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Chapter 3 |
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Early next morning the house was quiet. |
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Suddenly there was a cry from the room next to Roger' s, his mother' s room. |
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Roger opened his eyes and looked at the clock. It was nearly seven o' clock. |
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He got out of bed and opened the door quietly. |
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At the same time the door of his mother' s room opened and Diane came out. |
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Her face was very white. ' Roger! It' s Mother! |
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I brought a cup of coffee for her and I found her dead. |
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She' s dead dead in her bed,' she cried. |
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Roger went quickly to the door of his mother' s room and looked in. |
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The window was open but the room was warm. |
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Molly was on the bed, one hand under her head. |
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Roger went across to the bed and put his hand on her arm. It was cold. |
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On the little table next to the bed was a hot cup of coffee and an empty cup. |
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' I' m going to call the doctor,' Diane said. ' She' s dead,' Roger said slowly. |
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His face, too, was white. ' Mother is dead!' Diane walked across the room to the door. |
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' I' m going to phone the doctor,' she said again.' Wait a minute!' Roger called. |
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' Let' s tell the family first.' ' Family! Nobody loved Mother!' |
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Diane went out and ran downstairs. |
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Roger slowly went downstairs after her and stood by the telephone. |
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' Dr Pratt, this is Diane Clarkson. It' s my mother she' s dead. Can you come quickly?' |
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Diane put the phone down. ' It isn' t true, Roger! Mother dead! |
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Daddy died last winter, and now Mother.' Diane began to cry. |
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' Don' t cry, Diane,' Roger said. ' Let' s go upstairs and tell Uncle Albert and Jackie.' |
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' No! You tell them! Nobody loved Mother. You aren' t sorry. Look at you! |
| [03:48.75] |
You want her money. That' s all.' Roger suddenly wanted to hit Diane. |
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' Be quiet!' he said. ' What about you? You didn' t love Mother. |
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You wanted her money, too. Don' t forget that!' ' It' s true,' Diane said. |
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' Oh, I can' t stay in this house. I' m going out. |
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I' m going to the river with the dogs.' ' No,' Roger said. |
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' The doctor' s coming and I want you here.' Diane said nothing. |
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She went into the kitchen and at once the dogs got up and came to her. |
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' Beautiful dogs! Daddy loved you and Mother loved you. Now I' m going to love you.' |
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She opened the back door and went out with the dogs. |
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Roger did not move. He stood by the telephone. ' It' s true,' he thought. |
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' I am happy about the money. I needed money, and now I' m rich. |
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Things are going to be easier for me now. |
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But Mother why didn' t I love her more? And now she' s dead.' |
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Slowly, Roger went back upstairs. He wanted to dress before Dr Pratt arrived. |
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Dr Pratt was a little fat man without much hair. |
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He was the family doctor and he knew all the Clarkson family very well. |
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He went upstairs at once and looked at Molly' s body. |
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He looked carefully at the cup of coffee and the empty cup on the table next to her bed. |
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' I' m sorry, Roger,' he said. ' Where is Diane? She phoned me.' |
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' She went out with the dogs,' Roger said. |
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' She was angry with me angry with everyone.' Dr Pratt said nothing for a minute. |
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' This is going to be very difficult. I' m going to phone the police, Roger.' |
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' Police! Why? What' s wrong? ' ' I don' t know. Your mother wasn' t ill. |
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I saw her on Thursday and she was very well. Why did she die? |
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I don' t understand. I want to find out.' |
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Roger went across to the window and looked out at the garden. |
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It was a beautiful summer morning. |
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The sky was blue and the garden was green. It was all very quiet. |
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His mother loved this garden. But Tom Briggs wanted the garden. |
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And Roger wanted the garden, too. Roger felt worse and worse. |
| [08:14.39] |
' Your mother took sleeping tablets,' Dr Pratt said. ' Did you know? |
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On Thursday she had a new bottle of tablets, but I can' t find it here in her room.' |
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' I didn' t know,' Roger said. ' Very well. |
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Let' s go downstairs and you can phone the police.' |
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Roger went into the kitchen and made some coffee. |
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Just then Diane came in with the dogs.' Roger,' she said. ' Look, I' m sorry. |
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I was angry and said some angry things.' ' It doesn' t matter,' Roger said. |
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' Here you are, have some coffee. Dr Pratt is phoning the police. |
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Did you know Mother took sleeping tablets? Well, the bottle is not in her room.' |
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' What? I don' t understand.' Diane took the coffee and began to drink. |
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Her eyes looked big and dark. Just then Dr Pratt came into the kitchen. |
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' They' re coming at once,' he said. ' Diane I' m sorry about your mother.' |
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' Dr Pratt, I want to tell you about last night. Everyone was very angry' |
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' Be quiet!' Roger said quickly.' Diane never thinks before she opens her mouth,' |
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he thought angrily. Diane did not look at Roger. |
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' Last night Mother went to bed early because everyone' |
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' Don' t tell me,' Dr Pratt said. ' You can tell the police.' |
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Roger' s face went red. Suddenly he felt afraid. |
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' The police are going to talk to everyone, and ask questions,' he thought. |
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' And they' re going to want answers. It' s going to be very difficult.' |
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He finished his coffee and stood up. ' I' m going upstairs,' he said. |
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' I' m going to tell Uncle Albert and Jackie about Mother and about the police.' |