Graham Theobalds
One of the investigators is contacted by Miss Sarah Spencer. She is convinced that someone is going to murder her but does not know who or why. She needs help and is willing to pay.
Two days ago she received a letter with a local postmark. The letter was typed on a typewriter with a missing 'e'.
D_ar Miss Sarah,
Your lif_ n_ars its _nd.
My wrath is compl_t_.
D_ath is yours.
S__ local pr_ss for d_tails.
She was going to leave it at that but yesterday found a message in the personal column in the newspaper.
Dear Miss Sarah. Only two days left.
There is another message today.
Dear Miss Sarah. One day left. Vengeance will be mine.
She has left her job and has booked into a hotel.
The messages were telephoned to the paper and paid for by a man giving his name as Robert Cook. Tomorrow's note in the paper is to read:
Rest, dear. Breathe your last.
1 Miss Spencer is dangerously schizophrenic and quite insane. She is usually Miss Spencer, but at times of stress becomes Robert Cook. Cook is gradually exerting more control and believes that by killing Miss Spencer he will be completely free. He will, but not the way he thinks.
One room in Miss Spencer's fastidiously neat house is messy and unkempt. This is Cook's, and pride of place is an antique typewriter with a missing 'e'.
2 The letter was written by Miss Jane Marsh, jealous ex-lover of Robert Cook. Miss Spencer is now seeing Cook, and Miss Marsh has sworn to kill her and frame him. She knows where Miss Spencer is staying and has posted an invitation to Cook to visit her there. There he will find the mutilated body of Miss Spencer just as the police arrive.
3 Miss Spencer is a Deep One before the 'change' and is luring the investigators to their death. They have been getting too close. The cliff top hotel she says that she is staying in is old and dilapidated and smells of fish.
Copyright (c) 1990 Graham Theobalds