It took prodding, but everyone went down to the parlor like Karen told them and it left her and Arthur staring at each other.
"What are we going to do, we don't have the time to sleuth around the estate more," Karen told him as he hurried towards her.
Arthur quickly told her, "Make time."
Karen nodded and ran to look in the other rooms and Arthur went downstairs, found a phone and with a sleight of hand, he made sure it looked like he called the police.
After he sat the receiver down, he went into the parlor where the Rockwell panicked.
"I've called the police, they'll be here in thirty minutes," Arthur lied to them.
The Rockwell panicked further and he calmed them down. "Listen to me, we don't have much time. There is a murderer in this estate and we have to find him or her," he began as he held his hands out, trying to keep them calm. "Everyone remains here, I'll fetch the others and we'll work this out."
"What if someone else dies?" Aunt Christine panicked.
Arthur flat-out told her, "I don't think anyone else dies, but please, stay here, nobody goes anywhere."
Uncle Johnathan angrily shouted, "Why don't we wait until the police show up, let them deal with it?"
Arthur shouted back, "There's a strong possibility the murderer framed someone and they'll be the ones executed and not them. Do you wish for an innocent person to die, uncle?"
Uncle Johnathan grew quiet and Karen ran into the parlor and pulled Arthur out into the hallway.
"I found the rat poison," Karen told him. "In Lee's room, just like Ripley said!"
Arthur flinched and worryingly asked, "What if Lee really did it?"
Karen shook her head and refuted with, "No-no, Lee doesn't wear cologne, I checked. There's some cologne on the can of the rat poison!"
Arthur scratched the side of his face as he recalled that by the time the police found the rat poison and arrested Lee, the cologne would've evaporated within time.
"Smelled like yours, you know, the one you wore on our movie date two months ago?" Karen gestured as she described the smell of the cologne.
Arthur listened and knew exactly the cologne he wore.
"Listen, go back to the other rooms and smell the men's colognes," Arthur instructed her. "Find it and tell me who's room it was."
Karen nodded and Arthur worked to get every butler and Lee into the parlor. He made them stay there while he waited for Karen to come back.
The Rockwell grew anxious and waited for the police, the aunts hugged each other and their daughters, while the uncles and their sons grew worried.
It took time, but Arthur kept the Rockwell, their butlers, and Lee in place while Karen searched everyone's rooms.
Arthur glimpsed out into the hallway as Karen rushed down the stairs and pulled him aside.
"So, I found the cologne," Karen excitedly told him.
Arthur held her in place and inquired in which room she found it in. She stopped becoming excited and admitted, she didn't know whose room it was.
"What was in the room," Arthur asked her as she quickly went through the list of things she found.
"Playing cards, lot of IOUs, and a love letter," Karen showed him the love letter.
It dated a few years back and from the handwriting, it looked like a man wrote it.
Arthur read it, slowly and carefully, he noted the names and gingerly foiled the letter up to its original position before sticking it in his coat. He'll need it for what's to come.
"What now…?" Karen gestured as Arthur ran a hand through his hair. Arthur then told her, "We'll have to wing, I guess."
He took deep breaths and walked into the parlor with Karen following behind.
Karen and Arthur stared at the Rockwell as they began their final deduction. Arthur began with, "Someone in this room killed Catherine. Someone who knew where the poison was and who'd know how to get her to ingest it. Concentrated rat poisoning can easily kill a grown woman if she doesn't receive vital treatment. Someone knew this when they planted the poison."
Aunt Christine argued that none of them had any reason to poison Catherine, which Arthur pointed out that someone did, else why she died.
"How could we kill her?" inquired Uncle Richard. "What possible reason do we have to kill her?"
Arthur took charge and looked around the family and began summing each character he saw first.
"A disgruntled cook who took matters into his own hands?" Arthur looked towards Lee who crossed his arms.
Arthur looked towards Leah and responded, "A romantic rival?"
He glimpsed towards Uncle Johnathan and said, "A disappointed father?"
He made eye contact with Arnold and said, "An ex?"
He continued to sum their characterizations until he finished and when he did, he told them, "If what you told me is true, then the only reason someone killed her was by mistake. She wasn't the target."
Aunt Christine held her face as she panicked that Catherine wasn't the target. Someone else was. Uncle Richard calmed her down and Uncle Johnathan called it an insane theory and demanded to know who the intended target was.
Arthur bit down on his tongue and calmly told them, "We were all seating at the table, Mr. Charles brought us desserts, not just any desserts, miniature custard pies. He only brought a few of them, though. Uncle Johnathan couldn't eat them because he's diabetic. Uncle Richard doesn't like sweets. Cousin Ron, you have cavities, you're not even supposed to eat sweets. Cousin Emily, you don't particularly care for that type of dessert. Aunt Christine, you told us that the only dessert you'll eat is crème brûlée from the L'Chateu in France. Cousin Elizabeth, you told Birdie you wanted to lose weight and that'd mean you wouldn't touch dessert."
He continued this until he got to the last on the list. "Of the people who ate the dessert, it was Leah, Catherine, and Arnold."
Everyone looked at him as he told them that if it wasn't Catherine, Leah or Arnold were the intended victim in the poison.
"The only person who knows where the poison was, is the cook and the butlers," Aunt Christine pointed out.
Karen pointed out that the rat poison was in the kitchen, in the closet, anyone could easily go and retrieved it while the family were busy elsewhere.
"So, which is it, Arnold or Leah?" Uncle Richard asked as he smoked heavily from his pipe.
Arthur crossed his arms as he stated, "A bigot who hated Leah for being Polish so much they'd try to kill her or a rival that wanted Arnold out of the way."
Uncle Johnathan wanted to know what he'd mean by that. Arthur asked him, "Arnold stands to become head of the family, correct?"
Due to tradition, Arnold being the first-born son meant he'll become the head of the family once Uncle Johnathan passed.
Killing Uncle Johnathan outright would've stupid, as Arnold automatically becomes head of the family, but if Arnold died, the next in line took over.
Since Arnold's an only child, due to Auntie Bee having complications with her birth that resulted in her inability to become pregnant again, meant that the next in line of Arnold died would've been one Arnold's cousins. Further, women couldn't hold the houses and finances in this time, which meant only one thing.
"Why would anyone want to kill me?" Arnold became upset in the implications, Leah held his hands together as she tried to keep him calm.
Arthur told him, "You'll control the family's finances when your father dies. Your father told me, this much."
Arnold couldn't understand, he informed Arthur that everyone had enough money to last them. Which Arthur countered with, "Oh, but what if it isn't enough, what if someone needed more?"
Arnold argued that if someone in the family needed more, he'd happily give them more money. Which Arthur reminded him that he had the final say in the matter.
"Without you, they wouldn't need your say, they'd have unadulterated access to the money," Arthur held his arms behind his back as he told Arnold this.
Aunt Christine argued that nobody would've hurt Arnold. Which Arthur argued, yes, someone would and if they didn't get him today, they'll get him again later down the line. In that time, they would've succeeded, if not bring harm to his children if it come to it.
"Charles, you can't be serious," Auntie Bee didn't want to believe that her son was the target of an assassination.
Uncle Richard poured out the ash from his pipe in the fireplace and filled it with fresh tobacco and pointed out, "Even if Arnold was the one who died, Johnathan wouldn't just sign away the rights until after the investigation, by then we'll know it's foul play and no one would get the rights."
Arthur sighed as he noted that, but he continued.
"I have a question, what's the more invaluable thing a person can't put a price on?" Arthur looked around the group.
Everyone grew confused and tossed out different answers.
Arthur replied with the correct answer, "Love."
"Love…?" Aunt Christine pushed up her glasses as she and the others confusingly looked at him.
Arnold nodded and elaborated further.
"Someone here didn't have money in mind when they came here. They hardly cared about the money at all, but why not, money makes the world turn, unless the money isn't making them happy," Arthur scanned the room. He motioned for Karen to smell every man in the parlor, looking for the man who wore the same cologne as the one on the can.
Arthur sighed as he continued. "You weren't happy when Arnold announced his marriage to Leah, even though you knew her. If you liked her so much, why did it matter if she married him or not unless you disagreed over her heritage. However, you changed your mind, only because he threatened to expel you from his life. If someone wanted the money, they'd push for this, but none of you did," he pointed out that if they felt so strongly about his choice in wife, Uncle Johnathan would've cut him out of the will and everything.
Despite this, they didn't.
"Seems odd, innit, you'd wouldn't expel your own son for wanting to marry a Polish girl," Arthur looked at Uncle Johnathan.
Karen sniffed all the men, they looked at her weirdly, but she pulled away quickly until she finished. Arthur looked over to her and she subtly gestured to the culprit.
"Well, I love my son," Uncle Johnathan pointed out to Arthur.
Arthur then added with a look on his face, "Didn't you say you'd hoped he'd see a British mistress a few days ago?"
Remembering what Uncle Johnathan said, Arthur used to show the hypocrisy.
Arnold grew offended that his father said such thing and asked what else his family said behind his and Leah's backs.
Arthur calmed him down and cautiously walked over to the culprit. He cleared his throat, "Would it be easier if you'd explain, or should I?"
An audible gasp and everyone looked directly at the culprit.
"You don't have any evidence," countered the culprit.
Arthur reached for the folded letter and held it in front of the culprit. "You didn't mean to kill Catherine," Arthur told him. "You weren't trying to kill Arnold nor would you ever hurt him by hurting Leah."
The culprit looked down to the letter and flinched.
Arthur looked around the family and revealed, "It wasn't either them. You wanted Uncle Johnathan to eat that custard pie."
Uncle Johnathan was the intended victim all along.
He demanded to know why him, which Arthur looked towards the culprit.
Rubbing his nose, Cousin Ron looked at everyone who looked back at him. They waited for him to respond to the accusation and he looked at the letter that Arthur held.
He shook his head repeatedly as he felt the anger, he repressed bubbling.
He told them all, "It isn't fair, you know. It's not like I wanted it, you know. How's it my fault God made me the way I am. You hypocrites. You would've thrown Arnold out of the will the moment he told you he was marrying Leah."
Cousin Ron paced around the room as he told Arthur. "You know why they won't toss him out, because then I become head of the house and none of them want that, do they?" he looked around the room accusingly.
Arthur asked why wouldn't they just give the title to one of the uncles. Which Cousin Ron told him, "Can't, unless I dropped off the corner of the earth it won't go to them. Uncle Johnathan can't rework the will, it's been the way it is for decades now."
Aunt Christine asked him how he could've tried to kill his uncle, which Cousin Ron shouted at her, "Why not, isn't that how these damn families devolve into at the end of it all?"
Arthur shouted him down and Karen led Aunt Christine away from him.
"I don't understand it, why did you do it?" Uncle Richard gestured towards Cousin Ron.
Cousin Ron rubbed his eyes as he said listlessly. "Why can't I have the same thing as Arnie, you let him have Leah. Why couldn't you let me just be happy, you're supposed to be my family, too. You always told me the heart wants what it wants, didn't you?"
Arthur frowned and handed the letter to Cousin Ron, which he held gingerly.
"I didn't want the money," Cousin Ron told the family. "I just wanted my happiness, but Uncle Johnathan wouldn't let me. He'd said if I pursued it, he'd exorcise me and drive me out of my own home. He threatened to tell my mother and have her disown me, her own son. For something I can't control!"
Tears ran down his frustrated face as he explained. "He found out about me and Sam. Nobody was supposed to know. I did what I was told, I've always done what I was told. He said if I didn't go back to Sam, he'll let me stay in the family. So, I didn't. Then Arnie announced his marriage to Leah. If I wasn't the way I am, he would've thrown you out of the will, Arnie. He would've thrown you out to the dogs!" he raised his voice.
Sam, his former lover, made him happier than anyone could. Unfortunately, they weren't allowed to be together. With the social pressure breathing down their necks, the two forcibly left one another.
Nobody was in the estate, it was just him and Sam, they were playing a game, nothing heinous. However, Cousin Ron made the mistake of missing a question and Sam kissed him. At this time, Uncle Johnathan suddenly appeared at an inoperable time. The two became increasingly flustered and claimed it was just a game. At first, Uncle Johnathan didn't think much of it at first, just told them to stop.
Aunt Matilda couldn't believe what her son did and tried to comprehend it, but there was no way to do it.
"I loved him," Cousin Ron tearfully said. "I never even got to say goodbye."
The parlor went into a frenzy and it took Arnold and Arthur to return order.
"I never wanted Catherine to die," Cousin Ron shouted. "Uncle Johnathan always ate custard pies, how was I supposed to know he wasn't going to eat the pie?"
Due to Arthur helping Uncle Johnathan handle his diabetes, it meant he didn't eat the pie as intended. Which meant Catherine ill-fatedly ate the pie instead.
Arthur calmed Cousin Ron down and asked him how he got the pie poisoned.
Cousin Ron gestured as he replied, "I was coming back from the loo and stopped by the kitchen. Lee wasn't in the kitchen, so he wasn't going to yell at me. I noticed a spill on the floor and wanted to clean up before Auntie Bee saw it and flipped her lid. I went to the closet and I noticed it was open. I was going to grab what I needed to clean the spill and leave, but that's when I noticed the poison."
He saw the poison and got the idea to finally rid himself of Uncle Johnathan. He knew his uncle loved custard pies so he slipped some into a pie and arranged it to where he'd easily grab it. Nobody but him really ate custard pies.
"You idiot, what if your cousin ate that damn pie!" Uncle Richard shouted at him.
Cousin Ron flinched, if he miscalculated, Arnold would've been the one dead.
Karen interjected, "You also put the poison in Lee's room, you were trying to frame him!"
Cousin Ron shook his head as he stated, "No, I didn't. I put the poison back after I used it!"
Lee brought up he took the poison to his room because he needed to get rid of some mice that snuck in and was going to put it back in the closet when Arthur and others found the body.
"Arnold, I'm so sorry," Cousin Ron held his hands over his face. "I never meant for her to die, you have to believe me."
Arnold grew astonished that his cousin, whom treated him like a brother all these years, would've attempted to kill his father, but not for money like many families. He just wanted his love back.
"Is it true?" Arnold turned his ire towards his father. He wanted to know if it was true, that if Cousin Ron wasn't a homosexual, that Uncle Johnathan would've exorcised Arnold from the family for marrying Leah.
Uncle Johnathan became increasingly distressed as eyes looked at him, he tripped over his words as he tried to explain his actions. Which didn't end well, he couldn't explain himself.
Auntie Bee held a hand over her mouth as she heard this and couldn't believe that her husband would've exorcised their own son if not for their nephew.
"What now?" Cousin Ron asked Arthur. Arthur frowned as he admitted, "You'll have to face the consequences, I'm-I'm sorry."
Because of the revelation, likely, Cousin Ron would've been excommunicated from his own family anyway and he would face the blunt of the law. Which due to the circumstances, faces a death sentence.
Cousin Ron shook his head. He admitted to Arthur, "Won't matter much, I'm dead either way."
Arthur gestured for Karen to call the police and the family sat in silence over what happened.
The police came and took Cousin Ron away. While the family dealt with the fallout, Karen and Arthur found the vase, collected their things, and snuck out of the estate. They found their way back to the police box and with sheer luck, pulled a lever that sent them back to the shop a full minute after they left the first time.
They changed out of their period clothing, stuck a fresh tag with the original price, and put the vase somewhere where it wouldn't break again.
The two didn't talk to each other much as they still felt stunned by everything that happened.
"We just let a woman die," Karen shook her head at the thought they let an innocent woman die. They knew how she died and they didn't do anything to stop it. They sat at the table and watched her eat the poisoned custard pie.
Arthur frowned as he shook his head. "Ripley said we couldn't do anything," he reminded her.
Karen argued that they could've stopped the murder, but Arthur told her it wasn't worth the consequences of meddling with time.
The two spent the day keeping an eye on the shop until two familiar faces came into the shop.
Ripley had a look on her face, parts of her hair sticky and her dark shirt covered in remnants of something, and Matt looked embarrassed.
Karen asked what was wrong and Ripley pointed at Matt.
"Ask him," she muttered as she disappeared up to her flat to clean up.
Matt chuckled lightly as he admitted there was an incident, that Matt may have a part in, and Ripley ended up with custard pie on her face.
Karen and Arthur gave a look at him and he quickly stopped chuckling. He looked between them and asked what was wrong. Which, they never told him, and instead told him that he should've been more careful.
The day ended and in a few days the vase left with its new owner. Karen and Arthur ended up coming clean with Ripley and Matt, unable to hold it in anymore.
Ripley wasn't mad as they thought she'd be. She listened to them explain what happened and everything that went on in the shop while she and Matt were gone.
After they finished, Ripley made them tea and calmly told them never to do something like that again. It wasn't worth the trauma and she was just glad they didn't get hurt for their trouble.
Once they finished their tea, Ripley sent the three home and closed shop for the night.
Although the outcome wasn't what Karen and Arthur wanted, the only comfort they had was, an innocent person didn't die. Though Cousin Ron had his reasons, he couldn't escape from the repercussions of his actions.
Arnold and Leah ended up leaving the family after all and never looked back, they migrated to Poland where they had many children. Most of which immigrated to the far reaches of the world.
The Rockwell Estate crumbled from internal strife and like all families before it, became a name in the records.
The End
