In Cold Blood

Stoecklein and his wife couldn't hear because of the high winds, and the sound was also buffered by the barn.

From the text:

How come we didn't hear. For one thing, the wind. A west wind, like it was, would carry the sound t'other way. Another thing, there's that big milo barn 'tween this house and our'n. That old barn 'ud soak up a lotta racket 'fore it reached us. And did you ever think of this? Him that done it, he must've knowed we wouldn't hear.