happened to Miss Martin?’ asked Maisie apprehensively.
‘It may be better if I go in first,’ suggested Ravenscroft slowly opening the door.
The two policemen entered the room, closely followed by the maid.
‘Well Miss Martin does not appear to be in the sitting room. Let us try the bedroom,’ said Ravenscroft crossing over the floor and opening the door to the inner room.
‘Oh my God!’ exclaimed Crabb bringing his hand up to his mouth.
The maid let out a loud scream, before falling to the floor.
CHAPTER SIX
PERSHORE
‘See to the girl,’ shouted Ravenscroft as he rushed over towards the bed.
‘Here, miss, let me help you to this seat,’ said Crabb assisting the maid to her feet, and guiding her back towards a chair in the sitting room….
Ravenscroft looked down on the deathly white figure lying prostate on the floor by the side of the bed. ‘I think Miss Martin has been poisoned. There is a glass on the floor which looks as though it must have slipped from her hand, and a half empty flagon of water on the bedside table.’
‘Miss Martin,’ mumbled the maid, a look of horror on her face. ‘Is she…?’
‘I’m afraid so,’ replied Ravenscroft retrieving the glass from the floor before smelling the contents of the flagon.
‘Who could have done such a thing?’ sobbed Maisie.
‘Hum, there is no smell. Probably arsenic. No colour ’n’ no doubt the same manner in which poor Jones was killed, but this must have been a much larger dose as it appears to have killed her quite quickly, although she was also violently sick. She must have taken a drink whilst sitting on the side of the bed, before intending to retire.’
‘Don’t distress yourself, miss,’ said Crabb placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder.
‘Someone must have entered this room yesterday whenMiss Martin was out and dropped the poison into the jug,’ said Ravenscroft.
‘Oh no, that was me, sir!’ cried the maid.
‘Whatever do you mean, Masie?’ asked Ravenscroft walking over towards the crying servant.
‘It was me, sir! It was me that bought the water up here to Miss Martin late yesterday afternoon.’
‘Yes that may be so Maisie, but I don’t for one minute think that it was you who put poison in the flagon?’ said Ravenscroft attempting to calm the servant’s distress.
‘No sir. I just poured the water out of the tap and bought it up here, as I always does,’ replied the tearful maid.
‘What time was that?’ asked Ravenscroft.
‘At about six, sir.’
‘And was Miss Martin here when you entered the room?’
‘No, sir.’
‘And what did you do with the flagon?’
‘I put it on the bedside table as I always do.’
‘So someone must have entered the room afterwards, when Miss Martin was not here,’ suggested Crabb.
‘Or she entertained someone here in her room, someone who poured the poison into the flagon when she was not looking,’ said Ravenscroft.
‘But why Miss Martin?’ asked the tearful maid looking upwards into Ravenscroft’s face. ‘Why would anyone want to harm her?’
‘I don’t know Maisie, but I can assure you that I intend to find out.’
‘This is terrible!’ exclaimed the maid before burying her tear-stained face in her hands.
‘Crabb, would you be so kind as to escort Maisie downstairs. Tell the Talbots what has happened, but say that no one is to come up here,’ instructed Ravenscroft.
‘Yes, sir. Now you come along with me, miss,’ said Crabb placing his arm round the servant’s shoulder and assisting her towards the door.
‘And, Tom, will you send a message to Doctor Homer and then make arrangements for the body to be taken to the mortuary.’
Crabb nodded as he and the sobbing maid left the room.
Ravenscroft knelt down on the floor and examined the body of the dead woman. A few minutes previously he had been anxious to interview the suspect, believing that the answers she might have provided would not only unravel the mystery of her relationships with
‘It may be better if I go in first,’ suggested Ravenscroft slowly opening the door.
The two policemen entered the room, closely followed by the maid.
‘Well Miss Martin does not appear to be in the sitting room. Let us try the bedroom,’ said Ravenscroft crossing over the floor and opening the door to the inner room.
‘Oh my God!’ exclaimed Crabb bringing his hand up to his mouth.
The maid let out a loud scream, before falling to the floor.
CHAPTER SIX
PERSHORE
‘See to the girl,’ shouted Ravenscroft as he rushed over towards the bed.
‘Here, miss, let me help you to this seat,’ said Crabb assisting the maid to her feet, and guiding her back towards a chair in the sitting room….
Ravenscroft looked down on the deathly white figure lying prostate on the floor by the side of the bed. ‘I think Miss Martin has been poisoned. There is a glass on the floor which looks as though it must have slipped from her hand, and a half empty flagon of water on the bedside table.’
‘Miss Martin,’ mumbled the maid, a look of horror on her face. ‘Is she…?’
‘I’m afraid so,’ replied Ravenscroft retrieving the glass from the floor before smelling the contents of the flagon.
‘Who could have done such a thing?’ sobbed Maisie.
‘Hum, there is no smell. Probably arsenic. No colour ’n’ no doubt the same manner in which poor Jones was killed, but this must have been a much larger dose as it appears to have killed her quite quickly, although she was also violently sick. She must have taken a drink whilst sitting on the side of the bed, before intending to retire.’
‘Don’t distress yourself, miss,’ said Crabb placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder.
‘Someone must have entered this room yesterday whenMiss Martin was out and dropped the poison into the jug,’ said Ravenscroft.
‘Oh no, that was me, sir!’ cried the maid.
‘Whatever do you mean, Masie?’ asked Ravenscroft walking over towards the crying servant.
‘It was me, sir! It was me that bought the water up here to Miss Martin late yesterday afternoon.’
‘Yes that may be so Maisie, but I don’t for one minute think that it was you who put poison in the flagon?’ said Ravenscroft attempting to calm the servant’s distress.
‘No sir. I just poured the water out of the tap and bought it up here, as I always does,’ replied the tearful maid.
‘What time was that?’ asked Ravenscroft.
‘At about six, sir.’
‘And was Miss Martin here when you entered the room?’
‘No, sir.’
‘And what did you do with the flagon?’
‘I put it on the bedside table as I always do.’
‘So someone must have entered the room afterwards, when Miss Martin was not here,’ suggested Crabb.
‘Or she entertained someone here in her room, someone who poured the poison into the flagon when she was not looking,’ said Ravenscroft.
‘But why Miss Martin?’ asked the tearful maid looking upwards into Ravenscroft’s face. ‘Why would anyone want to harm her?’
‘I don’t know Maisie, but I can assure you that I intend to find out.’
‘This is terrible!’ exclaimed the maid before burying her tear-stained face in her hands.
‘Crabb, would you be so kind as to escort Maisie downstairs. Tell the Talbots what has happened, but say that no one is to come up here,’ instructed Ravenscroft.
‘Yes, sir. Now you come along with me, miss,’ said Crabb placing his arm round the servant’s shoulder and assisting her towards the door.
‘And, Tom, will you send a message to Doctor Homer and then make arrangements for the body to be taken to the mortuary.’
Crabb nodded as he and the sobbing maid left the room.
Ravenscroft knelt down on the floor and examined the body of the dead woman. A few minutes previously he had been anxious to interview the suspect, believing that the answers she might have provided would not only unravel the mystery of her relationships with
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