Agatha's Untold Mysteries: The Wrong Book ✨ Relaxing Bedtime Story

[00:00:10] Good evening, Sleep Wave. Karissa here with a captivating sleepy story to soothe your thoughts and lull you into a peaceful rest. First though, let me give a big welcome to our new listeners. We're so glad to have you here and hope you'll find you are sleeping better and deeper after spending a little time with us on Sleep Wave. Please hit follow to make sure you know where we are tomorrow. It really helps the show.

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[00:01:34] Hey Sleep Wave listeners. If you've ever had one of those nights where your mind just won't quiet down, when sleep feels far away and your thoughts won't settle, there's another podcast I think you might enjoy alongside Sleep Wave. It's called I Can't Sleep, and it's hosted by Benjamin Boster. In each episode, Benjamin reads Wikipedia articles in a calm, steady voice designed to gently occupy your mind.

[00:02:00] Just enough to help you unwind. From comets to the wealth of nations, the topics are soothingly delivered and just the right kind of dull to help you drift off. It's a great option to have in your bedtime toolkit, especially for the nights when you want a little variety in how you ease into sleep. Prepare for your next sleepless night by following the I Can't Sleep Podcast now and get ready to wind down and relax.

[00:02:28] Find I Can't Sleep wherever you listen to podcasts. Alright friends, get cozy, snuggle up in bed, take a big breath, and let it go. Your day is done, and now it is time to rest.

[00:02:53] You're going to join me tonight as we travel back through time and visit the elegant Harrogate Hotel, where mystery writer, Agatha, seeks lodgings and a little time to herself. There, Agatha finds a new mystery to fill her own time, bound up between the pages of a doctored book.

[00:03:23] It was a crisp morning in mid-December when Agatha arrived at the hotel. Elegant and majestic, the hotel was known for its luxurious rooms, spa facilities, and excellent customer service. It was the perfect place for Agatha to retreat from the world for a while, and to take some much-needed time to relax.

[00:03:51] Having left her work commitments behind, Agatha had traveled north through England until she'd reached the prestigious hotel in Harrogate. She had heard of its wonderful reputation through her friends, who had stayed there over the years. She wasn't sure how long she was going to be at the hotel, and had decided to take it one day at a time.

[00:04:19] As soon as Agatha stepped over the threshold of the elegant entrance, she knew she'd made the right decision. There was a calming ambiance in the hotel, a feeling of serenity and tranquility. Agatha walked towards the uniformed young woman behind reception.

[00:04:46] The woman smiled at her approach and welcomed Agatha to the hotel. She asked how she could be of assistance. When Agatha asked for accommodation, the woman picked up a pen and opened the guest book. Being the astute kind, Agatha didn't miss a flicker of recognition in the woman's eyes.

[00:05:12] She looked a bit closer at Agatha, as though trying to work out why she looked familiar. Before the woman could voice her suspicions, Agatha gave a false name, Mrs. Neal. On her journey north, Agatha had thought it best to use a different name during her stay at the hotel, as she reasoned it would afford her more peace and time alone.

[00:05:39] As she gave the pseudonym to the receptionist and saw the recognition in her eyes vanish, Agatha knew it had been a wise decision. Once the receptionist had all the necessary information, she gave Agatha a key to her room along with directions. With a smile, she told Agatha the room had excellent views over the gardens. She asked if help was needed with her luggage,

[00:06:10] to which Agatha held up a small bag and advised she was traveling light and could manage on her own. She thanked the woman for her help. Agatha climbed the thickly carpeted stairs and walked along the hallway. Each step brought an increased sense of relaxation, and she felt her cares drifting easily away.

[00:06:39] Her hotel room was beautiful. There were windows on two sides, which gave delightful views of the gardens. Even though it was winter, there was still an abundance of seasonal plants to behold and admire. Agatha took off her thick coat and hung it inside the oak wardrobe.

[00:07:08] She unpacked her small amount of belongings and put them away. Once that was done, she settled down in a comfy armchair next to the window and took in the view. A soft smile alighted on Agatha's face. This was a time to do nothing but relax and take things easy.

[00:07:35] She sighed happily and continued to gaze out of the window. After a short while, her thoughts turned to her surroundings. There was a lot of history in this hotel, and many famous people had stayed there. Her friends had told her about the beautiful dining areas and the spa facilities.

[00:08:06] Agatha's curious nature got the better of her, and she decided to take a wander around the hotel. There would be time to gaze out of the window later. She left her room and began her exploration of the building. She went downstairs, taking in the oil portraits which adorned the walls as she went.

[00:08:34] She headed into the lounge and saw a young couple relaxing in an upholstered sofa, quietly discussing their plans for the day. Maps lay open on their knees. At the other side of the room, a quartet of octogenarians were playing a quiet game of bridge. Their brows furrowed in concentration.

[00:09:00] The urge open fire was lit. And the crackle of the burning logs gave the room a soothing atmosphere. Agatha was about to walk away from the lounge. But then she spotted a small bookshelf at the side of the fire, which, to her trained eye, contained an interesting library of work.

[00:09:31] Some of the covers looked familiar, and she smiled when she saw that one of her favorite books was amongst the collection. Unable to resist, she walked over to the bookshelf and picked up the book. It was written by Maxwell M. Collins, and the title was The Mysterious Tourist.

[00:10:00] Agatha took a seat in a high-backed armchair and opened the book. There was nothing like a good old-fashioned mystery to relax a person. The book was like an old friend, and one she'd read many times. She loved the author's easy way with words,

[00:10:28] and how gently a reader was brought into the story. She smiled as she turned to chapter one. Ask Mrs. Davenport about her London spiced cake recipe. Look for the interesting ingredient. Agatha's smile vanished. Those weren't the right words. The story began at midnight on a beach in Hawaii.

[00:10:55] There wasn't a Mrs. Davenport in the book, and there certainly wasn't any reference to a London spiced cake. Agatha surmised she had picked up the wrong book. She examined the dust cover, and it was definitely the right one, but it must have been placed on the wrong book by mistake. She removed the dust cover and looked at the book beneath. Her eyebrows rose in surprise

[00:11:24] as she examined the gold-embossed letters on the front of the book. The Mysterious Tourist by Maxwell M. Collins. The spine of the book showed the same details. Agatha was confused. What was going on? She turned back to chapter one and read the peculiar first sentence again.

[00:11:52] Then she read the following sentences. They were as they should be and followed the plot of Maxwell's story. Agatha held the book towards the light of the fire and noticed how the first sentence was raised ever so slightly, as if it had been affixed at some later date. Looking more closely at the text,

[00:12:21] she realized the font was different from the rest of the page, because the letter E had an extended curl on its lower part. It was a subtle difference, but Agatha spotted it. Someone had tampered with this book. But who? And why? It was a mystery. She laid the book on her lap

[00:12:50] and stared into the flickering flames of the fire. She could put the book back and continue with her wanderings around the hotel. Or she could casually ask around and see if anyone knew who Mrs. Davenport was, and if indeed she did have a recipe for London spiced cake. Perhaps it had been Mrs. Davenport who had placed the text inside the book.

[00:13:20] Maybe she was proud of her London spiced cake and wanted to share her enthusiasm for it. Agatha decided she couldn't leave the book as it was, so she took it to the helpful woman on reception and showed her the peculiar sentence. The young woman, Claire, was astounded at the discovery. The famous author, Maxwell M. Collins, had regularly stayed at the hotel.

[00:13:50] But it had been before Claire had started working there and she'd never met him. But as for Mrs. Davenport, Claire did know her and told Agatha she had retired recently as the hotel's cook. She'd had a reputation as an excellent baker, and her cakes and pastries were famous. Claire wasn't aware of her London spiced cake, but Mrs. Davenport had left her recipe book behind

[00:14:20] as a gift for the new cook. Claire said she was about to go on her break, so perhaps they could go to the kitchen now and have a look at the book to see if the recipe was there. Just to satisfy our curiosity, Claire said with a twinkle in her eyes. If you insist, Agatha said, trying hard not to let her eyes twinkle in delight too.

[00:14:49] The duo headed into the kitchen and found it abuzz with chatter and activity. The aroma of freshly baked cake filled the air. Claire took Agatha over to a smiling woman who was wearing a long apron that was lightly dusted with flour and icing sugar. She was called Beryl and had replaced Mrs. Davenport as the hotel's cook.

[00:15:19] Claire introduced Agatha to Beryl and then explained the mystery of the book to the cook and asked if Mrs. Davenport had mentioned anything about it before she'd left. Agatha was holding the book and opened it to show Beryl the peculiar sentence. The cook broke into jolly laughter. Well, I never.

[00:15:47] I've known Mrs. Davenport for years and I can't imagine she had anything to do with that. Let me have a look at that recipe book of hers. She wiped her hands on a tea towel and reached towards the shelf behind her. She picked up a thick book which had curly handwriting on the front. Beryl flicked through it

[00:16:14] until she came to the page she was looking for. She ran her finger down the list of ingredients nodding as she did so. When she got to the last ingredient her nod was replaced by a slow shake of her head. This can't be right. It doesn't belong there at all.

[00:16:42] Why would she put that in her recipe? I've only made this cake once but I would have remembered adding such a peculiar herb. And why has she typed it when the rest is handwritten? Beryl held the recipe book towards Agatha and Claire. She put her finger on the last ingredient two teaspoons of finely chopped basil.

[00:17:12] Unlike the other ingredients which had been handwritten the last item had been piped on a separate piece of paper and then glued onto the page and the typeface had the same distinctive letter E which the novel had. Agatha pointed out this similarity to Claire and the cook. The mystery deepens, Claire said.

[00:17:42] We grow basil in the main gardens during the summer but I believe the herbs are cultivated inside the greenhouse at this time of year. Could we go to the greenhouse and have a look at them? Agatha asked just to satisfy our curiosity once again. Claire's wide smile gave Agatha the answer she was hoping for.

[00:18:10] Let me know how you get on Beryl said. Claire and Agatha promised to do so. They swiftly collected their outdoor coats before leaving the hotel by the rear door and walking into the gardens. Jeffrey, the hotel's long-standing gardener was busy inside the warm greenhouse

[00:18:39] but he put his tools down when he saw Claire and Agatha entering. He professed it a delight to have such unexpected company and asked if they'd like to stay for a cup of tea. He produced a tartan flask and held it up. Not being one to refuse tea, Agatha said yes and thanked him for his kind offer.

[00:19:10] Claire agreed to a drink too. The gardener hummed happily to himself as he poured the warm liquid into delightfully mismatched china cups. He gave the drinks to Agatha and Claire and invited them to take a seat on the bench beneath the potted palm trees. Once they were seated,

[00:19:39] Agatha explained their reason for calling into the greenhouse. She showed Jeffrey the book and opened it to chapter one. The gardener took off his cap and scratched his head. I've read that book a few times and know the action starts on a beach in Hawaii. You must have thought you had

[00:20:08] the wrong book when you first saw it. I did, Agatha confirmed. She told him about Mrs. Davenport's recipe and the typed addition of two teaspoons of finely chopped basil. She then asked if he was growing any at the moment and if so, could they see it please?

[00:20:33] I started growing some last month and you can certainly have a look at them. Stay there and I'll bring my pots over. He ambled away to the far side of the greenhouse then returned with a tray in his hands. Inside the tray were rows of small brown pots

[00:21:02] which had green shoots sprouting from the soil. Each pot had a handwritten label inserted into it which confirmed the seedlings were basil. But one pot had a different marker one which was typed and not handwritten.

[00:21:31] Gatha noticed it immediately and pointed it out to the others. The gardener smiled. Well spotted. That label appeared outside in the middle of a patch of basil one day. It must have been about ten years ago when it turned up. I don't know who made it or who put it there but it withstands

[00:22:01] all weathers and never fades so I've kept it and I use it every year. There must be a layer of hard wearing lacquer on it if she could take a closer look at the label. Jeffrey put the tray down on the table and plucked the typed label from the pot. He pulled a clean handkerchief

[00:22:30] from his top pocket and wiped the soil from it before handing the marker to Agatha. She carefully ran her finger around the smooth label. Yes, it was definitely coated in something to protect it from the elements. Noticing something she asked if she could look at one of the other

[00:23:00] markers too. The gardener picked up the nearest one and gave it a quick clean before handing it over and proclaimed the one with the typed words was double the thickness of the other and it actually looked like it was two markers fixed together.

[00:23:32] When Claire asked why a person would do that, Agatha said, it could be possible something was hidden within the two markers, but they would only know that for certain if they separated them. They cast a look at Jeffrey and slightly raised one eyebrow in question.

[00:24:01] The gardener rubbed his hands together in a gleeful manner. of course we can open it. I love a good mystery and if there's something fixed between the markers we have to see it. I have just the tools to prise these apart and if I'm careful I won't cause any damage and can put them back together.

[00:24:32] Agatha and Claire sat back on the bench with the warm cups of tea cradled in their hands. They watched the gardener skillfully prise the markers apart and true to his word he didn't cause any damage to them. When the markers came away from each other a small folded piece of

[00:25:01] paper fluttered free. Gardner picked it up and gave it to Agatha. You read it miss. I carefully unfolded the paper and saw a typed message there. There was a distinctive curl on the letter E. go to the room with two windows

[00:25:31] and find the hidden drawer. The gardener scratched his head again. There's more than one room with two windows. How are you supposed to find the right one? Agatha turned to Claire and asked if there was a certain room Maxwell M. Collins stayed in when he visited the hotel.

[00:26:02] Claire smiled. He did and from what I've heard he insisted on staying in the same one every time he came here. It's the room you're in. Agatha's smile was as broad as Claire's. If you have time and she did have time. Agatha

[00:26:32] thanked Jeffrey and asked if they'd met before as she looked familiar to him. Agatha smiled and said they hadn't met before and she just had one of those faces. With Claire at her side,

[00:27:02] Agatha returned to her hotel rooms to the nature of her work, Agatha knew where many secret drawers could be located and it didn't take her long to discover a false floor in the bottom of the wardrobe. Using a nail file, she opened it

[00:27:31] and was astounded to lifted the papers from the concealed drawer and put them. She stared at them in silence. Claire asked Agatha what she'd found.

[00:28:03] Manuscript. Agatha looked at the top page and read the typed words, It's a story written by Maxwell M. Collins. It isn't a story I've heard of before, so I'm assuming it's a new one. If he was last here ten years ago, he must have left it here then.

[00:28:32] She shook her head in disbelief. Agatha noticed a card sticking out from behind the first page. She picked it up and read the handwritten words, to whomever it concerns. Congratulations, you have found my hidden manuscript impressed by your

[00:29:02] powers of deduction, and I sincerely hope you have enjoyed the challenge I unwittingly set you. As my reward, you will be the first person to read my unpublished story. And if you so desire, you can share it with your friends. Once you've done that, and if it's not

[00:29:31] too much of an imposition, could you send it on to my publisher? I have included their address, along with some postage stamps. You have my heartfelt thanks. my warmest wishes to you. Maxwell M looked at each other and broke into

[00:30:01] huge smiles. Claire glanced at her watch and said she must be getting back to work. She thanked Agatha for such a delightful interlude, and said if Agatha happened upon any more puzzles during her stay, she must let Claire know. As Claire left the room, a glimmer of recognition

[00:30:30] alighted in her eyes again. Her tone was warm as she said, Enjoy your stay here, Mrs. Neal. It was a few hours later when Agatha finally got the chance to read Maxwell's story. She returned to the lounge where the mystery had begun and snuggled down in the high-backed armchair, feeling

[00:30:59] the gentle warmth of she gazed out of the window and noticed the sun was dipping below the horizon. A handful of stars were visible in the sky, and the crescent moon peeped out from behind a cloud. The world longed

[00:31:36] flickering flames danced. Agatha placed her hand on the manuscript and savored the precious moments of the mystery within, which was yet to unfold.

[00:32:05] She turned to chapter one and began to read. A feeling of peaceful tranquility flowed through her. There was nothing like a good old fashioned mystery to relax a person. It wasn't long before a delightful drowsiness settled on Agatha

[00:32:40] and a small yawn escaped from her. It was time to return to her room and was soon settled beneath the warm covers of the bed of her day stayed in her mind for a while before

[00:33:10] gently drifting away she felt peaceful and she softly fell into a deep