Whodunnit Mrs Christie

by Robert Challis

time. Lady Bayfield had quite a soft spot for Mrs. Hodges - with good reason. She thought it might make the young fellow think twice about leaving her if he knew the money was in their joint names.

  Rayner: I think I get the picture.

  Thomas: If you're looking for someone with a grudge against Lady Bayfield, you don't have to look any further than Janet. The idea that I had grudge because of a little gambling debt - she was always good to me, very good. (Breaks down a little)

  Rayner: Take your time, Mr. Thomas.

  Thomas: (After a pause) It's still puzzling me about the bottle of heart pills I saw on Friday night. I'm sure there were a few left.

  Agatha: (To Rayner) I was telling you about that before.

  Thomas: If you ask me, it wasn't a pillow that did it at all. It was an overdose of her heart pills. And I could make a fair guess on who might have slipped them to her.

  Rayner: (Standing) I see. All right, Mr. Thomas, you've been most helpful. That will be all for the time being.

  Thomas: (On his way to exit, right) I was thinking, Inspector, the way society is these days. They don't hang women for murder anymore?

  Rayner: It's very rare.

  Thomas: It's a pity.

  (Exits right. Constable Whittaker goes to the doorway with him. Someone hands the Constable some papers and a small bottle in a plastic bag. Whittaker looks at them briefly, then hands them to Rayner.)

  Rayner: Thank you. Ah, Mrs. Christie, the report on the fingerprints. (Thumbing down the report) Well, a couple of surprises here. That shakes things up a little. (Hands the report to Agatha) I think he's got some explaining to do. Constable, could you ask.... (Front door bell rings) Ah, this should be the Doctor. Could you answer that, Constable? (Constable goes out left exit and returns with Doctor Simpson)

  Agatha: I had some questions of my own.

  Rayner: Feel free. But if you're thinking of the heart pills - dead end I fear. (Shaking hands with Doctor) Thank you for coming back, Doctor

  Simpson: That's all right, Inspector. (Sits at the table)

  Rayner: (somewhat aggressively) Well, cause of death, then, still unchanged?

  Simpson: Myocardial infarction...

  Rayner: Heart attack, heart attack.

  Simpson: Popularly known as heart attack, but that can refer to a variety...

  Rayner: Quite, quite, but still consistent with the trauma of having a pillow clamped on the face of the victim.

  Simpson: Possibly, but consistent with other causes, too including natural causes.

  Rayner: No doubt, but we can rule that out. But let's get this clear. It's possible that the act of being smothered could have triggered a fatal heart attack?

  Simpson: Given her weak heart, and the trauma, unable to get her breath, it's more than likely to have triggered a heart attack.

  Rayner: Now we're getting somewhere. Could you find any other evidence of suffocation - consistent with the pillow as the murder weapon?

  Simpson: There were no marks of violence.

  Rayner: There were hardly likely to be. I mean evidence of restricted oxygen to the lungs - or something of the sort.

  Simpson: I'm afraid it's not that simple. If she'd drowned, it'd be different. There'd be water in the lungs.

  Rayner: Unfortunately, the murderer didn't oblige us by holding her head in the bath. Time of death?

  Simpson: I would say thirty minutes before I arrived, plus or minus fifteen minutes.

  Rayner: That's what you said before. I was hoping you could narrow it down. That doesn't help at all.

  Simpson: Time of death comes down to the physician's personal judgment - warmth of body, nervous activity, that sort of thing. It's bound to be imprecise.

  Rayner: Perhaps a more experienced doctor...

  Simpson: It still comes down to judgment.

  Rayner: A more experienced judgment, perhaps.

  Simpson: (Starting to rise) Well If that's all, I’ll...

  Agatha: Doctor Simpson, could you tell us about Lady Bayfield's condition. What were the pills she was taking?

  (The Doctor resumes her seat. Rayner pointedly turns his back and goes to Constable and begins consulting his notes.)

  Simpson: Digitalis, prepared from the purple foxglove. A stimulant for a tired irregular heart beat. It was known by the ancients - a case of modern medicine learning from tradition.

  Agatha: What would be the results of an overdose?

  Simpson: In all likelihood, depending on the dose, a heart attack.

  Agatha: Such as Lady Bayfield suffered?

  (Rayner turns towards the Doctor, interest aroused)

  Simpson: It's possible.

  Rayner: But you could detect the digitalis in her blood.

  Simpson: It's there anyway. She took the drug regularly.

  Rayner: But an overdose, surely...

  Simpson: It's really very difficult to be sure....

  Rayner: In the, stomach, then, the remains of the tablets.

  Simpson: If the stomach was pumped within minutes. But any longer and they'd be consumed by the stomach enzymes.

  Rayner: Even after death?

  Simpson: The stomach enzymes could continue active...

  Rayner: Then you should have acted more promptly.

  Simpson: It would have been too late by the time I got there.

  Rayner: But you didn't know that when you arrived here yesterday.

  Simpson: I could tell at once that she'd been dead for a while. I had no reason to assume an overdose...

  Rayner: She was dead wasn't she? (Turns his back on Simpson)

  Simpson: (Rising) I was able to establish that much, Inspector. I think I've told you all I'm able to. It's quite clear you have your own ideas anyway. If you'll excuse me now, I have other work to do.

  Agatha: Thank you Doctor.

  (Simpson exits left)

  Rayner: Damn - if only a more experienced doctor had been available. A young woman like her - more suited to nursing I would say.

  Agatha: She seemed efficient to me. But I see you don't put much credence on Thomas's theory.

  Rayner: I've checked the tablets - they don't dissolve in water. It would be impossible for her to take an overdose without knowing.

  Agatha: If she was forced to take them...

  Rayner: Possible, but very risky - making sure she didn't give the alarm. I think we're on one of those false trails at the moment. However, I'll keep an open mind. Constable, could you ask Mrs. Buckley to come in now. (Constable exits right) Time to apply some heat. Best way to get at the truth, I always find.

  (Enter Constable and Agnes, right. Rayner has his back to them.)

  Agatha: Sit down please, Mrs. Buckley. (She sits at the table)

  Rayner: (Suddenly turning, and aggressively) Mrs. Buckley, I don't think you've been completely straight with me. When did lady Bayfield ask you to take the role of murderer?

  Agnes: During the week... last Wednesday... She phoned me.

  Rayner: I suppose Mr. Buckley wasn't home when you took the call?

  Agnes: I can't remember... No, I don't think so.

  Rayner: What did she say? Exactly.

  Agnes: As near as I can remember...

  Rayner: Exactly. The precise words.

  Agnes: I don't think I can remember the precise words.

  Rayner: Oh come now, it was only four days ago. What did she say?

  Agnes: Er... she said... Agnes, I want you to be the murderer this weekend. Will you do it? I said, All right. (Pause)

  Rayner: And?

  Agnes: (Pause) She said it was to be poison.

  Rayner: What were her exact words?

  Agnes: There will be poison in my glass. (Pause)

  Rayner: And? Surely she said more.

  Agnes: I... I can't remember.

  Rayner: Something about motive, perhaps?

  Agnes: Oh yes, the Will, she said, the Will.

  Rayner: Exactly what did she say?

  Agnes: She said, I've made out a new Wil
l. I want you to burn it in the fireplace in my bedroom.

  Rayner: What did she say about the contents of the Will?

  Agnes: Nothing. Just that it was against us.

  Rayner: You know that we've spoken to her solicitor. The original of the new Will is in their hands. There's no change at all in the way that it treats you.

  Agnes: Oh I didn't... (pause)

  Rayner: But of course it was all play acting, so it doesn't make any difference what the Will says, does it? You burn the copy. The original was with the solicitor.

  Agnes: (Relieved) Of course. It doesn't make any difference.

  Rayner: Now, let's just check out your movements yesterday. Before Mrs. Christie arrived you were in your room for some time. With Mr. Buckley?

  Agnes: Yes.

  Rayner: All the time?

  Agnes: (Uncertainly) I think so. Yes.

  Rayner: Yes or maybe?

  Agnes: Yes, definitely.

  Rayner: So there was no time when you, or Mr. Buckley could have entered lady Bayfield's room to drug her water without the other knowing?

  Agnes: (Over emphatically) That's correct.

  Rayner: And after Thomas announced the fake death of Lady Bayfield, you and your husband again went upstairs - were you together?

  Agnes: (Emphatically) Yes, yes.

  Rayner: Including when you went into Lady Bayfield's room?

  Agnes: (Rattled) Oh, apart from then. I was alone.

  Rayner: And where was your husband?

  Agnes: He was in our room. He was still there when I got back.

  Rayner: Of course he was. And when you were in Lady Bayfield's room, surely you must have noticed there was something wrong with her. Mrs. Christie discovered her dead just after you left her room.

  Agnes: But I didn't look at her. I just did what she asked me to, burn the Will.

  Rayner: Mrs. Buckley, did you realise that your husband's background is known to me?

  Agnes: What do you mean?

  Rayner: That he left the force under a cloud. Police funds missing. Forged documents. Very strong suspicion that Ted was involved.

  Agnes: But nothing was proved.

  Rayner: There's no