Police investigating the death of a man who lived alone, say he may have been killed by a book.
The man died on Thursday after being struck down by a terrible illness that produced severe and pronounced buboes on his groins, back, neck and in his armpits. He had been ill since sometime on Tuesday.
But his neighbor, Betty Muddle, said that, when she saw him returning from the library on Tuesday, he was fine, cheerful, and looking forward to reading his new book, 'The Plaque', by a writer whose name she had neither heard of nor known, much less forgotten.
"All I know, is that it was about Oral healthcare," she said.
This immediately attracted the attention of policeman Tom Dickens, who is also a bit of a bookworm. He said:
"I'm no scientist, but I could see where this was going. A man who was reading 'The Plague' dies of something resembling the plague? Isn't it obvious? Perhaps a good idea for one of my short stories, anyway."
His commanding officer, Bill Einstein, however, said:
"Tom's a bit of a dreamer. His imagination tends to run wild with him. I'm sure there's a more fact-based and scientific reason for this man's death, and we'll know more after a thorough investigation."
Betty then asked:
"Was it Shakesby, or something like that?"
