“Oh, I wish you'd shut up!” Mesurier said, exasperated. “It's all very well for you to lie there and sneer, but I'm in a damned awkward position.”
“So are we all,” replied Kenneth, quite unmoved. “Moreover, this new development gives Tony a nice, pure motive for murdering Arnold. Tell me, Tony, would you really murder Arnold to protect Rudolph's fair name?”
“Yes, of course I would!” said Antonia bristling. 'I don't mean that I approve of him embezzling funds, because, as a matter of fact, I think it's a poor show, but I wouldn't let Arnold prosecute him if I could stop it. If it comes to that, wouldn't you have murdered him for Violet's sake?”
“Don't confuse the motives. I murdered him for the sake of his money. You've got the noble motives: and Rudolph's is the sordid one.”
“No more sordid than yours!”
“Oh yes, darling! Comes under the same heading as card-sharping and shop-lifting.”
Giles interposed. “Shut up, Kenneth. None of this leads anywhere, and it isn't particularly pleasant for Mesurier. Were you out in your car on the night of the murder, Mesurier?”
Rudolph looked uncertainly from one to the other. “Don't be coy,” recommended Kenneth. “We all know you were by this time.”
“Well, as a matter of fact, I was,” Rudolph said, taking the plunge. “That's what makes it so frightful.” He began to walk jerkily up and down the studio. “When that detective asked me, I denied it. I mean, what else could I do? They can't prove I was out. It would be absolutely circumstantial evidence, and it seemed to me my best plan was to stick to it that I was at home. Only now you -” he looked at Giles - “say if I was out in my car, I couldn't have done the murder, so…” He stopped and gave a nervous little laugh. “So now I don't know what to do.”
“With any luck,” remarked Kenneth, “we'll foist this murder on to Rudolph.”