"It was quite clever of you, dear," Miss Marple said in her gentle, relentless way, peering at the murderess as she continued to knit, "to substitute that sugar rose on the totally harmless birthday cake with a poisoned one, knowing that Evadne-Ann, known to be such a greedy girl, would sneak into the dining room and eat it before the party, so that everyone would naturally think that it was meant to kill the birthday girl... you.

"You hated her so very much, didn't you?"

Evadne-Anne's friend sank down in the over-stuffed armchair opposite, and put her head in her hands. "Since we were at school together, and yes, she stole food even then."