The Mystery at Harrowdale Manor: Chapter 7
With no better options, Elena made her way back to the manor where her relatives waited to be questioned. All of them had been visiting for a long time, planning to stay many months, and each had been staying with the Harrowdales when Mason's untimely demise had taken place. She was sad to think that she couldn't put it passed them to be involved in this ghastly affair.
She found Mason's cousin Clementine in the living room first.
"I'm sorry, Elena, but I was out the morning Mason passed," Clementine explained apologetically. "I was having breakfast with a friend. You can check with her if you like."
"Did you see anything suspicious?" Elena asked.
"Sorry, no."
On the back porch, Rose shook her head sadly. "I wish I could be of more help to you, Elena, but I was sound asleep when Mason died," she told her cousin simply. "Of course, I can't prove it, but you can't possibly believe I would poison my cousin, could you?"
Elena didn't know what to believe, but she thanked Rose and sought out her prime suspect.
"I can't help you," Tobias shrugged, infuriatingly indifferent, when she found him at last in the stables. "I spent the night in the office that day, working late, so I wasn't even here when Mason died."
"Did anyone see you?"
"No," Tobias's eyes narrowed angrily. "I'm not in the habit of having company when I'm working."
Not too helpful. But, then, Tobias seemed to try his best not to be helpful. Luckily, Niles was pulling up in a carriage right then, and Elena decided to speak with him about all she had learned. Certainly he'd be more of a help than Tobias.
Quickly, Elena told Niles all she had learned: how her husband had been poisoned and how each of her greedy relatives had reacted to the news and her questioning.
"I can't believe Mason was poisoned," Niles was aghast. "And you think one of your family members did it?"
"It had to be one of them," Elena confessed. "I know I didn't do it; I loved Mason! They were the only other people to have access to the house besides you..." she paused a moment, considering how to continue, before asking, "Where were you when Mason died, Niles?"
"I saw Mason that night," Niles admitted. "We had business to discuss, but he seemed fine when I left," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "After that I went out for a bite to eat and then headed home to my lonely apartment. No one around but me and the cat, I'm afraid. But, surely you can't think that I would kill Mason? I mean, that's absurd. He was like a brother to me."
"No, Niles, I don't think you're a coldblooded killer," Elena told him with a sweet smile. "Mason trusted you above everyone, even Tobias. You would never have let him down."
"I'm glad you think so," Niles smiled back. "Don't worry, Elena, we'll get to the bottom of this soon, you have my word. Be sure to come to me if you need anything else."
Elena promised she would and bid him goodbye, but her mind was elsewhere. Could it be possible there was something else in her husband's study that might lead her to the killer? Perhaps it was time to look again and find out.
To be continued...
~SilverStar-Burst
She found Mason's cousin Clementine in the living room first.
"I'm sorry, Elena, but I was out the morning Mason passed," Clementine explained apologetically. "I was having breakfast with a friend. You can check with her if you like."
"Did you see anything suspicious?" Elena asked.
"Sorry, no."
On the back porch, Rose shook her head sadly. "I wish I could be of more help to you, Elena, but I was sound asleep when Mason died," she told her cousin simply. "Of course, I can't prove it, but you can't possibly believe I would poison my cousin, could you?"
Elena didn't know what to believe, but she thanked Rose and sought out her prime suspect.
"I can't help you," Tobias shrugged, infuriatingly indifferent, when she found him at last in the stables. "I spent the night in the office that day, working late, so I wasn't even here when Mason died."
"Did anyone see you?"
"No," Tobias's eyes narrowed angrily. "I'm not in the habit of having company when I'm working."
Not too helpful. But, then, Tobias seemed to try his best not to be helpful. Luckily, Niles was pulling up in a carriage right then, and Elena decided to speak with him about all she had learned. Certainly he'd be more of a help than Tobias.
Quickly, Elena told Niles all she had learned: how her husband had been poisoned and how each of her greedy relatives had reacted to the news and her questioning.
"I can't believe Mason was poisoned," Niles was aghast. "And you think one of your family members did it?"
"It had to be one of them," Elena confessed. "I know I didn't do it; I loved Mason! They were the only other people to have access to the house besides you..." she paused a moment, considering how to continue, before asking, "Where were you when Mason died, Niles?"
"I saw Mason that night," Niles admitted. "We had business to discuss, but he seemed fine when I left," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "After that I went out for a bite to eat and then headed home to my lonely apartment. No one around but me and the cat, I'm afraid. But, surely you can't think that I would kill Mason? I mean, that's absurd. He was like a brother to me."
"No, Niles, I don't think you're a coldblooded killer," Elena told him with a sweet smile. "Mason trusted you above everyone, even Tobias. You would never have let him down."
"I'm glad you think so," Niles smiled back. "Don't worry, Elena, we'll get to the bottom of this soon, you have my word. Be sure to come to me if you need anything else."
Elena promised she would and bid him goodbye, but her mind was elsewhere. Could it be possible there was something else in her husband's study that might lead her to the killer? Perhaps it was time to look again and find out.
To be continued...
~SilverStar-Burst
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