Tuesday 26 April 2016

Murder Most Foul! - V is for Violation - 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

While everyone is milling about because of the fire at the Manor stables, Alice Rigden's cry is heard and she comes rushing across the road, dressing down eschew, telling anyone who will listen that Court House has been burgled. Barnwell send Aisha and Williams with Jon Lee and Alice Rigden over to check out the issue.

The side door to the house has been jimmied and Alice Rigden leads them straight to the study. The place has clearly been turned over: Bill's stacks of paper are scattered all over the floor, files are open. His desk has been ransacked. Yet, an expensive hi-fi system hasn't been touched, nor has a small desk set clearly made of ivory and gold. The conclusion is this was not an ordinary burglary, someone was looking for something.

This supposition is supported by the fact that the seat of the sofa in the room has been lifted. Under the seat, build into the sofa is a safe, and there are tool marks on it as if someone had been trying to force it open, but it has not been opened.

Aisha asks Jon if he has the combination. He says no, he didn't even know the safe existed. There might be something in Bill's papers, but they are now all over the place. Williams says that there may be something important to the case in the safe, and would Jon give his permission for them to call safe-cracking expert to get it open. Jon agrees.





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.

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.

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.

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. She thinks the Grey Mother killed Bill Whethers for his unfaithfulness.

Bill Whether's Safe
Bill has a hidden safe in his study. Someone has tried to break into it.


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
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 Quizzes

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12 comments:

  1. The new will is soon found? Hmm...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ooh love the safe in the sofa!! That's one place I wouldn't look for a safe, are safes in sofas a thing? :)

    Can't wait for W! Assume it's the Will?

    Mars xx
    @TrollbeadBlog from
    Curling Stones for Lego People

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, apparently safes in sofas are a thing - I saw it on Castle, so it must be true!!! ;P

      Delete
  3. Uhm... so at this point I'd say that the fire was a diversion... that also was handy to kill someone. And while people were all gathered at the fire, the murder broke into Bill's house.

    I'm incline to rule Jon out at this point. Sure, he could have organise everything because he didn't find the will and couldn't open the safe, but if he doesn't know what's in the will, that's a very risky move.
    Uhm... don't think so.

    And why killing dr. Elves? I think this have to do with the farm. And probably with Dr. Elves findings, which I suppose were destroyed in the fire as well.
    And it must be someone knowing Bill and the house very well, if even Jon didn't know where the safe was. So, as of now, I'm also incline to rule out Lord Michael.

    I'm thinking one of the women. Besides, Bill was poisoned... typical female's way of murder, right? ;-)

    @JazzFeathers
    The Old Shelter - Jazz Age Jazz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow - you are really thinking this through, I'm impressed :)

      Delete
    2. I like trying to catch the murder before the detective... but I seldom succeed. So I suspect your murder is quite safe ;-)

      Delete
  4. I just think its a brilliant place for a safe in the sofa myself.

    betty

    ReplyDelete
  5. I want a sofa safe!!!! Who knew such things existed?

    @Kathleen01930
    Meet My Imaginary Friends
    #AtoZchallenge

    ReplyDelete
  6. A safe in a sofa is a pretty good idea. Wouldn't work in my sofa though since it's a pull out.

    ~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL - I can just see it now - having to heave a large, very heavy metal box out of the way before you can pull out the bed! ;P

      Delete

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