At a sober gathering held afterwards while the doctor was examining the body, the chief constable broke the silence, saying drily, ‘Looks as if that’s crossed her off your chief list of suspects, eh Platt?’
The inspector shook his head stubbornly. ‘With all due respect, sir, if I might be allowed to disagree, I still maintain she could be our culprit. Put yourself in her shoes. She was gambling heavily on the night in question. We have a recording from the witness, Daphne, stating she made threatening remarks about the deceased because he wouldn’t buy that luxury holiday retreat she was on about, and she was up to her eyes in debt – what more do you want? My guess is that seeing the game was up, she decided to end it all and threw herself down the stairs. A case of suicide, pure and simpl
