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Somehow, during the course of a busy day, a bottle had gone missing from the surgery. The contents, in the wrong hands, could be highly dangerous and it was clear that somebody must have taken it. What was she to do? Should she report it to the police? She was reluctant because, inevitably, it would make her look foolish and irresponsible.
Dr Redwing shared with Mary (why?) that a bottle of poison (key element to any apothecary's stash) had gone missing. If she wouldn't tell the police why would she tell Mary?
As for Johnny Whitehead, despite what he had said, he remembered very well his last encounter with Mrs Blakiston. She had indeed come into the shop, making those accusations of hers. And the worst of it was that she had the evidence to back them up. How had she found it? What had put her on to him in the first place? Of course, she hadn’t told him that but she had made herself very clear.
that was when the thought had first wormed itself into her head. It had remained there ever since. It was there now. She had tried to ignore it. She had prayed for it to go away. But in the end she’d had to accept that she was seriously contemplating a sin much more terrible than covetousness and, worse, she had taken the first step towards putting it into action. It was madness. Despite herself, she glanced upwards, thinking about what she had taken and what was hiding in her bathroom cabinet. Thou shalt not kill.
Was wondering if this is where it was going with Clarissa and Magnus. Would she inherit anything if this was so patrilineal a family inheritance?
Also, had their parents really had an auto accident? Or were they murdered?
In the end it was Sir Magnus Pye – who employed Mary Blakiston and who had stood in loco parentis for the last seven years – who had persuaded Robert to get a proper job.
Is Magnus Robert's father?
and had even learned a few words of French from Clarissa Pye, who had given her private lessons. She had been working with Dr Redwing for eighteen months, coming into the village every morning on the bright pink motor scooter that she had bought on the never-never.
This would grant Clarissa at least some access (and loyalty from Joy) for accessing Redwing's poison of course.
--
Somewhere else Pünd mentions pink scooter...how did he know it was pink and why was he disappointed that it was? (Would've meant something significant if it were another color he said)
and although Joy hadn’t complained, hadn’t been anything but her sweet self, Robert had sworn he would never put her through that again. That evening he had argued with his mother and in truth the two of them had never really been civil to each other from that time.
Mary also coming between Robert and Joy. Perhaps Mary disapproved of Joy? Or still wanted Robert just for herself? Did the 'accident' with the car jack backfire for Mary?
But how could something so trivial have developed into such a stupid row, the two of them not exactly shouting at each other but talking loudly enough for everyone sitting outside the pub to hear. ‘Why don’t you leave me alone? I just wish you’d drop dead and give me a bit of peace.’ ‘Oh yes. You’d like that, wouldn’t you!’ ‘You’re right! I would.’
Robert and Mary had a very public disagreement a week before her death.
‘She was a good cook and she did a good job cleaning. But if you want the truth, I couldn’t really stand the sight of her – her and that son of hers. I always thought there was something a bit difficult about her, the way she scuttled around the place with that look in her eyes . . . like she knew something you didn’t.’
Why did others get the impression that he was so fond of Mary then?
As she spoke, Magnus was reminded of something. It was the mention of the postcard that had done it, something she had said. What was it? In some way, it was connected with the funeral that he would be missing today. Oh yes! How very strange. Magnus Pye made a mental note for himself, one that he would not forget. There was something he had to do and he would do it as soon as he got home.
Yes, what was it that the postcard reminded Magnus of?
UPDATE: this actually is relevant, explained at the very end.
And here was something rather strange. One of the mourners was already leaving even though the vicar was still speaking. Jeffrey hadn’t noticed him standing at the very back of the crowd, separate from them. He was a middle-aged man dressed in a dark coat with a black hat. A fedora. Jeffrey had only glimpsed his face but thought it familiar. He had sunken cheeks and a beak-like nose. Where had he seen him before?
Mystery attendee at the funeral. Then magpie symbolism.
One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret, Never to be told.
Heh. I'd only heard this in that Counting Crows song. Rain King? Which also reminded me of the Rankine temperature unit/scale.
Robert had a younger brother called Tom and the two of them were playing near the lake. Robert was fourteen. Tom was twelve. Anyway, Tom got out of his depth and he drowned. Robert tried to save him but he couldn’t.’
Robert was there when Tom died.
He wasn’t at the funeral – or if he was, I didn’t see him. His name is Matthew Blakiston but that’s about all I know.
Mystery man?
‘Lady Pye,’ he muttered, answering her question before she had time to ask it. ‘What’s happened? Where did you find it?’ ‘It was on a bonfire near the rose garden . . . at Pye Hall.’
Someone burning Redwing's husband's portrait of Frances Pye.
‘Sir Magnus Pye has sold it for development.
Why did I only now see that Magnus Pye == magpie?
They’re going to build a new road and eight new houses.’ ‘Where?’ ‘Right here!’ The vicar gestured at the window. ‘Right at the bottom of our garden! That’s going to be our view from now on – a row of modern houses! He won’t see them, of course. He’ll be on the other side of the lake and I’m sure he’ll leave enough trees to form a screen. But you and me . . .’
Osborne the vicar upset at Pyes' selling of Dingle Dell for development.
Lining up people who'd benefit from harm coming to Pyes, even if just revenge/comeuppance.
He left the room. Henrietta heard the front door open and close, then set about clearing the kitchen. She was deeply concerned about her husband and knew only too well what the loss of Dingle Dell would mean to the two of them.
This sounds like Dingle Dell meant more than just quality of life. Loss of privacy perhaps? Do they have something to hide?
He’d been quite surprised but Colin hadn’t thought twice. ‘Very nice, Johnny. Solid silver and a bit of age to it too. Get it from a museum, did you? You should visit us more often!’
Whitehead sold something silver to a friend in London. Where did he get it from? Mary's estate? Certainly not yet. Is this related to Mary's accusations of him?
‘I was sorry to hear about the burglary,’ she said. Magnus shrugged. ‘Yes. It wasn’t a nice thing to come home to.’
Did whitehead benefit from the burglary?
He had offered her a job, working as his skivvy. Mopping floors and doing the washing-up – dear God! She was his sister. She had been born in that house. She had lived there until she was in her twenties, eating the same food as him. She had only moved out after the death of their parents and Magnus’s wedding, the two events following, shamefully fast, one upon the other.
Clarissa even more motivation to desire harm to Magnus
Sir Magnus is survived by his wife, Frances, Lady Pye, and his son, Frederick.
And his twin sister, Clarissa. Should that have been included in the obit? Did Frances ensure her exclusion?
Three A Girl 1
Wait, woah, so there will be 7 murders, one per chapter? Not sure I can keep all this in my head at once!
‘You say he was killed violently.’ ‘That’s an understatement.’ Chubb needed to fortify himself with another lungful of smoke. ‘There’s a suit of armour in the main hall. You’ll see it in a minute. Complete with sword.’ He swallowed. ‘That’s what they used. They took his head clean off.’
Not a burglar's MO. Even Chubb should see that.
‘Was anything removed from the house on this second occasion, Detective Inspector?’ ‘It’s hard to be sure. We’ll need to interview Lady Pye when she’s up to it. But on first appearance, it doesn’t seem so.
Even less likely it's a burglar. Why go to all the trouble of beheading if not going to grab the loot?
This was typewritten and addressed to Sir Magnus Pye with a date – 28 July 1955, the actual day that the murder had taken place. He read: You think you can get away with it? This village was here before you and it will be here after you and if you think you can ruin it with your bilding and your money-making you are so, so wrong. You think again, you bastard, if you want to live here. If you want to live.
From the narrative so far, had assumed this letter was going to be from Joy, but did she (or Robert) care about Dingle Dell itself? Or is this referring to something else that Pye was up to?
(Joy did write an admission that she was sleeping with Robert the night Mary was killed, right?)
‘You’re most generous.’ Pünd nodded. His attention was still focused on the letter. ‘There is something about this that I find a little peculiar,’ he said.
What did Pünd find odd about the letter? That it accused Pye of trying to ruin the village?
UPDATE: or did he find the envelope / letter combination most interesting?
‘You must have heard of him. He’s quite famous. A private detective. You remember that school in Marlborough? There was a teacher who was killed during a play. He worked on that.’
Are there any famous private detectives in real life? As late as the 1950s? Or is this profession/fame pure invention of the detective novel genre?
There was something else Henrietta wanted to say. The bloodstain on her husband’s sleeve. She had seen it with her own eyes. The following morning she had taken the shirt and washed it in boiling water and bleach. It was on the washing line even now, drying in the sun. She wanted to ask him whose blood it was. She wanted to know how it had got there. But she didn’t dare. She couldn’t accuse him. Such a thing was impossible.
Too much too early piling up against Osborne. But the blood is certainly fishy.
She also knows that Brent suspects it might've been Osborne who went up to Pye Hall that night. Shouldn't she tell her husband about that?
Four A Boy 1
Ok good. Not a murder per chapter. Or did we find out about Tom in this past chapter? No, it was chapter 2.
As you can imagine, we keep a close eye on all our medicines, especially the more dangerous ones, and I was particularly concerned by its disappearance.’ ‘What was the drug?’ ‘Physostigmine. It’s actually a cure for belladonna poisoning and I’d had to get some in for Henrietta Osborne, the vicar’s wife.
Redwing tells Pünd about the poison, and that she'd told Mary. Also interesting that Henrietta Osborne came into the surgery the day it went missing AND she was the reason Redwing had it in the first place. Undoubtedly, Redwing told her how dangerous it could be in larger doses?
But also, didn't we get impression that someone had taken the poison? Was it Clarissa?
‘I didn’t see him. I didn’t recognise him. But later on, when I thought about it, I knew who he was.’ The announcement came as a surprise to Pünd, who waited for the groundsman to continue. ‘He was at the funeral. When they buried Mrs Blakiston, he was there. I knew I’d seen him before. I noticed him standing at the back of the crowd
Mystery man at Mary's funeral was the same visitor to Pye right before he was murdered. Still wondering if it's Robert Blakiston's father?
Arthur Reeve too upset to talk. His medal collection gone! A horrible thing to happen. The thief broke in through the kitchen window – cut himself on glass. You’d have thought that would be a big enough clue but the police weren’t interested, of course.
Osborne, who had blood on his sleeve? Or perhaps he cut himself breaking into Pye Hall after Mary's death? In either case, if so, why?
Shocking. I always knew there was something about Rev Osborne and his wife. But this!!!! I wish old Montagu had stayed. Really, really don’t know what to say or do. Nothing, I suppose. Who would believe me? Dreadful.
Wow what is this?
Lady Pye back from London. Again. All these trips she makes, everyone knows what’s going on. But nobody will say anything. I suppose these are the times we live in. I feel sorry for Sir Magnus. Such a good man. Always so kind to me. Does he know? Should I say something?
Mary knew of Frances' affair?
Dr Redwing had driven back to Ashton House and this time her husband had accompanied her.
Ashton H (from Pye's notes) == Ashton House?
‘It’s all right, love.’ He reached out to her but she twisted away. ‘I’ve done nothing wrong. Brent came into the shop a couple of days after Mary’s funeral. He had something to sell. It was a silver belt buckle, Roman, a nice little piece. I’d say about fourth century BC. He wanted twenty quid for it. I gave him five.’
Brent stole from Pye Hall? Guess he knew the broken glass and opportunity existed.
‘You mean Derek and Colin. Had you told them about Mary? That she was on to you?’ ‘What are you talking about?’ ‘You know what I mean. In the old days, when you were part of the gang, if people stepped out of line, things happened. We never mentioned it and I know you weren’t part of it, but we both know what I’m talking about. People disappeared.’ ‘What? You think I took out a contract on Mary Blakiston to get her off my back?’ ‘Well, did you?’ Johnny Whitehead didn’t answer.
Woah. Whitehead might've had Mary taken care of.
‘Divers?’ Chubb shook his head. ‘That’s going to cost a pretty penny or two. What is it exactly you’re hoping to find?’ ‘The true reason why Pye Hall was burgled on the same evening as Mary Blakiston’s funeral.’
Hm. Why would it need to be that night? Or it's just that when people (who, just Osborne?) knew the Pyes would not be attending, they figured it was a chance to burgle the house unattended?
Would she be able to prove that Pye Hall was hers? Suppose the detective inspector was right? All she had were the words of a sick and dying man with no witnesses present in the room, no proof that he was actually sane when he spoke them. A legal case resting on twelve minutes that had ticked by more than fifty years ago.
Still don't quite understand why Dr Redwing isn't a witness to this confession: she was there. Because you need someone witnessing it being told to someone (so Redwing can't just make it up)? Or because she was Rennard's daughter?
green Austin A40 with its registration number FPJ 247, parked outside the middle one, told Pünd immediately where to go.
Frances had seen Mathew Blakiston's car at Pye Hall? Revenge for Mary's death?
‘Everything went wrong when we left the farm,’ he said and suddenly he was bitter. ‘The day that man came into our life, that’s when it began. Sir Magnus bloody Pye.
Ok. Not likely that Magnus was Robert's father.
I was thinking about Magnus and Mary and bloody scraps of paper, dead dogs and letters in wrong envelopes.
Yeah still don't see significance of the envelope.
There are a couple of well-respected authors who have won literary awards, a bestselling fantasy writer and a children’s author who has just been announced as the new laureate. We can’t afford the production costs of cookery books but in the past we’ve done well with travel guides, self-help and biographies. But the simple truth is that Alan Conway was by far our biggest name and our entire business plan depended on the success of Magpie Murders.
Does a 15-person publishing house really cover travel, self-help, children's and mysteries? I don't know nearly enough about the publishing industry/markrt
The company was set up eleven years ago by Charles Clover, who is well known throughout the industry, and I’d been with him from the start. We were together at Orion when he decided to branch out on his own, working out of a building that he’d bought near the British Museum.
Wait, Orion is the actual (UK) publisher of this book, right?
The dog’s name was Bella.
(Charles the oublisher's) of course named Bella. Starting to feel a little usual suspects-y, but on two levels, both the inner and outer narratives.
You will find that I have left you a small bequest in my will. This is partly to recognise the many years that we have spent together but it is also my hope that you will be able to complete the work of my book and prepare it for publication.
Seems like he probably could've lived long enough to finish it himself. Why didn't he? Letter is weird
And then I met the author. I didn’t like him. I’m sorry to say it but he just struck me as a bit of a cold fish. You’ll have seen photographs of him on the book jackets; the slim face, the closely cropped silver hair, the round wire-framed glasses.
1) this prompted me to Google Alan Conway. Top result points to a conman who impersonated Stanley Kubrick.
2) does a publisher really care if author personable?
Laura was his pregnant daughter. ‘How is she?’ I asked. ‘She’s fine. But the doctors are saying it could happen any time. Apparently, with the first one, it’s more likely to be early.’
More likely to be late, but maybe he's just flustered.
It was very odd. It made no sense at all. Alan’s suicide note and the envelope it had come in had been on Charles’s desk. The letter was handwritten. The envelope was typed.
This is the opposite of Weaver's letter to Pye, right?
Are there going to be lots of strange parallels all of a sudden? Did Conway solve some real-life murders via his book? Or did he just hide clues to his whodunnit's solution in real life. There must be more to The Slide than we've uncovered so far (even if it is bad).
Can't wait to see what's in the notes he referred to in his letter!
