A Bird In The Hand: The Blanchflower Mysteries

By Ruby Binns-Cagney

A NEW CASE FOR DETECTIVE INSPECTOR BLANCHFLOWER

Detective Inspector Blanchflower takes on the case of a missing pet.
Everything about the case displeases him but, faced with the prospect of being unable to pay rent on the rooms he shares with Inspector Ferraud, Blanchflower accepts the case.
Delilah Rawthorne, an elderly woman who rambles through a dilapidated mansion house has lost her per Jackdaw and calls on The case intrigues Blanchflower, while Ferraud as ever plays catch up against the quick wit of his friend and companion, Blanchflower.

The two examine Delilah’s extraordinary lifestyle and ponder the question of why the bird is missing, and what it will take to have it returned before it’s too late.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BinnsCagneyPublishing Co
• Release date: Feb 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311450043

Ruby Binns-Cagney

Keep in touch - sign up for new releases and save on publication day:http://books2read.com/author/ruby-binns-cagney/subscribe/1/41373/Ruby Binns-Cagney is a successful independently published Author who writes women's fiction (chick-lit) and American-based crime thrillers.Ruby's 'Detective Macaulay' crime series has a following on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/detmacaulay (@DetMacaulay)Ruby has a website and blog - read more details of her publishing services.Through her publishing company - BinnsCagneyPublishing Co - Ruby empowers others to become self-published Authors, and her Team also mentor new Authors.Free Marketing Help Signup:http://eepurl.com/3IsJPAdd her to your Google+ Circles https://plus.google.com/+RubyBinnsCagney/postsPlease visit her website:http://author-tales-of-self-publishing-books.blogspot.co.uk

Book preview

A Bird In The Hand

A Blanchflower Mystery

Ruby Binns-Cagney

Copyright ©BinnsCagneyPublishing Co 2016

All rights reserved. The reproduction, transmission or utilization of this work by any means is prohibited without written permission.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the Author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to locales or to actual persons is purely coincidental.

Copyright ©Cover Image BinnsCagneyDesign Co 2016

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

About The Author

CHAPTER 1

DETECTIVE INSPECTOR BLANCHFLOWER thumbed through the pages of his diary and reviewed his caseload. Aside from a stray invoice or two still waiting to be paid the month had been quite profitable.

Meanwhile, Inspector Ferraud lamented over how quiet the office was now that Penelope, Blanchflower’s Assistant was on leave for the week.

Are you worried about having to make your own tea, Ferraud? Blanchflower sneered. Ferraud simply rustled the morning paper agitatedly, and then leant closer to Blanchflower for dramatic effect.

There’s an advertisement in the paper - someone needing a pet found. Look. Ferraud turned around in his chair until it faced Blanchflower. His reading glasses askew, Blanchflower took hold of one side of the paper and Ferraud the other while they examined the small typeface.

Pet missing. Reward offered. Call for details, Blanchflower read aloud, the droll in his voice to over exaggerate how much he was displeased by it all.

What do you make of that? Ferraud’s cheery disposition was especially bright this morning. He was an eternally glass half full kind of man.

I don’t think we’re quite desperate enough to resort to locating missing pets, Blanchflower said and then returned to his diary.

You’re prepared to leave easy money on the table? With our predicament? Ferraud hurriedly sipped from his hip flask and then replaced its cap equally as quickly.

If need be. Where is the merit in locating a pet and reuniting it with its owner?

There’s a substantial reward, which indicates this is no ordinary missing pet. I’m going to make a call. Ferraud dashed over to his desk and made the call.

Don’t be too long, it’s expensive at this time of day, Blanchflower mumbled to himself.

Ambleside 291? a delightful voice announced.

My name’s Inspector Ferraud and I’m calling about the missing pet.

Blanchflower observed closely while Ferraud sold their most expensive services to the client; search and rescue and a tearful reunion, for forty pounds, payable by Banker’s draft, made out to Blanchflower and Associates.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Ferraud slammed down the phone and looked at Blanchflower, who rose from his generous winged back chair in defeat.

Where are we headed? Blanchflower washed down the last of his tea with a flourish.

Ambleside. The Lake District.

That’s a long train journey.

They have a buffet car. Sandwiches and tea included in the ticket price.

We leave first thing tomorrow.

CHAPTER 2

The jaunty pep in Ferraud’s step was most annoying, given the time of day; ridiculously early, in order to catch the first train out of Reading to Ambleside. Blanchflower hid his disdain for the dawn rousing and followed his companion to the train station and climbed on board the waiting train.

While Blanchflower fussed with his empty clay pipe, Ferraud dozed lightly; the side of his head resting against the frosted glass partition between them. The man in the seat next to Ferraud didn’t pay them any mind, but instead read his newspaper.

For three long hours Blanchflower contemplated leaving the train carriage and turning back. The expense of the train ticket alone worried him. Should the pet not be located, or worse still, should it be deceased by the time it was located, Blanchflower feared that the client would refuse to pay the bill, and he wondered where his next meal would come from. Their caseload was unusually light, for the next two weeks and this worried him further.

Where he had worried, Ferraud instead saw their predicament as a challenge and it spurred him on to solving it for a pretty penny. He insisted on scouring every newspaper for cases they could solve, located as far as the eye could see. As it stood, forty pounds would only keep them in board and lodgings for two more weeks.

Once they finally