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"Then obviously the candy wasn't meant for Mrs. Bates," Linda said slowly and distinctly. "It was meant for me." |
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"Nonsense!" Peter exclaimed, but his face went white. "Linda, that's crazy. No one could possibly want to hurt you." |
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"No one does want to hurt me," Linda assured him. "There wasn't enough of anything in that candy to hurt a healthy young woman. Gert had four pieces, and she's smaller and lighter than I am, and she was only sleepy for about an hour. I probably could have eaten the whole box without getting sick. It was an attempt to scare me off, I think." |
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"Oh," Peter said slowly, grinning again. "So that's why you thought I might be involved. I take back my remark about your brains. Of course, I'm glad you realized I wasn't trying to poison my aunt, but you aren't very perceptive if you believed I don't want you around." |
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"It's no joke, Mr. Peter," Gertrude put in sharply. "Madam must have guessed that too, and she shouldn't be worried." |
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"She must have guessed," Linda agreed, and then told Peter the gist of his aunt's conversation with her. "That's the main reason I didn't go to the police," she concluded. "The general agreed with me and pointed out that if Mrs. Bates refused to press a complainteven if she could press one now that the candy is gonethe police couldn't act anyway." |
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