FF:Murder Mystery-'The Hidden Cat';Ch6;Pg:14;8/9 - Page 4

hey nice characters n plot
continue soon

Lovely CS!! Liked it verrry much! Waiting fr d updt!

thank u all very much for ur lovely comments.

hmmm My health - suffering severe back ache from a week but could not lay down straight for long so peeping now n then into forum. 😆
its near to the neck so taking time to set

no prob, feeling good since yesterday. so will be back to routine mostly from monday. 😍

and Wishing u all a very happy "UGADI" 😃 🤗

Get well soon..! nd Happy Ugadi...:D

"You are worried, aren't you, Sia?" Miss Pia startled. She had been sitting at her writing-table, absentmindedly and thinking of the past. She looked up into the anxious face of her old friend. She was not quite sure what to say to Mrs. Bharti (Bunny). Bunny doesn't know what she speaks. She was silent for a moment or two, thinking.

Both had been at school together. Bunny then had been a pretty girl but rather stupid. But it didn't matter because her high spirits and her prettiness had made her an agreeable companion. She had so many good qualities - affection, devotion, loyalty. But life had been unkind to Bunny. Widowed at a younger age and had to earn her living. She had been painstaking but never competent at anything she undertook. Her health degraded badly at one stage. She was invited by Pia to stay with her 10 or 15 yrs ago.

She had installed her at Little Villa saying that "the housework is getting too much for me. I need someone to help me run the house." Poor old Bunny, so loyal, so anxious to help, so pleased and proud to think she was of assistance but completely unreliable.

She said sharply: "Don't, Bunny. You know I asked you -"

"Oh," Bunny looked guilty. "I know. I forgot. But - but you are, aren't you?"

"Worried? No, not exactly. Oh, You mean about that silly notice in the paper?"

"Yes!"

"I think you're right, Bunny," said Miss Pia. "It's not a nice joke."

"I don't like it at all," said Bunny. "It frightens me." Bunny cried.

Pia somehow was trying to convince her, the door opened suddenly and there enters a thin tall woman with Punjabi attire. She said gustily: "I can speak to you, yes, please?"

Miss Pia sighed. "Of course, Maya, what is it?" It's her maid.

"I tell you at once. I give you my notices and I go, I go at once!"

"For what reason? Has somebody upset you?"

"Yes, I am upset," said Maya dramatically. "I do not wish to die! Already I escaped once. My family they all die - they are all killed - my mother, my little brother - all they are killed. But me run away, I hide. I get here. I work. I do work that never I do in my home. I -"

"I know all that," said Miss Pia frustatedly. "But why do you want to leave now?"

"Because again they come to kill me!"

"Who do?"

"My enemies. They find out I am here. They come to kill me. I have read it in the newspaper!" There were some family clashes when Maya was very much young.

"Oh, you mean in the... ?"

"Here, it is written." Maya produced the paper from where she had been holding it behind her back.

"I do not wait to be murdered - no."

Pia fuming "But why should this apply to you? We think it is a joke."

"A joke? It is not a joke to murder someone?"

"No, of course not. But my dear, if anyone wanted to murder you, they wouldn't advertise the fact in the paper, would they?"

"You do not think they would?" Maya seemed a little shaken. "You think, perhaps, they do not mean to murder anyone at all? Perhaps it is you they mean to murder, Miss Pia."

"I certainly can't believe anyone wants to murder me," said Miss Pia lightly. "And really, Maya, I don't see why anyone should want to murder you. After all, why should they?"

"Because they are bad peoples... Very bad peoples."

"Yes, yes." Miss Pia stopped flow. She somehow convinced her and said "I think some people may come in this evening for drinks."

"This evening? What do you mean, this evening? At 7.00?"

"But that is the time in the paper. Who should come then? Why should they come?"

"They're coming to the funeral," said Miss Pia with a twinkle. "That'll do now, Maya. I'm busy. Shut the door after you," she added firmly.

"And that's settled her for the moment," she said as the door closed behind a puzzled-looking Maya.

"You are so efficient, Pia," said Bunny admiringly.

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Chapter - 1: The Paper Announcement

thanks for pm swetha wud read again didnt understand i m just hving my tea wud read it again

awsm prologue shweta di! vry curious 2 noe what d news actually means! continue soon..

Nice prologue swetha...Waiting for part 1

cool nice mystery and leaving us totally clueless what is maid talking and what notice in newspaper

nice prologue...:) curious to know what's gonna happen next...