WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTIONBy Agatha ChristieDirected by Michael Evan Haney

FOUNDATION SPONSOR: JORDAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONCORPORATE SPONSOR: CENTENE CORPORATION

CONTENTS2 The 4113 A/S/L & RMAI4 FYI5 F2F6 IRL1

10 IRL212 SWDYT?

STUDY GUIDES ARESUPPORTED BY A GENEROUS GRANTFROM CITIGROUP

2005—2006 SEASON

MISSOURI ARTS COUNCIL�

10. TBA Ushers will seat your school or class as a group,so even if you are dying to mingle with the group from theall girls school that just walked in the door, stick with yourfriends until you have been shown your section in thetheatre.

9. SITD The house lights will dim immediately before theperformance begins and then go dark. Fight off that oh-so-immature urge to whisper, giggle like a grade schooler, oryell at this time and during any other blackouts in the show.

8. SED Before the performance begins, turn off all cellphones, pagers, beepers and watch alarms. If you need totext, talk, or dial back during intermission, please make sureto click off before the show resumes.

7. TMI Not to sound like your mom, but “if you need to gonow, you needed to go then.” Leaving the theatre during theperformance is disruptive, so take care of any personal needsbefore the show starts.

6. RTM When you arrive at the theatre, read the productionprogram. It’s like a deluxe version of liner notes and a freesouvenir, all in one.

5. P-ZA? NW! Though your ability to eat ten slices at onesitting may impress your friends, no one wants to listen toyou chew, slurp, or smack, so please leave all food, drink,and gum outside the theatre.

4. TLK-2-U-L-8-R We know that you will be dying todiscuss what you see onstage with your friends, but pleasewait until intermission. Any talking—even whispering— isvery distracting for both the actors onstage and the audienceseated around you.

3. LOL Without you, we really wouldn’t have a show. It’syour job to laugh when a scene is funny or maybe even sheda tear or two in a tender moment. However, since you arenot the audience at The Jerry Springer Show please refrainfrom inappropriate responses such as talking, whistling,making catcalls or singing along with the performers.

2. SOP While it’s great that you want a celeb picture of yourday at The Rep, the theatre is off-limits to the paparazzi.Flash photography interrupts the performance and alongwith videorecording is prohibited by Actors Equity rules. Youcan sneak a peek at production photos on our website,www.repstl.org.

1. LLTA Let the actors know that you respect their work byremaining for the curtain call at the end of the performance.Show your appreciation through applause.

MIHYAP: TOP TEN WAYS TOSTAY CONNECTED AT THE REP

The Teacher’sLoungeIn an effort to make our educational materials more accessible to students andeasier for educators to incorporate into the classroom, we have adopted a new, more student-oriented format. We hope that you will circulate thisguide among your students in the weeks preceding yourvisit to The Rep, encouraging them to browse it beforeand after class and as time allows, using it as a launchpoint for both pre- and post-performance discussions.You may also want to visit our website, www.repstl.orgfor additional information regarding the production elements, such as scenery, costumes, and lighting. Any materials, either from this guide, or from our

website may be reproduced for use in theclassroom. As always, we appreciateyour making live theatre a part of your

classroom experience and welcome yourfeedback and questions.

The activities included here address the following Show Me Standards:CA 1, 2, 5, 6, 7; FA 1, 2, 3, 5; SC 7; SS 3, 6, 7 and Illinois Learning Standards: 1, 2, 4, 5, 11, 14, 18, 25, 26 ,27, SEL 2, 3.

At The Rep, we knowthat life moves fast—okay, really fast.But we also knowthat some things

are worth slowing down for. We believe that live theatre is one of those pit stops worth making and are excited thatyou are going to stop by for a show. To help you get themost bang for your buck, we have put together WU? @ THE REP—an IM guide that will give youeverything you need to know to get at the top of yourtheatergoing game—fast. You’ll find character descriptions(A/S/L), a plot summary (FYI), background informationon the playwright (F2F) and other NTK information.Most importantly, we’ll have some ideas about what this all means IRL, anyway.

3

SIR WILFRID ROBARTS, Q. C., one of the premier barristers in England has anoutstanding record in court and a keensense of observation.

CARTER is Sir Wilfrid’s exacting Chief Clerk.

GRETA’S lack of attention to detail and overly forward nature make her aninteresting choice for Sir Wilfrid’s typist.

LEONARD VOLE is an amiable, unemployedyoung man who stands accused of murder.

JOHN MAYHEW represents Leonard as his solicitor and arranges for Sir Wilfrid totake the murder case.

EMILY FRENCH, the murder victim, was a wealthy middle-aged woman whoseenthusiasm surpassed her judgment.

JANET MACKENZIE’S official duty in Miss French’s home is Housekeeper, but she also regards herself as her employer’sprotector.

INSPECTOR HEARNE, a seasoned veteranon the police force, investigated the crimescene the night of the murder and is thearresting officer for Leonard Vole.

ROMAINE HEILGER VOLE, Leonard’sGerman-born wife, remains unshaken by his arrest and trial.

JUSTICE WAINWRIGHT presides over the case.

MR. MYERS, Q. C., the prosecutingbarrister, is one of Sir Wilfrid’s mostloathsome opponents, not only because of his legal skill, but also his dramaticcourtroom manner.

DR. WYATT is the coroner who testifiesregarding Miss French’s time of death.

THOMAS CLEGG is an assistant in theforensic lab at New Scotland Yard whoprovides evidence about bloodstains found on Leonard’s clothing.

Bargainner, Earl F. The Gentle Artof Murder: The Detective Fictionof Agatha Christie. BowlingGreen: Bowling Green StateUniversity Popular Press, 1980.

Barnard, Robert. A Talent toDeceive: An Appreciation ofAgatha Christie. New York: Dodd,Mead & Company, 1980.

Fitzgibbon, Russel H. The AgathaChristie Companion. BowlingGreen: Bowling Green StateUniversity Popular Press, 1980.

Haining, Peter. Agatha Christie:Murder in Four Acts. GreatBritain: Virgin Books, 1990.

Keating, H.R.F. Agatha Christie:First Lady of Crime. New York:Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1977.

Osborne, Charles. The Life andCrimes of Agatha Christie.London: HarperCollins, 1982.

Wagoner, Mary S. Agatha Christie.Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1986.

http://www.nd.edu/~rwoodbur/christie/christie.htm

http://www.mystery.net

READ MORE ABOUT ITWe encourage you to examine these topics in-depth by exploringthe following books and websites.

IN WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION,Mistress of the Mystery, Agatha Christie,crafts a tightly woven courtroom dramacentered on the case of Leonard Vole, aneasy going, down-on-his-luck young manwhose only crime is helping a lonely,middle-aged woman retrieve her packagesfrom the street. Vole, the latest client ofexpert defense barrister, Sir Wilfrid Robertsis charged with the murder of Miss EmilyFrench, a well-to-do single fifty-something.Apparently, Vole met Miss French when hepicked up some parcels that she droppedwhile crossing the street. She was grateful,and when she noticed him seated behindher in the theatre a few days later, invitedhim to her home. Soon, he was a regularvisitor, calling on her as often as twice aweek and even helping her with herbusiness affairs. According to Vole, shebecame quite fond of him, perhaps evenpossessive, preferring that he visit withouthis wife. However, he insists that nothinguntoward ever took place, that theirrelationship was more that of a doting auntand an adoring nephew. Although he admitsthat he certainly could have used her helpmonetarily, he maintains that he neverreceived even a halfpenny from his newfriend and is as shocked as anyone when helearns that her will names him as her soleheir. Now, Miss French has been foundmurdered in her home and in light of Vole’spoor financial situation, his sudden andunlikely bond with the victim, and hisnewly acquired inheritance, he is the chiefsuspect in the case.

WHEN HE DISCOVERS—by reading thenewspapers—that the police are interestedin speaking with him, he voluntarily givesan account of his whereabouts on the nightof her death, admitting that he did visit herearlier that evening. He is unconcernedthough, because he has an ironclad alibi inhis wife, Romaine, who confirms hisstatement that he was home by 9:30, thetime at which the murder is alleged to havetaken place. At the insistence of his wife, heconsults with a solicitor, John Mayhew, whoafter hearing his account of events, takeshim to Sir Wilfrid’s chambers. Just as Volefinishes recounting his story for thebarrister, the police arrive to arrest Leonard.Roberts assures him that he will doeverything possible to help him, eventhough both Mayhew and Roberts agree thatthey have never seen a more desperate caseon paper. In spite of what would seem to bean insurmountable stack of circumstantialevidence against Vole, the two veterans ofthe court find their client believable, evenempathetic and determine that the successof the case lies with the impression that theyoung man’s wife makes on the jury.

THEY COULD NOT be more accurate intheir assessment, nor could they be moreshocked by the information that Romainedivulges both in and out of court. From thetime that this “remarkable woman” takesthe witness stand, the action hurtles towarda final scene that will rival any surpriseending Law & Order can muster. Don’t missthe last five minutes.

5

ONE OF THE distinguishing characteristicsof Agatha Christie’s mystery fiction is thatthe people who inhabit her books arewonderfully human. Even her most cleverculprits are inevitably flawed, and in aclassical sense, it is these flaws that bringabout their downfalls. Perhaps her attentionto the weaknesses of humanity is due, inpart at least, to her own continuedconnection with everyday existence, evenafter she was visited by celebrity. FellowBritish mystery writer, H.R.F. Keating recallsa few illustrations of the gracious and down-to-earth nature of Ms. Christie below:

Rather unexpectedly Agatha came to theClub’s [Britain's prestigious Detection Club]annual general meeting, held principally todecide whom to propose for our somewhatexclusive ranks. This was a highly informalaffair. Agatha, as it chanced was next tome, then a member of only a few yearsstanding, eagerly taking part. So, imaginemy dismay…when she threw in asuggestion, “Isn’t there a young man who writes books set in India?” [She isreferring, unknowingly, to Mr. Keating] One of those times when, as my characterInspector Ghote might say “I wanted tosink into the earth like the Goddess Sita.”However, in those days the Club wasrun…by that excellent writer of legalmysteries, Michael Underwood, and…hemanaged to say something that put ourslightly out-of-touch President into thepicture. What it was exactly I was too deepunder the earth to hear.

Another occasion, again in my early daysas a club member: At our Annual Dinner mywife, Sheila, found herself sitting next toAgatha. Sheila, recalling that Agatha muchdisliked talking about her books (“Where doI get my ideas?” she said once with atouch of acerbity. “At Marks and Spencer’sstores.”), was struck almost dumb. However,at last rescue arrived. Sheila asked howAgatha had got up to London for the dinnerand in replying motorways were mentioned.

From then on conversation, on that ever-interesting if everyday subject, flourished. Itgives us, I think, an insight into what madeAgatha so popular, her shared everydayhumanity.

There was, too, a significant incident thatJulian Symons, who succeeded Agatha asPresident, has recorded. He had beendelayed in arriving at one of the dinners formembers and their guests which we holdtwice a year at London’s Garrick Club. Hecame in hurriedly, took an empty chair,opposite Agatha’s, and settled down, onlyto realize that…his fingernails were black-rimmed with dirt. And, worse, he soon sawthat Agatha was eying them speculatively.He felt he could almost read the thoughtspassing through her mind. An otherwiserespectable man sits down at a publicdinner with his nails harbouring black dirt.Where had he just been? What has he justbeen doing? Could he have been buryingthe body of his wife? And be trying now toestablish a hasty alibi? As Julian haspointed out, such everyday details used asclues were one of the things that madeAgatha’s detective stories so accessible.

And a final memory. There was oneoccasion when Agatha said she would, afterall, take the Presidential role at the Club’sannual dinner. So, clad in the red satin robethat had been made for the Club’s firstPresident, G.K. Chesterton—and, it has tobe said, filling it as amply as that greatrolling genius ever did—she read out herpart of the ceremony of inauguration withtotally unexpected gusto. It often happenswith the reticently shy: put them on astage, give them someone else’s words tosay, and they are transformed fromshrinking violet into trumpeting fierce-coloured African Queen Lily. So, the sight ofAgatha, proclaiming phrases like “Is thereanything you hold sacred?” with just theright mixture of merry jokiness and publicsolemnity is one that will be with me, I amsure, for the rest of my life.

6

THE BRITISH LEGAL SYSTEM, whichserves as the primary backdrop for theaction in Witness for the Prosecution variesfrom the U.S. structure in several ways, mostnotably in the number and variety of roleswithin the profession. Following is abreakdown of key terms used in the Englishcourts. To help you understand thedistinctions between the two systems,choose a prominent case currently in theU.S. courts and track its progress, notingwhat players are involved at each stage ofthe trial.

LAWYERSA lawyer is anyone who practices law. Thatincludes solicitors, barristers and legalexecutives. That means that a solicitor is alawyer and a barrister is also a lawyer.

SOLICITORSSolicitors work in litigation, and workrelating to business outside of court.

In litigation solicitors generally adviseclients, prepare cases and advocate in thelower courts. Only recently have solicitorsbeen able to present their own cases incourt. Traditionally the solicitor provideddetails of their clients case to a barristerwho actually advocated in court, as Mayhewdoes for Sir Wilfrid in Witness for theProsecution.

The second and larger part of a solicitor’swork is all the nitty gritty legal workoutside of court in a range of differentareas, such as: commercial transactions,land, corporate matters, share and propertydealings, property conveyancing, family andcivil matters, making wills, advising on taxmatters, and estates. Solicitors often givegeneral and specialist legal advice.

BARRISTERSBarristers are legal advisers and advocates inthe higher courts. Advocating cases in courtmeans that barristers have to be able tospeak and think quickly on their feet as theevidence develops. The mission statement ofa barrister would be to make sure all pointsof law, and facts that favor their client’scase, are brought to the courts attentionand that justice is done.

Possibly the most famous fictionalbarrister is Rumpole of the Bailey, a ratherportly, irreverent barrister, partial to smallcigars, cheap claret and spouting poetry atevery opportunity.

QUEEN’S COUNSEL (QC)Some of the top barristers who are markedout as outstanding are made Queen’sCounsel. The QCs, as they are known, areusually instructed in serious or complexcases. Most senior judges were once QCs. Abarrister Member of Parliament who becomesa Minister is automatically made a QC. Inthe play, both Sir Wilfrid and the prosecutor,Myers, are members of this elite group.

SOLICITORS AND BARRISTERS are uniquein that solicitors are instructed what to doby the general public, but a barrister is‘briefed’ or instructed by the solicitor whohas first contact with the client. Barristershave little or no contact with members ofthe public. Barristers, however, aregenerally independent of a solicitor and canmake their own decisions on how to conducta case. Although there are exceptions toboth, generally solicitors work in the lowercourts and barristers in the higher courts.There are far fewer barristers than there aresolicitors.

The regulatory and representative body for solicitors in England and Wales isThe Law Society. The regulatory andrepresentative body for barristers in Englandand Wales is The Bar Council.

Solicitors are usually self-employed, inpartnerships, or organized into firms ofvarying sizes. Solicitors also work in localgovernment, law centers, the civil serviceand in commerce and industry. Barristers areessentially self-employed but sometimesshare an office called a chamber. The firstact of the play takes place in Sir Wilfrid’schambers.

LEGAL EXECUTIVESLegal Executives are legally qualifiedprofessionals employed largely by solicitorsand usually specializing in a given area oflaw. The professional body for LegalExecutives is the Institute of LegalExecutives.

THE MONARCHThe Queen is the Head of State, the head ofthe executive, judiciary and legislature. TheQueen has in principle a lot of power, but infact acts in a constitutional role with heractions governed by convention. TheMonarch is entitled to advise, warn andencourage Ministers. The Palace ofWestminster, containing the House ofCommons and the House of Lords, is a RoyalPalace and everything that is done there isin the Crown’s name, as the Queen givesassent to all new legislation. This is notablein the play, as the jurors swear to “well andtruly try and true deliverance make betweenour sovereign lady the Queen and theprisoner at the Bar”.

THE PRIME MINISTER AND THEGOVERNMENTThe Government is led by the Prime Ministerwho is appointed by the Queen. RoyalPrerogative is exercised not by the Queenbut by the Prime Minister in her name. ThePrime Minister normally holds a majority ofthe party members in the House ofCommons. The Government is sometimescalled the ‘executive’ because it responsiblefor carrying out or executing the laws of thecountry. The Government can propose laws,in the form of bills, but does not actuallymake new laws, as this is the work ofParliament as a whole.

LAY MAGISTRATES (JUSTICES OF THE PEACE)Lay magistrates sit on a magistrates courthearing mainly criminal cases. The majorityof criminals are heard in this type of court.

Lay magistrates are ‘lay’ because they areordinary people. They don’t have any formallegal training and don’t need any previousexperience in the legal system to do the job,but they do receive practical training. Theyare advised by law clerks who are qualifiedon law and procedure. These magistratesensure that the local community is involved,and come from a range of backgrounds.

They sit in groups of three, as a bench,but with shortages they sometimes sit intwos. It is not lawful for them to sit alone. On a bench at least one has to havehad training in leading the bench. Laymagistrates are not paid but they may claim expenses and an allowance for loss ofearnings, similar to the way that Americansare compensated for serving on jury duty.

THE JUDGESA judge can hear both criminal and civilcases. A judge applies the current law, anddecisions made can sometimes set legalprecedents. When there is a jury, they arethere to advise on matters of the law andsum up with evidence provided by thedefence and prosecution teams. Judges alsopass sentence.

Sometimes judges are joined by anotherjudge and jury, a jury, or just sit there allalone. Different types of judges havediffering judicial status. The lower-leveljudges are known as ‘Inferior Judges’ andthe higher-level judges are known as‘Superior Judges.’

To be a judge one must already be anexperienced lawyer and be appointed by theLord Chancellor, usually for life. InferiorJudges can be removed on the grounds ofincapability or misbehavior, butSuperior Judges can only beremoved following a motion ofboth Houses of Parliament.

Superior JudgesThe High Court has HighCourt Judges and isdivided into threedivisions headed bydifferent people. TheQueen’s Bench Divisionis headed by the LordChief Justice, TheChancery Division isheaded in name onlyby the Lord Chancellorbut in reality by theVice Chancellor, andthe Family Division isheaded by thePresident of the FamilyDivision.

The Court of Appeal,which is divided into

two divisions, has Lord Justices of Appealwho are senior judges. The Civil Division isheaded by the Master of the Rolls, and theCriminal Division is headed by the Lord ChiefJustice.

Inferior JudgesInferior Judges are Circuit Judges, DistrictJudges and other Judicial Officers. CircuitJudges hear cases in the Crown Courts andCounty Courts. The Crown Courts are dividedinto six ‘circuits’ throughout England andWales. Crown Courts are also heard byRecorders, who are barristers paid to actpart-time as a Circuit Judge.

District Judges work in magistrates’ courts but sit alone. Until 2000, theseDistrict Judges were known as Stipendiarymagistrates, but were renamed to recognizetheir professional status. They are legallyqualified and salaried. Before becomingDistrict Judges most were either barristers or court clerks, and have to have at leastseven years legal experience.

THE JURYThe jury are the foot soldiers of the

legal system and are crucial to the legalprocess. Twelve people, between theage of 18 and 70, are summoned atrandom from the public using theelectoral register for each case.

The jury, or jurors’, job is to listento all the facts of a case and give averdict or decision on its outcome.The jury should all agree on averdict, but if a verdict isn’tunanimous then a majority decision is all right as well.

Costume rendering

by costume designer

Elizabeth Covey

9

THE LORDS OF APPEAL IN ORDINARY(THE LAW LORDS)The Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are morecommonly called ‘The Law Lords.’ The LawLords are the 12 judges who are the finalcourt of appeal for England and Wales. Theyare the senior judicial members sitting inthe House of Lords to decide appeals whichusually come from the Court of Appeal, andsometimes straight from the High Court. TheLaw Lords sit in benches of five per case,called an Appellate committee.

They are appointed by the Queen, on theadvice of the Prime Minister, and given LifePeerages so that they can carry out thejudicial work of the House of Lords. ‘InOrdinary’ means that they are salariedmembers of the Lords working full-time atthe judicial business of the House.

LORD CHANCELLOR (AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS)The Lord Chancellor is the head of thejudiciary in England and Wales, a member ofthe Government at cabinet level, andtraditionally the Speaker of the House ofLords.

As the head of the judiciary the LordChancellor is responsible for theadministration of courts and the legalsystem. The Lord Chancellor is also theSecretary of State for Constitutional Affairs,and responsible for the development andimplementation of Government policy on thelegal system.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ANDTHE SOLICITOR GENERALThe Attorney General and a deputy knownas the Solicitor General are the government’sprincipal law advisers. They are usuallymembers of parliament, known as lawofficers, and head the Legal Secretariat.

The Law officers deal with questions oflaw that arise on government bills and legalpolicy. They advise on international anddomestic litigation involving theGovernment, as well as with questions thatarise in connection with the EuropeanCommunity and international law.

This information is excerpted in part fromhttp://www.bbc.co.uk.

EVIDENCE

CLAIM

ASSUMPTION10

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S writing ischaracteristic of what is known as theGolden Age of mystery, a period of fictionfrom the 1920s through the 1940s, in whichthe crimes in question are solved using pure,rational thought. Two basic approaches toreasoning apply in these cases, as well as inany logical argument: deductive andinductive reasoning. Both manipulate threebasic elements, the claim, the evidence andthe assumption, in order to reach a sound

conclusion. Thistechnique appliesto everythingfrom studentswriting anargumentativeessay to doctorsdiagnosing illness

to detectives tracking a criminal.

THE CLAIM IS what the argument isessentially about, a positive statement thatrequires support to be believed. Theevidence provides the facts, statistics,opinions or examples needed to prove theclaim while the assumption is an underlyingbelief that connects the claim to theevidence. When using inductive reasoning,we move from specific to generalinformation, first examining evidence, thenapplying it to an assumption and finally,producing a claim to reach a conclusion.Doctors routinely use this approach whendiagnosing patients. A patient reports thatshe is suffering from congestion, low-gradefever and a cough. This is the evidence that the doctor will combine with her pre-existing assumption: people with coldshave congestion, low-grade fevers andcoughs. The conclusion, or claim that thedoctor reaches is then, this patient musthave a cold. This process can be seen incriminal investigations when detectivescollect fingerprints from a crime scene,identify those prints as belonging to aparticular person, and conclude that thatindividual may be involved in the crime.

DEDUCTIVE REASONING works in reverseorder, in that it begins with a generalassumption, then adds specific evidence, andresults in a claim. This approach is lesseffective in the doctor’s office thaninductive reasoning, because it generallyresults in patients diagnosing themselves;however, it is still useful for criminalinvestigation. Much of the case againstLeonard Vole in Witness for the Prosecutionis derived from deductive reasoning. Forexample, Vole is the primary suspect, in partbecause he is an unemployed young manwho routinely visits a wealthy woman who istwice his age. This involves two basicassumptions: 1) Unemployed people are inneed of money, 2) Young men don’t spendtime with older women without having anulterior motive. When investigators combinethese assumptions with specific evidenceabout Vole, such as his visit to Miss French’shome the night of her murder, they reachthe claim that he must be the murderer.

THIS MANIPULATION of claims, evidenceand assumptions to reach logical conclusionsis referred to as a syllogism. The onlyproblem is that syllogisms can be valid,meaning that they are logically sound, butnot necessarily true, meaning that they areinaccurate. For example, it is often difficultfor doctors to accurately diagnose illnessbecause patients do not always providecomplete evidence. A patient may complainof cold-like symptoms, leading the physicianto incorrectly diagnose a cold; however, ifthe patient also mentions that she lives withseveral cats, the doctor may also investigatethe possibility of an allergic reaction to thecats. Watch the play carefully for a faultysyllogism because the evidence and theassumptions are not always what they seem.

“Larry Black’s blaring radio wasenough to wake the dead!” declaredBetty Beedy. “Of course, the walls inthese trailers are paper thin. Anyway, Iwent over to give him a piece of mymind, found his front door open, andsaw his feet sticking out in plain view.”

“Must’ve been quite a shock,”Lieutenant Melch said. It was 11:45p.m., and the lieutenant was just gettingup to speed.

“Not as big a shock as when Istepped inside and saw he’d beenplugged between the eyes! Why, if thekiller’d still been on the scene I could’vebeen next. Then you’d have a doublemurder on your hands. I bet youwouldn’t like that, would you, officer?”

“No,” Melch agreed. “Tell me,Ms. Beedy, did you see or hear anythingelse?”

“Nope. I just flicked off the radioand hightailed it back here to call youfolks.”

Melch glowered. “You shouldn’thave touched the radio, ma’am.”

“Well, I sure wasn’t gonna listen toanymore of that awful rock music!”

Melch returned to Larry Black’strailer, and found Sergeant Sprottstanding out front with two women, onehoney blonde, the other brunette.“Lieutenant, this is Allison and MaggieWhite. They live just across the way.Allison just got home a few momentsago, but—”

“I saw the killer,” blurted Maggie,the brunette. “Plain as day.”

“What?” exclaimed the honeyblonde. “You didn’t tell me that.”

“I didn’t have a chance, what withthe police being here.”

“What happened?” Allisondemanded.

“Hold it!” A scowl creased Melch’sbig face as he glared around. Then,

focusing on Maggie White, his eyessoftened.

“Just what did you see, ma’am?”“That woman running from Larry’s

place. I’d gone out to the kitchen to takesomething to help me sleep and—well,I lifted the blind a little to look across atLarry’s and there she was—running outhis door.” She sobbed into a pink hanky.

“There, there.” Melch patted hershoulder. “If you mean Betty Beedy, I’vealready talked with her. She admitsfinding the body and calling us.”

“But did she tell you about throwingthe murder weapon in the trash can?”

“What?” Melch blinked.“I saw her,” Maggie added. “She

stopped at Larry’s trash can, threwsomething in and then—then went onto her place.”

“You saw her throw in a gun?”“I saw her throw in something.”Everyone waited silently while

Sergeant Sprott crossed to the garbagecan, leaned all the way into it, thenpulled himself out. “Sprott, what’re youdoing?” asked Lieutenant Melch.

“There’s a gun in there, right ontop.” Sprott replied. “I leaned down tosniff the barrel. It’s been fired recently,sir.”

Melch stared. “Smelling a garbagecan?”

“Well, I didn’t want to touchanything.”

Melch smiled, then swung back onMaggie White. “You referred to Black byhis first name. Were you friends?”

She nodded. “We just broke up lastnight. He couldn’t be faithful to any onewoman, and I—”

“He was a heel!” Allison snapped.“Please, Allison—”“Well he was. Gave you nothing but

heartache.”“So the two of you broke up, eh?”

Melch asked.

“Yes, but, I’m not lying about what Isaw tonight. That woman threwsomething in Larry’s trash can.”

“How about the gunshot, ma’am?”“The gunshot?”“Yes. Did you hear it?”“No. I—” Tears started down her

cheeks.“Now look what you’ve done!”

Allison White snapped. “Of courseMaggie didn’t hear the gunshot.The radio was too loud. But she did seethe killer.”

“Maybe, ma’am. Maybe.” Melchpursed his lips. “Sprott, stay here withthese two. I’m gonna have another chatwith Ms. Beedy.”

“You think I killed Larry Black?”Betty Beedy gazed at Lieutenant Melch,than burst into tears.

“Oh no, not another crier,” Melchmurmured under his breath.

“Just a couple tissues,” shecontinued after blowing her nose.“That’s what I threw in the can. When Isaw him shot like that…. My stomachgot queasy. I saw a tissue dispenser,grabbed a couple to cover my mouth,and—”

She stared at the floor. “I guess I’mnot as tough as I try to make out.”

“I’ll check the can for tissues,”Sergeant Sprott said as they left theBeedy trailer.

“Go ahead,” Melch replied. “But itwon’t prove a thing. She could’vethrown both the gun and the tissuesin.”

“But then we’re at a dead end!”Melch smiled grimly. “Wrong. The

killer slipped up. Killers usually do.”

Reprinted from mystery.net“The Trailer Court Killing”by Guy Belleranti

Solve-it #284 - July 2005Originally appeared March 1998

Practice your own investigative skills by reading the short mystery below. Then use

deductive or inductive reasoning to figure out what Lieutenant Melch knows that

Sergeant Sprott does not. Visit our website at www.repstl.org for the full solution.

12

“The evidence of a devoted wifeunsupported by any other evidence maynot be completely convincing, Mr. Vole.”

➤ Why would Sir Wilfrid be concerned aboutthe validity, or at least the perceived validity,of Mrs. Vole’s testimony? Is love or loyaltyan acceptable reason to lie? Would you lieto protect someone for whom you care?

“It [Vole’s story]must a true one. It couldn’tbe so idiotic if it wasn’t true. Put all thefacts down in black and white and thewhole thing is utterly damning. And yetwhen you talk to the boy, and he blurtsout these damning facts, you realize that the whole thing could happen just as he said.”

➤ Have you ever found yourself in a situationsuch as Mr. Vole’s in which all the evidenceseemed to suggest that you were guilty (ofa lesser crime, perhaps) but you maintainedyour innocence? How did you deal with thedoubts of others? Were you able topersuade them of your case? If so, how?

“Nine out of the twelve in a jury box believea foreigner is lying anyway. She’ll [Mrs.Vole] be emotional and upset and won’tunderstand what the prosecuting counselsays to her…You’ll see, she’ll have hystericsall over my Chambers.”

➤ Sir Wilfrid has already made a number ofassumptions about Mrs. Vole without havingmet her. Are these fair conclusions to drawor are they based in unfounded stereotypes?If they are stereotypes, what fuels them?

“And we’re probably three credulous fools—taken in by a young man with a pleasingpersonality.”

➤ Is Sir Wilfrid correct in judging that peopleare more likely to believe in and beempathetic toward someone who isattractive or pleasant? How has his theoryplayed out in recent celebrity trials?

“One can get tired of gratitude.”➤ What does Mrs. Vole mean by this

statement? Is gratitude sufficient groundsfor a marriage? How might this cause arelationship to deteriorate?

“Any woman can fool a man if she wants toand if he's in love with her.”

➤ Are Mayhew and Sir Wilfrid on target withthis statement or are they being sexist aboutthe manipulative nature of women or thegullibility of men?

The following quotations are also by Agatha Christie, though not from Witness forthe Prosecution. How do you think eachapplies to the scenario of the play? “Where large sums of money are concerned,it is advisable to trust nobody.”

➤ If Ms. Christie is correct, does this mean thatwealth must automatically result in carefuland distanced relationships? Is it possiblefor people to see beyond financial status,on either end of the spectrum, or is ourcharacter and behavior shaped by what we earn?

“I don’t think necessity is the mother ofinvention—invention, in my opinion, arisesdirectly from idleness, possibly also fromlaziness. To save oneself trouble.”

➤ Have you ever observed this principle in action—someone being extremelycreative in order to avoid work? What arethe positive and negative results of thismindset?

“If one sticks too rigidly to one’s principles,one would hardly see anybody.”

➤ Is this an endorsement of illegal or unethicalbehavior or a judgment of our culture? Does the mainstream nature of anotherwise negative behavior make it moreacceptable—essentially, is the argumentthat “everybody’s doing it” a valid one?