The Glove in the Leaves: A Minnie Ming Mystery, Part 2 – The Cave in the Forest

Written for Sunday Whirl Wordle using
 Brenda’s prompt words shown below:

preys, brews, fly, glow, forest, cave,
monster, spin, hidden, filter, head, stick

Edmund bolted before the waiting constable could grab him, his lantern swinging wildly as he fled toward the forest.

“Let him fly,” Inspector Ming said calmly. “Frightened men always run home.”

Lord Ashford clutched her sleeve. “Not into those woods! The villagers say a monster lives in the old cave. It preys on anyone who wanders near after dark.”

“Then it has grown fat on gossip and superstition.” She picked up a fallen stick and followed a trail of broken ferns.

Deep among the trees, an orange glow spilled from the mouth of a cave hidden behind thorny bushes. Inside, copper coils gleamed above a crackling fire. Barrels lined the walls, and the air reeked of pungent whiskey.

Edmund stood frozen beside an illegal still.

“So this is what your nephew brews, my lord,” Minnie said. “Bootleg whiskey, poured through a charcoal filter. He needed the estate before you changed your will, or he’d lose the land beneath his still. The ghost frightened you, and the monster frightened everyone else.”

Ashford’s head had begun to spin with this new information. “But who buys it?”

Minnie Ming sniffed the air and winced at the noxious aroma.

“That, my lord, is another mystery.”

For Part 1 click here.

NAR©2026

This is “Copperhead Road” by Steve Earle

Wordle 780

^{Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated, and may not be used without permission. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.}