Miss Marple reasons that the letters were a diversion, not written by a local woman, because none contained true accusations. One person benefited from Mrs. Symmington's death: her husband. He is in love with the beautiful Elsie Holland, wanting her and his sons in his life. Planning his wife's murder, he modelled the letters on those in a case known to him from his legal practice. The police's theory about who wrote them was completely wrong. The one letter that Symmington did not write was the one to Elsie. Aimée Griffith, who was in love with Symmington for years, wrote that one. Knowing that it would be hard to prove his guilt, Miss Marple concocted a scheme to expose him, enlisting Megan to provoke him with the certain result that he would then attempt to kill her.