A Village Deception (Turnham Malpas 15) Read Online Free Page A

end.’ Harry switched on the old mower and set off between the graves. Zack studied his purposefulness and thought he really was a grand chap. Such determination and such vigour. He could do with him every week right through the summer.
    The two of them worked for the next hour and a half without exchanging a word until Zack felt in need of his morning tea. He switched off the big mower and shouted, ‘Just going to put the kettle on.’
    Harry acknowledged what he said, then went to the end of the narrow path he was mowing and switched off.
    Zack had quite a comfortable set-up in the shed. There was an old kitchen cupboard that provided him with a workspace for his kettle, bottle of milk, mugs and spoons and a trio of old kitchen canisters held the coffee, tea bags and sugar. There was an electric socket just above the worktop. ‘Sit yourself down. It won’t take long with this kettle, it used to be Marie’s but when she decided to do B&B, she bought a new one and I got this.’
    ‘You’re lucky with Marie, she’s a lovely lady.’
    ‘You’re right there. I’m the luckiest man alive, and there’s not many that can say that after thirty years of marriage.’
    ‘Thirty years, that’s a long time.’ Harry sat ruminating on this matter while they waited for the kettle to boil. ‘My parents weren’t even married. It might have been better if they had been, they might have felt more commitment, you know.’
    ‘There’s lots nowadays aren’t married, isn’t there? They seem happy enough, but it’s not quite the same, I always think.’
    ‘Children?’
    ‘One daughter in America, and she’s the spitting image of Marie. Always wished we had more but it didn’t happen. You got brothers or sisters?’
    ‘Two brothers and we fought like hell. Dad encouraged us.’ Harry sighed. ‘He favoured first one, then another. He put us at each other’s throats, to make men of us, he said. The idiot. He drank himself to death, literally. I don’t remember him ever being in work.’
    Zack detected a slight tremor in Harry’s voice and wished he’d never brought the subject up. Poor Harry, what a life. It took a lot of character to overcome a childhood like that and become such a decent man. ‘Here’s your tea. I never thought to ask, is tea OK or would you prefer coffee? Is that enough milk?’
    ‘Tea’s fine.’ They sat, drinking in silence, until Harryeventually said, ‘That’s why I joined the army. To get out of the way, have a roof over my head and some half-decent food.’
    ‘First time I saw you, I thought you might be army. It was the way you walked; upright, shoulders back. You always look as if you’re going somewhere too, not just idling about.’
    The light flooding in from the wide open doors of the shed was unexpectedly blocked by a tall figure. ‘Good morning, Zack.’
    Zack leaped to his feet. ‘Good morning, sir. Another beautiful day. What can I do for you?’
    Harry got a nod from the intruder and Zack introduced him, ‘This is Harry Dickinson. He’s staying with us for a while and he’s been helping with the mowing. Harry, this is our rector, Peter Harris.’
    Harry stood up and shook the hand he’d been offered. ‘Good morning, Rector. A lovely day.’ Harry found himself looking up into a pair of startlingly blue eyes that seemed to bore into his very soul. It took some strength not to feel intimidated by him. This man had the kind of aura that Harry found disturbing, so he sat down again, eager to avoid his thoughtful eyes.
    ‘Just a message, Zack. I had a phone call this morning from the undertaker in Culworth to say that the last of the Gotobed sisters has died in the nursing home. Not unexpected, I must say. I saw her a week ago and her Gotobed sparkle had seriously diminished. We’ve arranged the funeral for next Monday at two o’clock, refreshments afterwards in the church hall. The last of a long line of Gotobeds, I’m afraid. None of the three girls, nor their brother,