Mary Maloney, a pregnant young woman in 20th century England, waits for her husband Patrick to return home from his job as a detective for the local police. When he returns, Mary notices that he is strangely aloof and assumes that he has had trouble at work. After blatantly ignoring her, Patrick finally reveals (to Mary; the information is kept from the reader, although it is insinuated that he wants to leave her) what it is that is making him act strangely.
In shock at the news, and seemingly in a trance, Mary fetches a large leg of lamb from the deep-freeze in the cellar to cook for their dinner, apparently trying to restore to sense of normality. Then Patrick angrily tells Mary not to make him any dinner, as he is going out. She then strikes Patrick in the back of the head with the frozen lamb leg, killing him. After pacing the room, Mary realizes that she must hide her crime, since she is aware of the punishment she would face and she is scared for her baby and is not sure whether it would live. She prepares the leg of lamb and places it in the oven. Then, after practicing a cheerful routine to show the world, she heads out to the store to buy some vegetables for her roast from the Grocer. This is so she can form an alibi for the crime. Upon returning, she enters the room where she killed her husband and calls the police.
When the police arrive, they question Mary and survey the scene. The police, lacking any reason to be suspicious of Mary because Mr. Maloney was actually a policeman too, come to the conclusion that Mary's husband was killed with a large blunt object, likely made of metal. They then search the house and surrounding area for the murderer's weapon. After a fruitless search, the police realize that no one has turned off the oven. Mary offers all the policemen the cooked leg, which the policemen kindly accept. When the lamb is nearly finished, the police facetiously discuss the possibility of the murder weapon's location. One officer says "Its probably right under our very noses". Mary begins to giggle, knowing that the police have just eaten the evidence and because she has outsmarted the police and got away with it.
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