Murder Most Foul! - Q is for Quandary - 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

Barnwell phones Aisha as soon as she is out of the solicitor's office and tells her to go and see Jon Lee. Aisha has been writing up the notes of her interviews in her car and she gets out to head back to Jon Lee's house. However, as she does, she spots Dr Elves and Lord Michael coming down the road. Dr Elves is in animated conversation with Lord Michael, who is frowning. When they see Aisha, Dr Elves stops where he is, but Lord Michael comes up to her.   LM: Dr Elves tells me Bill's death is being treated as murder. Yes.   LM: How terrible. If there is anything I can do to assist. Thank you, Lord Michael. I expect the Chief Inspector will want to talk to everyone again at some point. For now, though, I must go and see Jon Lee. Aisha turns to go, but Michael stops her and tells her that he saw Jon Lee heading into the Court House just a moment ago. Aisha thanks him for the information and head up there. The side door is open and she goes in to find Jon Lee in Bill's study. He is sitting at Bill's desk staring a lots of bits of paper scattered on the desk in front of him. There is paper everywhere, box files of it, some open, some on shelves. ... On site interview with Jon Lee: Are you alright, Jon?   ::he looks up, distractedly::   JL: I came to find Bill's will, but there's so much paper. Don't his solicitors have the will?   JL: Not the old one, the new one. He wrote that old thing when we were in university. I have a similar one leaving everything to him, but clearly, things had changed between us. He didn't even tell me he was dying.   :: he looks depressed and guilty:: I need to find out what he really wanted - do right by his wishes. But there's so much paper!   :: he laughs, but not for long :: Bill was a paranoid hoarder, he wanted everything on computer and on paper, his writing, correspondence, everything, just to make sure he didn't lose it. Have you checked the computer, maybe he hadn't printed it out yet?   JL: No, I can't find it. It must be somewhere in the house, he usually kept it here, but there's only the power cable under the desk, no laptop. He was so messy, paper and cigarette boxes everywhere, well, it used to be, then it became those damn little bottles of liquid, he had then stashed everywhere. Have you touched any of them?   JL: No, I didn't approve of his smoking, it was me who finally persuaded him to try the e-cigarettes. They're all missing, by the way, - your people took them? Yes, for testing. Did you ever collect any of the refills from the shop for him?   JL: Sometimes. I did want him to cut down on them too, he was more addicted to them than he had been cigarettes, but Bill could be a bit of a bully and he could always get me to do what he wanted. Do you want me to help you look for the will?   JL: ::standing up:: No, thank you, this is just me being self-indulgent - I'll look later - I have Bethany to think about, she is staying with me until this whole mess is cleaned up, and so I must go and be a good host.

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. Her mum and step mum knew Lady Emma when she was an art student. William (Bill) Whethers Age: 36 Gender: male Ethnicity Code: W1 Job: horror author Other info: he opposes a new housing development providing affordable housing to local people. As well as an environmental survey, was also using the private access road to Court Farm, which he part owned, as leverage in the issue of the affordable house. he's a drunk. Suspected of taking part in black masses by Alice Rigden and half the village. He had a smoking pouch that he carried around with his refills and e-cigarette in it. He sometimes left it lying around, but mostly he kept it in his pocket. Bill had a fight with Andrew Parthing about the environmental survey. But according to Andrew, Bill came to see him the day of his death and promised to withdraw all his objections and help the affordable housing project along. This was not confirmed by his solicitor, but Bill did want to talk to the solicitor about his objection to the access road being made into a public highway just before his death. Bill left everything to Jon Lee in his will. However, he did say he was writing a new will. Death: broken neck from falling down stairs, but was being poisoned by his e-cigarette with arsenic, and it was convulsions that caused him to fall down the stairs. He was dying of lung cancer. Jonathan (Jon) Lee Age: 36 Gender: male Ethnicity Code: O1 Job: literary agent Other info: best friend to Bill Whethers; found Bill's body; didn't tell the police he had a fight with Bill the night before Bill died. Was in love with Bill. He appears not to have known that Bill had cancer. Bill left his estate to Jon and Jon knew this. Jon is looking for the new will, he says to do right by Bill. Bill Whether's and Jon Lee's Wills Bill's will is a ratty old piece of paper with a note on it, leaving everything to Jon Lee. It was written 16 years ago and is signed and witnessed. Bill said he was making a new will. Bill Whether's estate was worth 15 to 20 million pounds. Jon has a similar will. They were both written at university, leaving everything to each other.

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

Lord Michael, Earl of Oxen

Lady Emma, Countess of Oxen

Dr Elves

Rev Sally Tawks

Bethany Mortby

Lady Elizabeth Ryeman

Vic Walker

Andrew Parthing

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

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

created here

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