Hello, and welcome to my 2022 A to Z Challenge! For a detailed explanation of my theme this year, see my theme reveal. But basically, I am exploring classic mystery novel murder motives, by making up a victim (Sir Adam Bracegirdle Clutterbuck) and then coming up with 26 characters who wanted to kill him. It is part genre exploration and part world-building exercise.
Today’s suspect is Kathy. Today’s post is going to be one of my shorter ones, I think, for today is the day on which I have elected to pay my taxes. And I like to take my time over them. I had to re-file once after screwing up, and my goal is to never have to do that again. So, today is a short post, with a simple idea.
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Kathy is a killer. She lives in a little cottage on Sir Adam’s estate. Years ago, she killed her husband. Not for any reason, really, just because there was his dinner, and there was the packet of rat poison, and she decided to combine them and see what would happen. It turned out to be pretty exciting: he died right there at the table, convulsing and kicking.
And no-one ever suspected her. Well, that isn’t exactly true, because some people did suspect her. There were people who stopped visiting her, after Bob’s death. And there were the usual whispers around the village. But the doctor, who knew that Bob had a weak heart, signed the death certificate, and the body was buried, and no legal trouble of any kind ever resulted.
And Kathy enjoyed it all tremendously.
Ever since then, she has viewed the world with new eyes. Everyone she meets, everyone she talks to, part of her mind is seeing them convulsing at a kitchen table. She got away with it once, and she is fairly sure she could get away with it again.
And really, it was so much fun.
Might she have decided to kill again?
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And that’s it for Kathy! What do you think? Could Kathy be made into a satisfying murderer in a story? Or does she make a better red herring? Do you see her as a good second victim? If she were the second victim in a mystery novel, where would your suspicions be directed?
How likely is Sir Adam to be found sitting at Kathy’s kitchen table?
I doubt this is within her very limited imagination to bring to pass. vagrants and door-to-door salespeople accepting Kathy’s dubious hospitality might end up like poor dead-for- no-reason Bob, but not Sir Adam.
Hm… yes, I think you are probably right there. But she could make a menacing figure in the background of the story.
Oh my goodness, Kathy is not a criminal – she’s a scientist, and inquiring minds are entitled to conduct their little experiments, right? I mean, Galileo was a complete jerk in his own time, but everyone thinks he’s this great big hero nowadays, and why? Because he’s a Scientist.
I do have just one question… Was that doctor who signed the death certificate so cavalierly in fact DR DANIEL??? If so, was Sir Adam BLACKMAILING him about it? Or, for that matter, was Sir Adam BLACKMAILING Kathy, perhaps?
Good luck with the taxes. I think we shall have to do ours tomorrow.
That is right! “I killed him… for Science!”
Works every time.
Eek! Now that I think about it, it probably WAS Dr. Daniel who signed that death certificate! The figure of the good doctor grows more sinister daily! Your theory about him looks better and better. Oh, that plausible rogue!