The answer to K's second question: Who . ?

 

'Nancy!'К cried.

'Oh, miss!' Mrs Flack cried.

'Nancy!' К said. 'What are you doing there?'

Mrs Flack didn't answer.

'You're listening, aren't you, Nancy?'

'Yes, miss,' Mrs Flack said.

К pulled Nancy into the room. 'Now answer me. Why are you listening?'

'I want to know... I want to know... about the murder, miss.'

'Yes. You want to know,' К said. 'This bow was in the wall behind the fridge. You wanted to take it out. And why did you want to take it out?'

Mrs Flack didn't answer.

'You can't answer? Then I'll tell you.You wanted to take it out because you put it there.You put it there before nine o'clock last night.'

Mrs Flack still didn't answer.

'Didn't you?' К shouted.

'Yes, miss,' Mrs Flack said softly.

The lights went on all over the house. First Angela Everett came downstairs, then Andrew Cavell, then Lady Elizabeth. They all went into the study.

'Oh, I'm so sleepy,' Miss Everett said. 'What's happening? What's all this noise?'

Andrew Cavell looked at the bow and then at Mrs Flack. But he didn't speak. Lady Elizabeth looked at the bow and then at Mrs Flack. That's Michael's,' she said. 'He made it. He often made things like that.' She went to Mrs Flack and held her arms. 'Now look at me, Nancy,' she said quietly.'Look into my eyes.' Mrs Flack looked up slowly. 'Look into my eyes,' Lady Elizabeth repeated. Mrs Flack looked into Lady Elizabeth's eyes. 'Now tell me. You didn't do it. Tell me that please, Nancy. You didn't kill my husband.'

'But I did, my Lady,' Mrs Flack said. 'I killed him, but...' 'Nancy!' Lady Elizabeth screamed. 'Oh, Nancy! How could you, Nancy? How could you? You've looked after my family for forty years, Nancy. You came to this family forty years ago. I was a child of eight. Andrew was a baby. You love us. We love you. You've looked after Michael for twenty-five years.You loved him, too. Nancy, you couldn't do this bad thing. You couldn't! You couldn't! Why, Nancy, why?'

'Oh, my Lady,' Nancy said with tears in her eyes. 'Sir Michael made this bow. I took it and made a plan. I came into this study last night at 8.50. You didn't hear me. I put an icicle in the freezer. I made the icicle in the big fridge in the kitchen. I put the mechanism in the wall behind the freezer a week ago. I prepared the mechanism a month ago. Last night I put the icicle into place. Last night was the night. I worked carefully and didn't leave any fingerprints. I've prepared for a long time for last night.'

'Yes, but why did you do it?' Lady Elizabeth said.

The answer to K's third question: Why...?

 

'But, my Lady, I didn't want to kill Sir Michael. I loved him and I love you. He wasn't always kind to you and you often had fights. He went with other women. But I wanted to kill that woman there! That bad woman, Everett. She usually came to the study with Sir Michael. She did the same thing every day. She poured some whisky into a glass for Sir Michael. She put some ice in the whisky. I prepared this mechanism very carefully for her, but last night she didn't come. She was in the garden. I didn't know that at the time. I was in the kitchen. At 9.30 I brought the coffee and Sir Michael didn't open the door. Then I knew. He was dead! Dead! And that woman, that bad woman wasn't! Oh, my Lady, what could I do? What could I do?' Tears ran down Mrs Flack's face.

A policewoman went to her and said softly, 'Come to the station with us now, Mrs Flack.' She took Mrs Flack out of the room.

'What could I do? What could I do?' Mrs Flack said again and again.

Goodbye

 

It's early morning. The sun is just coming up in the cold blue sky. A pretty girl is sitting in a fast car. She looks happy. The fast car is just outside 'Flanders'. Three people are standing next to the car: Lady Elizabeth, Andrew Cavell and Colonel Fawcett. They say goodbye.The pretty girl speaks to Colonel Fawcett. 'Where's Miss Everett?'

'She's already gone,' the Colonel said. 'I called you "a pretty little thing" — and you are!' Colonel Fawcett laughed.

'Thank you, Colonel. I'm not working now. I've changed my clothes. That's the end of my first case. I'm not "K" now. I'm Katrina Kirby.The day's just starting. Goodbye!'

'Goodbye!' the Colonel called.

Brrni! The sound of the big car broke the quiet of the morning. Brrm! Brrm! The fast car disappeared into the early morning sun.