Cold Justice (Willis/Carter #4)(67)

‘Use me to pull yourself over!’

Mawgan was on the other side of the fence. Willis put her right hand on the top of the post and gripped Mawgan’s shoulder, holding fast to her coat as she jumped as high as she could, pushing off the top of the post and hauling herself over the fence with Mawgan’s help.

‘Wanker. Towan let the bullocks out while he cleaned their pen – stupid bastard.’

Willis looked towards the entrance to the covered barn where the bullocks sat out their winter. Towan was laughing to himself.

‘Christ – I thought they were going to crush me.’ Willis bent over, trying to catch her breath.

‘They could have killed you. They wouldn’t have meant it – but there’s nowhere to go and those horns get in the way. I would offer to have a word, but Dad wouldn’t take notice. Towan’s stupid. He’s just like my dad – always joking about.’

Willis walked around the outside of the pen and called Towan over. He was grinning at his feet as he walked.

‘You jumped over that fence like a proper bunny rabbit.’ He looked at her and laughed.

‘The attempted murder of a police officer will get you twenty years.’

‘Harmless mistake. You townies don’t have a clue, do you?’

‘I am cautioning you, Towan – I don’t know whether you think you live by a different set of rules here but you can get a place in prison just as easily as anyone else. One more trick like that and I’ll make it my job to put you away.’

Towan laughed as he turned and started walking away. As she went to get back in the car she saw Misty tethered by the house.

‘Is that Kensa’s horse?’ she called to Mawgan.

‘Yeah – Towan said he was seen limping. He brought him up. The vet will be coming this afternoon. We have our stallion Brutus that’s going to cover one of our mares. We’ll get the vet to check him out then.’

‘Kensa’s worried about him.’

‘I know. I’ll make sure he’s okay.’ They walked back to the car.

‘Mawgan, I need to understand what’s going on in this village, what’s under the surface.’

‘Everyone has secrets here,’ said Mawgan.

‘You have to explain.’

‘Mawgan!’

Towan came across and glared at Willis as he put his arm around his sister. Mawgan bowed her head as she shrugged him off and muttered that she had to get on.

Willis drove down and parked in the gateway to Kensa’s field. She walked across to the line of vans. Kensa was standing at the top of the field clenching her fists as she called Misty’s name.

‘Kensa?’ Kensa didn’t move; she waited for Willis to climb the steep field to get to her. ‘Kensa, it’s okay. Misty is up at the Stokes farm. Mawgan says to tell you the vet is going to look at his leg.’

‘There’s nothing wrong with his leg. He’s just old, that’s all. Why did they take him?’

‘I’m sorry; I don’t know any more than that.’

Kensa pulled her blanket around herself and turned from Willis without another word. She marched back across the top of the hill to the gate into the next field. Willis watched her go, then she returned to her car.





Chapter 31


Mawgan went across to Misty after Willis had left and picked up each hoof in turn to see how Misty stood. She went to get a currycomb to give the animal a brush. Towan walked across to her.

‘Misty isn’t lame. What’s going on?’ she asked.

‘He was limping in the field,’ said Towan. ‘Anyway, you tell me what’s going on. I saw you sneaking around with that Cam. You and Kensa. You’re going to get yourselves in big trouble if you don’t watch it.’

‘Mind your own business.’

‘But it is my business. It’ll be everybody’s by the time you finish. Cam’s always been as weak as water. You want a man in your life, you better choose someone else. He ain’t no man.’

Mawgan felt down each of Misty’s legs. ‘Feels solid. Kensa’s going mad looking for her horse. Take him back.’

‘I will, I said. But are you listening to me?’

‘Yes,’ she mumbled.

‘Dad wants you in the house.’

‘Where is he? What does he want?’

‘Down in the cellar. He needs help with the apple storage – some of the rats have got in there and it all needs separating up and re-boxing.’

Mawgan put down the brush and walked towards the house. The air was damp; the cold clung to her face. She looked back to see Towan staring after her.

‘Dad?’ she called out as she walked through the kitchen, running her hand along the Aga rail to warm her fingers up as she passed on her way through to the stairs to the cellar.

‘Dad, are you down there?’ She glanced back up as she heard footsteps in the kitchen.

‘Dad, what is it you want me to do?’

There was no reply as she looked down into the darkness of the cellar and the smell of fermenting apples. She flicked on the lights and saw the scurry of a sleek fat rat as it scarpered between the barrels of cider.

She turned to make her way back up the stairs when the cellar door banged shut and was locked from the outside. It went dark.