Summary

Tommy and Tuppence Beresford travelled to a nursing home for women called Sunny Ridge to visit their elderly aunt Ada. While there, Tuppence met another old woman by the name of Mrs. Lancaster, who said to her suddenly, “Was it your poor child?” Though confused, Tuppence dismissed it as an old woman's fancy. A few weeks later, Aunt Ada died, and Tommy and Tuppence once again found themselves at Sunny Ridge, sorting through Aunt Ada's belongings. Tuppence took a liking to a painting of a house by a canal, but she discovered it belonged to Mrs. Lancaster. But before she could ask if Mrs. Lancaster wanted the painting back, Tuppence found out that very suddenly Mrs. Lancaster was taken away from Sunny Ridge to live with some distant relatives. Concerned for Mrs. Lancaster's safety, Tuppence tried to locate her whereabouts, and instead found herself wrapped up in a dangerous mystery that put her life in danger.