Thursday Murder Club, #2
The Man Who Died Twice
by Richard Osman
Contents
Chapter 4
Overview
Elizabeth answers the summons to meet the "returned" Marcus Carmichael and discovers it is a ruse by her dangerous ex-husband, Douglas, who is hiding in a safe house. He reveals he is in trouble and asks Elizabeth to babysit him. Poppy, the new waitress, is unmasked as his handler, exposing official scrutiny of Elizabeth’s recent investigations.
Summary
Elizabeth brings flowers to 14 Ruskin Court to meet the seemingly resurrected Marcus Carmichael. She enters a sparsely furnished flat that feels like a safe house and is greeted by a familiar, dangerous man from her past.
The man confirms he lured Elizabeth using the Carmichael name. Elizabeth recalls Carmichael was her fabricated spy legend—an invented agent she created to pass false secrets to the Russians, later "killed" with a cadaver and a staged funeral.
Over wine, the man acknowledges London has been tracking Elizabeth’s recent favors during the Thursday Murder Club’s prior cases, implying a debt is due. He asks for her help: simple "babysitting"—of him—because he’s in trouble.
Poppy, the new restaurant waitress, arrives and is revealed as his handler. Elizabeth addresses the man as Douglas—her ex-husband—signaling their shared past and his unreliability. With Poppy’s presence confirming official involvement, Douglas prepares to explain the danger he’s in, while Elizabeth weighs the risks.
Who Appears
- ElizabethProtagonist; visits 14 Ruskin Court, uncovers the Carmichael ruse, confronts ex-husband Douglas, and learns Poppy is an operative.
- DouglasElizabeth’s ex-husband; posing under the Marcus Carmichael pretext, hiding in a safe house, asks Elizabeth to babysit him.
- PoppyNew waitress revealed as Douglas’s handler; confirms official surveillance of Elizabeth’s recent activities.