Read Online Murder in Midwinter by Lesley Cookman - Free Book Online Page A

Bella was startled again, and obviously coming to the conclusion that these were very strange people.
    Fran had worked her way towards them.
    ‘OK, Bella?’ she said.
    ‘Yes, thank you,’ said Bella, standing up, ‘but I’m a bit tired, so I think I’ll go up to my room, now.’
    ‘OK,’ said Libby, also standing. ‘What time tomorrow? We’ll pick you up, won’t we Fran?’
    They agreed on ten o’clock, and Bella slipped through the press of people towards the staircase.
    ‘Timid little rabbit, isn’t she?’ said Peter, coming up behind them.
    ‘Just a bit put off by all us loudmouths,’ said Libby. ‘This is enough to daunt anyone.’
    ‘And she’s had a couple of shocks during the last week,’ said Fran. ‘She’s probably quite different once you get to know her.’
    ‘Well, we’ll soon find out,’ said Libby.
    The following morning, when Libby drew up outside the pub in Romeo the Renault, Fran and Bella were standing outside, Bella back in her middle-aged jeans and zip-up jacket. What must her husband be like, thought Libby, as she leant over and unlocked the passenger door. Fran ushered Bella into the front seat and climbed into the back herself.’
    ‘This is all we’ve got in the way of transport at the moment,’ she said, ‘but I’ll be getting a car any day now.’
    ‘Will you?’ said Libby. ‘That’s news to me.’
    ‘I can’t keep on borrowing Romeo, can I?’ said Fran. ‘And I can afford it, now.’
    ‘Fran’s just come into money,’ Libby told Bella.
    ‘Libby,’ Fran protested.
    ‘Well, you have. No sense in lying about it,’ said Libby. ‘Now, Bella, where exactly are we going? Heronsbourne, you said, didn’t you?’
    It didn’t take long to get to March Cottage, which looked to be the same age and vernacular as 17 Allhallow’s Lane. Libby parked outside and they all climbed out. Bella had two large plastic carrier bags.
    ‘Cleaning stuff,’ she explained, when she saw Libby looking. ‘I don’t know what’s there.’
    Inside, they found that the electricity had been switched on and the storage heaters in the bedrooms were throwing out a decent amount of heat. Libby, with her expertise in lighting open fires and Rayburns, offered to have a go at the range, while Fran and Bella tackled the kitchen.
    A loud bang on the window alerted Bella to the presence of Balzac, who walked in and allowed himself to be admired, before sitting hopefully beside the sink, gazing thoughtfully into the middle distance.
    ‘Good job I bought a tin of cat food,’ said Bella. ‘I must see about a cat flap. And I must go and see the woman who’s been feeding him to ask her to carry on.’
    ‘You’re not going to live down here permanently, then,’ said Libby from the front room.
    ‘No, well, I can’t really, with the children still at school and everything,’ said Bella. ‘I thought, just weekends, maybe.’
    ‘What does your husband think about it?’ asked Fran.
    Bella didn’t answer straight away, and Libby and Fran exchanged looks.
    ‘He wants me to sell them both,’ said Bella eventually.
    ‘Doesn’t he like the idea of a weekend cottage?’ said Libby.
    ‘Not this one,’ said Bella, with a little laugh. ‘I think he was thinking more of an apartment in Spain.’
    ‘Has he seen it?’ asked Fran.
    ‘No,’ said Bella. ‘He’s been rather busy at work, so he couldn’t get the time off.’
    ‘But you could?’
    ‘Well, I only work the occasional shift in a local shop,’ said Bella, colouring faintly, ‘so it wasn’t difficult.’
    ‘Hard work, shops,’ said Libby, lifting a soot-covered hand and brushing rusty hair off her brow.
    ‘You look like a clown,’ said Fran. ‘Bella, does that electric kettle work? We could have some tea, couldn’t we?’
    After Libby had managed to get a fire going in the range and Fran and Bella had found cups for the tea Bella had remembered to bring with her, thanks to an early morning visit to the eight-til-late in