The High Priestess - The Darkest Desires Series

IX

H

ale had agreed to let Mrs. Farrows sweat it out overnight, leaving her uncertain and unbalanced by Monday morning. Departing the night before, McQueen stopped by his local Catholic church to make up for his absence, before going to the B&B for a full night's sleep. It frustrated him his early morning work had led to nothing but humiliation, but nevertheless, Mrs. Farrow's might lead them somewhere and his spirits had risen slightly.

"We caught the woman, chill." He told himself, but he had a nagging itch that made him frown. If Mrs. Farrows had paid for her husband to be killed: that was an open and shut case. However, she said she'd used the number of a hit man a friend had used. That was an entirely different case that would need to be investigated by someone else. But if everything held true, there would have been a similar death matching their current one. Yet he'd checked and there was no record of a man dying like Mr. Farrows and Dwight, so that stood to reason that maybe the hit man wasn't the killer... McQueen shook himself as he left his B&B room. It was silly to question such an easy case. It was always the wife.

Sighing, McQueen looked around. He was still at the Spindle & Thread and in the days that had passed he'd settled in a bit more. The landlady, Misses North, had welcomed him with open arms; literally. He'd come down for the included breakfast, dead on his feet from the drive here and she had been sun beams and kisses from the get-go.

"Ah, Mr McQueen. It's a pleasure to meet you. It's not very often we have late night check-ins but when I heard you on the phone, well, I knew I had to work something out for you." She'd walked over and proceeded to give him a big hug.

"I-, thank you." He'd stammered sitting down and marvelled how there was already a fresh bread roll and a pot of tea waiting for him.

"It's no trouble my dear. I'm just glad you made it. Now you sit and eat. I just know you're going to have a few busy weeks ahead of you. Best to get your strength now."

Misses North had no idea how true her words had been. Walking down the stairs now, it was too early for the regular breakfast hours and the truth was, McQueen was up and off to work so early he rarely saw any of the other residence. Nevertheless, Misses North was always up and pottering around the ground floor; cleaning, cooking always humming to herself softy. This morning was no different.

"Good morning Mr McQueen. How did you sleep?" She smiled at him, looking up from the beautiful stitch work she was doing. "Humm-... not well I see."

McQueen smiled sadly at her before scooping up his cup of tea, draining it. "It's been a long week."

"Yes, I see. Well I will wrap you up some lunch." She offered, walking to the kitchen before he could even turn her kind offer down. Not a moment later though, she was back, a nice neat brown paper bag clutched in her hand.

"Thank you."

"You're are quiet welcome my dear. I know you won't be around for much longer." She said it almost cheerfully. McQueen gapped. "Oh, don't look so surprised honey, I know you wouldn't want to stay here forever. But, just so you know, you can always come back. There will always be an open room for you."

"You can do that, as a B&B?" McQueen asked surprised. "You don't have other guests?"

"Oh, my dear, Rippling isn't a tourist attraction. We always have open rooms, and besides, I like constant lodgers." She gave him a sideways wink. "Keeps my cats fed."

After a sweet goodbye, McQueen made it to the office, the pre-dawn light not even making ripples on the skyline, yet Hale still beat him in. Whatever disturbed McQueen's sleep, Hale's nights must have been worse.