Keya and Sujin sat together, part way round the circle. Dr Reid, with Dora beside him, sat next to Inspector Evans, and Doreen placed herself next to Inspector Sue.
“Can we sit here?” Aurora asked, eyeing the empty seat beside Keya.
“Of course.” Keya smiled back at her.
Ashley sat on his own, opposite the Inspector, and Keya understood why the inspector had wanted the two constables guarding the doors. Ashley looked ready to spring up and make his escape.
Theo sat on his own, opposite Keya and Sujin.
“I think that’s everyone. Thank you for coming. I’m Inspector Evans from Cirencester Police Station. Most of you have met my colleague, Inspector Sue.”
“Hello,” Inspector Sue said.
“And Sergeant Varma, who you may not realise, is also a victim of this crime.”
Keya smiled ruefully and felt her cheeks burn.
“What happened to you?” Aurora whispered.
“I’m sure the inspector will elaborate soon,” replied Keya in a low voice.
The entrance door opened, and an unshaven Dennis Bentham entered, followed by Zoe, who was hiding behind him.
“Zoe, come and sit with us,” Aurora invited. She whispered something to Viv, who shuffled across to sit beside Ashley, leaving a free seat which Zoe hurriedly took.
Dennis slumped in a chair on the other side of Ashley, stretched out his legs, and folded his arms.
“As I was saying, thank you for coming,” repeated Inspector Evans. “We believe we now know how Daisy died.”
“I didn’t mean to kill her!” Doreen cried in a shrill voice.
The inhabitants of Lower Rollright all stared at her.
Inspector Sue whispered something in the inspector’s ear.
“Mrs Skinner, if you’ll just be patient, we’ll find out exactly what happened to Daisy. Let me introduce the other member of our team, Sujin Kerr, who is our crime scene and forensic expert.”
Sujin raised his hand in acknowledgement.
“Sujin has discovered that Daisy, and Sergeant Varma, both suffered from botulinum poisoning after eating some of Mrs Skinner’s hot sauce.”
Beside Keya, Aurora gasped.
“Aah” cried Doreen, sounding like a wounded animal.
The inspector pressed on. “After Sergeant Varma was admitted to hospital and her illness was diagnosed, Sujin tested everything she’d eaten, including the hot sauce in the fridge at Mill House. It tested positive for the Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which produces the poisonous toxin.”
“What were you doing at Mill House?” Aurora whispered.
“My job,” Keya murmured, noting that Aurora hadn’t asked about her stint in hospital.
“But Daisy doesn’t eat hot sauce,” Ashley protested.
“What?” cried Doreen. “Then who does?”
“Me,” Theo answered quietly. Everyone sat still as they listened to him. “I’m the one who likes the sauce, and Zoe sometimes when she’s eating with us. But last Sunday I didn’t have any, because of the curry I’d eaten the night before, but Zoe and I dared Daisy to try it. And she did.” Theo gulped and blinked his eyes.
“Exactly,” Inspector Evans continued. “And I’m afraid that proved fatal.”
“But Daisy died on the summer solstice,” Dora piped up in a thin voice. “I saw her dancing round the fire the evening before and thought how carefree and happy she looked.” Dora sounded both wistful and jealous.
Sujin coughed. “If I may, Inspector?”
“Go ahead, Sujin.”
“Botulism, or botulinum poisoning, happens sometime after ingesting the toxins. On average, twenty-four to thirty-six hours after, but it can be four hours, or eight days. Indeed, there are recorded cases where the source of the poisoning can be traced back to thirty days before the symptoms became apparent.”
“Which means it is logical for Daisy to have eaten something containing the toxins on Sunday lunchtime, and to have died on Tuesday night,” considered Dr Reid.
“That’s correct,” Sujin agreed.
Next to Keya, Aurora was fidgeting. Then she blurted, “But why did you give Daisy and Theo a bottle of contaminated sauce, Doreen? And what about the others on sale at the Rollright Stores? Are they also deadly?”
Several people, including Doreen and Dora, winced.
“I did not give my own daughter a bottle of contaminated sauce. And there is nothing wrong with the ones I sell through Mrs Reid’s store. Don’t go spreading rumours that there is, Aurora. Or that I deliberately poisoned my daughter. He must have put something in the bottle. That’s why he didn’t have any,” Doreen sobbed, as she pointed a finger at Theo.
“Why do you think Theo harmed Daisy?” asked Keya in a quiet voice.
