by Carola Dunn
When Daisy went down, the children were on the terrace with Violet and Johnnie, so there was no talk of the murder. Alec arrived soon after, and was besieged with requests to redeem his pledge to play cricket.
“You promised, Daddy.”
“Please, Uncle Alec!”
“Can I play too?” asked Peter.
“Of course,” said Belinda as Derek said, “No.”
“Of course he can,” said Vi.
“All right. Us three against Uncle Alec.”
Alec groaned. “You’ll join us, won’t you, Frobisher? And you’re not escaping, Daisy.”
Johnnie agreed, and Daisy let herself be persuaded, since a cooling breeze had come up.
“But let Uncle Alec have his tea first,” Violet said firmly.
The three children, Johnnie, and the dog went off to set up the wickets, Tinker Bell carrying one of the stumps. Daisy broke it to her sister that the vicar’s wife had been arrested for murder.
“Oh dear,” said Vi, a shadow crossing her serene face. “I must see what I can arrange to take care of Mr. Osborne. She is the very person one would ask to organize assistance if it were not—Oh dear! I wonder whether he will want to bring the children home? Excuse me, please, Alec. Daisy will pour you more tea.” She went indoors to the telephone.
Full of Mrs. Barton’s tea, Alec rejected a second cup. He and Daisy strolled after the others.
“You went with Mr. Flagg to arrest her?” Daisy asked.
“Yes. It was one of the most difficult ones. She ranted and raved, half hysterical. I rang up and asked Padgett to come round, both to calm her and to stand by Osborne. He’s hard hit, poor fellow.”
“I’m glad I wasn’t there,” Daisy acknowledged.
“You got it right in the end, you know,” Alec said sombrely. “She thought the professor was responsible for the vicar’s apostasy. Since she said so before three police officers, you won’t have to testify.”
Not having considered the possibility, Daisy was aghast and relieved at the same moment.
Alec went on, “She seemed almost to believe the angel struck him down without human agency, or at least that she was the instrument of God. There’s bound to be a plea of insanity.” He cheered up. “A game of cricket is just what I need. Where are our cricketers?”
“Beyond the trees,” said Daisy, “out of sight of the house. Too many broken windows.”
He laughed. “Now there’s a crime I could put my heart into investigating!”
EPILOGUE
The yellow Austin Chummy buzzed down the drive, paused between the tall gates, then turned left towards Ashford and London. Daisy sat beside Alec in the front. In the back were two excited children—Derek was going to stay with Belinda for a few days, to visit museums and the zoo—and a puppy named Nana.
“There’s one thing I’ve been meaning to ask you, love,” said Alec. “How on earth did you discover about Dr. Padgett and the worming pills?”
“Padgett’s Patent Puppy Worming Pills,” Daisy chanted. “I happened to see a box in the shop just before we went to talk to him. Sheer chance, followed by a wild guess.”
Alec sighed. “There’s a place for chance and guesses in solving crime,” he conceded with reluctance.
“Daddy,” said Bel in an ominous voice, “Derek thinks Nana’s going to be sick.”
Slowing, Alec drew in to the side of the lane and stopped. With an even deeper sigh, he turned to Daisy and asked plaintively, “Why do I let you talk me into these things? I must be mad!”
The Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries
Death at Wentwater Court
The Winter Garden Mystery
Requiem for a Mezzo
Murder on the Flying Scotsman
Damsel in Distress
Dead in the Water
Styx and Stones
STYX AND STONES. Copyright © 1999 by Carola Dunn. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Production Editor: David Stanford Burr
eISBN 9781429924214
First eBook Edition : April 2011
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dunn, Carola.
Styx and stones : a Daisy Dalrymple mystery / Carola Dunn.—1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-312-20592-9
I. Title.
PR6054.U537S7 1999
823’.914—dc21
99-22067
CIP