[MaC] Interviewing Fitzroy

[Margaret Dean]

Jonathan Katalenic wrote:
> 
> "What is it, Cyril?" she asked.
> 
> Almost frantically, Cyril grabbed an empty cup and
> poured more tea out of the pot.  As he stared into the
> cup to see if it looked the same as Fitzroy's, he
> asked Florence, "Is this the same tea you served the
> others, dear?"
> 
> "No," said Florence.  "This is a new pot.  The old one
> was all finsihed. so I poured away the dregs, pu the
> tea leaves in the drainer, and made a fresh pot with
> new leaves."
> 
> There was certainly no redisue in this cup.
> 
> However, several people in the room might be surprised
> to learn that the Beamans could be so extravagent with
> their tea ... most people made the leaves do for
> several pots.
> 
> Cyril turned to the others in the room.  "Best not to
> drink the tea until we find out what happened to the
> Nazi," he said as he jerked his thumb in the direction
> of the bathroom.  He stuffed his right hand in his
> pocket and paused, glancing at each of the women in
> the room in turn, before turning back to Florence.
> "Come with me to the kitchen, love.  Best bring the
> pot," he said as he lifted it off the tray.
> 
> As she stood up, Lucinda Skeffinton-Nottle moved
> forward.  "Mr Beaman - I think a couple of us should
> go too."  She looked at him significantly.
> "Independent witnesses."
> 
> "I agree wholeheartedly, Lucinda," Nicola said,
> walking after the Beamans. The changing of the tea
> leaves had not gone unnoticed and Nicola's inquisitive
> eyes were now fixed sharply on Florence Beaman. Though
> she couldn't imagine what motive the woman might have
> had for doing in Nola, she was now looking like a very
> strong candidate for Marty Fitzroy's poisoning. Nicola
> wouldn't be angry with her if she was (in fact, had
> the woman been an American, she would have personally
> written in a nomination for Florence for the
> Congressional Medal of Honor), but there were quite a
> few questions she wanted answered.

"Who else had tea at the same time Fitzroy did?" Marion Mauberley
asked sharply.  "And don't let too many people handle the pot or
cup.  Fingerprints.  Does anyone have the means to test for
them?"


--Margaret Dean
  <margdean at erols.com>