Death of a Doxy (Crime Line)

I hereby state and acknowledge that on Saturday, January 29, 1966, I struck my sister-in-law, Isabel Kerr, on the head with an ashtray and killed her. It was not premeditated. I did it in an uncontrollable frenzy of anger and resentment. The resentment had been festering for three years. She had been living in great luxury and my wife and I were paying for it. All of my savings were gone, and with my small salary I would soon be at the end of my rope, but she would not listen to reason, and my wife was so devoted to her that she would not do what had to be done. That Saturday morning I tried once more to persuade Isabel, but could not, and I lost control of myself and hit her. I did not mean to kill her, but I do not expect forgiveness, even from my wife. My wife insists that I must write this so that she will have evidence of the circumstances of Isabel's death. She has given me no promises and I do not know what she will do with it.

Barry Fleming"

Cramer folded it and returned it to his pocket. "Naturally, the first thing you'll say, and I said, is that he doesn't say he's going to kill himself. No good-by. But they often don't. The gun was there on the floor, and the bullet went through his right temple at the right angle. She talked a little to the precinct man, but now she's out, completely out, under sedation. Of course we'll get at her later, but I'm not expecting much. I'm spilling this to you because it settles the Kerr thing and you might as well know it, but it doesn't settle everything. The shots that were fired at Julie Jaquette. You told me yesterday that you didn't know who fired them."

"I didn't. I still don't."

"That's a goddam lie."