“I suppose,” Roger sighed.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the crackle of wood in the fire.
“Do you still hire that lovely lady who I met last time? “
“Mrs. Cavendish? Yes. Even more so now that I have plenty of work. She still picks up this little scamp from school. She cooks and cleans. It was she who left the soup and roast for us.”
“Well, it’s nice to see things have remained pleasantly stable on the island. Rather that than the excitement of trouble and upheaval.”
“Hmm, it’s not all plain sailing. We’ve had somebody famous move on to the island since you were last here. In that cottage by the ruins. Caused quite a stir, he has. A Pip Craven.”
“The Pip Craven!?” exclaimed Annabelle, leaning forward so quickly she almost spilt her tea.
“You’ve heard of him?”
Annabelle sat back a little flushed.
“Well, I was young once, you know! Are you sure it’s him? He’s one of the wildest rock stars this country’s ever had! Drugs, drink, women – why would someone like that come to such an out-of-the-way place as this?”
“Precisely because it’s isolated, I suppose. From what I hear he’s cleaned up his act. Apparently, he had a few too many brushes with the law. And with death, I shouldn’t wonder. He needed to get himself away from the high-life. And you can’t get much further away from it than up here.”
Annabelle nodded.
“Of course, it hasn’t stopped people talking,” Roger said, brushing a hand through his short, brown hair. “Satanic rituals, magic, cults, that sort of thing. The villagers are letting their imaginations run wild. He seems to live quietly and stay at home. We don’t see him about much. He doesn’t bother anyone, but that only makes the people around here even more enthusiastic to fill in the gaps for themselves.”
Annabelle scoffed lightly. “Sounds familiar. The more you tell me of the island, the more it reminds me of Upton St. Mary.”
“I guess some things are very much the same no matter where you are.”
After a moment of silence, Annabelle put down her tea and leaned forward.
“That reminds me, do you know who lives at Clannan Castle?”
“Yes. Robert Kilbairn. Australian fellow. Keeps himself to himself, but you can still find him in the pub if you want him. Why do you ask?”
“I met an American couple on the ferry – rather nice people. They told me that they’d purchased a title, and three square feet of land around the castle. It seemed a little…odd.”
Roger frowned as he mulled this piece of information over.
“Yes. I suppose it does. I’m not really sure, to be honest. There are only a hundred and fifty people on the island, and it can be hard to keep a secret when there are so few distractions. People tend to keep their private business very private indeed.”
“Hmm,” Annabelle said, as she watched the dying embers of the fire fade out in the hearth.
“Anyway,” Roger said, as he pushed himself out of the armchair, “there will be plenty of time for gossip tomorrow. It’s time both of you ladies got a good night’s sleep.”
“Can Auntie Bumble read me a story, Daddy?”
Roger exchanged an apologetic look with his sister.
“Another time, Bonnie. Your aunt’s had a long journey—“
“But you promised, Daddy!” Bonnie pleaded, her face at its most vulnerable and imploring. “I’ve waited so long for her to come. I don’t want to go to bed without her reading to me!”
“It’s fine,” Annabelle said to her brother. “I’ve waited a long time to read Bonnie a bedtime story, too. I don’t want to delay it a moment longer, either.”
“Yesssss!” squealed the happy girl.
“Okay,” sighed Roger, leaning over and planting a soft kiss upon both of their foreheads. “I’ll see you two mischief-makers in the morning. Make sure she cleans her teeth properly, won’t you?”
“I will,” Annabelle replied.
“I was talking to Bonnie,” Roger quipped as he left the room.
Once they had readied themselves for bed, Annabelle tucked Bonnie into her patterned, very pink sheets. She gazed at Bonnie’s well-stocked bookshelf.
“So what would you like me to read? Nothing scary, I hope!”
“The book you gave me! I can’t wait to read anything else!”
Annabelle smiled softly as she pulled her gift from the bedside table. She nestled herself in beside Bonnie, and opened it to the first page. Carefully, she began to read the tale of young magicians, dragons, and terrible villains that commanded hordes of monsters. Bonnie smiled deeply with pleasure as she listened to her aunt give voices to the characters and describe the fantastic locations with flourish.
It was only a few pages in, however, that Bonnie noticed her aunt’s voice slow down, pause frequently in all the wrong places, and begin to draw the words out into long, low slurs. Eventually, Annabelle ceased to speak entirely. Bonnie turned to face her aunt. Her lips were moving but weren’t producing any sound whatsoever. Her eyes were completely shut.
Realizing they were to make no further progress on her book, Bonnie gently pulled it from Annabelle’s limp hands and climbed carefully out of bed. She turned her quilt over and covered her sleeping aunt with it, smiling fondly at her slumbering face. The young girl quietly crept out of the room and padded down the landing. Tonight, she would sleep in Annabelle’s bed instead.
To get your copy of Horror in the Highlands visit the link below:
http://cozymysteries.com/horror-in-the-highlands
THANK YOU
Thank you for taking the time to read Grave in the Garage. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and very much appreciated.
Thank you,
OTHER BOOKS IN THE REVEREND ANNABELLE DIXON SERIES
Death at the Café (Prequel)
Murder at the Mansion
Body in the Woods
Horror in the Highlands
ALSO BY ALISON GOLDEN
FEATURING INSPECTOR DAVID GRAHAM
The Case of the Screaming Beauty (Prequel)
The Case of the Hidden Flame
The Case of the Fallen Hero
The Case of the Broken Doll
The Case of the Missing Letter
FEATURING DIANA HUNTER
Hunted (Prequel)
Snatched
Stolen
Chopped
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alison Golden was born and raised in Bedfordshire, England. She writes cozy mysteries and suspense novels, along with the occasional witty blog post, all of which are designed to entertain, amuse, and calm. Her approach is to combine creative ideas with excellent writing and edit, edit, edit.
She is the creator of the Reverend Annabelle Dixon cozy mysteries, a charming, fun series featuring a female vicar ministering in the beautiful county of Cornwall, England. She also produces a Jersey-based detective series featuring Inspector David Graham and the Diana Hunter series, set in Vancouver.
Her books’ themes range from the humorous and sweet to harder hitting suspense. They are recommended for readers who like to relax and unwind with their books, who enjoy getting to know the characters, and who prefer the tougher side of life implied.
She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and twin sons. She splits her time traveling between London and San Francisco.
For up-to-date promotions and release dates of upcoming books, sign up for the latest news here: http://cozymysteries.com/annabelle.
For more information:
@cozy_mysteries
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cozymysteries.com
[email protected]
“Some books leave us free and some books make us free.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
GRAVE IN THE GARAGE
A Reverend Annabelle Dixon Cozy Mystery
A body found in a car mechanic’s pit. A crumbling graveyard devoid of life. And a lively, bounding puppy full of it.
Life has been very interesting for small town vicar, Reverend Annabelle Dixon. There have been mysteries aplenty and intrigues that boggle, yet the most recent shock hits a little too close to home. When her beloved Mini Cooper breaks down, the Vicar stumbles upon a gruesome scene at Mildred’s Garage… a lifeless hand peeking out from the pit beneath a parked car.
Across the road, Detective Inspector Mike Nichols is in Upton St. Mary on personal business, yet that business is soon overshadowed as he finds himself embroiled in yet another mystery with the lovely, and tenacious, Reverend.
They discover the hand belongs to Mildred, owner of the garage, and with two missing mechanics, a money strapped town, and rumors all around the colorful English village of Upton St. Mary, it seems that this case is going to be anything but easy. The hours and clues mount, as the duo sets off on an investigation that soon proves larger, dangerous, and more mysterious than either of them could ever have guessed. The puppy helps, too.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Text copyright © 2016 Alison Golden
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Cover Illustration: Rosalie Yachi Clarita
Published by Mesa Verde Publishing
P.O. Box 1002
San Carlos, CA 94070
Edited by
Marjorie Kramer
Grave in the Garage (A Reverend Annabelle Dixon Cozy Mystery Book 4) Page 16