Shespokeinawhiningandyetthreateningvoice:"WhatdoIwant,youask?What,indeed!Thatwhichhasbeentookawayfromme.WhoturnedmeoutofKingsdeanHouse?I"dlivedthere,girlandwoman,fornearonfortyyears.Itwasablackdeedtoturnmeout,andit"sblackbadluckit"llbringtoyouandhim!"
Louisesaid,"You"vegotaverynicecottageand-"
Shebrokeoff.Theoldwoman"sarmsflewup.Shescreamed."What"sthegoodofthattome?It"smyownplaceIwantandmyownfireasIsatbesideallthemyears.Andasforyouandhim,I"mtellingyoutherewillbenohappinessforyouinyournewfinehouse.It"stheblacksorrowwillbeuponyou!Sorrowanddeathandmycurse.Mayyourfairfacerot."
Louiseturnedawayandbrokeintoalittlestumblingrun.Shethought,"Imustgetawayfromhere!Wemustsellthehouse!Wemustgoaway."
Atthemomentsuchasolutionseemedeasytoher.ButHarry"sutterincomprehensiontookheraback.Heexclaimed,"Leavehere?Sellthehouse?Becauseofacrazyoldwoman"sthreats?Youmustbemad."
"No,I"mnot.Butshe-shefrightensme.Iknowsomethingwillhappen."
HarryLaxtonsaidgrimly,"LeaveMrsMurgatroydtome.I"llsettleher!"
AfriendshiphadsprungupbetweenClariceVaneandyoungMrsLaxton.Thetwogirlsweremuchofanage,thoughdissimilarbothincharacterandintastes.InClarice"scompanyLouisefoundrea.s.surance.Claricewa.s.soself-reliant,sosureofherself.Louis.e.m.e.ntionedthematterofMrsMurgatroydandherthreats,butClariceseemedtoregardthematterasmoreannoyingthanfrightening.
"It"ssostupid,thatsortofthing,"shesaid."Andreallyveryannoyingforyou."
"Youknow,Clarice,I-Ifeelquitefrightenedsometimes.Myheartgivesthemostawfuljumps."
"Nonsense,youmustn"tletasillythinglikethatgetyoudown.She"llsoontireofit."
Louisewa.s.silentforaminuteortwo.
Claricesaid,"What"sthematter?"
Louisepausedforaminute,thenheranswercamewitharush:"Ihatethisplace!Ihatebeinghere.Thewoodsandthishouse,andtheawfulsilenceatnight,andthequeernoiseowlsmake.Oh,andthepeopleandeverything."
"Thepeople.Whatpeople?"
"Thepeopleinthevillage.Thoseprying,gossippingoldmaids."
Claricesaidsharply,"Whathavetheybeensaying?"
"Idon"tknow.Nothingparticular.b.u.t.they"vegotnastyminds.Whenyou"vetalkedtothemyoufeelyouwouldn"ttrustanybody-notanybodyatall."
Claricesaidharshly,"Forgetthem.They"venothingtodobutgossip.Andmostofthemucktheytalktheyjustinvent."
Louisesaid,"Iwishwe"dnevercomehere.ButHarryadoresitso."Hervoicesoftened.
Claricethought,"Howsheadoreshim."
Shesaidabruptly,"Imustgonow."
"I"llsendyoubackinthecar.Comeagainsoon."
Claricenodded.
Louisefeltcomfortedbyhernewfriend"svisit.HarrywaspleasedtofindhermorecheerfulandfromthenonurgedhertohaveClariceoftentothehouse.
Thenonedayhesaid,"Goodnewsforyou,darling."
"Oh,what?"
"I"vefixedtheMurgatroyd.She"sgotasoninAmerica,youknow.Well,I"vearrangedforhertogooutandjoinhim.I"llpayherpa.s.sage."
"Oh,Harry,howwonderful.IbelieveImightgettolikeKingsdeanafterall."
"Gettolikeit?Why,it"sthemostwonderfulplaceintheworld!"
Louisegavealittleshiver.Shecouldnotridherselfofhersuperst.i.tiousfearsoeasily.
IftheladiesofStMaryMeadhadhopedforthepleasureofimpartinginformationaboutherhusband"spasttothebride,thispleasurewasdeniedthembyHarryLaxton"sownpromptaction.
MissHarmonandClariceVanewerebothinMrEdge"sshop,theonebuyingmothb.a.l.l.sandtheotherapacketofboracic,whenHarryLaxtonandhiswifecamein.
Aftergreetingthetwoladies,Harryturnedtothecounterandwasjustdemandingatoothbrushwhenhestoppedinmid-speechandexclaimedheartily,"Well,well,justseewho"shere!Bella,Idodeclare."
MrsEdge,whohadhurriedoutfromthebackparlourtoattendtothecongestionofbusiness,beamedbackcheerfullyathim,showingherbigwhiteteeth.Shehadbeenadark,handsomegirlandwa.s.stillareasonablyhandsomewoman,thoughshehadputonweightandthelinesofherfacehadcoa.r.s.ened,butherlargebrowneyeswerefullofwarmtha.s.sheanswered,"Bellaitis,MrHarry,andpleasedtoseeyouafteralltheseyears."
Harryturnedtohiswife."Bella"sanoldflameofmine,Louise,"hesaid."Head-over-earsinlovewithher,wasn"tI,Bella?"
"That"swhatyousay,"saidMrsEdge.
Louiselaughed.Shesaid,"Myhusband"sveryhappyseeingallhisoldfriendsagain."
"Ah,"saidMrsEdge,"wehaven"tforgottenyou,MrHarry.SeemslikeafairytaletothinkofyoumarriedandbuildingupanewhouseinsteadofthatruinedoldKingsdeanHouse."
"Youlookverywellandblooming,"saidHarry,andMrsEdgelaughedandsaidtherewasnothingwrongwithherandwhataboutthattoothbrush?
Clarice,watchingthebaffledlookonMissHarmon"sface,saidtoherselfexultantly,"Oh,welldone,Harry.You"vespikedtheirguns."
DrHaydocksaidabruptlytohisnieceClarice,"What"sallthisnonsenseaboutoldMrsMurgatroydhangingaboutKingsdeanandshakingherfistandcursingthenewregime?"
"Itisn"tnonsense.It"squitetrue.It"supsetLouiseagooddeal."
"Tellhersheneedn"tworry-whentheMurgatroydswerecaretakerstheyneverstoppedgrumblingabouttheplace-theyonlystayedbecauseMurgatroyddrankandcouldn"tgetanotherjob."
"I"lltellher,"saidClaricedoubtfully,"butIdon"tthinkshe"llbelieveyou.Theoldwomanfairlyscreamswithrage."
"AlwaysusedtobefondofHarryasaboy.Ican"tunderstandit."Claricesaid,"Ohwell-they"llberidofhersoon.Harry"spayingherpa.s.sagetoAmerica."
ThreedayslaterLouisewasthrownfromherhorseandkilled.
Twomeninabaker"svanwerewitnessesoftheaccident.TheysawLouiserideoutofthegates,sawtheoldwomanspringupandstandintheroad,wavingherarmsandshouting,sawthehorsestart,swerve,andthenboltmadlydowntheroad,flingingLouiseLaxtonoverhishead.
Oneofthemstoodovertheunconsciousfigure,notknowingwhattodo,whiletheotherrushedtothehousetogethelp.
HarryLaxtoncamerunningout,hisfaceghastly.
Theytookoffadoorofthevanandcarriedheronittothehouse.Shediedwithoutregainingconsciousnessandbeforethedoctorarrived.
(EndofDrHaydock"sma.n.u.script.) WhenDrHaydockarrivedthefollowingday,hewaspleasedtonotethattherewasapinkflushinMissMarple"scheekanddecidedlymoreanimationinhermanner.
"Well,"hesaid,"what"stheverdict?"
"What"stheproblem?"counteredMissMarple.
"Oh,mydearlady,doIhavetotellyouthat?"
"Isuppose,"saidMissMarple,"that.i.t"sthecuriousconductofthecaretaker.Whydidshebehaveinthatveryoddway?Peopledomindbeingturnedoutoftheiroldhomes.But.i.twasn"therhome.Infact,sheusedtocomplainandgrumblewhileshewasthere.Yes,itcertainlylooksveryfishy.Whatbecameofher,bytheway?"
"TookflighttoLiverpool.Theaccidentscaredher.Thoughtshe"dwaitthereforherboat."
"Allveryconvenientforsomebody,"saidMissMarple."Yes,Ithinkthe"ProblemoftheCaretaker"sConduct"canbesolvedeasilyenough.Bribery,wasitnot?"
"That"syoursolution?"
"Well,ifitwasn"tnaturalforhertobehaveinthatway,shemusthavebeen"puttingonanact,"aspeoplesay,andthatmeansthatsomebodypaidhertodowhatshedid."
"Andyouknowwhothatsomebodywas?"
"Oh,Ithinkso.Moneyagain,I"mafraid.AndI"vealwaysnoticedthatgentlemenalwaystendtoadmirethesametype."
"NowI"moutofmydepth."
"No,no,itallhangstogether.HarryLaxtonadmiredBellaEdge,adark,vivacioustype.YournieceClaricewasthesame.b.u.t.thepoorlittlewifewasquiteadifferenttype-fair-hairedandclinging-nothistypeatall.Sohemusthavemarriedherforhermoney.Andmurderedherforhermoneytoo!"
"Youusethewordmurder?"
"Well,hesoundstherighttype.Attractivetowomenandquiteunscrupulous.Isupposehewantedtokeephiswife"smoneyandmarryyourniece.HemayhavebeenseentalkingtoMrsEdge.ButIdon"tfancyhewasattachedtoheranymore.ThoughIdaresayhemadethepoorwomanthinkhewas,forendsofhisown.Hesoonhadherwellunderhisthumb,Ifancy."
"Howexactlydidhemurderher,doyouthink?"
MissMarplestaredaheadofherforsomeminuteswithdreamyblueeyes.
"Itwaswelltimed-withthebaker"svanaswitness.Theycouldseetheoldwomanand,ofcourse,they"dputdownthehorse"sfrighttothat.ButIshouldimagine,myself,thatanairgun,orperhapsacatapult-heusedtobegoodwithacatapult.Yes,justasthehorsecamethroughthegate.Thehorsebolted,ofcourse,andMrsLaxtonwasthrown."
Shepaused,frowning.
"Thefallmighthavekilledher.Buthecouldn"tbesureofthat.Andheseemsthesortofmanwhowouldlayhisplanscarefullyandleavenothingtochance.Afterall,MrsEdgecouldgethimsomethingsuitablewithoutherhusbandknowing.OtherwisewhywouldHarrybotherwithher?Yes,Ithinkhehadsomepowerfuldrughandy,thatcouldbeadministeredbeforeyouarrived.Afterall,ifawomanisthrownfromherhorseandha.s.seriousinjuriesanddieswithoutrecoveringconsciousness,well-adoctorwouldn"tnormallybesuspicious,wouldhe?He"dput.i.tdowntoshockorsomething."
DrHaydocknodded.
"Whydidyoususpect?"askedMissMarple.
"Itwasn"tanyparticularclevernessonmypart,"saidDrHaydock."Itwasjustthetrite,well-knownfactthatamurdererissopleasedwithhisclevernessthathedoesn"ttakeproperprecautions.Iwasjustsayingafewconsolatorywordstothebereavedhusband-andfeelingsorryforthefellow,toowhenheflunghimselfdownonthesetteetodoabitofplay-actingandahypodermicsyringefelloutofhispocket."
"Hes.n.a.t.c.heditupandlookedsoscaredthatIbegantothink.HarryLaxtondidn"tdrug;hewasinperfecthealth.Whatwashedoingwithahypodermicsyringe?Ididtheautopsywithaviewtocertainpossibilities.Ifoundstrophanthin.Therestwaseasy.Therewa.s.strophanthininLaxton"spossession,andBellaEdge,questionedbythepolice,brokedownandadmittedtohavinggot.i.tforhim.AndfinallyoldMrsMurgatroydconfessedthat.i.twasHarryLaxtonwhohadputheruptothecursingstunt."
"Andyourniecegotoverit?"
"Yes,shewasattractedbythefellow,but.i.thadn"tgonefar."
Thedoctorpickeduphisma.n.u.script.
"Fullmarkstoyou,MissMarple-andfullmarkstomeformyprescription.You"relookingalmostyourself.a.gain."
TheThird-FloorFlat
"Bother!"saidPat.
Withadeepeningfrownsherummagedwildlyinthesilkentrifleshecalledaneveningbag.Twoyoungmenandanothergirlwatchedheranxiously.TheywereallstandingoutsidethecloseddoorofPatriciaGarnett"sflat.
"It"snogood,"saidPat."It"snotthere.Andnowwhatshallwedo?"
"Whatislifewithoutalatchkey?"murmuredJimmyFaulkener.
Hewasashort,broad-shoulderedyoungman,withgood-temperedblueeyes.
Patturnedonhimangrily."Don"tmakejokes,Jimmy.Thisisserious."
"Lookagain,Pat,"saidDonovanBailey."Itmustbetheresomewhere."
Hehadalazy,pleasantvoicethatmatchedhislean,darkfigure.
"Ifyoueverbrought.i.tout,"saidtheothergirl,MildredHope.
"OfcourseIbrought.i.tout,"saidPat."IbelieveIgaveittooneofyoutwo."Sheturnedonthemanaccusingly."ItoldDonovantotakeitforme."
Butshewasnottofindascapegoatsoeasily.Donovanputinafirmdisclaimer,andJimmybackedhimup.
"Isawyouput.i.tinyourbag,myself,"saidJimmy.
"Well,then,oneofyoudroppeditoutwhenyoupickedupmybag.I"vedroppeditonceortwice."
"Onceortwice!"saidDonovan."You"vedroppeditadozentimesatleast,besidesleavingitbehindoneverypossibleoccasion."
"Ican"tseewhyeverythingonearthdoesn"tdropoutofitthewholetime,"saidJimmy.