The Hen of the Baskervilles (35 page)

“And what was the idea?” I asked. I was hoping it wouldn't be something so stupid that I had to try talking her out of it.

“He suggested I sell cheese futures,” Molly said. “People pay up front to have cheese mailed to them over the next several years. If someone pays a hundred dollars up front, for example, they are entitled to get fifty dollars' worth of cheese each year for the next three years.”

“That actually sounds rather practical,” the chief said.

I nodded agreement.

“It's better than practical,” Molly said. “It's brilliant! I get the money I need to pay all my bills—and probably enough to make some improvements to the farm that will let me produce more cheese at a lower unit cost, so fulfilling all those orders will be a breeze. Everybody wins.”

“It does sound like a win-win,” I said.

“And speaking of winning,” Molly said. “Wish me luck—the cheese judging is this morning. At ten, in fact, so I should run.”

“Is it almost ten?” I started flipping through my notebook for my schedule. “I think there's someplace I should be at ten.”

The door opened.

“Mommy!” It was Jamie. “Daddy says come help Grouchy and Chicky win their ribbons.”

Outside, I could see Michael and Josh, each holding a llama halter. Groucho and Chico had been washed and brushed and were holding their heads high as if well aware that they were the two handsomest llamas at the fair.

“I knew there was something I should be doing,” I said. “The llama conformation contest is also at ten. Chief, if that guy shows up here with the buses before it's over, give Randall a call. I'm going to go watch our llamas win their ribbons.”

 

ALSO BY DONNA ANDREWS

Some Like It Hawk

The Real Macaw

Stork Raving Mad

Swan for the Money

Six Geese A-Slaying

Cockatiels at Seven

The Penguin Who Knew Too Much

No Nest for the Wicket

Owls Well That Ends Well

We'll Always Have Parrots

Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon

Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos

Murder with Puffins

Murder with Peacocks

 

About the Author

D
ONNA
A
NDREWS
has won the Agatha, Anthony, and Barry Awards, a
Romantic Times
Award for best first novel, and three Lefty and two Toby Bromberg Awards for funniest mystery. She spends her free time gardening at her home in Reston, Virginia.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

A THOMAS DUNNE BOOK FOR MINOTAUR BOOKS.

An imprint of St. Martin's Publishing Group.

THE HEN OF THE BASKERVILLES.
Copyright © 2013 by Donna Andrews. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.thomasdunnebooks.com

www.minotaurbooks.com

Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein

Cover illustration by Maggie Parr

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Andrews, Donna.

    The hen of the Baskervilles: a Meg Langslow mystery / Donna Andrews. — First edition.

        p.  cm.

    “A Thomas Dunne book.”

    ISBN 978-1-250-00751-3 (hardcover)

    ISBN 978-1-250-02299-8 (e-book)

    1.  Langslow, Meg (Fictitious character)—Fiction.   2.  Murder—Investigation—Fiction.   I.  Title.

    PS3551.N4165H48 2013

    813'.54—dc23

2013009814

e-ISBN 9781250022998

First Edition: July 2013