The Appleton Case (A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

feeling bored and had turned off the light to hurry them along,
Janet thought.  
    “You can lock
everything up now,” Joan told the man.   “We’re just going to have a chat with the neighbours .”
    “Did you want
me to come along?” Henry asked as he locked the door to the coach house.
    “Of course
not,” Joan told him.
    Doveby House sat at the end of a very short road.   It branched off from a rather busier
road that came off of the main road through Doveby Dale.   There were a few houses
scattered along that busier road and quite a few along the main street.   Doveby House,
itself, was almost alone on its short street.   Only a single semi-detached property sat
opposite it.
    Joan and Janet
made their way to the semi and knocked on the door to house number one.   After a few moments, the door opened and
Janet found herself smiling at a rather handsome gentleman.   He appeared to be in his mid-sixties and
was only a few inches taller than the sisters.   His completely bald
head was covered in a smattering of freckles and his brown eyes were
warm.
    “Ah, good
morning,” he said brightly.   “I take
it you’re the ladies who might be buying Doveby House?   Very kind of you to drop
by.”
    “Yes,” Joan
answered for them.   “We’ve just had
our offer accepted.”
    “How nice,” he
replied.   “I’d invite you in for a cuppa , but I’m just on my way out to the shops.   Promise you’ll come back and visit
another time?”
    “Of course we
will,” Janet said quickly.   “And you
must come and visit us once we’re settled in.   Joan is wonderful at baking.   You must come for tea.”
    “I’d like
that,” he replied.   “Oh, I’m Michael
Donaldson.   I nearly forgot to
mention that.”
    The sisters
introduced themselves and then Michael excused himself to finish getting ready
to go out.
    “Well, he
seemed very nice,” Janet said as the pair walked down
the short path from his door to number two.
    “He did
indeed,” Joan murmured.   She knocked
on the door at number two and after a moment it swung open.
    “Ah, the
ladies from yesterday,” Stuart Long said.   “Do come in and meet the wife, won’t you?”
    The sisters
followed him down a short corridor and into a large sitting room.  
    “Mary, we have
guests,” Stuart said.
    The woman who
was sitting on one of the couches looked up and frowned.   “The house is a mess,” she protested.
    “It’s fine,”
Stuart said.   “These are the women
who are buying Doveby House.”
    “Oh,
really?   In spite
of all that trouble with the Appleton lad?   I wouldn’t want to get on his bad side,
I can tell you,” Mary said.  
    She stood up
and Janet studied her as she took a step towards them.   Mary Long looked to be a few years
younger than her husband.   She was
about the same height as the sisters, and slender with grey hair and brown
eyes.   When she’d taken a few steps,
she held out her hand.
    “I’m Mary
Long.   It’s lovely to meet you,” she
said to Janet.  
    Janet shook
her hand and supplied her own name.   Joan did the same in turn.
    “Welcome to
the neighbourhood , I guess,” Mary said after
insisting that the sisters sit down.  
    “Stuart, why
don’t you fix the ladies some tea?” she suggested.
    “Oh, we’re
fine,” Joan assured her.   “We just
wanted to ask a few questions about the area and that sort of thing.”
    Mary
nodded.   “Very sensible,” she
said.   “Always better to know what
you’re getting yourself into.”
    “So, how much
of a worry is Gavin Appleton?” Joan asked.
    The couple exchanged
looks.
    “Robert is on
top of it, I think,” Stuart said after an awkward pause.   “Gavin never visited his mum, so I can’t
imagine what she had over there that he’s after.”
    “He told us he
was looking for some letters,” Janet said.
    “I find that
hard to believe,” Mary said.   “He
doesn’t seem like the type to write letters to his mother.”
    “I’m not