The Quibbling Cleric: Prologue, part 5 #MysteryWeek

‘WE SHOULD CHECK THE church for more clues while we still have the chance,’ I suggested, eager to press on from my embarrassing little oversight. ‘You take that side; I’ll take this.’
For the next few minutes we inched our way through the interior, starting at the altar and working down the nave, and thence into the aisles along either wall. Though Gothic in style, it was a new church, and everything in it—bar the fresh pool of vomit made by the young Mr Badger—was spick and span and spotlessly clean, just as I expected it to be. From the bible on the lectern—open, I observed, at the Book of Isaiah—to the rows of hardwood pews, there was hardly a scuff mark or smear to be seen.
‘Anything, George?’ I asked, as we met back up by the cleric’s body.
‘Nah. You?’
‘An impression, George, and quite an interesting one, at that. The blood…or the lack of it, to be precise. His face was beaten to a pulp, yet there isn’t nearly as much blood as I would expect there to be.’
George glanced down at the floor and frowned. ‘You’re right. There should be more. A lot more. What can it mean, Octavius?’
The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps from outside the church put paid to any immediate speculation; the stalwart men of N-Division had arrived.
‘Don’t think I’ve forgotten that note to Annie,’ George warned me, as they blundered noisily in through the entrance. ‘She’s my little sister, see?’ He turned his head and fixed me with a stubborn, bovine stare.
Unfortunately for me, I saw only too well.

Here endeth the Prologue
Keep your eyes peeled for Oh, No, Octavius!: Send for Octavius Guy #4 and join Gooseberry and his ragtag bunch of friends when they investigate “The Case of the Quibbling Cleric”
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I hope you’ve enjoyed this little peek at what’s coming next for Gooseberry and George. I’ve certainly enjoyed sharing it. A huge thank you to Goodreads for hosting #MysteryWeek; I do so hope it becomes an annual event. Remember, there are twenty free copies of Octopus: Send for Octavius Guy #2 (Octavius Guy and the Case of the Throttled Tragedienne) to be given away throughout May. You’ll find the coupon code and link you’ll need at the bottom of my monthly post on my website. If you miss out, you can still get 50% off the list price of Send for Octavius Guy #3. Just scroll down the page.

#MysteryWeek ends this Sunday, so there is still time to ask me questions on “Ask the Author”. Does Charley’s luck ever change? How did Gooseberry’s mother die? Does George come to terms with Annie and Octavius’s relationship? Hurry, though; the crystal ball grows dim. Happy reading to you all!
Michael
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