A Murder Most Odd by Beth Byers

Author:Beth Byers [Byers, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-30T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

The chalkboard arrived with all the pomp and circumstance of a new child. It was wheeled into the room slowly and put together by Jack and Ham, who sent the servants on their way after requesting immediate refills of the coffee they’d already received.

Unlike when Hargreaves was taking care of them, the coffee didn't automatically come with sandwiches, biscuits, and scones. Rita scrunched her nose at it and then sent the servant for nibbles to see them through however long this would take. It was already after midnight, but Ham wanted them to identify the questions they had before they went to bed, so they could all ruminate on them.

“Who knew Reese before this event? Outside of us?” Ham asked. The moment he’d finished the questions, the constable stepped into the library.

He glanced at them, took in the chalkboard and asked, “Would it be all right if I stayed?”

Ham eyed the man and nodded once.

“This is our line of inquiry,” Ham said. “I’m not trying to be mean, and I know the Yard detective will take over, but we’re going to do what we can to move things along. Jack and I are aren’t interested in pretending we don’t have years of experience behind us even if we’re no longer official.”

“I can understand that.” Constable Elliott glanced among them and then said, “I’m not unaware that you have far more experience than I do. I’d be happy to have this chance to learn from you.”

Ham nodded and his gaze moved to Jack. The two of them were like a well-oiled machine. Ham had led part of the military police during the Great War, and Jack had been Ham’s protégée. Now, years later, they were as close as they’d been then. Closer even. Brothers in arms, brothers by choice, it would be enough.

It had to be enough, Vi thought. They needed it to be enough.

“Reese was with Loopsie, but it seemed that he knew Percival and Jerome.” Vi rose and crossed to the chalkboard. It had been her who started using these among their family, though perhaps the boys used them at Scotland Yard. Those first murders, Vi had used her journal, but it had become something of a group thing now, and they all needed to see and discuss.

“Reese, Percival, Loopsie, Melvin Lissow.” Rita frowned. “Jerome. Me. There were a few others who came and went. We were the main group of friends. We went to Africa together. We saw giraffes and lions and…now Reese is dead.”

Rita’s eyes filled with tears again, but she’d moved on from the shock of her wedding being disrupted to the loss of her friend.

Vi ignored the tears, letting Rita have her moment. There was no soothing away grief. So, Violet let her have it and turned to the board. She wrote:

REESE STAFFORD

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