The Case of the Christie Conspiracy: A Detection Club Mystery by Kelly Oliver

Author:Kelly Oliver [Oliver, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books

Theo could have checkmated D. I. Goforth on his last turn. But where was the fun in that? Anyway, Eliza was waiting to challenge the winner and he couldn’t face playing her. Chess was too intimate and his emotions were too strong. Sitting across from her, under the intensity of her gaze and the energy of her concentration would be too much for him. He had to shed these inappropriate feelings first. She obviously didn’t share his ardor and he wasn’t about to risk a broken heart.

She was standing behind him. And although he couldn’t see her, he could sense her presence scrutinizing his every move. He was surprised she didn’t say anything when he passed up the chance to win. Surely, she saw it, too.

“I’m ready.” Alice appeared in the sitting room. She was dressed to the nines. “Anthony will be here soon. Shouldn’t you hide?”

They were counting on Anthony’s loyalty to Fergus Briggs. Their plan was working. They’d baited Anthony into taking Alice out for dinner, presumably to enable Fergus Briggs to retrieve the ledger. Hopefully, he’d already told Briggs about the ledger and the dinner date. If so, the plan was already in motion. Briggs would know the ledger was in Alice’s flat. And he would know Alice would be out. The question was, would he take the bait?

Like setting a trap in chess. The Rubenstein trap worked best if your opponent playing black got greedy and couldn’t resist taking the bait, which in that case was a knight. Most players couldn’t resist taking a knight with a lowly pawn. But once they did, the trap was set and their queen was pinned, or worse, checkmate.

People who embezzle are greedy.

Briggs embezzles.

Therefore, Briggs is greedy.

Greedy people always take the bait.

Briggs is greedy.

Therefore, Briggs will take the bait.

Deductive logic. Theo chuckled to himself. Carefully, he lifted his chess board and carried it to the kitchen. Nattering on about an elusive ring of pickpockets on the east side, Goforth trailed behind. Eliza dimmed the lights. And then the three of them sat in the dark in the kitchen waiting for Anthony to arrive and take Alice away.

Eliza had convinced them it was best if Anthony wasn’t in on the plan. Not only because he would be more convincing when he told Briggs, but also because she didn’t really trust Anthony. And Eliza claimed to rely on evidence and not “gut feelings.” Then again, she did fancy herself a good judge of character. No doubt based on some evidence from the perceivable world. Her sense of smell, perhaps. She could smell a rat.

After Anthony arrived and Alice left with him, the trio continued sitting in the dark. Theo borrowed a small torch from Eliza, who always carried one in her hip bag along with who-knew-what-else. Shining the torch on the board, he said, “Your move.” After a couple more moves, his hand was tired of holding the torch. And it was distracting playing in the dark while waiting for an embezzler and potential murderer.

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