Farmed and Dangerous by Edith Maxwell

seventy-nine is?”
    â€œNone.”
    â€œUnattended deaths must be checked out every time. Code seventy-nine means there is also a report of suspicious behavior.”
    â€œYou mean murder,” she whispered.

Chapter 6
    â€œI need to call Uncle Albert.” Cam glanced at the clock. “It’s almost seven. He’s probably still at dinner. But what if—” Her throat thickened. Tears threatened to fill her eyes. Her emotional ties to her great-uncle were stronger than to her own parents.
    â€œI’m sure it’s not him, Cam.” Pete put his arms around her for a moment. “But why don’t you call, anyway?” He stood and paced to the window and back, his brow furrowed.
    Cam picked up her bag and dug out her cell phone. She took a deep breath, wiped her cheeks, pressed Albert’s number. His line rang six times and then went to voice mail. “Albert, please call me as soon as you get this message,” she said, trying to keep the worry out of her voice. She disconnected and remained standing.
    Pete paced some more.
    Cam watched him. “If it’s murder, you’ll be investigating, right?” She clutched the phone.
    â€œI have to wait for them to call me. The Westbury department responds first, but as you know, they’re too small to be able to muster sufficient resources.”
    â€œTo investigate a murder. So they call the state police. I know. I sort of wish I didn’t.” If someone had been murdered, it would be the third time in a year in the small town. At least this death didn’t have anything to do with her farm. Unless . . . the person died from eating her produce. Then it absolutely involved her.
    â€œI need to go to Moran Manor.” She slung her bag over her shoulder as she glanced at the door. “Everybody there ate my produce for dinner. What if something was spoiled?”
    â€œYou won’t be able to do anything there, and they probably wouldn’t even let you in. Let’s finish our dessert.” He reached for her hand and led her to the table.
    Cam only picked at hers. “It’s delicious. But I’m so worried about Albert, I can’t really enjoy it. I’m sorry.”
    â€œCameron, I’m the one who’s sorry. I wanted us to have a quiet, intimate night.” He covered her hand with his. “But that phone’s going to ring any minute now, and when it does, I’m out of here.”
    When they were done, he fixed small, sweet Greek coffees. They sat on the couch to drink them. Cam laid her phone carefully on the coffee table. She took one sip from her cup and set it down.
    â€œThat’s fabulous. But I’ll never sleep if I finish it.”
    Pete nodded. “That’s sort of my plan. And I’ll drink yours, too.” His knee jittered up and down.
    Cam’s stomach roiled. Why hadn’t Albert returned her call?
    â€œMaybe the Westbury police decided the behavior wasn’t suspicious, after all,” she said. “Maybe a ninety-three-year-old simply died in her sleep, unattended.”
    Her phone rang. She picked it up from the table and fumbled to connect, dropping it in the process. Pete retrieved it for her in one swift scoop. She pressed SEND just in time.
    â€œCameron?”
    She closed her eyes in gratitude. “Uncle Albert. I’m so glad you’re all right.”
    â€œOf course I am. I was at dinner. I do eat dinner every day, my dear.”
    â€œWe—” She opened her eyes again at Pete’s tapping her arm.
    He shook his head with a quick move.
    â€œI heard some commotion here tonight, though,” Albert said. “An ambulance took someone away. Not certain who. I saw Ruthie Dodge, too. Now, why did you call? Is everything all right with you?”
    â€œI’m fine. I wanted to—” Cam racked her brain. “To say what a good time I had playing Scrabble with you and Marilyn this afternoon. She