As they left, they let someone else in.
“Grand Central Station,” the chief muttered.
I was starting to agree, but then realized I was glad to see this new arrival.
“Molly!” I said. “Did you hear the news?”
“I’m so glad you’re all right,” she said, giving me a fierce hug.
“And that we found out who really killed Brett,” I said.
Molly looked over at the chief.
“Yes,” he said. “We’re satisfied that you had nothing to do with your late husband’s murder. I’m sorry for any additional stress our investigation caused at what I’m sure was already a difficult time.”
“You were doing your job,” she said. “And I can understand why you suspected me.”
“So what’s the prognosis with your farm?” I asked.
“I think one way or another I’ll manage to keep it,” she said. “Thanks in no small part to you and your family.”
“Not sure what help I was,” I said. “It’s not as if you need a divorce lawyer anymore.”
“No, but the guy your mother recommended also does family property law, and he can represent me if anyone tries to claim a part of the farm.”
“Like Brett’s family,” I suggested.
“Precisely,” she said. “And I bet they will. And my lawyer says they won’t have a leg to stand on.”
“Of course, paying the lawyer to get rid of them will take money,” I said.
“And paying the attorney I had to hire when I was arrested,” she said. “Not to mention settling Brett’s debts. Most of which were incurred while he was living the high life with Genette, so it doesn’t seem quite fair that I should be the one to pay them, but trying to fight it would take more money than just paying them. Between one thing and another, I’m going to have a lot of expenses in the near future, so thank goodness your brother came up with such a good idea.”
“Rob had a good idea?” I said. “I mean, he has lots of them, but most of them involve shooting aliens or driving race cars through lava, or whatever else people do in his company’s video games.”
“Apparently he’s been learning a lot about the financial world while running his company,” Molly said.
I nodded, and tried not to look alarmed. The last time Rob had taken an interest in the financial side of Mutant Wizards, his computer gaming company, his treasurer had nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to undo his meddling.
“It all started because your cousin Rose Noire sold all the cheese I’d brought,” she said. “So I had nothing left to sell—what a great problem to have! And she said some people were asking if they could place an order to be shipped later, which sounded good to me, but we didn’t want to take more orders than I could fill in the next few weeks. So while I was figuring out how much cheese I had at home and how much I could have ready within the next month or so, your brother was there, and that was when he had his idea.”
“And what was the idea?” I asked. I was hoping it wouldn’t be something so stupid that I had to try talking her out of it.
“He suggested I sell cheese futures,” Molly said. “People pay up front to have cheese mailed to them over the next several years. If someone pays a hundred dollars up front, for example, they are entitled to get fifty dollars’ worth of cheese each year for the next three years.”
“That actually sounds rather practical,” the chief said.
I nodded agreement.
“It’s better than practical,” Molly said. “It’s brilliant! I get the money I need to pay all my bills—and probably enough to make some improvements to the farm that will let me produce more cheese at a lower unit cost, so fulfilling all those orders will be a breeze. Everybody wins.”
“It does sound like a win-win,” I said.
“And speaking of winning,” Molly said. “Wish me luck—the cheese judging is this morning. At ten, in fact, so I should run.”
“Is it almost ten?” I started flipping through my notebook for my schedule. “I think there’s someplace I should be at ten.”
The door opened.
“Mommy!” It was Jamie. “Daddy says come help Grouchy and Chicky win their ribbons.”
Outside, I could see Michael and Josh, each holding a llama halter. Groucho and Chico had been washed and brushed and were holding their heads high as if well aware that they were the two handsomest llamas at the fair.
“I knew there was something I should be doing,” I said. “The llama conformation contest is also at ten. Chief, if that guy shows up here with the buses before it’s over, give Randall a call. I’m going to go watch our llamas win their ribbons.”
ALSO BY DONNA ANDREWS
Some Like It Hawk
The Real Macaw
Stork Raving Mad
Swan for the Money
Six Geese A-Slaying
Cockatiels at Seven
The Penguin Who Knew Too Much
No Nest for the Wicket
Owls Well That Ends Well
We’ll Always Have Parrots
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon
Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos
Murder with Puffins
Murder with Peacocks
About the Author
DONNA ANDREWS has won the Agatha, Anthony, and Barry Awards, a Romantic Times Award for best first novel, and three Lefty and two Toby Bromberg Awards for funniest mystery. She spends her free time gardening at her home in Reston, Virginia.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
A THOMAS DUNNE BOOK FOR MINOTAUR BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.
THE HEN OF THE BASKERVILLES. Copyright © 2013 by Donna Andrews. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.thomasdunnebooks.com
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover illustration by Maggie Parr
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Andrews, Donna.
The hen of the Baskervilles: a Meg Langslow mystery / Donna Andrews. — First edition.
p. cm.
“A Thomas Dunne book.”
ISBN 978-1-250-00751-3 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-02299-8 (e-book)
1. Langslow, Meg (Fictitious character)—Fiction. 2. Murder—Investigation—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3551.N4165H48 2013
813'.54—dc23
2013009814
e-ISBN 9781250022998
First Edition: July 2013
Hen of the Baskervilles Page 27
