by Beth Byers
“We need to go to a party,” Violet said, “in this dress. I love it.”
“We need drinks,” Denny said after dinner. “I’ve been practicing that chocolate cocktail.”
“Intriguing,” Oscar said smoothly. “That does sound nice.”
Oh heavens yes, Violet agreed silently. Watching Oscar rub Rita’s wrist with his thumb, watching Rita simper, and attempting to pull Vernon into a conversation was enough to make Vi go mad. She was generally irritated with Jack for not being there and with Ham for the look of rising fury Rita was fighting to hide. The only positive had been the lack of Martha, who had disappeared somewhere, but no one was bothered by it. Violet rather hoped she was on a train back to her mother.
“Rita, darling,” Oscar said, “perhaps once we have had our cocktails, you’d be willing to walk with me on the beach.”
Violet winced for Rita, who fluttered her lashes, glanced down to hide her fury, and then looked back up with flushed cheeks. Anyone who didn’t know her would assume that blush was because she knew another marriage proposal was coming. Oscar adjusted his glasses and didn’t bother to hide his triumph.
“Cocktails,” Violet muttered under her breath. She turned to Vernon. “Do you like chocolate?”
He shook his head. “It gives me headaches.”
Violet contained her scoff. Lila grinned, not even bothering to hide her reaction. Denny saw his wife’s smile, giggled, and then told Vernon, “Too sad, old man.”
Denny was the one who opened the parlor door and let Oscar and Rita step through the door together followed by Violet and Vernon. Lila and Denny were next and all of them stopped, staring towards the chalkboards that had not—in fact—been removed.
“Oh. I believe I may have forgotten something,” Denny said with a high-pitched giggle. “Sorry Vi!”
Lila rolled her eyes as she crossed to a chair and took a seat. “Oh laddie.”
“Denny!” Rita hissed and then faced Oscar whose gaze had narrowed but his face was relatively calm.
Still his voice was pure ice as he asked, “Is this what you think of me? You’ve been throwing yourself at me and you think I killed Richards?”
“Throwing herself at you,” Violet hissed and Lila shook her head. “Men.”
“Look at the board,” Vernon snapped. “Look at it!”
“Calm down,” Oscar said evenly.
Vi read the board again, frowning, but her heart was racing. Vernon was terrified. His gaze was fixed on the part where they’d written he was working with Oscar. The way he turned to Oscar in that moment? Vernon was clearly the underling.
OSCAR WATTS—Did he know the carnies? Was seen with Bidlake before he died, but Jack thinks he really did leave Bidlake and Richards together. If so, where did he go? Why is he lying about being a banker? Why was he chummy with Richards on the boat? He stayed behind with Richards. He had the best opportunity to kill the man. Killer? Probably. Working together with Vernon to set up Bidlake.
VERNON ATKINSON—Did he know the carnies? Easily overlooked. Why was he at the shipping place if he wasn’t part of the scheme? Looks like a killer. Bidlake said he had drinks with Atkinson, but Atkinson says otherwise. Clearly—Vernon and Oscar were working together to get rid of Richards and take over the business.
Oscar’s breath was moving quickly, but other than that he hadn’t shown any other reaction. Vernon, however, was panicking.
“Calm down,” Oscar told Vernon. “Why are you so upset?”
“Upset?” Vernon’s voice pitched several octaves higher. “How did they—”
Denny giggled and crossed to the bar. He started making a round of cocktails as though this were any other evening.
“Quiet!” Oscar said. “I’ll take that cocktail now.”
Denny loaded a silver tray with his drinks, delivered one to Oscar, one to Vernon, one to Rita, and left the silver tray next to Lila with two more drinks. Denny moved like a rabbit surrounded by snakes, keeping an eye on the two men. Vernon was panicking, Oscar was becoming colder and colder, and Denny was feeling the pressure of it all. Through it all, Violet was thinking of how upset Jack would be that this occurred.
“Do you think this?” Oscar asked, gesturing at the board.
“Yes,” Rita said simply. “You obviously were working with Richards, his ledgers prove it. You are going to be arrested for smuggling cocaine and murdering the man you worked with to set it all up.”
“They already arrested Bidlake.”
“They know he didn’t do it,” Rita lied as she lifted a mocking brow. “Do you think detectives as well-known as Barnes and Wakefield don’t know it was you? The only reason Bidlake got taken in was that the locals insisted. Why do you think they’ve got a man searching your rooms right now?”
Vernon squeaked and headed for the door, but Oscar snapped, “Stay here, fool.”
Rita jumped and took a step away from him, but he snatched her wrist. Violet pressed a hand to her chest and turned just slightly so her leg was out of view.
“Oh Rita,” Oscar said. “You were going to be so convenient. A well-established adventurous who travels the world with a huge inheritance? Could my cover have been any better?”
Rita bit down on her bottom lip, and while she didn’t try to get away, Vi had little doubt Rita knew how. He was a fool if he thought that Rita wouldn’t fight him every inch of the way. Oscar stepped forward and cupped her face. It was so very like when Jack did the same to Vi, but the way Oscar’s fingers curled around the back of Rita’s neck made Violet shiver. He spun Rita around and then scowled at Violet.
“I’d heard you were trouble, but given the way you blithely pranced around Felixstowe, I assumed it was nonsense.”
Violet shrugged, using the motion to pull the derringer from her leg carefully and hide it in her hand as she wrapped an arm around her body. She crossed to Denny and accepted the chocolate cocktail with her free hand.
“Vernon set up Bidlake while you killed Richards, obviously,” Violet said. “The only question I have left was how you let the ledgers get out of your grasp when you had everything else in order.”
“It was supposed to look like a robbery, and I intended to take his keys but that drunken Fyfe came along before I could finish. The drunk fool was being chased by constables, so I was forced to shove Richards in the water and hide. Can you imagine? He actually thought he was in love with Rita.”
Violet looked at Rita. That did make sense as to why the money hadn’t been taken; it was one of things that had been bothering Vi.
“Richards didn’t have the imagination to truly make money. He still accepted his missionary donations and pursued that as aggressively as he pursued our work. It was a hodge-podge of side ventures, none of which paid out sufficiently for my needs.”
“Well,” Violet agreed and then started when she saw Oscar pull his own pistol from his pocket but continued as though she were unconcerned, “not if you wanted to be truly wealthy.”
“It isn’t just about money. It’s also about power. Which I have and you don’t. How does it feel to be helpless?”
Denny giggled and then gasped as the gun was pointed at him. “Here now. Why don’t we put that thing away?”
Oscar’s disgusted look had Denny holding up his hands, but it didn’t last, and he lowered them to start on another round of cocktails as though that might appease Oscar.
“You should consider your choices,” Rita told Oscar. “What are you going to do? Kill us all and run? Jack and Ham will hunt you until you’re dead.”
Oscar laughed coldly. “I’ll be leaving England again tonight. They don’t have jurisdiction elsewhere.”
Denny choked on another giggle, probably thinking what Violet was—Jack would care little about law and order if he were pursuing the man who killed his family.
“Oscar, let’s think this through,” Vernon said desperately. “They’re right. That Wakefield won’t stop hunting for us. You can tell he loves his wife. His eyes follow her everywhere.”
Vernon squeaked.
“Someone needs to be the villain who doesn’t—quite—survive.”
“But, but, you can’t!” Vernon said, trying to circle away. Oscar shoved Rita back, throwing her towards the floor and she cried out in pain. Lila gasped, then went still. Her gaze was narrowed on Rita, pale with fury.
Violet only had one shot and a very small gun. She met Lila’s gaze and they both glanced at Rita, who was holding her hand to her chest. The hand looked broken and Lila’s anger had not faded.
Lila calmly removed the cocktails from the silver tray as Oscar laughed and straightened his arm towards Vernon.
“Don’t,” Vernon gasped. “Please.”
“Funny,” Oscar told him with that charming smile, “that’s what Richards said.”
Vernon turned to run and Oscar’s face shifted from cold to deadly. But Lila had silently risen, silver cocktail tray in hand, and swung it like a champion cricket player up to bat. The gun went off, Vernon screamed shrilly, echoed by Denny, and Oscar crumpled. Violet rushed across the room as Oscar rolled onto his back. She held the derringer to his head as Lila took his gun.
“Denny darling,” Lila said idly, “if you’re done screaming, you could do us a favor and call for the constables.”
Denny stared at his wife, a shrill, hysterical sound escaping. He pushed Vernon aside to go for the telephone.
“Don’t,” Lila said when Vernon tried to sidle away. Before he could make it two steps, Smith and Henry appeared in the doorway. Henry looked alarmed and breathless. Smith looked beautiful and amused.
“Oh,” Henry said and then rushed into the room.
“I believe I have your man,” Violet told him, sliding her derringer back into its thigh holster.
Smith laughed, crossing to take the gun from Lila. She looked down at Oscar, looked at Rita, and then helped her to her feet.
“Well,” Lila told Rita, “I’ve been thinking it for days, but outside of Ham, you really do have the worst taste in men.”
“Shut up,” Rita said, flatly. Followed by, “I could really use a drink.”
Chapter 19
Ham and Jack arrived with a screech of tires outside. They thundered up the steps and then stared in consternation at Rita, Lila, and Violet. The three of them were lined up on the Chesterfield, evening gowns straightened, chocolate cocktails in hand, watching as Smith and Henry bound the villains.
“He is pretty,” Rita told Violet, tucking her arm next to her chest to lean forward and admire Smith’s behind.
“They don’t get prettier.”
Smith looked over and flashed a dimple. “You three are too much trouble for me.”
“Oh no,” Lila told him, lifting her cocktail in salute. “We don’t want you, Smith. But you are attractive. Like a very fine horse.”
“Or a nice pair of shoes,” Violet added thoughtfully. “One of those hand-crafted silver handbags that look like a lion, with citrine eyes. Gorgeous, fun, but unnecessary.”
Rita, however, said nothing. Her gaze was fixed on Ham. His was fixed on her. Unlike Jack, who had taken in that Violet was fine and moved from worried to calm, Ham was stuck on the sick, horrified terror.
“What were you thinking?” he demanded, taking in her hurt hand and muttering to a constable to send for the doctor.
“All my fault,” Denny said, offering a tray of cocktails to the incoming constables. “I forgot to tell the servants to clean and remove the chalkboards. I’m afraid things went south rather fast after that.”
“Only an idiot would have believed it was Bidlake,” Rita told Ham dryly. “You should have been here.”
His gaze narrowed on hers and his ears turned red.
Vi winced. She wasn’t sure she’d seen Ham well and truly angry ever. He had a preternatural ability to keep calm. Did he feel naked now that Rita had stripped that away from him?
Ham swallowed thickly.
Like a lion taking down a gazelle, Rita stood. “You were wrong.”
“You aren’t a detective.”
“Fine. Then I was just having dinner with friends.”
“You thought he was a murderer,” Ham roared, losing the last scraps of composure.
“Then I guess you should have shown up to dinner,” Rita snapped back.
His eyes narrowed on her and then he reached out, snatched her good wrist, and pulled her closer. He took gentle hold of her neck and asked silkily, “Are these bruises?”
Rita rolled her eyes in answer, but Ham didn’t see. He crossed to the two men and demanded, “Who?”
Vernon frantically jerked his head towards Oscar. Ham hauled the man up as though he were a wet kitten, and dragged him from the parlor. The sound of flesh hitting flesh followed.
“Romantic,” Lila murmured. “I enjoy a good descent into caveman.”
“If he thinks that beating someone is going to change things,” Rita started, snapping her mouth shut when Ham reappeared in the doorway. He was so angry it was like the crackling of a bonfire.
“Take care of this mess, Henry.”
The constable nodded swiftly, eyes to the ground.
This time, Ham hauled Rita against his chest. “You’re going to drive me to an early grave.”
“Am I?”
His answer was a kiss so thorough, Violet had to look away.
Jack smiled down at her. “Do you think this is it? Are they done now?”
Lila laughed sarcastically and Violet’s explanation was simple. “I have yet to see begging.”
THE END
Hullo friends! Once again, it’s my chance to tell you how much I appreciate you reading the Vi books and traveling on her journey with me. If you wouldn’t mind, I would be so grateful for a review.
If you want book updates, you could also follow me on Facebook. The sequel to this book is available for preorder now.
All Hallows, 1925
Vi Wakefield decides it’s time to embrace the fun. She’s arranging a scavenger hunt with prizes, specialty cocktails, and costumes.
She little expects to uncover a body when she’s following the clues. Once again, Vi, Jack, and friends are faced with a body, an unholy crime, and the baffling cruelties of mankind. Will they be able to discover the killer or will this one escape into the darkness?
Order Here.
A new paranormal 1920s series is coming soon. The Bright Young Witches are sisters who flee the KKK in the United States to find their family in England.
April 1922
When the Klu Klux Klan appears at the door of the Wode sisters, they decide it’s time to visit the ancestral home in England.
With squabbling between the sisters, it takes them too long to realize that their new friend is being haunted. Now they’ll have to set aside their fight, discover just why their friend is being haunted, and what they’re going to do about it. Will they rid their friend of the ghost and out themselves as witches? Or will they look away?
Join the Wode as they rise up and embrace just who and what they are in this newest historical mystery adventure.
Order your copy here.
There is also a new 1920s series about two best friends, written by one of my best friends and I. If you’d like to check it out, keep on flipping for the first chapter.
July 1922
If there's one thing to draw you together, it's shared misery.
Hettie and Ro married manipulative, lying, money-grubbing pigs. Therefore, they were instant friends. When those philandering dirtbags died, they found themselves the subjects of a murder investigation. Did they kill their husbands? No. Did they joke about it? Maybe. Do they need to find the killer before the crime is pinned on them? They do!
Join Hettie and Ro and their growing friendship as they delve into their own lives to find a killer, a best friend, and perhaps a brighter new outlook.
Order Here. Or keep flipping for a
sneak peek.
Also By Beth Byers
The Violet Carlyle Cozy Historical Mysteries
Murder & the Heir
Murder at Kennington House
Murder at the Folly
A Merry Little Murder
New Year’s Madness: A Short Story Anthology
Valentine’s Madness: A Short Story Anthology
Murder Among the Roses
Murder in the Shallows
Gin & Murder
Obsidian Murder
Murder at the Ladies Club
Weddings Vows & Murder
A Jazzy Little Murder
Murder by Chocolate
Candlelit Madness: A Short Story Anthology
A Friendly Little Murder
Murder by the Sea
Murder On All Hallows (coming soon)
Murder in the Shadows (coming soon)
A Jolly Little Murder (coming soon)
The Hettie and Ro Adventures
co-written with Bettie Jane
Philanderers Gone
Adventurer Gone (available for preorder)
Holiday Gone (coming soon)
Aeronaut Gone (coming soon)
Prankster Gone (coming soon)
*Candlelit Madness (prequel short story)
The Poison Ink Mysteries
Death by the Book
Death Witnessed
Death by Blackmail
Death Misconstrued
Deathly Ever After
