Finished Off (A Bellehaven House Mystery Book 2) by Kate Kingsbury Read Free Book Online

the door and climbed up on his perch.
    Meredith settled back against the leather seat. Since she didn't go out that often, she always enjoyed the ride to town. Crickling Green looked its best this time of year, when the leaves were on the turn and masses of daisies studded the grasslands.
    The steady clip-clop of Major's hooves lulled her into a pleasant, restful state, and at times she was hard put not to fall asleep.
    The road wound up to the crest of the hills, and from there she could see the honey-colored roofs of the village cottages glowing in the sun. The road led them past the ancient church of St. Edmund's, where the staff and studentsof Bellehaven worshipped every Sunday, and where dear Kathleen had been laid to rest in the churchyard.
    From there they traversed tree-lined hills and dales bathed in the crimson, gold, and copper hues of autumn, until finally the sharp, black and gray skyline of Witcheston gradually surfaced from behind the grassy slopes.
    They had almost passed the orphanage when Meredith spied the rusty gate. Quickly she rapped on the window, and had to do so several times before she caught Reggie's attention.
    He brought Major to a halt, climbed down, and opened the door. "I can't see no orphanage, m'm."
    "That's because we passed it." She looked anxiously down the narrow lane at the thick hedges on either side. "Can you turn the carriage around and go back?"
    Reggie's laugh was short and incredulous. "Not blooming likely, m'm. There's barely enough room for me to walk around here."
    "Then I suppose we shall have to go to the next crossroads and turn around there."
    "Right you are, m'm."
    "Oh, and Reggie? The rusty gate I told you about. It's a short way behind us. On the left."
    "Yes, m'm."
    "Actually it will be on the right when we come back."
    "Yes, m'm. I could work that one out for meself."
    Meredith twisted her mouth in a wry grimace as he shut the door. There were times when she would like to box his ears. Though she had to admit, the school would be in poor shape were it not for Reggie's expertise. She shuddered to think what her new assistant would be like. She would probably have to lick her into shape before she got any real help out of her.
    It seemed a long way before they reached the crossroads, two miles from the city outskirts according to the sign. Thank goodness they hadn't had to go into town before turning around.
    She kept a sharp lookout on the way back, afraid to trustReggie and his wandering attention. He must have caught sight of the gate at the same time she did, however, since he pulled up just as she was reaching out to rap the window again.
    Without waiting for him to attend to the door, she pushed it open herself and stepped down. He leapt down right in front of her, startling her into jumping back.
    "I was about to open the door for you, m'm."
    He sounded affronted, and anxious to make amends, she softened her tone. "I'm sorry, Reggie. I'm in a bit of a hurry. Would you mind waiting for me here? I shan't be long."
    "Very well, m'm. I'll have a smoke while I'm waiting."
    She nodded, and hurried over to the gate. As she did so, a shadow moved, close to the brick wall that surrounded the grounds of the orphanage.
    At first she thought it might be sunlight playing tricks with her eyes as it filtered through the leafy branches of the elm trees. Then, just for a moment, she thought she saw the wispy shadow of a child, her blond hair gleaming in the rays of the sun.
    Excitement gripped her and she started forward, but in an instant the vision vanished, and only the speckled silhouette of branches danced against the wall.
    Had she imagined it, or had the child given her a sign that she had come to the right place? It had all happened so quickly it was hard to tell.
    Anxious to get inside the orphanage now, she looked for a bell. There was no sign of one, however, and after a moment's hesitation, she laid a tentative hand on the gate and gave it a gentle push.
    It creaked open