Murder Most Foul! - Y is for Yes! - 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 arrests Lord Michael in the manor, and a cursory search turns up the laptop Williams saw in Elves' office in Lord Michael's study. It is indeed Bill Whethers' laptop. Barnwell and Williams take Lord Michael to the station for a formal interview. ... Interview with Lord Michael Oxen. MB - What did you think of Bill Whethers?   LM - He was a friend, I respected him. MB - But he was trying to seduce your wife.   LM - that was just a game between friends. None of us took it seriously, especially not Emma. MB - Are you sure they were not using the 'game' as a ruse to have an affair.   LM - Don't be ridiculous! You already know that Emma does not have a carnal appetite. MB - And you have a mistress, a mistress who also slept with Bill Whethers. Didn't that upset you?   LM - That was a one-night stand! MB - Or so Mrs Fincher says.   LM - It was, dammit! I know Deborah, she would not lie! MB - Except to her husband then? ::LM is silent and angry:: MB - And then there is your argument with Bill Whethers in the pub the night he died. It was about his change of heart on the affordable housing, wasn't it. ::silence:: MB - Are you going to deny it?   LM - We did have a difference of opinion, but I was sure I could get him to change his mind. MB - According to these ::touches the printouts:: you'd been trying to change that opinion for at least a month and a half.   LM - I thought I was making ground. MB - Until Whethers called you out in the pub.   LM - That was a shock, I'll admit, but it wasn't enough for me to want to kill him. MB - But maybe the blackmail was. He had you over a barrel, give up on protecting your precious village from the plebs, or he was going to expose you as a fraud.   LM - Bill would never have gone that far, he was just being histrionic, it was just like him. MB - He had Dr Elves worried, though, didn't he. The man was a nervous wreck. Was he cracking, was he becoming a threat to you?   LM - No! Elves was a fool, but he did what he was told. MB - I put it to you that you poisoned Bill Whethers over the last few months and put a fatal dose into his e-cigarette while it was on the bar in the pub the night that Whethers died.   LM - Absolutely not! MB - You stole his laptop, but then you realised there could be paper copies of the emails, so you killed Dr Elves, who was becoming a liability, set his office on fire and then used the time to ransack the study in the Court House.   LM - No! I did not! I was outside watching the fire engines, you both must have seen you. MB - we saw you once the fire was out, but you and your wife took your time coming outside.   LM - Emma was asleep, I was working at the back of the house. MB - You didn't hear the fire engines, either of you?   LM - I was listening to music and Emma had taken a sleeping pill. I did not know of anything until Emma came into the study and told me there was something going on outside. We came out of the house together. MB - And on the night of Bill Whether's death.   LM - Emma and I were together all evening after I left the pub. :: LM sits back, crossing his arms::

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. 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. Lord Michael, Earl of Oxen Age: 48 Gender: male Ethnicity Code: W1 Job: Lord of the Manor Other info: He has been friends with Bill Whethers since Bill moved into the village, but they had a fight the night before Bill's death. Plays golf with Bill Whethers. According to Andrew Parthing, Michael wanted to buy back Court Farm for the manor. Colluded with Bill Whethers and Dr Elves to stop the affordable housing development by faking the environmental survey against it. Arrested for questioning in connection with the deaths of Bill Whethers and Dr Elves.

Is Lord Michael guilty - 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

Graham Turner

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!

Do Riddles

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