Chicago!’
Aiden offered his hand to Buck but he ignored it.
‘Pardon my rudeness,’ he explained in a slow, southern drawl which was laced with a slight lisp, ‘but until I know a man, I will not shake his hand.’ Aiden was put out by his attitude but decided against saying anything; he was, after all, the sheriff. Buck Fern had small slits for eyes and a face ravaged by age. His thinning hair had been strategically combed over but it wasn’t fooling anyone. He regarded Aiden with suspicion.
‘Ed tells me you are handling the White case?’
‘That’s right.’
‘That wretched whore deserves to burn in hell.’ Aiden was shocked at the sheriff’s harsh words.
‘Buck is always more than happy to assist us with our cases,’ Edmond said awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable with Buck’s surly behaviour.
‘Is that so?’ Aiden queried the old man, trying to keep his temper in check. ‘In that case, I need to see the police report from the night of the murder.’
Buck’s cheeks flushed and he pursed his small lips in anger. ‘Why might that be?’
Aiden was enjoying making the old dinosaur cross. ‘Protocol in any murder case. I need to review all the evidence.’
‘Protocol?’ Buck spat at him. Edmond was looking decidedly uncomfortable and made his excuses and scampered off. The old man stared Aiden down for a moment but the younger man refused to flinch.
‘Fine,’ the sheriff said, admitting defeat. ‘But be careful, if you shake too many trees, a bee might just come out and sting you,’ and with that strange threat Buck Fern ambled off. Aiden was seething after his encounter with the sheriff. He was all riled up and ready to go home and let off some steam when he saw Father West. Isla was now beside him again so he grabbed her arm and walked over to the priest.
‘Father?’
‘Yes, can I help you?’ He looked Aiden and Isla over. ‘I don’t believe that we have met before.’
‘I’m Aiden Connelly, this is my wife, Isla, and this lump over my shoulder responds to Meegan when she is awake. We recently moved here.’
‘Ahhh yes, you are working with Edmond Cope?’ Aiden nodded. ‘News travels fast in a town this small. Welcome to Avalon, I hope that you enjoyed the service.’
‘Oh, yes, father, it was wonderful,’ Isla told him a little too enthusiastically. He smiled at her warmly.
‘Some found it not so interesting.’ He nodded at Meegan and laughed.
‘Actually,’ Aiden passed Meegan to his wife, a not so subtle hint that he wanted to be left alone with Father West, ‘I need to talk with you.’
The priest nodded solemnly as Isla began walking back to the house, Meegan still sleeping soundly.
Father West led Aiden back inside the cool of the church.
‘I’m representing Brandy White,’ he began. At the mention of her name Father West seemed pained. ‘You were close with her.’
‘Yes, I was, she was a very troubled young woman, such a terrible business.’
‘Well, she has been asking to see you, over at Eastham. I wondered if you could possibly go and see her?’
Father West nodded slowly. ‘No doubt she wants to make peace with God. I will go and see her, that is not a problem. I’ve known her many years and have been deeply troubled by all that has occurred.’
Aiden found himself lingering, unsure of how to proceed.
‘Everyone is quick to judge her,’ Father West offered, sensing what was troubling Aiden. ‘But I think for someone as spiritual as she is, to do what she did, well, there must be some form of logic in her mind, don’t you think?’
‘Yes,’ Aiden agreed, wondering if Father West knew more than he was letting on. ‘I need to find out more about the case as a whole. Brandon appears to be very loved around here.’
‘Oh, yes, indeed.’ Aiden didn’t want to press Father West for any more information; it didn’t seem right, especially in a church. He was about to leave when the priest called after him.
‘Tread carefully,
Aiden offered his hand to Buck but he ignored it.
‘Pardon my rudeness,’ he explained in a slow, southern drawl which was laced with a slight lisp, ‘but until I know a man, I will not shake his hand.’ Aiden was put out by his attitude but decided against saying anything; he was, after all, the sheriff. Buck Fern had small slits for eyes and a face ravaged by age. His thinning hair had been strategically combed over but it wasn’t fooling anyone. He regarded Aiden with suspicion.
‘Ed tells me you are handling the White case?’
‘That’s right.’
‘That wretched whore deserves to burn in hell.’ Aiden was shocked at the sheriff’s harsh words.
‘Buck is always more than happy to assist us with our cases,’ Edmond said awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable with Buck’s surly behaviour.
‘Is that so?’ Aiden queried the old man, trying to keep his temper in check. ‘In that case, I need to see the police report from the night of the murder.’
Buck’s cheeks flushed and he pursed his small lips in anger. ‘Why might that be?’
Aiden was enjoying making the old dinosaur cross. ‘Protocol in any murder case. I need to review all the evidence.’
‘Protocol?’ Buck spat at him. Edmond was looking decidedly uncomfortable and made his excuses and scampered off. The old man stared Aiden down for a moment but the younger man refused to flinch.
‘Fine,’ the sheriff said, admitting defeat. ‘But be careful, if you shake too many trees, a bee might just come out and sting you,’ and with that strange threat Buck Fern ambled off. Aiden was seething after his encounter with the sheriff. He was all riled up and ready to go home and let off some steam when he saw Father West. Isla was now beside him again so he grabbed her arm and walked over to the priest.
‘Father?’
‘Yes, can I help you?’ He looked Aiden and Isla over. ‘I don’t believe that we have met before.’
‘I’m Aiden Connelly, this is my wife, Isla, and this lump over my shoulder responds to Meegan when she is awake. We recently moved here.’
‘Ahhh yes, you are working with Edmond Cope?’ Aiden nodded. ‘News travels fast in a town this small. Welcome to Avalon, I hope that you enjoyed the service.’
‘Oh, yes, father, it was wonderful,’ Isla told him a little too enthusiastically. He smiled at her warmly.
‘Some found it not so interesting.’ He nodded at Meegan and laughed.
‘Actually,’ Aiden passed Meegan to his wife, a not so subtle hint that he wanted to be left alone with Father West, ‘I need to talk with you.’
The priest nodded solemnly as Isla began walking back to the house, Meegan still sleeping soundly.
Father West led Aiden back inside the cool of the church.
‘I’m representing Brandy White,’ he began. At the mention of her name Father West seemed pained. ‘You were close with her.’
‘Yes, I was, she was a very troubled young woman, such a terrible business.’
‘Well, she has been asking to see you, over at Eastham. I wondered if you could possibly go and see her?’
Father West nodded slowly. ‘No doubt she wants to make peace with God. I will go and see her, that is not a problem. I’ve known her many years and have been deeply troubled by all that has occurred.’
Aiden found himself lingering, unsure of how to proceed.
‘Everyone is quick to judge her,’ Father West offered, sensing what was troubling Aiden. ‘But I think for someone as spiritual as she is, to do what she did, well, there must be some form of logic in her mind, don’t you think?’
‘Yes,’ Aiden agreed, wondering if Father West knew more than he was letting on. ‘I need to find out more about the case as a whole. Brandon appears to be very loved around here.’
‘Oh, yes, indeed.’ Aiden didn’t want to press Father West for any more information; it didn’t seem right, especially in a church. He was about to leave when the priest called after him.
‘Tread carefully,
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