Pets, Pens & Murder: A Dickens & Christie Mystery by Kathy Manos Penn

Author:Kathy Manos Penn [Penn, Kathy Manos]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Manos Penn and Ink
Published: 2022-09-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Ellie opened the door at my knock, and she looked over my shoulder. “Good morning, Leta. Dave’s not with you?”

I fudged. “No, he had things to do, and I was eager to hear how your dinner with Gilbert went. Is this a good time? Have you been to breakfast?”

“We’re a bit at loose ends this morning. We were debating whether to order in or visit one of the cafés. And now Wendy’s gone to fetch Wimsey from the vet so Rhys wouldn’t have to go. The poor man has his hands full. Anyway, we were about to ring for room service.”

Wendy’s absence could be a blessing in disguise. That way if I sounded at all suspicious of Rhys, she wouldn’t be around to pick up on it. “Well, I haven’t eaten either. May Dickens and I join you?”

After placing the breakfast order, Belle and Ellie filled me in, and I could tell they were quite pleased with themselves. It never took much to get Gilbert talking, and Saturday night had been no exception.

Belle folded her hands in her lap. “Leta, you tasked us with finding out more about Oliver Fletcher, who we now know is a retired veterinarian.” I interjected that I’d only just heard that detail from Sue too. “Well, it has no bearing on Emily’s death, but Gilbert also told us the poor man has cancer. Not only that, he lost his only grandson not long ago. I do feel sorry for him.”

I looked at Ellie, who had lost a husband, a son, and a grandson in the past year. This has to be a difficult topic for her.

As if she’d heard my thoughts, Ellie spoke up. “But it’s worse than you suppose. His grandson committed suicide. I cannot begin to imagine how awful that is, and yet . . . ”

Her voice tapered off and Belle patted her friend on the knee. “I’ll tell her the rest, dear. Gilbert said that Oliver Fletcher blames Rhys. It seems the young man wrote a book about all the things Agatha Christie got wrong in her books—particularly about poisons. Why anyone would want to do that, I can’t fathom. What is it they say? Her books are outsold by only the Bible and Shakespeare? What point is there in denigrating her now?”

Ellie must have seen the puzzled expression on my face. “You must be wondering what the book and Rhys have to do with the suicide. It seems the grandson couldn’t find a publisher, not unusual in this day and age, and he was despondent about it. I gather he hadn’t held down a job nor had much success in his life, and that he lived with his grandfather.”

“Um, how old was he?”

It was Belle’s turn. “Late twenties, I think. I can’t imagine Peter living with me at that age, but I gather this young man had some emotional issues. And that’s where Rhys Ford comes in. He was his psychiatrist for close to ten years.”

I closed my eyes as I tried to grasp the scenario.

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