Murder on a Winter Afternoon, page 19
part #5 of Melissa Craig Series
‘I’ve only just got back,’ he said. He sounded breathless. ‘Things have been buzzing down at the nick – Tom Barron’s been pulled in, and Gerard and Eloise … and now Charles Semple, who’s turned out to be the big fish himself. And they’ve got the Strangler.’
‘So what else is new?’ asked Melissa. It was her turn to feel smug.
‘You’ve heard all this?’ He sounded incredulous. ‘How, for heaven’s sake?’
‘Semple was arrested at my house, and I’ve had the insufferable DI Holloway here, preening himself on his cleverness.’
‘What the hell was Semple doing in your house?’
‘He’d arranged to meet Tom Barron here. Between them, they planned to bump me off. Then, when I let drop that by now the fuzz would know all about it, Charlie boy decided he was going to hold me hostage.’
‘Good God!’ Bruce sounded horrified. ‘What happened? Are you hurt?’
‘Not in the least. Instead of Tom Barron arriving to cart me off to some destination unknown, it was DI Knight-in-Shining-Armour-Holloway who came galloping to the rescue.’
‘Was it now? And did he by any chance tell you what put him on to Semple?’
‘He did. He reminded me of Little Jack Horner pulling out plums. He’d spotted a link between Tom Barron and a man suspected of being the Sex Strangler. It seems …’
‘They were both advised by that pillar of the legal establishment, Charles Semple,’ Bruce interposed.
‘That’s right. How did you know?’
‘Because I was the one who turned it up and fed him the information,’ said Bruce.
‘Was that what you were being so secretive about yesterday?’
‘Right. It occurred to me as a possibility, but I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure.’
‘Well, good for you. You keep me in the dark while I entertain the villain of the piece and narrowly escape a fate worse than death … thanks very much.’
‘I don’t follow.’
She gave him a brief account of the circumstances that had led to Semple’s visit to Hawthorn Cottage.
‘Oh Melissa, I’m so sorry – it never entered my head that you’d spill the beans to him. You’ve had a hell of a day – are you sure you’re all right?’
‘I’m fine, and you can take your Brownie points. I doubt if you’ll get much else in the way of credit. Hollowhead will keep that for himself.’
‘Who cares, as long as you’re okay and all the villains rounded up. How about meeting me for a drink to celebrate?’
Melissa glanced at the clock. It was barely half-past nine, but it suddenly dawned on her that she was utterly exhausted. ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ she replied. ‘All I want now is bed. Ken Harris is being transferred to Cheltenham tomorrow; if I turn up to visit him looking like I feel at the moment, he’ll have a relapse on the spot. I’ve also got a book to finish.’
‘Of course – Deadly Legacy. Now you’ll be able to finish it the way Leonora intended.’
‘So I shall.’ The thought gave her enormous pleasure. ‘When it’s published, I think I’ll give a copy to Arnie. I’ll tell him it’s from the writing lady.’
‘That’s a nice idea. Will her picture be on the cover?’
‘Sure to be. Bruce, what will become of Arnie now?’
‘That’s been worrying me. I’m sure the Pattersons will look after him, but he’ll miss his studio at Blackwater Hall – and all the perks that went with it.’
‘His paintings must have made quite a bit of money for the Asser Foundation. Maybe the new curator will let him carry on there.’
‘Let’s hope so. Well, Melissa, if you won’t come out for a drink, I’ll get on and write my story.’
‘You do that,’ she said, ‘but please, leave my name out of it.’
The Benbury Barnstormers’ Christmas show was voted the best ever by the enthusiastic audience. The script was the wittiest, the acting the most professional and the costumes the most original, but the greatest praise was reserved for the sets, designed by and executed under the professional guidance of Iris Ash.
After attending the first performance, Melissa and Iris, escorted respectively by Kenneth Harris and Jack Hammond, joined the cast and the backstage helpers in Benbury’s only pub, the Woolpack. Presently, the four of them walked the short distance down the lane leading to Hawthorn and Elder Cottages, cosily hidden at the end of their secluded track. Ken had an arm round Melissa’s shoulders; Iris and Jack were hand in hand. The four of them stopped to lean on the gate and gaze along the valley as it lay sleeping in the frosty moonlight.
‘Another year almost over,’ said Jack, after a long silence.
‘Another about to begin,’ said Ken.
‘Another book to finish,’ sighed Melissa.
‘Another bout of pneumonia if we hang around,’ said Iris from the depths of her hooded cloak. ‘I’m going indoors. Coming, Jack?’
‘Sure.’
‘How about you two?’
Ken gave Melissa’s shoulder a squeeze. ‘I think we’d be de trop,’ he whispered in her ear.
‘So would they,’ she whispered back. For the time being, they remained where they were and admired the moon.
Looking for another charming murder mystery you can read in one sitting? Make sure to get Murder at Hawthorn Cottage, Melissa Craig’s first case!
Get it here!
Murder at Hawthorn Cottage
A Melissa Craig Mystery Book 1
Get it here!
Meet Melissa: cat lover, caring mother… daring detective?
Melissa Craig is absolutely delighted with her new life in an old crumbling cottage, spending her days pruning the primroses and getting to know Binkie, the ginger cat next door. She only wishes she had made the move to the countryside sooner.
But when a knock at the door brings news of a shocking discovery, she suddenly finds herself thrown in to the middle of a baffling mystery: the bones of a young woman have been found in the woods just behind her new home.
Perhaps the little village of Upper Bembury is not as idyllic as it first seemed?
Strange phone calls in the night convince Melissa that the police are barking up completely the wrong tree, so she can’t resist doing a little digging of her own. From the bingo hall to the beauty salon and beyond, her search ruffles a few feathers and uncovers many of the village’s most scandalous secrets, but gets her no closer to finding the culprit…
The discovery of a tatty old photograph in a drawer is the final piece of the puzzle she needs, but as a newcomer in this close-knit community, does Melissa have what it takes to get to the bottom of this extraordinary murder mystery alone?
A joy to read! An absolutely unputdownable whodunnit for fans of Agatha Christie, P.D. James and Faith Martin.
Hear More from Betty
Want to keep up to date with Betty’s latest releases?
Sign up here!
We promise to never share your email with anyone else, and we’ll only contact you when there’s a new book out.
Also by Betty Rowlands
THE MELISSA CRAIG SERIES
Murder at Hawthorn Cottage
Murder in the Morning
Murder on the Clifftops
Murder at the Manor Hotel
Murder on a Winter Afternoon
A Letter From Betty
Dear Reader
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Murder on a Winter Afternoon, I hope you enjoyed it! If you’d like to stay in touch with news about my future publications, then please sign up to my newsletter here:
Sign up here!
If you really loved the book and would like to spread the word to other readers, I’d be so grateful if you would leave a review. You can also follow my fan page on Facebook and Twitter via the links below.
All very best,
Betty
Murder in the Morning
A Melissa Craig Mystery Book 2
Get it here!
Cream teas, buttered crumpets and a very curious crime…
Melissa Craig is settling in nicely to a new teaching position in the quaint little village of Upper Bembury, getting to know her way around, drinking tea with the eccentric staff, even sowing the first seeds of romance…
But when she arrives one morning to find police outside her classroom, Melissa is shocked to hear that her beautiful colleague Angelica has been found dead in her home.
As everyone in Angelica’s life comes under suspicion, Melissa makes it her mission to go in search of the truth, not least because she’s romantically entangled with none other than the police’s prime suspect.
The discovery of a vandalised portrait of the murdered girl might be just the clue that Melissa needs to clear her lover’s name, but when a second body surfaces, she knows she needs to act quickly. Can Melissa uncover the ugly truth in this beautiful village before another innocent life is taken?
Do you love murder mysteries by Agatha Christie, P.D. James and Faith Martin? If so, make this puzzling and absolutely page-turning whodunnit your next read!
Murder on the Clifftops
A Melissa Craig Mystery Book 3
Get it here!
French cheese, fine wine and… a mystifying murder?
A delightful afternoon stroll turns to disaster when the guests of an artists’ retreat in the French mountains spot the body of a man at the bottom of a cliff.
Amongst them is Melissa Craig who, binoculars at the ready, suddenly finds herself at the centre of a very puzzling mystery. Was it an accident, or was he pushed?
Her suspicions are confirmed when another body is found days later in almost exactly the same spot. It can’t be a coincidence; someone in this idyllic French village is up to no good, and it’s up to her to find out who.
Between the eccentric locals and mischievous guests, Melissa finds herself with no shortage of potential suspects: was it the surly handyman with a dark past, or perhaps the short-sighted widow with an excellent golf swing? But the real question is: how close to the edge will Melissa have to tread to find the culprit…?
An absolutely unputdownable murder mystery you’ll read in one sitting. Perfect for anyone who loves Agatha Christie, P.D. James or Faith Martin.
Murder at the Manor Hotel
A Melissa Craig Mystery Book 4
Available now!
As the stage is set for a local village play in a beautiful countryside manor, Melissa Craig plays the role of detective once again when one of the cast is mysteriously murdered…
Melissa is delighted when she’s asked to help put on a play at her favourite local Cotswolds hotel. There’s nothing she loves more than getting to know the cast, who are just as colourful behind the scenes as they are on stage.
Rehearsals are running smoothly until the perpetually grumpy supporting actor is found spread-eagled at the bottom of a steep flight of stairs leading to a cellar.
As Melissa tries in vain to save his life, she is sure she can hear voices nearby and suspects there is more to this accident than meets the eye. Why on earth was he trying to get down to the hotel’s private cellar? And why does the hotel manager seem so angry about it?
When the hotel floor plans deliver some unexpected revelations, Melissa is convinced that she’s dealing with a murder. But when all of your suspects are actors, how can you tell the good liars from the bad? Can Melissa find the killer before the final curtain falls?
If you’ve devoured books by Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and P.D. James, you won’t be able to resist this page-turning murder mystery!
Published by Bookouture in 2018
An imprint of StoryFire Ltd.
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ
www.bookouture.com
Copyright © Betty Rowlands, 1995, 2018
Originally published as Deadly Legacy by Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, 1995
Betty Rowlands has asserted her right to be identified
as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.
eBook ISBN: 978-1-78681-775-4
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain, are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Betty Rowlands, Murder on a Winter Afternoon
