Mystery at Saddle Creek Read Online Free Page B

about.”
    â€œMaybe.” Liz went on. “But now Mom’s all worried. She thinks the police’ll bring Phil in for questioning because of her.”
    Bird caught Julia’s eye. “Did you mention that you’d told them the same thing? That you thought it looked like Phil?”
    Liz shook her head and blushed. “No, but I w ... will.”
    The conversation was interrupted as Boss, a small white Jack Russell, started barking in his shrill, ceaseless way. A moment later, a police cruiser stopped beside the barn. Everyone watched as the two policemen from the night before got out.
    â€œExcuse me, ladies,” said Officer Paris as he entered the barn. “Is Cliff Jones here?”
    â€œIs there a problem?” Hannah’s voice was filled with concern.
    Officer O’Hare spoke. “We have to take him in for questioning.”
    â€œWas he positively identified?” asked Bird.
    â€œFrom that sketch?” Hannah put her hands on her hips defensively. “Who identified him?”
    Officer O’Hare crossed his arms. “That’s confidential, folks. Suffice it to say that she knows Cliff well.”
    â€œBut that sketch could be any number of people.”
    â€œMaybe so, but if he’s innocent ...”
    â€œHe’ll be cleared.” Bird finished his sentence. “But Cliff couldn’t have hit a person like that. He couldn’t even imagine doing that!”
    â€œYou’ll have to let us do our job.” Officer Paris glared at the still-barking Boss. The persistent noise was getting annoying.
    Cliff came around the corner just then, pushing a wheelbarrow. “Boss! Hush!”
    â€œCliff Jones?” asked Officer O’Hare.
    Cliff looked wary. “Yes?”
    Officer Paris walked up to him, heavy-footed and straight-backed. “You’ll have to come with us for questioning.”
    Cliff froze. His eyebrows rose quizzically.
    Hannah stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about a thing, Cliff.”
    â€œHe’s innocent!” Bird stepped up. “Last night a man jumped out at me when I was riding. He looks exactly like the composite sketch. He lives somewhere in the woods and he had hardly anything on.
That
man is the man you need to arrest, not Cliff.”
    â€œHe had nothing on, you say? A naked man?”
    â€œHe had shorts on,” corrected Bird.
    â€œAnd he jumped out at you?”
    â€œYes. From the bushes. He must live down there.”
    The officers gave each other dubious looks. Bird knew they didn’t believe her. She appealed to Hannah to confirm her story.
    â€œBird came home quite rattled. She was worried that perhaps this man might be the one who attacked the woman.” Hannah stepped closer to Bird. “And even if he isn’t, I don’t like the idea of a man living wild around here, jumping out of bushes.”
    â€œAnd why didn’t you report this incident the minute it happened?” asked Officer Paris.
    â€œI’m sorry.” Hannah looked abashed. “I was going to call this morning, but I should have told you immediately.”
    â€œYou certainly should have. We need all the help we can get.” Officer Paris looked at his watch. “We’ll get Bird’s statement later. Right now, we need to take Cliff in. There are two more men to interview after him.”
    Hannah and the girls watched as the officers walked Cliff out to the cruiser and put him in the back seat, taking care not to bump his head on the door frame.
    Before they closed the door, Cliff flashed a forced smile in Hannah’s direction. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Can you bring the horses in for me at four and feed them? Jules needs her mud fever treated — Bird knows what to do — and Sir Jeffery has to get one more dose of penicillin. Twelve pills soaked in hot water and mixed into his grain. And can you do night check if