John Marlow is at home, using his dictation machine for creating work documents. He says "New paragraph, I have spoken to our quality control about your complaint, and I can assure you that the balance of your order will be fully up to specification, full stop. Yours sincerely, Managing Director. Next letter...." Suddenly, John hears his wife, Joan, come through the door. John asks "Is that you, Joan?" As he sees her entering the room, John could immediately tell that his wife very distraught. She says "John....Oh John". He asks her "What's the matter? What has happened?" He gives her something to drink, to help calm her nerves, then says "Sit down and tell me all about it". Joan says "I didn't leave mother's house until 10 o'clock. As it was later, I took a shortcut through the woods". John says "At this time of night?" Joan says "A man attacked me! He jumped at me from the bushes! He tried to strangle me!" John gets up and goes toward the phone. Joan asks "What are you doing?" John says "I'm calling the police, then I'm going out to look for him. What was he like?" Joan says "John, he's dead!" John asks "What did you say?" Joan says "I killed him! I had your gun. He tried to strangle me, and I shot him!" John asks "What were you doing with my gun?" Joan says "I've been taking it with me when I go out at night. I've sensed there was someone lurking in the woods, following me". John asks "The same man?" Joan says "I didn't know, I suppose". John asks "Why the hell haven't you told me before?" Joan says "You would have stopped me going out". John says "You bet I would". Joan says "I had to see if mother was alright". John says "Joan, we have to talk to the police, we must". Joan says "I couldn't stand it, the questions, the scandal..." John asks "What have we got to hide?" Joan says "It would all come out in court". John asks "What would?" Joan says "Where I have been going these past nights. My mother isn't ill, John. I've been seeing another man".