Seven POSSIBILITIES

Luke sat in his bedroom. At lunch time he had sustained an interrogationby Mrs. Anstruther as to what flowers he had had in his garden in theMayang Straits. He had then been told what flowers would have done wellthere. He had also listened to further “Talks to Young Men on the Subjectof Myself” by Lord Whitfield. Now he was mercifully alone.
He took a sheet of paper and wrote down a series of names. It ran as fol-lows:
Dr. Thomas.
Mr. Abbot.
Major Horton.
Mr. Ellsworthy.
Mr. Wake.
Mr. Jones.
Amy’s young man.
The butcher, the baker¹, the candlestick maker², etc.
He then took another sheet of paper and headed it VICTIMS. Under thisheading, he wrote:
Amy Gibbs: Poisoned.
Tommy Pierce: Pushed out of window.
Harry³ Carter: Shoved off footbridge (drunk? drugged?).
Dr. Humbleby: Blood Poisoning.
Miss Pinkerton: Run down by car.
He added:
Mrs. Rose?
Old Ben?
And after a pause:
Mrs. Horton?
He considered his lists, smoked awhile, then took up his pencil oncemore.
Dr. Thomas: Possible case against him.
Definite motive⁴ in the case of Dr. Humbleby. Manner oflatter’s death suitable — namely, scientific poisoning bygerms. Amy Gibbs visited him on afternoon of the day shedied. (Anything between them? Blackmail⁵?)
Tommy Pierce? No connection known. (Did Tommy knowof connection between him and Amy Gibbs?)
Harry Carter? No connection known.
Was Dr. Thomas absent from Wychwood on the day MissPinkerton went to London?
Luke sighed and started a fresh heading:
Mr. Abbot: Possible case against him.
(Feel a lawyer is definitely a suspicious person. Possiblyprejudice.) His personality, florid, genial⁶, etc., would bedefinitely suspicious in a book—always suspect bluff⁷ gen-ial men. Objection: this is not a book, but real life.
Motive for murder of Dr. Humbleby. Definite antagonismexisted between them. H. defied Abbot. Sufficient motivefor a

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