Free Murder on the Village Green: A Diane Dimbleby Cozy Mystery by Penelope Sotheby Page A

Benedek or anybody else… you’ve just arrived at the airport? Got the suitcase in place? Good. Cheers Bob. I’ll be heading there soon.”
    Before leaving the farm, Darrell asks his team to look for any signs that Diane and the kidnapper, or kidnappers, had been there. While searching the upstairs bathroom, Darrell himself finds something under the claw-foot tub. He picks it up. It looks almost exactly like a Shropshire Police badge—looks like, but Darrell can immediately tell it feels lighter. It must have been the badge Benedek was carrying whilst pretending to be a police sergeant.
     
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    Benedek pushes Diane out of the back seat of a car. Behind the driver’s wheel is one of The Dissociates’ soldiers.
    “I’ll wait for you in Section A of the parking lot,” he tells Benedek.
    She nods her head and the soldier drives away. What he doesn’t know is that Benedek is not going to meet him afterward. She plans on leaving three of the five million pounds for her bosses in an airport locker—she will always feel at least some sense of loyalty, even gratitude towards The Dissociates—and when she arrives in Brazil, she’ll send them an untraceable note letting them know the money is waiting for them. Any of the firm’s soldiers have been trained to open such a locker in at least a dozen different ways.
    “Move,” hisses Benedek, discretely revealing to Diane that she is still carrying a sharp knife, as if Diane needs a reminder. “And if you show any sign of distress, say goodbye to your future as a best-selling author.”
    “I understand,” says Diane calmly. Thank goodness for her yoga classes and her optimistic nature. After arriving at the farmhouse, Diane had made a conscious decision. It would do no good to panic or show any fear or anger. Her best chance of survival would be to be at peace with the situation, as much as one can be when they are kidnapped. Instead of wondering whether she will get out of this alive, she is watching Benedek’s mannerisms and movements as if she is conducting character research for her next novel.
    Humming show tunes under her breath has also been a godsend. As Benedek is ‘escorting’ her through the airport with the spine of the knife pressed into her back, Diane is softly humming “I’d Do Anything” from the musical Oliver!
    Benedek walks them towards the airline counter where she sees the unclaimed suitcase waiting for her. She looks around to check if any security or police are in the vicinity. Secure in the fact that she does not see any uniforms, she picks up the suitcase.
    Walking away, while nudging Diane along, Benedek says, “We’re at an airport, and you’re going to take a very long voyage, Diane.”
    Something in the way Benedek says those words sounds ominous to Diane. She knows she has to think fast or Benedek will get away and Diane… well, she could be gone forever.
    “Bomb!!!!” screams Diane at the top of her voice, whilst simultaneously pushing Benedek away from her as hard as she can.
    Diane’s outcry is heard by practically everyone in the airport terminal. Within seconds, Sergeant Webster and two other undercover officers run towards the two women. Before they can even grab Benedek, armed police surround them and demand that they all drop to the ground.
    When he arrives at the airport, Darrell sees a crowd of people surrounding what must be a spectacle of proportions. He moves through the crowd, showing his badge so he can get through. When he reaches the opening, he sees a circle of armed police officers pointing automatic weapons at five individuals lying flat on the ground. Even though their faces are pressed to the floor, he can pick out his sergeant Bob Webster, the long black hair presumably belonging to the woman who has been pretending to be Sergeant Benedek, and Diane.
    “She’s alive,” Darrell whispers to himself with relief.
    So as to not cause any of the armed airport police officers to react,