Deadly Clementine

Clementine gasped and looked warily at Moss. “Has someone gone for the doctor?”

“I know the Captain said he was going to deal with it, I sent the lad next door to fetch the local doctor, but he is doing his rounds and won’t be back until lunch-time. Fred has been gone for quite some time, so I don’t suppose there is any rush.”

Clementine felt quite sorry for Rory. She offered her condolences and offered him a kindly smile, but it only made the situation worse because he looked uncomfortable. Moss returned to the room carrying a fruit cake between hands that were protected by cloths. He slid the cake onto the sideboard and stepped back to study it.

Clementine gulped. “Does it look similar to the one you received?”

Moss nodded. He leaned down and sniffed the cake.

“It smells just like the one I had as well,” he murmured. Moss looked at the other occupants of the room. “Whatever you do, don’t touch it. This has got poison in it.”

“Do you want to wrap it up?” Rory offered.

Moss nodded. Cameron went off to find some broadsheets and summarily, the cake was wrapped tightly and tucked into the deep pocket of Moss’s great coat. Moss then eyed the kitchen dresser warily. “I think we had better wash it down.”

“I’ll do it,” Clementine offered.

“No. I’ll do it, just let me go and have a look at the body first,” Moss muttered, and with that left the room.

Clementine lingered for a moment or two and looked around the empty room. Like Sally’s kitchen, it was neat and tidy. The only difference in Mr Cavanagh’s house was the presence of the incriminating fruit cake, which was still in the room whereas in Sally’s house, the poisoned cake had been removed by the killer.

“If the killer hasn’t come back for it yet then we are due a visit,” Clementine whispered.

She shivered and eyed the door to the kitchen warily. With a sigh, she hurried into the room and slid the bolt across the back door. The men paused and turned to look at her. Clementine, who wasn’t usually squeamish, shivered when she saw the top of Mr Cavanagh’s head resting against the table. Averting her gaze, Clementine hurried to the window, and slid the curtains closed.

Cameron hurriedly lit some candles before he re-joined the men examining the corpse.

Moss leaned down to sniff at the froth still seeping from the corner of Mr Cavanagh’s mouth.

“Was it a seizure, do you think?” Rory asked worriedly.

“It looks like it was the same poison I had. That smell is there.” Moss looked at Clementine and was glad she had decided to join them. He felt considerably more at ease when he was able to see her.

“What happens now?” Clementine asked.

“Now, we get Rory to tell that lad not to fetch the local doctor. Seeing as I don’t agree with the cause of death the doctor keeps putting onto the death certificates, I want another doctor to examine him, if that is all right with you?” Moss lifted his brows at Rory who nodded emphatically.

“I wholeheartedly concur,” Rory muttered.

“I think we will let Billsdon summon the doctor he usually works with,” Moss suggested.

“Billsdon?” Rory’s eyes lit with hope.

“You know of him?”

“I know he is a good man,” Rory breathed, clearly delighted that the lawman was going to be involved.

“Well, he is taking over the investigation and will be here sometime today,” Moss informed him. “He can liaise with the doctors about this. For now, if you are all right with Frederick being left here like this, we will leave him where he is. We can stay with you while we wait for Billsdon to arrive.”

“You can leave him there. I mean, he isn’t going anywhere, is he?” Rory sighed.

Moss had to concede the man had a point. There was no urgency now seeing as Mr Cavanagh was beyond help. Moss paused beside the corpse long enough to drape a knee blanket over the deceased man’s face before waving everyone back into the sitting room.

“What do we do meantime?” Clementine asked.

“Now we wait. We cannot leave the body unattended because he is a murder victim. Whoever has sent that cake will probably try to come back to fetch the evidence and clean up like they have with the other victims. What I fully intend to do is be here when they arrive,” Moss growled.

“We will all wait,” Cameron said firmly.