The Mysterious Disappearance of Marsha Boden - Chapter 35

Lucy felt reprieved when Billie turned over and switched off the bedside light

Ever since he had received the letter from Marsha, Lloyd Peterson was convinced that she was still alive.  He had taken it to the police who had subsequently confirmed that the paper contained some of Marsha’s DNA, so had concluded that it was genuine. But Lloyd was baffled.  He thought they had had a genuine and meaningful relationship so why would she suddenly want to end it?  He recalled how they talked at length about her moving into Dovecote Farm and yes, it would have been awkward in the beginning, but, as with most happenings in Little Twichen, once the gossip had died down and somebody else was in the limelight, people would soon come to terms with them being a couple.  He could not, for the life of him, work out what had suddenly gone so very wrong.

On his way to collect his Farmers Weekly from Tiddy’s, he passed the development that had caused so much consternation in the village and couldn’t help feeling that another sixty-five houses would help in some small way towards the current housing crisis.  A little further on, he passed Bert Humble’s house on Laburnum Lane and noticed the garden was already looking unkempt and overgrown and wondered whether he should contact Blacks Solicitors because he knew he was an Executor of Bert’s estate and as such, had brought a set of keys with him to have a look around on his way back home, just to make sure that everything was in order. He guessed it wouldn’t be long before the cottage was sold and the proceeds divided up between the beneficiaries in Bert’s Will.  The end of an era.