Busman's Honeymoon Part III

When the police are questioning people, some startling information emerges which widens the pool of suspects. Mrs Ruddle, who is a spiteful, stupid woman, tells Inspector Kirk that Joe Sellon, the local bobby, was at the house on the night of Noakes' death. He was shouting aggressively through the window at the old man. It comes out that Joe had found some money in a wallet, which Noakes had dropped. He stole it. Noakes found out and started to blackmail him.. Sellon who has a young wife and a baby - which was why he stole the money - was still paying him and getting desperate. Joe tells Kirk that he was at the house and could see the clock, so he knew the time. However, Peter tells Kirk that he would like to believe that the young man is telling the truth, but he is not. If he was at the window, he could not have seen Noakes' clock, as there is a large cactus plant in a hanging basket, in the way. Therefore, it seems more likely that Joe managed to get inside the house and attacked Noakes. Peter points out that Noakes was a timid man. Would he allow an angry man into his house like that? But it might be the case that Sellon had agreed to pay him more money and he let him in to do so. Peter feels sorry for Joe, who is poor and desperate - but it seems that all the suspects are more likable than Noakes himself. Miss Twitterton might have done it, as she was someone that Noakes trusted, so he might well turn his back on her and she could have then struck him with a poker. It seems unlikely, as she is a little woman, but it's possible that she felt angry and worried enough about the loss of her money to attack her uncle, knowing that she would inherit whatever he had. Frank Crutchley has a grievance also but he never had keys or access to the house and has an alibi for the night when Noakes was killed.