Murder and a Song (A Pattie Lansbury Cat Cozy Mystery Series Book 2) by Nancy C. Davis Page A
Authors: Nancy C. Davis
Ads: Link
and hedgerows.
The festival grounds had been set up.
600 acres of green meadow had been encircled by fences, serviced by
2,000 Portaloos, and dominated by two dozen floodlit stages. It was a big event, and the majority of the
grassy area was already populated by thousands of tents, small and large,
around which swarmed the countless ticket-holders of all ages.
Already
music was belting out across the countryside, everything from heavy rock to
country & western. There was
something for every music lover – provided they didn’t mind slumming it inside
tents in a churned-up field. It was not
Pattie’s cup of tea.
Speaking
of which, she’d intended to drop in on her good friend Elliott Knight, the man
who ran the doctor’s surgery single-handedly.
Because Little Hamilton had no vet, he also helped out Pattie with any
treatment for her furry lodgers in an emergency. They had come to know each other rather well
over the last few years.
The
walk had given Pattie several hours of exercise. On the way back through the village, she
stopped off at home to feed herself and over a dozen fuzzy little faces, then
took off down Shepherd’s Street towards Doc Knight’s practice with a packed
lunch and thermos of his favourite Darjeeling.
When
the Doctor had seen his last patient of the morning, Pattie took in their
picnic with a smile. “Good afternoon, Elliott.
A busy day for you?”
“Hello,
Patricia! It has been, rather.” The kind
white-haired gentleman accepted the hot tea that she poured for him and smiled
at the unexpected lunch. “I’m always grateful for your visits, Patricia!”
“And
I’m always grateful for the company.”
They
didn’t have long to catch up before the phone rang. Elliott answered it and glanced at
Pattie. After a few short words he said,
“Of course. I’ll ask her to go right
over. Goodbye.”
He
put down the phone. “Is there a problem?” enquired Pattie.
“That
was Detective Constable Downey. He says
he’s holding a woman named Blossom Carter at the police station, and this woman
has asked for you. He wants to know if
you’ll oblige her by going down to the station.”
“Well,
of course, even if it is a bit unusual,” said Pattie, wiping her hands on a
napkin. “What has this Carter woman been charged with?”
Elliott
looked her in the eye. “Murder.”
Chapter 2
Detective Constable Tom Downey met her
outside the station, where he was having a discreet cigarette.
“Thomas!”
she said, appalled. “I thought you’d quit those nasty things years ago!”
“I’m
sorry, Mrs Lansbury,” he replied. He
stubbed out the cigarette on a nearby dustbin. “I’ve had a rough few
weeks. Isabelle and I are getting a
divorce.”
“Really? Oh, my dear, I’m so sorry.” Pattie’s son Andrew
had grown up with Tom, and they’d both been in the police academy together, so
when Tom was hurt, Pattie felt it. Over
the years he had almost become a surrogate son after Andrew had been driven out
of town after a scandal.
D.C.
Downey smiled and unwrapped some mint gum. “How are the cats?”
“All
very well, thank you. Archie’s been off
his food lately, but he’s always had funny habits. My newest, Macy, has really settled in with
the others.”
“I’m
glad to hear it. Are you ready to go
inside?”
“Yes. Could you fill me in on what’s happened?”
They
walked and talked. The D.C. said, “A
pair of out-of-towners arrived two days ago for the festival. Blossom Carter and
The festival grounds had been set up.
600 acres of green meadow had been encircled by fences, serviced by
2,000 Portaloos, and dominated by two dozen floodlit stages. It was a big event, and the majority of the
grassy area was already populated by thousands of tents, small and large,
around which swarmed the countless ticket-holders of all ages.
Already
music was belting out across the countryside, everything from heavy rock to
country & western. There was
something for every music lover – provided they didn’t mind slumming it inside
tents in a churned-up field. It was not
Pattie’s cup of tea.
Speaking
of which, she’d intended to drop in on her good friend Elliott Knight, the man
who ran the doctor’s surgery single-handedly.
Because Little Hamilton had no vet, he also helped out Pattie with any
treatment for her furry lodgers in an emergency. They had come to know each other rather well
over the last few years.
The
walk had given Pattie several hours of exercise. On the way back through the village, she
stopped off at home to feed herself and over a dozen fuzzy little faces, then
took off down Shepherd’s Street towards Doc Knight’s practice with a packed
lunch and thermos of his favourite Darjeeling.
When
the Doctor had seen his last patient of the morning, Pattie took in their
picnic with a smile. “Good afternoon, Elliott.
A busy day for you?”
“Hello,
Patricia! It has been, rather.” The kind
white-haired gentleman accepted the hot tea that she poured for him and smiled
at the unexpected lunch. “I’m always grateful for your visits, Patricia!”
“And
I’m always grateful for the company.”
They
didn’t have long to catch up before the phone rang. Elliott answered it and glanced at
Pattie. After a few short words he said,
“Of course. I’ll ask her to go right
over. Goodbye.”
He
put down the phone. “Is there a problem?” enquired Pattie.
“That
was Detective Constable Downey. He says
he’s holding a woman named Blossom Carter at the police station, and this woman
has asked for you. He wants to know if
you’ll oblige her by going down to the station.”
“Well,
of course, even if it is a bit unusual,” said Pattie, wiping her hands on a
napkin. “What has this Carter woman been charged with?”
Elliott
looked her in the eye. “Murder.”
Chapter 2
Detective Constable Tom Downey met her
outside the station, where he was having a discreet cigarette.
“Thomas!”
she said, appalled. “I thought you’d quit those nasty things years ago!”
“I’m
sorry, Mrs Lansbury,” he replied. He
stubbed out the cigarette on a nearby dustbin. “I’ve had a rough few
weeks. Isabelle and I are getting a
divorce.”
“Really? Oh, my dear, I’m so sorry.” Pattie’s son Andrew
had grown up with Tom, and they’d both been in the police academy together, so
when Tom was hurt, Pattie felt it. Over
the years he had almost become a surrogate son after Andrew had been driven out
of town after a scandal.
D.C.
Downey smiled and unwrapped some mint gum. “How are the cats?”
“All
very well, thank you. Archie’s been off
his food lately, but he’s always had funny habits. My newest, Macy, has really settled in with
the others.”
“I’m
glad to hear it. Are you ready to go
inside?”
“Yes. Could you fill me in on what’s happened?”
They
walked and talked. The D.C. said, “A
pair of out-of-towners arrived two days ago for the festival. Blossom Carter and
Similar Books
