The Piggy Farmer (The Barrington Patch Book 3) Emmy Ellis (notion reading list TXT) š
- Author: Emmy Ellis
Book online Ā«The Piggy Farmer (The Barrington Patch Book 3) Emmy Ellis (notion reading list TXT) šĀ». Author Emmy Ellis
āIāve had a natter with Lou. Sheās not his girlfriend, but he did come in a few times about a month back, buying flowers then giving them to her, writing strange poems on the cardsāwhich is a bit odd, donāt you think? He asked her out for a drink, but she said no; he came back about five times after that, then she didnāt see him again. Louās busy at the minute, but come and see Betty, sheāll tell you.ā She grabbed his arm and tugged him into the florist shop.
āNot you again,ā Betty said, then copped the man. āOh, you look like that fella who was after Lou.ā
A conversation ensued, him explaining why he was there, Betty telling him all about the flower-buying shenanigans.
āBut heās not Louās boyfriend,ā Betty said. āI know her mam really well, and she hasnāt said owt, and neither has Lou.ā She addressed Doreen. āIs he her bloke?ā
āNo! Lou hasnāt seen him since the last time he bought flowers.ā
Betty tucked some straggly grey hair behind her thick-lobed ear, a gold daisy earring clipped so tight the flesh bulged around it. āNeither have I, come to think of it.ā She eyed the man. āSorry, duck, we canāt help you. Gone missing, you said?ā
āHmm.ā
Betty slammed a palm on the counter. āThen itās a police matter. Iām happy to speak to them, tell them he came in here, but as for knowing where he is, I donāt have a clue.ā
He nodded his appreciation. āThank you for your time. Iāll visit his landlady next. Vera.ā
Doreenās stomach hurt. āGood luck.ā
He walked out, and she sighed with relief.
āNice man, that Steveāthatās what he said his name was, wasnāt it?ā Betty asked.
āYes. Can I just nip back in to Lou, tell her what was said?ā
Betty gave a rare smile. āOnly if you make me a brew while youāre out there. A splash of milk, three sugars.ā
Doreen darted into the back room, closing the door. āHeās gone. Betty saved us.ā
Lou rubbed her watery eyes. She must have been crying. āGod, this is so awful.ā
āI know.ā Doreen patted her friendās arm. āButā¦secret forever.ā
Chapter Nineteen
God, Jason was so irritating. Just seeing him tested Cassieās patience. There had been times since becoming Dadās right hand where she only had to look at certain people and she wanted to punch them in the face, for no reason other than they had a way about them that set her off. Sheād often wondered whether her angst at having to run the patch instead of becoming a teacher surged to the fore during those times. Did she want to take her rage out on them, on anyone, so she felt better?
Someone would suggest a therapist next. āGet your head tested, Cassie, youāre off your sodding rocker.ā
Maybe she was.
Or was she, despite thinking otherwise before joining the family business, born bad? Born to hurt and maim and kill? The nature versus nurture subject had taken up a lot of headspace at first. After all, sheād thought she was a ānormalā person, someone who didnāt like violence (especially when Dad had told her exactly what he did), but perhaps his teachings had encouraged that part of her out from where it had been slumbering deep inside her.
Or heād fashioned her monster all by himself, moulding her mindset like some creepy cult leader, changing her views, her ideals, keeping on and on until she accepted herself for who heād created. Except she hadnāt accepted it, not fully. Instead, sheād compartmentalised. There was good Cassie, then there was the monster.
How could he do that to her, his child?
More and more, she was coming to the conclusion he wasnāt as idol-like as sheād thought. A man who could direct their wife to do what she did, what Jason did, what all the residents did, then got Cassie to do the sameā¦ He wasnāt right in the head. And as for Mam, wellā¦
Cassie shut those thoughts off; too painful, too revealing. She glared down at Jason. He didnāt return it, his gaze on the bookshelf, making it so obvious he either wanted her to know she wasnāt important enough for him to look at or he plain didnāt want to. Stubborn dickhead. Maybe he thought she was beneath him, someone not worthy of his attention, taking a leaf out of his motherās book by snubbing her. Or perhaps he couldnāt stop staring at what was on top of that shelf and he was shitting bricks.
But heād maintain eye contact eventually, sheād make sure of it, even if only for a brief secondāthat would be victory enough. His breathing indicated his agitated state, although his body language portrayed nowt. Here was a man whoād taken Lennyās teachings to heart: Never let your opponent know what youāre thinking.
She smiled. Heād wish heād never taken Lennyās offer of working for him by the time sheād finished with him, or perhaps he already didāwas regret suffocating him? No, knowing Jason, he thought this was a torture warning and sheād get Dr Flemming to sort his leg and face in some underground operating theatreālike that was even a thing. Flemming was good, but not that good.
And Cassie was lenient sometimes, but not that lenient.
Her work phone bleeped, and she checked WhatsApp.
Mam: Two bacon rashers found. Being dealt with.
It was inevitable but sooner than Cassie had hoped. Sheād thought the darkness in the yard at The Lionās Head would have prevented anyone from seeing the bodies should they go out there to smoke. Tomorrow morning would have been better for the discovery of the pigs, but so long as Gary Branding was in charge, things would be smoothed over. If they werenāt and the police paid them a visit, none of the neighbours
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