Karl-Henrik has sent word to Sheriff John Fitzburn, a close friend of his, asking him to come to Forestborough Manor immediately. Karl-Henrik is standing in the doorway waiting for Sheriff John Fitzburn when he arrives and shows him into the library.
"I asked everyone to leave the room, they're in the Hunting Room," says Karl-Henrik. Sheriff John Fitzburn nods in agreement as he studies Isabella's dead body. "It's obvious that a murder has been committed," he says, "the murder weapon is right in front of us and the blood shows that she was murdered where she lies." The stunning diamond bracelet sparkles on Isabella's arm. "And it doesn't appear to be a theft gone wrong," says Sheriff John Fitzburn. "But this type of crime is not usually committed by outsiders..."
Sheriff John Fitzburn locks the door to the library while they wait for the forensics team. Karl-Henrik's wife Kristine comes out into the hall to curiously greet the Sheriff as he asks Karl-Henrik to tell him about the day. All three enter the small parlour. The Rudolfsens talk about the Christmas party. "What was it that Hugo wanted to talk to you about?", asks Sheriff John Fitzburn. "It was, as the children rightly believed, his will," admits Karl-Henrik. "Now I can tell you if it's important to the investigation. It's not really that strange, Isabella, as his wife, was to inherit half of the entire fortune, and the children were to share the other half, that's the law. However, he wanted to add that Gunilla and Sigrid should inherit some of his first wife's jewellery, and that Agnete should inherit some art with sentimental value."
"Yes, poor Agnete!", Kristine sighs. "She was upstairs talking to Hugo and came downstairs and was so upset." "Yes, she stormed in and interrupted Hugo and me," says her husband. "I sat and talked to her afterwards," Kristine continues. "Poor person!!! I've known for a long time, but the sheriff may not know... She had a love affair with Hugo for about 15 years. I think the former Mrs von Baume knew about it, but she pretended not to know. And Agnete waited for Hugo all these years. When the first Mrs von Baume died, Agnete thought that Hugo and her were finally going to live together - and then he decides to marry her sister's daughter! But this was nothing new - but now Agnete, of all people, was outraged that Hugo had been deceived!"
Sheriff John Fitzburn listens to Kristine's gossip and then asks when they last saw Isabella. Karl-Henrik says that when he came down from Hugo's room, he heard voices in the hall and saw Axel grab Isabella by the arm and pull her into the hallway by the stairs. He heard Axel threaten Isabella, saying: "Yes, you've got little daddy wrapped around your little finger. It can't be a problem for you to raise a little more capital. But remember, I want twice as much as last time, or I'll tell your dear husband what you do when he's resting..." Isabella's voice was hard when she replied: "It's not just you who can play this game, Axel, I've hired a private detective who was here yesterday and gave me an interesting proof of what you're up to. The signature on this paper is not Hugo's, and I wonder what he would do if he knew about it..." Karl-Henrik goes on to say that he saw Isabella wriggle free and disappear towards the kitchen. Axel went back into the Hunting Room. "When I then walked through the hall myself to join the others in the Hunting Room, I found this paper on the floor." He takes a folded piece of paper from his inside pocket and hands it to Sheriff John Fitzburn.
"Right after that, I went for a walk with Otto and Axel and didn't see Isabella until there in the library," says Karl-Henrik. "I heard her in the hall when Karl-Henrik saw her," Kristine says, "but I haven't seen her since lunch."
"What did you do after that?" asks Sheriff John Fitzburn. "Well, I went for a walk," says Karl-Henrik. "We left just after half past two and were gone for about an hour."
"I came back with Axel, Otto had gone a little ahead. We came from the other side and met Sigrid and Anton outside the kitchen door. Anton put a ladder in. Sigrid disappeared through the kitchen door. Anton and Axel decided to take a quick look in the stable - they both love horses! I walked round to the main entrance, then freshened up in the bathroom on the ground floor, and then I craved that eggnog we always get at the Christmas gift-giving. I wanted to ask Mrs Schröder. I didn't find her, but I found a tray of ready-made eggnog in the kitchen and helped myself to a glass, and then I went in and sat down in the library." He looks uncomfortable. "I sat there quietly and waited for the others.".Kristine thinks about it and says: "I sat and talked with Agnete in The Hunting Room for quite a while, then we also went out and got some fresh air. We went for a quick walk down to the lake. When we came back, we met Gunilla, Sigrid and the children in the hall, they were on their way out. Agnete followed the others out. I went upstairs and blew my nose, then I heard Otto and Hugo talking in Hugo's room, the door was actually half open, they were talking about Isabella inheriting half of Forestborough Manor as Hugo's wife. I was surprised that Otto didn't sound more upset. Then they closed the door, and well, I wasn't supposed to be listening, so I went down to the kitchen to see if I could get a recipe for fra schröder's fantastic homemade venison pâté, which we had for lunch. Kristine squirms a little as she realises that she admits she likes to eavesdrop, but it's important to tell what she knows, and she always knows a lot...
She continues: "When I came down to the kitchen, I heard that Sigrid was there talking to Mrs Schroeder, but she sounded very upset. I heard Mrs Schroeder comforting her and saying: "Nonsense Sigrid, he'll soon change his mind. It's you he loves, he always has. My dear little friend, you are the daughter I never had, and it is you and Anton who are made for each other. He'll soon realise what a witch she is, and then it will be as we always intended."
"Mrs Schröder was making eggnog, so I took Sigrid with me. She looked so miserable and needed to blow her nose, so we went up to her room and she cleaned herself up a bit. Then it was almost four o'clock, so we walked past Hugo's room and knocked on the door and followed Otto and Hugo down to the library.
"I asked everyone to leave the room, they're in the Hunting Room," says Karl-Henrik. Sheriff John Fitzburn nods in agreement as he studies Isabella's dead body. "It's obvious that a murder has been committed," he says, "the murder weapon is right in front of us and the blood shows that she was murdered where she lies." The stunning diamond bracelet sparkles on Isabella's arm. "And it doesn't appear to be a theft gone wrong," says Sheriff John Fitzburn. "But this type of crime is not usually committed by outsiders..."
Sheriff John Fitzburn locks the door to the library while they wait for the forensics team. Karl-Henrik's wife Kristine comes out into the hall to curiously greet the Sheriff as he asks Karl-Henrik to tell him about the day. All three enter the small parlour. The Rudolfsens talk about the Christmas party. "What was it that Hugo wanted to talk to you about?", asks Sheriff John Fitzburn. "It was, as the children rightly believed, his will," admits Karl-Henrik. "Now I can tell you if it's important to the investigation. It's not really that strange, Isabella, as his wife, was to inherit half of the entire fortune, and the children were to share the other half, that's the law. However, he wanted to add that Gunilla and Sigrid should inherit some of his first wife's jewellery, and that Agnete should inherit some art with sentimental value."
"Yes, poor Agnete!", Kristine sighs. "She was upstairs talking to Hugo and came downstairs and was so upset." "Yes, she stormed in and interrupted Hugo and me," says her husband. "I sat and talked to her afterwards," Kristine continues. "Poor person!!! I've known for a long time, but the sheriff may not know... She had a love affair with Hugo for about 15 years. I think the former Mrs von Baume knew about it, but she pretended not to know. And Agnete waited for Hugo all these years. When the first Mrs von Baume died, Agnete thought that Hugo and her were finally going to live together - and then he decides to marry her sister's daughter! But this was nothing new - but now Agnete, of all people, was outraged that Hugo had been deceived!"
Sheriff John Fitzburn listens to Kristine's gossip and then asks when they last saw Isabella. Karl-Henrik says that when he came down from Hugo's room, he heard voices in the hall and saw Axel grab Isabella by the arm and pull her into the hallway by the stairs. He heard Axel threaten Isabella, saying: "Yes, you've got little daddy wrapped around your little finger. It can't be a problem for you to raise a little more capital. But remember, I want twice as much as last time, or I'll tell your dear husband what you do when he's resting..." Isabella's voice was hard when she replied: "It's not just you who can play this game, Axel, I've hired a private detective who was here yesterday and gave me an interesting proof of what you're up to. The signature on this paper is not Hugo's, and I wonder what he would do if he knew about it..." Karl-Henrik goes on to say that he saw Isabella wriggle free and disappear towards the kitchen. Axel went back into the Hunting Room. "When I then walked through the hall myself to join the others in the Hunting Room, I found this paper on the floor." He takes a folded piece of paper from his inside pocket and hands it to Sheriff John Fitzburn.
"Right after that, I went for a walk with Otto and Axel and didn't see Isabella until there in the library," says Karl-Henrik. "I heard her in the hall when Karl-Henrik saw her," Kristine says, "but I haven't seen her since lunch."
"What did you do after that?" asks Sheriff John Fitzburn. "Well, I went for a walk," says Karl-Henrik. "We left just after half past two and were gone for about an hour."
"I came back with Axel, Otto had gone a little ahead. We came from the other side and met Sigrid and Anton outside the kitchen door. Anton put a ladder in. Sigrid disappeared through the kitchen door. Anton and Axel decided to take a quick look in the stable - they both love horses! I walked round to the main entrance, then freshened up in the bathroom on the ground floor, and then I craved that eggnog we always get at the Christmas gift-giving. I wanted to ask Mrs Schröder. I didn't find her, but I found a tray of ready-made eggnog in the kitchen and helped myself to a glass, and then I went in and sat down in the library." He looks uncomfortable. "I sat there quietly and waited for the others.".Kristine thinks about it and says: "I sat and talked with Agnete in The Hunting Room for quite a while, then we also went out and got some fresh air. We went for a quick walk down to the lake. When we came back, we met Gunilla, Sigrid and the children in the hall, they were on their way out. Agnete followed the others out. I went upstairs and blew my nose, then I heard Otto and Hugo talking in Hugo's room, the door was actually half open, they were talking about Isabella inheriting half of Forestborough Manor as Hugo's wife. I was surprised that Otto didn't sound more upset. Then they closed the door, and well, I wasn't supposed to be listening, so I went down to the kitchen to see if I could get a recipe for fra schröder's fantastic homemade venison pâté, which we had for lunch. Kristine squirms a little as she realises that she admits she likes to eavesdrop, but it's important to tell what she knows, and she always knows a lot...
She continues: "When I came down to the kitchen, I heard that Sigrid was there talking to Mrs Schroeder, but she sounded very upset. I heard Mrs Schroeder comforting her and saying: "Nonsense Sigrid, he'll soon change his mind. It's you he loves, he always has. My dear little friend, you are the daughter I never had, and it is you and Anton who are made for each other. He'll soon realise what a witch she is, and then it will be as we always intended."
"Mrs Schröder was making eggnog, so I took Sigrid with me. She looked so miserable and needed to blow her nose, so we went up to her room and she cleaned herself up a bit. Then it was almost four o'clock, so we walked past Hugo's room and knocked on the door and followed Otto and Hugo down to the library.