Priory of Death: 1

I unlocked the door to our London flat and pushed it open as Scruff and Emily carted our luggage up the stairs. It was good to be home, even from Sir Richard's Christmas party. He's got a wonderful family, and they're broad-minded enough not to be scared by Emily. In fact one of the Arcos grandsons got her under the Misteltoe, which we all thought was hilarious, and Emily didn't. Although she hadn't killed the boy, so she wasn't too bad with it. I got REALLY soppy with the Green Man, and Scruff got drunk on Lady Arcos' Christmas cake. Not that that's difficult, it has a whole crate of Scotch in it.
I picked up the mail, and as soon as I was out of my coat I was sat down opening it. Scruff was watching me do it, which she normally does.
"What's that one?" she asked.
"Bill."
"And that?"
"Another bill. And... Oh! It's an invitation! Mr. and Mrs Dennis Helmann request your presence at their New Year's party at Dentree Priory, Ayrshire. Who on earth...?"
Then a post-it note fell from the envelope. I read it.
Jane, it's me, Victoria, I got married.
"Victoria Patterson!" I cried. "Scruff, it's from an old school friend!"
"Will you be going?"
"Yes. And so will you. You remember Victoria!"
"Was she the one who used to pull my hair?"
"No! That was Victoria Ellis! This is Victoria Patterson. She liked you."
"Oh, her! The one who compared me to an old English Sheepdog?'
"Yes, that Victoria!"
"Can I come?" Emily entered from the kitchen, where she'd been making herself a milkshake.
"I'm afraid not. Yes, because of your appearance. I can't really explain to Victoria how I've got a girl who looks like some sort of scary ghost living with me."
"I can haunt the place."
"Definitely not! I'll call Lynette and get her to look after you for that week-end."
Emily looked disappointed, but there wasn't an awful lot I could do about that. I felt sorry for her, but she couldn't come.

It sounded like a normal invitation. It WAS a normal invitation. But things were going to happen that no-one in the party had anticipated. Well, one person had. Because that person was planning MURDER. And the killer would have got away with it too, if I hadn't been invited on the week-end, and if Emily hadn't stowed away in the car boot.