The Unkindness of Ravens by M. Hilliard (fastest ebook reader txt) 📕

careful, and insisting I take Pierre while he went out to dinner with friends.

“He is a good little watchdog, if not exactly ferocious, and he will warn you if someone comes near to the house.”

He had also had my window repaired, he told me, and I should let him know if it gave me any further trouble. The repairman had said there were a lot of scratches and dents in the wood, but he couldn’t tell when they were made. The paint wasn’t scratched, if that made me feel better. It didn’t really, but I thanked him. At least it locked now, and I made sure it was before I hung up.

I’d volunteered to take Pierre right away, as he would work nicely into my plans. Before long the little dog and I had set out toward the village, the brisk air putting a spring in both our steps. I was planning to call on Agnes Jenner and see if she had followed through on her promise to keep a closer eye on the comings and goings on the road to the manor. I had a little box of tea biscuits, a brand I knew she liked, and figured I’d get an invitation to stay for a cup of tea and a cookie. I’d also timed my visit for the part of the day when she would be most lucid. Some drunks were more functional after a couple of drinks but before they were well and truly into their daily quota, and I knew from experience Agnes was one of them.

I was not disappointed. Agnes was glad to have company and eager to talk. She moved around her kitchen efficiently, putting the kettle on, setting out plates, even producing a dish of water for Pierre. She disappeared briefly into the living room, and came back with a large, dusty notebook of ledger paper.

“You’ll want to have a look at this, I’m sure,” she said, setting it in front of me and going to pour the tea.

I opened it and found the first page had been neatly gridded, with the day of the week at the top and time of day down the side. Each page had been divided in two, with half labeled “coming” and the other “going.” Most blocks had a few things scribbled in them, some had a few notes and others question marks. She’d been tracking all the traffic on the road to the manor since the night I’d stopped by with the DVDs.

“Agnes, this is amazing. Watching all those detective shows has really paid off. I think you missed your calling.”

She laughed but looked pleased.

“Well, I don’t like what’s going on, and I want to do what I can to help. Of course, I can’t catch everything. I do doze off in front of the TV sometimes. Now, what were all those sirens about? I know you know because you left after they arrived.”

She tapped at a square that held my name. She’d noted a name where she recognized the car, and a description when she didn’t know the driver. While her handwriting got less precise as the day wore on, she’d done a good job of keeping track.

I gave her an abbreviated version of events, sticking to the facts and letting her draw her own conclusions. She turned to study her chart.

“Well, you and Vince are the only two who were still there well after five. Of course, he went up the road around lunch and came back soon after, but he went by again late in the day. I have matching entries for everyone else.”

“His car wasn’t in the lot. That’s something I couldn’t figure out. I thought he might have come on foot, though it’s an awfully long walk, unless he’d left his car in the village. Are you sure you saw him come back?”

“Yes. I noted it because I was surprised. But he probably parked in the old lot, the one everyone used before the back entrance was opened. You can’t see it at all well from the manor.”

She was right. I’d forgotten about the old lot, as the locals called it. It was in front of the manor, off to one side and partially hidden by trees. You couldn’t see it from the reading room. It was rarely used now, but Vince would have known about it and known his car would be hidden.

I studied the chart some more, but found nothing unusual. Agnes pointed out that she wouldn’t have noticed anyone on foot or on a bicycle unless she happened to be looking out the window at the time. The cars she could hear coming. Patrol cars all looked alike to her, so unless she recognized the officer, she couldn’t be sure if all of them had left. Still, she had done an impressive job. I was catching a glimpse of what Agnes had been before she started to drink.

We chatted a little while longer and then Pierre and I took our leave. Agnes vowed to continue her surveillance. I encouraged her. It clearly gave her a sense of purpose and could come in handy.

My next goal was to find out what, if anything, was going on at the manor. A continued police presence likely meant they were on to something. I knew I could get close enough to check without being seen, and I had the dog as an excuse. Still, I wanted to avoid any questions about “returning to the scene of the crime.”

Clouds were forming over the Helderburgs, but I thought I’d have enough time. I heard voices as we rounded the curve, and spotted Sadie and her brothers playing on the footbridge.

“Whatcha doing?” I asked.

Jake answered as Sadie dropped to her knees to greet a bouncing, wagging Pierre.

“Studying currents, Ms. Hogan. Watch this.”

He picked up a piece of broken branch from a pile at his feet and flung it hard upstream. It hit the water with a plop and bobbed back toward us, disappearing under the