The Incident Concerning The Alsatian Dog.

Chapter 9

"And, although there is nothing to prove it, I smelled the dog food in Oscar's pen before you all found me at the back door" I added. "The same drug was added to both."

"Then how come Oscar was killed?" Klaus demanded. I sighed sadly, turning to him.

"Mr. Broker, if you reach under your chair there should be a book from the library of the manor" I said smoothly, holding out a hand, without turning away from Henry Klaus. Broker obediently reached under his seat, found the book, and handed it to me. I flicked theatrically through the pages. I never could resist a bit of tension.

"Common Drugs And Their Household Uses" I announced to the room. "Page 347. This, if I'm not mistaken, Doctor, is the very same drug that was used to knock out Matthew Sharp and Oscar the Alsatian. Now, Mr. Klaus, read that note, if you would be so kind."

I positioned the book in front of Klaus, with my finger on the line I wished him to read.

"Due to some of the natural ingredients, namely...blah blah...this particular drug must only be used on adult humans, as the risk of fatal side effects are extremely high in young children and...household animals" he read, before closing the book and pushing it away. I returned the book to Broker, who stowed it back under his chair.

"Oscar wasn't meant to die" I said quietly. "The murderer only meant to knock him out, so they could get Matthew down to the boathouse without being given away."

I let the silence hang in the room for a minute. I felt it was necessary, as Klaus seemed very upset. Isabel, who was sitting near him, extended a hand of comfort, which the poor man took gratefully.

I decided the moment had gone on long enough.

"Can I carry on, sir?" I asked politely. Klaus looked up and nodded.

"Of course, Miss Winter. By all means, do."

"Thank you" I smiled, before singlehandedly lifting the mood of the room back up to normal levels. "So, what we know now is that Matthew Sharp was drugged on the night before his murder, but now we come to the very interesting question of when did he wake up?"

"If he was drugged, he would have slept late" the doctor put in. I smiled at him, surprised at how well he was keeping up.

"He woke up early enough to feed Oscar" Linda Luck pointed out. "I saw him."

"Ah, yes" I smiled. "My impossible sighting."

"Why is it impossible?" Linda asked curiously. "I saw him with my own eyes."

"But did you?" I challenged. "Ellie?"

There was an awkward pause, as Ellie refused to answer my metaphorical call to arms.

"For goodness' sakes, Ellie, stop being so headstrong!" Lincoln Gray eventually snapped. "We all know you and Miss Winter don't see eye to eye, but unless you want our ex-future son-in-law's death to go unsolved, I suggest you start cooperating!"

Ellie huffed, but I could tell she knew her husband had a point.

"Fine. Miss Winter, what do you want me to say?" she asked mechanically. I felt relieved. I had been expecting much worse for when I had to call on her.

"Well, Miss Luck says she saw Matthew Sharp feeding Oscar on the morning of their deaths" I told her. "We already know that there is no way out of the back door except though the kitchen, where you were all morning, so did you see him?"

I had decided to keep the secret passageway a secret for a bit longer, and as Ellie gathered her thoughts, I asked the room the one question that could potentially ruin my plan.