Deer John Joe - Serial Cozy - Chapter 7

The plot thickens in Hooperville, Minnesota. Looks like Mike Cleary might be closin' in on the killer. He'd better catch him fast, or I think Harry might just take him out himself. Enjoy!

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Chapter Seven

            Mary Agnes stood in the center of her largest meadow.  Behind her, baking in the hot sun and sending off a sweet, fruity smell, was a bucket full of freshly picked apples.  She had tethered Bobo to a tree nearby, and he was happily munching the tall, lush grass in the shade. 

            She stood as still as possible, her bony arms hanging at her sides, her nose stuck into the air, sniffing quietly.  After about ten minutes, she pursed her lips and whistled softly.  She stopped and listened for a minute, and then whistled again.  Then she sat cross-legged in the tall grass and placed the bucket against her crinkly, brown knees.  As she waited, she closed her eyes and reveled in the heated air beating down on her head.

            She barely heard them approach.  They were always careful.  Not fully trusting.  A moment later she felt the soft whoosh of warm breath as one of them reached a golden nose toward the bucket longingly.  Mary Agnes expelled air in a soft sigh, opened her eyes, and smiled as she reached into the bucket, carefully and slowly removing a small, imperfect apple with a tart aroma.  The boldest of the five deer reached her velvet muzzle toward Mary Agnes’ hand and gently pulled the sweet treat into her mouth.  Mary Agnes reveled in the first rush of pleasure that surged through her at the connection.  She would sit until the bucket was entirely empty.  And the deer had all been fed.

Deer John Doe a Serial Mystery by Sam Cheever

Years ago I started a cozy mystery entitled Deer John Doe. I didn't complete the book because I moved on to other genres and never came back to it. I thought it might be fun to share the book as a serial novel and complete it as I go.

Deer John Doe is about a series of unexplained mysteries that occur on the property of a cantankerous and opinionated Octogenarian named Mary Agnes Hawthorne. Mary Agnes loves the dozens of deer that have taken refuge on her property and they trust her enough to take apples out of her hands. But the local hunters know there are a lot of deer on her land and, despite the No Trespassing signs, they just can't seem to resist sneaking in and bagging a few for themselves. When hunters start showing up dead, Mary Agnes seems the obvious suspect. Fortunately for her, Harry Vanderlinde, her nosy, 80 year old neighbor, isn't content to accept the obvious, and he's not gonna stop digging until he clears his lifelong friend's name. If he can stay out of the killer's cross-hairs long enough to do it!

The following is the first installment. I'll add another installment once or twice a week, depending on how much time I have. I hope you enjoy my fun, little story!