Page 90 of Marble Hall Murders

SA:

I have to say, I’m quite surprised. It sounds like you’re painting a very dark picture of her, Eliot.

EC:

I’m sorry if I’m disappointing you, Samira, but I’m telling you the truth. Just because she wrote these great books, it doesn’t mean she was an easy person to live with.

SA:

So she didn’t inspire you to write murder mysteries?

EC:

That’s the funny thing. She did. I was at home when she died and everyone said that it was natural causes because she’d been ill for a while, but I don’t think there was anything natural about it. In fact, I’ve never said this before and I’m probably going to get into trouble, but when I was twelve years old, I saw someone creep out of her room in the middle of the night. I saw it with my own eyes – and the next day she was dead. I can even tell you how they did it, if you’re interested.

SA:

Go on.

EC:

They poisoned her.

SA:

That’s quite an accusation, Eliot. And I wouldn’t want to question your recollections, but, as you just said, you were only twelve years old when Miriam Crace died and it was well known that she had a heart condition. Isn’t it possible that you had more of an imagination than she gave you credit for?

EC:

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