Intrigue

A tyrant's demise puts Jessica on the trail of several of his betrayed executives.

As company board member, Jessica is among old chairman Duncan and Lydia Barnett's weekend guests who hear the rumors of a take over by Spruce Osborne or resignation are false. Would-be successor Morgan McCormack's wife, Virginia, decide it's time to hurry nature by doctoring his nightly brand with extra digitalis heart medication. He is found dead in the hot-tub with a TV but it is deemed an accident and the TV was knocked into the tub when he had a heart attack. Jessica refuses rushing to cast the decisive vote for Morgan or Tom Dutton. She works out with Dr. Chatsworth that four digitalis pills are missing, as well as the brandy glass which was full when the corpse was discovered, but the autopsy finds no overdose. She finds out Osborne's much younger girlfriend, Serena, was planted by Duncan, while Osborne had a man on the board, gets a confession for the failed murder attempt and traps the successful killer.—KGF Vissers

As a member of the Board of Directors of Barnett Industries, Jessica spends a weekend at the home of Chairman Duncan Barnett, who says he's going to make a major announcement. Also there for the weekend are two company executives, Morgan McCormack and Tom Dutton and their wives, both hoping to be named Barnett's successor. Rounding out the group is businessman Spruce Osborne who has been trying to buy Barnett Industries for years. Soon after Barnett makes his big announcement, that he is staying on as Chairman, he is found dead in the bath tub. It looks like an accident but Jessica thought it may have been an overdose of digitalis. However, the autopsy proves otherwise and Jessica sets out to find the killer.—garykmcd