Death at Dinner Read online

  “He didn’t. Not the way we thought he did. When I was looking in the study, I noticed Mr. Ainsworth’s pillbox. I should have realized it was odd that Scotland Yard returned it to Mr. Carrollton and not the next of kin. But when I visited Inspector Hamilton, he still had a pillbox. It didn’t mean anything until I started to suspect Mr. Carrollton.”

  “So Mr. Ainsworth had two pillboxes?”

  “No, the one in the study was the real one. Remember Mrs. Delford left it on the table when Mr. Ainsworth collapsed. Mr. Carrollton picked it up. When she missed it, he showed her the box Inspector Hamilton has now, which was similar but not exactly the same, and already poisoned. Remember, he gave it directly to the inspector, not her, so she never noticed the difference. And with the poisoned pills, he thought no one would bother to look anywhere else for the source of the poison.”

  Mrs. Albright refilled my cup. “I knew asking you to investigate was the best thing to do. Have another biscuit.”

  Mrs. Pomeroy got up. “I think there’s some of the walnut cake left in the pantry. I’ll just slip in there and check.”

  As I settled back with my tea, I wondered if it was very childish of me to enjoy being rewarded with sweets.

  Chapter 27

  AT TEATIME THE NEXT DAY, when I had just gotten my macaroons arranged on a plate and my tea steeping, the bell on the message tube pinged. Inside the brass cylinder, I found Inspector Hamilton’s card. I sent the latchkey down, unlocked my door, and got out a second cup.

  Inspector Hamilton peered around the side of the door. “Good afternoon. I’m not interrupting, am I?”

  “Of course not. Unless you’re planning to arrest any of my friends.”

  He smiled. “Not at all.”

  “Then sit down and have a cup of tea.”

  Inspector Hamilton accepted the cup I offered. “Carrollton decided it was better to confess, so I thought I’d call and see if there were any gaps you’d like filled in.”

  I was surprised by his consideration, so I started asking before he could change his mind. “So he was the second embezzler?”

  “That’s right. Well, technically the first. Warland was the second.”

  “How did he get Mr. Ainsworth to go along with it?”

  “They knew Warland was the other embezzler. Ainsworth figured that out on his own, and he’d figured out that it started long before Warland had been hired. Carrollton told Ainsworth he had a plan to catch the second one. Ainsworth thought the two were related, so he agreed to it. He didn’t know Ross was going to be there. Carrollton told Ainsworth that Belmont was in on it. That gave it an air of respectability, I suppose. According to Mrs. Pomeroy, Belmont wouldn’t have been part of something shady. In the study, he gave Ainsworth the poisoned wine and said they were celebrating. Ainsworth spilled it on his shirt when the poison took effect. Any other questions?”

  “How did he know I'd solved it?”

  “My fault, I'm afraid. He saw Constable Fulton outside and panicked. Apparently he remembered you poking around and thought you were one of us.”

  “And Miss Kurtfield and Mr. Garland?”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Garland are in Scotland, just like Mr. Sharma said.”

  “Why did you let me tag along?”

  “I didn’t—”

  “Oh, come on, you could have gotten rid of me at lots of points in the investigation. Why didn’t you?”

  Inspector Hamilton stared into his teacup. “Because you were willing to entertain the possibility that your friend was guilty. Very few people could do that, and it contaminates their investigation.”

  “And that is something every good investigator can do?”

  “Not at all.”

  “But you can?”

  “I was once engaged to a woman who was a murderer.”

  “Is this going to turn into one of those stories that end with dead goldfish?”

  “No, her great-uncle. An inheritance, of course, but it did prove to me that anyone is capable of murder.” He put down his empty cup. “I hope we meet again, just not over a dead body. Good afternoon.”

  ~ * ~ * ~

  After Inspector Hamilton left, I decided to pay a call on Mrs. McWade and tell her how the investigation had ended. She had seemed eager to tell the ladies back home about it; I wanted her to have the full story, with the proper dramatic ending provided by Mrs. Albright and the skillet to impress them. I had just come out of the Underground station near the Prescott Guest House when I heard my name being called. I turned to see Miss Carrollton getting out of a cab just outside of the hotel. She waited for me to catch up to her.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Pengear. Inspector Hamilton said you were the one who made the final connection about the wine.”

  “Hello, Miss Carrollton. I’m very sorry it had to be your uncle.”

  She sighed, “Well, he confessed, so he must have done it. Shame to have something like that in the family. Ah, here he is.”

  Mr. Sharma was coming out of the front door of the guest house. “Miss Pengear, a pleasure to see you again. Will you join us for tea?”

  “No thank you. I’m sure you have things to discuss.”

  “Oh, nothing like that,” Miss Carrollton said. “When Uncle is hanged for the murder, I’ll be his sole heir, so I’ll be running the business. Now that the embezzlement has been stopped, the numbers Mr. Sharma originally received will be valid again.”

  Mr. Sharma smiled sheepishly at me. “The partnership again looks like a good arrangement for both sides. And as I’ll be returning to Delhi soon, I do need to have some arrangements in place, even if it is a bit...soon after...”

  Miss Carrollton didn’t seem to have any qualms about it. “So we’re setting up some agreements in principle to be ready for when I can officially agree to them. You’re sure you won’t come? Mrs. Delford will be there. I’m going to hire her on as my assistant manager once she sells the law practice.”

  “Then give her my regards. I have an appointment to take tea with someone else, so I won’t be able to join you.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad. Come along, Mr. Sharma. I don’t want to keep Mrs. Delford waiting.”

  Mr. Sharma bowed to me and looked ready to say something, but Miss Carrollton had already started down the street and was about to turn down the wrong corner if they were going to the same shop he’d taken me to.

  “You don’t want to keep her waiting.”

  “She doesn’t know where the shop is,” he apologized “Good day. I hope we meet again in happier circumstances.”

  ~ * ~ * ~

  Mrs. McWade was sitting in the lobby with a teapot and a tray of cookies set out in front of her and her knitting on her lap. She’d progressed to the sleeves so it was starting to look like a sweater. “Miss Pengear, I was hoping you'd come. Did I hear Mr. Sharma?”

  “He was meeting Miss Carrollton for tea and business.”

  “She’s a practical one, I’ll give her that. But really, he’s not even convicted yet. And it’s no sure thing that he’ll be hanged. Unless you know something?”

  “Well, he did confess.”

  “How fascinating. I tried to do my little bit, you know. I asked Mr. Sharma about the telegram for you. I suppose it doesn’t matter now, but it was quite sweet really. His sister — did you know he had a sister back in India? She had run off to elope with a man who left her when he found out the business is Mr. Sharma’s outright, not his parents’, so not hers at all. He was telling them Mr. Edmund Hope was the best chance to get her married after that scandal. Turns out the poor man’s been sweet on her for years. Now the coconut biscuits are particularly nice. Help yourself to the tea. And don’t leave out any details.”

  “Where would you like me to start?”

  “At the end, of course. How did you know it was him?”

  I fixed myself a cup of Earl Grey and began at the end.

  Cassie Pengear's adventures continue in Cassie Pengear Mysteries book 3- Stabbing Set with Sapphires

>   Cassie Pengear thought a job typing up inventory lists at a jewelry store would be fun. Until there was a kidnapping. And then a robbery. And then a murder. Now Cassie must figure out the connection between the events and hope it will lead her to the missing girl. approx. 68,000 words, print version 246 pages

  For more information, go to https://lanisula.com/books/stabbing-set-with-sapphires/

  L. A. Nisula also writes fantasy novels under the name Lisa Anne Nisula. You can find out more about her and her other books at http://www.lanisula.com and http://www.LisaAnneNisula.com