Rhiannon Read Online Free PDF Page A

yourselves up here upon the bluff. Unless the crime’s positively solved by then, of course, in which case only the captured murderer will lay his hands upon the corpse as proof positive of his guilt. It seems unlikely we’ll have our man by then, so assume it’s on if you’ve not heard otherwise by tomorrow dawn from me or one of my men.”
    â€œThe dead man’s wounds will gush blood when they’re touched by the hands of his foul murderer,” Granna murmured, staring at the flames.
    It was one of those things beyond explaining. A newly dug well won’t fill right unless a shoe is hung inside it. Bees will bring misfortune upon a place unless informed of all goings-on. And the wounds of a murder victim will gush blood when the vile murderer lays his, or her, hands upon the body. And so all must take a turn doing it.
    Rhia didn’t really mind. She’d done it three times before during the other three murder investigations in her lifetime. The touching was bad, but it only lasted a moment, and on the good side, it brought an excuse to go down into town, where the sellers and street performers would likely take advantage of such a crowd to make the day merry.
    She might even link with her friends to hear the new gossip!
    Rhia was instantly ashamed of that thought, for there could be no good part in such a dire crime, of course. Still, it wasn’t her fault, this bloody murder, and if her friends showed up to gab, how could she courteously refuse? She could not, that’s all.
    Glossy, the big red hen, suddenly stuck her beak through the willow of the chicken cage and began nibbling at some small thing stuck to the elbow of Reeve Clap’s tunic.
    â€œA business such as this murder is why you women had best forsake this high bluff,” the reeve quietly observed. He drew his hands across his face, thereby moving his elbow and robbing Glossy of her juicy tidbit.
    â€œRhia, a cool drink for our guest,” Mam ordered from the table near the doorway where she worked sorting greens. Her back was mostly toward them all, though Reeve Clap kept stealing glances her way, and she his.
    Rhia hurried to fill him a mug with ale made from their malt.
    â€œYou c hoose to exert yourself to such a sweat climbing up here on a hot spring day, Almund Clap,” Granna observed, back to teasing now that she had her fill of information. “We’ve never asked for invite down from you, and never invited you up the bluff to us.”
    â€œAw, Moira,” said Reeve Clap, flustered. He took the ale from Rhiannon and gulped it down in one long quaff, then wiped his mouth with his thick fingers and said again, more forcefully, “I do worry about you three women up here alone.”
    â€œYou forget there are others up here, Almund,” Mam said quietly. “And what of them tomorrow? There be six invalids at the moment in four of our five hospice cots, and not a one of them can walk down the bluff to file by a dead man, as can’t my mother with her aged legs, not easily.”
    To Rhia’s surprise, Granna didn’t contradict her.
    â€œOnly the fit to walk must come tomorrow,” Reeve Clap said. “Your invalids and idiots can stay put. But if the murderer’s not discovered and Vicar Pecksley orders a second laying of hands for the next day, Lord Claredemont’s orders may change in that regard. If it comes to that, we can find strong men to carry down all who dwell up here.”
    â€œHar!” Granna roared, throwing back her head. “The day Woethersly calls its forgotten damned back down this bluff is the day the town will sink into the sea!”
    Shocked, Rhia looked quickly to Mam, sure she’d give Granna sharp reproof for her heathen language. But Mam was looking down at her hands, stilled in the midst of sorting those greens. Rhia looked then to the reeve, who leaned back against the wattle as before, but now with his head bent so he