NovelEnglishAbner had already made the call; his ride would be swinging by to pick him up shortly.
He had just finished a cigarette, a furrow creasing his brow. He didn't mind the cheap nicotine kick, but it always left a bitter
aftertaste in his mouth.
The sound of panicked voices drifted over to him, followed by the thudding footsteps of someone running in a frenzy.
"Queena, you gotta check this out, Phoebe just keeled over. She's in a bad way."
Pretending she was just hearing the news, Queena immediately dropped the axe she was holding.
Without giving Abner another glance, she bolted towards the commotion.
Abner kept his spot, puffing away. In his other hand, he fumbled with a match he'd nicked from the stove.
He sauntered toward the scene of the incident, only to find the cook who had given him the cigarette sobbing over a woman's
lifeless body.
The faces of the onlookers were grim; Queena had delivered the bleak news with a blunt, "She's a goner."
In just a short span, another life had slipped away—the gossipy Phoebe, of all people.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtMurder wasn't a thought that crossed their minds; they simply couldn't fathom it. They chalked it up to a sudden, inexplicable
death.
Someone let out a heavy sigh, urging the crowd to "grieve with restraint."
Abner stood at the fringes, studying the pallor of the deceased woman. Her robust frame, borne of years of farm work, didn't seem
the type to just drop dead.
But he was no doctor; he could only cast a suspicious glance towards Queena, who continued to console the crowd, advising them
to look after their health.
They were already mourning Fabian, and now this family was struck by another tragedy.
Abner felt bored. His people would be here soon and in three days' time, he'd be out of here.
Once back, he'd investigate who had betrayed him. None of this was his concern.
His gaze swept the area, noticing the absence of Tobias.
At eleven, Tobias was the age to crave excitement, yet he was nowhere to be seen.
Leaning on his cane, Abner decided to head over to Tobias' place.
Halfway there, he spotted Tobias, huddled and trembling.
The kid was ghost-white, obviously scared out of his wits.
"Tobias?"
Abner's call made Tobias drop to the ground like a startled bird.
It took a moment for Tobias to scramble back to his feet.
"Hey, handsome, are we heading back now?"
Abner's eyes locked onto his face; the boy's lips were bitten raw, a clear sign of terror.
"Tobias, did the dead body spook you?"
"No, no, | just..."
He didn't know who to tell. In a moment of mischief, he'd hidden away and accidentally witnessed Queena and Phoebe having a
heated argument, followed by Phoebe collapsing.
Queena's expression had been so cold and detached, nothing like her usual gentle demeanor when speaking to him.
Scared, he had stayed hidden, not making a sound.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHe was too young to grasp the concept of murder and thought Phoebe might have died from the altercation with Queena.
Since he was a bit far, he hadn't seen the needle, just Phoebe's face twisted in horror.
Terrified, he was at a loss for words, feeling as though Phoebe had seen something in Queena's back room that she shouldn't have.
But right now, he couldn't bear to think about it and clutched Abner's hand tightly.
Abner raised an eyebrow, sensing the kid was in shock.
"Weren't you eager to visit Queena's place? What made you run back here so soon?"
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