Read Online Too Soon a Death: A Scottish mystery where cosy crime meets tartan noir: Borders Mysteries Book 2 by Janet O'Kane - Free Book Online Page A

You grew up surrounded by animals but I wasn’t even allowed a goldfish.’
    ‘Unfortunately they won’t be coming back, because my tenant has given notice. He’s retiring.’ Robbie kept his tone casual but his right knee had started to jiggle. ‘So . . . I was wondering if you’d like to buy the field from me.’
    ‘Won’t you find someone else to rent it?’
    ‘I’ve been looking at my portfolio, with a view to rebalancing it away from rural to urban.’
    ‘How much do you want for it?’
    ‘I’d not be looking for the full market value, as it’s you.’ Robbie named a sum which even to Zoe, who knew nothing about land prices, sounded a trifling amount for such a big field. ‘You’d substantially increase the value of the cottage if it came with a bit of land.’
    ‘Can I give it some thought?’
    ‘I’ll call you in a couple of days, yes? I’d prefer to get this sorted quickly.’
    Like his sister, when Robbie decided on something he was obviously single-minded about seeing it happen; there was little use in arguing with him, so Zoe didn’t try. Of course she wouldn’t agree to something which wasn’t to her advantage, but on the surface his proposition seemed reasonable, generous even. She could afford it, after all, but would still sound out her solicitor, who also ran a successful estate agency, tomorrow.
    She studied the field which surrounded Keeper’s Cottage on three sides with more interest than usual. There would be nothing to stop her renting it out herself, until she made long-term plans for it.
    Having got the business part of his visit over, Robbie’s leg ceased to jiggle and he started to tell Zoe how worried his parents were at the reappearance of Kate’s ex-husband.
    ‘You don’t think she’ll have him back, do you?’ Zoe asked. ‘Especially now Erskine Mather’s around.’
    ‘No, but Ken’s always been trouble. When he left, it affected Sis badly, whatever she might claim. The children were all too young to realise what was going on. Now, though, they’ve already started asking questions, like why he’s here, are they going to have to go and live with him. Mhairi was in tears over breakfast and she didn’t even see him last night.’
    ‘Oh dear. Let’s hope his meeting with Kate this morning will be the end of the matter.’
    ‘Now he’s back he’ll not be easy to get rid of, trust me. He’s after something—money, probably.’
    ‘Surely that was all sorted out when they divorced?’
    ‘Maybe he thinks Dad’ll pay him to go away. Again.’ His mobile, sitting on the table between them, chose that moment to ring. He lifted a hand to shade its screen and said, ‘I’ll have to take this.’
    Zoe thought about what he’d just said, oblivious to the one-sided conversation going on next to her. Did she misinterpret him, or did he let slip that Ranald Mackenzie had paid his son-in-law to walk out on Kate and their children?
    After ending the call with an abrupt ‘Yes’, Robbie said, ‘I have to go. Thanks for the tea. I’ll ring for your answer about the field on Tuesday.’
    A few minutes after Robbie left, Zoe put aside the tuna salad roll she was preparing in order to answer a call on her mobile. Curious to hear how Kate had got on with Ken, it wasn’t until she held the phone to her ear that she remembered Kate only ever texted.
    ‘Hello, Zoe, it’s Patrick Dunin. I know this is probably a daft question, but did you call us earlier today?’
    ‘Yes, I dialled the surgery number but I didn’t think the call connected.’
    ‘Is everything okay? Did you have a problem with Mac?’
    ‘You could say that.’ She briefly explained what happened on their early morning walk.
    ‘That must have been terrifying. How is he now?’
    ‘His eye’s still not fully open but his sight doesn’t seem to be affected.’ She paused, then asked, ‘How did you know it was me?’
    Patrick cleared his throat. ‘A sequence of one-two-three-four in the middle of a mobile