HiseyerovedoverthegroupandpickedoutGiles.
"AreyouMrDavis?CanIgettheseskisoffandstowthemsomewhere?"
"Ofcourse,comewithme."
MrsBoylesaidacidlyasthedoortothehallclosedbehindthem,"Isupposethat"swhatwepayourpoliceforcefor,nowadays,togoroundenjoyingthemselvesatwintersports."
ParavicinihadcomeclosetoMolly.Therewasquiteahissinhisvoiceashesaidinaquick,lowvoice,"Whydidyousendforthepolice,MrsDavis?"
Sherecoiledalittlebeforethesteadymalignityofhisglance.ThiswasanewMrParavicini.Foramomentshefeltafraid.Shesaidhelplessly,"ButIdidn"t.Ididn"t."
AndthenChristopherWrencameexcitedlythroughthedoor,sayinginahighpenetratingwhisper,"Who"sthatmaninthehall?Wheredidhecomefrom?Soterriblyheartyandalloversnow."
MrsBoyle"svoiceboomedoutovertheclickofherknitting-needles."Youmaybelieveitornot,b.u.t.thatmanisapoliceman.Apoliceman-skiing!"
Thefinaldisruptionofthelowercla.s.seshadcome,sohermannerseemedtosay.
MajorMetcalfmurmuredtoMolly,"Excuseme,MrsDavis,butmayIuseyourtelephone?"
"Ofcourse,MajorMetcalf."
Hewentovertotheinstrument,justasChristopherWrensaidshrilly,"He"sveryhandsome,don"tyouthinkso?Ialwaysthinkpolicemenareterriblyattractive."
"Hullo,hullo-"MajorMetcalfwasrattlingthetelephoneirritably.HeturnedtoMolly.
"MrsDavis,thistelephoneisdead,quitedead."
"Itwasallrightjustnow.I-"
Shewasinterrupted.ChristopherWrenwaslaughing,ahigh,shrill,almosthystericallaugh."Sowe"requitecutoffnow.Quitecutoff.That"sfunny,isn"t.i.t?"
"Idon"tseeanythingtolaughat,"saidMajorMetcalfstiffly.
"No,indeed,"saidMrsBoyle.
Christopherwa.s.stillinfitsoflaughter."It"saprivatejokeofmyown,"hesaid."Hsh,"heputhisfingertohislips,"thesleuthiscoming."
GilescameinwithSergeantTrotter.Thelatterhadgotridofhisskisandbrushedoffthesnowandwasholdinginhishandalargenotebookandpencil.Hebroughtanatmosphereofunhurriedjudicialprocedurewithhim.
"Molly,"saidGiles,"SergeantTrotterwantsawordwithusalone."
Mollyfollowedthembothoutoftheroom.
"We"llgointhestudy,"Gilessaid.
Theywentintothesmallroomatthebackofthehallwhichwasdignifiedbythatname.SergeantTrotterclosedthedoorcarefullybehindhim.
"Whathavewedone,Sergeant?"Mollydemandedplaintively.
"Done?"SergeantTrotterstaredather.Thenhesmiledbroadly."Oh,"hesaid."It"snothingofthatkind,madam.I"msorryifthere"sbeenamisapprehensionofanykind.No,MrsDavis,it"ssomethingquitedifferent.It"smoreamatterofpoliceprotection,ifyouunderstandme."
Notunderstandinghimintheleast,theybothlookedathiminquiringly.
SergeantTrotterwentonfluently,"ItrelatestothedeathofMrsLyon,MrsMaureenLyon,whowasmurderedinLondontwodaysago.Youmayhavereadaboutthecase."
"Yes,"saidMolly.
"ThefirstthingIwanttoknowisifyouwereacquaintedwiththisMrsLyon?"
"Neverheardofher,"saidGiles,andMollymurmuredconcurrence.
"Well,that"sratherwhatweexpected.ButasamatteroffactLyonwasn"tthemurderedwoman"srealname.Shehadapolicerecord,andherfingerprintswereonfile,sowewereabletoidentifyherwithoutanydifficulty.HerrealnamewasGregg;MaureenGregg.Herlatehusband,JohnGregg,wasafarmerwh.o.r.esidedatLongridgeFarmnotveryfarfromhere.YoumayhaveheardoftheLongridgeFarmcase."
Theroomwasverystill.Onlyonesoundbrokethestillness,asoft,unexpectedplopa.s.snowslitheredofftheroofandfelltothegroundoutside.Itwasasecret,almostsinistersound.
Trotterwenton."ThreeevacueechildrenwerebilletedontheGreggsatLongridgeFarmin1940.Oneofthosechildrensubsequentlydiedastheresultofcriminalneglectandill-treatment.Thecasemadequiteasensation,andtheGreggswerebothsentencedtotermsofimprisonment.Greggescapedonhiswaytoprison,hestoleacarandhadacrashwhiletryingtoevadethepolice.Hewaskilledoutright.MrsGreggservedhersentenceandwasreleasedtwomonthsago."
"Andnowshe"sbeenmurdered,"saidGiles."Whodotheythinkdidit?"
ButSergeantTrotterwasnottobehurried."Yourememberthecase,sir?"heasked.
Gilesshookhishead."In1940IwasamidshipmanservingintheMediterranean."
"I-Idorememberhearingabout.i.t,Ithink,"saidMollyratherbreathlessly."Butwhydoyoucometous?Whathavewetodowithit?"
"It"saquestionofyourbeingindanger,MrsDavis!"
"Danger?"Gilesspokeincredulously.
"It"slikethis,sir.Anotebookwaspickedupnearthesceneofthecrime.Initwerewrittentwoaddresses.Thefirstwa.s.seventy-FourCulverStreet."
"Wherethewomanwasmurdered?"Mollyputin.
"Yes"MrsDavis.TheotheraddresswasMonkswellManor."
"What?"Molly"stonewasincredulous."Buthowextraordinary."
"Yes.That"swhySuperintendentHogbenthought.i.timperativetofindoutifyouknewofanyconnectionbetweenyou,orbetweenthishouse,andtheLongridgeFarmcase."
"There"snothing-absolutelynothing,"saidGiles."Itmustbesomecoincidence."
SergeantTrottersaidgently,"SuperintendentHogbendoesn"tthinkitisacoincidence.He"dhavecomehimselfifithadbeenatallpossible.Undertheweatherconditions,andasI"manexpertskier,hesentmewithinstructionstogetfullparticularsofeveryoneinthishouse,toreportbacktohimbyphone,andtotakeallmeasuresIthoughtexpedientforthesafetyofthehousehold."
Gilessaidsharply."Safety?GoodLord,man,youdon"tthinksomebodyisgoingtobekilledhere?"
Trottersaidapologetically,"Ididn"twanttoupsetthelady,butyes,thatisjustwhatSuperintendentHogbendoesthink."
"Butwhatearthlyreasoncouldtherebe-"
Gilesbrokeoff,andTrottersaid,"That"sjustwhatI"mheretofindout."
"b.u.t.thewholething"scrazy."
"Yes,sir,but.i.t"sbecauseit"scrazythat.i.t"sdangerous."
Mollysaid,"There"ssomethingmoreyouhaven"ttoldusyet,isn"tthere,Sergeant?"
"Yes,madam.Atthetopofthepageinthenotebookwaswritten,"ThreeBlindMice."Pinnedtothedeadwoman"sbodywasapaperwith"Thisisthefirst"writtenonit.Andbelowitadrawingofthreemiceandabarofmusic.Themusicwasthetuneofthenurseryrhyme"ThreeBlindMice.""
Mollysangsoftly: "ThreeBlindMice,Seehowtheyrun.Theyallranafterthefarmer"swife!She-"
Shebrokeoff."Oh,it"shorrible-horrible.Therewerethreechildren,weren"tthere?"
"Yes,MrsDavis.Aboyoffifteen,agirloffourteen,andtheboyoftwelvewhodied."
"Whathappenedtotheothers?"
"Thegirlwas,Ibelieve,adoptedbysomeone.Wehaven"tbeenabletotraceher.Theboywouldbejustontwenty-threenow.We"velosttrackofhim.Hewa.s.saidtohavealwaysbeenabit-queer.Hejoinedupinthearmyateighteen.Laterhedeserted.Sincethenhe"sdisappeared.Thearmypsychiatristsaysdefinitelythathe"snotnormal."
"Youthinkthat.i.twashewhokilledMrsLyon?"Gilesasked."Andthathe"sahomicidalmaniacandmayturnuphereforsomeunknownreason?"
"WethinkthattheremustbeaconnectionbetweensomeonehereandtheLongridgeFarmbusiness.Oncewecanestablishwhatthatconnectionis,wewillbeforearmed.Nowyoustate,sir,thatyouyourselfhavenoconnectionwiththatcase.Thesamegoesforyou,MrsDavis?"
"I-oh,yes-yes."
"Perhapsyouwilltellmeexactlywhoelsethereisinthehouse?"
Theygavehimthenames.MrsBoyle.MajorMetcalf.MrChristopherWren.MrParavicini.
Hewrotethemdowninhisnotebook.
"Servants?"
"Wehaven"tanyservants,"saidMolly."Andthatremindsme,Imustgoandputthepotatoeson."
Sheleftthestudyabruptly.
TrotterturnedtoGiles."Whatdoyouknowaboutthesepeople,sir?"
"I-We-"Gilespaused.Thenhesaidquietly,"Really,wedon"tknowanythingaboutthem,SergeantTrotter.MrsBoylewrotefromaBournemouthhotel.MajorMetcalffromLeamington.MrWrenfromaprivatehotelinSouthKensington.MrParavicinijustturnedupoutoftheblue-orratheroutofthewhite-hiscaroverturnedinasnowdriftnearhere.Still,Isupposethey"llhaveident.i.tycards,rationbooks,thatsortofthing?"
"Ishallgointoallthat,ofcourse."
"Inawayit"sluckythattheweatherissoawful,"saidGiles."Themurderercan"tverywellturnupinthis,canhe?"
"Perhapshedoesn"tneedto,MrDavis."
"Whatdoyoumean?"
SergeantTrotterhesitatedforamomentandthenhesaid,"You"vegottoconsider,sir,thathemaybeherealready."
Gilesstaredathim.
"Whatdoyoumean?"
"MrsGreggwaskilledtwodaysago.Allyourvisitorsherehavearrivedsincethen,MrDavis."
"Yes,b.u.t.they"dbookedbeforehand-sometimebeforehand-exceptforParavicini."
SergeantTrottersighed.Hisvoicesoundedtired."Thesecrimeswereplannedinadvance."
"Crimes?Butonlyonecrimehashappenedyet.Whyareyousurethattherewillbeanother?"
"That.i.twillhappen-no.Ihopetopreventthat.That.i.twillbeattempted,yes."
"b.u.t.then-ifyou"reright,"Gilesspokeexcitedly,"there"sonlyonepersonitcouldbe.There"sonlyonepersonwho"stherightage.ChristopherWren!"
SergeantTrotterhadjoinedMollyinthekitchen.
"I"dbeglad,MrsDavis,ifyouwouldcomewithmetothelibrary.Iwanttomakeageneralstatementtoeveryone.MrDavishaskindlygonetopreparetheway-"
"Allright-justletmefinishthesepotatoes.SometimesIwishSirWalterRaleighhadneverdiscoveredthebeastlythings."
SergeantTrotterpreservedadisapprovingsilence.Mollysaidapologetically,"Ican"treallybelieveit,yousee-It"ssofantastic-"
"Itisn"tfantastic,MrsDavis-It"sjustplainfacts."
"Youhaveadescriptionoftheman?"Mollyaskedcuriously.
"Mediumheight,slightbuild,woreadarkovercoatandalighthat,spokeinawhisper,hisfacewashiddenbyam.u.f.fler.Yousee-thatmightbeanybody."Hepausedandadded,"Therearethreedarkovercoatsandlighthatshangingupinyourhallhere,MrsDavis."
"Idon"tthinkanyofthesepeoplecamefromLondon."
"Didn"tthey,MrsDavis?"WithaswiftmovementSergeantTrottermovedtothedresserandpickedupanewspaper.
"TheEveningStandardofFebruary19th.Twodaysago.Someonebroughtthatpaperhere,MrsDavis."
"Buthowextraordinary."Mollystared,somefaintchordofmemorystirred."Wherecanthatpaperhavecomefrom?"
"Youmustn"ttakepeoplealwaysattheirfacevalue,MrsDavis.Youdon"treallyknowanythingaboutthesepeopleyouhaveadmittedtoyourhouse."Headded,"ItakeityouandMrDavisarenewtotheguest-housebusiness?"
"Yes,weare,"Mollyadmitted.Shefeltsuddenlyyoung,foolish,andchildish.
"Youhaven"tbeenmarriedlong,perhaps,either?"
"Justayear."Sheblushedslightly."Itwasallrathersudden."
"Loveatfirstsight,"saidSergeantTrottersympathetically.