The Piggy Farmer (The Barrington Patch Book 3) Emmy Ellis (notion reading list TXT) đ
- Author: Emmy Ellis
Book online «The Piggy Farmer (The Barrington Patch Book 3) Emmy Ellis (notion reading list TXT) đ». Author Emmy Ellis
âThere are pluses to each scenario. Yes, my first instinct was to cover it all upâŠâ Cassie wasnât about to admit to Lou sheâd got rattled when sheâd first seen Bob in the boot, hence him going to Marlene. âBut then I thought of how weâd be sending a strong message. Twenty-three years have passed, yet still the job gets doneâpeople will cotton on to the significance in the end, that all those four officers were on certain cases together, and maybe the police will come to question you because you were involved in one of them, so be prepared for that.â Cassie wouldnât worry about it now. Like Dad had said, business first, worry later. She could be making the biggest mistake of her new role, but time would tell.
âHe didnât need much persuading to do what I asked. The copper, I mean,â Mam said, thankfully changing the subject. âAmazing what ten grand can do.â
Cassie turned onto the farm track and drove around the back. She reversed by the mudroom door. Ben came out of the pig barn a few metres away and gazed over.
âWill he be an issue?â Mam asked.
âNo,â Lou said. âI told him I was going with you two for a coffee. God love him and everything, but heâs a bit dim, easily persuaded to believe whatever I tell him. My brotherâs the same, his dad. Not the sharpest scissors at the salon.â
âOkay.â Cassie sighed, tired. She still had to go and see Hua, buy the cakes, and wanted a nap this afternoon. There was a chance sheâd get to the squat. Sheâd warned Jimmy not to go outside for a fag until sheâd given him the all-clear, and heâd let Shirl know to steer clear, too. Anyroad, Shirl was ill with the flu and wouldnât be a problem. âWeâll meet up again later, as planned. What are you telling Joe?â
âThat weâre having a few drinks at your mamâs place and I might stay over.â
âThatâll raise red flags, the staying over bit,â Mam warned. âYou never do that.â
Lou shrugged. âOkay then, Iâll come back home.â She sounded mardy. A brat.
âBut youâll have blood on you.â Cassie frowned. Lou couldnât be thinking straight. âWeâll put boilersuits on.â Clearly, there was still a lot they needed to fine-tune. It was all very well knowing how theyâd kill Knight and Codderidge, but the small print needed some tweaks. Theyâd been so intent on getting Gorley, they hadnât had time for an in-depth conflab about the other two.
That could lead to mistakes. Sheâd already made one by killing Nathan Abbot and didnât plan on doing that again.
âFine. See you later.â Lou got out.
She waved to Ben, who tromped back inside the barn scratching his head, maybe because Lou had carrier bags over her shoes, shit, and she entered the farmhouse, her shoulders straight, the usual slouch completely gone.
Bobâs and Gorleyâs deaths had boosted her.
Mam switched to the passenger seat, and Cassie set off, glad to be away from the mental woman. The way Lou had behaved in the shed reminded Cassie of herself, her monster, and it was unsettling, akin to looking in a mirror and seeing all the parts of herself she didnât like. Parts she had to be in order to run the estate.
âSheâs not right in the head,â Mam said. âBats in the sodding belfry.â
âYou think? Fucking hell, sheâs always been weird, butâŠâ
âI know. Look, letâs get through this for her then forget about it. Iâve always felt guilty that I still had you and she didnât have Jess. The Mechanic planned to take you next, so thank God your dad stopped him before he could snatch you. So I owe it to Lou, thisâŠthis insane nonsense. Iâm not much liking it, I have to say. Killing coppers is a bit too close to the bone for me, but hopefully, once sheâs killed them all, sheâll calm down, stop overthinking everything.â
âWhat sheâs doing will never bring Jess back, so why is she bothering? Itâs like sheâs righting a wrong that wonât have the outcome she thinks it willâmaking everything better. Okay, I can see sheâs already stronger, and the murders will give her the sense of justice sheâs after, but will this be the end of it? Who else will she think of to blame? We could be killing people for months to come.â
âNo, I wonât allow it, and neither should you.â Mam smoothed her brunette hair which had gone cotton-woolly from the wig. âItâs Knight and Codderidge, then sheâs got to accept we wonât be entertaining owt else. You do realise that if she goes off by herself, like she did with Bob, youâll have to give her a warning, no matter who she is, and if she ignores that, sheâs dead.â
Cassie hadnât even entertained that. Lou had been in her life from the start, was like an aunt, familyâotherwise, Cassie would never have helped the woman to this extent. âBut sheâs your friend. So much for âGraftons donât squealâ with regards to people they love.â
âThey do on occasion, just that your dad preferred to be blinkered when it came to his mates. Lou doesnât get to break the rules. The only people who can get away with things is me and youâweâll cover up for each other. But anyone else? No, Lou is a resident, albeit not on the actual Barrington, but sheâs under your ruleâHandel Farm is within your jurisdiction, so to speak. Besides, her and Joe wanted it that way.â
Bloody hell. Mam was serious.
âRight. Then letâs hope she doesnât fuck up after tonight.â Cassie pulled into Mamâs driveway.
In the hallway, they removed the carrier bags and their shoes, placing them inside a black rubbish bag along with their gloves. Cassie left it by the front door. They showered and changed, then
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