A/N: Here it is. The penultimate chapter, scary as that seems. If you haven't worked everything out, then I think it's pretty obvious here. One chapter left!
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Chapter Twelve: Links
It is dark as I return to the house. At home, Claire identifies one bottle as that she had seen recently, and discarded because of its empty state, she then retires to bed.
I believe it extremely odd, and can not exactly distinguish the link between the two murdered persons. Firstly, Mr. Brinner, a member of the parish church, and Mr. Fawcett, the local undertaker. Both are male, both do not have a partner. Both are accustomed to death in some way, Mr. Fawcett, obviously being the undertaker, and Mr. Brinner, would have been able to conduct a funeral. A funeral, death, in which both persons would be present. This is the finest link I've thought of, the most detailed motive and explanation so far. But would Mr. Brinner have been able to conduct the funeral ceremony? I must ask Father Samuell. I will see him about it straight away tomorrow. Funerals. Such a sad, yet simple thing, could this possibly be the motive behind the murders? Could the death of a loved one be the spark to set off a murderer on his spree? It is hard to believe, that such sadness and pain could present more grief, and for the parties involved to not learn from them, and celebrate life, not take it away. But who has lost a loved one?
Claire is searching for reburial for her mother. Funeral. Mr. Brinner refused her, I know this as fact. I take a sheet of paper and pen from my writing things and begin to jot down notes, names, and times. At the top of my page are the words Brinner and Fawcett, with their occupations under the names respectively, there is also the word Claire written, death, and funeral refusal. Pettineath is also written, with Hawson and poison. But Claire could not carry out such a deed. Not the sweet, beautiful Claire I know, pining after her mother, spending so much time praying in the church and hoping for good. I must not let this suspicion avert me from her though. I can not let personal knowledge get in the way of discovering this murderer. I try to put Claire into the murdering scenario, strictly to rule her out of my list of suspects, but the scenario works somewhat differently from planned.
"Claire comes to the village, Mr. Brinner refuses to grant her mother a funeral, she kills him with the little suitable poison in the house, asking me to buy more, which I do. Fawcett would then had refused funeral also, she kills him with the new poison which is proved the correct one. The Pettineaths do not come into the bargain, nor the Hawsons." I am getting ahead of myself, did I not previously question whether Mr. Brinner was linked with the funeral chain at all? And if Mr. Fawcett, such a person as an undertaker, would have had input because of his occupation, I do not believe that an undertaker could have any input at all, without the obvious input of the actual burial itself. But Claire is searching for a service, one that he would not have been able to provide. Still, this does tie with my theory of all victims being connected to death in some way. Before I act on my suspicions though, I must clarify these with Father Samuell. Father Samuell. Had he not refused Claire's request also? He had, he himself had told me so. Then he is the next victim. Claire is asleep, he can not come to harm tonight. Is she asleep? When will she kill next? Ichabod, you do not yet know for certain she is the killer, you must first see Father Samuell! No. First I will check to see if Claire is in bed.
She is not! I hastily pull on my over clothes and open the door to run to the Father's house. I do not reach it, nor do I reach the church, Father Samuell is outside, I am too late.