Free Murder Among Us by Ann Granger Page B

forward in ungainly fashion, the distorted knees now more obvious, her forelegs permanently crooked.
    "How's she eating?"
    "Some things she can't digest but on the whole she eats well."

    "Has she any trouble getting up if she lies down?"
    "Sometimes. She doesn't lie down much. I think she knows. But actually, I think that's what caused the present aggravation in her knees. She lay down, struggled to get up and knocked her legs against the wall of her stall."
    "Quite possible." Finlay scratched Maud's mealy muzzle. "I'll be frank. She's a very old lady in donkey terms and I don't know how she'll cope with the coming winter. At least," he indicated the ramshackle stabling with an apologetic gesture, "not in present conditions. She needs a proper, warm, draught-free loose-box."
    "We're not likely to be in our present conditions much longer, much less improved ones!" said Zoe gloomily. "We'll be camping out at the roadside, me and the animals all, if Schuhmacher has his way."
    "Well, if you are still here come winter and nothing's changed, I'll have to recommend the old girl is put out of her misery."
    "She's not miserable!" Zoe glared at him.
    "No, my dear," Finlay said gently, thinking how much this young woman resembled the child Emma in her devotion to these infirm beasts. "Not now, not today with the sun shining on her poor old back. But come wet damp weather and given her rheumaticky knees ..." He shook his head. "She'll be in pain. She'll very likely go down and not be able to get up—get pneumonia quite likely. If she's not in a good, warm dry stable, it just wouldn't be right, lassie. Not all your loving care can prevent her suffering. You know me. I'll never put down an animal I can save. But I won't agree to Maud seeing winter out in these stables. They just aren't adequate."
    "I'll find us all somewhere! Something will turn up!" Zoe said desperately.
    "I hope it does, Zoe. I hope it does. Well, I must be on my way."
    "Thanks, Finlay." Zoe put her hand on his arm.

    MURDER AMOMQ U5 63
    "You've been a tower of strength ever since I took over from Miss Batt."
    "Pshaw! Only too happy... Wish I could help, financially, I mean. Can't, I'm afraid."
    "You do more than enough, Finlay. We couldn't have kept going at all if it wasn't for you."
    They walked together across the yard to where the vet's hatchback was parked by the gate. Deep in their conversation, neither of them saw Emma creep out from behind the horsetrough where she had been crouched, listening, nor did they see her put both arms round Maud's scrawny neck and press her face against the rough hair.
    Maud hitched up one hind hoof and to the child's snuffles added a long deep sigh of sad acceptance.
    Markby at his desk that same Monday was already regretting his assurance to McVeigh that he could manage this case despite his nearness to it. A help or a hindrance in the investigation? Time would tell. In one respect however, it had already disrupted his private life. Hadn't police work always done that? Years ago, when he and Rachel had had so many bitter rows, he had tended to blame his wife for what he had considered her lack of understanding. Since then, however, with the passage of time he had grown more and more sympathetic to her view of things. All those broken dinner dates he had thought of trifling importance, those lost weekends and midnight calls out to her had meant her life was no life. It had not been a good marriage. They would have divorced sooner or later anyway. But the faults had been split pretty evenly between them.
    He reached out a hand and touched the sheet of typed paper which was signed in a bold hand "Meredith Mitchell." Her statement. The only time they'd had together on Sunday had been spent here in the station, waiting for it to be typed up. She had read it, signed it and then it had been "Thank you very much, we'll be in touch." Now it was his relationship with Meredith

    which was called upon to pay the price. She, at least,