▌Chapter 2 ─ Questions ▌

━━━━━ IRIS SAT NEXT to Marta as they awaited to be called in one by one. Linda sat in the chair across from Lieutenant Elliott, while Trooper Wagner stood not far from him.

"We're just gonna reintroduce ourselves as a formality. I am Detective Lieutenant Elliott, and this is Trooper Wagner. Now, I'm going to record this just to make things easier." He spoke, while pulling out his phone to record the next few conversations that would take place throughout the day.

"All right, we're with Linda Drysdale, née Thormbey, Harlan Thormbey's eldest daughter, in discussing the events that took place the night of his demise, one week ago, November 8th." Elliott said, messing around with his pen.

Wagner leaned forward slightly with his eyes on Linda, "we're very sorry for your loss." Wagner said, earning a look from Elliott.

"Thank you. That means a lot." Linda replied, sadness evident in her voice.

"So, we understand at that night the family had gathered to celebrate your father's 85th birthday." Elliott said, looking down at his notes.

"Yes." Linda replied, with a nod of her head.

"How was it?" He went on to question.

"The party? Pre my dad's death? It was great." Linda informed him, speaking the simple sentences, keeping them short and to the point.

"Did anyone besides the family show face?" Elliott went on to ask the older woman.

"Fran, the housekeeper. Marta, Harlan's caregiver, good girl, hard worker. Family's from Ecuador. Fred, Iris's gold digging fiancé. And Wanetta ─ Greatnana, Harlan's mom." Linda spoke, not regretting the words she used for Fred.

"His mom? How old is she?" Elliott questioned her shock to even hear those words.

"We have no idea." The older woman responded, watching Elliott look back down at his notes for a brief second.

"Okay, and your son Ransom, did he attend as well?"

"Yes, but he left early."

In the back near the piano sat Detective Benoit Blanc, he lifted his hand pressing down on a key that rested on the piano. Linda looked back at the man, wondering why he was here to begin with.

"Right, would you say that all three of you showed up around the same time?" Elliott questioned her.

"No." Linda dragged out, with her eyes still on Benoit. "Richard came early to help the caterers set up."

"Okay, and you and your husband Richard work at a real estate firm in Boston?"

"No, it's my company." Linda said, holding her finger out and pointing to herself.

"Right, right. Sorry."

"I built my business from the ground up." Linda confirmed, staring at Detective Elliott.

"Just like your father. You two were very close?" He proceeded to question her.

"We had our own secret way of communicating. Iris was the one who was close with her grandfather. You had to find that with dad." Linda began to explain to the three men.

"You had to find a game to play with him. And if you did that, and you played by his rules..." Linda said, shrugging her shoulders, attempting to hold the tears back.

Richard now sat in the chair staring back at Detective Elliott.

"Everyone idolizes their dad, right?" Richard asked, adjusting in the chair. Elliott lifted his hand, scratching the side of his face, upon the question.

"I don't know, do they?" He questioned back.

"Very much not, don't know why I said that. But my wife, Linda, does. Harlan started out with a rusty Smith-Corona, and built himself into one of the bestselling mystery writers of all time." Richard informed the man.

"Wow, seems like all his kids are self-made overachievers. And that includes his second oldest granddaughter." Elliott mentioned looking at Richard hoping the right words would come out.

"Sure, but not Iris. She's the complete opposite of everyone." Richard announced, showing the love for his only daughter.

Walt sat in the same chair across from Elliott.

"For the record, I'm speaking with Walt Thrombey, Harlan Thormbey's youngest son. So, you run your father's publishing company?" Elliott questioned, moving back into the seat.

"Yeah. It's my ─ it's our... It's the family's publishing company, dad trusts me to run it. 30 languages, over 80 million copies sold. A real legacy. You guys fans?" Walt questioned between the men.

"I mean, I don't do much fiction reading myself." Elliott went on to tell him.

"Big fan. I'm a big fan. I mean..." Wagner spoke, a smile resting on his face he leaned forward slightly, eyes on Walt. "His plots are just like... I won't spoil it for you." Wagner said, leaning towards Elliott who didn't really seem to care about the books. "But, okay, like "A Thousand Knives", the cow and the shotgun, like, where do you come up with that?" Wagner asked, allowing his inner fanboy to appear.

"Dad said the plots just popped into his head fully formed. It was the easy part for him." Walt replied to Wagner.

Benoit lifted his hand again, placing it on the same key, he then pressed down on the key allowing it to make a noise.

"So, you're in the area, right? You guys probably arrived around the same time?" Elliott questioned him, while Walt stared back at the other Detective.

"We all got here around 8. My wife Donna, she's my rock. My son Jacob, he's 16. Very politically active." Walt informed them.

"The boy is literally a Nazi." Richard said, referring back to Jacob Walt's son, and the question that had been asked.

"He's an alt-right troll dipshit." Meg said, leaning back in the chair.

"Kids today, with the internet. It's amazing." Walt said, earning a laugh from Elliott.

"So, the night went well?" He questioned tilting his head slightly.

"I mean, we're all gutted, but I was happy to have that night with him. To be by his side, to think about our books and what we've accomplished with them. It's like I can still feel his hand on my shoulder. Passing the torch." Walt said, using a metaphor.

Joni now sat in the chair waiting to be questioned.

"So, we're here with Joni Thormbey, Harlan Thormbey's daughter in-law?" He questioned making sure he had his information correct.

"Yeah, I married his son Neil. We had one daughter, Meg. And then Neil passed on, 15 years ago." Joni informed them.

"And you remained close to the Thormbey's." Elliott said.

"Oh, they're my family. I feel simultaneously freed by and supported by them. It's that balance of opposites that's the nugget of Flam."

Elliott squinted his eyes, a confused look resting on his face. "Sorry, the Nugget of..." Elliott went on to ask, but was still confused.

"Flam." Joni stated, making it clear what her brand was.

"Yeah, Flam, you skin care company. Sorry." Elliott said, putting the pieces together as the confusion disappeared.

"I forgive you. Yeah, it's skin care, but it promotes a total lifestyle. Self sufficiency with an acknowledgment of human need. That's Flam, but it's also Harlan. He got me and Meg through some tough times." Joni informed them.

Meg now sat in the chair, preparing to answer the question she had just been asked.

"Granddad gives my mom a yearly allowance, and he's never missed writing a tuition payment to my schools." Meg explained, answering said question. "He's a genuinely selfless man."

"But, you left his party early?" Elliott questioned double checking with the facts he had.

"To see some friends at Smith." Meg informed him.

"I think Linda was upset. Hmm. But Harlan understood." Joni told them with a shrug of her shoulder.

Benoit pressed down on the same key again, making his presence known. Joni placed her eyes on the man, not sure why he was here or who he was.

"Right. You two showed up to the party around the same time?" Elliott questioned her getting back to the topic of discussion.

"If I could pause. Because I just... Who is that guy? And why are we doing all this? Again?" Joni questioned them.

"This is just follow up questions. We're tending to be thorough, so we can figure out the manner of death."

"So by "manner of death" you mean if someone killed him?" Walt questioned staring directly at Detective Elliott. "If one of us killed him. One of his family." Walt said, seeming to get upset by what had been brought up.

"No, Walt." Elliott went to tell him.

"Killed him. Is that what you're suggesting, Lieutenant?"

"No one is saying that, okay? This is all pro forma."

"Okay. So, who the fuck is that?" Richard questioned, pointing back at Benoit.

Elliott looked over at Wagner for a brief second while Wagner turned slightly to look back at Benoit who still sat in the chair, flipping the coin in his hand.

"This is Benoit Blanc." Elliott informed Richard.

"Benoit Blanc?" Richard questioned with a laugh following after his words.

"Yes. Mr. Blanc is a private investigator of great renown." Elliott said, moving his hands out in a motion.

"Wait a minute. I read a tweet about a New Yorker article about you. The last of the gentlemen sleuths? You solved that case with the tennis champ." Joni said, keeping eye contact with him. She then proceeded to laugh, and lean forward slightly in her chair.

"You're famous!" Joni said with excitement.

"Mr. Blanc is not with the police department, and not officially involved in the case, but he's offered to consult. I happily obliged and I can vouch for him." Elliott explained.

"Mr. Blanc, I know who you are. I read your profile in the New Yorker. I found it delightful. I just buried my 85 year old father, who committed suicide. Why are you here?" Linda questioned him with a very straightforward tone resting in her voice.

"I'm here at the behest of a client." Benoit announced, still messing with the coin that rested in his hand.

"Who?" Linda proceeded to question him, turning the tables. Benoit continued to flip the coin around ready to give his answer.

"I cannot say, but let me assure you this: my presence will be ornamental. You will find me a respectful quiet passive observer of the truth." Benoit said, leaning forward in his chair.

"Fine. Are we getting there?" Richard questioned him.

"Nearly. Harlan's nurse. She was at the party in a professional capacity?" Benoit asked him in return.

"Marta? I guess. Harlan hired her to be around to take care of whatever medical needs popped up." Richard informed the renowned detective. "But, really she's like part of the family. Good kid. Been a good friend to Harlan and to Iris. She was actually asked by Iris to be her maid of honor at the wedding. Family's from Paraguay. Linda really likes her work ethic. "Immigrants ─ we get the job done." From Hamilton."

"Oh Hamilton! It's so good." Wagner replied, while Elliott looked back at him.

"I saw it at the public." Richard told Wagner. Benoit stood up from his chair walking towards Richard.

"May I just... Then, I'll recede, but... As a self-made man myself, I have to express my admiration for how you've followed in your father's footsteps." Benoit informed Linda. She placed a smile on her lips staring up at Benoit.

"Thank you." Linda simply replied.

"Just marvelous, you know. The whole family too. Joni with her thing, Walt with his publishing empire. Your daughter with her makeup line." Benoit said, praising everyone.

Even though he hadn't officially met Iris yet he had done his fair research on her, and the other members of the family before coming in.

"Well. Yes, I mean, Walt, he's done well with what dad gave him. Not that it matters, but really, Dad hands him a book twice a year, and Walt publishes it." Linda said, receiving looks from the three men. "It's just not the same."

"But, surely, Walt runs the merchandising, adaptations, film and television rights..." Benoit said, swaying his hand around. Are you baiting me, Detective?" Linda questioned him in return, with a tilt of her head.

"You know he doesn't. And if you think I am dumb enough to be baited into talking family business, into shit talking my baby brother in front of a police detective and a state trooper..." Linda said, leaning forward in her chair as the anger radiated from her body.

"Walt doesn't run shit! Because there are no TV and film rights. Harlan never allowed any adaptations of his books. Hated the idea." Richard explained, not holding back what Linda was holding back.

"No!" Benoit said almost as if he was shocked.

"Yeah! Drives Walt nuts. Cause that's where the real money is. Walt would get a little Irish courage in him, he'd get into it with Harlan." Richard announced.

"Did he get "into it" at the party?" Benoit questioned him.

"Oh my god!" Richard said with expression's. "He wouldn't leave him alone, the poor guy. Harlan finally had to give him the hook. I didn't hear what he said, but he must've really handed him his lunch. Cause Walt was like a wounded puppy the rest of the night." Richard said with a chuckle.

"What? Richard said what? No, Jesus, we did not get "into it." Walt said, seeming to be angry with what Benoit was implying.

"I'm just trying to get an accurate impression. Harlan took you aside at the party, when you returned you were chastened. What did Harlan say to you?" Benoit asked him, rubbing his hand together.

"We talked, we had a business discussion about e-books. Jesus, it was nothing. You wanna talk about an argument, hell, Ransom had an argument with him and I believe Iris was with them." Walt explained, looking around the room.

"I saw her follow after her brother. But their conversation didn't end well either." Walt said. Benoit now had a clear image of the part that Iris had played in this mystery.

"Ransom, that's Richard and Linda's son?" Benoit asked him in return, still placing the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Look, we all love Ransom, he's a good kid, we love him. He's nothing like his sister." Walt said, looking away from everyone.

"But?" Benoit questions waiting for something more.

"But he's always been the black sheep of the family. I'm not trying to... I like to keep stuff like this in the family, but with Ransom, he's never had a job. And dad for some unknown reason always supported him." Walt explained. "They have this-love hate bond. They fight. But that night, God, they had a blow out."

"About what?" Benoit asked, moving forward to the point where he had been on the edge of his seat.

"We couldn't make it out really, but it was huge. And it's strange they went into another room to do it. Usually, they like to stoke up drama in front of the whole family." Walt continued to explain for the three.

"Speaking of getting into it. You were at the house early to help the caterer set up. Did you converse with Harlan at that time?" Benoit asked him, still trying to get a clear picture.

"Well, he was there, we must have spoken." Richard replied, trying to move past this question.

"In his study?"

"I don't think so."

"You see, I spoke with the caterer this morning. She didn't see you helping her staff, she did hear Harlan in a screaming match with someone that afternoon in his study. "I don't... A screaming match?" Richard questioned, receiving a nod from Benoit.

"No. But Joni was here too, she was early. So, it might have been her, maybe ask her." Richard said, trying to shake Benoit off his trail.

"These were two male voices." Benoit informed him ready to give him the facts he had been giving. "Harlan shouted the phrase. "You tell her or I will." Bells ringing?" Benoit asked him, hoping something would be spilled.

"Yes. I know." Richard stated with a smile on his face. "Yes." He repeated, while laughter fell out of his mouth. "Harlan finally decided to put his mom in a nursing home. Linda was always opposed to that. And I wanted to wait until we got back from Boston to tell Linda. To avoid the whole scene. And Harlan wanted me to tell her then. That was it. Sorry. Forgot." Richard informed the detective knowing very well that it was in fact a lie.

"The house?" Joni questioned, slightly confused about what Benoit had been asking her.

"Early. Richard said you were there." Benoit reminded her, hoping it would jog her memory.

"I was. At the house early." Joni simply replied, still not sure what to tell them.

"To see Harlan?"

"To see Harlan. Yes."

"What were you seeing Harlan about?" Benoit asked, hoping for an answer this time around.

"It was just a mix up with the payment for Meg's tuition."

Her nerves were clearly evident. Benoit leaned forward in the chair, keeping his eyes on her.

"I'm sorry to press, what kind of mix up?"

"It was a money wiring issue with the office at the school. So, I had to ask Harlan to cut a check for this semester. No big deal." Joni informed him hoping it would clear everything up even though she had in fact lied to him.

"Why don't we just take a little break and we'll resume...." Joni stood up from the chair quickly walking out of the room. "She's gone."

Iris was still next to Marta, she wasn't entirely sure why she had been the only member of the family who had yet to be called in for questions. She lowered her head holding it in her hands, Marta turned her head looking over at her friend.

"Are you okay?" Marta asked, unsure of what she had been feeling.

"I don't know, they haven't called me in yet. I feel like I'm going to throw up again. I need to go out to the store to pick up some things." Iris said, still holding her head in her hands.

"I'm sure whatever it is it'll pass." Marta responded, placing a hand on Iris's back and rubbing it.