Bloodlines
By Gerald Hammond
On a beautiful autumn day, kennel owners John and Beth Cunningham join Lord Crail on the first shoot of the season.
Unfortunately, also in attendance is Ben Garnet, a corrupt local businessman and one of John’s least favourite people. Garnet certainly lives up to his reputation, for that day he engineers an ‘accidental’ mating between one of his bitches and John’s champion dog, Horace. The bloodlines from both parents will make the offspring much sought after, and therefore very lucrative.
But Garnet will need John’s signature in order to register the pups, and John refuses to sign. Then, Garnet is found half-dead on the roadside near John’s house. He has been viciously beaten over the head.
With his hostility for Garnet well-known and his alibi shaky, John finds himself suspected of attempted murder. And that’s just the start of his problems…
Gerald Hammond worked as an architect for thirty years which, he says, was quite long enough. In 1982 he accepted a nominal retirement. He lives in Scotland and spends his time shooting, fishing and writing.
