The heavy downpour outside continued as Mrs. Wilberforce tended to Gordon's needs. She briskly dried his soaked clothes by the fire, fetched warm tea and a thick quilt. "There now, into something dry and have a sit," she urged motherly.
Gordon accepted her kindness through rattled nerves. As the storm raged, another began brewing across town within Professor's rented rooms. His crew assembled, impatient and accusing over the botched heist.
"You said foolproof but now we've nothing to show!" snapped Melissa. Thomas nodded irritably. Only brute Bob stayed silent, cracking his knuckles meaningfully.
Professor maintained composure yet seethed inwardly. "Gordon has our ticket out of this mess. I'll bring him round while you lot vanish till the dust settles."
His chilling smile did little to comfort associates now invested yet empty-handed due to his bungled plan. They begrudgingly scattered as instructed.
Meanwhile at the bakery, Gordon finally relaxed in Mrs. Wilberforce's cosy parlour. Over tea and biscuits, he shared simplified tales of academic pursuits to explain his disheveled state.
The widow listened warmly yet remained insightful. "Music studies, you say? Strange hours those scholars keep. Pray tell, what were you truly about at Monte Carlo this eve?"
Gordon froze, cursing his loose tongue. Before replying, Professor suddenly appeared at the door, expression amiable yet radiating danger.
"My thanks for your kindness to my young colleague. Might we borrow him awhile to...discuss lessons?"
Mrs. Wilberforce's perceptive eyes narrowed. She fetched Gordon's dried clothes hastily. "Best be on your way, dearies. Mind how you go in such a storm!"
Professor seized Gordon's arm firmly, escorting him back to headquarters through pouring rain. There, a confrontation came to a head.
"You foolishly risked us all! Now that meddling crone knows too much. We end this nuisance tonight, once and for all." His chilling pronouncement sent shivers through Gordon's core.
A deadly pie was baked bearing poisonous nightshade berries, marked for the inquisitive widow. Under veil of night, Professor and coerced Gordon crept downstairs, intending to permanently silence Mrs. Wilberforce's intrusions. But would their lethal mission unfold as planned, or would new obstacles arise in this deadly game?
YOU ARE READING
A case of pies and plotting
Mystery / ThrillerA charming criminal known as "Professor" rents rooms above a bakery owned by a pious old woman named Mrs. Wilberforce under the guise of being a professor of music. In truth, he is assembling a crew for a sophisticated casino heist. Over time, Mrs...
