Dead Cold Mysteries Box Set #4: Books 13-16 (A Dead Cold Box Set) by Blake Banner (best ereader for academics .txt) 📕

that’s very good of you. Thank you.” She hesitated, unsure whether to close the door.

I waited, smiling, until it became awkward and then added, “You must be curious to know who did it. I’m afraid I also have some rather sad news for you.”

She sighed and her shoulders slumped. “You had better come in.”

“We won’t keep you long, Dr. Meigh. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.”

She forced a smile. “Of course. It is thoughtful of you to come all this way.” She led us into the drawing room, where a fire was burning in the grate, reflecting off the baubles and tinsel on a vast Christmas tree, and throwing ghostly reflections against the windowpanes. She sat, perched on the edge of a calico armchair. Dehan took the sofa and I took the other chair.

I said, “Perhaps your husband would like to join us.”

Dehan glanced at me and frowned. Meigh said, “No, that is quite unnecessary, Detective. What is the news you have for me?”

I spread my hands, “Cutting a long story short, Dr. Meigh, Peter Yeltsin has confessed that he was employed by Assistant District Attorney Costas Varufakis to kill Dr. Robles.”

“Really? How extraordinary.”

“Yes, Robles and Varufakis were having an affair, and Robles was threatening to tell the media. One of his power games. Varufakis panicked and employed Yeltsin to kill him. Part of the plan was to frame Agnes, kill her and dump her body in the river, to make it look as though she had killed him and fled.”

“Oh.” The only sign of emotion was that her face went very rigid.

I waited a moment, then said, “I imagine you’ll miss her.”

“Of course, we all will.”

“Of course, Am was also a part of the plot. There were three of them, Costas, Yeltsin and Am.”

“I see.”

“Am’s motive was that the LightYear Corporation had made Robles an offer to buy his research, and he admitted to Costas that he was going to make the sale, and cut Am out. So Costas and Am teamed up.”

“Well, thank you for taking the time to bring me the news…”

Dehan made to stand. I said, “There is just one thing.”

Meigh sighed. “Yes, Detective Stone.”

“There was a second corporation who apparently also made an offer for Robles’ and Am’s research. The Electron Corporation. I don’t know what happened to that offer. The one Robles apparently went for was the LightYear offer.”

“I see. Anything else?”

“I just wondered if you had been approached by Electron…?”

“No, of course not.”

“OK, well, we’ll leave you to your lunch. You’ll be off to Maine soon, I imagine.”

“Yes, tomorrow in fact, if we can get away.”

She labored the last words as she stood. We followed her to the hall and she led the way across the hall toward the front door. As she reached it, I snapped my fingers and gave a small laugh. “My gloves!”

I turned on my heel and marched back. I heard her voice behind me, “Detective!”

As I reached the dining room, I grabbed the handle and pushed open the door. I could hear Meigh’s feet running behind me.

He was sitting with his back to me, eating what appeared to be a chocolate mousse. I glanced at Meigh and the distress on her face told me I was right. Behind her, moving as though in slow motion, was Dehan, both running toward me. I looked back into the room and said, “Hello, Agnes.”

Her hair was cut short and dyed very black. The clothes were a man’s clothes, jacket, shirt and tie, but the face was easily recognizable as Agnes Shine’s. She stood and turned to face me.

Dr. Meigh grabbed my arm in both her hands and pulled at me. Her face was twisted with all the emotion she had failed to show before. “You are not allowed in here!”

I spoke quietly, “It’s over, Dr. Meigh. You very nearly got away with it. But the game is up.”

“No!”

Agnes came around her chair and took Meigh in her arms. Meigh seemed to collapse, sobbing into her neck.

I turned to Dehan, whose mouth was slightly open. “You better call for a patrol car, and the Crime Scene team.” Then I turned to Agnes and Meigh. “Dr. Patricia Meigh, Dr. Agnes Shine, I am placing you both under arrest for the murders of Dr. Jose Robles and Americano Nielsen, and for the theft of intellectual property from University College New York.”

EPILOGUE

The weather outside was frightful, but the fire, where it was crackling in the hearth, was quite delightful. Big, fat flakes were falling past the window, shrouding everything in a blanket of frozen white, while a warm, wavering amber glow filled the room, and glinted off the large red, orange and yellow balls on the tree.

I sat on the sofa with my feet on Dehan’s lap and sipped a large glass of mulled wine, watching her face while she gazed at the flames.

“That has to have been the most confusing case we have ever had.”

I made a ‘hmm’ noise and nodded.

“How did you know that Agnes was there?”

I shrugged. “It was the simplest explanation. It all fell into place when Yeltsin mentioned the Electron Corporation. I’d had my doubts about Meigh from the start. She had shown no emotion whatsoever about Agnes’ disappearance. At first that seemed normal because we didn’t think they were very close. But then when it emerged that they were actually very close friends, her indifference made no sense at all, unless she knew Agnes was safe.”

She nodded. “Yeah, when you put it like that.”

“That was when I asked you to look into the births, deaths, marriages, et cetera relating to Meigh. You found out that she wasn’t married, and that she owned a house in Maine, where they were going for