Free Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie

Biarritz, but she said she was going on to Spain. I was to tell Kelvin that she did not want a divorce. He had better forget her as soon as possible.'
    'I showed the letter to Kelvin. He said very little. He was going ahead with his plans. He wired out to his first wife's people in New Zealand asking them to take the child. He settled up his affairs and he then entered a very good private mental home and consented to have appropriate treatment. That treatment, however, did nothing to help him. He died there two years later. I can give you the address of the place. It's in Norfolk. The present Superintendent was a young doctor there at the time, and will probably be able to give you full details of your father's case.'
    Gwenda said: 'And you got another letter from your sister—after that again?'
    'Oh yes. About six months later. She wrote from Florence—gave an address poste restante as “Miss Kennedy”. She said she realized that perhaps it was unfair to Kelvin not to have a divorce—though she herself did not want one. If he wanted a divorce and I would let her know, she would see that he had the necessary evidence. I took the letter to Kelvin. He said at once that he did not want a divorce. I wrote to her and told her so. Since then I have never heard any more. I don't know where she is living, or indeed if she is alive or dead. That is why I was attracted by your advertisement and hoped that I should get news of her.'
    He added gently: 'I'm very sorry about this, Gwennie. But you had to know. I only wish you could have left well alone...'

Sleeping Murder

Chapter 9 – Unknown Factor?
    When Giles came back from seeing Dr Kennedy off, he found Gwenda sitting where he had left her. There was a bright red patch on each of her cheeks, and her eyes looked feverish. When she spoke her voice was harsh and brittle.
    'What's the old catchphrase? Death or madness either way? That's what this is—death or madness.'
    'Gwenda—darling.' Giles went to her—put his arm round her. Her body felt hard and stiff.
    'Why didn't we leave it all alone? Why didn't we? It was my own father who strangled her. And it was my own father's voice I heard saying those words. No wonder it all came back—no wonder I was so frightened. My own father.'
    'Wait, Gwenda—wait. We don't really know—'
    'Of course we know! He told Dr Kennedy he had strangled his wife, didn't he?'
    'But Kennedy is quite positive he didn't—'
    'Because he didn't find a body. But there was a body—and I saw it.'
    'You saw it in the hall—not the bedroom.'
    'What difference does that make?'
    'Well, it's queer, isn't it? Why should Halliday say he strangled his wife in the bedroom if he actually strangled her in the hall?'
    'Oh, I don't know. That's just a minor detail.'
    'I'm not so sure. Pull your socks up, darling. There are some very funny points about the whole set-up. We'll take it, if you like, that your father did strangle Helen. In the hall. What happened next?'
    'He went off to Dr Kennedy.'
    'And told him he had strangled his wife in the bedroom, brought him back with him and there was no body in the hall—or in the bedroom. Dash it all, there can't be a murder without a body. What had he done with the body?'
    'Perhaps there was one and Dr Kennedy helped him and hushed it all up—only of course he couldn't tell us that,’
    Giles shook his head.
    'No, Gwenda—I don't see Kennedy acting that way. He's a hard-headed, shrewd, unemotional Scotsman. You're suggesting that he'd be willing to put himself in jeopardy as an accessory after the fact. I don't believe he would. He'd do his best for Halliday by giving evidence as to his mental state—that, yes. But why should he stick his neck out to hush the whole thing up? Kelvin Halliday wasn't any relation to him, nor a close friend. It was his own sister who had been killed and he was clearly fond of her—even if he did show slight Victorian disapproval of her gay ways. It's not, even, as though you were his