In the study

 

'It's very late. I know and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all this trouble. You're all tired. Please sit down. Mrs Flack has brought us some coffee. That's very kind, Mrs Flack. Thank you. It's late and we all want to go to bed, but I must speak to you. Of course, I've spoken to you alone, one by one. There are three questions which I must answer:

1 Who murdered Sir Michael? One of you murdered him. You are sitting there. You are looking at me and there is murder in your heart. Perhaps I know your name, perhaps I don't. I can't tell you yet.

2 Why did X murder Sir Michael? You all have reasons. Perhaps you were jealous, perhaps you wanted money, perhaps you were loyal. I can't answer this question yet.

3 How did X murder Sir Michael? Don't tell me. I can save you the trouble. I know the answer to this question now. I can tell you.'

 

What happened between 9.00 and 9.25?

 

'Sir Michael's death was strange. He was alone in the room, and the door and window were locked from, the inside. X didn't come into the room and didn't leave the room at the time of the murder. X prepared the murder carefully. How did X prepare the murder? I know the answer — I think. You all know very well what Sir Michael did every day. Sir Michael always went to his study after dinner. Sometimes his secretary went with him, but she didn't go with him tonight. Sir Michael always had a drink and worked until late. Mrs Flack always brought him some coffee after dinner. What happened between 9.00 and 9.25? That's the question. I won't answer it yet. I want to say one thing. Sir Michael was 180 centimetres tall. Now look at the fridge. The freezer is 143 centimetres above the floor. This is important. The freezer is in line with Sir Michael's heart. What happened?'

Try to answer K's question -.

DON'T TURN OVER YET!

 

'Sir Michael went into his study at 9.00. He locked the door and the window.Then at 9.02 he sat down at his desk and wrote. Then from 9.15 until 9.20 he used the dictaphone. At 9.20 he went to the drinks cupboard. He wanted some whisky. He poured some whisky into a glass and then a little water. He drank some. Then he wanted some ice. After opening the fridge, he opened the freezer. He pulled the ice-tray with his left hand and then what happened? He started a mechanism which was in line with his heart. This mechanism shot an icicle into Sir Michael's heart. Sir Michael turned and fell to the floor. He was dead. The glass fell out of his right hand. The icicle was in his heart, so there was blood and water on his shirt and blood and water on the carpet. There wasn't a gun or a knife. The sharp "knife" was an icicle. It disappeared — and there was only water!

'The mechanism is still in the wall behind the freezer. It isn't working now. One of you put it there. One of you carne into this room before Sir Michael and put it there. Who was it?' К asked. 'I want to know.

'Was it you, Lady Elizabeth?' К asked. 'You were jealous of Sir Michael's secretaries. You hate Angela Everett and you wanted to punish your husband.'

'No, no. I didn't do it. I loved him. I loved him.'

'Was it you, Colonel Fawcett? He lent you a lot of money. You gambled it on horses and lost it. He wanted it back.'

'Of course not, Inspector. He was my friend.'

'And you, Miss Everett? He changed his will and perhaps "he left you £100,000. That's a lot of money and just what you wanted.'

'I did it.You think that, don't you, policewoman? Well I didn't!' Angela Everett shouted the words at K.

'And you, Mr Cavell, always so calm? You were worried about the £100,000. You wanted to save the company. Sir Michael spent money on women and you didn't like it.'

Mr Cavell didn't answer.

'And you, Mrs Flack? You read his letters. You wanted to punish him.'

'Oh, miss, I didn't, miss, really I didn't. I didn't do it.'

'Between 9.02 and 9.25 Sir Michael wrote at his desk. What did he write? That's the question. He wrote a letter to Andrew Cavell. I have it here. I'll read some of it to you. Dear Andrew, You're worried about money, I know. I changed my will two weeks ago, but I didn't leave any money to Angela. She thinks so, but I didn't. She's a silly girl and I'm tired of her. Perhaps I need a new secretary...'

'Oh!'Angela cried. 'The pig! The pig!' She shouted the word ‘pig’.

'And at 9.15 he used his dictaphone. What did he say? Listen to

his voice... "Angela, my dearest. You're a nice girl and you've been good to me, but it can't continue. I'm speaking these words to you because I don't want to write a letter. I want to speak to you. I want to say goodbye to you. You're a young woman and your life is in front of you. Goodbye, my dearest. I only...'

'Why? Why?' Angela screamed. 'The pig! I hate him. I hate all of you! I hate you! I hate you!'

'You took him from me! 'Lady Elizabeth cried.

'Quiet!' Miss Everett shouted. 'You can have him. He's dead! You and your family! You Grays and Cavells. All so upper-class! With your fine houses and your fine cars and your money! You can only think of money. He never loved me and I knew it. An old man of fifty-five! Pah! And I didn't love him.Yes, I wanted his money, but I couldn't have it. Of course I didn't murder him. One of you did that. Thanks. You saved me the trouble. He's dead and I'm glad.'

Putting her face in her hands, Miss Everett ran out of the room.There were tears in her eyes.

Colonel Fawcett got up. 'No, don't follow her, Colonel Fawcett,' К said. 'She won't leave. She can't leave. My people are all round the house.'

'She called Sir Michael a pig!' Mrs Flack cried. 'Did you hear, miss? That woman called Sir Michael a pig!'