Witness for the Prosecution By Agatha Christie

Leonard Vole  The young man, 27, accused of murder

Romaine Vole  His foreign suspicious wife, in her mid- thirties

Emily French  The murdered woman, 56

Janet Mackenzie  French’s long time housekeeper who dislikes Leonard Vole

Sir Wilfred Robards  Vole’s lead defense lawyer

Mr. Mayhew  Vole’s second council, the lawyer who he originally consulted.

The Mysterious Woman  The mysterious woman who meets with Robards and Mayhew to deliver letters.

Additional Characters  Dr. Wyatt (medical examiner)  Mr. Clegg (forensic expert)

Summary  Though charged with the murder of Miss Emily French, Leonard Vole swears his innocence. He tells his lawyers that his devoted wife, Romaine, will give him an alibi.

Summary  Romaine declares that she hates Vole and that he is not her legal husband.  Vole goes on trial but things are not going too well. There is no real defense and his wife swears under oath that he is guilty.

Summary  Towards the conclusion of the trial, a mysterious woman brings letters to Sir Wilfred Robards that demonstrate Romaine’s intention to incriminate her husband.  In court the next day the letters are presented and Vole is found not guilty.

Summary  Vole is freed. Romaine meets Robards, Mayhew, and Leonard after the trial and reveals how she worked the lawyers and the jury.  Vole tells Romaine that he is leaving her for a younger woman. She stabs him and he immediately dies. Romaine pronounces him, “Guilty.”

Act I  Mayhew, a local lawyer, brings Leonard Vole to Sir Wilfred, a high level defense lawyer.

Act I  Leonard gives his side of the story and as he is finishing up the police come in to arrest him.

Act I  A few minutes later his wife Romaine turns up at the office also to ask how bad is the trouble her husband is in?

Evidence against Vole  Younger man w/older woman  Doesn’t bring wife to see French  Was there alone on the night of the murder  Has handled French’s finances  Only alibi is his wife  No money  No job  Allowed French to believe that he was unhappily married  French left him almost all of her money

How does Leonard refute this evidence?  Doesn’t seem to know that French left him her money  Wife will say he was at home when French was killed  Claims to have a genuine fondness for French because she reminds him of his Aunt Betsey  Volunteered information to the police

What do they anticipated as the problem with Mrs. Vole?  She is a foreigner and won’t be trusted by the jury  A wife isn’t the best witness—bias  She’ll be too emotional

What do we learn about Romaine when we first meet her?  Cold—seemingly unloving  Thinks Leonard, like all men, is a fool  Leonard helped to get her out of the Russian sector of Berlin  Really isn’t married to Leonard—was and still is—married before and Leonard doesn’t know.  Suggests that she is tired of being grateful

What can we conclude at the end of Act I  Leonard is in some serious trouble  Robards, Mayhew and the clerk think he is innocent  They are concerned on how they should treat Romaine

ACT II Who is in the line of witnesses?  Inspector Hearne (police)  Dr. Wyatt (medical examiner)  Mr. Clegg (forensic expert)  Janet Mackenzie (housekeeper)  Romaine Vole (Leonard’s wife)  Leonard Vole (the accused)

Evidence of Inspector Hearne  Window broken on the inside  No fingerprints other than French’s, MacKenzie’s and Vole’s  Nothing stolen—jewelry still on French  Blood on Vole’s sleeve  Chisel marks on the outside

Refute Inspector Hearne  Wind blew window in and it broke inside  A thief would wear gloves  Thief probably was spooked by French’s death  Vole cut himself with a knife  Chisel didn’t match one Vole owned

Evidence of Dr. Wyatt  French was hit behind her left ear  Died between 9:30—10:00 pm  No evidence of a struggle  Left-handed killer (probable but not necessarily  Blow could have been delivered by either a woman or a man

Refute Dr. Wyatt  Left-handed killer (probable but not necessarily) Leonard is not left- handed  Blow could have been delivered by either a woman or a man

Evidence of Janet MacKenzie  Heard Vole’s voice just after nine  Knew that Vole was aware of the will  Knew that Vole helped with French’s finances  Said French was buying books about older women marrying younger men

Refute Janet MacKenzie  Needs a hearing aid  Knew that the will originally was in her favor  Feared that Vole would change her relationship with French

Evidence of Romaine Vole  Leonard came in 10:10 pm  His sleeve had blood on it  She said he announced ”I’ve killed her.”  Leonard told her to lie to the police.

Refute Romaine Vole  Romaine used Leonard to get out of Germany  She has admitted that she is tired of being “grateful”

The court—Old Bailey

The courtroom

The Judge

Hearne on the stand

Mackenzie on the stand

Myers in court

Robards in court

Vole watches Romaine’s Testimony

Papers follow trial

Mystery woman with letters

Mystery woman’s scar

Romaine watches the verdict

Vole found “not guilty”

Romaine meets Robards and explains her plan.

Romaine surprises Robards

Romaine meets Vole after trial

Romaine, Vole, and the Strawberry Blond

We meet the strawberry blond

Romaine stabs Vole Guilty, my Lord!