this poor man of his youthful death. “Andrew, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’ve had a long time to adjust to my condition. But do you ever think about the time we spent together back then?”
Suddenly tears threatened. I lowered my head. “Of course I do,” I whispered. “I’ve never forgotten a moment of our time together.” I glanced about the room and sighed. “But my priorities changed. I had a husband. He was a good man, but he needed care. And I had children. They needed to be tended. I was so busy. And now… now there’s Blackie and my knitting.”
“And me.
“Yes,” I said, glancing up at him. “Now, there is you.”
He smiled and gazed at me a long moment. “I know you, Hetty. You don’t give up easily. What’s our next move to catch this killer?”
“Oh no you don’t. I’m not feeding you the name of another single person for you to haunt.”
“Me?” he asked, giving me an innocent look. “I’ve told you, you’re the only person who sees me. I’m not frightening anyone. Least of all Hubbard. It takes a little imagination to feel fear, and I’m telling you that man doesn’t have any.”
“You don’t think he killed Carrie, do you?”
“Mind you, this is just a guess, but I’d say the odds are against it. Besides, you didn’t have much reason to suspect him in the first place.”
I couldn’t argue that point. I think some part of me knew I was pushing beyond logic with Hubbard. I shook my head. “If only I knew the town better.”
“Rose told you Carrie was active in a couple of groups. So get out there. Be a joiner. Start talking to these people. They’re your neighbors. You can’t limit your relationships to just me, Rose, and your daughter.”
Blackie mewed.
I glanced down. He sat looking up at me. “Oh Blackie, Andrew didn’t mean to leave you out. He knows I adore you.”
Andrew rolled his eyes heavenward and groaned.
***
I must admit, when I finally took Andrew’s advice and stepped back into the social whirl, I enjoyed myself. And it was at my first meeting of the knitting group that Andrew’s suggestion proved helpful. I was at the home of Doris Campton. She lived in a neat little bungalow on the other side of the river. About fifteen members of the knitting club were scattered around her living room working on our latest projects.
I sat beside a sweet looking young thing, who was hard at work on a baby blanket. Her name was Laura
What? He was giving me the brush off?
***
When I reached home, I slammed the closet door closed and glared at Andrew. “Oberton thinks I’m a nosy old woman”
Andrew chuckled. “You nosy? Hetty, it sounds like he has you nailed.”
I tossed my purse down onto a chair. “Oh, what do you know?” I stomped off to the kitchen. “You’re nothing but a ghost.”
“Ah, but I’m a ghost with an excellent memory.”
“What does that mean?”
“From what I remember of you when we were young, you were not only nosy but competitive too. You want to track down the killer before the police do. Come on now, fess up.”
Ignoring him, I filled my cat’s bowl with fresh water. “Blackie?” I called out.
At least he never made fun of me.
Blackie strolled into the room. I pulled down the kitty treats and set out three of them on the floor. He launched into them.
I looked back to Andrew. “So why are you home? Did you finally get bored with spying on poor Mr. Hubbard?”
“He’s at work. He barely talks to anyone there. I’ll go over to his house tonight. Maybe something interesting will turn up.”
“I wish you wouldn’t.”
“Hey, I’m not hurting anyone, and maybe I’ll discover something useful.”
“I don’t suppose you can travel through time?”
“Sorry, no. I wish I could. I’d go back and revisit those years before I died.”
I flinched. How callous of me to remind this poor man of his youthful death. “Andrew, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’ve had a long time to adjust to my condition. But do you ever think about the time we spent together back then?”
Suddenly tears threatened. I lowered my head. “Of course I do,” I whispered. “I’ve never forgotten a moment of our time together.” I glanced about the room and sighed. “But my priorities changed. I had a husband. He was a good man, but he needed care. And I had children. They needed to be tended. I was so busy. And now… now there’s Blackie and my knitting.”
“And me.
“Yes,” I said, glancing up at him. “Now, there is you.”
He smiled and gazed at me a long moment. “I know you, Hetty. You don’t give up easily. What’s our next move to catch this killer?”
“Oh no you don’t. I’m not feeding you the name of another single person for you to haunt.”
“Me?” he asked, giving me an innocent look. “I’ve told you, you’re the only person who sees me. I’m not frightening anyone. Least of all Hubbard. It takes a little imagination to feel fear, and I’m telling you that man doesn’t have any.”
“You don’t think he killed Carrie, do you?”
“Mind you, this is just a guess, but I’d say the odds are against it. Besides, you didn’t have much reason to suspect him in the first place.”
I couldn’t argue that point. I think some part of me knew I was pushing beyond logic with Hubbard. I shook my head. “If only I knew the town better.”
“Rose told you Carrie was active in a couple of groups. So get out there. Be a joiner. Start talking to these people. They’re your neighbors. You can’t limit your relationships to just me, Rose, and your daughter.”
Blackie mewed.
I glanced down. He sat looking up at me. “Oh Blackie, Andrew didn’t mean to leave you out. He knows I adore you.”
Andrew rolled his eyes heavenward and groaned.
***
I must admit, when I finally took Andrew’s advice and stepped back into the social whirl, I enjoyed myself. And it was at my first meeting of the knitting group that Andrew’s suggestion proved helpful. I was at the home of Doris Campton. She lived in a neat little bungalow on the other side of the river. About fifteen members of the knitting club were scattered around her living room working on our latest projects.
I sat beside a sweet looking young thing, who was hard at work on a baby blanket. Her name was Laura
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