A Question of Death - The Voice is Jacob's Voice Synopsis

Dr Mac arrives at Phryne house for her winter solstice party. She is greeted at the door by Lindsay Herbert in a Death costume. Dr Mac is dressed as Caeser and she greets Phryne who is dressed as Queen Elizabeth. Dr Mac is escorted inside for a drink and meets Miss Gately is dressed as a pirate and is complaining of the company especially Inspector Robinson and Klara a lady of the night and her two friends. Miss Gately also dislikes Jacob and Esau Tipping two brothers who hate each other due to their fathers strange will that stated he will leave his estate to the brother that had never drunk alcohol by the time he was 25 and they turn 25 at midnight tonight.

Jilly Henderson was telling Phryne the same story and said they needed her counsel as to whether Esau who is older by an hour would inherit first but she said this was not the case. She said the trustee Mr Crabbe had not caught either brother drinking. Phryne asks about the two women with the brother and finds out it is there wives Viola, Jacobs wife who is gushing and hard as nails and Tamar, Esau's wife who is cool and distant and also hard as nails.

Phryne dances over to the brothers with Lindsay to eavesdrop and hears them arguing about who is owed the estate. Phryne is just about to cut in to stop the argument when Mr Crabbe stops it and makes them withdraw their hurtful comments and they both toast to their birthdays. Mr Crabbe fills the brothers glasses and the brothers suspicious that each has spiked each others drinks change glasses. The brothers drink and both collapse on the floor. Dr Mac and Jack Robinson check the brothers over and announce them both dead. Mr Crabbe checks the glasses and sees the brothers have been poisoned.

Phyrne users her guests into the next room and shuts the door. She sits down the wives and checks the brothers pockets. Jilly comes in and Phryne questions her about the estate. The wives admit that each brother wanted to get the other drunk and Tamar goes to drink the punch but Phryne stops her and checks it noticing a bitter almond smell. Mr Crabbe tries to bolt from the room but Lindsay stops him.

It seems that Mr Crabbe had agreed to supply the alcohol to get each brother drunk but substituted it with pure alcohol killing the brothers as the money from the will would then go to a temperance league that he was the founder and sole member of! Phryne in a flash of inspiration questions Mr Crabbe and it turns out he has already spent the money from the estate. Mr Crabbe realising he has been caught grabs up one of the brothers glasses and drinks attempting to poison himself but the glass was Jack's so Mr Crabbe just got very drunk!