A DANGEROUS GAME | ❝You think one of us is responsible for my grandfather's death?❞
━ IN WHICH Iris Drysdale is determined to help Benoit Blanc solve the mystery behind her grandfathers untimely death.
| Book 1 in Iris Drysdale's Dulogy
| Iris Drysd...
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▌Chapter 4 ─ At The Center ▌
━━━━━ AFTER IRIS AND Marta walked back into the house, Elliott, Wagner, and Benoit sat outside still talking. Elliott sat down on the chair across from Benoit.
"You have been very patient, my friend. And yes, you are right. None of these weak alibis and domestic squibbles answer your question... "Why is Benoit Blanc here?" Well, now I will tell you why. I'm here because this mornin', someone dodged a very important question." Benoit said as Wagner walked over to them.
"Who?" Elliott questioned him. Benoit pulled the cigar away from his lips, "me. Linda asked who hired me." Benoit informed them.
"Well, who hired you?" Elliott asked him.
Benoit shook his head moving his hand to the side slightly, "I do not know. An envelope of cash showed up at my apartment yesterday with a news clippn' of Thrombey's death." Benoit told them.
"An envelope? That worked?" Wagner asked him, disbelief resting on his face.
Benoit gasped, lifting his fingers to show what the envelope looked like. "An envelope of cash. So somebody suspects foul play and goes through this ha cha dance of hiring me, of staying anonymous. It makes no damn sense. Compels me, though." Benoit paused, thinking for a brief moment. "Walk me through everyone's whereabouts at the time of death." Benoit said, moving the cigar up to his lips.
Elliott leaned back pulling his notepad out of his pocket, moving forward he flipped it over. "We know that the party ended around 11:30. Marta took Harlan upstairs to give him his meds. Iris went up there with them. The stairs leading up to Harlan's bedroom and his attic office creak horribly and Linda is a light sleeper. So we know every time someone took the stairs that night. The first was when Joni heard a ka-thunk from somewhere above her in the house. She's concerned about Harlan, so she goes up to investigate... Waking Linda. Harlan was in his attic office with Marta and Iris. He explained that they had just knocked over the Go board. You know, that game with the grid and stones?" Elliott questioned, staring at Benoit.
"They play it every night, and sometimes Iris joins them. He was fine. "Go to bed." So she did. Ten minutes later, Linda is awoken a second time... By Marta leaving. Iris walked her outside, Walt was smokin' a cigar on the porch with his son. He saw her leave and drive off, Iris stayed outside until Marta was in her car. Noted the time. Midnight. Iris turned in for the night shortly after Marta left. Fifteen minutes later, Linda is awoken for the third and final time... By someone coming down the stairs. Harlan, who came down for a midnight snack. Which Walt tried to discourage. Based on this, the medical examiner determined the time of death to be between 12:15 and 2:00 a.m." Elliott continued.
"As Walt was finishing his cigar at about 12:30, Meg came home. She went straight to bed. Walt and Jacob turned in shortly after that. And sometime later that night, it's undetermined, but possibly near 3:00 a.m., Meg woke up because the dogs were barking outside. She used the bathroom, ran into Iris who was awake. She mentioned that Iris had been throwing up and had still been waiting for Fred's return even though they had a fight. That's it. All right?" Elliott told him, shoving his notepad back into his pocket. "Now, everyone's stories matched, every moment accounted for." Elliott added leaning back into the chair.
