Death Be Thy Name

By Donald Readerlear

2nd of September 1947
Mary is murdered at a Ouija board party.
None of her dear friends Are suspected. The police eventually decide to drop the case. All Mary’s friend’s disperse all around New Zealand. The murder of Mary is forgotten or is it.

Many year’s later Dolly and her mother Lady Perrin are on board the Electra cruise ship bound for Australia and New Zealand. Dolly meets and fall’s madly in love with David Pickle and eventually marry s him completely against her mother’s wishes. Years later her beloved David suddenly drop’s dead making her a young widow. Dolly returns home from a holiday in Surfer’s Queensland Australia.
To find her daughter Betty and husband Steven and two small children Anna and Freda
Her Daughter isn't coping very well with being married young and having to deal with a lazy husband and energetic children.
Dolly visits her mother Lady Perrin in a retirement village. Only to find there has been a murder at the village. Dolly meets and falls in love with Andrew the murdered woman’s son. They both try to find the murderer only to discover a web of deceit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris NZ
• Release date: Mar 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664107687

Donald Readerlear

Donald Readerlear was born on either the 21st or 22nd of February, 1947 at Carshalton UK, Left Christmas 1965 to live in Whangarei New Zealand and met Dennis Galvin in July 1968, had a civil union for 48 years. Dennis Galvin away in September 2016. Mr. Readerlear had one published book The Wind That Blows and six more books to come. He now lives with his constant companion Stella, a black standard poodle. He has a cancer now and is on chemotherapy. He is a teacher of Scottish Country Dancing. He had ten published dance books. He has a lovely home and tropical garden.

Book preview

Prologue

2 September 1947

Mary Hamilton was a happy woman. She had a bakery. She was married to Peter but had no children.

Daisy Whitly was part owner of the bakery. Daisy was young and full of ideas for the bakery.

Mary had a regular seance in her front room. She wasn’t all that keen on the idea, but her dear friends felt it was a good way of having an interesting evening, usually on a Thursday evening.

Carol usually brought her Ouija board.

Mary’s first guests arrived, Olga Keats and her daughter Kay, and walked into Mary’s front room.

Hello, Mary. I see we are the first.

Do sit, my dear.

Olga had was from Russia, and during the First World War, she met and married Joe Keats, a captain in army. After the end of hostilities, he brought this new bride home to Auckland, New Zealand. They had a happy marriage and soon had a daughter, Kay, named after Joe’s grandmother Kay James.

Do settle down. Would you like a cup of tea?

Mary went to get the tea then turned back to Olga.

I’m not really sure why I have been pushed into having these seance, and that Ouija board, it’s a bit silly, and I don’t really like it. I honestly think it’s nonsense.

Mary turned back then noticed another guest.

Mary, it seems to be entertaining for some people. Here’s that dreadful woman Betsy Owens and that horrid child of hers.

Olga sat waiting until Betsy came into the front room.

Hello, Betsy. How’s that little dear of yours?

All Mary did was carry on getting the tea and raised her eyebrows at this snide remark from Olga.

Mary placed the teapot and cups on a smaller table next to the bigger one.

Do go ahead, don’t wait for the others.

Just then a woman rushed into the room. I’m not late, am I?

Mary pulled a chair out for this friend to sit in as she spoke. "No, dear. Come and sit, Phyllis.

Have you brought the Ouija board?"

Yes, I have it. Carol gave it to me. She is going to be late as always.

Betsy reminded them that Carol didn’t have the best of marriages. Her husband came back from the war changed, like so many of our poor boys. Stopping for a short while, she said, trying to choose the right words, She has that baby. It’s very difficult for them.

Then Olga stood to give her usual tirade. You should have been in Moscow. They ate the babies.

As Olga said this, the rest of the ladies squirmed in distaste. Mary remarked, "Don’t be silly, Olga, that’s not true.

Olga carried on. You should have been there, my dear. Oh terrible, the tsar, he did nothing. I spit. Olga went to spit, and quick as a flash, Mary commented, Not in my home, you don’t!

I’m sorry, my heart is broken, my people are so downtrodden, then the Bolsheviks came. Olga went to spit again then remembered what Mary had said.

A woman dashed in all a fluster.

Hello, Carol.

Sorry I’m late, Mary.

That’s fine. Find a seat, Carol.

Okay, Mrs. M, I have closed the shop up.

Thank you, Daisy.

The young woman addressed everyone in the room. The weather outside is a bit nasty. I think there may be a storm brewing.

Mary stood and counted the woman present. That’s seven of us. Where is Dot?

Then the door swung open. There was a dripping wet lady.

Dot, come in, dry yourself.

Yes, I will, Mary.

Well, I am here we can all start.

All the ladies sat at Mary’s front table. Mary went to sit down, noticing Carol. Sorry, Carol, didn’t you want to sit next to Betsy?

Carol didn’t answer right away but seemed distant or worried. So Mary plonked herself in the available seat next to where Betsy was standing. I thought you wanted to sit next to Betsy. Sit down, Carol. I’ll sit here. So Mary sat into where Carol had been sitting.

Betsy sat. Betsy instructed them to join hands, which they all did, and started chatting. Betsy suddenly stood. We all need to be quite and join hands. We are all in a circle, drop hands, which they all did. Place your finger on the little wooden square of wood, which they all did. In a very low voice, Betsy spoke. Is there any one there? Knock if there is.

Then a loud knock was heard.

In a low voice, Betsy said, What do you want to tell us?

Suddenly, the wood started to move slowly, spelling out first D then E, A, T, H.

Everyone looked from lady to lady. All in unison said, Death?

At that very moment, the lights went out. There was a clap of thunder, then a whoosh. All looked around, Mary looked startled, blood was trickling from her mouth and down her chin. Mary slumped lifeless over the table. An arrow was sticking out of her back.

For just a moment, there was no sound at all.

Then Olga, covered with her friend’s blood, screamed.

Then there was complete mayhem.

Chapter 1

The taxi sped to its destination. Once it arrived at the address, the occupant gathered her luggage and stepped out. Red high heels planted themselves on the driveway. Elegant long fingers with bright red nails gripped the side of the door. She gently manoeuvred out of the car. She stood straightened her back. She wore a red trouser suit, large-brimmed green hat, and dark glasses. Once she had paid the required fare, she slowly walked up the drive to the front door. She knocked once, waited a short while, then beat again louder. The door opened. In front of her was a young woman clutching a small child. The child had just vomited on her shoulder, and somehow, she had not noticed it. Her hair was brown, one lock of hair hung over her face; the child was crying.

Mum, you’re home. Trying to hug her mother yet trying to hold on to the child, Betty then stepped back a bit. Did you enjoy Surfers, Mum? I bet it was warm. Did you meet any nice men? Come in, Mum. She ushered her mother inside. She very quickly threw magazines, a half-eaten biscuit, and a child’s rattle off the settee on to the floor so that her mother could sit down. "Mum take Freda.

I’ll make tea." She gave her mother the crying child. She suddenly stopped crying as it reached her grandmother.

There, there, my darling. Mummy’s only gone for a bit. Who’s a good girl? Have you been a good girl whilst Nana’s been away?

Dolly kept hold of her grandchild whilst her daughter made tea. Betty brought it in and set it down on the coffee table. Just then, Anna drew a smiley face on the just-cleaned window.

Oh! You little shit!

It’s only a marker pen, Betty. That will soon wash off. Don’t get so upset. Besides, please don’t swear and not at the children. You’re becoming like Gran! She never swore. Now she does it all the time.

I’m sorry, Mum. These days I’m so tired. That’s a permanent pen, Mum!

Oh!

Betty was tried out. Dolly was very sorry for her daughter. Betty had married at the age of 19 to Steven, a nice young man but a lazy one. He was very good at making children but not the best husband. Dolly thought, well, maybe, given the time, Steven might turn out not too bad. He would never be as good as David, her husband. She was now 44 and still a good-looking woman. She looked back to when she first met him. They fell in love as soon as they met. He wasn’t a handsome man but kind and loving, and that’s all that mattered. His first meeting with her mother, Gwendolen, did not go down all that well. David was rude to her because she was a snob. Dolly knew this and had many disagreements with her mother. But after those two horrible murders on the Electra, it brought them all together. David and Lady Perrin became insufferable. She loved him with all her might, and David loved her too. Sometimes David had a faraway look in his eyes as if he were somewhere else, and sometimes he was sad. But he was a good man. They had been married for five years before Betty came along. How Dolly wanted more children. But one day, when she came home from the supermarket, she found David lying dead, clutching a cushion in their front room. Gwen was sprawled in the armchair with blood trickling down her face. She had been hit on the head. In the kitchen,

the oven door was open. David must have been cleaning the oven. He was always such a busy,