User:Atcovi/In-Text Citation of "A lamb to Slaughter" by Roald Dahl (2)

The following quote, which is neither in the beginning or the end, describes the murder of Patrick Maloney by his wife, "...At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head. She might just as well have hit him with a steel club. She stepped back a pace, waiting, and the funny thing was that he remained standing there for at least four or five seconds, gently swaying. Then he crashed to the carpet...", (Dahl 1)

The following quote shows Mary Maloney's horrified feelings over Patrick Maloney's request to divorce, and when Patrick rudely told his wife that she was going out to eat, Mary Maloney lost controlled, and killed him, ""This is going to be a bit of a shock to you, I'm afraid," he said. "But I've thought about it a good deal and I've decided the only thing to do is tell you right away. I hope you won't blame me too much." And he told her. It didn't take long, four or five minutes at most, and she say very still through it all, watching him with a kind of dazed horror as he went further and further away from her with each word. "So there it is," he added. "And I know it's kind of a bad time to be telling you, bet there simply wasn't any other way. Of course I'll give you money and see you're looked after. But there needn't really be any fuss. I hope not anyway. It wouldn't be very good for my job."", (1)

.... and ""For God's sake," he said, hearing her, but not turning round. "Don't make supper for me. I'm going out." At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head. She might just as well have hit him with a steel club." (1)

The following quote shows that the victim of the murder was the murderer's husband [Patrick Maloney], "Mary Maloney was waiting for her husband to come home from work.

Now and again she would glance up at the clock, but without anxiety, merely to please herself with the thought that each minute gone by made it nearer the time when he would come. There was a slow smiling air about her, and about everything she did. The drop of a head as she bent over her sewing was curiously tranquil. Her skin--for this was her sixth month with child--had acquired a wonderful translucent quality, the mouth was soft, and the eyes, with their new placid look, seemed larger darker than before. When the clock said ten minutes to five, she began to listen, and a few moments later, punctually as always, she heard the tires on the gravel outside, and the car door slamming, the footsteps passing the window, the key turning in the lock. She laid aside her sewing, stood up, and went forward to kiss him as he came in.

"Hullo darling," she said. "Hullo darling," he answered.", (1)

....and later on, to the call to 911 over Patrick Maloney's death, ""Who's speaking?" "Mrs. Maloney. Mrs. Patrick Maloney." "You mean Patrick Maloney's dead?" "I think so," she sobbed. "He's lying on the floor and I think he's dead." "Be right over," the man said. The car came very quickly, and when she opened the front door, two policeman walked in. She know them both-she know nearly all the man at that precinct-and she fell right into a chair, then went over to join the other one, who was called O'Malley, kneeling by the body. "Is he dead?" she cried. "I'm afraid he is. What happened?", (1)