Alice and Mary

Alice   Excuse me, are you er the new person who's just moved in across the street?

Mary  Yes, I am.

A    Hello, my name's Alice. I own the flower shop on the corner.

M   Mmm. Nice to meet you. I'm Mary.

A    Have you heard the news?

M   Er, No, what's happened?

A    Well, the man who lives in the big house at the end of the village was murdered last night.

M   What?!

A    Yes, at the um, new Garden Centre.

M   The Garden Centre?

A    Yes, that's the place where they found the body. Jack Miller – he's the man who was murdered - is the owner. And it, um, only opened 2 weeks ago.

M   How... how was he killed?

A    They said on the radio he was shot.

M   Oh, dear, that's terrible. So, um, you probably know everyone who lives in the village. Who do you think did it?

A    Well, um I shouldn't be saying this. but er do you know Barry Clark?

M   Um, no ...

A    He’s Jack's business partner. Apparently they had a big argument yesterday at the Garden Centre.

M   What were they arguing about?

A    Money. Barry said Jack was stealing from him. And you don't want to steal from Barry Clark - he's a bit crazy, if you know what I mean.

M   Right.

A    And then of course there's um... Ellen, Jack's wife. Last month she told me Jack um wanted to leave her - You know, get divorced.

M   Oh, dear.

A    Yes, she was very upset, obviously. Her marriage is the only thing which makes her happy. Especially after um ... after what happened to their son.

M   Why, what happened?

A    Well, 4 years ago their son, Adam, was sent to prison.

M   Oh, no. What for?

A    He robbed the local post office and um shot a policeman while he was trying to escape.

M   That’s terrible. So he’s still in prison then?

A    No, he came out 2 weeks ago. And they never found the money that was stolen.

M   Hmm... and I thought Yately was a sleepy Village where nothing ever happened.