POOR DISGUISE

“Anne… Oh… Oh… Anne!” shrieked Rudolph Shepard, staring at his wife. “She’s killed herself!” Hearing his cries, Christopher Newcome, his employer, rushed to the servants’ quarters. The pillow on which Anne’s head rested was covered with blood that streamed from a bullet hole in her temple.

“Leave the gun where it is…don’t touch anything,” commanded Newcome. “I’ll phone the police.”

“Get a doctor, sir,” pleaded the servant.

“No use…she is dead.”

When Inspector Kelley and the Professor arrived they found Rudolph kneeling beside his wife’s bed, weeping.

“Who discovered her?” demanded Kelley.

“I did, sir,” he sobbed.

“Can’t understand how she got my gun!” exclaimed Newcome as Kelley picked it up from the bed.

“You remember, sir, you said it wasn’t working properly? I brought it up to my room to fix it. I removed a piece of grit beneath the ejector and forgot to put it back in your room.”

Fordney observed a maid’s uniform and a nightgown on a chair beside the bed. Pulling back the covers his attention was drawn to a long, recently-made scratch running diagonally across the woman’s chest. She had removed only her shoes and uniform. On the back of both hands, clenched to her sides, were small dark bruises.

While Rudolph was explaining the presence of the gun Fordney saw that Kelley realized it was murder and not suicide.

When did he? Turn page for solution.