Tea with Milk and Murder (Oxford Tearoom Mysteries ~ Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

quickly. “That’s the kind of thing that happens in novels and movies, not in real life. Besides, how could someone have poisoned her in a room full of people?”
    “Oh, but it was easy!” said Florence, her eyes wide with excitement. “They put it in her tea!”
    Glenda nodded, her cheeks flushed pinker than the rouge she applied so liberally. “We were right beside her when she was at the bar and we saw everything.”
    “What did you see?” I demanded.
    “The other girl—the one behind the bar—must have put poison in her tea.”
    “The girl behind the bar…?” My voice trailed off as I glanced across to the waitress who was seated on the floor, her back against the wall, several yards away. Thankfully she seemed to be out of earshot. In any case, she didn’t seem to be paying much attention to anyone in the room. Her eyes were riveted on the dead body, her face pale.
    I swung back to the Old Biddies. “Did you actually see her do it?” I demanded.
    “Well, not exactly,” admitted Mabel. “But we saw how she could have done it.”
    Ethel nodded eagerly. “Yes, it was in the sugar she added to the tea. Everyone knows how easy it is to hide poisons like arsenic in sugar.”
    “And they were arguing too,” added Florence. “We heard them. They were saying quite nasty things to each other.”
    “What sort of things?”
    “Oh, the dead girl jeering at the waitress, making fun of her job, and the waitress replied that she wouldn’t be in that position if it wasn’t for the dead girl being such a… er… a female dog.”
    “Sounds like they knew each other,” I mused.
    Mabel nodded. “Oh, yes. Definitely. There was bad blood between those girls, mark my words.”
    She turned suddenly as Devlin came out of the inner office and approached the group. He was followed by Jon Kelsey, looking slightly shell-shocked. Cassie rushed over to her boyfriend, whilst Devlin approached us. He turned to the waiter who had tried to offer Sarah a napkin but, before he could speak, the four Old Biddies marched up to him.
    “I’ve got some information for you, young man,” said Mabel, waving a hand at him like she was hailing down a bus.
    A look of irritation flashed across Devlin’s handsome face. “If you can wait your turn, Mrs Cooke, I will get to you shortly. I need to speak to some of the other witnesses first, as they may have important information for me.”
    “Well, we have the most important information of all,” said Mabel, crossing her arms. “We know how the girl was murdered and the identity of the killer.”
    Devlin stopped. “We’re not certain yet this is a murder investigation,” he said cautiously.
    Mabel sniffed. “Then I’m saving you time, Inspector. She was murdered. And we saw how it was done—she was poisoned.”
    There were gasps from the crowd and I heard several shocked whispers of: “ Poison? ”
    Devlin glanced around, then gave a sigh. “I think we’d better speak in private, Mrs Cooke. This way.” He indicated the doorway to the inner office.
    Mabel gave a regal nod and allowed herself and the other Old Biddies to be escorted into Jon’s office. I watched them go, wondering if Devlin would take their accusations seriously. My gaze flicked back to the waitress who had been behind the bar. I remembered the look of pure hatred I had seen on her face and I shivered.
    Poison.
    It seemed ludicrous. And yet… could it have been true?

CHAPTER FOUR
     
     
     
     
    Devlin leaned back against the desk in Jon’s private office and said, “So you believed Kelsey’s story about his relationship with the dead girl?”
    I shrugged. “It did seem very plausible, the way he told it.”
    He regarded me shrewdly. “But you didn’t want to believe it.”
    Damn. The man was too perceptive for his own good.
    “Let’s just say that Jon Kelsey isn’t my favourite person,” I said at last.
    Devlin raised his eyebrows. “Any special reason for that? He is your best friend’s