Threats at Three Read Online Free PDF

old Tony Dibson . . . What? . . . Well, give me a chance and I’ll tell you who he is. He’s the old caretaker for the hall, has a blind wife and looks after her, has lived here for centuries and knows everybody and everything. What? Yes, a great source of information. Now, listen ! I’m going out for the day and haven’t got much time.”
    When she mentioned the arson rumour, she could tell he immediately snapped into professional mode and was quiet. “So I smelled the petrol for myself,” she continued, “and saw the matches. Tony says the ground was dry as a bone, so they must have been damp in the box.”
    “Going out for the day, did you say, Lois? What time are you going?”
    “We’re all leaving about ten o’clock.” She looked at her watch. “In about an hour’s time.”
    “I’m on my way,” he said briskly. “Can you meet me at the hall in twenty minutes? Good girl,” he added, and ended the call before she could reply.
    Derek was not pleased when Lois explained that because of what she had seen she had to be at the hall to meet the police. “By ‘the police’ I suppose you mean Hunter sodding Cowgill? Honestly, Lois, haven’t we had enough of all this? Why don’t you leave them to deal with some nutter who likes the idea of a good blaze? He’s obviously no real arsonist if he can’t even keep his matches dry!”
    Gran, putting hot toast on the table, nodded. “Quite right, Derek,” she said. “This is a special day out for all of you. Don’t spoil it, Lois.”
    Lois suppressed a strong desire to tell her mother to mind her own business, and said only that she would be back well in time for Douglas to collect them. “Are you sure you’ll be all right in the shop, Mum?” she added, in an endeavor to change the subject.
    Gran bridled. “No, of course not,” she said tartly. “I shall give out wrong change, make a mess of cutting the ham, annoy the customers and in general ruin the shop’s reputation.”
    “Okay, okay,” said Derek. “Let’s just concentrate on the day, shall we? Just be back here by ten, Lois. Otherwise,” he said seriously, “I shall have to come and find you and give Cowgill a piece of my mind.”
    “No need for that,” Lois said. “And anyway, with your new SOS responsibility, you’ll need all the mind you can muster, without giving away any pieces of it.”
    Escaping from the decidedly chilly atmosphere of home, she returned to the village hall to find Cowgill already there. How does he do it? she wondered. Half an hour ago he had clearly just got up, and now here he was, immaculate as always. And with no woman to look after him . . .
    Tony Dibson was also there, still clutching the matches, and he had already told Cowgill all that he knew. “Not usually a matter for the chief inspector, sir?” he said, with a meaning look at Lois.
    “Arson is a very serious matter, Mr. Dibson,” Cowgill said smoothly. “And we try to have as little rigid hierarchy as possible at the station, you know,” he added.
    What was the bugger talking about? Tony looked at Lois enquiringly, and said could he go home now, as his wife would be needing him.
    After he had gone, Cowgill walked round the hall and along the fence, prodding and sniffing, and then asked Lois if she would sit in his car with him for a couple of minutes while he made some notes. She said fine, so long as he didn’t have any etchings to show her, and ten minutes later she was on her way back to the house.
    “Where’ve you been, Mum?” Doug said, as he and his family cruised past her a yard or two before Meade House. The name had been suggested by Josie, who said that’s what everybody called it anyway, so why not regularize it?
    “Nowhere,” replied Lois, waving to little Harry. “We’re all ready, so I’ll just call Dad. Isn’t that Josie on her way? Good. That means we won’t have to stop again.”
    “Hi!” Josie called as she approached. “We’re off to see the wizard! The wonderful