The Toast of the Town (Fox & Oakby Murder Mysteries Book III)

Families and Connections

Author's Note:

1. Firstly, thank you for reading.

Just to clarify it to those who haven't read my OTHER SERIES (Swallow Barn Series and Fleckney Fields Series), Clementine Popplewell and Fiona Holyoake mentioned in this chapter are the recurring characters of my romance + humour webserials. 

All my stories take place in the same fictional county of Fleckney. If you're interested in knowing more about them, start with the story titled Sweetly Isolated. It's a fluffy Christmas story, which makes perfect sense, since it's July ;)

2. Please, consider supporting me on BUY ME A COFFEE (all links are available on my profile page, in my bio).

Thank you all for reading, waiting patiently for chapters, voting, and commenting!

Have a great day!

Love,

Katya xx

***

"With all that said," said Dr. Holyoake, handing Imogen the paperwork for her blood test, "is there anything else I can do for you?"

Imogen swallowed in discomfort. Dr. Viola Holyoake was an endlessly intimidating woman. She was polite, composed, and professional, which made Imogen's 'unprofessional' agenda feel additionally out of place. She also looked like a statue at the London Ice Sculpting Festival: put together, elegant, and as polished and exquisite as a perfume ad in a fashion magazine. She was dressed in a perfectly cut trouser suit of stylish charcoal colour, with a white blouse underneath, as crisp and fresh as the first snow. Imogen nervously pulled at the sleeve of her old jumper.

"Well, you see, Dr. Holyoake–"

"Viola," the woman interrupted Imogen softly. "You can call me Viola... outside our doctor-patient interactions."

"Oh, right," Imogen muttered. "Are we– Are we having a non-doctor-patient interaction?"

"It seems to me, we might be," the doctor said with a soft chuckle. "You've got a question for me, haven't you?"

Imogen fidgeted with her sleeve again and nodded. "I have two, to be honest," she said with a sigh. "The first one is regarding your– your sister-in-law. Fiona Holyoake?"

"Oh that's unexpected," the doctor said and gave out a surprisingly jolly silver laugh. "I love unexpected questions. What about Fiona?"

"Are they– alright? After the burglary, I mean to say," Imogen quickly added. "You see, I've been pondering these burglaries, but I've promised John– Mr. Mayor that I wouldn't meddle in any investigations - murders, mostly, of course. But these burglars seem to be rather skilled, professionals perhaps, and I assume it's quite possible that they're dangerous. So, I'm staying away... but I'm a big fan, you see!" she exclaimed.

"Of Fiona, I assume, not of the burglars," the doctor said with another amused laugh. "You two have quite a similar manner of talking."

"Illogical? Chatty? Convoluted?" Imogen offered options and nodded mournfully. "I know. But you should try talking to my friend Petra."

"Dr. Petra Nenadovich, yes," Dr. Holyoake said, her eyes twinkling. "I've had the pleasure of meeting her. She's an absolute marvel. And yes, Fiona and her husband are alright. They didn't wake up when it was happening. Fiona simply found an open window in the morning, and she said the burglar had gone through their belongings, but nothing was taken." She leaned back in her chair and half turned away from her desk, presenting Imogen with an elegant profile. The doctor threw one long, slim leg over the other and steepled her fingers in front of her mouth. Imogen ogled to the doctor's emerald green stilettos. "My assumption is that the burglar made the mistake that is rather common among the residents of Fleckney," the doctor drew out pensively. "They assumed that the owners of such an expensive cottage and the members of the Holyoake family would have valuables in the house."