Lesson 30
Who Did It?
Text A
Inspector ChesterScotland Yard soon arrivedthe scenethe crime. Whennewspapermen saw him getting outthe car they immediately realised that matters were serious. Inspector Chester hadfine reputation. He had solved many difficultcomplicated crimes duringlast few years. Mostthem were robberies. This one concernedtheftjewels belonginga famous film actress. She was reputedbemillionairess. Sowas not surprising thatmissing jewels were valued atquartera million pounds.
The newspapermen were eagerquestiondetective. He stoodthe pavement outsidehousesmiled atphotographers. "Have youstatementmake?" somebody asked. The detective - tall, thick-set, middle-aged, clean-shaven pushedway throughcrowd, climbedfew stepsthe front door, turned roundsaida cool, clear voice: "I have no statementmake.
As soon as thereanything freshtell you, I'll let you know. " He beckoneda policeman, whisperedfew wordshis earwent intohouse. After"Move along, please" frompoliceman,crowd gradually dispersed.
Upstairs , Inspector Chester walked overthe French windows. It was probably through these that the~thieves had come.They had left no clues, no finger-prints. It had apparently not been difficultthembreak intosafe. Just asdetective was aboutexamine this once again,telephone rang.
"Hullo, Inspector",soft, monotonous voice said. "If you wantclue, why don't you talkthe servant? The one withsmall scarthe right cheek. "
Was thistrick? WouldputInspectorthe right track?
Text B
Inspector Robinson was swearing aloud when he arrived atfine, old house attopthe hill. The past few weeks had heen roughhim, andlooked as if there was more trouble ahead. It was raining hard ,Carruthers ,assistant, who was waitinghim atgate, was wetthe skin. As they walked uppath together, Carruthers explained what had happened.
The woman, Sylvia Fortagne,daughterLord Arthrington, had been found deadthe sitting-room by onethe servants that evening. The police doctor, who had examinedbody, was sure thatwasclear casepoisoning. They had not movedbody;still lay face upwards, wherehad fallen.Underneath her body they had foundphotographan unknown young man.
There had been no signsa struggle. The woman's husband had not been seen since lunchtime. Accordingthe cook he had lefthouse "in anger", as she put it, afterquarrel withwife,had gone forrideonehis favourite horses.
Carruthers pushed openfront door,the two men enteredhall.Inspector Robinson took offhatwent intositting-room.
-We'll havewait, said Carruthers wipingglasses. -It's no use waiting, saidInspector.don't think he'll darecome back. It's pretty obvious he did it.
Saying this , he puthis hat. They were aboutleavehouse when they sawdark figure approaching them from outthe shadows. It was Nigel Fortagne.
Nigel Fortagne's story
-Yes, it's true thatknew that my wife waslove with another man, buttrusted herbelieved that she would forget about him sooner or later. But when she returned fromweekendParis this morning, she told me that she wanteddivorcethreateneddo something terrible ifdidn't agreeit.refused,course.
She drank heavily at lunchtimeeven openedbottle which she had brought aspresentme. She insisted thatshould join her fordrink, butdidn't, becausehad taken my medicine. I'm not supposedtake it, with alcohol.suffer fromweak heart , you see. She wasa terrible state, soput somemy pills into my glass when she wasn't looking. Thenexchangedglasses.
It was not really rriuch, but,course,should have known how dangerous these pills can be. But at that momentwas so angry thatdidn't care.was sic'ktiredthe argumentlefthouse.She was so drunk she wouldn't have noticed any differencethe tastethe sherry.came backsee how she was. And , besides, there's no pointrunning away, because life doesn't mean anythingme without her.
James Highsmith's story
Afterwards, James Highsmith,young manthe photograph, was questioned by Inspector Robinson. When he was told what had happened he broke down.
-Yes, I'm not ashamedadmit that we werelove. We hadwonderful timeParis, butwas afraidlosing her. Sylvia often talked about killing him because he would never agreea divorce.begged her notdo it, but she said that oneus had to. Thenfound onehis prescriptionsher hand-bag.boughtmedicine, put someit intobottlesherrytold Sylviagive ithim aspresent.
It was him or me.wasn't anxious about her drinking frombottle becausewas fairly sure thatwasn't really enoughkillnormal, healthy grown-up.must have killed her, though,the only comfortcan findher deaththatdon't haveshare her with him any longer.
Sylvia Fortagne's story
James Highsmith did not know thatpolice had foundmessagea slippaperSylvia Fortagne's hand-bag.
Dear James,
Please forgive methe terrible thingam goingdo, but it'sonly way out.have considered everything carefully, andknow it's very selfish, but W. has destroyed my lifemade me thoroughly unhappy.When you receive this letter he will have been found dead afterheart attack withglasssherryhis hand.triedphone you earlier this morning, but couldn't reach you. In case they examinebody they will think that he took an overdosehis medicine by mistake. His family will come overcomfort mewill probably stay forfew weeks, so, please,don't trygettouch. It will all be worth itthe end.
All my love,
Yours ever,
S.
Additional Information
CrimePunishment
Fromcourt notesa local reporter
In court at 9 0' clock.Apart from me there arefew old ladies who have comesitthe warm andclass4-5 year-old with their teacher. 9:00 Court starts. First case: Henry P. , 47, divorced, charged with being
drunk. He refusedleavepub at closing timecausedbit
damage whenpolice triedarrest him. P. said he had had an
argument withboss.and could not face going homean empty flat.
9:20 Mrs F. , 72, shoplifting. Apparently Mrs F. had stolenfrozen chicken,
which she had hidden under her hat (At thisschool children burst
out laughingevenmagistrates have difficulty keepingstraight
face). The chicken was so cold that she fell unconscious. otherwise she
would probably not have been caught. Mrs F,tears, says she had not
eaten meatthree weeks. It torns out that, although she has
old-age pension, she does not know about other formssupport.
9:40 James S. , 42,teacher, charged with beatingwifetwo young
children. Mrs S.in hospitalbad shape;mother-inlaw
is taking carethe children. The neighbours sentthe police-one
case, thank heavens, where neighbours did not "mind their own business".
Mrs S. had already run away twice, but S. had promisedchangeshe
had gone home again. S. said that he was ashamedwhat he had done,
but that he often losttemper withwife, who was quarrelsome
had no senseduty. The school children looked thoughtful;they
probably thought that teachers do not do that sortthing.
0:30 Peter D. , 9. D. stole , or rather"borrowed"a motorcycle , intending,
he said,givebackthe owner after tryingout. D.'s father
is at seathe motherleftbring up four children ,whom
Peterthe eldest, by herself:
: 00 Mrs A. , 45 ,doctor's wife , presidenta local ladies' club , was
caught leavingfashion shop wearing two dresses , only onewhich
belongedher. Admitting that'she had wantedstealdress, she
could not explain why.
Who Did It?
Text A
Inspector ChesterScotland Yard soon arrivedthe scenethe crime. Whennewspapermen saw him getting outthe car they immediately realised that matters were serious. Inspector Chester hadfine reputation. He had solved many difficultcomplicated crimes duringlast few years. Mostthem were robberies. This one concernedtheftjewels belonginga famous film actress. She was reputedbemillionairess. Sowas not surprising thatmissing jewels were valued atquartera million pounds.
The newspapermen were eagerquestiondetective. He stoodthe pavement outsidehousesmiled atphotographers. "Have youstatementmake?" somebody asked. The detective - tall, thick-set, middle-aged, clean-shaven pushedway throughcrowd, climbedfew stepsthe front door, turned roundsaida cool, clear voice: "I have no statementmake.
As soon as thereanything freshtell you, I'll let you know. " He beckoneda policeman, whisperedfew wordshis earwent intohouse. After"Move along, please" frompoliceman,crowd gradually dispersed.
Upstairs , Inspector Chester walked overthe French windows. It was probably through these that the~thieves had come.They had left no clues, no finger-prints. It had apparently not been difficultthembreak intosafe. Just asdetective was aboutexamine this once again,telephone rang.
"Hullo, Inspector",soft, monotonous voice said. "If you wantclue, why don't you talkthe servant? The one withsmall scarthe right cheek. "
Was thistrick? WouldputInspectorthe right track?
Text B
Inspector Robinson was swearing aloud when he arrived atfine, old house attopthe hill. The past few weeks had heen roughhim, andlooked as if there was more trouble ahead. It was raining hard ,Carruthers ,assistant, who was waitinghim atgate, was wetthe skin. As they walked uppath together, Carruthers explained what had happened.
The woman, Sylvia Fortagne,daughterLord Arthrington, had been found deadthe sitting-room by onethe servants that evening. The police doctor, who had examinedbody, was sure thatwasclear casepoisoning. They had not movedbody;still lay face upwards, wherehad fallen.Underneath her body they had foundphotographan unknown young man.
There had been no signsa struggle. The woman's husband had not been seen since lunchtime. Accordingthe cook he had lefthouse "in anger", as she put it, afterquarrel withwife,had gone forrideonehis favourite horses.
Carruthers pushed openfront door,the two men enteredhall.Inspector Robinson took offhatwent intositting-room.
-We'll havewait, said Carruthers wipingglasses. -It's no use waiting, saidInspector.don't think he'll darecome back. It's pretty obvious he did it.
Saying this , he puthis hat. They were aboutleavehouse when they sawdark figure approaching them from outthe shadows. It was Nigel Fortagne.
Nigel Fortagne's story
-Yes, it's true thatknew that my wife waslove with another man, buttrusted herbelieved that she would forget about him sooner or later. But when she returned fromweekendParis this morning, she told me that she wanteddivorcethreateneddo something terrible ifdidn't agreeit.refused,course.
She drank heavily at lunchtimeeven openedbottle which she had brought aspresentme. She insisted thatshould join her fordrink, butdidn't, becausehad taken my medicine. I'm not supposedtake it, with alcohol.suffer fromweak heart , you see. She wasa terrible state, soput somemy pills into my glass when she wasn't looking. Thenexchangedglasses.
It was not really rriuch, but,course,should have known how dangerous these pills can be. But at that momentwas so angry thatdidn't care.was sic'ktiredthe argumentlefthouse.She was so drunk she wouldn't have noticed any differencethe tastethe sherry.came backsee how she was. And , besides, there's no pointrunning away, because life doesn't mean anythingme without her.
James Highsmith's story
Afterwards, James Highsmith,young manthe photograph, was questioned by Inspector Robinson. When he was told what had happened he broke down.
-Yes, I'm not ashamedadmit that we werelove. We hadwonderful timeParis, butwas afraidlosing her. Sylvia often talked about killing him because he would never agreea divorce.begged her notdo it, but she said that oneus had to. Thenfound onehis prescriptionsher hand-bag.boughtmedicine, put someit intobottlesherrytold Sylviagive ithim aspresent.
It was him or me.wasn't anxious about her drinking frombottle becausewas fairly sure thatwasn't really enoughkillnormal, healthy grown-up.must have killed her, though,the only comfortcan findher deaththatdon't haveshare her with him any longer.
Sylvia Fortagne's story
James Highsmith did not know thatpolice had foundmessagea slippaperSylvia Fortagne's hand-bag.
Dear James,
Please forgive methe terrible thingam goingdo, but it'sonly way out.have considered everything carefully, andknow it's very selfish, but W. has destroyed my lifemade me thoroughly unhappy.When you receive this letter he will have been found dead afterheart attack withglasssherryhis hand.triedphone you earlier this morning, but couldn't reach you. In case they examinebody they will think that he took an overdosehis medicine by mistake. His family will come overcomfort mewill probably stay forfew weeks, so, please,don't trygettouch. It will all be worth itthe end.
All my love,
Yours ever,
S.
Additional Information
CrimePunishment
Fromcourt notesa local reporter
In court at 9 0' clock.Apart from me there arefew old ladies who have comesitthe warm andclass4-5 year-old with their teacher. 9:00 Court starts. First case: Henry P. , 47, divorced, charged with being
drunk. He refusedleavepub at closing timecausedbit
damage whenpolice triedarrest him. P. said he had had an
argument withboss.and could not face going homean empty flat.
9:20 Mrs F. , 72, shoplifting. Apparently Mrs F. had stolenfrozen chicken,
which she had hidden under her hat (At thisschool children burst
out laughingevenmagistrates have difficulty keepingstraight
face). The chicken was so cold that she fell unconscious. otherwise she
would probably not have been caught. Mrs F,tears, says she had not
eaten meatthree weeks. It torns out that, although she has
old-age pension, she does not know about other formssupport.
9:40 James S. , 42,teacher, charged with beatingwifetwo young
children. Mrs S.in hospitalbad shape;mother-inlaw
is taking carethe children. The neighbours sentthe police-one
case, thank heavens, where neighbours did not "mind their own business".
Mrs S. had already run away twice, but S. had promisedchangeshe
had gone home again. S. said that he was ashamedwhat he had done,
but that he often losttemper withwife, who was quarrelsome
had no senseduty. The school children looked thoughtful;they
probably thought that teachers do not do that sortthing.
0:30 Peter D. , 9. D. stole , or rather"borrowed"a motorcycle , intending,
he said,givebackthe owner after tryingout. D.'s father
is at seathe motherleftbring up four children ,whom
Peterthe eldest, by herself:
: 00 Mrs A. , 45 ,doctor's wife , presidenta local ladies' club , was
caught leavingfashion shop wearing two dresses , only onewhich
belongedher. Admitting that'she had wantedstealdress, she
could not explain why.