Beatrice: An Alarming Tale of British Murder and Woe by Tedd Hawks (the reading list book .TXT) 📕

with renewedvigor. “We’ll give you the close of the drama then dispatch you. I feel youshould know the full story before passing on. It gives the narrative arc anice, tight ending.”

            Crockett’sheart thudded against his chest. With Brontë subdued and the family holding herhostage, there was no one to save him. The only saving grace was the duo’s owndelight in their cleverness; with Dexter present, Bixby was even more willingto wallow in his triumph. If he could keep convincing them to talk, perhaps hecould buy time…

“The murder of ourpartner precipitated a return to England,” Bixby resumed. “I knew we still hadopportunity back home. My parents were wealthy, and I promised Dexter he couldhave his fair share.”

            “Plushe promised me the time,” Dexter added, “to work more on my art.”

            “Butwhen I returned home…” Bixby groaned. He raised the revolver to his foreheadand struck a tortured pose as if on stage.

            “Itwas very dramatic.” Dexter shook his head. “Bixby was very upset.”

            “Mycousin had taken it all! So, I had to erase him. We planned and schemed forquite some time. First, dispatching Lucinda in the river. We made it look likean accident, then—”

            “Oh,that was a clever bit!” Dexter looked skyward with fond remembrance. “We playedit all perfectly! Once she was gone, Bixby Hawsfeffer went into grieving.”

            “Weused the time to dismiss the servants.”

            “Exceptfor Martha…” Dexter said. “I never could let her go, even though she neverwanted me…”

            VonBunson rolled his eyes; he was quite fed up with the unrequited love of Marthaand Dexter. “Anyway, once the house was clear, we poisoned my cousin and…well,that was that! I used some slight costuming and took his place. It erased himcompletely and avoided any legal complications.”

“Does Corinthianaknow…?” Crockett asked.

            “Shedoesn’t.” Bixby shook his head. “She was very beautiful, an empty-headed farmgirl. Not only would she be a delightful wife, but she also would spread rumorsof our whirlwind romance. Locals would be led to assume our relationship wasthe reason Lucinda disappeared.”

            “ButLucinda left the note.” Crockett looked to the piece of parchment in Bixby’shand. It rippled slightly in the warm, summer breeze. “She left the note withPetrarch which would guide her son to the tomb. That second epistle," hemotioned to the letter in Von Bunson's hand, "explained what happened tohis father. It was the game from his childhood that was the hint.”

            “Yes!It was very clever of her,” Dexter said. “I knew it had to mean something,which is why I had to get Martha to explain it me—the hat game and all that. Thenote was concealed under her stone Tudor beret on her sarcophagus.”

            “Whatdoes it say?” Crockett leaned forward.

            “Inno uncertain terms it discusses her fear of a plot between me and Dexter whichput her and Bixby Hawsfeffer in mortal danger. It alludes to the reasons forthe murder, but it is not entirely factual. However, if it were discovered, myclaim to the house would be removed, as would that of my wife and daughters.”

            “Butthere’s nothing left…” Crockett said. “You’re all in terrible debt.”

            “Theycan sell the house!” A terrifying resolve crossed Bixby’s face. “I will not havemy wife, children, and granddaughters shamed into non-existence.” His nostrilsflared. “This,” he said shaking the note, “will be destroyed and then we willall move forward, forgetting this whole messy business forever!”

This moment of outragebrought Bixby to his senses. The imminent discovery of both him and Dexter-Pimentoon the grounds made the matter at hand more urgent. He, again, aimed his gun atCrockett and narrowed his gaze.

            “But!”Crockett shouted. He still had a large number of questions. The events aroundthe mysteries at Hawsfeffer were unnecessarily complicated.[44]“When did you decide to fake your own death?” The question came out morepleadingly than Crockett would have liked, but he pressed on, “Was it simply toget the tomb key?”

            ToCrockett’s great relief a smile returned to the old man’s lips. “Dexter, howcould we forget that piece?!”

            “Itis very important in terms of fleshing out the plot.” The fraudulent detectivewas looking at his shoes, perturbed at the mud which collected on them in hisexcursion on the grounds.

            “Petrarchmay have forgotten,” Bixby continued, “but I asked him about the tomb key along time ago. It was for a very unromantic, non-murderous reason; I simplythought it may be a good idea to clean the thing—all the dead bodies, you know.So, I asked him, and he confided that he did have a copy, but was unsure of theexistence of any others. I raided the house and found nothing. It may have beena bit of a panic response, but when the Lucinda note was revealed to me, I knewI had to act fast to get into the tomb and remove the second note.”

Somewhere in thedistance, Crockett heard more sounds. Hope swelled in his heart.

            “Iwas the one who suggested the fake death,” Dexter added. “We are both gettingold, so we thought it wouldn’t matter much anyway. We threw the plot togetherquickly so we could get Petrarch to the house with the key.”

            “Youcouldn’t simply ask him for his copy?” Crockett asked.

            “Itwas legally impossible. Lucinda willed it to never be passed on until the deathof myself.”

            “Thewhole thing was very irksome,” Dexter added.

            “Fakingmy death to get the key was simple in execution,” Bixby continued. “I yelledand disappeared into some brush, and Dexter ran to the house to get a witness.The most complicated parts were creating the second, real will in secret whilemaking sure Petrarch would come to the house for the reading. The otherniggling item was building out the Robert Edward plot in advance to make sure alibiswere covered and I could be present at the will reading.” Bixby laughed tohimself. “That required me to go to London as Bixby, return as Robert, only toleave as Robert and return as Bixby to die as Bixby then return as Robert.”

            Crockett,in spite of himself, grew impressed with the complex nature of the plot. “So,you drew out the plan, prepared the fake correspondence between Robert Edwardand Bixby, then staged a trip to London in which you would