Chapter 1: Fit For Murder / Death in the Slow Lane
Sarah Barnaby had never considered escaping to the country. She was a city girl, fond of museums and galleries, evenings at the theatre or ballet, and world-class restaurants.
But when her husband, Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby, returned from Causton after closing a murder case with his cousin, and he casually mentioned that Tom was nearing retirement age, she knew she should keep an eye out for jobs in Midsomer county. John never just mentioned things casually.
She'd been to Causton before to visit John's cousins Tom and Joyce, though Joyce preferred visiting them in Brighton. While it was more town than city, it had excellent restaurants and galleries and a decent museum. And despite what seemed like a higher than average murder rate, she thought it might be a nice place to raise a family. Besides, the murder rate would keep John busy.
When the headship at Causton Comprehensive came up, it almost seemed like a sign. She applied for the position, though she didn't tell John until she got the first interview. She wasn't surprised when he told her he'd already prepared a transfer request. They knew each other too well.
The plan was to move after the summer term. But then John came back from Tom's birthday party and impromptu murder investigation with the news that Tom had moved up his retirement to immediately, and that he was going to have to take over sooner than planned. It meant ten weeks apart, the longest time separated since they were married
"Tom didn't warn his sergeant he was planning on retiring," he told her, again a little too casually. She paid attention. Tom's sergeant would most likely be John's sergeant. "Poor Jones was shell-shocked, but he kept it professional." It was high praise from John, so she hoped the transition would be smooth.
It wasn't, of course. John was mystified by country life, and Jones apparently didn't like a stranger parachuting in with new ideas. For the first few days, John complained that everybody in Midsomer would be happier with Jones in charge, grumbled that Jones needed an attitude adjustment, and generally wondered if he'd made the right choice in transferring.
But then the complaints stopped, or at least took on a more indulgent tone. Instead, his phone conversations were peppered with casual asides.
Jones showed me a great little pub we'll have to try.
You wouldn't believe what Jones said today.
Apparently, Jones is good friends with the museum curator and is happy to introduce you.
It took several days to get the full story of Peter Fossett from John, but Sarah already knew something had happened to shift the relationship from reluctant co-workers to comfortable colleagues. That was usually a much longer process with John, so she was looking forward to meeting the man who had not only saved her husband's life but was also starting to slip past his barriers.