Bury in Haste by Jean Rowden Read Free Book Online Page A

a gift to the young man from his cousin, a local girl who had married a GI during the War and now lived in Wisconsin.
    Deepbriar placed this new offering alongside his library book. He usually enjoyed a good read on a Sunday afternoon, but today his mind was too full of his own mystery.
    On the other side of the hall was the little room that served as Minecliff’s police station. Deepbriar decided to write his report about the disappearance of Joe Spraggs while it was still fresh in his mind. Since Joe was back home and apparently unharmed, the case probably wouldn’t be taken seriously by his superiors, not with the affair of Ed Walkingham still hanging over them. But there could be no doubt Joe had been the victim of assault; if the abduction had been a practical joke it was a pretty heartless one, and it had definitely gone too far.
    Deepbriar stared blankly at the paper in the typewriter. Why, he wondered, would somebody want to drug Joe Spraggs and hold him captive overnight? There was no sign of any other mischief being done at Wriggle’s yard.
    It might have been easier to understand if only Joe wasn’t such a sober and sensible young chap. He wasn’t the kind to have upset anyone, and Deepbriar was sure he was an honest man. There wasn’t much of a criminal element in Minecliff, and although Falbrough and Belston had their share of rogues, Spraggs didn’t mix with bad company. What possible motive could anyone have for kidnapping him? No answers came to mind and Deepbriar sighed. When it came to real life mysteries he didn’t have the Dick Bland touch.
     
    Monday morning brought the first white frost to the fields around the village of Minecliff, but the cold air outside was nothing compared to the atmosphere inside the police house, which hadn’t warmed up since the previous day. After he’d eaten his breakfast, the constable was relieved to receive another summons from Ferdy Quinn.
    On second thoughts he wasn’t quite so sure it was a welcome development; the reappearance of Joe Spraggs had completely driven the matter of the straying heifers from Deepbriar’s mind, and when he heard Quinn’s irate tones at the other end of the line, he steeled himself to admit that he hadn’t yet reported the affair to his superiors. He needn’t have worried; the farmer was no longer concerned with his cattle, he had something else to complain about.
    ‘Get out here!’ Quinn bellowed, almost incoherent with rage. ‘He’s gone too far this time!’ As his voice rose to an hysterical squeal, Deepbriar winced and held the handset away from his ear.
    ‘Take a deep breath, Mr Quinn,’ Deepbriar advised, ‘or you’ll be giving yourself a heart attack. I’ll be along, just as soon as I can.’
    He telephoned Sergeant Hubbard and explained why he wouldn’t be making his report in Falbrough until the afternoon, then he wheeled his bicycle out on to the road, calling a farewell as he went. There was no reply from the scullery, where a rhythmic splash and thud told him that Mary was tackling the week’s wash.
    If Ferdy Quinn had appeared furious the previous day, this morning he looked almost insane with rage, his face redder than his hair as he paced to and fro, his two dogs keeping a wary distance from his stamping feet, reminding Deepbriar irresistibly of the men who had acted in similar fashion the previous day. They were evidently making themselves scarce; sounds of metallic hammering came from one of the sheds, while the cows were milling about in the yard as they left the dairy. Will Minter stood by the cattle byre, watching his irate neighbour and looking as if he’d prefer to be somewhere else.
    ‘About time!’ Quinn snapped as Constable Deepbriar free wheeled in through the farm gate. ‘Come on!’ He stomped across the yard and off up the hill without another word, waving an arm to call Minter and the constable to join him, evidently too furious to explain where they were going.

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