Page 12 of Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests
Stella’s father is the controversial barrister Lord Arthur Cooke, with a reputation for helping celebrities dodge speeding fines. He has yet to comment on his daughter’s passing.
In the past, Stella has spoken out about her “inhumane experience” attending a £30,000-a-year Sussex boarding school and swore that she would never send her own children away.
Stella’s funeral will be held at Our Lady’s Church in Kensington on Saturday. Her family has requested donations to the Lambeth Homeless Shelter in lieu of flowers.
Vivienne hits reply and types:
To: Serendipity’s group
From: Vivienne Holmes
Re: Some sad news
Hello Melvin,
This is very tragic news about Stella. She was a very beautiful and apparently successful young woman. It strikes me as odd that she fell in front of a tube train, given how often she must have traveled on the underground and didn’t appear to be a big drinker (from what we saw at the dinner party). Were there any witnesses?
Thank you for consulting Land Registry about Serendipity’s. Who is listed as the owner of that building, incidentally?
Best wishes,
Vivienne
Seconds later, an email pops up from Janet Tilsbury. The lingerie boss in the too-tight red dress, Vivienne remembers.
From: Janet Tilsbury
To: Serendipity’s group
Re: Some sad news
Oh my God! What was Stella’s number? Was it 23? I’ve had nightmares ever since that horrid dinner party. I’ve hardlyslept. Does anyone want to put money toward a private investigator? We need to get to the bottom of this before it’s too late!
Then a message pops up from Dr. Gordon, with a university email address.
From: Dr. Gordon MacMillan
To: Serendipity’s group
Re: Some sad news
Dear Melvin,
I appreciate you passing on the details of Stella Cooke’s demise.
I am compelled to inform the group that I hold some information that is significant in light of Miss Cooke’s death.
I propose that we congregate at the location of the aforementioned funeral to discuss this matter.
Regards,
Dr. Gordon MacMillan
Author ofThe Clean EaterandYou Are What You Eat, published by Blue Sky Books, available in all good bookstores.
Vivienne rolls her eyes at Gordon’s email and then clicks back to the article, zooming in on the accompanying photo of Stella. Her short, curly hair framing her beautiful face. Vivienne’s mind wanders back to the last time she saw her.
Once the furor over Janet’s envelope had died down, Vivienne took her leave as quickly as possible. The room had become unbearably warm and airless; she craved fresh air and space to think. As she walked away from the table, her heel caught on the corner of the huge Victorian rug, and she stumbled. Back outside, she was surprised to find her whole body felt sluggish, her usually sharp mind filled with cotton wool and soaked in honey. She felt oddly helpless when she realized her phone was out of battery. Her jittery hands fumbled with her bag, spilling its contents all over the wet pavement. Thankfully, Tristan appeared, helped her gather her things, and then walked her to the nearest tube station. They had a nice chat, laughed about Janet’s flirting and Gordon’s many faux pas. Vivienne was grateful he didn’t bring up the envelopes. Rather, he asked insightful questions about her job and was most concerned when she told him about the magazine’s latest downturn in sales.
