Green Bullet Murder [EBOOK]

<h3>Prologue </h3>
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The seasonal chill of winter had arrived with a vengeance. After a long, hot summer, autumn was proving much colder. It seemed that winter had finally taken an icy November grip. As evening drew in, hailstones rattled against the windows of the homes in the English town of Gosdown.
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At the end of an otherwise dark Hopewell Lane, stood a building that was lit up like a welcoming beacon on a dark, gloomy night. It was an old, large red brick building that housed the Bunker Hops microbrewery. Those on the inside seemed blissfully unaware of the atrocious weather conditions outside. They were too busy enjoying a small celebration. It was the winter launch of a cranberry and ginger pale ale, aptly titled BerryGin.
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The producer of this flavoursome Christmas recipe was the owner of the microbrewery, Maggie Hopps. She always enjoyed creating new flavours for her ever-growing customer base. Bunker Hopps had been open now for around two years. This month was a very special one for the microbrewery.
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They had been granted a licence to sell and drink alcohol on the site. That night was the first night that guests could buy their draft ales for consumption on the premises. It had always been Maggie’s plan to operate a small bar in the brewery, and it had taken a couple of years to achieve it.
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Country folk music played in the background, to help with the party spirit. The building vibrated with the laughter and chatter of happy people. Soon, a famous rock band would play, though they’d toned down the beat to more of a country-rock sound for this occasion. It was led by one of the business partners of Bunker Hops, Peter Lofthouse, though this wasn't his stage name.
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Previous launches had been held in the back brewing room and not so much at the front-of-house. The brewery had been large enough to accommodate such a sizeable gathering. Now though, Maggie had extended the building at the front to make room for a modern bar. Guests now enjoyed comfy, soft seats as they sat around tables drinking good beer.
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The walls and ceiling were adorned with sparkling Christmas decorations. They shimmered in reds and golds, and other glittering garish seasonal colours. Among this décor were the many certificates and awards that Bunker Hops had won over the few years of their existence.
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None stood out more than one particular bright gold medal. It also had a matching framed gold certificate. Last year, Maggie had been given a very special local award. It had been presented to her by the local council and police department.
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Maggie Hopps was a popular local character, known not only for her amazing ales and beers. Two years ago she'd helped solve the murder of her cousin. Then, last year she'd assisted the police in capturing a gunman. For the latter, she'd received the Pride of Gosdown Award, commending her bravery in serving the community.
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All that was behind her now and Maggie was concentrating on making her brewery a success. Whilst she was proud of the award, she would have preferred not to make such a fuss. The only reason she’d agreed to accept it was because she thought it would be good PR for her business. That had turned out to be true. Many newspapers and magazines had wanted to run articles on the amateur sleuth of Gosdown. Plus, they all wanted to know what she did for a living, so it had been a win-win situation.
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Maggie was born and raised in Gosdown, though she’d moved away to go to university. Whilst away from her hometown, she had also married her university boyfriend. When that relationship had shattered into tiny pieces, she’d returned home. In the last few years, she'd re-affirmed old friendships and also made lots of new ones.
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With a nasty divorce under her belt, Maggie had done a lot of growing up when she’d left home. But, as far as local residents were concerned, the award couldn’t have gone to a more deserving person.
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She was a popular character in Gosdown. This was no doubt helped in part, by her involvement in solving local crimes, in particular, the local homicides that had happened in this sleepy town. Locals often referred to her as Maggie Marple, after the famous Agatha Christie character.
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It was her naturally inquisitive nature that had led her to assist in the solving of the murders. For most small towns, murders are a very rare occurrence. Yet Gosdown had been unfortunate to suffer two such events in as many years. The hardy residents of Gosdown now went about their business in safety, said homicides all but forgotten.