Enter a Murderer by Ngaio Marsh

Wait and see.”
    “I will,” said Nigel enthusiastically. “How are you getting on, inspector?”
    “Oh, it’s a devil of a job,” Alleyn complained.
    “I’ve been trying to get it straight in my mind,” ventured Nigel, “as far as I know it. I made a sort of amateur dossier.”
    “I don’t suppose you know what a dossier is,” said Alleyn. “However, let’s see your effort.”
    Nigel produced several sheets of typewritten paper.
    “Here are the notes I took for you.”
    “Thank you so much, Bathgate. Now do show me your summary. It may be very useful. I’m bad at summarizing.”
    Nigel glanced suspiciously at him, but Alleyn seemed to be quite serious. He lit his pipe and applied himself to the sheet of foolscap, at the top of which Nigel had typed in capital letters:
     
    “MURDER AT THE UNICORN.
     
    “
Circumstances.
    “Surbonadier was shot by Gardener with the revolver used in the piece. According to the evidence of the stage manager and the property man, dummy cartridges, of which one was faulty, were placed in the drawer of the desk, immediately before the scene in which Surbonadier loaded the gun. Traces of sand, found in the prompt box, seem to support this theory.”
     
    “There was also sand in the top drawer,” said Alleyn, glancing up.
    “Was there? That’s pretty conclusive, then.” Alleyn read on:
     
    “Props says the faulty cartridge only went wrong that night, when he dropped it Unless he is lying, and he and the stage manager are in collusion, that means the dummies were in the top drawer just before the scene opened. Therefore the murderer substituted the lethal cartridges either immediately prior to, or during, the blackout, which lasted four minutes. He used gloves, took the dummies from the top drawer, substituted the real ones, put the dummies in the lower drawer, and got rid of the gloves. A pair of men’s grey suede gloves was found in the bag that hung on an arm-chair on the stage. Surbonadier took the cartridges from the top drawer and loaded the revolver. During the scene that followed Gardener took the gun from him and fired point-blank in the usual way. The cartridges afterwards found in the gun were all live ones;
     
    “
Opportunity.
    “Everyone behind the scenes had the chance of changing the cartridges. The people on the stage, perhaps, the greatest opportunity. These were Miss Max, Miss Emerald, Surbonadier himself, and the stage manager. On the other hand, anyone may have come out on to the darkened stage and done it. Miss Vaughan, Barclay Crammer, Howard Melville, Miss Deamer, the dressers and the staff, all come under the heading.
     
    “
Motive.
    “The characters involved may now be taken in turn.
    “
Miss Emerald
. She was on the stage. She had an altercation with Surbonadier. She was seen by the S. M. and Miss Max to cross to the desk and lean over it. Told lies. Motive. — Unknown, but she had quarrelled with S.
N. B
. — She seems to be on
very
friendly terms with Jacob Saint, uncle of S.
    “
Miss Max
. On the stage. Handled bag where gloves were found. Did not go near desk while lights were up. Motive. — None known.
    “
Stage Manager
. On the stage. Handled dummy cartridges. Would be able to go to desk unnoticed or during black-out. Peculiar witness. Motive. — None known.
    “
Property Master
. Handed dummies to S. M. Easy access to desk after black-out. Behaved suspiciously after murder. Dropped candelabrum from above. Hid in gallery. Concealed locality of dummies in second drawer. Motive. — Engaged to Trixie Beadle. Surbonadier had interfered with her. Shellshock case.
    “
Stephanie Vaughan
. In dressing-room. Says Trixie Beadle, her dresser, was there with her, but can’t remember how long. Says she went to Gardener’s room and remained there until after the black-out. Motive. — Had been threatened by Surbonadier, who was madly in love with her. Possibly afraid of something he might reveal to Gardener. Engaged to