Thursday Murder Club, #2
The Man Who Died Twice
by Richard Osman
Contents
Chapter 45
Overview
At 2:30 a.m., Stephen fixates on an old rival, and Elizabeth de-escalates by enlisting Bogdan to come over. Back in bed, Elizabeth revisits Douglas’s letter, rejects a false lead about Rye, and recognizes a hidden acrostic. The discovery renews her conviction that Douglas left a deliberate clue.
Summary
At 2:30 a.m., Stephen wakes in a fury over a decades-old bad review by Julian Lambert and insists on confronting him. Elizabeth, worried about Stephen’s agitation and decline, redirects him by suggesting Bogdan drive him, and calls Bogdan, who agrees to come over within an hour.
With Bogdan en route, Elizabeth coaxes Stephen back to bed. Stephen, calmer, shifts the conversation to Elizabeth’s ongoing investigation, assuring her she will find who shot Douglas and Poppy. Elizabeth reflects that she already has a clue but hasn’t yet resolved it.
Elizabeth retrieves a photocopy of Douglas’s letter about the diamonds. Stephen suggests a lead to their old cottage in Rye, but Elizabeth knows it was demolished years earlier. Remembering a game she and Douglas once played, she checks the first letters of sentences for a hidden message.
Scanning the opening paragraphs, Elizabeth recognizes Douglas’s acrostic trick and smiles, acknowledging his cunning. The specific location remains unclear, but the discovery confirms Douglas embedded a deliberate clue, strengthening Elizabeth’s resolve to decode it.
Who Appears
- ElizabethCalms Stephen, enlists Bogdan to help, revisits Douglas’s letter, and identifies an acrostic clue.
- StephenAgitated by an old critic at 2:30 a.m.; soothed by Elizabeth; reminisces and supports her investigation.
- BogdanAnswers Elizabeth’s late-night call and agrees to come help settle Stephen.
- Douglas MiddlemissAppears via his letter; his hidden acrostic suggests a deliberate clue about the diamonds.
- Julian LambertDeceased critic whose old review triggers Stephen’s late-night outburst and confusion.