Silence spreads through the room as Sheriff John Fitzburn stands up and paces around. "There are many people in this room who have a motive to kill Isabella von Baume," he begins. "It doesn't seem to be a secret that she wasn't very popular, even with you," he says, addressing Karl-Henrik and Kristine Rudolfsen. "Even though you probably have no reason to wish she was dead. But the rest of you ... Otto and Gunilla, you were the ones who would be the worst affected if Isabella inherited half of Hugo's fortune. Half of Forestborough Manor, where you live and work, would become hers instead of yours. Axel and Sigrid would also lose half of their inheritance - a small fortune. Money that at least you, Axel, desperately need. You've even already started to advance the inheritance via a loan secured on Forestborough Manor - without Hugo's knowledge. Isabella knew this, and she threatened to expose you to your father. Hugo could have decided to disinherit you completely if he found out."
"And Sigrid, you probably knew deep down that your beloved Anton loved, loved, perhaps not only your money, but certainly both you and it. With a smaller inheritance, you weren't as attractive; Isabella, on the other hand, was to inherit more! Perhaps it was you who made your threat a reality after all? Or Anton, we don't know how your duplicity worked out. Now you're back at Sigrid's side, perhaps Isabella had grown tired of you, and with her out of the way, Sigrid will inherit her third of Forestborough Manor, just as you had originally planned. Something that apparently also means a lot to your mother," adds Sheriff John Fitzburn, fixing his gaze on the startled Mrs Schroeder.
He continues: "Then there's Isabella's Aunt Agnete, a scorned woman who waited for Hugo for fifteen years only to see him suddenly marry her own niece. You must have really hated her! You were also the one who told Hugo today that Isabella was cheating on him - with his steward! And then there's the husband himself, the only one who loved Isabella von Baume, right up until today, I guess. Infidelity is not entirely unknown to you, Hugo, but I find it hard to believe that you accept it when you are the spurned one."
"After everything I've done for her, right under my nose," Hugo says bitterly. "You're right John, I probably could have killed her when I was told by my wonderful, loyal Agnete. But I didn't, I was in my room all afternoon."
"Yes, that brings us to the question of who had the opportunity to murder Isabella," says Sheriff John Fitzburn. "Isabella von Baume was murdered in the library. She was murdered after Gunilla, Sigrid and the children had left the library at 3.30pm and just before 4pm, when Karl-Henrik sat down in the library with his egg teddy and the rest of you arrived. This puts a narrow time frame on the murder. You can imagine a conspiracy with multiple perpetrators, but it's still not likely. Which means there's really only one possible killer who had the opportunity to commit the murder!"
Sheriff John Fitzburn pauses and then continues: "At the time of the murder, Gunilla and Agnete were out in the courtyard and then in the wing with the children and they came back together. You alibi each other. Otto went up to Hugo before the murder could be committed and he stayed there, Kristine heard them both upstairs."
"At the time of the murder, Sigrid was first in the courtyard with several others, then she is seen at the back of the house with Anton and in the kitchen with Mrs Schröder. She then goes upstairs with Kristine and they go with Otto and Hugo to the library. She doesn't have the opportunity to commit the murder either. Axel goes for a walk with Karl-Henrik and is then with Anton in the stable until four o'clock. Anton also has an alibi: at the time of the murder, he is first in the courtyard, where he is seen by several people, then he is with Sigrid and with Axel in the stable."
We have no reason to suspect Karl-Henrik, who certainly had a good opportunity to murder Isabella - so the only one left is ... Mrs Schröder! You've given the impression that you were in the kitchen until you gathered in the library, but when Karl-Henrik went to get his eggnog, you weren't there. You knew how important it was for your son to have a share in Forestborough Manor, that he would do anything, even betray Sigrid, who you consider your daughter, and marry the manipulative Isabella, who you hate. You got rid of her so that everything would turn out the way you wanted it to, just like you told Sigrid!"
Everyone stares at Mrs Schröder, who has collapsed on the sofa, but then sits up and admits with burning hatred in her eyes: "Yes, I murdered that horrible person! She has caused problems for everyone I care about. I couldn't trust Anton to do the right thing - now she's out of the way - and everything will be as it was meant to be! But you must find a new housekeeper to cook the food for next Christmas!"
"And Sigrid, you probably knew deep down that your beloved Anton loved, loved, perhaps not only your money, but certainly both you and it. With a smaller inheritance, you weren't as attractive; Isabella, on the other hand, was to inherit more! Perhaps it was you who made your threat a reality after all? Or Anton, we don't know how your duplicity worked out. Now you're back at Sigrid's side, perhaps Isabella had grown tired of you, and with her out of the way, Sigrid will inherit her third of Forestborough Manor, just as you had originally planned. Something that apparently also means a lot to your mother," adds Sheriff John Fitzburn, fixing his gaze on the startled Mrs Schroeder.
He continues: "Then there's Isabella's Aunt Agnete, a scorned woman who waited for Hugo for fifteen years only to see him suddenly marry her own niece. You must have really hated her! You were also the one who told Hugo today that Isabella was cheating on him - with his steward! And then there's the husband himself, the only one who loved Isabella von Baume, right up until today, I guess. Infidelity is not entirely unknown to you, Hugo, but I find it hard to believe that you accept it when you are the spurned one."
"After everything I've done for her, right under my nose," Hugo says bitterly. "You're right John, I probably could have killed her when I was told by my wonderful, loyal Agnete. But I didn't, I was in my room all afternoon."
"Yes, that brings us to the question of who had the opportunity to murder Isabella," says Sheriff John Fitzburn. "Isabella von Baume was murdered in the library. She was murdered after Gunilla, Sigrid and the children had left the library at 3.30pm and just before 4pm, when Karl-Henrik sat down in the library with his egg teddy and the rest of you arrived. This puts a narrow time frame on the murder. You can imagine a conspiracy with multiple perpetrators, but it's still not likely. Which means there's really only one possible killer who had the opportunity to commit the murder!"
Sheriff John Fitzburn pauses and then continues: "At the time of the murder, Gunilla and Agnete were out in the courtyard and then in the wing with the children and they came back together. You alibi each other. Otto went up to Hugo before the murder could be committed and he stayed there, Kristine heard them both upstairs."
"At the time of the murder, Sigrid was first in the courtyard with several others, then she is seen at the back of the house with Anton and in the kitchen with Mrs Schröder. She then goes upstairs with Kristine and they go with Otto and Hugo to the library. She doesn't have the opportunity to commit the murder either. Axel goes for a walk with Karl-Henrik and is then with Anton in the stable until four o'clock. Anton also has an alibi: at the time of the murder, he is first in the courtyard, where he is seen by several people, then he is with Sigrid and with Axel in the stable."
We have no reason to suspect Karl-Henrik, who certainly had a good opportunity to murder Isabella - so the only one left is ... Mrs Schröder! You've given the impression that you were in the kitchen until you gathered in the library, but when Karl-Henrik went to get his eggnog, you weren't there. You knew how important it was for your son to have a share in Forestborough Manor, that he would do anything, even betray Sigrid, who you consider your daughter, and marry the manipulative Isabella, who you hate. You got rid of her so that everything would turn out the way you wanted it to, just like you told Sigrid!"
Everyone stares at Mrs Schröder, who has collapsed on the sofa, but then sits up and admits with burning hatred in her eyes: "Yes, I murdered that horrible person! She has caused problems for everyone I care about. I couldn't trust Anton to do the right thing - now she's out of the way - and everything will be as it was meant to be! But you must find a new housekeeper to cook the food for next Christmas!"