Read Archie's Battleflat Adventures: The Harriman Mystery for Free Online

and alone, while
being drenched.
    With a
deep sigh, Archie threw his legs over the side of the bed.
Reluctance dogged his footsteps as he made his way downstairs. He
knew what he was about to do would throw the entire household into
chaos, especially with Ben and Sammy in the house, but there was no
choice. His conscience wouldn’t allow him to remain silent a moment
longer.
    His quiet entry into the sitting room was unnoticed for a
couple of minutes, giving Archie the opportunity to gather his
wayward thoughts. He knew his dad would ask why he hadn’t told them
as soon as he had got in. If he was honest, Archie couldn’t really
say why he hadn’t confided in them as soon as possible. In reality
he was struggling to acknowledge that he had actually witnessed a
brutal murder and, in describing it to his dad, by actually saying
the words out loud, then he was confirming what he had seen was real. The thought
terrified him.
    He was
halfway across the room before his mum noticed his presence,
lowering her sewing as she stared at him. Something on his face
must have warned her to remain quiet because she quickly motioned
for Ben and Sammy to quieten down.
    Archie
moved to stand before his father, trying hard not to fidget
nervously.
    “ What is it, Archie?” His dad’s voice was crisp yet filled
with concern. Although he was strict with all of his children, he
wasn’t a cruel man and wasn’t usually inclined to shout or use the
strap without severe provocation. He knew something had happened
that had deeply disturbed his usually calm and cheerful son.
Something that had dire implications for someone.
    Fighting
back tears, Archie’s blue eyes reluctantly met his
father’s.
    “ There is something I need to tell you, Dad,” Archie
whispered, his voice quivering with the fear and lingering horror.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he hastened. “I saw a
murder.” Archie winced and felt his stomach sink to his toes. He
took a deep breath, valiantly trying to stem the tears that
threatened, and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. “Mr
Harriman,” he whispered, raising horror-filled eyes to meet his
dad’s astonished gaze.
    “ You saw what?” Jack, his dad, asked incredulously, shooting a
warning look at Marjorie.
    “ Oh, good Lord,” Marjorie gasped, dropping down into the chair
beside the table with a thump.
    Taking a
shaky breath, Archie swiped at the tears shimmering on his
eyelashes and, in a shaky voice, repeated. “I saw a man – I don’t
know who – murder Mr Harriman.”
    Sucking
in a shuddering breath, the horror of the past few hours began to
overwhelm Archie until he couldn’t stem the flow, and he explained
the events as they happened in the spinney in one long rush of
breath.
    “ He came out of nowhere, just after Edward left the spinney. I
was sitting up the huge oak tree, about to get down when he
appeared at the bottom. He was dressed in black and had a tricorn
hat on and seemed to be waiting for someone. To get down I had to
drop on him, so I stayed where I was. But when Mr Harriman came,
the man jumped out of the bushes and put a black strip of cloth
around Mr Harriman’s neck.” Archie didn’t describe the macabre
sight of Mr Harriman’s face mottling red and purple, or the awful
stare he locked on Archie as he lay dying.
    He
wasn’t sure his dad, or mum, understood him but once the words
began to flow, they just wouldn’t stop.
    Several
long minutes later, he lapsed into silence, only then becoming
aware of the stunned silence that settled over the room. Everyone
froze in shock until the horror that had settled over the room was
abruptly broken by his little brother, Sammy, who piped
up.
    “ Oh my, a murder!” Glee laced his voice as he lurched up from
the rug upon the floor and made for the door.
    “ Stay right there!” Jack bellowed, lurching from his chair to
turn toward his youngest son. Pointing a long finger at Sammy, he
scowled darkly as he motioned the young boy