Eventide Marauder (Moriarty the Patriot Fanfic)

Chapter 49

Chapter 49: The thorn countess (part 2)

       The thorn countess. Also known as Countess Mariabell Astley. She is the wife of Earl Astley. One of the members of the House of Lords in the parliament. Earl Astley couldn't attend the Celebration today so he have his wife and daughter sent to the party in hopes to preserve his reputation and appease the opinions of the other lords and nobles changing towards him because he couldn't attend the celebration organized by the young noble favored by the Queen.

But at the end of the party, because of this so-called reputation, Earl Astley would never expect that his daughter ends up dead. But this is a story for another time. Currently, Detective Sherlock Holmes has made a declaration.

" I solve the case. "

Upon hearing the declaration, the potential culprits stared at Sherlock Holmes. The mother of the victim, the Thorn Countess Mariabell demanded while glaring at the doctor.

" Who is it? Is it him?! "

Upon seeing the Countess glaring fiercely at the doctor, Sherlock closes his eyes for a moment letting out a sigh before opening his eyes.

" No, Madam. calm down a bit. The doctor you are accusing of is completely innocent. Since your daughter is poisoned, among us, you are thinking that the doctor is the one who killed her since he was the one who was most knowledgeable regarding poisons and medicines. It is a logical thought but it was also wrong. Do you have enough evidence that he is the killer madam? "

The countess gritted her teeth. Clenching her fist, she was reluctant to admit that the detective is indeed correct. She hasn't enough evidence to condemn the young doctor. She was just blindly accusing the doctor and she was being irrational right now.

But how could she not be when she can see her daughter's dead body?! Those investigators wouldn't even let her have her daughter covered up so her dignity in death could be preserved. Her daughter had suffered enough.

Seeing the Countess calming down a little, Sherlock saw an empty chair and sat on it. Clapping his hands together, with the noise of his clap, he brought the attention of everyone in the room. Both the investigators, the possible suspects/witnesses, and Watson.

" While the host of this party is unconscious, the search and asking for all of your alibis have already been done by the investigators of Scotland Yard. "

Facing Sherlock's intense stare, the possible suspects unconsciously felt pressure on their bodies. Even some of them know that they are completely innocent and haven't done anything to the child at all.

" You are told to enter room one by Lestrade and asked questions by Gregson in a separate room far away from this banquet hall. All of the people answered but some people answered differently from the rest.. "

" I apologize but I can't faintly recall what happened since I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings, detective. "

The nun replied calmly while intending to approach Holmes. He gestured for her to just remain in the place she was standing right now. Standing along with the rest of the possible suspects. She acquiescence to his request while clasping the prayer bead necklace in her hands whispering prayers to her lord.

But despite the nun praying, it looks like she has gained the attention of the countess. Since she was now glaring at the devoted and praying nun. Seeing it, Sherlock sighed.

" Calm down Madam, the nun wasn't the suspect. The discrepancies inwards the others are just a result of her not paying attention since she was occupied reading a bible during the time of your daughter's death. Watson, can you tell me again the symptoms that happened to the victim before her poisoning? "

Upon Holmes's question, Dr. Watson answered.

" It is abdominal cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, and death from shock. It greatly resembles food poisoning. The victim was busy eating food from the party when the poison took effect. "

After hearing the symptoms, the witnesses and possible suspects alike felt that they felt too familiar. It was at the tip of their tongue and their mind but they can't properly grasp it except for the doctor who already knows what Sherlock is talking about.

" The King of poisons... "

The young doctor who was accused by the thorn countess earlier supplied and continued his words.

".. Arsenic. "

Moving his gaze from the young doctor, Sherlock stared at the other possible subjects and says.

" Arsenic, the king of poisons. A poison that is odorless and tasteless. The perfect poison to enact people's plot of murder when they want it to be discreet and secretive. It was commonly mistaken as food poisoning. Poisonings are the most common method of murder. And it was quite prevalent in our country and the others. People have been afraid of being killed by poisons since it was easy for the murder to be committed and materials are acquired quite easily because Arsenic is widely used for agriculture and other purposes. Poisonings are so common until forensic toxicology is invented thanks to the German physician Mathieu Orfila. The amount of poisoning has also decreased thanks to the Arsenic Act of 1851, all of the buyers and purposes of the use of Arsenic need to be recorded. "

Narrowing his eyes at them, Sherlock revealed a predatory smile.

" Poisoning is a common method that happens a lot in nobility.  "

The other possible suspects started to have a clue about who is the murderer of the poor child. They were looking in one direction along with the investigators, Dr. Watson and Detective Sherlock Holmes.

" But it fell out of favor because of the law and the forensic toxicology but Madam, you are quite a stubborn lady, don't you? The moment that you have chosen poison as a method of your murder, you have already set yourself to be discovered and defeated. Among the other possible suspects, you are the only one who has the motive for murder as the other possible suspects are strangers to the countess and she has done nothing to them to earn their ire except you. And it was never the victim Marianne that you intended to poison, isn't it? "

Under the furious gaze of Countess Mariabell Astley, which was full of shock and betrayal, the countess's friend, Viscountess Martha Courtney's expression of calm revealed a hollow smile on her face as tears slowly fell into her eyes.

" .... It was an accident. "

The one who she intended to kill was the countess herself. Not the countess's daughter who she has treated over the years as her child.

With tears in her eyes, the viscountess glared at Madam Mariabell Astley and said.

" You always steal everything that I love. "