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Trevor Stern was not a popular man, in spite of his wealth. He lived in a large house about a mile outside the village of Prenton. When he was found dead in his studio, no one cried , not even his only daughter. It was soon clear that he had been murdered.

Detective Inspector Blackledge took statements from his widow, Dorothy, his seventeen-year-old daughter, Lucy, his business partner, Gerald Brook, and his doctor.

Dorothy: "I did not love my husband, he was a cold and selfish man. But I did not murder him, either. After dinner last night he said he wanted to check some business papers in his study. He was going to  have  a meeting with Gerald, his business partner, the next morning. He asked for some tea. That was about 9 o'clock. I was watching a rather exciting film on television, So I told Lucy to take it to him. At quarter past nine Doctor Emerson called. I noticed the time because we expected him to come earlier. I answered the front door bell. Trevor was still shouting in his study. He and Lucy were obviously having  a serious row. So I took  the doctor into the sitting-room for a moment. Then Trevor stopped shouting. I guessed Lucy went out by the back door. Doctor Emerson went to the study. I think he wanted to persuade Trevor to go to the hospital for some tests, but Trevor did not want to go. I heard him shouting again several times over the next twenty minutes. He called him an ignorant country doctor, and later he said  something like 'There's nothing you can do!' I think Lucy came into the house while the doctor was still talking to Trevor. I heard the front door bang during a quiet few seconds when Trevor was not shouting. I was tired and fed up and went to my bedroom soon after that. My sister phoned and we were talking for ages. I told her I had decided to leave Trevor."

Lucy: "Mum was watching some stupid film after dinner, so she made me take Dad's tea into his study. It was about nine o'clock. He was in a really mean mood. He shouted at me because I spilt a few drops of tea on his desk while I was pouring it. I did not want to watch the film so I crept out by the back door. I decided to go down to the village and use the public phone to call Alan. He's my boyfriend. I never like Mum or Dad to be around when I am talking to him. Especially yesterday, because Dad and I had a stupid argument about Alan the day before. It normally takes quarter of an hour to walk to the village. Perhaps it took me less time last night. I can't prove I have gone to the village. No one saw me when I was walking into the village. I saw Gerald, that's Dad's business partner. He was standing near the window in his sitting-room. He did not see me, though, because it was dark outside. he was talking on the phone, I think.
Alan did not answer the phone. Then I remembered  he had told  me he was playing in a concert that evening. So I walked home again. I met Gerald just before I reached our house. He was looking for his dog. That was about twenty to ten. I came in by the back door as quietly as possible and went to bed. I didn't want to see my parents again that evening."