“Fraser stole some of the hydrangea buds from his dad. Aaron was writing that natural foods cookbook, if you remember. He had a lot of different plants, spices and herbs in the house so he could experiment with his original recipes. I don’t think he even missed the buds when Fraser took them.”
“He probably took a little bit at a time so he wouldn’t be found out.”
“But it was too slow for Fraser. He was impatient. His anger dictated he kill Kent immediately.”
Dena trembled and squeezed McLaren’s hand. “The poor, dear man. I’m sorry it ended that way.”
“I wouldn’t have been if Jamie hadn’t been around to help.”
“Speaking of which…” Jamie set down his coffee mug, grabbed his car key, and stood up. He looked at his friend, a faint smile at the corners of his lips. “Get some rest, Mike. You’ll need it because, knowing you, you’ll be neck-deep into helping someone else tomorrow.”
Author’s Notes
Tutbury Castle is real, of course, and is home to many activities throughout the year, thanks to castle curator Leslie Smith’s hard work.
Since story, as well as murder, is all about conflict, I set up conflict between two grand structures and their curators.
Rawlton Hall does not exist except in my mind. I have patterned it after many such places I’ve visited.
“The Swans’ Song” is my creation. I wrote the lyrics based on traditional verses from “The Bird Song,” a folk song contained in the classic collection of Child Ballads. Hopefully folk purists won’t be upset, but someone had to write the original bird song in the first place. I’ve just added to the history.
Last Seen has a companion song. “The Swans’ Song” is available on a single-song CD recording. This contemporary-style folk song, arranged and performed by Bryan Toben and Lola Hennicke Toben, is available through the author’s website:
http://www.johiestand.com/lastseen.html
McLaren has his own website. Log on to learn about quirky British customs, interesting places to visit in the UK, cooking recipes, music anecdotes, and a calendar of appearances by the author:
http://www.mclaren-mysteries.com
I apologize for any mistakes that may have crept into the story, but they are solely mine.
~Jo A. Hiestand
St Louis, MO
Acknowledgments
Accolades to Leslie Smith, Curator of Tutbury Castle, for supplying information and inspiration, and for enthusiastically answering my endless questions about the castle’s layout, history, and events.
Also to Charlotte Pietrzak, Tutbury Castle, for supplying visual help and answers.
Thanks to Dr. Gareth Williams, of the British Museum, for help in hunting down Tutbury Castle maps.
A doff of my hat to Dr. Ruth Anker for aiding me in dispatching our victim.
My deepest gratitude and friendship, as always, to Detective-Sergeant Robert Church, Derbyshire Constabulary, and Detective-Superintendent David Doxey, Derbyshire Constabulary (ret.), for unlimited, untiring expert help in detection, proper procedure, and forensics.
And accolades to Paul Hornung, St. Louis-area police officer, who returned the new and improved manuscript amid an arrest.
This book could not have been written without any of these professionals’ help, to whom I most sincerely thank in a most inadequate manner.
Thanks also to Cindy and Lori of The Wild Rose Press, Inc., who believed in McLaren and gave him another appearance.
A word about the author…
Books, scouting, and music filled Jo A. Hiestand’s childhood. She explored the joys of the outdoors through Girl Scout camping trips and summers as a canoeing instructor and camp counselor. Brought up on classical, big band, and baroque music, she was groomed as a concert pianist until forsaking the piano for the harpsichord. She plays a Martin guitar and has sung in a semi-professional folkgroup in the US and as a soloist in England.
This mixture formed the foundation for her writing. A true Anglophile, Jo wanted to create a mystery series that featured a British police detective who left the Force over an injustice and now investigates cold cases on his own. The result is the McLaren Mysteries.
Jo’s insistence on accuracy—from police methods to location layouts—has driven her innumerable times to Derbyshire. These explorations and conferences with police friends provide the detail filling the books.
In 1999 Jo returned to Webster University to major in English. She graduated in 2001 with a BA degree and departmental honors.
She has combined her love of writing, board games, and music to co-invent a mystery-solving game, P.I.R.A.T.E.S., which uses maps, graphics, song lyrics, and other clues to lead players to the lost treasure.
Jo founded the Greater St. Louis Chapter of Sisters in Crime, serving as its first president. She is also a member of Mystery Writers of America. Besides her love of mysteries and music, she enjoys photography, reading, change ringing, and her backyard wildlife.
Her cat Tennyson shares her St. Louis home.
http://www.johiestand.com
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