Because Elizabeth died under... suspicious circumstances.
O' Finn: Now, Miss Hildegarde, whatever gave you the idea you ought to phone the police about this matter?
What do you think, Mr. O'Finn? You're the detective. Do you think she was poisoned?
O' Finn: Well, somebody answer my question then.
How dare you, Lucy! Mr O'Finn is a detective. We gave him a clue and he figured it out for himself.
Lucy: You already knew there was a murder. We told Mr. O'Finn, didn't we?
Well, I don't know what you mean by crackpots, but your information is correct. There's a murderer on the loose in this house, and the police are doing nothing about it.
Jane: The editor told me there was somebody protesting about lack of police protection.
Well, it happened just yesterday. One of my guests, Elizabeth Ellsworth, was poisoned right in this house. Somebody here - one of the very ladies in this room, in fact, - put arsenic in the tea ; the police came and took the body away and asked a few ques
Jane: A murderer, huh? Give me the story.
We called the police and they came. They took away the body but left the murderess.
Jane: Why don't you just call the police?
Young lady, why don't you threaten Mr. O'Finn? Tell him you'll write a story showing how he's neglecting his duty.
Amantha: We want Mr. O'Finn.
Birdie, control yourself. There's a stranger present.
Birdie: Oh, I must remember to swoon this time. I got so excited yesterday that I completely forgot.
Mr. O'Finn is fair to old for her. She's just a snip of a girl.
Birdie: You're right, Amantha. It's not a bit fair. Mr. O'Finn belongs to us.
And we do need another murder. Mr. O'Finn wasn't paying very much attention to us. It would remind him of his duty.
Amantha: Yes, and I'm sure he'd appreciate it.
Girls, girls, we haven't time to argue. I have a suggestion. Let's all hide our eyes, like Birdie suggests. I'll put the rat poison on the tray right besides Miss Roger's cup. Then everybody walk over to the tray, one at a time. And the one who poisoned E
Birdie: Well, I'm not old enough to remember how stagecoaches sound, but maybe you are.
Well, it was just about time to have our afternoon tea. I was carrying the tray in from the kitchen, and when I saw the body, I was so surprised that I dropped the tray. I didn't touch anything, though. We know how to act now when there's been a murder. I
O' Finn: Okay, tell me about it.
You took away our rat poison, Mr. O'Finn, but I had to go buy some more. So it was probably arsenic again.
O'Finn: What makes you think that?
Oh, I don't think it was tea this time. In fact, Nettie was more afraid than anybody else. She wouldn't drink tea, not even when we were all together.
O'Finn: But you said you don't drink tea anymore.
But Mr. O' Finn should have thought of it.
Birdie: Oh, that's very clever.
Mr O'Finn is on duty, investigating a murder. And he's going to stay in this nut house until he finishes.
Jane: Let's get out of this nut house
Mr. O'Finn, those cup handles are a clue. You just go right ahead and show that... that dame... how smart you are.
O' Finn: Girls, please...
Well, of course. I expected him to arrest me. After all, I did poison Elizabeth and Nettie, didn't I? I know that wasn't very nice.
Jane: You seem happy!