A woman has been discovered murdered
in the back bedroom of a small country house. Inspector Harvey is questioning
Harry Collins, the dead woman's nephew.
Inspector
Harvey: Now, Mr. Collins, I'd like you to tell me in your own words exactly how
you came to discover the body.
Mr. Collins: It was terrible, Inspector. I came home a bit late because I'd been to the garage to have my car headlights tested. I put the car in the garage and then I went round to the back of the house to see if the groceries' d been delivered. They're always left in a box at the back door if we're not in, and I thought they might have got wet as it'd been raining most of the afternoon. It was then I noticed that a ladder had been propped up against my aunt's bedroom window. 'That's funny,' I thought, so I climbed up it and then I saw at once that the window had been broken and the two flower pots on the window sill had disappeared. When I looked inside the room, I saw bits of flower pot and earth and glass lying about on the floor inside, and I guessed that the pots had been used to break the window.
Inspector Harvey: You say bits of glass and broken flower pot were found inside the room?
Mr. Collins: Yes, that's right, Inspector. I saw at once that the room'd been disturbed. Papers'd been pulled out of the desk, my aunt's handbag'd been torn open and the little box in which my aunt kept her jewellery had been ripped apart. It was awful! I simply couldn't believe it at first.
Inspector Harvey: You saw all this while you were still on the ladder looking through the window? Wasn't it getting dark? Was the light on?
Mr. Collins: Well, that was the odd thing. My aunt was very economical about light, she would never have any of the lights turned on until it was absolutely necessary, but when I looked in the light'd already been switched on. Of course it had been raining pretty heavily till about six o'clock and she may've switched it on so that she could see to read, and then fall asleep.
Inspector Harvey: You may be right. Please go on, sir.
Mr. Collins: I managed to get in through the window and then of course I saw her! She was lying on the bed with her mouth open and her eyes sort of staring. I knew at once she'd been murdered. There was a great ugly gash on her forehead where she'd been hit and blood -- you've never seen anything like it! The pillow was soaked with it. I tell you, Inspector, it was ghastly! I didn't know what to do at first. Dear kind old Aunt Edith -- it was incredible. Then I sort of came to and realized that of course the police would have to be informed immediately, so I ran down to the hall and phoned the police station.
Inspector Harvey: Did you touch anything in the room, sir?
Mr. Collins: Of course not. There was a hammer lying on the floor near the bed, but I knew enough to know that absolutely nothing must be touched or moved till the police arrived. Well, I mean, everyone knows that much. In detective stories, films and that, it's the first question that's asked when the crime squad arrives.
Inspector Harvey: Do you read a lot of detective stories, sir?
Mr. Collins: Read? Not many. I watch them more on TV. But they're always the same, aren't they? The criminal always gets caught in the end, doesn't he? There's always some little thing he's forgotten that's discovered right at the end. I often think they're very stupid these criminals, letting themselves be caught through their own inefficiency.
Inspector Harvey: Quite so, sir. Just one more question -- motive. Can you think of any reason why your aunt should've been murdered? Anyone you know who might have had a reason for wishing her out of the way?
Mr. Collins: Aunt Edith? Good heavens, no. It's quite extraordinary! She was loved and respected by everyone who knew her, Inspector. I've never heard an unkind word spoken about her. That's why I say it's incredible! It's worse than that -- it's appalling!
Inspector Harvey: Murder usually is, sir.
Mr. Collins: It was terrible, Inspector. I came home a bit late because I'd been to the garage to have my car headlights tested. I put the car in the garage and then I went round to the back of the house to see if the groceries' d been delivered. They're always left in a box at the back door if we're not in, and I thought they might have got wet as it'd been raining most of the afternoon. It was then I noticed that a ladder had been propped up against my aunt's bedroom window. 'That's funny,' I thought, so I climbed up it and then I saw at once that the window had been broken and the two flower pots on the window sill had disappeared. When I looked inside the room, I saw bits of flower pot and earth and glass lying about on the floor inside, and I guessed that the pots had been used to break the window.
Inspector Harvey: You say bits of glass and broken flower pot were found inside the room?
Mr. Collins: Yes, that's right, Inspector. I saw at once that the room'd been disturbed. Papers'd been pulled out of the desk, my aunt's handbag'd been torn open and the little box in which my aunt kept her jewellery had been ripped apart. It was awful! I simply couldn't believe it at first.
Inspector Harvey: You saw all this while you were still on the ladder looking through the window? Wasn't it getting dark? Was the light on?
Mr. Collins: Well, that was the odd thing. My aunt was very economical about light, she would never have any of the lights turned on until it was absolutely necessary, but when I looked in the light'd already been switched on. Of course it had been raining pretty heavily till about six o'clock and she may've switched it on so that she could see to read, and then fall asleep.
Inspector Harvey: You may be right. Please go on, sir.
Mr. Collins: I managed to get in through the window and then of course I saw her! She was lying on the bed with her mouth open and her eyes sort of staring. I knew at once she'd been murdered. There was a great ugly gash on her forehead where she'd been hit and blood -- you've never seen anything like it! The pillow was soaked with it. I tell you, Inspector, it was ghastly! I didn't know what to do at first. Dear kind old Aunt Edith -- it was incredible. Then I sort of came to and realized that of course the police would have to be informed immediately, so I ran down to the hall and phoned the police station.
Inspector Harvey: Did you touch anything in the room, sir?
Mr. Collins: Of course not. There was a hammer lying on the floor near the bed, but I knew enough to know that absolutely nothing must be touched or moved till the police arrived. Well, I mean, everyone knows that much. In detective stories, films and that, it's the first question that's asked when the crime squad arrives.
Inspector Harvey: Do you read a lot of detective stories, sir?
Mr. Collins: Read? Not many. I watch them more on TV. But they're always the same, aren't they? The criminal always gets caught in the end, doesn't he? There's always some little thing he's forgotten that's discovered right at the end. I often think they're very stupid these criminals, letting themselves be caught through their own inefficiency.
Inspector Harvey: Quite so, sir. Just one more question -- motive. Can you think of any reason why your aunt should've been murdered? Anyone you know who might have had a reason for wishing her out of the way?
Mr. Collins: Aunt Edith? Good heavens, no. It's quite extraordinary! She was loved and respected by everyone who knew her, Inspector. I've never heard an unkind word spoken about her. That's why I say it's incredible! It's worse than that -- it's appalling!
Inspector Harvey: Murder usually is, sir.
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