Pinch of Arsenic

Chapter 3

Lavinia and Ansel left and started by searching the guest rooms.

The first room they searched was Lady Holly although Lavinia assured Ansel that her favorite aunt would never do something like that.

On the small vanity, the messy, uncapped face powder demanded attention. Ansel picked up the lid and noticed the arsenic the makeup contained. Of course, it could mean nothing but it could also mean everything.

"Is there a reason your aunt wears such heavy makeup?" he asked, "Not that I'm being judgemental, it's just strange."

Looking up from the valise she placed on the bed, she replied, "I don't know, if I'm being honest. She's only ten years older than me, so I don't know what she's covering up. She has a very youthful face."

"Hmm."

Ansel closed the container and looked in every drawer possible. His search proved fruitless until Lavinia pulled another container of face powder from the valise.

"How peculiar," Lavinia nodded as she unscrewed the top, "the one on the vanity is half full while this is completely untouched. No lady would even remotely need this much for one week."

"Does it have arsenic, too?"

After reading the label, she frowned, "Well, it does, but that doesn't mean anything. Many face powders have arsenic, but my slice of pie had arsenic from the container we have as a cleaning supply."

"It being messy could have just been a coincidence. It's important to consider everything."

Other than the great amount of face powder, the detective and Lavinia found nothing. The next room opposite of Aunt Holly's was Lady Emilia and her son who were sharing. Lavinia found fake jewels in her Aunt Emilia's suitcase; William only had clothes, his suitcase obviously packed by a servant.

Next was Uncle Emmett. Like William, his valise contained typical items. However, wrapped in a silk handkerchief, Ansel found hairpins with blue stones at the end. How strange.

The other uncle also had conventional belongings, but a small notebook rested inside a drawer in the mahogany nightstand. Lavinia, being the one who found it, flipped through the pages and quirked a brow at the written name and address of the lawyer who had dealt with her parents' will. Mr. Wright.

"Mr. Linton," she addressed, "I found something odd."

He inspected the notebook and decided to keep it for the interrogation.

Lavinia did not try to excuse her Uncle Henry; she knew very well he wasn't content with what the will entailed. He had probably already hired lawyers to give him a part of the money as the oldest brother after Lavinia's father.

They also searched the servants' quarters but found nothing.

"I think it's time to start questioning everyone."

Lavinia then led him to the library and asked where she would be.

"I think the best place would be to lock yourself in a room without windows. If possible, even going to a completely different house."

She bit her lip, not wanting to admit she was afraid of being alone. Even if she locked herself in a room, the murderer could unlock the door with ease. At a different house, she feared someone could pay off a servant to finish her.

Ansel noticed her hesitance, "Or you could stay here, too, if you want. I would prefer if you could stay behind a bookshelf or out of sight; it might help everyone be more honest."

"Of course. I think I will sit by this corner." She pushed a chair to where she pointed and Ansel nodded.

Ready with paper and pen, Ansel rang for Mr. Jarvis and told him to call all the foot men who served the family the day of the poisoning. The first one to knock on the library door was a Mr. Finkle.