MURDER IN A COUNTRY HOUSE

• THE TRUE STORY OF THE MURDER OF A RICH BUSINESSMAN, JUNE 22ND 1938 WAS JEREMY TRAVERS` SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY. HE HAD DINNER AT HIS COUNTRY HOUSE WITH HIS WIFE, AMANDA, HIS DAUGHTER, BARBARA, HIS BUSINESS PARTNER, GORDON SMITH, AND HIS SECRETARY, CLAUDIA SIMEONE. NEXT MORNING WHEN AMANDA TRAVERS WENT TO HER HUSBAND` BEDROOM SHE FOUND HIM IN BED..DEAD.

• INSPECTOR GRANGER ARRIVED AT ABOUT 9:00. HE WAS A TALL MAN WITH A BIG BLACK MOUSTACHE. AMANDA, BARBARA, CLAUDIA, AND GORDON WERE IN THE LIVING ROOM. THE INSPECTOR CAME IN.`MR TRAVERS DIED BETWEEN MIDNIGHT LAST NIGHT AND SEVEN O`CLOCK THIS MORNING, HE SAID. SOMEBODY IN THIS ROOM KILLED HIM. HE LOOKED AT THEM ONE BUT NOBODY SPOKE.`MR TRAVERS. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU FIRST. COME INTO THE LIBRARY WITH ME, PLEASE.AMANDA TRAVERS FOLLOWED THE INSPECTOR INTO THE LIBRARY AND THEY SAT DOWN`WHAT DID YOUR HUSBAND DO AFTER DINNER LAST NIGHT?`WHEN WE FINISHED DINNER JEREMY SAID HE WAS TIRED AND HE WENT TO BED?`DID YOU GO TO BED THEN?`NO, I DIDN`T. I WENT FOR A WALK IN THE GARDEN.`WHAT TIME DID YOU GO TO BED?`ABOUT QUARTER TO TWELVE.

• `WAS YOUR HUSBAND ASLEEP?``I DON`T KNOW, INSPECTOR. WE…WE SLEPT IN SEPARATE ROOMS``DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING WHEN YOU WERE IN YOUR ROOMS?`YES, I HEARD JEREMY`S BEDROOM DOOR. IT OPENED. I THOUGHT IT WAS JEREMY. THEN IT CLOSED AGAIN. I READ IN BED FOR HALF AN HOUR AND THEN I WENT TO SLEEP.``WHAT TIME DID YOU GET UP THIS MORNING?``I GOT UP AT ABOUT 7.15. I HAD BREAKFAST AND AT 8.00 I TOOK MY HUSBAND A CUP OF TEA. I FOUND HIM IN BED. HE WAS…DEAD``TELL ME, MRS TRAVERS, DID YOU LOVE YOUR HUSBAND?``JEREMY IS…WAS A DIFFICULT MAN.``BUT DID YOU LOVE HIM, MRS TRAVERS?``NO,INSPECTOR. I HATED HIM.`

• THEN THE INSPECTOR QUESTIONED BARBARA TRAVERS.INSPECTOR WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER DINNER YESTERDAY EVENING?BARBARA AFTER DINNER? I PLAYED CARDS WITH GORDON, AND THEN I WAS THAT?INSPECTOR WHAT TIME WENT TO BED.BARBARA IT WAS ABOUT HALF PAST ELEVEN. I REMEMBER I LOOKED AT MY WATCH.INSPECTOR DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING IN YOUR FATHER`S ROOM?BARBARA NO. I DIDN`T HEAR ANYTHING.INSPECTOR DID YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH YOUR FATHER?BARBARA NO,NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. MY FATHER WAS A WONDERFUL MAN AND A PERFECT FATHER.INSPECTOR THANK YOU, MISS TRAVERS

NEXT THE INSPECTOR QUESTIONED GORDON SMITH. INSPECTOR WHAT DID YOU AFTER DINNER, GORDON?GORDON I PLAYED CARDS WITH BARBARA THEN SHE WENT TO BED.INSPECTOR DID YOU GO TO BED THEN?GORDON NO. I STAYED IN THE SITTING ROOM AND I HAD A GLASS OF WHISKY. THEN I WENT TO BED.INSPECTOR WHAT TIME WAS THAT?GORDON I DON`T REMEMBER EXACTLY.I DIDN`T LOOK AT THE TIME.INSPECTOR DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING DURING THE NIGHT?GORDON NO, I DIDN`T. I WAS VERY TIRED I SLEPT VERY WELL.INSPECTOR YOU AND MR TRAVERS WERE BUSINESS PARTNERS, WEREN`T YOU?GORDON YES, THAT`S RIGHT.INSPECTOR AND IT`S A VERY GOOD BUSINESS I UNDERSTAND.GORDON YES, INSPECTOR, IT IS. INSPECTOR AND NOW IT IS YOUR BUSINESS.GORDON LISTEN, INSPECTOR, I DID NOT KILL JEREMY. HE WAS MY PARTNER AND HE WAS MY FRIEND.

FINALLY THE INSPECTOR QUESTIONED CLAUDIA SIMEONE.INSPECTOR WHAT DID YOU DO TESTERDAY EVENING, AFTER DINNER?CLAUDIA I WENT TO MY ROOM AND I HAD A BATH AND I WENT TO BED.INSPECTOR WHAT TIME WAS THAT?CLAUDIA ABOUT 11.00.INSPECTOR DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING?CLAUDIA DID YOU HEAR SOMEBODY GO INTO JEREMY`S ROOM. IT WAS ABOUT 12.00.INSPECTOR WHO WAS IT?CLAUDIA IT WAS AMANDA,HIS WIFE.INSPECTOR ARE YOU SURE? DID YOU SEE HER?CLAUDIA WELL NO, I DIDN`T SEE HER. BUT I AM SURE IT WAS AMANDA.INSPECTOR YOU WERE MR TRAVERS SECRETARY, CLAUDIA.CLAUDIA YES, I WAS.WERE YOU JUST HIS SECRETARY?CLAUDIA WHAT DO YOU MEAN?INSPECTOR WERE YOU IN LOVE WITH MR TRAVERS?CLAUDIA NO, I WASN`T. INSPECTOR THE TRUTH PLEASE, CLAUDIACLAUDIA VERY WELL, INSPECTOR. YES, I WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM AND HE SAID HE WANTED TO LEAVE HIS WIFE- AMANDA- AND MARRY ME. I WAS STUPID. I BELIEVED HIM. HE USED ME, INSECTOR! I WAS VERY ANGRY WITH HIM.INSPECTOR DID YOU KILL HIM?CLAUDIA NO, INSPECTOR, I LOVED JEREMY.

• BEFORE DINNER, GORDON HAD A DRINK WITH JEREMY IN THE LIBRARYGORDON CHEERS, JEREMY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY.JEREMY AH, THANKS, GORDON.GORDON LISTEN, JEREMY, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT BARBARA.JEREMY BARBARA? WHAT`S THE PROBLEM?GORDON IT´S NOT EXACTLY A PROBLEM. I AM IN LOVE WITH HER, AND I WANT TO MARRY HER.JEREMY MARRY BARBARA? MARRY MY DAUGHTER! ARE YOU CRAZY? NEVER. YOU DON`T LOVE BARBARA. YOU ONLY WANT HER MONEY!GORDON THAT´S NOT TRUE, JEREMY. I LOVE HER.JEREMY LISTEN TO ME. IF YOU MARRY BARBARA, WHEN I DIE ALL MY MONEY GOES TO CLAUDIA.GORDON TO CLAUDIA? TO YOUR SECRETARY? JEREMY YES, IT IS.

• AMANDA DINNER EVERYBODY!AT MIDNIGHT GORDON FINISHED HIS WHISKY AND WENT UPSTAIRS.JEREMY WHO IS IT? GORDON?

THE ENDAlan MazzolaEmanuel OtharanPatricio PerezAugusto Gomez