Free Behold Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer

brother, even though he didn't eat them.'
    'Miss Matthews was afraid that the roast duck which her brother ate that evening might have caused his death,' explained the doctor.
    'I see,' said Hannasyde. 'No, it could hardly have been the duck, Miss Matthews. Can you remember what else your brother ate or drank on the night he died?'
    She began to enumerate the dishes which had appeared for dinner, but he stopped her. 'No, later than that, Miss Matthews. Did he take anything on going to bed? A cup of Ovaltine, perhaps, or—'
    'He couldn't bear anything with malt in it,' said Miss Matthews positively. 'Often and often I've begged him to try it, because he didn't sleep very well, but he never would listen to advice, not even when he was a little boy.'
    'Did he take anything at all for his insomnia?' Hannasyde asked.
    'Oh, it wasn't as bad as that!' said Miss Matthews. 'In fact, it's my belief he slept a lot better than he thought he did.'
    Hannasyde turned his head towards the doctor, and raised his brows in a mute question.
    Fielding said: 'I prescribed nothing. He may occasionally have taken aspirin. I don't know.'
    'No, that I'm sure he did not,' said Miss Matthews. 'He didn't approve of drugs.'
    'Then between dinner and bedtime he didn't, to your knowledge, take anything at all? No drink of any sort? A whiskey-and-soda, for instance, or—'
    'Oh, that sort of thing!' said Miss Matthews. 'He often had a whiskey-and-soda about half an hour before he went to bed. Not always, you know, but quite often. We have a tray brought into the drawing-room at ten o'clock. I myself think it's entirely unnecessary, and simply encourages young people to sit up late, drinking and smoking, and wasting the electricity.'
    'Do you remember if your brother had a whiskey-and-soda, or any other kind of drink, on Tuesday evening? Perhaps you can help me, Mr Matthews?'
    'I was just trying to remember,' said Guy. 'I don't think—'
    'Yes, he did,' said Miss Matthews suddenly. 'Speaking to you reminded me of it, Guy. He had a small whiskey, and he said that when he asked for a small one he didn't mean he wanted it drowned in soda. And you said the syphon was rather "up." Don't you remember?'
    'Was that the night he died?' asked Guy, frowning.
    'Yes, I believe it was.'
    'Did you pour out his drink for him, Mr Matthews?'
    'Yes. I often did,' Guy answered.
    'At about what time did he have the whiskey?'
    'Oh, I don't know! The usual time, I think. Round about half-past ten.'
    'Do you know when he went up to bed?'
    'No, I was in the billiard-room with my sister.'
    'My brother always went up to his room at eleven, unless we had visitors,' said Miss Matthews. 'We were all brought up to keep regular hours in my family, though I must say Gregory used to waste a lot of time pottering about his room before he got into bed.'
    'You don't know what he did after he went upstairs, or when he actually got into bed?'
    Miss Matthews was inclined to be affronted.
    'Certainly not! I was not in the habit of spying on him!'
    'I wasn't suggesting anything like that, Miss Matthews,' replied Hannasyde peaceably. 'You might have heard him moving about in his room.'
    'Oh no, this house is very well built, and, besides, my room isn't next to his.'
    'I see. Who did sleep next to Mr Matthews?'
    'Well, my sister-in-law, in a way, but there's a bathroom in between,' explained Miss Matthews. Hannasyde looked at Guy. 'At what hour did you go up to bed, Mr Matthews?'
    'Haven't an idea,' said Guy carelessly. 'Sometime between half-past eleven and twelve, I should think.'
    'Did you notice whether the light was still on in your uncle's room?'
    'No, I'm afraid I didn't My sister might know. She went up at the same time.'
    'Yes, I should like to have a talk with Miss—Miss Stella Matthews,' nodded Hannasyde, consulting his notebook. 'And with Mrs Matthews too, if you please.'
    'My mother doesn't get up till after breakfast, but I'll go and tell her,' volunteered Guy, and left the room.
    Mrs