Death by Greed


 
 
 Table of Contents
 Cover
 About the Book
 Title Page
 Copyright Page
 Books By Abigail Keam
 Chapter 1
 Chapter 2
 Chapter 3
 Chapter 4
 Chapter 5
 Chapter 6
 Chapter 7
 Chapter 8
 Chapter 9
 Chapter 10
 Chapter 11
 Chapter 12
 Chapter 13
 Chapter 14
 Chapter 15
 Chapter 16
 Chapter 17
 Chapter 18
 Chapter 19
 Chapter 20
 Chapter 21
 Chapter 22
 Chapter 23
 Chapter 24
 Chapter 25
 Chapter 26
 Chapter 27
 Chapter 28
 Chapter 29
 Chapter 30
 Chapter 31
 Chapter 32
 Chapter 33
 Chapter 34
 Chapter 35
 Chapter 36
 About Death By Theft
 Books By Abigail Keam
 About The Author
 Josiah is working in her honeybee yard when she hears a commotion coming from her horse pasture. She rushes toward the uproar and comes upon a huge, enraged Texas Longhorn bull. The massive beast is angrily snorting, pawing the turf, and threatening a prized Thoroughbred stallion, Comanche. Josiah may not have much knowledge of cattle, but she realizes snorting, pawing, and lowering the head are signs to get out of the Longhorn’s way! Getting the bull to calm down is no small task and in the end, Josiah has a busted fence and a barn door ripped off its hinges. Once the Longhorn is secure, Josiah hurries to notify the bull’s owner only to discover the man is dead and lying in a pool of his own blood.
 The police naturally assume the bull is responsible for the owner’s death, but Josiah has her doubts. She is convinced foul play is involved and works to save the Texas Longhorn from being “put down.” Will she solve the murder and save the Longhorn in time?
 Death By Greed
 A Josiah Reynolds MysteryBook Eighteen
 Abigail Keam
 
 Worker Bee Press
 Copyright © 2023 Abigail Keam
 Kobo Edition
 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
 No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author.
 The history is true, but the rest is fiction.
 The book is not about you or your friends,
 so don’t go around town bragging about it.
 Book cover by Cricket Press.
 Edited by Penny Baker.
 Author’s photograph by Peter Keam.
 Special thanks to Melanie Murphy and Liz Hobson.
 ISBN 978 1 953478 12 2
 31423
 
 
 Published in the USA by
 
 Worker Bee Press
 P.O. Box 485
 Nicholasville, KY 40340
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 Books By Abigail Keam
 The Josiah Reynolds Mysteries
 Death By A HoneyBee I
 Death By Drowning II
 Death By Bridle III
 Death By Bourbon IV
 Death By Lotto V
 Death By Chocolate VI
 Death By Haunting VII
 Death By Derby VIII
 Death By Design IX
 Death By Malice X
 Death By Drama XI
 Death By Stalking XII
 Death By Deceit XIII
 Death By Magic XIV
 Death By Shock XV
 Death By Chance XVI
 Death By Poison XVII
 Death By Greed XVIII
 Death By Theft XVIX
 The Mona Moon Mystery Series
 Murder Under A Blue Moon I
 Murder Under A Blood Moon II
 Murder Under A Bad Moon III
 Murder Under A Silver Moon IV
 Murder Under A Wolf Moon V
 Murder Under A Black Moon VI
 Murder Under A Full Moon VII
 Murder Under A New Moon VIII
 Murder Under A British Moon IX
 Murder Under A Bridal Moon X
 Murder Under A Western Moon XI
 Murder Under A Honey Moon XII
 1
 I was working my bees when I heard a thunderous bellowing and smashing of wood. Baby, my English Mastiff, took off like a rocket to a neighboring field, barking and growling. He repeatedly ran back to me as if saying “Are you coming? Are you coming?”
 Jumping into my golf cart, I followed Baby to one of my horse pastures where I was stunned to see an enormous Texas Longhorn bawling out his poor, anguished heart. Frightened and angry, this behemoth had broken through my horse fence and was now snorting and tossing his head in protest at Comanche, a valuable breeding stallion rearing and neighing in fear and rage himself.
 I was beside myself as I had given up boarding Thoroughbred stallions because they proved to be ill-tempered. Comanche had been moved next door to Lady Elsmere’s farm but temporarily relocated back with me as his pasture was being re-seeded.
 The sight of Comanche tossing his mane and slashing the air with his dangerous hooves did nothing to deter the bull, who lowered his horns. That bull could gut Comanche with one tip of his powerful horns. Comanche lunged and then sidestepped the bull at the last moment. The bull shook his head and roared, stomping the ground. The Thoroughbred’s actions only incited the Longhorn to more fury. Both animals were a terrible sight to behold in their wrathful frenzy.
 Oh, Lordy! What to do? What to do? I had never come across this situation before. Have you?
 I knew the bull, feeling threatened would and could, with those long horns, spanning eight feet from tip to tip, kill that priceless Thoroughbred. The horse was my responsibility since he was back in my care. My friend had invested every penny she had in that horse. I shuddered at the thought of Comanche being injured and knew I had to rescue the ebony steed, but how?
 I immediately ran into the stable for several buckets of sweet feed and hoisted the feed over the broken fence. I rapped the buckets on a fence post to create a distraction. “Hey, bully bull! Hey, you there, sonny! I got some tasty treats for you!”
 The bull turned at the noise I was making, snorted, and pawed the ground. Now I’m not familiar with cattle behavior, but I am smart enough to realize that snorting, pawing, and lowering one’s head means trouble in Texas Longhorn behavior 101. Sure enough, the bull charged—at me.
 I ran screaming into the stable with Baby close on