A Murder Mystery for Ninth Grade

Here is a little skit I wrote for my ninth graders to learn. Not the greatest in history, but it's something...

Detective: Are you Mrs. Collins?
Mrs. Collins: Yes, I am Detective. I’m glad you’ve come.
Detective: Where is the body?
Mrs. Collins: In the kitchen. Just this way, sir.
Detective: How did you know the victim?
Mrs. Collins: She was my sister, Katherine. She was visiting from New York.
Detective: When did you last see her?
Mrs. Collins: Last night. We ate dinner at 8 o’clock, and then she went to sleep. She wasn’t feeling well.
Detective: When did you find her?
Mrs. Collins: When I woke up this morning. I went to the kitchen to make breakfast. She was lying on the floor and there was blood everywhere. That’s when I called the police.
Detective: Have you touched her?
Mrs. Collins: No.
Detective: Do you know anyone who wanted to hurt your sister?
Mrs. Collins: No! She was very kind, very happy. She never hurt anyone!
Detective: Was anyone else in the house yesterday?
Mrs. Collins: Our other sister, Alison Williams was here with her husband, Roger. Oh, and my friend Amanda Jameson was here in the afternoon.
Detective: I will have to talk to all of them.
Mrs. Collins: If you want, I can call them.
Detective: Very well. Tell them to come to your house.
Miss Jameson: Good morning. Are you the detective investigating Katherine’s murder?
Detective: Yes I am. You must be Miss Jameson. Pleased to meet you.
Miss Jameson: It’s quite horrible, isn’t it? Katherine was such a wonderful woman.
Detective: Yes she was. Please sit down. I have some questions to ask.
Miss Jameson: Of course. I will do anything I can to help.
Detective: How did you know the victim?
Miss Jameson: I am her sister’s colleague, and we were friends.
Detective: What were you doing at her house yesterday?
Miss Jameson: It was her birthday. We had a small party at lunch. Just Katherine, her sisters and her brother-in-law.
Detective: What time did you leave?
Miss Jameson: I left around 4 in the afternoon. I had work at my office.
Detective: When did you finish the work?
Miss Jameson: Oh, I don’t remember. Probably around 10 o’clock.
Detective: Where did you go after you left the office?
Miss Jameson: I went home and got in bed. I was very tired.
Detective: Did anyone see you go home?
Miss Jameson: My doorman. We talked for a few minutes before I went upstairs to my apartment.
Detective: Thank you. That’s all I have to ask at the moment.
Miss Jameson: Let me know if there is anything else you need. Here is my phone number.
Detective: Thank you. Good-bye.
Mrs. Williams: Hurry Roger! I need to see Laura!
Mr. Williams: I’m coming, sweetheart. Please calm down.
Mrs. Williams: Calm down?! How can I calm down? My sister was killed!
Mr. Williams: I know, Amanda. But you need to breathe.
Mrs. Williams (sees the detective): Oh sir! Are you the detective?
Detective: Yes ma’am. May I ask what is your name?
Mrs. Williams: I am Amanda Williams, Katherine’s older sister.
Detective: Oh yes. And you must be Roger Williams.Mr. Williams: Yes sir. Where is Laura?
Detective: She is in her bedroom. She has had quite a hard morning.
Mrs. Williams: I will go to her.
Detective: Very well. I will just ask your husband some questions. (Amanda leaves.) Now, I understand you were in this house yesterday.
Mr. Williams: Yes. Amanda and I came to celebrate her birthday. We all had lunch together.
Detective: When did you leave?
Mr. Williams: I was the first to leave. I went to the dentist around 1.
Detective: What did you do after the appointment?
Mr. Williams: I did some work at home. I don’t really remember.
Detective: So, you were at home all evening?
Mr. Williams: I think so. I really don’t remember.
Detective: Well, if you remember anything, please call me.
Mr. Williams: I will. Let me find my wife.
Detective: Thank you…I have some questions for her. (Roger leaves. Amanda comes.)
Mrs. Williams: Can I help you Detective?
Detective: Yes ma’am. What time did you leave the party yesterday?
Mrs. Williams: Oh, I stayed with my sisters until the evening. I suppose I left around 6, just before they ate dinner.
Detective: And was your husband at home when you returned?
Mrs. Williams: No, he wasn’t. I think he was at his office.
Detective: He said he came home after his dentist appointment and stayed all evening.
Mrs. Williams: Really? No, no. He wasn’t home when I returned. I made him dinner, but he never came back.
Detective: After the party, when was the first time you saw your husband?
Mrs. Williams: In the middle of the night. He came in while I was sleeping. I woke up for a few minutes, then fell back to sleep.
Detective: Interesting. Does this happen often?
Mrs. Williams: Well, yes. My husband works a lot and often stays at his office until night. It is not unusual.
Detective: Mrs. Williams, do you have keys to your sisters’ house?
Mrs. Williams: Of course. Oh my god, do you think my husband murdered my sister?!
Detective: I didn’t say that. Mrs. Williams, I think we need to talk some more….