‘David!’ the old lady was shouting. ‘Don’t let her upset you! Calm down! Come in and I’ll make you a cup of tea.’
‘I don’t want a cup of tea, Hetty!’ he shouted back. ‘I just want that bitch to give me my money!’
Kate registered that this then was Edina Martinelli’s great friend.
‘But, David, you shouldn’t drive when you’re so upset!’
‘Leave me alone!’ he yelled as he opened the door of a silver Audi which was parked in front of Kate’s red Fiat Punto. ‘You’re her friend – you’re always going to be on her side!’
With that he got into the car, slammed the door and roared away, leaving the little lady standing there, looking bewildered and agitated.
For a minute Kate wondered if she should get out and comfort this Hetty, but she turned and walked rapidly back inside. As she was about to drive away Kate noticed Hetty stumble on the doorstep, only stopping herself from falling flat by colliding with the door-post and then standing for a moment, her hand on her heart, appearing shaken.
Feeling concerned, Kate switched off the ignition and walked quickly up to the door where the old lady stood, steadying herself and getting her breath back.
‘Are you OK?’ Kate asked anxiously.
‘I’m fine, thank you,’ she replied. ‘So silly of me not to look where I was going. I was rather upset, you see.’
‘You’re sure you’re all right?’
‘Oh yes. When you’re my age your balance isn’t so good. Not that I’d have far to fall!’ She giggled.
Kate reckoned that this wiry little lady wasn’t much more than five feet tall.
‘I’ve just been visiting Miss Martinelli,’ Kate said, ‘and I saw you come running out as I was about to leave.’
‘Poor Edina!’ Hetty sighed. ‘She’s a great friend of mine but she doesn’t get on too well with David – that’s her stepson. Lovely man though; just a clash of personalities there. Edina nearly got killed, you know; the cleaner left the flex of the vacuum cleaner stretched across the top of the stairs and down she went! Shocking negligence.’
‘So she told me,’ Kate said. ‘Well, if you’re sure you’re OK I’ll be off.’
‘I’m fine. Nice meeting you,’ said Hetty.
Kate got back to her car and drove away.
To find out what happens next in A Body in Seafield Grange, order it now!
Hear More from Dee
If you can’t wait to read more by Dee MacDonald, you can sign up here to be the first to know about her new releases. We promise never to share your email address, and we’ll only contact you when there’s a new book out.
Books by Dee MacDonald
Kate Palmer Mystery Series
A Body in the Village Hall
A Body in Seaview Grange
A Body at the Tea Rooms
The Golden Oldies Guesthouse
The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane
The Getaway Girls
The Runaway Wife
AVAILABLE IN AUDIO
Kate Palmer Series
A Body in the Village Hall (Available in the UK and the US)
A Body in the Seaview Grange (Available in the UK and the US)
The Runaway Wife (Available in the UK and the US)
A Letter from Dee
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for reading A Body in the Village Hall and I hope you enjoyed meeting Kate Palmer, amateur sleuth. She’s liable to pop up again before long so, if you’d like to keep up with this, or any of my books, you can sign up on the following link:
Sign up here!
Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
If you enjoyed A Body in the Village Hall, I’d appreciate it if you could write a review because I love to know what my readers think and your feedback is always invaluable. And you can get in touch via Facebook and Twitter.
Dee x
A Body at the Tea Rooms
There’s never a quiet moment for Kate Palmer! Her wayward sister Angie has discovered a body in the cellar of her tea rooms. And Kate is on the case…
Nurse Kate Palmer has only been living in Lower Tinworthy, a beautiful little village by the sparkling Cornish sea, for a short time but she’s already making a name for herself as the local Miss Marple. Although not everyone is keen on her recent investigations, least of all the new Detective Inspector Bill Robson.
When a body is found at her sister Angie’s newly purchased tea rooms, Kate is at first reluctant to get caught up in another mystery. But the murder is uncomfortably close to home and there’s gossip suggesting Angie and her latest boyfriend are somehow involved.
Determined to find justice for the deceased man and to protect her sister’s reputation, Kate recruits her close friend retired Detective Inspector ‘Woody’ Forrest. His knowledge of the local seaside villages will help her to come up with a list of potential names for the victim… and the murderer.
As they narrow down the possibilities, one of Kate’s patients, Mark Edderley, reveals a connection to her prime suspect. Days later, he dies in a suspicious boating accident. Kate is certain the murderer has struck again! But just as she’s about to solve the puzzle, Angie goes missing. Can she get to her sister before it’s too late?
If you love murder mysteries by Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis, A Body at the Tea Rooms will have you gripped until the very last page!
Get it here!
The Golden Oldies Guesthouse
‘Dee MacDonald’s books are so heart-warming. They make you laugh out loud one minute, and then have you crying the next… they’re really emotional and tug at the heart strings but are fun, life-affirming reads!’ Stardust Book Reviews
Tess and Simon Sparrow may have a few more grey hairs and wrinkles than they used to, but that doesn’t stop them being swept up in a whirlwind romance and starting over again. Swapping their city lives for an escape to the countryside, they fall
