Vampire Farmer - Penny Farthing Mystery - Chapters Eleven and Twelve

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Ben Meets Penny In The Cemetery

That night at play rehearsal Ben could not concentrate, it did not help that they were working on complicated part of a romantic scene.

‘Mary, please.’ Ben stood, walked to the stage. ‘Get into character.’ 

Mary Monroe started to cry. ‘It’s not me, it’s him.’ She pointed to Wally. ‘I have to kiss him, and he has me I don’t know where I am.’

Wally hadn’t lived in the area long. Nobody knew much about him except his wife had died a year previously, and his brother was the vicar. No-one knew him well enough to tell him about his halitosis. Even Ben couldn’t broach the subject. Ben couldn’t be sure but he thought Wally had been in the cemetery a few nights back with the vicar and other members of the village. Ben’s thoughts took him back to the previous night in the cemetery. What if Wally was one of the three? It was no good he could not concentrate. 

‘Tell you what Mary,’ he said, ‘why don’t you come up to the farm and I’ll go through some movements one-to-one? See if that helps.’ 

‘Will tomorrow do?’

‘Make it tomorrow afternoon. Have to plough in the morning.’

‘Will do,’ Mary said all of a quiver. Although she thought she didn’t need extra coaching, she would relent this time and accept help, not wanting to let the team down.

‘Make that do for tonight. See you all next time,’ Ben said. ‘Thanks folks.’

Heading home Ben stoped at the cemetery. He parked the Land Rover out of sight and walked the last stretch. ‘Bloody creaky gate,’ he cursed as he unlocked the catch. ‘Needs a spray of oil.’ It was a calm night with a whispers of mist hanging. Perfect for vampires. Ben rubbed his hands together. He walked up to the spot where the group had been digging. All was quiet. He turned to go back to the gate.

Vampire Farmer - Penny Farthing Mystery - Chapters Nine and Ten

CHAPTER NINE

Penny Farthing Arrives in Allenbury

Penny parked the hire car outside of Madge’s cottage. Grabbed her handbag and suitcase, locked the car then headed up the path to the front door. The door opened before she had time to knock. Madge opened her arms, hugged her then pulled her indoors. ‘Thank goodness you’re here,’ she said.

‘What happened to you?’ Penny noted the bruise and dried blood on Madge’s forehead.

‘Come into the kitchen. I’ll make tea and tell you all about it.’ Madge led the way through to the back of the cottage. Reached for the kettle. ‘Sandwich or cake? Or both?’

‘I ate on the train, but cake would be nice.’ Penny took in the functional rather sparse kitchen. ‘Come on then tell me.’

‘You’ll never believe what happened last night.’ Madge set mugs of tea and a Victoria sponge on the table, they sat opposite each other. ‘I’d been busy in the church. When I’d finished I locked up. I started to walk down the path and I heard voices, and they weren’t heavenly voices either!’

‘You can get medication for that Madge.’

‘Hah! Very funny. I am telling you Penny, I heard voices.’

Penny sipped her tea, studied her friend’s face. There was no doubt in her mind Madge was serious. ‘Go on.’

Madge set her mug on the table, bent forward. ‘I crept round the back of the church. It was very late, but there was a full moon so it was bright. And the voices didn’t stop, it wasn’t my imagination.’ Madge tapped the side of her head. 'I didn’t want whoever it was to see me. I was scared.’

Vampire Farmer - Penny Farthing Mystery - Chapters Five and Six

CHAPTER FIVE

Diagnosis

Ben and Young Ted had been working the farm together for almost a week when Ben received a call from the surgery. His test results were back and could he come in to see his doctor straight away.

‘What is it, Doctor?’ Ben sat nervously twisting his cap in his hands.

‘Well Ben…you have something called Porphyria.’

‘Can I have that in English.’ Ben shifted in his seat.

‘Hmm, it’s a general term used to describe a variety of syndromes due to an excess of porphyrins in the blood tissues. Sometimes the symptoms present as neurological problems and other times the skin is affected, hence the purple pigmentation you have. Or, occasionally, both.’ Doctor Walton looked into Ben’s eyes and realised the lights were on, but there was no-one home. ‘You have the symptoms of Cutaneous Porphyria. The itching, blisters and swelling of the skin, and the photosensitivity—doesn’t mean you’re sensitive to photo’s though!’ Doctor Walton chuckled. ‘And, your pee had a slight purple tinge to it, another symptom. The fact that you have stomach pains is probably down to worrying about the play.’

‘Could be, I suppose.’

‘Porphyria is a genetic disease, but neither of your parents appear to have the symptoms, which is rather strange. Can you remember if any of your grandparents had similar health problems?’

Vampire Farmer - Penny Farthing Mystery - Chapter One

Cover © Amy E. Addison

VAMPIRE FARMER
A PENNY FARTHING MYSTERY

ELLEN DEAN

To be Published by

COLBERE PUBLISHING

Copyright © 2009 Ellen Dean

Ellen Dean has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved.

This book is a work of fiction.
All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, (electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to the publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Chapter One

Present Day

‘No, Madge, I don’t think you’re losing the plot,’ Penny Farthing, an elegant fifty something, started twisting an auburn curl around her forefinger, something she did when in deep thought. ‘You can tell me all about it when I see you. No doubt there will be a logical explanation.’ Penny smiled into the phone, nodded her head. ‘Yes, I agree your new vicar does sound rather odd.’ She scanned the hallway while her old friend Madge bent her ear. Too big for me now, she thought flopping down onto the sofa beside the telephone table. Fleeting visions of past Christmases flashed through her mind as the comforting smell of lavender furniture polish changed to the nostalgic smell of Christmas. A glowing fir tree filled one corner, gifts stacked beneath. The fire blazed. She and Rod were standing together, holding hands, gazing at one another. She could almost feel his warm breath on her face. The sun broke through the clouds bringing the soft yellow walls to life, the vision disappeared, Penny was back to the present. This house was Rod’s legacy, he had loved it as much as she did, she couldn’t imagine not living here.