The Lost Child (Detective Lottie Parker #3)(38)

Outside the barn door, the beast of a dog eyed Lottie suspiciously and growled.

‘Why do you need such a dangerous animal?’

‘I live alone. It’s isolated out here. Mason is partly for company, mainly for protection. He’s a good guard dog.’

Lottie was going to ask if he had a dog licence, but decided not to push her luck.

‘He doesn’t chase your livestock?’

‘I have him well trained.’ He untied the chain and held it in his hand, the dog straining on the end of it. ‘Was there anything else?’

‘You live alone. Married?’

‘No.’

‘Kids?’

‘Why all these questions?’

‘Like I said, I’m just curious.’

He looked up at the clouds rolling across the sky. ‘There’s a storm coming. You should head back to town.’

‘What are those?’ Lottie pointed to three large blue plastic barrels standing near the second barn.

‘Propcorn.’

‘Popcorn? You’re having me on?’

‘Not popcorn. Propcorn. It’s an acid. To mix in with the oats and barley for the cattle feed. I use the barrels to collect rainwater once they’re empty of the acid and washed out.’

‘What’s that machine over there?’ She pointed to a large piece of equipment with massive steel rotors.

‘A free course in agriculture you want, is it?’

‘Just—’

‘Curious. It’s a slurry agitator. Are you finished now? I’m very busy.’ He loosened his hold on the chain and the dog snarled.

Her brain was squeezing with an uneasy sensation. Was O’Dowd hiding something? Or was he just a citizen who had reported a fire?

‘Can I use the bathroom?’ she ventured, a ruse to get inside the house for a snoop.

He took a step towards her, the dog circling his legs. ‘Doing a bit of decorating inside. You can use the outside one, though I wouldn’t recommend it.’

He pointed to an open door on the side of the shed. Lottie could see the ground running green.

‘Ah, it’s okay. I’ll manage until I get back. You’ll have to give a formal statement about the fire. You could do it now if you like.’

‘No, I don’t like. Told all to your detective.’

‘That was informal. Call into the station, or I can send someone out to you tomorrow.’ By now, Lottie was fed up with him.

‘I’ll go in when I get time. Satisfied?’

‘I suppose you heard about the murder and abduction over in Carnmore?’

‘Aye, I did.’

Was that a flicker of a shadow rolling across his face? Or was it just the wind churning light through the trees?

‘Did you know Tessa Ball?’

He lowered his head and was silent so long she thought he had slipped into a trance. At last he looked up from beneath wrinkled eyelids, crow’s feet imprinting deeper lines. ‘Everyone of an age knew Tessa.’

‘Care to tell me about her?’

‘Nothing to tell. She’s gone now, that’s all.’

‘Oh, come on. I can’t find out much about her.’

‘You’re better off. Now let me get back to work.’

‘Farming here long?’ Something was keeping her from leaving. A gust flung a steel bucket across the yard and the dog barked.

O’Dowd paid no heed. ‘All my life. Worked with my father until he died way too young. I kept the farm going.’

‘And your mother?’

‘You do ask a lot of questions, don’t you?’

‘Part of my job.’

‘My pedigree has nothing to do with you. And you’d do well to mind your own family history, Inspector Parker. Not all coated in the white paint of glory, is it now?’

Lottie had been about to head to her car. Now she stopped and half turned to O’Dowd, feeling the blood drain from her face. He knew he’d struck a chord, because she saw him raise a hand. In apology?

‘What do you mean?’ She scrambled the words through her lips.

‘Nothing. Just shooting my mouth off.’ He laughed. A feline tinkle, like breaking glass.

She stepped towards him. The dog strained on the leash. She didn’t care. Walking into O’Dowd’s space, her voice a whisper in the gale, she said, ‘What do you know about my family?’

‘Look, drop it.’ He tightened his grip on the chain, rolling it up a notch, dragging the dog closer to his leg. ‘I just meant we all have skeletons in cupboards we want to keep locked away from prying eyes. Yourself included.’

Lottie’s jacket buffeted open and the wind cut through her like a sharp blade.

‘I’d really like to know what you mean.’

‘I think you already do. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve a busy evening ahead. I’ll call into the station tomorrow when I’m in town.’ He tipped the peak of his cap and motioned with his free hand to her car. ‘You’d best be getting off with yourself before the storm grabs a hold of you.’

Still feeling as if a claw had snatched at her heart, Lottie got into her car and reversed out of the gate. As she drove away, she could see in her rear-view mirror O’Dowd standing watching. A curtain twitched at an upstairs window. The wind? Or someone there?