The Case of The Alarming Accident

" Where were you at three twenty yesterday afternoon,

Mrs. Derby? " Detective Artemus Flint asked the nervous-looking woman standing at the door of her home.

" I? Why, I... why do you want to know? " she asked.

" At three twenty someone turned in a false fire alarm, "

Detective Flint explained. 'The alarm was sent from this street. So a lot of policemen have been going from door to door asking people where they were yesterday afternoon and whether they noticed anyone near the fire-alarm box. I'm working along with them. "

" Why did the police send so many men? Surely they've got-better things to do, like fighting serious crimes, " snapped the woman.

" This is a serious crime, " Flint informed her. " You see, " he said, looking her in the eye, " a man is in the hospital because of' that false alarm."

Mrs. Derby flinched. " The hospital.? What happened? "

" In the heavy fog, one of the fire trucks answering the alarm crashed into a lamp post near your home. The driver was injured badly. " Flint paused to let his words sink in. Then he said, " Now that you realise what a serious crime was committed, Mrs. Derby, I'll ask you again: Where were you at three twenty yesterday afternoon? "

" Goodness, " she muttered, " you act as if I'd done something wrong. It's all very simple really. I was driving home from the beauty parlour. As I sat in my car at the corner of Seventh and Washington Streets, waiting for the light to change, I happened to look down the street. I noticed that the Kwality Supermarket on Sixth was having a sale on apples. They had an ad in their window. So I drove there and looked at the apples. But I didn't like the way they looked, so I drove right home. I got home at three thirty, in time for my favourite soap opera."

" Did anyone see you in the supermarket? " Flint asked.

" I don't suppose so. I didn't talk to anyone. " " Then Mrs. Derby asked angrily, " Why are you so suspicious of me? "

" Because, " said Flint slowly, " one of your neighbours thought she saw you near the fire-alarm box at about three twenty yesterday. " He stopped, then continued. " And because, " said Flint, " your story is a lie! "

HOW DID DETECTIVE ARTEMUS FLINT KNOW MRS. DERBY WAS LYING?

The Case of The Murder on the 7: 36

Detective Artemus Flint took in the whole picture: neat grey wool suit, immaculate white cotton gloves, small hat, sensible shoes, perfect grooming. Such a person, he thought, would not be likely to have an illogical mind. Precision, be thought, was the word that would best describe Miss Peters.

" Good morning. Miss Peters, " he greeted her. I am Detective Artemus Flint. We've invited you here."

" You haven't invited me here, " she interrupted, " you've herded me here - along with the other passengers. As if we were all guilty. As soon as the train pulled in to the station, we were all taken by the police directly to your office, to be questioned one by one. I demand to know what's behind all this. I had scheduled an important business meeting this morning, and it cannot begin without me."

" I'm deeply sorry, Miss Peters, " said Flint comfortingly. " But murder isn't a matter to be taken lightly"

" Murder! " exclaimed Miss Peters.

" Yes, murder. We've asked you to come for questioning about the murder that took place this morning on the 7: 36 commuter train from Woodsrone."

" So that's what all the commotion was about, " she said. " I heard someone scream, and I looked up from my newspaper to see a crowd gathered around a man seated a few seats ahead of me. Since I couldn't see what was going on, I went back to my paper. I have no information for you, no clues, no ideas."

" You read the newspaper throughout the trip? " asked Flint.

" That's right. I bought it at the station before I got on the train, and read it until the train arrived. Then I left it on the train. It's my business to keep well-informed about the news."

" Yes, " said Flint, " of course. You see, a man was found stabbed to death on this morning's train. There were fingerprints on the knife, and we hope to match them with those of one of the passengers."

" Well, they couldn't be mine. You see, I kept my gloves on for the entire trip. "

Flint said, " One of the passengers indicated that you had been sitting next to the man who was later found murdered, but had changed your seat. "

" I had been sitting several seats up-now that I think of it, that was the seat where the crowd gathered. The man next to me was alive and well. In fact, he was too well-kept talking and talking, until I finally had to move so I could read in peace."

" Perhaps that's so, " Flint said slowly. " But I'm afraid we'll have to keep you here for further questioning about the murder on the 7: 36. "

" Why, it's perfectly preposterous to think that I had anything to do with it, " shouted Miss Peters indignantly.

" If that's so, " said Flint, " then why did you lie to me? "

HOW DID DETECTIVE ARTEMUS FLINT KNOW THAT MISS FETTERS HAD LIED?