by Charlot King
“Shut up!”
Kara is angry with Godric for trying to interfere, and as she shouts at him she looks at Elizabeth’s hip, as Elizabeth is now buckling under the pressure. As Elizabeth falls and Kara’s eyes dip, Godric makes his move and grabs the knife from Kara. As he catches his breath, so Inspector Abley turns up out of nowhere behind them both and catches Elizabeth before she falls to the floor, gently easing her down so she can sit. Kara makes a run for it, but Godric chases her and is joined by Sergeant Lemon who has driven with Inspector Abley over to the house. Everyone watches as they catch and handcuff Kara, her face pressed into the grass. Abley raises his eyebrows at the open mouthed Jonathan and Rebecca. He smiles as he addresses them. “The front door was locked so I thought I’d come round the back. I see everybody’s here. Everything okey-doke?”
Elizabeth, now sitting on the floor looks up at Inspector Abley. “You might want to arrest Kara Anderson Tip for the murder of Edward Wiley, Susan Bunt and for the attempted murder of Rebecca Wiley tonight - your SOCO may want to sweep the bar for evidence and take samples from the pool. It has abrin in it from a glass. Should be enough to find molecules for evidence.”
The Inspector looks quite shocked, but listens intently. “And perhaps another GBH against you too? Think we can do that.”
51. Cardigan
Elizabeth and Godric stand by the Talbot Lago on the gravel drive of the new Secretary of State for Justice, Jonathan Smythe-Jones. They have no doubt that this will be the shortest appointment term in history, as when he tries to inform the Prime Minister of this one, they are sure his feet won’t touch the ground. Jonathan follows Kara out, who is being taken away by two uniformed police officers.
“You have ruined everything! I never want to see you again!” Jonathan is barking at her.
Elizabeth speaks to Godric in hushed tones.
“At first I thought it was Jonathan. He was smoking the same cigarettes Edward had in his jacket. But they were hers, she must have given him them in the restaurant.”
Godric replies.
“Me too. I thought perhaps he’d killed Edward to get hold of the family money or something. When he stood to inherit the lot, that was suspicious. And then when he learned that Susan was pregnant, that would possibly mean he wouldn’t. As Edward suddenly had an heir.”
Elizabeth answers Godric, as she gets out her keys and passes them to him.
“Yes, I can understand that. Rebecca also had quite the motive you know. Kara made quite a convincing case as to her jealousy, and I grew suspicious of her, it is true. But the dead campanula on Rebecca’s college window ledge, and knowing nothing about plants ruled her out of killing her own husband. As soon as we knew the poison came from plants we knew it wasn’t her.”
Godric adds to Elizabeth’s conclusions.
“Yes, and Rebecca told me Kara had sacked her gardener.”
Elizabeth explains why.
“Kara realised she didn’t want anyone to know that she had taken a batch of oenanthe crocata, or hemlock water dropwort as it is also known, from her garden. The very plant that killed Susan.”
Rebecca comes out and Jonathan holds her tight. Inspector Abley walks over to Elizabeth.
“Flint was a suicide, he left a note. Dr Eruna is an unsavoury character, but not a murderer apparently. Though we have put authorities in contact with the relevant information about the company conduct in Africa. We’re also are charging him over the assault on you, he admitted hitting you on the head.”
“Everything balances out at some point.”
“And you were right, Kara paid a friend £5,000 to grab the necklace from Susan. Kara told him to put the frighteners on Susan. When we caught up with him tonight he squawked that he couldn’t do it. Said he didn’t come forward because she had friends in high places. She’d asked him to break into Susan’s and keep an eye on your house, that she had her sights on you he thinks.”
Godric pipes up.
“Oh, the man who was staring at me through a camera lens. Must have been him.”
Abley continues.
“So, are you glad to be back?”
She smiles.
“I never left.”
“We have solved all the murders together again.”
“No, not quite all, Inspector. You didn’t help me solve the great greenhouse grape massacre.”
“Oh. Did you find out who did it?”
“Crows. Crows were lifting the window lid themselves and getting in.”
“Caw, I bet that must make you angry, what with you liking animals so much.”
“On the contrary. How clever they are! They are to be celebrated even more. I shall be phoning the relevant academics so we can add this to the pile of evidence which shows not only how ingenious crows are, but just how little we still know about them. Fascinating!”
Abley puts his arm on Elizabeth’s.
“Hang on.”
The Inspector goes to the police car, opens the front door, and retrieves something from the passenger seat. He returns to Elizabeth and gives her Gerald’s cardigan.
“We have all the evidence we need, thanks to you.”
Elizabeth turns and looks at the Talbot. She smells the cardigan. She looks around at the police cars and then gets in the passenger seat next to Godric. She holds the cardigan close as Godric turns on the engine and pulls away. Elizabeth doesn’t look back.
THE END
Thank you very much for reading Poison, book one of the series Cambridge Murder Mysteries. If you would like to read further books, there will be more information about publication of the second novel in the series on my website: www.charlotking.com
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