Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden

"Sensible bird," said the colonel tolerantly as he returned to his chair. "Let's get to that wine, Harry."

"Let me try it first," said Harry. "I'm fussier than you." He raised his glass and took a sip. He wrinkled his nose. "Don't have it, Colonel. It's corked."

"You sure?"

"Yes, and there's nothing worse for the liver than bad wine." Harry pressed the bell on the wall for the waiter. "Take this away and bring us a decent one," he said when the waiter had arrived. "It's corked."

The waiter bowed and removed the bottle and glasses. Agatha looked at Harry and he stared blandly back at her. Had he seen anything?

"While he's bringing us another one," said Harry, getting to his feet again, "let me see if there's anything in that games cupboard to amuse us. He rummaged in the cupboard and then shouted over his shoulder, "There's Monopoly here. Fancy a game?"

"Haven't played that in ages," said Jennifer. "Bring it over."

They all began to play Monopoly. The colonel and Harry drank steadily and then ordered another bottle.

The colonel became tipsy and began to flirt with Mary. Daisy was red with anger but Mary seemed to enjoy the flirtation and was giggling with delight.

At last, after several games, the colonel rose and stretched. "Gottoliedown," he said, making his sentence one slurred word. "Whassat?" He pointed at the window.

"It's a snow-plough," said Agatha, "and the snow's stopped at last."

With that, the lights suddenly came on. "Great," said Agatha. "Let's hope the phones are on as well."

She checked at reception and was told that, yes, the phones were back on. She went up to her room. The whole hotel was filled with creaks and groans as the elderly central heating system cranked into life.

Agatha phoned the police station but was told that Inspector Jessop was out. She hesitated then, wanting to phone Carsely to learn how James had reacted to the news of her engagement, but at the same time not wanting to, for fear of learning that there had been no reaction at all.

She decided to wait a little, had a bath, changed and went down for dinner. After she had eaten the first course, she realized the colonel had not put in an appearance.

"Where's Colonel Lyche?" she asked.

"Probably sleeping it off," said Harry.

"You look all right," said Daisy. "I'm worried."

Harry got to his feet. "Well, dear lady, I will put your mind at rest"

Daisy walked over to Agatha's table. "He didn't drink it, did he?"

"The potion? Not even a sip."

Daisy went back to her table.

After ten minutes, when Harry hadn't appeared, Agatha began to fret. God forbid anything had happened to the colonel.

Daisy threw down her napkin. "I can't bear the waiting. I feel there's something wrong."

"He used to drink like that," said Mary soothingly. "He'll be all right."

But Daisy was already hurrying out.

Agatha picked at her main course, her appetite suddenly gone. Surely nothing had gone wrong. But if it had and if Harry had seen her put that potion in the colonel's glass. ...

A high penetrating scream sounded through the hotel. Agatha carefully put down her knife and fork. Jennifer jumped to her feet, knocking her chair over. She ran from the room, followed by Mary. Agatha stayed where she was, paralysed with dread. The orange lights of a gritter flashed outside the dining-room windows.

At last Agatha rose to her feet, feeling like an old woman. She went out into the hall.

It was empty. No one at the desk, no waiter around.

The silence seemed absolute.

Then an ambulance arrived, followed by two police cars. At the same time, Mr. Martin hurried down the stairs, his face creased up with worry and distress. "Upstairs," he said to the ambulance men when they came in. They darted for the stairs, carrying a stretcher.

The police followed. No Jimmy.

Agatha stood rooted to the ground.

After what seemed an interminable age, the ambulance men reappeared carrying a stretcher. The figure on it was totally covered, the face covered. Behind came Daisy, Jennifer, Mary and Harry. Daisy was being supported by Harry. Behind came the police, with Detective Sergeant Peter Carroll in the lead. At the foot of the stairs, Daisy broke away from Harry.

"Murderess!" she screamed at Agatha. Then she burst into noisy weeping.

And that was when the real nightmare for Agatha began.

That night, Agatha sat on a hard bunk in a cell in Wyckhadden police station and bleakly went over the events of the evening.

Harry Berry had told the police that out of the corner of his eye, when he had joined the others at the window after the colonel had ordered a bottle of claret, he thought he had seen Agatha slip something into the colonel's drink. He had not wanted to make a scene and he had not been sure of what he had seen and so he had decided to say the wine was corked and ask for another bottle. Daisy had told the police that Agatha had insisted on putting drops of a love potion into the colonel's drink. Agatha, Daisy had said, had been romancing the colonel and was jealous of her, Daisy. Therefore Agatha was a poisoner.