Read Online Trouble in the Cotswolds (The Cotswold Mysteries) by Rebecca Tope - Free Book Online

must make you suspect foul play every time a bloke dies. Worse than a copper, you are.’
    It felt very unfair. ‘I’m not,’ she said childishly. ‘I never said anything about the wife killing the man in the bath. That was you, not me.’
    ‘The question is – did Marian go to the wake at the girlfriend’s?’ Kevin summarised. ‘You know what women are like – they’ll surprise you every time. You never know, they’re probably best buddies now.’
    ‘Could be they bumped him off together, then, and shared out the loot. Plenty of it, from the sound if it,’ said Higgins, belatedly entering into the spirit of the conversation.
    ‘Nearly there,’ Kevin alerted them. ‘This is Stanway.’
    ‘Stanton, not Stanway,’ said Thea.
    ‘Right. I know that. But there’s barely half a mile between them. Look at that place!’ He slowed as they passed the elaborate entrance gate to Stanway House, with the church modestly set back behind and to one side of it. ‘Ever been in there, sir?’ he asked Higgins.
    ‘Once, years ago. Don’t remember much about it.’
    ‘It’s got lots of history,’ said Thea, struggling to focus.
    ‘I prefer the cricket pavilion,’ said Higgins, bizarrely.
    Thea wondered if she was momentarily dreaming. ‘Pardon?’ she said.
    ‘Haven’t you seen it? You must have driven past it. It’s here, look.’ He pointed out a large wooden shed on the edge of a big field, with handsome old trees standing guard over it.
    ‘I didn’t notice,’ she said. ‘When I’m better, I’ll come for a look.’
    ‘You do that. Oy, Kev – watch out for the great hound.’ Walking along the side of the road was the dog Thea had seen outside Stanton church the day before, with its woman holding it on a short chain.
    ‘It’s a Great Dane,’ she said. ‘I met that woman. Sherry, she’s called. Something like that. She doesn’t like Blondie.’
    ‘Blondie’s a dog?’ checked Higgins.
    ‘Right. I wonder if she did go to the funeral. She was dressed for it. But what about the dog?’
    ‘You’re delirious,’ Higgins said kindly. ‘The sooner we get you indoors, the better.’
    ‘Oh! I forgot my shopping. And my bag. Oh, damn it.’ She almost wept at the thought of the honey and Lemsip left behind in her car.
    ‘No, you didn’t. I’ve got them here. And I phoned the AA for you, telling them what’s what. They shouldmanage to see to everything without you being there, even though it’s against their usual practice. I pulled a few strings. They’ve got your mobile number, so they’ll keep you informed of what’s going on. I hope,’ he added almost inaudibly.
    Thea blinked in bewilderment. How had she missed all that? ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Thank you. That’s fantastic.’
    ‘You’ll be hungry,’ he went on. ‘It’s well past lunchtime.’
    ‘No, it isn’t. I set out early. I’m sure I did. It must be only a bit after eleven.’
    ‘It’s half past one,’ he corrected. ‘These dark days, it feels like dawn at nine in the morning. I bet it was after eleven before you even left the house.’
    ‘Could be,’ she said dubiously, trying to remember. ‘But I’m not hungry.’
    ‘Feed a cold and starve a fever,’ said Kevin, still eyeing the massive dog in his rear-view mirror. ‘Isn’t that what they say? If it’s half one, we ought to be in Broadway soonish,’ he added.
    ‘What’s in Broadway?’ asked Thea, thinking she’d missed something else of significance.
    ‘Some bit of bother at the Methodist church. Flowers missing from a grave, would you believe?’
    ‘Willersey, not Broadway, to be completely accurate,’ said Kevin.
    ‘Another funeral,’ Thea mused. ‘Eva. That’ll be Eva. How can people steal flowers? That’s beastly.’
    ‘Beastly,’ echoed Higgins in a gentle mockery.‘Perfectly beastly. What do you mean – that’ll be Eva?’
    ‘I had a visit yesterday from her relations. Aunt and cousin, I think.’
    Higgins hooted in disbelief and