A Forgotten Murder (Medlar Mystery 3)
“Diana’s?”
“No. My other mom. She’s in Nelson on the station. All of us can’t leave at once.”
“So who have you met?”
Chris ran his hand through his hair. “Just a woman named Isabella. She seems to hate me.”
“She owns Oxley Manor and she’s angry that we’ve taken over the place.” Kate leaned forward and her voice grew quieter. “Aunt Sara has been careful not to let her know there’s a...you know on her property.”
“Guess she won’t be too happy when the police show up. You are going to tell them, aren’t you?”
“Eventually. Did you hear about the play? You’re going to be Nicky.”
“Is he a good guy or a bad one?”
Kate held out her hand and flipped it back and forth. “No one seems to be sure. Byon adored him. Mrs. Aiken worshipped him. Not sure what Nadine feels about anything.”
“What did Mom think of him? She—” He stopped. “Is someone calling you?”
“Oh! Yes. Sorry.” Kate went down to her knees to lean over the well opening. “I’m here,” she called down. “What do you need?”
“I found two of them,” Jack said.
“Two of what?”
“Bullets.”
“Crickey,” Chris said. He was close beside her.
“Who the hell is that?” Jack yelled up.
“I’m Christopher Isles, Diana’s son,” he called down. “Need any help?”
“I damned well don’t!” Jack shouted.
Kate sat back on her heels. “He’s not going to be happy that you found us.”
“I don’t blame him. Who do you think did this?”
“Everyone is a suspect,” Kate said. “Each of them had opportunity and motive.”
“My mom, too?”
Kate didn’t answer and she could feel her face turning red.
“What I was told is that after Mom left here that night, she and my other mother went directly to Australia.”
“Oh,” Kate said. “So she’s English too? They met before the night Diana left?”
“Yeah. She was a trainer at a nearby farm. Met, fell in love instantly and...” He shrugged.
Kate smiled. “So Diana chose love over Oxley Manor.”
“I really wish someone would tell me what’s going on here. Does anyone actually think my mom shot a horseman, then ran off to Australia? I think she was saying she was engaged to him.”
“Oh no,” Kate said. “Diana was engaged to Nicky, who owned this place, and he couldn’t care less about horses. Sean, who is down there, ran the stables.”
“My mother was thinking of marrying somebody who wasn’t horse mad?” He laughed. “She must have been temporarily insane.”