Summer at Hope Meadows: the perfect feel-good summer read (Animal Ark Revisited Book 1)

by Lucy Daniels

‘We can help you.’ Mandy took the last step towards the elderly farmer. ‘Can you give me the gun?’

  The tears were falling faster and faster. ‘My Kirsty …’

  Very gently, Mandy reached out and grasped the shotgun. There was no struggle in the old man as he released it. Ellen darted forward and took the weapon from Mandy, gesturing to her colleagues to stay back.

  Mandy touched Mr Grimshaw’s arm. This close, she was startled by the lack of colour in his hollow cheeks, the feverish brightness in his eyes. ‘We’ll help your animals, Robbie,’ she promised, ‘but we need to help you, too. You’re not well.’

  Two paramedics, who had previously been out of sight behind the barn, stepped forwards. ‘Well done,’ one of them murmured, and the other said, ‘You can come with us, Mr Grimshaw. Miss Hope will take care of your animals.’

  Robbie Grimshaw said nothing, just stared at the ground with tears dropping like rain. Mandy felt like crying herself. How had this once proud farmer got into such a state?

  Walking on either side of the old man, supporting him between them, the paramedics led him away.

  Mandy’s senses seemed to have gone into overdrive. The sky above looked more blue than it had ever done before, every stone and weed in the courtyard stood out in singular detail.

  On the far side of the yard, the crowd of officers began to disperse, but the chief inspector was marching in her direction. His eyes seemed as black as the flak jacket he wore. Three diamonds decorated the epaulette on each shoulder. Stopping right in front of Mandy, his face was grim. ‘Mandy?’

  ‘Yes.’ Mandy straightened up and met his glare.

  ‘I can’t charge you with anything, but I’m giving you an official warning. You may have known Mr Grimshaw, but your actions today put my officers at risk as well as yourself. It’s essential that if we involve members of the public in an operation of this type, that we keep them safe. That is my responsibility.’

  Mandy clenched her teeth together. She wanted to ask why he thought it was appropriate to carry out a raid on an old man using riot gear and so much manpower as to terrify the most innocent of victims. Instead, she stared stonily back at him.

  For a moment, the chief inspector continued to glare, then taking a deep breath, his expression appeared to soften. ‘Having said that …’ His eyes were gentler now. ‘… good work, Mandy. You haven’t changed much, have you? I must ask, however, that if you attend any raids in future, you give me your word that you will not go against the instructions of any of my officers.’

  Mandy swallowed. Had she got Ellen into trouble? It hadn’t crossed her mind. Robbie Grimshaw had filled her thoughts from the moment she had seen him. She glanced over at the constable, who was watching. Did she look distressed? Mandy’s eyes came back to Chief Inspector Benn. He seemed to be waiting for something. What had he said again? That if she wanted to be a part of any police actions in future, she had to do as she was told. The adrenaline was beginning to recede. If she didn’t agree, she might never be asked again to help.

  ‘If you need my help again,’ she said, ‘I’ll do what I’m asked to do.’

  Chief Inspector Benn seemed satisfied. He regarded her for a moment, then nodded. ‘Thank you. And well done,’ he said. Turning, he strode across the yard towards Ellen.

  Now there was a sick feeling in Mandy’s stomach. Stepping away from the centre of the yard, she walked on shaky legs to the old shed and leaned on the wall for a long moment with her eyes closed.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Mandy opened her eyes. Seb Conway was looking at her, his face filled with concern.

  ‘I’m fine.’ Mandy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ‘Is Mr Grimshaw going to be okay?’

  Seb ran one hand through his hair, making it stand up. ‘I think so,’ he said. ‘Thanks to you. Dan Jones, the sergeant from Walton, told me they’d have to charge him with illegal use of a firearm, but he’ll be assessed mentally and physically. There’s a good chance it’ll never reach court.’ Looking around, Mandy could see that the police were departing. ‘Guess that’s their excitement over for the day. And now it’s up to us to work out what we’re going to do with the animals.’

  ‘What’s the protocol?’ asked Mandy. ‘Obviously we’ll have to assess them first, but what happens after that?’ She pulled herself upright. With the welfare officer beside her, she made her way across to the pen in which the sheep were trapped. The skittish creatures watched as they approached, one of them stamping its foot. Their wool was overgrown and unkempt, clumps hanging to the ground.

  ‘As you said,’ Seb replied, ‘we have to assess them. Then we have to try to find somewhere for them to stay. If we can’t find anywhere, we’ll have to consider whether euthanasia is the kindest option.’

  Mandy felt a horrible lurching sensation in her stomach. She climbed into the pen and looked at the sheep more closely. Although they were very thin, their feet were not overgrown. An old stone trough held drinking water. She approached the other ewe, which seemed unable to get up. She was obviously in distress. Her breathing seemed laboured and she was grinding her teeth. She would need a closer examination to figure out if she was seriously ill.

  Mandy climbed back out of the pen and headed towards the horse. Despite his filthy coat and skeletal frame, the old gelding nickered as Mandy walked over. Looking past the neglect, Mandy could tell he had once been a proper Shire horse. Now his craggy hind quarters and feathered feet looked too big, wildly out of proportion with his chest and abdomen. As Mandy approached, she turned sideways to appear less challenging. The horse stretched out his head, breathing into Mandy’s ear so that it tickled, then nuzzling her face as she reached up to pat his neck.

  ‘Poor old boy,’ she murmured. She looked at Seb. ‘Do you have a bucket or bowl so we can get him some water?’

  Seb nodded. ‘I do,’ he said and disappeared to his car, returning a few moments later with a gleaming yellow bucket, which he dipped into the sheep’s trough to fill.

  ‘Can I offer you a spare pair of wellingtons and a waterproof jacket?’ he suggested as he set the water down. He inspected Mandy’s shirt, which was already grubby on both shoulders. ‘I’m sorry you had to rush over,’ he said. ‘I hope I didn’t spoil your day too much.’

  Watching the horse as he took a long draught of the water, Mandy managed a smile. ‘Don’t apologise,’ she said. ‘I can’t say there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing, but only because it’s awful that these animals need our help at all. And yes,’ she continued, ‘I’d appreciate some protective clothing before we investigate the outbuildings … and the house.’ She paused. ‘I guess you haven’t had a chance to look at anything else yet?’

  ‘We know there are cats in the house,’ Seb said. ‘The dog that was in the yard with Mr Grimshaw ran back in there. But there’s an outbuilding which is padlocked and there are animals inside. We need to get to them first. We heard a cow bawling when we arrived. There were chickens, too, though they disappeared when we came. As it’s summer, they’re probably foraging for themselves. Goodness knows whether we’ll be able to get them rounded up.’ He walked back to his car and Mandy stroked the horse one last time before following.

  ‘Hang on!’ she called. ‘Before we go on, would you mind giving me a lift down to collect my car, please? It’ll only take a minute or two. I’ll need my kit to assess the animals properly.’

  ‘Of course.’ He pulled himself into the front seat of his van. ‘Jump in,’ he said. Together they bumped down the pot-holed track.

  Mandy looked across at him. ‘Seb?’

  ‘Mm?’ He glanced back, returning his eyes to the road as the car lurched to the left.

  ‘What you said before … about rehoming. What are the chances of finding somewhere for the farm animals?’ Although there had been many times in her childhood that Mandy had found places for all kinds of creatures, she had never had to rehome a cow.

  Seb risked another glance at her, his eyes sombre. ‘Not good, I’m a
fraid,’ he said. ‘Especially not if they’re in a bad way. Farmers don’t have spare cash for charity, and the only facilities we have are for dogs and cats. Sorry.’ He did look genuinely regretful.

  For a moment, Mandy pictured Robbie’s overgrown yard strewn with bodies and she closed her eyes, but she opened them again. She couldn’t get washed away in a tide of sentiment.

  ‘Whatever happens,’ she said, ‘I only want to euthanase animals which can’t be saved. We’ll get something sorted out.’

  Seb made a strange sound in his throat. ‘I’m glad to have you on board,’ he said. ‘There’s nothing I hate more than having to put animals down.’

  Ten minutes later, he and Mandy stood side by side outside the ramshackle door of the old cowshed. Seb was carrying a crowbar and, as Mandy watched, he inserted it behind the padlock. ‘Stand back,’ he warned.

  The metal lock gave way with a crack and the door swung open. Mandy ducked as bluebottles swarmed out into the daylight. Inside, the ammonia and heat hit Mandy in a wave, and for a moment she doubted there could be any animals alive in there. As her eyes adjusted, she made out several cows at the far end. They stared into the daylight, eyes wide. One of them lifted her head and bellowed as the group stirred and fidgeted.

  With Seb at her side, Mandy waded through the thick layer of dung that lined the floor to take a closer look. ‘Do you think we could get them outside?’ she gasped. The air felt so thick it was hard to breathe. ‘We can’t assess them properly in here.’

  Together, they made their way back to the door. Jamming it shut, they crossed the yard to where there was an ancient stone-walled pigsty. Mandy peered through the low doorway to the little shelter, but the building was empty. Seb put his hand on the wall and leaned on it, then checked the gate.

  ‘I think it should hold,’ he said. ‘We could bring the cows in here for now and get a better look at them, but we’ll need to find a way to get them across safely.’ In the corner of one of the lean-tos, they found several pallets. Between them, they lugged them across the yard to create a makeshift passageway, binding together the wooden slats until they had a solid-looking race from the door to the sty.

  ‘Let’s have a go at getting them out.’ Seb gave Mandy a tight smile. ‘They might not be keen to leave the shed if they’ve been there for a while.’

  Trying not to breathe, Mandy followed him back inside and they circled behind the cows to drive them out. It wasn’t easy from the start. One of the cows, a thick-coated black Galloway, was much more nervous than the others. Several times Seb and Mandy lined the group up with the doorway, only to have the Galloway shoot back past them.

  On the fourth circuit, a red and white Hereford found the exit. All six cows rushed behind her, crashing along the alley of pallets, emerging into the walled yard snorting and wide-eyed at so much light.

  ‘We should leave them to calm down a bit,’ Mandy panted as she closed the gate to the pig pen. She was struggling to swallow the lump in her throat.

  All the cows were emaciated like the old Shire. One of them had an infection in one of her teats. It was hugely swollen and there was a grim-looking area on her udder that looked as if it might slough away at any moment. Another had overgrown feet and a third had a wound on her shoulder. Mandy looked longingly at her car, wondering if she could drive away and leave someone else to deal with all this. But right now, she was all these animals had. Their only Hope, literally. And they were outside, no longer walking knee deep in their own faeces or breathing the rank air in the shed.

  ‘Let’s go and check there’s nothing else in there,’ Seb suggested, and holding her breath again, Mandy followed him back into the shed.

  In the far corner, they found another ewe. Her teeth were so loose and broken down that Mandy thought she must be very old indeed. Between them, they lifted her out and put her in the pen with the other sheep. Mandy had seen an old bucket in the corner where they had found the pallets and she fetched it. She filled it with fresh water from the spicket beside the outhouse and set it close beside the two weakest sheep. Both put their muzzles into the pail and took a long drink.

  Mandy looked around. All the farm animals were out in the fresh air. All had water, though for the moment, they had no food. But at least they were safe. Whatever had led Robbie Grimshaw to neglect his once-loved animals, they would be cared for now.

  Chapter Sixteen

  ‘We should look in the house,’ Mandy said, but as she spoke she heard a vehicle grinding up the overgrown lane. Looking at Seb, she asked, ‘Are you expecting anyone else?’

  He shook his head. ‘Not that I know of.’

  It was Adam and Emily in the Land Rover. As her mum climbed out, Mandy ran over to give her a hug, but Emily seemed unusually tense. ‘What were you thinking?’ she cried. ‘Putting yourself at risk like that when he had a gun! You could have been killed!’

  Mandy blinked. ‘I don’t really know,’ she admitted. ‘Robbie Grimshaw just looked so frightened.’

  Adam had stopped beside Emily. ‘It was very brave,’ he said, ‘but please, never do anything like that again.’

  Mandy shook her head. ‘I won’t,’ she said. ‘Chief Inspector Benn made me promise.’

  ‘Well, thank goodness for Chief Inspector Benn.’ Emily’s anger seemed to disperse in a heartbeat and Mandy found herself engulfed in a proper hug.

  Adam wrapped his arms around her too. ‘We are very proud of you,’ he whispered.

  A wave of calm ran through Mandy. ‘Why are you here?’ she asked. ‘Did Seb call you?’

  ‘Actually, Jimmy Marsh came by and told us. What can we do to help?’ said Adam.

  Jimmy Marsh? Mandy wondered what the Outward Bound instructor had to do with all this, but there were more important things to think about.

  ‘We were just going to take a look inside the house, but Seb and I can do that.’ She thought for a moment. ‘There are four sheep in the yard, two of which are in a bad way. On top of that, there are six cows and one very old Shire horse.’

  Together they walked around the corner and Mandy showed them. ‘They’ve all got water,’ she said, ‘but they’re going to need food and shelter tonight. Some of them need treatment as well. The sheep are easy. We can hold them, but the cows … there’s nowhere safe to examine them. Dad, you’ve got a halter in the Land Rover, haven’t you? Maybe we can tie them up somewhere.’ Even with the halter, she couldn’t imagine how they were going to treat the wild black Galloway with the torn shoulder, but Adam looked at her and held up one hand.

  ‘Give it a few minutes,’ he said. ‘Jimmy was trying to round up more people to help. In the meantime, we can see to the sheep while you and Seb check the cottage.’

  Jimmy again? For a moment, Mandy felt irritated, but she brushed it aside. They needed all the help they could get. Grabbing a cat basket in each hand, she and Seb pushed through the tangled garden to the front door. It opened with a loud creak and Mandy stepped inside. The stench in the house was almost as awful as the barn. The stifling air was thick with flies, and as they walked through the entrance hall and turned right into the kitchen, Mandy couldn’t help but feel a sense of horror.

  On the filthy counter, alongside cereal bowls with the remains of what looked like dried cat food, there were older plates caked with unidentifiable muck. In the sink and overflowing onto the drainer, dishes and pans lay mouldering in water filled with scum. There were shutters inside the window, and Mandy made her way round an ancient oak table to tug them aside. They opened to reveal cracked windows and a thick layer of spider webs.

  Mandy coughed, hiding her face in the crook of her elbow until the dust settled. When she turned again, the state of the kitchen was even more startling in daylight. Flies buzzed over an overflowing bin filled with unwashed food cans. Cupboards lay open, mostly empty, but there was a sack of potatoes strewn across the floor. Many had been trampled, some looked as though they had been chewed.

  A movement caught Mandy’s eye. A pair of f
rightened eyes peered out from under an antiquated stove. Mandy tiptoed across the kitchen, pushed aside some rotten-looking potatoes with her foot, and knelt down. She was careful not to stare at the small black cat that was hiding there. She blinked slowly, turning her gaze sideways, trying to send the message she wasn’t going to hurt the little animal. In turn, the cat blinked her eyes lazily and half-turned her head.

  To Mandy’s amazement, in the light from the window, she could see that the cat was nursing three kittens. Their eyes were not yet open, but they were suckling, mouths intent, tiny paws kneading at their mother’s teats. Stretching out her hand, Mandy managed to stroke the cheek of the mother cat, who began to explore Mandy’s fingers with her little black nose.

  Mandy carefully stood up and backed away. Seb, who had turned left into a different room, reappeared in the doorway, clutching one of the baskets. Inside was a painfully thin silver tabby cat.

  ‘There’s another cat under the stove,’ Mandy whispered, ‘but she’s suckling three kittens. Could we leave her a few minutes until they’re finished? She’s not going anywhere.’

  ‘Probably best,’ Seb agreed. ‘I’ve been trying to get hold of the collie, but she won’t allow me anywhere near. I’m going to leave this fellow in the hallway. It’s too hot to put him in the van until we’re done. He’s underfed, but otherwise looks healthy.’

  ‘I’ve got some treats in the car the dog might like,’ said Mandy. She thought back to the day she and Emily had called. ‘There should be at least one more cat,’ she said. ‘A tortoiseshell. Oh and …’ She looked at Seb, her head on one side. ‘We need to check the rest of those sheds. When James and I came here years ago, Mr Grimshaw kept ferrets in cages.’

  ‘Don’t worry.’ Seb was quick to reassure her. ‘We’ve had a really thorough look around and there aren’t any ferrets. If you want to get the treats, I’ll have a look for the other cat. It’s amazing there aren’t more of them since none of them seem to have been spayed or neutered, but I suppose if he hasn’t been feeding them, they might just have left. I’ve got traps in the van that we can leave in case there are any hiding outside.’