Christmas is Murder by C. S. Challinor Page B

wondering who among them was guilty. Supervised by Mrs. Smithings, Rosie and the cook removed the heating trays, and they left.
    He continued observing and analyzing through dessert, knowing he would have to launch a full investigation now that the cat was out of the bag. If the innocent had believed the old man died of ill health, their suspicions must now be aroused by Ms. Greenbaum’s demise.
    He had to discover the identity of the culprit before someone else was murdered. Rex all but choked on his cheese and biscuits: a third murder?
    “A wee bit more of that claret to wash down this delicious cheddar,” he said to Anthony. He had watched Smart uncork the bottle and was sure the wine wasn’t contaminated.
    Helen smiled beside him, picking at her food. “I admire your appetite.”
    “I hope it doesna make me appear insensitive, but eating helps me think. I always have a big breakfast before court.”
    Wanda held out her glass for a refill. “I found I was putting on weight from my depression so now I take pills to curb my appetite.”
    “You’re practically anorexic!” Yvette observed. “I don’t think you have to worry.”
    Wanda preened a bit, and the women departed on a discussion about diets. The mood lifted as the guests were temporarily distracted from the specter of evil haunting the manor. Anthony, revived by food and drink, added his two-pence worth on health food.
    When the guests finally left the dining room, seeming reluctant to split up one from the other, Rex remained at table. He gathered up the name cards and grouped those belonging to the persons present in the drawing room at the time of Lawdry’s death. These included all but Yvette and Charley Perkins, who had been upstairs in their suite. He then isolated the cards of those who’d remained at table when Ms. Greenbaum fell to the cellar floor. Only Patrick and Wanda had been with him. These two could not have been directly involved in Miriam’s death.
    Rex wished Helen had not taken the phone call and left the room, so he could eliminate her as well.
    ___
    Rex reviewed the timeline according to what he’d been told. When Clifford took the firewood to the cellar, the rest of the staff had been in the kitchen. By the time he returned, only the cook was there. Anthony passed her in the corridor on his way to the kitchen. Ms. Greenbaum arrived thereafter. Helen searched for Mrs. Smithings downstairs and spoke to Rosie in the drawing room. Clifford stayed in the scullery after depositing the wood in the cellar. Rex came to the same conclusion as before: One of them had to be lying.
    When he joined the guests in the drawing room with the candlesticks, Rosie was serving coffee. Wanda, Charley, and Yvette sat by one of the tall windows, playing a subdued game of cards. Helen occupied the fourth chair at the card table.
    “Want to join us in a game of crazy eights?” Charley asked him.
    “I’ll pass, thank you though.”
    Helen looked up from her knitting. Even at this distance, Rex noticed the fear in her eyes. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, she must be confronting the stark reality of Ms. Greenbaum’s death. As though reading his thoughts, she said, “It feels strange and empty without Miriam here.”
    Charley shuffled the pack and began dealing between the three players.
    “I can’t concentrate,” Yvette said, pushing away her five cards as Charley placed the undealt stock face down on the table.
    “When are you going to test the candlesticks?” Wanda asked Rex.
    “I want everyone here first. Mrs. Bellows is still finishing up in the kitchen.” He accepted a cup of coffee from Rosie and helped himself to two sugar lumps from the black lacquer tray.
    Coffee was just what he needed. He was finding it hard to stay awake after taking the overnight Edinburgh to London rail service, traveling ninety minutes from Victoria Station to Eastbourne, and waiting over an hour for a train to Swanmere. Yet, much as he longed to crawl into