
[chapter 5- name](https://archiveofourown.org/works/78749446/chapters/211392836)

I'd been staring at the wall when Muriel came back five minutes later, a fresh bottle under her arm and an odd look in her eye. She set it on her desk and turned toward me. “I’ve got two pieces of news,” she said, lowering her voice as if we weren’t the only two people in the room. “First, Miss Fell is in her shop today.”

That got my attention. “She is? Then why the hell isn't she open? And why hasn’t she answered the phone?”

Muriel didn’t answer because, in her defense, she didn’t know. But the way she bit her lip told me she might. “Well… that could be because of my second piece of news. Nina said she saw ‘a gentleman caller’ at Miss Fell’s door this morning when she was opening the cafe. Said Miss Fell let him in straight away. She hasn’t told anyone else, though. Doesn’t want Miss Fell getting a reputation.” Muriel was clearly confused by Nina's message; we were both confused when she started winking awkwardly. “Then Nina started blinking one eye really fast, like this, and I don’t know why.”

A gentleman caller? What?

I stepped back onto the landing. The shop-door blinds shifted. A quick flicker, like someone peeking out.

Twenty seconds later, the phone rang.

Writers Guild presents If Two of Them Are Dead chapter 5