Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By: A Penny Brannigan Mystery by Elizabeth J. Duncan Page B
Authors: Elizabeth J. Duncan
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Miss Russell?” The male voice gave a little noise of what sounded like disgust and as the door started to open Penny took five fast steps down the hall and turned around so she appeared to be coming toward the Robinson Room. A moment later, Hywel Stephens emerged, followed by Pamela Blaine.
Penny gave them a weak smile and said hello, but they ignored her. Head down, Mrs. Blaine brushed past her, and the accountant headed in the opposite direction, through the door that led to the landing at the top of the stairs. A few moments later his feet made soft thudding sounds on the carpeted stairs.
Nineteen
Elwy Nash paused to collect his thoughts on the doorstep of the small bungalow just outside Hawarden where he lived with his wife, Constance. He had terrible news for her, and needed to take a moment to find the right words.
He put the key in the lock and let himself in. He hung his jacket on a hook in the hall and pushed open the door to the sitting room. His wife, her head covered in a scarf patterned with yellow roses, dozed in a heavy brown recliner, her feet elevated on the raised footrest. Her head lolled against the back of the chair, her mouth slightly open. The soft hiss of a gas fire and a ticking clock on the mantelpiece broke the silence in the stifling, overheated room.
He sat down on the sofa and gazed at her until she stirred and turned her head toward him.
“So. You’re home, then,” she said.
“Yes, Constance, I’m home and I’ve got some very bad news. It’s about Minty, I’m afraid. The police came to see me in the pub this afternoon.”
His wife struggled to sit up.
“Don’t get up, pet. Just listen to what I’ve got to say and brace yourself. Something terrible happened at the Library today around lunchtime. We saw the ambulance arrive and a punter came in a bit later and said someone had been taken away with a bad case of food poisoning.”
Constance closed her eyes and her lashes started to glisten.
“I’m sorry, love. I guess I’d better just come out and say it.” He leaned forward and took his wife’s hand. “It’s Minty. She ate some kind of shellfish apparently and had a bad reaction. Very bad. They took her to the hospital and they did everything they could for her, but she died.” He paused for a moment to let it sink in. “They said she wouldn’t have suffered. I’m really sorry, pet. I couldn’t think of any way to tell you that would make it easier for you.”
Constance opened her eyes. “My sister? Minty? But how can that be? She was always so careful. There must be some mistake.”
“The police said it was her, love. They asked if I would identify the body and I did. That’s why I’m late getting back. It’s her, all right.”
His wife glared at him. “Lunchtime, was it? I’ll never believe this was an accident. She was always so careful. She knew how serious that allergy was and she always carried that pen thing, that device that you inject yourself with, in case she should eat some seafood by mistake.” She glared at him. “What did the police say? What do they think happened?”
“They said they’re investigating.”
‘”Well, they’d better be.” She thought for a moment and then her eyes widened slightly. “You two always hated each other, you and Minty, and you know what Mother thought of you. That’s why she left everything to Minty, so you couldn’t get your hands on it. Did you have anything to do with this?”
Elwy looked shocked. “Of course I didn’t.”
“But you knew she’d be at that conference. You knew about her terrible allergy to shellfish. It would have been easy for you to slip over to the Library on your lunch hour and tamper with her food.”
“How would I do that?”
“It would have been easy. You could have borrowed a white coat from the kitchen at the pub, walked to the Library, entered through the kitchen entrance, and while everyone was busy with lunch service, they’d have taken no notice of
Penny gave them a weak smile and said hello, but they ignored her. Head down, Mrs. Blaine brushed past her, and the accountant headed in the opposite direction, through the door that led to the landing at the top of the stairs. A few moments later his feet made soft thudding sounds on the carpeted stairs.
Nineteen
Elwy Nash paused to collect his thoughts on the doorstep of the small bungalow just outside Hawarden where he lived with his wife, Constance. He had terrible news for her, and needed to take a moment to find the right words.
He put the key in the lock and let himself in. He hung his jacket on a hook in the hall and pushed open the door to the sitting room. His wife, her head covered in a scarf patterned with yellow roses, dozed in a heavy brown recliner, her feet elevated on the raised footrest. Her head lolled against the back of the chair, her mouth slightly open. The soft hiss of a gas fire and a ticking clock on the mantelpiece broke the silence in the stifling, overheated room.
He sat down on the sofa and gazed at her until she stirred and turned her head toward him.
“So. You’re home, then,” she said.
“Yes, Constance, I’m home and I’ve got some very bad news. It’s about Minty, I’m afraid. The police came to see me in the pub this afternoon.”
His wife struggled to sit up.
“Don’t get up, pet. Just listen to what I’ve got to say and brace yourself. Something terrible happened at the Library today around lunchtime. We saw the ambulance arrive and a punter came in a bit later and said someone had been taken away with a bad case of food poisoning.”
Constance closed her eyes and her lashes started to glisten.
“I’m sorry, love. I guess I’d better just come out and say it.” He leaned forward and took his wife’s hand. “It’s Minty. She ate some kind of shellfish apparently and had a bad reaction. Very bad. They took her to the hospital and they did everything they could for her, but she died.” He paused for a moment to let it sink in. “They said she wouldn’t have suffered. I’m really sorry, pet. I couldn’t think of any way to tell you that would make it easier for you.”
Constance opened her eyes. “My sister? Minty? But how can that be? She was always so careful. There must be some mistake.”
“The police said it was her, love. They asked if I would identify the body and I did. That’s why I’m late getting back. It’s her, all right.”
His wife glared at him. “Lunchtime, was it? I’ll never believe this was an accident. She was always so careful. She knew how serious that allergy was and she always carried that pen thing, that device that you inject yourself with, in case she should eat some seafood by mistake.” She glared at him. “What did the police say? What do they think happened?”
“They said they’re investigating.”
‘”Well, they’d better be.” She thought for a moment and then her eyes widened slightly. “You two always hated each other, you and Minty, and you know what Mother thought of you. That’s why she left everything to Minty, so you couldn’t get your hands on it. Did you have anything to do with this?”
Elwy looked shocked. “Of course I didn’t.”
“But you knew she’d be at that conference. You knew about her terrible allergy to shellfish. It would have been easy for you to slip over to the Library on your lunch hour and tamper with her food.”
“How would I do that?”
“It would have been easy. You could have borrowed a white coat from the kitchen at the pub, walked to the Library, entered through the kitchen entrance, and while everyone was busy with lunch service, they’d have taken no notice of
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