Expecting him to leave her was out.

To divorce Angus would be unacceptable. The house they lived in, she had substantially built. However, it was on land given Angus by his father. This meant either she would have to buy the land from Angus, (assuming he would sell), let him buy her out (if he ever had money), or have the court sell it and divide the money, (meaning Angus would come out ahead).

So divorce was not in her interest.

One evening, as she was eating the dinner Angus had cooked, (he considered that if she bought the food and he cooked it they were even), she had an idea.

She went around it a few times, tested it in the most mild way, and decided that it would work.

Karla had her own office and own secretary at the Ministry of Energy. Angus often came by, usually to borrow money. To facilitate this process, he brought her a lunch he had prepared before asking.

Karla’s secretary, Miss Lewin, (whom may or may not have shared a bed with Angus) liked him quite well.

Karla purchased a large chicken on Monday. Angus roasted it and said he’d bring a portion for Karla’s lunch as was expected.

That night, when Angus was out, (he claimed to be playing dominoes with boys but was actually playing bed games with girls) she filled her plastic lunch pan with a specific poison. After an hour’s soak, she returned the poison to the container, leaving the pan in the dish drain.

In the morning when she departed for work, she noted the container exactly as she had left it.

At work she began to complain about feeling ill and made numerous treks to the bathroom. When Angus came with the lunch she told him she’d forgotten to pay the telephone bill, handed him raw cash, more than certain he’d take the money for his own use, and would be quick to be off before she rethought.

When he had gone, Karla told Miss Lewin, “Oh, I wish I could eat this chicken, but I’m sick. You eat it and I’ll tell Angus how nice it was.” And went off to the bathroom.

When she came back Miss Lewin had finished the lunch and told her it had been delicious. Karla made a weak smile. Then Miss Lewin began to feel sick and reported to the bathroom.

When she didn’t return, Karla went to find her and raised a cry. Miss Lewin was taken to the hospital.

Everyone discussed how Karla had been ill all morning and assumed it was a ‘bug’ she had passed on to her secretary.

The next morning the police arrived.

It did not demand great investigative skills to learn that Karla MacGregor had been ill all morning, nor for a blood test to reveal traces of the same poison in her body.

Karla was aghast when Angus was arrested and charged for murder. She kept protesting that he wouldn’t have tried to kill her, but when they examined the lunch pan, which had been left at the office, they discovered the source of the poison.

Karla was a fabulous witness. She cried, she defended her husband, but the facts were clear; this faithless rogue had planned to do away with his wife.

Angus was painted very black indeed, convicted and sentenced to fifteen years in prison.

The only tragedy was that Karla had a devil of time getting a new secretary.