English short story where a wife makes an investigation officer eat the murder weapon











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I remember reading this English short story during my school days; it was part of our English curriculum 18-19 years ago.



Plot:



It starts with a wife killing her husband with turkey or chicken or some other food item : not a planned murder but one in anger during a fight. Then the murder investigation starts and a police constable tries to figure out who killed him, but he fails and didn't even get his hands on the murder weapon. In the end, the wife offers him a dish made out of the murder weapon and he starts eating it while either he or the wife says something like:




Sometimes evidence is just under your nose and you fail to find it.




While evidence was literally under his nose.



Genre: Murder Mystery/Drama










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    up vote
    19
    down vote

    favorite
    3












    I remember reading this English short story during my school days; it was part of our English curriculum 18-19 years ago.



    Plot:



    It starts with a wife killing her husband with turkey or chicken or some other food item : not a planned murder but one in anger during a fight. Then the murder investigation starts and a police constable tries to figure out who killed him, but he fails and didn't even get his hands on the murder weapon. In the end, the wife offers him a dish made out of the murder weapon and he starts eating it while either he or the wife says something like:




    Sometimes evidence is just under your nose and you fail to find it.




    While evidence was literally under his nose.



    Genre: Murder Mystery/Drama










    share|improve this question


























      up vote
      19
      down vote

      favorite
      3









      up vote
      19
      down vote

      favorite
      3






      3





      I remember reading this English short story during my school days; it was part of our English curriculum 18-19 years ago.



      Plot:



      It starts with a wife killing her husband with turkey or chicken or some other food item : not a planned murder but one in anger during a fight. Then the murder investigation starts and a police constable tries to figure out who killed him, but he fails and didn't even get his hands on the murder weapon. In the end, the wife offers him a dish made out of the murder weapon and he starts eating it while either he or the wife says something like:




      Sometimes evidence is just under your nose and you fail to find it.




      While evidence was literally under his nose.



      Genre: Murder Mystery/Drama










      share|improve this question















      I remember reading this English short story during my school days; it was part of our English curriculum 18-19 years ago.



      Plot:



      It starts with a wife killing her husband with turkey or chicken or some other food item : not a planned murder but one in anger during a fight. Then the murder investigation starts and a police constable tries to figure out who killed him, but he fails and didn't even get his hands on the murder weapon. In the end, the wife offers him a dish made out of the murder weapon and he starts eating it while either he or the wife says something like:




      Sometimes evidence is just under your nose and you fail to find it.




      While evidence was literally under his nose.



      Genre: Murder Mystery/Drama







      story-identification short-stories






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      share|improve this question













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      share|improve this question








      edited 3 hours ago









      Rand al'Thor

      24.3k872192




      24.3k872192










      asked yesterday









      Ankit Sharma

      438419




      438419






















          1 Answer
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          down vote



          accepted










          Lamb To The Slaughter.



          This was a short story by Roald Dahl that was initially rejected.




          She owes it to the child to escape discovery if she can. She prepares the leg of lamb that she used as a weapon and places it in the oven to somewhat destroy the evidence. Then she considers an alibi. After practising a cheerful mask and some innocuous remarks to make in conversation, she visits the grocer and chats blandly with him about what to make for Patrick's dinner. Upon her return to the house and to the room where her husband lies dead on the floor, she acts surprised and meaningfully cries. She then calls the police.
          When the police (who are all friends of her husband) arrive, they ask Mary questions and look at the scene. Considering Mary above suspicion, the police conclude that Patrick was killed by an intruder with a large blunt object likely made of metal. After they make a fruitless search around the house and surrounding area, Mary is reminded that the leg is just about done and offers it to the policemen. She points out that they have already been working through and past the dinner hour, and that the meat will otherwise go to waste; they hesitate, but accept. During the meal, as Mary sits nearby but does not join them, the policemen discuss the murder weapon's possible location. One officer, his mouth full of meat, says it is "probably right under our very noses". Mary, overhearing them, begins to giggle.
          - Lamb To The Slaughter - Wikipedia




          This seems to match your description pretty well.






          share|improve this answer





















          • You were faster then Jenayah
            – Ankit Sharma
            yesterday






          • 1




            good job me! thank you wikipedia :D
            – padfoot
            yesterday






          • 1




            Yup. In fact the students I tutor are still reading that in their high school classes...
            – Luke Sawczak
            23 hours ago






          • 10




            What a morose twist to "Mary had a little lamb"
            – Lord Farquaad
            22 hours ago








          • 3




            This was also made into an episode in the TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". The episode has the same name as the story.
            – Casual Contributor
            21 hours ago











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          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes








          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes








          up vote
          25
          down vote



          accepted










          Lamb To The Slaughter.



          This was a short story by Roald Dahl that was initially rejected.




          She owes it to the child to escape discovery if she can. She prepares the leg of lamb that she used as a weapon and places it in the oven to somewhat destroy the evidence. Then she considers an alibi. After practising a cheerful mask and some innocuous remarks to make in conversation, she visits the grocer and chats blandly with him about what to make for Patrick's dinner. Upon her return to the house and to the room where her husband lies dead on the floor, she acts surprised and meaningfully cries. She then calls the police.
          When the police (who are all friends of her husband) arrive, they ask Mary questions and look at the scene. Considering Mary above suspicion, the police conclude that Patrick was killed by an intruder with a large blunt object likely made of metal. After they make a fruitless search around the house and surrounding area, Mary is reminded that the leg is just about done and offers it to the policemen. She points out that they have already been working through and past the dinner hour, and that the meat will otherwise go to waste; they hesitate, but accept. During the meal, as Mary sits nearby but does not join them, the policemen discuss the murder weapon's possible location. One officer, his mouth full of meat, says it is "probably right under our very noses". Mary, overhearing them, begins to giggle.
          - Lamb To The Slaughter - Wikipedia




          This seems to match your description pretty well.






          share|improve this answer





















          • You were faster then Jenayah
            – Ankit Sharma
            yesterday






          • 1




            good job me! thank you wikipedia :D
            – padfoot
            yesterday






          • 1




            Yup. In fact the students I tutor are still reading that in their high school classes...
            – Luke Sawczak
            23 hours ago






          • 10




            What a morose twist to "Mary had a little lamb"
            – Lord Farquaad
            22 hours ago








          • 3




            This was also made into an episode in the TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". The episode has the same name as the story.
            – Casual Contributor
            21 hours ago















          up vote
          25
          down vote



          accepted










          Lamb To The Slaughter.



          This was a short story by Roald Dahl that was initially rejected.




          She owes it to the child to escape discovery if she can. She prepares the leg of lamb that she used as a weapon and places it in the oven to somewhat destroy the evidence. Then she considers an alibi. After practising a cheerful mask and some innocuous remarks to make in conversation, she visits the grocer and chats blandly with him about what to make for Patrick's dinner. Upon her return to the house and to the room where her husband lies dead on the floor, she acts surprised and meaningfully cries. She then calls the police.
          When the police (who are all friends of her husband) arrive, they ask Mary questions and look at the scene. Considering Mary above suspicion, the police conclude that Patrick was killed by an intruder with a large blunt object likely made of metal. After they make a fruitless search around the house and surrounding area, Mary is reminded that the leg is just about done and offers it to the policemen. She points out that they have already been working through and past the dinner hour, and that the meat will otherwise go to waste; they hesitate, but accept. During the meal, as Mary sits nearby but does not join them, the policemen discuss the murder weapon's possible location. One officer, his mouth full of meat, says it is "probably right under our very noses". Mary, overhearing them, begins to giggle.
          - Lamb To The Slaughter - Wikipedia




          This seems to match your description pretty well.






          share|improve this answer





















          • You were faster then Jenayah
            – Ankit Sharma
            yesterday






          • 1




            good job me! thank you wikipedia :D
            – padfoot
            yesterday






          • 1




            Yup. In fact the students I tutor are still reading that in their high school classes...
            – Luke Sawczak
            23 hours ago






          • 10




            What a morose twist to "Mary had a little lamb"
            – Lord Farquaad
            22 hours ago








          • 3




            This was also made into an episode in the TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". The episode has the same name as the story.
            – Casual Contributor
            21 hours ago













          up vote
          25
          down vote



          accepted







          up vote
          25
          down vote



          accepted






          Lamb To The Slaughter.



          This was a short story by Roald Dahl that was initially rejected.




          She owes it to the child to escape discovery if she can. She prepares the leg of lamb that she used as a weapon and places it in the oven to somewhat destroy the evidence. Then she considers an alibi. After practising a cheerful mask and some innocuous remarks to make in conversation, she visits the grocer and chats blandly with him about what to make for Patrick's dinner. Upon her return to the house and to the room where her husband lies dead on the floor, she acts surprised and meaningfully cries. She then calls the police.
          When the police (who are all friends of her husband) arrive, they ask Mary questions and look at the scene. Considering Mary above suspicion, the police conclude that Patrick was killed by an intruder with a large blunt object likely made of metal. After they make a fruitless search around the house and surrounding area, Mary is reminded that the leg is just about done and offers it to the policemen. She points out that they have already been working through and past the dinner hour, and that the meat will otherwise go to waste; they hesitate, but accept. During the meal, as Mary sits nearby but does not join them, the policemen discuss the murder weapon's possible location. One officer, his mouth full of meat, says it is "probably right under our very noses". Mary, overhearing them, begins to giggle.
          - Lamb To The Slaughter - Wikipedia




          This seems to match your description pretty well.






          share|improve this answer












          Lamb To The Slaughter.



          This was a short story by Roald Dahl that was initially rejected.




          She owes it to the child to escape discovery if she can. She prepares the leg of lamb that she used as a weapon and places it in the oven to somewhat destroy the evidence. Then she considers an alibi. After practising a cheerful mask and some innocuous remarks to make in conversation, she visits the grocer and chats blandly with him about what to make for Patrick's dinner. Upon her return to the house and to the room where her husband lies dead on the floor, she acts surprised and meaningfully cries. She then calls the police.
          When the police (who are all friends of her husband) arrive, they ask Mary questions and look at the scene. Considering Mary above suspicion, the police conclude that Patrick was killed by an intruder with a large blunt object likely made of metal. After they make a fruitless search around the house and surrounding area, Mary is reminded that the leg is just about done and offers it to the policemen. She points out that they have already been working through and past the dinner hour, and that the meat will otherwise go to waste; they hesitate, but accept. During the meal, as Mary sits nearby but does not join them, the policemen discuss the murder weapon's possible location. One officer, his mouth full of meat, says it is "probably right under our very noses". Mary, overhearing them, begins to giggle.
          - Lamb To The Slaughter - Wikipedia




          This seems to match your description pretty well.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered yesterday









          padfoot

          38226




          38226












          • You were faster then Jenayah
            – Ankit Sharma
            yesterday






          • 1




            good job me! thank you wikipedia :D
            – padfoot
            yesterday






          • 1




            Yup. In fact the students I tutor are still reading that in their high school classes...
            – Luke Sawczak
            23 hours ago






          • 10




            What a morose twist to "Mary had a little lamb"
            – Lord Farquaad
            22 hours ago








          • 3




            This was also made into an episode in the TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". The episode has the same name as the story.
            – Casual Contributor
            21 hours ago


















          • You were faster then Jenayah
            – Ankit Sharma
            yesterday






          • 1




            good job me! thank you wikipedia :D
            – padfoot
            yesterday






          • 1




            Yup. In fact the students I tutor are still reading that in their high school classes...
            – Luke Sawczak
            23 hours ago






          • 10




            What a morose twist to "Mary had a little lamb"
            – Lord Farquaad
            22 hours ago








          • 3




            This was also made into an episode in the TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". The episode has the same name as the story.
            – Casual Contributor
            21 hours ago
















          You were faster then Jenayah
          – Ankit Sharma
          yesterday




          You were faster then Jenayah
          – Ankit Sharma
          yesterday




          1




          1




          good job me! thank you wikipedia :D
          – padfoot
          yesterday




          good job me! thank you wikipedia :D
          – padfoot
          yesterday




          1




          1




          Yup. In fact the students I tutor are still reading that in their high school classes...
          – Luke Sawczak
          23 hours ago




          Yup. In fact the students I tutor are still reading that in their high school classes...
          – Luke Sawczak
          23 hours ago




          10




          10




          What a morose twist to "Mary had a little lamb"
          – Lord Farquaad
          22 hours ago






          What a morose twist to "Mary had a little lamb"
          – Lord Farquaad
          22 hours ago






          3




          3




          This was also made into an episode in the TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". The episode has the same name as the story.
          – Casual Contributor
          21 hours ago




          This was also made into an episode in the TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". The episode has the same name as the story.
          – Casual Contributor
          21 hours ago


















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