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.