The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Laurence is the father of Ophelia, Daphne, and Flavia, and lives with them at Buckshaw. He served during World War II and achieved the rank of colonel. He becomes embroiled in the murder of his former classmate, Horace Bonepenny, who tried to extort money from him. Laurence falsely confesses to the murder to protect Dogger, but he is exonerated when Flavia solves the murder case.

Laurence is still mourning his beloved wife Harriet, who died when Flavia was only a year old. To suppress his grief, he spends all his time consumed by his stamp collection. Laurence is unable to connect with his children or help them deal with their own grief. In telling Flavia the story of his school days, Laurence reveals more of his feelings and personality than he ever has before; he also admits that he is virtually bankrupt, because Buckshaw belonged to Harriet and he has no money of his own. At the end of the story, Laurence is moved that Flavia wants to give him the AA stamp, but he is still unable to express his feelings to her.

Dogger is Colonel de Luce’s gardener and general handyman. He saved Colonel de Luce’s life in the war and was a prisoner of war. Dogger originally came to work at Buckshaw as Colonel de Luce’s valet, then tried to serve as chauffeur, but he was not suited to either role. Dogger suffers from mental breakdowns, which Flavia refers to as “episodes,” in which he has hallucinations and shakes uncontrollably. Dogger is gentle, kind, and genuinely cares for Flavia. Dogger worries that he may have murdered Horace Bonepenny during one of his episodes, but Flavia proves that he did not. Dogger becomes suspicious when he sees Pemberton sneaking around Buckshaw; his resourcefulness and his commitment to Flavia ensure her safety at the story’s end. Dogger’s close relationship to Flavia is demonstrated when he helps her draft a letter to the king and hands her the reply. Dogger serves as a father figure to Flavia in many ways, in addition to being her only true friend.

Horace was Laurence de Luce’s classmate and former friend from Greyminster. Horace appears only briefly at the beginning of the story, when he comes to Buckshaw to try and extort money from Laurence and then winds up dead in the garden. Horace nonetheless plays a prominent role in the story, as he was the driving force behind the robbery of both of the Ulster Avenger stamps and, along with Bob Stanley, murdered Mr. Twining. Horace elicited Laurence’s sympathy while they were at school when he told tales of a cruel father and was viciously bullied by other students. After Laurence befriended Horace and taught him illusions, Horace’s personality changed and he became cold and indifferent. His manipulative and insidious character was demonstrated when he stole Dr. Kissing’s stamp, conspired to kill Mr. Twining, and tried to blackmail Laurence. In his death, Horace perhaps feels some contrition, as he breaths the word vale to Flavia in what may be a confession.

Inspector Hewitt is the police detective in charge of investigating Horace Bonepenny’s murder. Inspector Hewitt is a very intelligent, thorough detective who attempts to conduct his work by the book, though he is also a creative thinker. He shows a great deal of kindness and respect toward Flavia and bends the rules to allow her to see her father in the police station. At the end of the story, Inspector Hewitt considers Flavia a valuable resource in the investigation, and he values her discoveries and evidence, as well as her analytical mind.