Page 64 of Exposure of Murder

He looked out the window. “Is that the pond where the body was found?”

“Yes.” Jane’s breath hitched. The memory of Thornton’s body covered in chains and muck still bothered her.

“That must have upset you a great deal.” He looked at her and raised his brows. “The pond seems to be filling in. Would you have found the body if you hadn’t dredged?”

Humph. Would they? Thornton was covered in chains, so maybe not. “Don’t know. I’m just glad it’s over. I would hate to be swimming and see a dead body beneath me.” She shuddered at the thought.

“That would be upsetting, to say the least. Has the sheriff caught whoever killed Thornton?” Victor’s eyes bored into her. “I heard he was shot.”

“Not that I know of.” She tilted her head. “How did you know he’d been shot? I don’t think it was in the paper.”

Victor smirked. “Small-town gossip. I keep my ears open.”

“Oh.” That was probably true.

Jane poured him a cup of coffee and refilled hers. She took a loaf of chocolate chip pecan bread that she made from a cabinet, cut some slices, and placed some on a plate. She put it all on a wooden tray.

“Let’s go into the living room,” she said.

“I’ll get the tray,” Victor said. They walked into the living room. Victor sat on one sofa, she on the other. If he was disappointed that she sat across from him, he didn’t show it.

He looked around the room. “I bet if these walls could talk, they’d have some interesting stories to tell,” Victor said. “Do you know any of the history of this farmhouse?”

Jane shook her head. “Not much. The farmer who owned it just turned one hundred. He probably has a lot of stories. Plus, it had been in his family for a couple of generations.”

“Have you discovered anything interesting since you moved in?”

Jane chuckled. “Only that I have drafty windows and creaky floorboards.”

He smiled and leaned forward to take a slice of the sweet bread. “Hmm, this is delicious. Did you bake it?”

“Yes. I’m turning into a regular Martha Stewart,” she said. “When we’re finished, I’ll take you down to the barn and show you around.”

“Great, I’ve been eager to see what you’ve done with it. I’ve been dying to see what secrets lie within.”

“Funny. The only secrets it’s given up are the bones of old animals.”

They chatted about mundane things over coffee. Finally, Jane stood. “Those animals won’t wait forever to be fed.” She gathered the plates and cups and carried the tray out to the kitchen. She found her barn boots and looked at Victor standing at the door.

“You know you’re going to get kinda dirty out there,” she warned. “The barn is clean, but there is animal hair around, and you need to be careful about where you step.” She thought for a moment. “I don’t have any other boots for you to put on.”

Victor laughed. “I’ve been around barns before. Thanks. But I’m good.”

They walked down to the barn, the cold air a sharp contrast to the warmth of the house. Jane pointed out the new fencing and the sheep grazing in the field. They looked at the chicken house, and she told him about Rocky, the rooster.

As they walked into the barn, Clover and Bruiser greeted them and rubbed up against Victor, leaving tufts of fur on his pants.

“Oh dear, you’re going to have a lot of cat hair on your pants.”

He shrugged. “It’s fine.” Victor looked around the barn with an intense gaze. “Did you renovate the whole barn?”

Jane shook her head. “No. We cleaned it up, added stalls, but it’s still basically the same shape it’s always been.”

“I bet this barn holds a lot of secrets,” he said with a grin. He poked his nose into a couple of stalls, then pointed at a locked room. “What’s over there?”

Jane followed his finger. “Oh, that’s where we keep grain and medicines.”

“Afraid a sheep might open it?” Victor smiled.

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