Eliza, Jack, and Pickering turned puzzled faces in his direction. “What do you mean, old chap?” the Colonel asked.
“He didn’t fancy being the prime suspect, I suppose,” Eliza said.
“That, too,” Higgins said. “But look how predictably the case ended.”
They stared back at him.
“Don’t you see?” Higgins grinned from ear to ear. “The blooming butler did it.”
The other three let out a collective groan.
“I’m just glad this is over and the killer’s been caught.” Eliza scanned the littered stage with obvious satisfaction. “As Shakespeare would say, ‘All’s well that ends well.’”
“That’s the wrong play,” Higgins corrected.
“But the right sentiments,” Pickering added as he kissed the top of Eliza’s head. “And the right lady to express them.”
“I agree, Pick,” Higgins said. “Our Eliza has shown herself to be resourceful, bold, and unstoppable, but a lady all the same.” He smiled over at her with affection. “A fair lady indeed.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to thank the Talbot Fortune Agency, for their lightning-quick offer of representation and for landing a publisher in such a short time; editor Toni Plummer Kirkpatrick, for believing our book was a winner; and our long-suffering spouses, Barry and Randy, and our brilliant daughters, Amanda and Emma, for their love and support. But our deepest thanks must be extended to Wayne State University, where the two of us first met. To this day, we’ve never used anything we learned from that Theory of Anthropology class, but it was well worthwhile. At the end of the semester, we left the class as lifelong friends—and future writing partners.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
D. E. IRELAND is a writing team of two Michigan authors who met as undergraduates in an anthropology class and have remained friends ever since. Both are married to computer geeks, and each has one beautiful and brilliant daughter. Lifelong book lovers and history buffs, they have authored several novels on their own.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.
A THOMAS DUNNE BOOK FOR MINOTAUR BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.
WOULDN’T IT BE DEADLY. Copyright © 2014 by D. E. Ireland. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.thomasdunnebooks.com
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover illustration by Dan Craig
eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-04935-3 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-5035-4 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466850354
First Edition: September 2014
Wouldn't It Be Deadly Page 29