Murder Most Foul! - B is for Body - Cozy Mystery #AtoZChallenge 2016

Welcome to my contribution to the A to Z Challenge. My theme this year is Murder Most Foul, which, for you, my blog visitors, means that you will be sharing in The Case of the Cursed House, or rather the bare bones of it. 

Everyday, I will be revealing more about my developing Cozy Mystery: descriptions of scenes; character details; locations; clues to the mystery. And, at the end of each post, you will have the chance to vote on whodunnit. So, without further ado, on with the case...

Previous parts:

Story Notes

Additional Details

Alice Rigden has just found PC Aisha Kakkar in the local shop with Janice Walker and told them, "Come quick, Mr Whethers is dead!" Aisha dashes over to the Court House, Bill Whether's residence. The front door is wide open. She looks in to see Bill prostrate on the hall parquet floor at the bottom of the stairs. He is clearly dead, his head is bent at a very strange angle, his mouth and eyes are open and there is blood on his head. Jon Lee is kneeling next to Bill, face ashen, hands hovering near the body, but not touching. He's kneeling in a pool of dark liquid soaking into his trousers and nearby is broken shards from a wine glass. Bill's e-cigarette is also lying broken on the floor. Aisha gets Jon out of the hall and into the kitchen and then calls in the death. ... Later, the place is crawling with scene of crime officers. Aisha is at the front door giving her report to DCI Mags Barnwell and DS Kevin Williams. Mags is impressed with the way Aisha secured the scene and also wants her local knowledge, so asks her to be part of the team for the investigation. ... Pathologist, Dr Ezra Greyold, preliminary findings: the fall killed Whethers, broke his neck when he landed on the hard wood floor and from the state of him, he came all the way down the stairs. He's been dead since about midnight. Will have to wait for a post mortem to see if there is evidence of foul play. ... On site interview with Jon Lee: Jon is sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands in a paper suit. You found the body?   Yes, I came in the front door (it's never locked), and there Bill was, just lying there on the floor. I went to check for his pulse and I called for Mrs Rigden. Do you know of any reason anyone would want to harm Bill?   He was a cantankerous old lech, and not everyone liked his books, the horror in them could be pretty disturbing. And things had got a bit heated in the village over the affordable housing development, but not enough to kill. Bill was against the development?   Yes, the suggestion of it started almost as soon as he got here. He campaigned to become a parish counselor and when he was voted in, he started interfering with the process. People who had voted for him felt betrayed. I wasn't happy with him either, since it's my fault he came here. Why?   Wittrenham has been my little home from home for nearly 15 years. I have a cottage on the edge of the village. I used to come down here from London to get away from it all. Five years ago, when he came out of rehab, I invited Bill down here to get himself back together. He fell in love with the place and persuaded Lord Michael to sell him Court House. Bill was good at charming people, but only when he wanted to be. Jon is sent home. ... On site interview with Alice Rigden: Alice is jumpy and a little hostile. What happened when the body was found?   I came in the side door and started work in the kitchen, so it wasn't till I heard Mr Lee come in the front door and cry out that I knew anything was wrong. Do you know anyone who might wish to harm Mr Whethers?   Of course not, not human anyway, most of the village liked Mr Whethers. But I knew his devilish ways would get him in the end. Damn cursed house. Cursed?    ::she waves the question off:: Had Mr Whethers been drinking the night before?   I didn't see him, but he usually has a few pints in the Ewe and Lamb of an evening. There was some bother there last night, I heard, but I don't know the details. ... DCI decides they should talk to the publicans to find out what happened last night.

Aisha Kakkar Age: 23 Gender: female Ethnicity Code: M3 Job: Police Constable - Weald & Marsh Liaison Officer - an officer working with local communities, especially villages, in the Weald of Kent and Romney Marsh areas. DCI Mags Barnwell Age: 44 Gender: female Ethnicity Code: W1 Job: Detective Chief Inspector Kent Constabulary Serious Crime Office DS Kevin Williams Age: 27 Gender: male Ethnicity Code: W1 Job: Detective Sergeant Kent Constabulary Serious Crime Office Other info: DCI Barnwell's bag man. Jonathan (Jon) Lee Age: 36 Gender: male Ethnicity Code: O1 Job: literary agent Other info: best friend to Bill Whethers; found Bill's body. William (Bill) Whethers Age: 36 Gender: male Ethnicity Code: W1 Job: horror author Other info: death in unknown circumstances; he opposes a new housing development providing affordable housing to local people. Alice Rigden Age: 59 Gender: female Ethnicity Code: W1 Job: housekeeper at Court House; was in the house with Bill Whether's body for some time before Jon Lee found it. Court House A regency era house. Home of Bill Whethers. A few doors down from the shop and the church. Other information: Alice Rigden called it 'cursed'. The Investigation Scene Body of Bill Whethers found at the bottom of the stairs in the hall with a broken neck. He fell down the stairs, breaking a glass of wine and his e-cigarette. The Affordable Housing The scheme has split the village. Bill was opposed.

And now it's time to vote again - just take a punt - who do you think killed Bill Whethers (and yes, every character is listed - you never know ;P)?

Who dunnit?

Aisha Kakkar

Debbie Fincher

Dave Fincher

Jonathan Lee

Janice Walker

Lorri Walker

Hal Walker

Fred Walker

Alice Rigden

DS Kevin Williams

DCI Mags Barnwell

None of the above, we haven't met them yet

Don't be silly, I don't know enough yet!

quizzes

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