The Poisonous Biscuit

by Paul Edwards

  "We all know what she's up to, don't worry" Mrs Parkinson said. After this arrived Jacks grown up children from his previous marriage. Sadly their mother other was dead. This was a big number, there was Jack named after his Father; John; Peter; Alan; Samuel; Judy and Jane named after her Mother. His two daughters hadn't arrived yet, but the five sons had come together after meeting up first for a catch-up drink. Hannah was glad it was this way and kind of hoping his daughters would never turn up, as it seemed as if they were never keen on her. On the contrary, the sons seemed alright with Hannah, not that they'd call her mother though, considering she was younger than them. It was a strange situation, but they just learned to get used to it. In fact, John seemed to have a thing for Hannah, although it was never a mutual feeling.

  "Nice to see all my boys" Mr Adersall said as he stood up out of his chair and hugged each one of them. "Where is Judy and Jane?"

  "I'm not sure Dad, but they should be on their way" Peter said. John winked at Hannah, who then turned around and walked into the games room, checking on the children.

  "Following me John?"

  "Don't be silly sweetheart?"

  "I'm not your sweetheart!" She entered the room to avoid him and spoke to the children.

  "How are you kids? Don't mess with that plug Ann!" Another car arrived, ‘Bang!’ All sorts of fumes came out. It was Judy and Jane, unfortunately for Hannah. Marching in they greeted their father, after brushing past Hannah with their heads held up high. It was as if they thought she was stealing their inheritance by marrying their father.

  "Shall we sing Happy Birthday?" Hannah said to the children.

  "YEAH!!!" they all cheered. Into the kitchen she went to light the candles, and then with them into the Parlour she went, where her husband was sitting, and she started everyone of as they sang

  "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Mr Adersall, Happy Birthday to you." Hannah cheered "Hip hip" and everyone joined in cheering accordingly and then clapped.

  "Make a wish" she said.

  "Done it!" he replied and then blew them out.

  "Better relite them for the children to blow out" he later insisted, and so she relit them, and the children blew them out, a long family tradition ever since Ben started insisting on it over the last few years. He just had to blow the candles out at a party, he loved it.

  In came another man from outside

  "Hello, are you the man who's playing the piano?" Hannah asked.

  "I am the man who's playing the piano, yes."

  "Please come in." The evening went on with the piano being played, cheering everyone up, making it a nice classy party environment. It was almost like another one of those formal dinners Jack liked hosting, except that it was not just in the dining room, but in the whole house, with all the downstairs doors being wide open, barring the bathroom and the laundry room.

  "I've got the biscuits which I made you here if you want one Jack?” Hannah said to Jack.

  “Oh thank you, as usual, make sure you have the biggest biscuit."

  Everyone knew that Jack always let Hannah have the biggest biscuit, because he loved her, and this expressed how much because there was nothing he loved more than biscuits, apart from her it would see.

  "I insist! because it's your birthday, you have the bigger biscuit this time Jack."

  "Are you sure Hannah? That would be a break with tradition, I'd feel awful" He laughed.

  "I insist!"

  "Very well, I tell you what, I'm going to share this big biscuit with my Grandchildren." Being generous as he was, he broke it up, and the four of them shared it. Larger than any normal size biscuit it was like the size of a cookie, and everyone left this one for Jack because it was his birthday. In fact, this was the last biscuit left.

  "Who wants a coffee?"

  "We'll have one Hannah, after the journey if you wouldn't mind" her grandparents said.

  "OK, let me show you our new coffee machine." She took them into the kitchen, showing them all their up to date machinery and equipment.

  "I hope you’re going to stay over."

  "Oh, we couldn't burden you like that" her Grandma insisted.

  "But if you sure!" Her Grandad said laughing, full of giggles as usual.

  "We haven't brought any stuff"

  "We have! I packed." It was typical of Hannah’s Grandad to assume Hannah’s politeness, but why shouldn't he, considering the fact that they brought Hannah up.

  "I knew my Hannah was polite and would look after her old Grandad" he said, and Hannah laughed and gave them both a big hug, just after her Grandma gave him a little slap on the cheek. After having a long chat, they went back into the living room, to be shocked. Ben had collapsed, his sisters were feeling ill and Jack was moaning.

  "What's happened!" Hannah exclaimed.

  "Dad's feeling ill, and the kids" Peter said.

  "Call an ambulance!" Hannah screamed, holding onto her husband’s hands. Ben was everyone’s main concern though, his mum tapped his cheeks, but got no response, apart from a pulse.

  Chapter Four

  Down in Manchester, Richard was watching the TV, as he did a lot of the time. Apart from that he would read or listen to the radio. It was mainly books about crime he would read, as that was his thing. Ever since being a little boy, he was interested in crime. He was thinking back in time to one morning when his Mum woke up, to find him in a police outfit.

  "Where did you get that?" She asked him.

  "From Aunt Elsie, it was a birthday present, remember?" It didn't seem like he had much support in wanting to be involved in crime. His family seemed to think it was morbid, a bit like being a funeral director. Richard was insistent though, like with everything, once he got an idea in his head there was no changing his mind, he was a determined kind of person, as everyone knew.

  "Mummy, if nobody was an investigator or a police officer, crime would never be dealt with."

  "Yes, but that doesn't mean it's your job to deal with it, does it?"

  "I suppose not" he assured her, although it was clear decades later that he was not going to let it drop really. To him, crime and intent was always so obvious after a little thought, a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle. All that was required in addition to any other puzzle was working out motives and intentions and locations. It was all about process of illumination to Richard. This person hasn't done it, that person hasn't done it, and that leaves only the other person. Everyone was a suspect to Richard. When he was younger, a chocolate bar went missing, and he launched what he considered an investigation. Despite being only ten, he knew that he was given the chocolate at ten o clock and had put it in his room, and he knew that when he checked at eight o clock it was gone. It could only be his Mum who gave it him or one of his cousins, Zack, Matthew and Elliott as nobody else was there between those times.

  "I know it wasn't Elliott because he hasn't been upstairs, it could be Mum or it could be Matthew, but it won't be Zack because he doesn't like chocolate. I hardly think its Mum, so it must be you Matthew!"

  "It wasn't me!"

  What did Richard to? He spoke to all the friends of Zack and found out that Zack had sold one of them a chocolate bar for 10p, of the exact same kind. Richard could draw things out of people, and he didn't do anything in any rush, as long as he could help it. Holding his Mum as a culprit until the last minute, because she had "been upstairs like the other two" as it were, this was what made Richard such a good detective by his instincts. Fact was fact and reality was reality to him and feelings played no part in reality. The only things that made him think it most likely not his mother was lack of motive, or not obvious motive. This was only a very minor matter, nothing like the serious things he came to investigate later in life, but it set a precedence for him.

  Another thing Richard was good at was chess. Thinking many moves ahead, he could not be beaten by anyone, not even his uncle who had taught him how to play. After the first few games, all became obvious and he picked up th
e knack. All through school he won, and the same with any problem solving, he knew the answers in class. Physical sport however was never his strong point. You wouldn't catch Richard playing football after school, not a cat’s chance in hell.

  At 18 years old, Richard having completed A Levels in Maths, English and Law, but with very low results apart from with Maths in which everything is objective, decided university was not for him. Learning information was not his thing, facts and figures in general would not stick. On the contrary anything logical like maths, that did. Despite his decision, his Dad pestered him to go to Uni, seen as he was so interested in crime and seemed intelligent when it got down to actually working things out in real life. Caving in, he applied and went to Uni down south. While being there, he lived in a rough area, and there was a lot of crime. Richard could see that the police were always arresting the wrong people, even judges confirming their decisions often, and he would not remain silent while he was around. Any opportunity to intervene, despite not being paid, he intervened and stuck his nose where is apparently didn't belong. This was especially handy when there was once a murder in the study accommodation, he was staying in.

  Always helping the police in that area led to Richard walking out of Uni and becoming a private investigator. His skills did not go unnoticed and word got around fast. Why stay in Uni when he could be earning a high salary from now? He was needed now, and now was the time he was going to put his foot in the pool of water. Apart from solving crime, this new job meant he would be able to travel all over the country, meeting all sorts of people, as was his kind of thing. Consequently, he moved to Manchester to stay in one of the tallest buildings in Britain, to have a nice view of the world. In this building, there was no murders, no loud noise and no theft, or at least not so far anyway. Peace at last. After all, crime was for work, not for at home.

  A few floors below was his friend Adam, another investigator. His job was however based more on local crime. Often, they would get together and discuss things, educating each other’s gaps in knowledge. Yes, even Richard was willing to admit that he wasn't perfect, even if he didn't seem to miss a trick. Adam came around often to play chess with Richard, but this changed to cards eventually as Adam was sick of losing at chess. At least with cards, the evidence could not be seen, and everything was hidden behind a veil, there could be no thinking ahead. Although one day, he did have Adam shocked.

  "Sit there. Now, hold up a card and I'll guess what it is." The game went on and he got it right.

  "3 of hearts"

  "what!"

  "9 of clubs?"

  "I'm shuffling these!"

  "7 of spades" he said with a smile on his face. After a few more attempts Adam was forced to admit what he thought.

  "I must admit, you are not only a detective, you are a genius!"

  After teasing him a bit more and having a long chat he finally admitted how he was winning.

  "OK, there was a mirror behind you all along."

  "Oh! Gosh! That is it! I actually thought... just... how could I be so stupid."

  "I feel guilty now, and how could I act so arrogant hahaha.”

  He enjoyed every minute of it, despite it being a delusion, although he had learned that trick from his uncle years ago who used only the reflection on the glass of the T.V. cabinet, something not so obvious at all.

  Chapter Five

  Flashing blue lights outside, the ambulance had arrived, and another one behind it. In came the paramedics.

  "It was after those darn biscuits!" Judy shouted, "you've killed our father!"

  "Judy! Stop it!" Peter said.

  "This is what she always wanted, the house to be hers." Hannah cried and shouted out.

  "Party's over. I'm going to the hospital."

  Her grandparents who were staying over agreed to watch the house while she was at the hospital. Jack wasn't talking anymore, but he held Hannah’s hand in the back of the ambulance as it was going. Meanwhile, Helen had followed them down to the hospital in her car, not wanting to choose between her three children who all seemed very ill. Grabbing hold of her hand, Jack managed to say faintly "I love you, Hannah."

  "Love you too" she said and gave him a kiss on the head. Suddenly there was silence and bleeping. The paramedics started rushing around.

  "WHAT'S HAPPENING!!!!!"

  "I'm afraid we're losing him" the nurse said as he tried doing a number of things to get him conscious again, but to no avail.

  "20:27" one paramedic said to the other, as they noted it down. Tears started coming down Hannah’s face, she knew exactly what they meant. Time of death.

  After arriving at the hospital, she broke the news to Helen, who was very comforting.

  "How're your little ones?"

  "It's not looking good for us either. I am truly sorry for your loss though."

  It was a large hospital, now resembling a death camp to her. She was so distraught she could have collapsed. What could possibly be worse than this? She apparently had her husband’s death on her hands, and on top of that, people might soon think she was responsible for the death of three children also. Four people in one day? Even the moors murderers in England did not go that far she was thinking. Everything seemed so unfair, Helen couldn't express anger at Hannah because she was a grieving widow, but she couldn't help but keep thinking that if it wasn't for her then her children wouldn't be in that situation.

  After sitting for a while, doing nothing, at 23:00 the nurse came out.

  "You might as well all go home for now, we'll be in touch.”

  Helens husband agreed to give Hannah a lift home, but Helen insisted on staying with her children.

  "I'll bring you some clothes in the morning" he said as they left the building and drove away. On the way back there was nothing but awkward silence for a while.

  "What's your name? I've only ever knew you as Helens husband, I'm afraid I have to admit."

  "Hahaha, there's probably a reason for that, I'm called Kwiatoslaw."

  "I've never heard that name before". They had a good chat, which ended with him ensuring her that he didn't blame her for his children being in hospital. Would he think the same if they died though? That was Hannah’s main concern.

  "Thanks for the lift." In she went, to be greeted by her grandparents who were still there.

  "Any news?"

  "He's dead Grandma!"

  "Aww, my sweet thing, don't cry." Luckily, Judy and Jane had gone, or no doubt if they had said anything now, they'd have been given a right slap from Hannah's Grandma. Most people had gone by now, apart from her grandparents and the sons of Jack.

  "You might as well all stay the night, I'm going to bed, although I'm not sure if I want to sleep in that bed without him, not tonight. Thank goodness we have all these spare rooms."

  ◆◆◆

  The night was dark, and it was stormy, the windows were moving, banging open and shut. The lightning was sounding loud and nobody could sleep in the house. Aided by this, Hannah was having awful dreams, and was tossing and turning constantly. At 2AM the phone rang, and at the other end there was just breathing, no speaking. It rang again at 3AM, no speaking.

  "WHO IS THIS!" Still no answer, was someone messing with her? Who would ring at this hour? Back to sleep she went, the storm still raging.

  "Arrrrrrrrrr" Hannah woke up screaming. In came her grandma.

  "Whatever is the matter dear?"

  "He's dead, he's dead, they've killed him."

  "I think you've had a bad dream, let’s go downstairs and talk it over with a nice hot chocolate."

  It was very unusual for Hannah to have a bad dream, or any dreams. It must have been her body’s way of responding to the situation.

  "Who rung the phone at 2 and 3 o clock?"

  "I don't know Grandma, there was no answer, just breathing. Maybe it's just a faulty line."

  It was 4AM, so she just got on with some drawing, after closing all the windows to keep the storm out. She wouldn't get back to
sleep now, not after all that.

  It was then 6AM in the morning, and the phone rang again, before she got to the phone it stopped ringing. If this carried on, perhaps going to the police was an idea? Or maybe not. At 8AM the phone rang again, this time there was an answer.

  "Hello it's Helen, I've got some bad news, Ann is dead."

  "I am so sorry, really I am, this is all my fault, if only I had just eaten the biscuit myself as usual!"

  "Please don't blame yourself, this is awful what has happened to us. We've lost a child, with two others still ill, but you cannot blame yourself, we don't."

  "I don't understand how a biscuit could cause this, I made them all out of the same mixture.”

  "I'll let you know the results of the post-mortem." Things were getting serious now. It was becoming a criminal investigation, likely with Hannah as the main suspect. It was 10AM and the Adersall brothers had all come downstairs. Jacks firstborn, sometimes known as Jack Junior put his arm around Hannah to assure her that she had the families support. This was a great comfort, as she feared she would be left all alone. If things got any worse would this support change? Jack Junior reassured Hannah.

  "I answered the phone at 6AM, and I assumed someone was messing around, so I said if they didn't stop ringing, I would strangle them." Had he just made matters worse? Only time could tell.

  "Everyone come and have a look at the new coffee machine" she said in distraction. It was one of those where you put a filter paper in to stop the bits of coffee getting into the jug of coffee, after using fresh grinded coffee. As well as this, they had a lovely fitted kitchen, purchased only a month before, which included an oven which was strangely on the wall high up. While her Grandma had seen the coffee machine already, the rest of the kitchen left her astonished. It must have cost a fortune this kitchen.

  Half way through their coffee, they saw a number of police cars arrive on the drive. Things were already bad enough, but what were these doing here? Knock, knock.