MajorMetcalfcamequietlydownthebackstairs.Hewaitedamomentortwointhehall,thenheopenedthebigcupboardunderthestairsandpeeredin.Everythingseemedquiet.n.o.bodyabout.Asgoodatimeasanytodowhathehadsetouttodo- MrsBoyle,inthelibrary,turnedthek.n.o.bsoftheradiowithsomeirritation.

Herfirstattempthadbroughtherintothemiddleofatalkontheoriginandsignificanceofnurseryrhymes.Thelastthingshewantedtohear.Twirlingimpatiently,shewasinformedbyaculturedvoice:"Thepsychologyoffearmustbethoroughlyunderstood.Sayyouarealoneinaroom.Adooropenssoftlybehindyou-"

Adoordidopen.

MrsBoyle,withaviolentstart,turnedsharply.

"Oh,it"syou,"shesaidwithrelief."Idioticprogramstheyhaveonthisthing.Ican"tfindanythingworthlisteningto!"

"Ishouldn"tbothertolisten,MrsBoyle."

MrsBoylesnorted."Whatelseisthereformetodo?"shedemanded."Shutupinahousewithapossiblemurderer-notthatIbelievethatmelodramaticstoryforamoment-"

"Don"tyou,MrsBoyle?"

"Why-whatdoyoumean-"

Thebeltoftheraincoatwa.s.slippedroundhernecksoquicklythatshehardlyrealizeditssignificance.Thek.n.o.boftheradioamplifierwasturnedhigher.ThelectureronthepsychologyoffearshoutedhislearnedremarksintotheroomanddrownedwhatincidentalnoisestherewereattendantonMrsBoyle"sdemise.

b.u.t.therewasn"tmuchnoise.

Thekillerwastooexpertforthat.

Theywereallhuddledinthekitchen.Onthegascookerthepotatoesbubbledmerrily.Thesavorysmellfromtheovenofsteakandkidneypiewa.s.strongerthanever.

Fourshakenpeoplestaredateachother,thefifth,Molly,whiteandshivering,sippedatthegla.s.sofwhiskythatthesixth,SergeantTrotter,hadforcedhertodrink.

SergeantTrotterhimself,hisfacesetandangry,lookedroundatthea.s.sembledpeople.JustfiveminuteshadelapsedsinceMolly"sterrifiedscreamshadbroughthimandtheothersracingtothelibrary.

"She"donlyjustbeenkilledwhenyougottoher,MrsDavis,"hesaid."Areyousureyoudidn"tseeorhearanybodyasyoucameacrossthehall?"

"Whistling,"saidMollyfaintly."b.u.t.thatwasearlier.Ithink-I"mnotsure-IthinkIheardadoorshut-softly,somewhere-justasI-asI-wentintothelibrary."

"Whichdoor?"

"Idon"tknow."

"Think,MrsDavis-tryandthink-upstairs-downstairs-right,left?"

"Idon"tknow,Itellyou,"criedMolly."I"mnotevensureIheardanything."

"Can"tyous...o...b..llyingher?"saidGilesangrily."Can"tyouseeshe"sallin?"

"I"minvestigatingamurder,MrDavis-Ibegyourpardon-CommanderDavis."

"Idon"tusemywarrank,Sergeant."

"Quiteso,sir."Trotterpaused,asthoughhehadmadesomesubtlepoint."AsIsay,I"minvestigatingamurder.Uptonown.o.bodyhastakenthisthingseriously.MrsBoyledidn"t.Sheheldoutonmewithinformation.Youallheldoutonme.Well,MrsBoyleisdead.Unlesswegettothebottomofthis-andquickly,mind,theremaybeanotherdeath."

"Another?Nonsense.Why?"

"Because,"saidSergeantTrottergravely,"therewerethreelittleblindmice."

Gilessaidincredulously,"Adeathforeachofthem?b.u.t.therewouldhavetobeaconnection-Imeananotherconnectionwiththecase."

"Yes,therewouldhavetobethat."

"Butwhyanotherdeathhere?"

"Becausetherewereonlytwoaddressesinthenotebook.TherewasonlyonepossiblevictimatSeventy-FourCulverStreet.She"sdead.ButatMonkswellManorthereisawiderfield."

"Nonsense,Trotter.Itwouldbeamostunlikelycoincidencethatthereshouldbetwopeoplebroughtherebychance,bothofthemwithashareintheLongridgeFarmcase."

"Givencertaincirc.u.mstances,itwouldn"tbesomuchofacoincidence.Thinkitout,MrDavis."Heturnedtowardtheothers."I"vehadyouraccountsofwhereyouallwerewhenMrsBoylewaskilled.I"llcheckthemover.Youwereinyourroom,MrWren,whenyouheardMrsDavisscream?"

"Yes,Sergeant."

"MrDavis,youwereupstairsinyourbedroomexaminingthetelephoneextensionthere?"

"Yes,"saidGiles.

"MrParaviciniwasinthedrawing-roomplayingtunesonthepiano.n.o.bodyheardyou,bytheway,MrParavicini?"

"Iwasplayingvery,verysoftly,Sergeant,justwithonefinger."

"Whattunewasit?"

""ThreeBlindMice,"Sergeant."Hesmiled."ThesametunethatMrWrenwaswhistlingupstairs.Thetunethat"srunningthrougheverybody"shead."

"It"sahorridtune,"saidMolly.

"Howaboutthetelephonewire?"askedMetcalf."Wasitdeliberatelycut?"

"Yes,MajorMetcalf.Asectionhadbeencutoutjustoutsidethedining-roomwindow-IhadjustlocatedthebreakwhenMrsDavisscreamed."

"But.i.t"scrazy.Howcanhehopetogetawaywithit?"demandedChristophershrilly.

Thesergeantmeasuredhimcarefullywithhiseye.

"Perhapshedoesn"tverymuchcareaboutthat,"hesaid."Oragain,hemaybequitesurehe"stoocleverforus.Murderersgetlikethat."Headded,"Wetakeapsychologycourse,youknow,inourtraining.Aschizophrenic"smentalityisveryinteresting."

"Shallwecutoutthelongwords?"saidGiles.

"Certainly,MrDavis.Twosix-letterwordsareallthatconcernusatthemoment.One"s"murder"andtheother"s"danger."That"swhatwe"vegottoconcentrateupon.Now,MajorMetcalf,letmebequiteclearaboutyourmovements.Yousayyouwereinthecellar-Why?"

"Lookingaround,"saidthemajor."IlookedinthatcupboardplaceunderthestairsandthenInoticedadoorthereandIopeneditandsawaflightofsteps,soIwentdownthere.Nicecellaryou"vegot,"hesaidtoGiles."Cryptofanoldmonastery,Ishouldsay."

"We"renotengagedinantiquarianresearch,MajorMetcalf.We"reinvestigatingamurder.w.i.l.l.youlistenamoment,MrsDavis?I"llleavethekitchendooropen."Hewentout;adoorshutwithafaintcreak."Isthatwhatyouheard,MrsDavis?"heaskedashereappearedintheopendoorway.

"I-itdoessoundlikeit."

"Thatwasthecupboardunderthestairs.Itcouldbe,youknow,thatafterkillingMrsBoyle,themurderer,retreatingacrossthehall,heardyoucomingoutofthekitchen,andslippedintothecupboard,pullingthedoortoafterhim."

"Thenhisfingerprintswillbeontheinsideofthecupboard,"criedChristopher.

"Minearetherealready,"saidMajorMetcalf.

"Quiteso,"saidSergeantTrotter."Butwe"veasatisfactoryexplanationforthose,haven"twe?"headdedsmoothly.

"Lookhere,Sergeant,"saidGiles,"admittedlyyou"reinchargeofthisaffair.b.u.t.thisismyhouse,andinacertaindegreeIfeelresponsibleforthepeoplestayinginit.Oughtn"twetotakeprecautionarymeasures?"

"Suchas,MrDavis?"

"Well,tobefrank,puttingunderrestraintthepersonwhoseemsprettyclearlyindicatedasthechiefsuspect."

HelookedstraightatChristopherWren.

ChristopherWrensprangforward,hisvoicerose,shrillandhysterical."It"snottrue!It"snottrue!You"reallagainstme.Everyone"salwaysagainstme.You"regoingtoframemeforthis.It"spersecution-persecution-"

"Steadyon,lad,"saidMajorMetcalf.

"It"sallright,Chris."Mollycameforward.Sheputherhandonhisarm."n.o.body"sagainstyou.Tellhimit"sallright,"shesaidtoSergeantTrotter.

"Wedon"tframepeople,"saidSergeantTrotter.

"Tellhimyou"renotgoingtoarresthim."

"I"mnotgoingtoarrestanyone.Todothat,Ineedevidence.There"snoevidence-atpresent."

Gilescriedout,"Ithinkyou"recrazy,Molly.Andyou,too,Sergeant.There"sonlyonepersonwhofitsthebill,and-"

"Wait,Giles,wait-"Mollybrokein."Oh,dobequiet.SergeantTrotter,canI-canIspeaktoyouaminute?"

"I"mstaying,"saidGiles.

"No,Giles,you,too,please."

Giles"sfacegrewasdarkasthunder.Hesaid,"Idon"tknowwhat"scomeoveryou,Molly."

Hefollowedtheothersoutoftheroom,bangingthedoorbehindhim.

"Yes,MrsDavis,whatisit?"

"SergeantTrotter,whenyoutoldusabouttheLongridgeFarmcase,youseemedtothinkthat.i.tmustbetheeldestboywhois-responsibleforallthis.Butyoudon"tknowthat?"

"That"sperfectlytrue,MrsDavis.b.u.t.theprobabilitiesliethatway-mentalinstability,desertionfromthearmy,psychiatrist"sreport."

"Oh,Iknow,andthereforeitallseemstopointtoChristopher.ButIdon"tbelieveitisChristopher.Theremustbeother-possibilities.Hadn"tthosethreechildrenanyrelations-parents,forinstance?"

"Yes.Themotherwasdead.b.u.t.thefatherwa.s.servingabroad."

"Well,whatabouthim?Whereishenow?"

"We"venoinformation.Heobtainedhisdemobilizationpaperslastyear."

"Andifthesonwasmentallyunstable,thefathermayhavebeen,too."

"Thatisso."

"Sothemurderermaybemiddle-agedorold.MajorMetcalf,remember,wasfrightfullyupsetwhenItoldhimthepolicehadrungup.Hereallywas."

SergeantTrottersaidquietly,"Pleasebelieveme,MrsDavis,I"vehadallthepossibilitiesinmindsincethebeginning.Theboy,Jim-thefather-eventhesister.Itcouldhavebeenawoman,youknow.Ihaven"toverlookedanything.Imaybeprettysureinmyownmind-butIdon"tknow-yet.It"sveryhardreallytoknowaboutanythingoranyone-especiallyinthesedays.You"dbesurprisedwhatweseeinthepoliceforce.Withmarriages,especially.Hastymarriages-warmarriages.There"sn.o.background,yousee.Nofamiliesorrelationstomeet.Peopleaccepteachother"sword.Fellowsayshe"safighterpilotoranarmymajor-thegirlbelieveshimimplicitly.Sometimesshedoesn"tfindoutforayearortwothathe"sanabscondingbankclerkwithawifeandfamily,oranarmy-deserter."

Hepausedandwenton.

"Iknowquitewellwhat"sinyourmind,MrsDavis.There"sjustonethingI"dliketosaytoyou.Themurderer"senjoyinghimself.That"stheonethingI"mquitesureof."

Hewenttowardthedoor.

Mollystoodverystraightandstill,aredflushburninginhercheeks.Afterstandingrigidforamomentortwo,shemovedslowlytowardthestove,kneltdown,andopenedtheovendoor.Asavory,familiarsmellcametowardher.Herheartlightened.Itwasasthoughsuddenlyshehadbeenwaftedbackintothedear,familiarworldofeverydaythings.Cooking,housework,homemaking,ordinaryprosaicliving.

So,fromtimeimmemorialwomenhadcookedfoodfortheirmen.Theworldofdanger-ofmadness,receded.Woman,inherkitchen,wa.s.safe-eternallysafe.

Thekitchendooropened.SheturnedherheadasChristopherWrenentered.Hewasalittlebreathless.

"Mydear,"hesaid."Suchructions!Somebody"sstolenthesergeant"sskis!"

"Thesergeant"sskis?Butwhyshouldanyonewanttodothat?"

"Ireallycan"timagine.Imean,ifthesergeantdecidedtogoawayandleaveus,Ishouldimaginethatthemurdererwouldbeonlytoopleased.Imean,itreallydoesn"tmakesense,doesit?"

"Gilesputtheminthecupboardunderthestairs."

"Well,they"renottherenow.Intriguing,isn"t.i.t?"Helaughedgleefully."Thesergeant"sawfullyangryabout.i.t.Snappinglikeaturtle.He"sbeenpitchingintopoorMajorMetcalf.Theoldboystickstoitthathedidn"tnoticewhethertheywerethereornotwhenhelookedintothecupboardjustbeforeMrsBoylewasmurdered.Trottersayshemusthavenoticed.Ifyouaskme,"Christopherloweredhisvoiceandleanedforward,"thisbusinessisbeginningtogetTrotterdown."

"It"sgettingusalldown,"saidMolly.

"Notme.Ifinditmoststimulating.It"sallsodelightfullyunreal."

Mollysaidsharply,"Youwouldn"tsaythatif-ifyou"dbeentheonetofindher.MrsBoyle,Imean.Ikeepthinkingofit-Ican"tforget.i.t.Herface-allswollenandpurple-"

Sheshivered.Christophercameacrosstoher.Heputahandonhershoulder.

"Iknow.I"manidiot.I"msorry.Ididn"tthink."

AdrysobroseinMolly"sthroat."Itseemedallrightjustnow-cooking-thekitchen,"shespokeconfusedly,incoherently."Andthensuddenly-itwasallbackagain-likeanightmare."

Therewasacurious.e.xpressiononChristopherWren"sfaceashestoodtherelookingdownonherbenthead.

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