The Lawn: A James Lalonde Short Story: James Lalonde Amateur Sleuth Mysteries, #0

By A. D. Hay

A Body is on the Front Lawn. A Priceless Painting is Missing. A Killer is on the Loose.

 

 

When Will Thatcher doesn't show up for work, James Lalonde is forced to attend an afternoon tea with Alistair Carmichael in Will's place. The lovely autumn afternoon tea comes to an abrupt end when a body is discovered on the front lawn of the Carmichael Estate with strange markings on its neck.

 

 

But something is missing—a priceless painting is off the wall. However, it's no ordinary painting, it's a Van Gogh purchased in an auction a few months prior.

 

 

But, trouble has its watchful eye on James.

 

 

Can James figure out who the thief and murderer are before he is next?

 

* * *

 

"Expect the unexpected in this short but twisty tale about an art heist at a wealthy man's estate." Susie D., Line Editor, Red Adept Editing

 

 

"An intrepid journalist uncovers an art heist on an English estate. But will he live to break the story?" Kim H., Proofreader, Red Adept Editing

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Le Villain Press
• Release date: Jul 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393008743

Book preview

The Lawn

THE LAWN

A JAMES LALONDE SHORT STORY

A. D. HAY

Le Villain Press

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The Lawn. A James Lalonde Short Story

Copyright © A. D. Hay (2020). All rights reserved.

www.authoradhay.com

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. For permissions contact: [e-mail].

Book cover design by Le Villain Book Covers at levillainbookcovers.com

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Thank you for joining James Lalonde in the Lawn

Suspicion: A James Lalonde Novella

Chapter 1

End of Sample

Also by A. D. Hay

About the Author

ONE

7:00 a.m.

Steam poured out of the hood of a silver Ford Focus as it came to a grinding halt in the middle of a one-way lane near the Carmichael Estate, northwest of Northampton.

William Thatcher punched his steering wheel. ‘Come on, you lazy piece of crap.’

He threw his body back against his seat and admitted defeat. Then he ran his fingers through his greying and thinning light-brown hair and sighed. As he fumbled around for his phone, his smartwatch struck against the armrest.

‘It’s 7:01 a.m. Good morning,’ a high-pitched voice called from the mini speaker.

He gave his navy bomber jacket a final pat down before reaching over to the door handle. ‘Shit, I'm going to be late.’

Will pushed the car door open and slammed it behind him as he made his way towards the front of his car, then he lifted the hot metal and jumped back as the steam gushed out from the engine.

He