The Breakfast Murder

2

I screamed out and dropped his afternoon tea on the floor, before I ran out the room screaming for help. Mr George Barnstable ran to me, asking what was wrong. I could not speak. I just pointed to his father's room.

The rest of the servants and family had crowded round now. George came out of the room, his face pale with a single tear trickling down it.

"He's dead." He announced.

I could not believe it, Mr Barnstable dead. But he seemed in perfect health earlier.

The hospital was ringed for immediately and they arrived within twenty minutes. They inspected the body and took it away with them in the ambulance. I heard the doctor on his way out tell Mr George the cause of death, poison. Mr Barnstable was murdered.

The police arrived an hour later and began to question the household. The inspector wanted to begin with Mrs Beatrice Barnstable, but she was away with Megan in London for some shopping London since yesterday.

She was obviously their main suspect. Twenty years younger than him and he had left all his money to her in his will, except for the company to the two boys and a small amount to his daughter. Mr George had got most of the share of the company, his son in law around thirty or twenty percent I believe.

Someone rang her and told her and Megan the news, I think it was Mr George. I heard that she seemed upset, but it would all probably just be an act knowing her. Mrs Barnstable isn't a very emotional woman, and even though she gave Mr Barnstable as much affection as he desired (he wasn't that affectionate so it wasn't too much,) I don't think she cared for him at all.

Instead they started with Mr George and his wife Christine and then Mr Samuel. Whilst this was going on, I helped cook by making some lunch for the family to keep them calm. I found it extremely difficult to carry on as normal, as I had just seen a dead body!

Then the inspector asked for me, the discoverer of the body. I followed him into the living room and sat down My hands were shaking as I looked at Inspector Stevens.

He had dark hair and blue eyes, which seemed kindly. He was tall and quite lanky also, his trousers not covering his ankles. His skin was lightly tanned and a small moustache danced above his top lip.

"So you found the body? Now what time was that exactly?"

"Just gone three o'clock as he always wanted his afternoon tea in bed at that time." I answered shakily.

"And after you found it, who were the next people to join you?"

"Well, first was Mr George, then Christine, then Tommy the butler, Mr Samuel, Elsie the cook and Linda the other maid last."

"I see. Now do you know what Mr Barnstable was poisoned with?"

"No." I answered. How could I possibly know?

"It was cyanide."