Part 34: The DJ's Swansong - Part 5

Summat's definitely amiss.

Well, if the Prof's off, I suppose I'll just have to figure this out on my own.

Alfendi arrives.

Oh? Prof?

Ah, Lucy. Did you forget something?

No, it's just...I can't get this case out of my head.

I thought maybe if I had another look at the scene, I might be able to figure summat out.

You're just not willing to let it go, hm?

Anyway, what are you up to, Prof?

Just a bit of investigating for fun.

'For fun'?

Eh-up, that's where the tea lady lass were bumped off, isn't it?

Yes, although I can't reproduce the entire scene now, because the case has been closed.

I knew it! I knew you wouldn't be able to let it go either, Prof.

With the way Alfendi brushed off Lucy's concerns about the discrepancies between the evidence and Dolly's statements, and the fact that Alfendi had already started investigating while Lucy was deciding to continue with the case, I can't help but suspect that Alfendi never actually intended to close their investigation, and this was just his idea of a test for Lucy to see if she would go along with the official decision to close the case, or if she would go with her intuition, and continue with the investigation.

As it happens, I've uncovered some evidence to support Hollerday's statement.



Honest Hollerday:

So what's this evidence you've found that backs up Hollerday's statement then, Prof?

Well, Lucy, do you remember what was broadcast? What we were listening to together?

Aye, I think I can remember the gist of it.

The evidence is in the transmission itself. I've managed to borrow a recording of the show. Listen carefully to this now.



We've got a very special guest in the studio today, people. It's the drop dead gorgeous Ms Dolly Hollerday,

Ta, Dwight! It's t'riffic to be on the show. Here, I brought you somefin'. They're ever so tasty.

Wow, thanks, Dolly!

Fax machine goes off.

That sounds like a fax coming in already.

So, our first request this morning is from, er...Ms Angel O Death?

'I'll be the Death of You'...? Whoa. Sounds like someone wants to turn DJ Dwight Dread into DJ Dwight Dead!

Don't you go dyin' on me, Dwight. I'll never live it down!

Well, if I am about to sign off for the last time ever, allow me to try one of your mouth-watering offerings first.

Hee hee.

Munching sounds.

Mmm, that hit the spot.

Ug-urgh.

Dwight collapses.

Oi, wot's going on?

Dwight! Are you alright? Let's er, go into an ad break. Come on, quickly!





Well?

Hollerday's laying it on too thick.

Well, maybe, but never mind that.

It just struck me, that's all.

Okay, but ignoring that...There's a blatant discrepancy between the radio show and the scene of the crime. Can you get it?





I see. And where's the discrepancy between that and what we heard on the radio?





There were a broken teacup at the scene of the crime, but no sound of a cup breaking on air!

Precisely.

You can clearly hear when Dread collapses from his chair. And yet, there's no sound of a cup breaking.

So, the teacup didn't break during the show, you mean?

Almost certainly.

And it's increasingly clear that Ms Hollerday's statement is true. Dread never drank the tea.

If he had, it's highly likely that he'd have dropped and broken the cup as the poison entered his bloodstream.

So, Ms Hollerday's statement is the bona fide truth?

Well in that case, when did he drink the poison, and when did the cup break?



Eh? What, when the broadcast had finished, you mean?

Yes, quite probably.

So, even though he collapsed during the show when it were on air, he had the poison after that?

Ee, you've got me right flummoxed now, Prof.

Dread collapsed on air after eating the macaroon given to him by Hollerday. That's the point.

Aye, I'm sure. And I'm getting further and further from it.

Ha ha. Well, why don't we do some more investigation in that area, hm?




Dread's death:



It poses the question of why Dread became physically distressed after he ate the macaroon.

Aye, why would eating a perfectly normal macaroon do that to him when he hadn't touched his tea?

Quite. He hadn't had any poison at all, yet everyone around him mistakenly believed he'd died.

Almost like he were just putting it on and pretending to die or summat.

That's exactly what I'm thinking.

There's actually existing evidence at the scene that supports the idea that he was faking his own death.

Yes. See if you can find it.








It's not this hanky, is it?

See what it says? 'Well? Surprised?'

By 'eck!

He pretended to die, and he were going to use this hanky to show it were all a big joke!

That's right. Dread was trying to play a practical joke on Hollerday and everyone else in the studio.

So he made it look like he was in pain as soon as he took a bit of the macaroon.

After he pretended to collapse, however, he drank the poisoned tea and really did die.

Once that poison took hold of him, he would've keeled over with a fair wallop, eh?

That must have been when he dropped the cup and broke it, then. And when his wig fell off, eh?

It's an absurd ending to the whole affair, but there's a considerable chance that is what happened.

A considerable chance? It's more like a dead cert if you ask me.

It would greatly narrow down the possible suspects.

Ee, do you know who done it now, Prof? Do you?

I have someone in mind.