Excerpt from Murder on THE WIDOW’S WALK Copyright © 2022 by Christine Knapp
As we pulled into the drive, I was struck once more by the beauty of both the
house and the location. Oakhurst sat overlooking the bay and the ocean beyond. The main
house had three stories, complete with a turret. There was a carriage house and a four-car
garage off to the right. A massive white covered porch stretched along the front of the
estate. A forest of thick pine trees surrounded the house. The mighty Atlantic stretched
out as far as the eye could see. One could easily imagine a sea captain of old overseeing
the building of this manor.
There was a late-model, black Mercedes parked in front of the garage. The license
plate read BUYOUT.
“That’s odd. Why would Monty be here? He told me that he was flying back to
Manhattan for his daughter’s play today, and Pippa insisted on leaving last night to be
there in case she needed to make last-minute arrangements.”
“Maybe it got postponed,” I said. We quickly walked around the mansion to the
front entrance.
Facing the massive black door, Meg used the bronze knocker in the shape of a clamshell.
No one responded.
Meg fished the key out of her purse and opened the door. “Hello, Monty! It’s
Meg.”
The house was eerily quiet. The large formal living room was tastefully decorated
in shades of white and cream. We walked through the entry hall and surveyed the
kitchen. Gleaming white cabinets and high-end appliances lined the walls in between
enormous windows that looked out onto the bay. There was a set of car keys on the
expansive white marble island.
“Why redo this beautiful kitchen?” I asked.
“So many shades of white, so little time,” Meg observed.
“Hello, Monty? It’s Meg,” Meg called again.
There was no response.
We moved into the dining room and saw a Blanton’s Gold Label bourbon bottle
with its distinctive horse and jockey topper placed on the table. There was a fully stocked
bar in one corner of the room, and someone had poured a drink or two.
Meg quickly rounded the first floor. There were no signs of Monty or Pippa.
“Come on, Maeve. Let’s check upstairs,” Meg said with concern in her eyes.
We quickly climbed the grand mahogany bridal staircase, which led to two
separate wings.
“I’ll take this wing,” Meg said, pointing to the right.
I found myself treading softly into bedroom after bedroom. The harbor and sound
were visible from every room. All were decorated to perfection. Large window seats
framed the magnificent views, perfect for reading and dreaming.
“Anything, Maeve?” Meg called out from the hall.
“Nothing. Maybe he decided to leave the car and call an Uber.”
“Monty has a VIP parking spot at Logan. He always drives.”
As we contemplated our next move, I realized that I was suddenly chilly. “Why is
it so cold in here? Is there a window open?”
“It’s coming from the roof,” Meg said, looking up.
“The roof?”
I followed Meg as she opened a small white wooden door off the landing. Cold air
rushed to greet us. We climbed up a wrought iron spiral staircase and then a short
wooden ladder to a small door leading to the roof. The door was open to the elements.
“Why is this open?” Meg asked.
“A widow’s walk! I love these,” I said, climbing out. Langford Harbor, the bay,
and the ocean were breathtaking, and I was mesmerized.
Widow’s walks were often seen in New England on the homes built by sea
captains in the nineteenth century. They were very distinctive, with raised railed
platforms providing unrestricted views of the open sea. The railings were usually white
with an intricate design. They were named widow’s walks because mariners’ wives would
walk back and forth, keeping watch while awaiting their husbands’ return to port after
long sea voyages. Some never returned.
“Looks like the railing is broken at the back,” Meg said.
I turned and surveyed the entire platform. “Back up, Meg,” I admonished her.
“Don’t worry. I won’t fall.”
“Back up. Now.”
Meg stared at me with a questioning look.
“There’s blood on the floor and also broken glass.”
“What? That’s paint.”
“I’ve seen a lot of blood. Trust me.” I walked cautiously to the broken rail. There
was blood on the railing edge.
“Hold on to my jacket.”
As Meg held me, I cautiously peered over the railing to the back of the mansion.
Dense pines surrounded that part of the house, but I could see bent branches and
something that looked like a sizeable broken mannequin dressed in a suit almost hidden
on the ground.
“What do you see?” she asked.
I turned to face her.
“Looks like Monty won’t be down for breakfast.”
MURDER ON THE WIDOW’S WALK by Christine Knapp
Modern Midwife Mysteries #2
Keep Calm and Call the Midwife…
Maeve O’Reilly Kensington is still shaking off last year’s shocking events in the quiet New England coastal town of Langford, where she is a modern-day nurse midwife. Her husband Will’s catering company, A Thyme for All Seasons, is back on an even keel, and they are now actively pursuing fertility treatment and adoption in the hopes of becoming parents.
Meg, Maeve’s older sister and Langford’s premier real estate agent, introduces her to Montgomery Livingstone, a Manhattan business tycoon commonly known as the Takeover King. Livingstone is anxious to move his base of operations and his home to Langford, but some community members have grave misgivings about whether his presence will be a boon for the town.
Misgivings that come to fruition when Monty is pushed off a Widow’s Walk and falls to his death! Suddenly Maeve and Meg are again thrust into a murder investigation as they attempt to help a seemingly innocent young woman accused of the crime. But it turns out there are many secrets to be uncovered, and once again, Maeve, Meg, and their savvy Boston Irish mother must band together to solve the murder. Maeve races against the clock to bring the killer to justice while caring for her patients and pursuing her goal of motherhood.
Mystery Woman Sleuth [Gemma Halliday Publishing, On Sale: December 6, 2022, e-Book, / eISBN: 9798364137241]
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About Christine Knapp
Christine Knapp practiced as a nurse-midwife for many years. A writer of texts and journal articles, she is now thrilled to combine her love of midwifery and mysteries as a debut author. Christine currently narrates books for the visually impaired. A dog lover, she lives near Boston.
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