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Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
13 days ago
The Case Concludes
"Well," says the Constable, "Doctor Welldone here says there was poison in the tea-cup, and it was Polly who served the tea, so -"
"If I might interrupt, Constable," says Elspeth, "I may have knelt in some evidence. The hem of my cassock happened to trail in the drain outside Doctor Welldone's, and I happened to see him emptying the bottle of medicine into his sink. It's my suspicion that the strychnine was in the medicine bottle, not the teacup."
"How dare you!" splutters Welldone. "My analysis was conclusive - it was the maid -"
"Conveniently conclusive. But Polly had no motive to poison her employer. In fact -"
"It was Frumious, wasn't it?" hisses Majorie. "You put her up to it! I saw you shouting at her! You made her do it. You needed to inherit my husband's fortune to pay your gambling debts!"
"He did not," says Elspeth. Reluctantly, she unfolds the piece of paper. "Polly knew an embarrassing secret about this family. She tried to blackmail the late Galumph, threatening him with the scandal. Galumph dying wouldn't help Polly. It would help Frumious - but Frumious only arrived after his father was poisoned, so he couldn't have planted the poison. It was someone with access to Galumph's rooms - and we have eliminated Polly as a suspect, so it could only have been Majorie or the doctor, who was treating Galumph's relapse of puce fever."
"So Majorie was in league with the murderer!" crows Frumious, seizing on this opportunity to eliminate his mother-in-law from contention for the estate.
"No. Majorie was having an affair with Doctor Welldone, weren't you Majorie?"
Majorie nods weakly.
"But you weren't aware of Doctor Weldon's efforts, were you?"
Majorie shakes her head weakly.
"You can't believe her!" shouts Momerath. "Of course she knew!"
"If she knew that her lover intended to poison her husband," replies Elspeth, "then she could have waited for Galumph to perish, then removed the evidence. Instead, with so many people running around the crime scene, the Doctor was forced to hastily remove the medicine bottle, tipping his hand as it were."
"I did it for you, Margie!" shouts Welldone, undone. "That brute was making you miserable!"
Frumious leaps up and wrestles the doctor, rather ineffectually. Sighing, Hopscotch rises and separates the two. He shoves Frumious into an armchair, then grabs the doctor by the arm. "I think we'd better have a little chat down at the constable's station." The doctor slumps, suddenly defeated.
"And why do you trust the testimony of Gumfoot, eh? demands Momerath. "What would a vicar know about such things? And what was this book doing there?" He brandishes the copy of Death in the Dregs found in Galumph's room. If it was known that Elspeth was secretly the murder mystery writer, she'd never be trusted by the good people of Wobble again...
"That was, I think, divine providence," says Elspeth hastily. "A clue sent by Them.. I've read Death in the Dregs - that's what made me think of strychnine as the murder weapon, and that's what made me watch the medicine bottle and the teacup closely. Without Their invention, I might not have thought of that.
"I wouldn't claim to have any special knowledge of criminal matters," continues Elspeth. "But I know my parishioners. If Majorie was really involved in the murder, she'd never have summoned me to give comfort to her husband."
*
Elspeth accompanies the constable and the accused to the constable's station.
"What I don't understand," mutters Hopscotch, "is what that Momerath was doing here? He was a friend of Frumious, but he seemed to have a strange interest in the murder scene. What's all that about?"
"Constable," says Elspeth, "can't you think of any reason why someone might take a professional interest in a murder?"
The constable's eyes fall on his shelf full of Medlar mysteries, and he gasps.
"Do you mean that Momerath -"
"I think, my dear constable, that if a writer wishes to remain incognito, we should respect their choice."
"If I might interrupt, Constable," says Elspeth, "I may have knelt in some evidence. The hem of my cassock happened to trail in the drain outside Doctor Welldone's, and I happened to see him emptying the bottle of medicine into his sink. It's my suspicion that the strychnine was in the medicine bottle, not the teacup."
"How dare you!" splutters Welldone. "My analysis was conclusive - it was the maid -"
"Conveniently conclusive. But Polly had no motive to poison her employer. In fact -"
"It was Frumious, wasn't it?" hisses Majorie. "You put her up to it! I saw you shouting at her! You made her do it. You needed to inherit my husband's fortune to pay your gambling debts!"
"He did not," says Elspeth. Reluctantly, she unfolds the piece of paper. "Polly knew an embarrassing secret about this family. She tried to blackmail the late Galumph, threatening him with the scandal. Galumph dying wouldn't help Polly. It would help Frumious - but Frumious only arrived after his father was poisoned, so he couldn't have planted the poison. It was someone with access to Galumph's rooms - and we have eliminated Polly as a suspect, so it could only have been Majorie or the doctor, who was treating Galumph's relapse of puce fever."
"So Majorie was in league with the murderer!" crows Frumious, seizing on this opportunity to eliminate his mother-in-law from contention for the estate.
"No. Majorie was having an affair with Doctor Welldone, weren't you Majorie?"
Majorie nods weakly.
"But you weren't aware of Doctor Weldon's efforts, were you?"
Majorie shakes her head weakly.
"You can't believe her!" shouts Momerath. "Of course she knew!"
"If she knew that her lover intended to poison her husband," replies Elspeth, "then she could have waited for Galumph to perish, then removed the evidence. Instead, with so many people running around the crime scene, the Doctor was forced to hastily remove the medicine bottle, tipping his hand as it were."
"I did it for you, Margie!" shouts Welldone, undone. "That brute was making you miserable!"
Frumious leaps up and wrestles the doctor, rather ineffectually. Sighing, Hopscotch rises and separates the two. He shoves Frumious into an armchair, then grabs the doctor by the arm. "I think we'd better have a little chat down at the constable's station." The doctor slumps, suddenly defeated.
"And why do you trust the testimony of Gumfoot, eh? demands Momerath. "What would a vicar know about such things? And what was this book doing there?" He brandishes the copy of Death in the Dregs found in Galumph's room. If it was known that Elspeth was secretly the murder mystery writer, she'd never be trusted by the good people of Wobble again...
"That was, I think, divine providence," says Elspeth hastily. "A clue sent by Them.. I've read Death in the Dregs - that's what made me think of strychnine as the murder weapon, and that's what made me watch the medicine bottle and the teacup closely. Without Their invention, I might not have thought of that.
"I wouldn't claim to have any special knowledge of criminal matters," continues Elspeth. "But I know my parishioners. If Majorie was really involved in the murder, she'd never have summoned me to give comfort to her husband."
*
Elspeth accompanies the constable and the accused to the constable's station.
"What I don't understand," mutters Hopscotch, "is what that Momerath was doing here? He was a friend of Frumious, but he seemed to have a strange interest in the murder scene. What's all that about?"
"Constable," says Elspeth, "can't you think of any reason why someone might take a professional interest in a murder?"
The constable's eyes fall on his shelf full of Medlar mysteries, and he gasps.
"Do you mean that Momerath -"
"I think, my dear constable, that if a writer wishes to remain incognito, we should respect their choice."
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Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
25 days ago
Accusation Time!
Elspeth protests and tries to shush Momerath, but it's too late - Constable Hopscotch shows up, frowning around the bowl of sticky toffee pudding he brought with him from the dinner.
"Mr. Grable here says you've been acting oddly, Vicar," says the constable, awkwardly, "and here you are outside the doctor's window. Maybe it's best we al go back to Puddlestomp Hall and sort this out."
The noise of conversation outside the window draws out Doctor Welldone and a rather sheepish Majorie.
"I... I had to speak with the doctor about, ah, funeral arrangements. Urgently," she mutters. The constable, though, is deep in a post-pudding coma and doesn't pay much attention.
Everyone trots back through the dusk through the hall, and crams into the drawing room for brandy, cigars, couches - and denouements.
----
"It's clear what happened," shouts Frumious. "This wretch of a servant" - he indicates Polly with a flick of his cigar - "poisoned my father's tea. I don't know why she did it, but I'm sure evidence will come to light with a proper search."
The note from Polly blackmailing Galumph suddenly feels like a lead weight in Elspeth's cassock.
"I, ah, tested the tea-cup in a professional capacity," says Welldone, "and found traces of poison."
"I never would!" shouts Polly, then claps her hands over her mouth.
"How dare you, Frumious!" snaps Majorie. "Accusing poor Polly, when it's you that stands to benefit the most from Galumph's death? You and that oily friend of yours?"
"A mystery worthy of Clarice Medlar" says Momerath Grable, not beating the 'oily' accusations. "But seeing as we don't have a mystery writer among us -" and he glares at Elspeth, as if daring the vicar to reveal her secret and scandalous identity - "it's up to Constable Hopscotch to resolve matters."
The constable speaks with the full dignity and authority of his office.
Elspeth has no choice but to step up and accuse someone - and, as a special bonus question for the comments, how does she frame things so the constable doesn't realise she's secretly Clarice Medlar? Or does she reveal her true identity to get the Constable securely on her side?
* Accuse Majorie Puddlestomp
* Accuse Frumious Puddlestomp
* Accuse Polly the Maid
* Accuse Doctor Welldone
* Accuse Momerath Grable
"Mr. Grable here says you've been acting oddly, Vicar," says the constable, awkwardly, "and here you are outside the doctor's window. Maybe it's best we al go back to Puddlestomp Hall and sort this out."
The noise of conversation outside the window draws out Doctor Welldone and a rather sheepish Majorie.
"I... I had to speak with the doctor about, ah, funeral arrangements. Urgently," she mutters. The constable, though, is deep in a post-pudding coma and doesn't pay much attention.
Everyone trots back through the dusk through the hall, and crams into the drawing room for brandy, cigars, couches - and denouements.
----
"It's clear what happened," shouts Frumious. "This wretch of a servant" - he indicates Polly with a flick of his cigar - "poisoned my father's tea. I don't know why she did it, but I'm sure evidence will come to light with a proper search."
The note from Polly blackmailing Galumph suddenly feels like a lead weight in Elspeth's cassock.
"I, ah, tested the tea-cup in a professional capacity," says Welldone, "and found traces of poison."
"I never would!" shouts Polly, then claps her hands over her mouth.
"How dare you, Frumious!" snaps Majorie. "Accusing poor Polly, when it's you that stands to benefit the most from Galumph's death? You and that oily friend of yours?"
"A mystery worthy of Clarice Medlar" says Momerath Grable, not beating the 'oily' accusations. "But seeing as we don't have a mystery writer among us -" and he glares at Elspeth, as if daring the vicar to reveal her secret and scandalous identity - "it's up to Constable Hopscotch to resolve matters."
The constable speaks with the full dignity and authority of his office.
Elspeth has no choice but to step up and accuse someone - and, as a special bonus question for the comments, how does she frame things so the constable doesn't realise she's secretly Clarice Medlar? Or does she reveal her true identity to get the Constable securely on her side?
* Accuse Majorie Puddlestomp
* Accuse Frumious Puddlestomp
* Accuse Polly the Maid
* Accuse Doctor Welldone
* Accuse Momerath Grable
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Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
about 1 month ago
We Elide Over Lots of Sneaking Tests
Majorie, unseen by most, hurries down the driveway and sneaks through the country lanes to arrive at the premises of village physician, Doctor Welldone. It's late at night at this point, and the doctor's practise is closed - but there's still someone there, as light spills from a window at the back of the house. Majorie knocks on the door, and it's a distinctive knock, two-three-two, which strikes Elspeth as a pre-arranged signal.
The door's opened just wide enough for Majorie to slip inside.
Elspeth takes up the standard Eavesdropping position outside the window, and the whole thing unfolds like a stage play.
ENTER DR. WELLDONE & MAJORIE PUDDLESTOMP, stage right.
DR WELLDONE IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDS STAGE RIGHT. HE PUTS ON GLOVES, THEN PICKS UP A BOTTLE (Notice: It's the same bottle of Puce Fever medicine that was in the late Galumph's bedroom, the one he took away to test for poison) AND STARTS THOROUGHLY WASHING IT OUT.
MAJORIE: You have no idea how awful it is up there, darling. I can't stand Frumious, and his little piggy greedy eyes roving over everything. He'll sell it all off to pay his debts, you know.
WELLDONE: You have to be strong, Majorie. Don't give him anything. Not one penny.
MAJORIE: And that friend of his, Momegrabe or Momerath or whatever his name is? Slinking around and scheming. He knows something's up! He suspects -
WELLDONE SCRUBS THE INSIDE OF THE BOTTLE WITH DESPERATE FEROCITY, LIKE A MAN TRYING TO EXTIRPATE A PARTICULAR CAKED-ON SIN.
WELLDONE: There's nothing to suspect. I've tested the tea-cup, and it showed traces of strychnine. I'll write up my report for the constable tonight. The killer tampered with the tea. Now, come here.
WELLDONE AND MAJORIE EMBRACE - SOMEWHAT AWKWARDLY, AS HE'S WEARING DRIPPING RUBBER GLOVES WHICH DO RATHER DETRACTED FROM THE OVERALL EFFECT. ALSO, IT'S LESS OF A REASSURING HUG THAN SOMETHING MORE INTIMATE.
MAJORIE: I just think -
WELLDONE: It's nearly over, Majorie. You're free of him.
Suddenly, a hand grabs Elspeth's collar and drags her away from the window. It's Momewrath, eyes bright!
"Well now! What's this!? The respected vicar spying on her parishioners? Kneeling in the dirt, peeking in windows! What will they say? What will people think! "Oh, you're undone now, you Meddler!"
Or maybe he said Medlar, Elspeth's nom de plume. It's hard to parse homonyms when you're being half-strangled with your own clerical collar.
What does Elspeth do?
* Justify her eavesdropping
* Struggle with Momerath
* Call for help
The door's opened just wide enough for Majorie to slip inside.
Elspeth takes up the standard Eavesdropping position outside the window, and the whole thing unfolds like a stage play.
ENTER DR. WELLDONE & MAJORIE PUDDLESTOMP, stage right.
DR WELLDONE IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDS STAGE RIGHT. HE PUTS ON GLOVES, THEN PICKS UP A BOTTLE (Notice: It's the same bottle of Puce Fever medicine that was in the late Galumph's bedroom, the one he took away to test for poison) AND STARTS THOROUGHLY WASHING IT OUT.
MAJORIE: You have no idea how awful it is up there, darling. I can't stand Frumious, and his little piggy greedy eyes roving over everything. He'll sell it all off to pay his debts, you know.
WELLDONE: You have to be strong, Majorie. Don't give him anything. Not one penny.
MAJORIE: And that friend of his, Momegrabe or Momerath or whatever his name is? Slinking around and scheming. He knows something's up! He suspects -
WELLDONE SCRUBS THE INSIDE OF THE BOTTLE WITH DESPERATE FEROCITY, LIKE A MAN TRYING TO EXTIRPATE A PARTICULAR CAKED-ON SIN.
WELLDONE: There's nothing to suspect. I've tested the tea-cup, and it showed traces of strychnine. I'll write up my report for the constable tonight. The killer tampered with the tea. Now, come here.
WELLDONE AND MAJORIE EMBRACE - SOMEWHAT AWKWARDLY, AS HE'S WEARING DRIPPING RUBBER GLOVES WHICH DO RATHER DETRACTED FROM THE OVERALL EFFECT. ALSO, IT'S LESS OF A REASSURING HUG THAN SOMETHING MORE INTIMATE.
MAJORIE: I just think -
WELLDONE: It's nearly over, Majorie. You're free of him.
Suddenly, a hand grabs Elspeth's collar and drags her away from the window. It's Momewrath, eyes bright!
"Well now! What's this!? The respected vicar spying on her parishioners? Kneeling in the dirt, peeking in windows! What will they say? What will people think! "Oh, you're undone now, you Meddler!"
Or maybe he said Medlar, Elspeth's nom de plume. It's hard to parse homonyms when you're being half-strangled with your own clerical collar.
What does Elspeth do?
* Justify her eavesdropping
* Struggle with Momerath
* Call for help
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Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
about 1 month ago
The Mystery Deepens
Elspeth grabs the paper off the ground and hides it away, much to Momerath's annoyance. By the time Elspeth has a chance to react, Majorie's vanished off to her bedroom, and Polly has scurried back to the kitchen. Deciding that her friend Majorie's emotional needs are the more pressing, Elspeth makes her way through Puddlestomp Manor to Majorie's bedroom door. It's next to her husband's room, on the upper floor.
"I'm not feeling well, Vicar," calls Majorie from within. She sounds out of breath, possibly from crying - and possibly not. "It's that awful son-in-law of mine, and his grasping friend Momerath. I... I just can't cope with them."
More sorrowful gasping follows. As Vicar, Elspeth has plenty of experience dealing with emotional discombobulation, and she's very good at putting on a caring face and making soothing noises. True, normally she doesn't have a heavy oak door between herself and the soothee, but at least the present circumstances allow Elspeth to take a look at that bookmark with a measure of privacy.
"Maybe... maybe you should come back tomorrow," called Majorie. "We'll discuss the funeral arrangements for poor Galumph then."
It's a note written in a hasty, rough hand, almost childlike. At a guess - and more than a guess, a core clue with Common Sense, it's almost certainly Polly the Maid's handwriting.
I KNOW A SEKCRET ABOUT YOUR WIFE.
IF YOU DO NOT WANT ME TO TELL
EVERYONE IN THE VILLAGE,
YOU MUST PAY ME
Behind the door, Majorie falls silent. At the edge of hearing - the edge of Eavesdropping - Elspeth hears what sounds like a window opening. Is Majorie trying to sneak out her own window?
* Burst in, confront Majorie
* Try to follow Majorie in secret
* Find Polly and confront her
"I'm not feeling well, Vicar," calls Majorie from within. She sounds out of breath, possibly from crying - and possibly not. "It's that awful son-in-law of mine, and his grasping friend Momerath. I... I just can't cope with them."
More sorrowful gasping follows. As Vicar, Elspeth has plenty of experience dealing with emotional discombobulation, and she's very good at putting on a caring face and making soothing noises. True, normally she doesn't have a heavy oak door between herself and the soothee, but at least the present circumstances allow Elspeth to take a look at that bookmark with a measure of privacy.
"Maybe... maybe you should come back tomorrow," called Majorie. "We'll discuss the funeral arrangements for poor Galumph then."
It's a note written in a hasty, rough hand, almost childlike. At a guess - and more than a guess, a core clue with Common Sense, it's almost certainly Polly the Maid's handwriting.
I KNOW A SEKCRET ABOUT YOUR WIFE.
IF YOU DO NOT WANT ME TO TELL
EVERYONE IN THE VILLAGE,
YOU MUST PAY ME
Behind the door, Majorie falls silent. At the edge of hearing - the edge of Eavesdropping - Elspeth hears what sounds like a window opening. Is Majorie trying to sneak out her own window?
* Burst in, confront Majorie
* Try to follow Majorie in secret
* Find Polly and confront her
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Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
about 2 months ago
An Exceedingly Awkward Dinner
Really, nothing dampens one's appetite like starting dinner with a debate over whether or not the servants should clear away the place at the head of the table set for the late Galumph. Assuming (quite reasonably) that the master of the house would be alive by the end of the day, the servants had laid the table with a place for him. After your reassuring sermon, one of the servants hurried in to rearrange matters, but they were interrupted by Frumious, who attempted to claim his father's place at the top of the table. But technically, Majorie's now the owner of Puddlestomp Hall...
Anyway, the upshot of it was that they left the place-setting for Galumph, and now there's an ominous empty chair at the head of the table, with Majorie facing off against her son-in-law Frumious, and Elspeth seated opposite her old college rival Momerath. It feels a little like a duel, and Elspeth finds herself making a pre-emptive grab for the butter-knife when they bring in the freshly baked rolls. Just in case Momerath arms himself first.
"You always were quick, Elspeth" snarks Momerath. "Always good at seizing opportunities." He leans over towards Majorie. "Did you know, Mrs. Puddlestomp, that your friend the vicar has been living something of a double life? Why she's - "
"Clarice Medlar!" declares Constable Hopscotch from the door. For a moment, Elspeth's frozen in terror at the thought of being exposed, but the constable continues. "I don't know how she does it!" He waves the copy of Death in the Dregs with enthusiasm. "Just when you think you see the solution, she throws in a surprise. Sorry I'm late, I started reading it again and before you know it, zap! I'm riveted!" Then he remembers that he's (a) supposed to be investigating a murder and (b) is sitting down for dinner with the bereaved family. His mood runs full-steam into an iceberg. "And, um, sorry for your loss." He sinks down.
In his book-waving enthusiasm, a piece of paper - that mysterious bookmark - fells from Death in the Dregs, and it's landed under the table between Elspeth and Momerath. Elspeth can feel Momerath's feet moving under the table, as if searching for the errant paper.
"What are the next steps, Constable?" asks Frumious. "If my father's death is the result of foul play, I want to see the culprit brought to justice as quickly as possible."
"So you can get his money," mutters Majorie into her soup course.
"That Polly girl was the last one to see my father alive," continues Frumious. "I'd consider her the prime suspect."
"We'll wait for Dr. Welldone's report. And I happen to know Polly," replies the Constable. "I can't imagine she'd do anything like that."
"Well, Constable," says Momerath, "If you're truly an aficionado of Medlar's work, you'd know that the person you suspect least is often responsib -"
There's a crash as Majorie's spoon falls from her hand, cracking the bowl and sending a red flood of tomato soup cascading across the white tablecloth. "I'm sorry," she says, "I can't, I just can't...."
"Maybe you should take Majorie back to her room, Vicar" suggests the Constable.
Majorie pushes back her seat and rises to stand, but nearly topples. Servants appear to help her, and one of them plucks Elspeth's arm. It's Polly.
"Cla - I, I mean, Vicar Gumfoot, I need to con - to talk to you. Please," she whispers.
And in the confusion, Elspeth spots the paper on the floor, with Momerath's toes inching towards it.
What do you do?
* Go with Majorie
* Go with Polly
* Grab the fallen paper
Anyway, the upshot of it was that they left the place-setting for Galumph, and now there's an ominous empty chair at the head of the table, with Majorie facing off against her son-in-law Frumious, and Elspeth seated opposite her old college rival Momerath. It feels a little like a duel, and Elspeth finds herself making a pre-emptive grab for the butter-knife when they bring in the freshly baked rolls. Just in case Momerath arms himself first.
"You always were quick, Elspeth" snarks Momerath. "Always good at seizing opportunities." He leans over towards Majorie. "Did you know, Mrs. Puddlestomp, that your friend the vicar has been living something of a double life? Why she's - "
"Clarice Medlar!" declares Constable Hopscotch from the door. For a moment, Elspeth's frozen in terror at the thought of being exposed, but the constable continues. "I don't know how she does it!" He waves the copy of Death in the Dregs with enthusiasm. "Just when you think you see the solution, she throws in a surprise. Sorry I'm late, I started reading it again and before you know it, zap! I'm riveted!" Then he remembers that he's (a) supposed to be investigating a murder and (b) is sitting down for dinner with the bereaved family. His mood runs full-steam into an iceberg. "And, um, sorry for your loss." He sinks down.
In his book-waving enthusiasm, a piece of paper - that mysterious bookmark - fells from Death in the Dregs, and it's landed under the table between Elspeth and Momerath. Elspeth can feel Momerath's feet moving under the table, as if searching for the errant paper.
"What are the next steps, Constable?" asks Frumious. "If my father's death is the result of foul play, I want to see the culprit brought to justice as quickly as possible."
"So you can get his money," mutters Majorie into her soup course.
"That Polly girl was the last one to see my father alive," continues Frumious. "I'd consider her the prime suspect."
"We'll wait for Dr. Welldone's report. And I happen to know Polly," replies the Constable. "I can't imagine she'd do anything like that."
"Well, Constable," says Momerath, "If you're truly an aficionado of Medlar's work, you'd know that the person you suspect least is often responsib -"
There's a crash as Majorie's spoon falls from her hand, cracking the bowl and sending a red flood of tomato soup cascading across the white tablecloth. "I'm sorry," she says, "I can't, I just can't...."
"Maybe you should take Majorie back to her room, Vicar" suggests the Constable.
Majorie pushes back her seat and rises to stand, but nearly topples. Servants appear to help her, and one of them plucks Elspeth's arm. It's Polly.
"Cla - I, I mean, Vicar Gumfoot, I need to con - to talk to you. Please," she whispers.
And in the confusion, Elspeth spots the paper on the floor, with Momerath's toes inching towards it.
What do you do?
* Go with Majorie
* Go with Polly
* Grab the fallen paper
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Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
about 2 months ago
An Invitation
The sermon goes down like a cup of warm milk at bedtime, soothing jangled nerves and lending a sense of order and calm to a trying day. While Elspeth addresses the servants and staff of Puddlestomp House, the remains of old Galumph Puddlestomp are whisked away to the undertakers by Doctor Welldone. The constable remains upstairs, guarding the crime scene - although you hear the rustle of pages every few minutes, so he's probably just reread Death in the Dregs. As for your old college acquaintance, Momerath, you spot him eavesdropping on your sermon from the wings, with a sour look on his face. Reassurance and piety were never really in Momerath's wheelhouse, which is a poor showing for a vicar.
After the sermon, Majorie thanks Elspeth for her support. "Cook prepared such a lovely dinner for this evening, as Frumious and his friend were coming... and the doctor said I should eat something, to keep my strength up. Won't you join us for dinner?" Frumious and Momerath are already marching towards the dining room. It's clear that in the Puddlestomp household, grief is no obstacle to a hearty supper.
What does Elspeth do?
* Attend the dinner
* Make an excuse, and go off after Dr. Welldone
* Make an excuse, but hang around Puddlestomp Hall and eavesdrop
After the sermon, Majorie thanks Elspeth for her support. "Cook prepared such a lovely dinner for this evening, as Frumious and his friend were coming... and the doctor said I should eat something, to keep my strength up. Won't you join us for dinner?" Frumious and Momerath are already marching towards the dining room. It's clear that in the Puddlestomp household, grief is no obstacle to a hearty supper.
What does Elspeth do?
* Attend the dinner
* Make an excuse, and go off after Dr. Welldone
* Make an excuse, but hang around Puddlestomp Hall and eavesdrop
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Ibrahim-Pelgrane
CREATOR
13 days ago
The murderer has been exposed, Doctor Welldone is in custody, and Constable Hopscotch has finally put the pieces together. But one mystery remains: Momerath’s suspicious interest in the case. Elspeth has quietly steered the Constable toward the idea that *Momerath* might be the secret mystery writer behind Clarice Medlar. Does she leave him with that impression?
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PROJECT UPDATE
Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
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13 days ago
Project Update: The Case Concludes
"Well," says the Constable, "Doctor Welldone here says there was poison in the tea-cup, and it was Polly who served the tea, so -"
"If I might interrupt, Constable," says Elspeth, "I may have knelt in some evidence. The hem of my cassock happened to trail in the drain outside Doctor Welldone's, and I happened to see him emptying the bottle of medicine into his sink. It's my suspicion that the strychnine was in the medicine bottle, not the teacup."
"How dare you!" splutters Welldone. "My analysis was conclusive - it was the maid -"
"Conveniently conclusive. But Polly had no motive to poison her employer. In fact -"
"It was Frumious, wasn't it?" hisses Majorie. "You put her up to it! I saw you shouting at her! You made her do it. You needed to inherit my husband's fortune to pay your gambling debts!"
"He did not," says Elspeth. Reluctantly, she unfolds the piece of paper. "Polly knew an embarrassing secret about this family. She tried to blackmail the late Galumph, threatening him with the scandal. Galumph dying wouldn't help Polly. It would help Frumious - but Frumious only arrived after his father was poisoned, so he couldn't have planted the poison. It was someone with access to Galumph's rooms - and we have eliminated Polly as a suspect, so it could only have been Majorie or the doctor, who was treating Galumph's relapse of puce fever."
"So Majorie was in league with the murderer!" crows Frumious, seizing on this opportunity to eliminate his mother-in-law from contention for the estate.
"No. Majorie was having an affair with Doctor Welldone, weren't you Majorie?"
Majorie nods weakly.
"But you weren't aware of Doctor Weldon's efforts, were you?"
Majorie shakes her head weakly.
"You can't believe her!" shouts Momerath. "Of course she knew!"
"If she knew that her lover intended to poison her husband," replies Elspeth, "then she could have waited for Galumph to perish, then removed the evidence. Instead, with so many people running around the crime scene, the Doctor was forced to hastily remove the medicine bottle, tipping his hand as it were."
"I did it for you, Margie!" shouts Welldone, undone. "That brute was making you miserable!"
Frumious leaps up and wrestles the doctor, rather ineffectually. Sighing, Hopscotch rises and separates the two. He shoves Frumious into an armchair, then grabs the doctor by the arm. "I think we'd better have a little chat down at the constable's station." The doctor slumps, suddenly defeated.
"And why do you trust the testimony of Gumfoot, eh? demands Momerath. "What would a vicar know about such things? And what was this book doing there?" He brandishes the copy of Death in the Dregs found in Galumph's room. If it was known that Elspeth was secretly the murder mystery writer, she'd never be trusted by the good people of Wobble again...
"That was, I think, divine providence," says Elspeth hastily. "A clue sent by Them.. I've read Death in the Dregs - that's what made me think of strychnine as the murder weapon, and that's what made me watch the medicine bottle and the teacup closely. Without Their invention, I might not have thought of that.
"I wouldn't claim to have any special knowledge of criminal matters," continues Elspeth. "But I know my parishioners. If Majorie was really involved in the murder, she'd never have summoned me to give comfort to her husband."
*
Elspeth accompanies the constable and the accused to the constable's station.
"What I don't understand," mutters Hopscotch, "is what that Momerath was doing here? He was a friend of Frumious, but he seemed to have a strange interest in the murder scene. What's all that about?"
"Constable," says Elspeth, "can't you think of any reason why someone might take a professional interest in a murder?"
The constable's eyes fall on his shelf full of Medlar mysteries, and he gasps.
"Do you mean that Momerath -"
"I think, my dear constable, that if a writer wishes to remain incognito, we should respect their choice."
"If I might interrupt, Constable," says Elspeth, "I may have knelt in some evidence. The hem of my cassock happened to trail in the drain outside Doctor Welldone's, and I happened to see him emptying the bottle of medicine into his sink. It's my suspicion that the strychnine was in the medicine bottle, not the teacup."
"How dare you!" splutters Welldone. "My analysis was conclusive - it was the maid -"
"Conveniently conclusive. But Polly had no motive to poison her employer. In fact -"
"It was Frumious, wasn't it?" hisses Majorie. "You put her up to it! I saw you shouting at her! You made her do it. You needed to inherit my husband's fortune to pay your gambling debts!"
"He did not," says Elspeth. Reluctantly, she unfolds the piece of paper. "Polly knew an embarrassing secret about this family. She tried to blackmail the late Galumph, threatening him with the scandal. Galumph dying wouldn't help Polly. It would help Frumious - but Frumious only arrived after his father was poisoned, so he couldn't have planted the poison. It was someone with access to Galumph's rooms - and we have eliminated Polly as a suspect, so it could only have been Majorie or the doctor, who was treating Galumph's relapse of puce fever."
"So Majorie was in league with the murderer!" crows Frumious, seizing on this opportunity to eliminate his mother-in-law from contention for the estate.
"No. Majorie was having an affair with Doctor Welldone, weren't you Majorie?"
Majorie nods weakly.
"But you weren't aware of Doctor Weldon's efforts, were you?"
Majorie shakes her head weakly.
"You can't believe her!" shouts Momerath. "Of course she knew!"
"If she knew that her lover intended to poison her husband," replies Elspeth, "then she could have waited for Galumph to perish, then removed the evidence. Instead, with so many people running around the crime scene, the Doctor was forced to hastily remove the medicine bottle, tipping his hand as it were."
"I did it for you, Margie!" shouts Welldone, undone. "That brute was making you miserable!"
Frumious leaps up and wrestles the doctor, rather ineffectually. Sighing, Hopscotch rises and separates the two. He shoves Frumious into an armchair, then grabs the doctor by the arm. "I think we'd better have a little chat down at the constable's station." The doctor slumps, suddenly defeated.
"And why do you trust the testimony of Gumfoot, eh? demands Momerath. "What would a vicar know about such things? And what was this book doing there?" He brandishes the copy of Death in the Dregs found in Galumph's room. If it was known that Elspeth was secretly the murder mystery writer, she'd never be trusted by the good people of Wobble again...
"That was, I think, divine providence," says Elspeth hastily. "A clue sent by Them.. I've read Death in the Dregs - that's what made me think of strychnine as the murder weapon, and that's what made me watch the medicine bottle and the teacup closely. Without Their invention, I might not have thought of that.
"I wouldn't claim to have any special knowledge of criminal matters," continues Elspeth. "But I know my parishioners. If Majorie was really involved in the murder, she'd never have summoned me to give comfort to her husband."
*
Elspeth accompanies the constable and the accused to the constable's station.
"What I don't understand," mutters Hopscotch, "is what that Momerath was doing here? He was a friend of Frumious, but he seemed to have a strange interest in the murder scene. What's all that about?"
"Constable," says Elspeth, "can't you think of any reason why someone might take a professional interest in a murder?"
The constable's eyes fall on his shelf full of Medlar mysteries, and he gasps.
"Do you mean that Momerath -"
"I think, my dear constable, that if a writer wishes to remain incognito, we should respect their choice."
Ibrahim-Pelgrane
CREATOR
25 days ago
Everyone is gathered in the drawing room, accusations are flying, and Constable Hopscotch is waiting for someone to make sense of it all. Elspeth has to choose who she believes killed Galumph.
64 votes
• Final results
PROJECT UPDATE
Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
CREATOR
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Bronze
Engaged with this project 3+ times 🌟
25 days ago
Project Update: Accusation Time!
Elspeth protests and tries to shush Momerath, but it's too late - Constable Hopscotch shows up, frowning around the bowl of sticky toffee pudding he brought with him from the dinner.
"Mr. Grable here says you've been acting oddly, Vicar," says the constable, awkwardly, "and here you are outside the doctor's window. Maybe it's best we al go back to Puddlestomp Hall and sort this out."
The noise of conversation outside the window draws out Doctor Welldone and a rather sheepish Majorie.
"I... I had to speak with the doctor about, ah, funeral arrangements. Urgently," she mutters. The constable, though, is deep in a post-pudding coma and doesn't pay much attention.
Everyone trots back through the dusk through the hall, and crams into the drawing room for brandy, cigars, couches - and denouements.
----
"It's clear what happened," shouts Frumious. "This wretch of a servant" - he indicates Polly with a flick of his cigar - "poisoned my father's tea. I don't know why she did it, but I'm sure evidence will come to light with a proper search."
The note from Polly blackmailing Galumph suddenly feels like a lead weight in Elspeth's cassock.
"I, ah, tested the tea-cup in a professional capacity," says Welldone, "and found traces of poison."
"I never would!" shouts Polly, then claps her hands over her mouth.
"How dare you, Frumious!" snaps Majorie. "Accusing poor Polly, when it's you that stands to benefit the most from Galumph's death? You and that oily friend of yours?"
"A mystery worthy of Clarice Medlar" says Momerath Grable, not beating the 'oily' accusations. "But seeing as we don't have a mystery writer among us -" and he glares at Elspeth, as if daring the vicar to reveal her secret and scandalous identity - "it's up to Constable Hopscotch to resolve matters."
The constable speaks with the full dignity and authority of his office.
Elspeth has no choice but to step up and accuse someone - and, as a special bonus question for the comments, how does she frame things so the constable doesn't realise she's secretly Clarice Medlar? Or does she reveal her true identity to get the Constable securely on her side?
* Accuse Majorie Puddlestomp
* Accuse Frumious Puddlestomp
* Accuse Polly the Maid
* Accuse Doctor Welldone
* Accuse Momerath Grable
"Mr. Grable here says you've been acting oddly, Vicar," says the constable, awkwardly, "and here you are outside the doctor's window. Maybe it's best we al go back to Puddlestomp Hall and sort this out."
The noise of conversation outside the window draws out Doctor Welldone and a rather sheepish Majorie.
"I... I had to speak with the doctor about, ah, funeral arrangements. Urgently," she mutters. The constable, though, is deep in a post-pudding coma and doesn't pay much attention.
Everyone trots back through the dusk through the hall, and crams into the drawing room for brandy, cigars, couches - and denouements.
----
"It's clear what happened," shouts Frumious. "This wretch of a servant" - he indicates Polly with a flick of his cigar - "poisoned my father's tea. I don't know why she did it, but I'm sure evidence will come to light with a proper search."
The note from Polly blackmailing Galumph suddenly feels like a lead weight in Elspeth's cassock.
"I, ah, tested the tea-cup in a professional capacity," says Welldone, "and found traces of poison."
"I never would!" shouts Polly, then claps her hands over her mouth.
"How dare you, Frumious!" snaps Majorie. "Accusing poor Polly, when it's you that stands to benefit the most from Galumph's death? You and that oily friend of yours?"
"A mystery worthy of Clarice Medlar" says Momerath Grable, not beating the 'oily' accusations. "But seeing as we don't have a mystery writer among us -" and he glares at Elspeth, as if daring the vicar to reveal her secret and scandalous identity - "it's up to Constable Hopscotch to resolve matters."
The constable speaks with the full dignity and authority of his office.
Elspeth has no choice but to step up and accuse someone - and, as a special bonus question for the comments, how does she frame things so the constable doesn't realise she's secretly Clarice Medlar? Or does she reveal her true identity to get the Constable securely on her side?
* Accuse Majorie Puddlestomp
* Accuse Frumious Puddlestomp
* Accuse Polly the Maid
* Accuse Doctor Welldone
* Accuse Momerath Grable
Ibrahim-Pelgrane
CREATOR
about 1 month ago
Elspeth has just uncovered a very compromising scene between Majorie and Doctor Welldone, only to be caught spying by Momerath, who may also have guessed her secret identity.
69 votes
• Final results
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