1 Chapter
The Clarkson family lived in the country near Cambridge，
about half a mile from the nearest village and about a mile from the river．
They had a big，old house with a beautiful garden，a lot of flowers and many old．trees．
One Thursday morning in July，Jackie came in from the garden．
She was a tall，fat woman，thirty years old．
It was the hottest day of the year，but she wore a warm brown skirt and yellow shirt．
She went into the kitchen to get a drink of water．Just then the phone rang．
Cambridge 1379，Jackie said．
Hello．This is Diane．I want to talk to Mother．
Mother isn't here，Jackie said．She's at the doctor's．
'Why？What's Wrong？'
'Nothing's wrong，'Jackie said．'Why are you telephoning？
You are going to come this weekend？ Mother wants everyone to be here．'
'Yes，I want to come，'Diane said．'I'm phoning because I have no money for the train ticket．'
'No money！Mother is always giving you money！'
'This phone call is very expensive，'Diane said coldly．'Tell Mother please．I need the money．'
Jackie put the phone down．She took a cigarette from her bag and began to smoke．
She felt angry because her sister al-ways asked for money．
Diane was twenty years old， the youngest in the family．
She lived in London，in one room of a big house．She wanted to be a singer．
She sang very well but she could never get work．
Jackie went back into the kitchen and began to make some sandwiches．
Just then the back door opened，and her mother came in．
'It's very hot！'Molly said．She took off her hat and put it down on the table．
She was a tall，dark woman with beautiful eyes．
Two big，black dogs came into the kitchen after her and ran across to her．
She sat down and put her hands on their heads．
Jackie put the sandwiches on the table．'Mother，'she said，'Diane phoned．
She wants money for her train ticket．'
Molly closed her eyes for a minute．Then she stood up．
'This afternoon I want you to get the house ready for the weekend，'she said．
'Oh，and please go to the village later and get my tablets．'
'Yes，Mother，'Jackie said．
Molly went to the door．
'Mother，please wait a minute，'Jackie said．'Peter Hobbs came here this morning．
He's very angry with you about that letter．He lost his job，you know．
Why did you write to his office？He wants to talk to you about it．'
'Well，I don't want to talk to him，'Molly said．She opened the door．
'But Mother，you don't understand．He's seventeen，and it was his first job．
He's very，very angry．He says⋯ he says he's going to kill you！'
Molly did not answer．She went out of the room and closed the door．
2 Chapter
It was seven o'clock on Saturday evening．Jackie stood at the window．
A car drove slowly up to the front door and stopped．
A tall man with white hair got out，It was Albert，the husband of Molly's sister．
'Here's Uncle Albert，'Jackie said．'Always late．'
She went out of the room and opened the front door．Albert came in and went at once to Molly．
'Oh，dear．I'm very late．I am sorry，'Albert said．'Fifty years old today！What a wonderful dress！'
Molly did not smile．'Thank you，Albert．We're all getting older．
'Tonight she wore a long black dress，and the two black dogs sat at her feet．
'Everyone is here now．Let's go in to dinner，'she said．
Everyone stood up and went to the table．
'The table looks nice，Jackie．What wonderful flowers！'Diane said．
She was a beautiful girl，with long black hair and dark blue eyes．She wore a long red dress．
Albert sat down next to Roger Roger was Molly's son，her second child．
He lived in Cambridge，in an expensive house．
'Someone called Peter stopped me down the road，'Albert said．
'Who is he？ He's very angry with you，Molly．'
'That's Peter Hobbs，from the house across the road，'Jackie said quickly．
She looked across the table at Molly．'He lost his job last week and he's angry with everyone．'
'It's Molly he doesn't like，'Albert said．
Molly said nothing．Everyone began to eat．
'How is Aunt Annie？'Jackie asked．
'She's much worse now，'Albert said．
'She stays in bed all the time．She needs a nurse twenty-four hours a day．'
'I am sorry，'Molly said．
Albert stopped eating and looked at Molly．'It's very difficult and very expensive，you know．
Annie feels very unhappy because you don't visit her，Molly．
She loves you very much．You are her little sister；you know．'
Molly closed her eyes for a minute．' I know that，Albert．
I am fifty years old，but I am always her“little”sister．
Well，we can talk about it later．'
Albert laughed．'Oh yes，we can talk later．
It's always later with you，Molly．Always tomorrow．Never today．'
Jackie watched her mother．Her mother was angry with Albert．
Molly never liked talking about her sister Annie and
she did not like visiting her because she was very ill．
'That's a beautiful dress，Diane．Is it new？'Jackie asked．
'Thank you，Jackie．Yes，it's new，and very expensive．
I got it on Wednesday，'Diane said．She smiled at Jackie．
'All your things are expensive，'Jackie said．
She remembered the phone call on Thursday about the train ticket．
'I don't like cheap things，'Diane said．'And I'm going to need more money soon．
I want to go to America．Can you help me，Roger？'
'Oh no，'Roger said．'Nobody wants to help you， Diane．
You don't like working，we all know that，but we all want you to get a job．'
Diane laughed．'It doesn't matter，Roger．I don't need your help．
Mother always helps me．Mother loves me best．'She suddenly smiled，a quick，beautiful smile．
But her eyes were cold．
Jackie looked at her mother．Molly's face was white．Jackie did not understand．
Was her mother afraid of Diane？Jackie wanted her mother to be happy today．
'Would you like some more meat，Uncle Albert？'Jackie asked．
'Roger，can you give everyone some more to drink？
Roger got up and began to give more wine to everyone．'This is good wine，'he said．
Molly smiled for the first time．'Yes，your father loved this wine．He often drank it．'
'Yes，'Albert said，and looked at Molly．'Expensive，too．'
'Would you like to meet Mr Briggs this weekend，Roger？Jackie asked quickly．
'He's the new man at the farm．He wants to meet you．'
'Briggs？Briggs？'Molly said，suddenly angry．'Don't talk to me about that man．
I don't like him．He wants half my garden for his farm．He needs more land，he says．
I don't want him in my house．He's always dirty and he has bad teeth．'
Jackie stood up and got her bag．'Excuse me，I want a cigarette．'
'Cigarettes！Always a cigarette in your mouth，'Molly said．'I don't like it．
Cigarettes aren't good for you．'
Jackie began to smoke．She felt angry but she said nothing．
She wanted her mother to be happy this evening，but it was very difficult．
Roger drank some more wine．'Well，Mother，perhaps Mr Briggs is right．
The garden is very big，you know，'he said．'It's a lot of work for you．
The house is big，too．You're fifty now．You need to be more careful．'
'Roger！I don't need a nurse，you know！I work in the garden every day；
I feel happy there．'Molly stood up．'I know you all want my money．
You come here for a free dinner，you don't want to see me．You don't love me．
You want my house，and my money．
Well，you can all wait．No-body is getting more money from me，not before I die！'
'Don't say that，Mother！'Jackie cried．
Molly walked across the room to the door．'I feel ill now．I'm going upstairs to bed．'
Molly left the room．Nobody moved．
'One day I'm going to kill that woman，'Diane said quietly．
Roger looked at Diane but said nothing．Albert moved his head slowly up and down．
'Ill！She's angry，that's all，'he said．'Molly always gets angry about money．
Why can't she be good to her sister？Annie's going to die soon．Molly knows that．'
Jackie finished her cigarette and stood up．'Would everyone like some coffee？
Come into the kitchen and let's drink it there．'
7 Chapter
On Monday morning Sergeant Foster went to Roger's office and asked some questions．
And then he went to Albert's house and asked some more questions．
Inspector Walsh sat in his office and telephoned．
He made phone calls about Peter Hobbs and he made phone calls about Tom Briggs．
And then he had some coffee and sandwiches．
At three o'clock the two detectives drove to the Clarksons' house．
'I would like to see everyone，'he told Roger．
Everyone came into the sitting room and sat down．
Inspector Walsh stood in front of the windows and looked at them，one by one．
'I want to talk to you Someone killed Molly Clarkson．
Someone put sleeping tablets in her hot milk and killed her Nobody wanted to tell me the true story，
but now I know the true story and I'm going to tell you．'
The two dogs came slowly into the room and sat down at Diane's feet．
It was very quiet in the room．
The Inspector looked at Albert．'Mr King，your wife is very ill and needs a nurse．
You told me this．You didn't tell me about your house．
You're selling your house next month because you need the money．'
Albert was angry．'Last year I asked Molly's husband for some money，and he said yes．
But then he died in an accident．'
'Accident！'Diane cried．'That was no accident．Mother killed Daddy because she wanted his money！
'Let's talk about you now，Diane，'said Inspector Walsh．
You visited your mother every month and you took money from her．
Last month she gave you money for your television．
This month she gave you money for your telephone．
Every month you told your mother：“It was no accident；
you killed Daddy．I'm going to tell the police．
”Your mother was afraid of the police and so she gave you the money．
But in the end she wanted to stop you．She told Dr Pratt．
No more money，she told Dr Pratt on Thursday；
and on Saturday she died．You took the hot milk to your mother－what did she tell you？'
Diane began to cry．'I loved Daddy！He always gave money to me；
he loved me．It was Mother－she didn't love Daddy and she didn't love me．Diane stopped．
The dogs got up and went to the door．'It's true，I took a lot of money from Mother．
On Saturday she told me—no more money．I wanted to kill her，but I didn't．'
The dogs came back and sat down again at Diane's feet．
Inspector Walsh looked at Roger．'Mr Clarkson also needed money．'
Roger's face went red．'Don't tell them！Please！'
'Mr Clarkson lost his job last month．He has no money．
But he has an expensive house and an expensive car．He likes expensive things．'
His sisters looked at him，but Roger put his hand over his eyes．'Don't talk to me！'
'It doesn't matter now！'Diane said．'Mother is dead and we have a lot of money．
You don't need a job．'
Roger's face went red again．'Be quiet，Diane！'
'Now，Inspector Walsh began again．
'Peter Hobbs is a very angry young man．
Mrs Clarkson was not very nice to him．He got the sleeping tablets from the shop．
But did he put the tablets in the hot milk？I think not．
Tom Briggs wanted half the garden for his farm．
He was in the kitchen that night．Did he put sleeping tablets in the hot milk？I think not．'
Suddenly it began to rain．For a minute everyone watched it through the window．
Jackie took a cigarette from her bag and began to smoke．
'But someone wanted Peter Hobbs to come into the kitchen that night．
She wanted everyone to see him，and listen to him，'Inspector Walsh said．
'She⋯？I don't understand，'Roger began，and stopped．
Inspector walsh moved away from the window and sat down．
'I'm going to tell you the true story now．
Miss Clark-son，you wanted Peter Hobbs to come to the house that night．
He was very angry with your mother because of that letter．
He said：“I want to kill her．”And you wanted everyone to hear that． Why？'
Jackie's face went white．It's not true！What about Diane？You found the empty bottle in her bag！'
Diane stood up．'In my bag？Jackie！What are you talking about？'
'Be quiet，please，and sit down，'Inspector Walsh said．He looked at Jackie．
'It's true：we found the bottle in Diane's bag．But how do you know that？We didn't tell you．'
'You did⋯before⋯you told me before！'
'No．We found the empty bottle in Diane's room．We told you that．
You talked about Diane's bag；we didn't tell you．
Sergeant foster wrote it all down．'Inspector Walsh looked carefully at Jackie．
'A long time ago，you knew Tom Briggs．
He was the gardener here and you loved him．But your mother didn't like him．'
Jackie put her hands to her head．'No！No！'
'We found your picture-an old one-in Mr Briggs'house．
You were younger then，and your hair was long．
Last year Tom Briggs came back，and you wanted him．
He loved you，too，but he had no money．
He wanted the garden for his farm，he wanted money，he wanted you．
But your mother said no．In the end，you wanted to kill your mother⋯and you did kill her．
Your mother went downstairs to see the dogs and you put the sleeping tablets in her hot milk．
Later，you put the empty bottle in Diane's bag．
Jackie stood up．Her eyes were dark and afraid．
'You don't understand！she cried．'Mother gave me nothing⋯all those years．
I wanted to be happy⋯to be with Tom．That's all．I love Tom，and he loves me．
But Mother said no．Always no．'Then she began to cry．Nobody looked at her．
Jackie left the house in a police car．Inspector Walsh watched and then walked slowly to his car．
He felt tired and hungry．He stopped and looked back at the house．
'Well，'he said to Sergeant Foster，'in the end，they go the money：Albert，Roger，Diane．
They're all rich now．But are they going to be happy？'
He got into the car．'Let's go，'he said．'I'm hungry；need a sandwich．'