The Red Book of Primrose House: A Potting Shed Mystery (Potting Shed Mystery series 2) by Marty Wingate
Authors: Marty Wingate
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it’ll turn up.”
—
Robbie stood at the front gate of the walled garden waiting for her. “Where’s Ned, Pru?” he asked. “Where’s Liam? Where’s Fergal? What will we do today?”
“I haven’t seen Ned yet,” she replied. “Liam and Fergal won’t be here today—they’re working on their cottage. So you and Ned and I will do all the garden work ourselves. Are you up for it? Let’s walk down to the shed. Maybe Ned is waiting for us there.”
“I’ll go look. I’ll look for Ned.” Robbie bounded ahead on the path they’d worn that led around the outside corner of the walled garden, and Pru followed, trying to muster half the energy he had. Robbie had already made it to the end and must’ve come back in through the lower gate, because he popped out of the side entrance. His pale face was even paler than usual, and his eyes wide and dark. “What’s wrong with Ned, Pru? Did he have an accident?”
“An accident? Did you see him?”
“He’s out there.” Robbie pointed out the back gate of the walled garden. “Maybe he fell down. I think he hurt himself. He’s bleeding.”
She grabbed Robbie’s arm to keep him from darting off again. “Wait, let me go see, all right? You stay here.” Robbie followed her as she ran through the walled garden to the back gate.
He was lying on a bed of yew branches, which stuck out all around him, as if he was the center of a huge wreath. Legs stretched out, Wellies pointed toes up, and arms flung out to the sides. His eyes were wide open, glassy, unseeing, and his cap had fallen back. Blood formed a pool on his chest. It didn’t look liquid, but thick, coagulated, gelatinous. More blood, not bright red, but dark, had soaked into the leaves and dried grass around his jacket.
She recoiled and threw one arm out to stop Robbie from getting any closer. “Robbie, get back…go back in the garden…here, come with me.” She hurried him back inside and against the wall.
“What’s wrong with Ned, Pru? Did he fall? Can we help him?” Robbie started to resist her, trying to get back to Ned.
“No, Robbie, come with me, we need to help Ned. Come with me and we’ll ring for help.” He was all arms, and she knew she’d never be able to force him anywhere. “Will you help me, Robbie?” She couldn’t catch her breath and thought she might throw up, but she knew she needed to focus on getting the boy away.
Little by little she persuaded Robbie to move. Still holding his arm, she got her phone out and rang DS Hobbes, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation without alarming Robbie further. “David, this is Pru. Please come now. It’s Ned. Now, David,
now
. You’ll need…you’ll need the medical examiner. I’m in the garden. I have Robbie with me.”
Hobbes asked no questions, but rang off immediately.
She concentrated on Robbie to keep the image of Ned’s body at bay. “Robbie, let’s ring your mum, okay? Is she up at the house? Or did she go somewhere else? Let’s ring your mum, all right?”
She rang Ivy’s phone but got only voice mail. She tried to sound calm as Robbie pulled away, heading for the gate, and she dragged him back. “Ivy, it’s Pru. Robbie is fine. Please ring me as soon as you can.” She rang the house phone; there was no answer.
Before long, she heard the sirens that preceded a slew of officers. She pointed out the back gate to show them the way and stayed where she was against the wall at the side entrance to the garden. She couldn’t leave, because Robbie wanted to follow them. “It’s the police, Pru, it’s the police. Is Ned in trouble? What happened?” He squirmed as she held both his arms.
“Robbie, we need to stay here, stay with me. That will help the police. Robbie, look at me, pay attention. We need to stay here and wait for your mum.” DS Hobbes approached, and she said to him, “It’s all right, Robbie and I are all right.” She nodded her head toward the gate and Ned’s body. “Go
—
Robbie stood at the front gate of the walled garden waiting for her. “Where’s Ned, Pru?” he asked. “Where’s Liam? Where’s Fergal? What will we do today?”
“I haven’t seen Ned yet,” she replied. “Liam and Fergal won’t be here today—they’re working on their cottage. So you and Ned and I will do all the garden work ourselves. Are you up for it? Let’s walk down to the shed. Maybe Ned is waiting for us there.”
“I’ll go look. I’ll look for Ned.” Robbie bounded ahead on the path they’d worn that led around the outside corner of the walled garden, and Pru followed, trying to muster half the energy he had. Robbie had already made it to the end and must’ve come back in through the lower gate, because he popped out of the side entrance. His pale face was even paler than usual, and his eyes wide and dark. “What’s wrong with Ned, Pru? Did he have an accident?”
“An accident? Did you see him?”
“He’s out there.” Robbie pointed out the back gate of the walled garden. “Maybe he fell down. I think he hurt himself. He’s bleeding.”
She grabbed Robbie’s arm to keep him from darting off again. “Wait, let me go see, all right? You stay here.” Robbie followed her as she ran through the walled garden to the back gate.
He was lying on a bed of yew branches, which stuck out all around him, as if he was the center of a huge wreath. Legs stretched out, Wellies pointed toes up, and arms flung out to the sides. His eyes were wide open, glassy, unseeing, and his cap had fallen back. Blood formed a pool on his chest. It didn’t look liquid, but thick, coagulated, gelatinous. More blood, not bright red, but dark, had soaked into the leaves and dried grass around his jacket.
She recoiled and threw one arm out to stop Robbie from getting any closer. “Robbie, get back…go back in the garden…here, come with me.” She hurried him back inside and against the wall.
“What’s wrong with Ned, Pru? Did he fall? Can we help him?” Robbie started to resist her, trying to get back to Ned.
“No, Robbie, come with me, we need to help Ned. Come with me and we’ll ring for help.” He was all arms, and she knew she’d never be able to force him anywhere. “Will you help me, Robbie?” She couldn’t catch her breath and thought she might throw up, but she knew she needed to focus on getting the boy away.
Little by little she persuaded Robbie to move. Still holding his arm, she got her phone out and rang DS Hobbes, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation without alarming Robbie further. “David, this is Pru. Please come now. It’s Ned. Now, David,
now
. You’ll need…you’ll need the medical examiner. I’m in the garden. I have Robbie with me.”
Hobbes asked no questions, but rang off immediately.
She concentrated on Robbie to keep the image of Ned’s body at bay. “Robbie, let’s ring your mum, okay? Is she up at the house? Or did she go somewhere else? Let’s ring your mum, all right?”
She rang Ivy’s phone but got only voice mail. She tried to sound calm as Robbie pulled away, heading for the gate, and she dragged him back. “Ivy, it’s Pru. Robbie is fine. Please ring me as soon as you can.” She rang the house phone; there was no answer.
Before long, she heard the sirens that preceded a slew of officers. She pointed out the back gate to show them the way and stayed where she was against the wall at the side entrance to the garden. She couldn’t leave, because Robbie wanted to follow them. “It’s the police, Pru, it’s the police. Is Ned in trouble? What happened?” He squirmed as she held both his arms.
“Robbie, we need to stay here, stay with me. That will help the police. Robbie, look at me, pay attention. We need to stay here and wait for your mum.” DS Hobbes approached, and she said to him, “It’s all right, Robbie and I are all right.” She nodded her head toward the gate and Ned’s body. “Go
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