Part 1
Hello there! Thank you for picking me up. It's been a while since I met a warm soul like yours. I hope you don't mind the scruffy covers. Sorry ... really a banana skin. Are you sitting comfortably? May I offer you some hot cocoa and biscuits? Oh, you are okay? Well, I hope you don't mind ... I have mine just right beside me. They lent me this wooden hut; It's quite nice — especially when it started to snow these past few days which reminds me of a story ... about a family I met quite a while back, the Annings.
Thomas Reuben Anning was in his late thirties, I believe. You could tell from his neatly combed hair; the grey always found a way to slip out. Not to mention, the light wrinkles behind his blue eyes.
One windy evening, Thomas was walking down the street of Maple Road with a rather gloomy look. He made a turn in front of a building with the number ten, a bookshop called Book Bruin.
"Elisabeth ..." called Thomas. "I am home."
A young woman rushed down the stairs. She was tall and had a nice auburn hair — how fortunate!
"Is it true? I heard they were talking about it at Talia's," asked Elisabeth.
Thomas hung up his coat, looked at her, and gave a slight nod. Elisabeth gasped with disbelieve look in her face.
"Is Robert asleep?"
"Yes, I was just from his room. What happened?" She inquired further.
"It was awful ..." Thomas said as he took off his hat. "George and I were doing our routine patrol when a man came to us and told something had happened just across his street. We ran following him, went through the crowd, and there she was ... on the ground. I immediately could tell who — I still couldn't believe it."
Thomas sat down on the stairstep as if his lower limbs had its first chance to rest.
"George went around asking if anyone had seen anything. I tried to help, but she had lost too much blood. I called her a few times before she opened her eyes, her lips trembled, and I moved closer to hear her said, 'Please tell my children ... I love them so much ...' "
"Oh ..." said Elisabeth, words failed her.
"And she was gone ..." said Thomas. Elisabeth held his arms trying to console him.
"I couldn't believe it. Nobody saw what happened! Not a bloody soul!" Thomas said angrily. "What's worse, I just learned that her husband and daughter went missing!"
It was well understood if the Annings and the rest of the town of Hurgleight were hurt and shocked. The victim, Caroline Ashley, had had a performance at the town charity fair that astonished people with her beautiful voice. They called her, the nightingale.
***
Feel the experience as Robert investigated case by case; A piece of the story will be revealed for the brave hearts who join our newsletter. Go to felixang.com
YOU ARE READING
Robert Anning and the Almanac
AdventureFREE three chapters. Available on Amazon : https://amzn.to/2O1UvxT * * * Robert knew that he wanted to become a detective like his father, but there was one problem ... he had to pass Mr Shutter's public speaking class which he wasn't doing any good...
