Mary
Who is Mary Maloney waiting for at the beginning of the story?
She is waiting for her husband, Patrick Maloney, to come home from work.
What is Patrick’s job?
He is a police officer.
How is the house described at the beginning of the story?
It is warm and clean, with the lights on and curtains closed.
Who are the two policemen who come to the house?
Jack Noonan and John O’Malley.
Why does Mary pretend to cry when she calls the police?
She wants to convince them that she is innocent.
How does Mary feel about her husband?
She loves him very much and enjoys spending time with him.
How does Patrick act when he gets home?
He is quiet, tired, and drinks a lot of whiskey.
What does Mary do after she kills Patrick?
She puts the lamb in the oven and cleans herself up.
How do the police treat Mary?
They are kind and comforting because she is a pregnant widow.
How does Mary act at the grocery store?
She is cheerful and acts like everything is normal.
What does Mary take from the freezer?
Mary takes the leg of lamb from the freezer.
What news does Patrick probably tell Mary?
It is not directly stated, but he is probably telling her that he is leaving her.
No se dice directamente, pero probablemente le esté diciendo que la deja.
Why does Mary turn on the oven?
She wants to cook the lamb so that it is not seen as a weapon.
What do the police think the murder weapon is?
They believe it is a heavy metal object like a wrench or bat.
What does the grocer, Sam, sell to Mary?
He sells her potatoes, peas, and cheesecake.
What does Mary do with the frozen leg of lamb?
She hits Patrick on the back of the head with it.
How does Patrick react when Mary offers to make him dinner?
He refuses and tells her not to bother.
What does Mary do when she comes back from the store?
She pretends to find Patrick’s dead body and calls the police.
Why do the police not suspect Mary?
She is a pregnant woman, acts innocent, and has an alibi.
What do the detectives ask Mary when they arrive at the house?
They ask her what happened, where she was, and which grocery store she went to.
Why does Mary go to the grocery store?
She wants to create an alibi so that no one suspects her of the crime.
What happens to Patrick in the story?
Mary kills him by hitting him with a frozen leg of lamb.
Why does Mary put on makeup before going out?
She wants to look normal so that no one suspects her of the crime.
Why do the police come to Mary’s house?
They come because Mary calls them, saying that she found Patrick dead on the floor.
What does Mary do right after she realizes she has killed Patrick?
She stays still for a moment, then thinks about what will happen to her and her unborn baby. She decides to cover up the crime by acting normal.