Murder and a Song (A Pattie Lansbury Cat Cozy Mystery Series Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

cat.”

                “Please
allow me,” Pattie said sweetly. “He’ll be home safe in sound in time for
lunch.”

                She
left the farm happy to have the opportunity to reunite a roaming tom with his
family.  She took her time walking back
along the farm paths and then crossing the road to the festival grounds.  There was a rare break in the music and she
was enjoying the peaceful walk.  But she
hadn’t gotten far when her mobile phone rang in her pocket.  It took her a moment to figure out what it
was; she’d never owned a mobile, and this had been a birthday gift from Elliott.  He liked to text her photos of the pets that
people sometimes brought him, his unofficial out-of-hours patients.

                “Hello?”
asked Pattie, hoping she’d pressed the right button to answer the call.
“Patricia Lansbury speaking.”

                “Mrs
Lansbury?  It’s D.C. Downey.”  The officer always used his title when he
talked to Pattie on official business. 
Any other time he was just ‘Thomas’.

                “Hello,
D.C. Downey.  How may I help you?”

                “It’s
just an update.  Juliette – Um, Constable
Palmer – went to get statements from the four men in plot 369.  Well, there was only three there when she arrived. 
Harry Widmore’s done a runner.”

                “His
friends don’t know where he’s gone?” she asked.

                “If
they do, they aren’t sharing.  Constable
Palmer’s just taking their statements now.”

                “As
it happens, I’m about to pay them a visit to discuss a cat.  I’ll give her a hand.”

                “A
cat…?”

                “I’ll
let you have an update once I have something to share.  Thanks for calling, Thomas!”

Chapter 9

    Pattie arrived back at the large tent
by the white van.  The meadow was getting
muddier and muddier, and was now carpeted with litter and the occasional
sleeping reveller.  At any one time there
were two or more stages with musicians playing.

                James
Farrell and Toby Draper seemed pretty irritated that they were missing out on
the show.  They stood arguing with
Constable Palmer with their arms crossed.

                “Listen,
gentlemen: this is a murder investigation. 
Either you can give me your statements now, or I can have some of my
friends come to help to take you to the station, and we can do it there.  I think you’re likely to miss a lot more of
the show that way, don’t you?”

                “I
don’t know why you think we have anything to do with it, lady,” said James. “It
was Harry that fancied that woman, not us. 
What’s the point in talking more to us?”

                “I
won’t know what the point is until I talk to you, will I?” Constable Palmer
said patiently. “This is just how these things go.  A man was found murdered , gentlemen.  I
should think you’d want to play along just to be on the safe side?”

                The
two men groaned.

                Pattie
made her presence known. “Can I help, officer?”

                “Morning,
Mrs Lansbury.  I could use your help
interviewing these two.  And their friend
Timothy, wherever he’s gone.”

                “What’s
she got to do with it?” asked Toby. “She’s not a copper.”

                “Look,
if we interview each of you at the same time, that means you’re free to run off
to the nearest stage that much quicker, doesn’t it?  You, come with me.  James, please give your statement to Mrs
Lansbury.  If you’re honest and don’t
mess us around, we can be done in twenty minutes.  Let’s go.”

                Pattie
took Toby inside the tent, where they sat on plastic chairs amidst clutter and
refuse.  The young man had a