"Isee,"hesaid."Isee."Hemovedaway."Well,I"dbetterclearoutand-notinterruptyou."

Mollycried,"Don"tgo!"justashishandwasonthedoorhandle.

Heturnedround,lookingatherquestioningly.Thenhecameslowlyback.

"Doyoureallymeanthat?"

"Meanwhat?"

"Youdefinitelydon"twantmeto-go?"

"No,Itellyou.Idon"twanttobealone.I"mafraidtobealone."

Christophersatdownbythetable.Mollybenttotheoven,liftedthepietoahighershelf,shuttheovendoor,andcameandjoinedhim.

"That"sveryinteresting,"saidChristopherinalevelvoice.

"Whatis?"

"Thatyou"renotafraidtobe-alonewithme.You"renot,areyou?"

Sheshookherhead."No,I"mnot."

"Whyaren"tyouafraid,Molly?"

"Idon"tknow-I"mnot."

"AndyetI"mtheonlypersonwho-fitsthebill.Onemurdererasperschedule."

"No,"saidMolly."Thereare-otherpossibilities,I"vebeentalkingtoSergeantTrotteraboutthem."

"Didheagreewithyou?"

"Hedidn"tdisagree,"saidMollyslowly.

Certainwordssoundedoverandoveragaininherhead.Especiallythatlastphrase:"Iknowexactlywhat"sinyourmind,MrsDavis."Butdidhe?Couldhepossiblyknow?Hehadsaid,too,"thatthemurdererwasenjoyinghimself."Wasthattrue?

ShesaidtoChristopher,"You"renotexactlyenjoyingyourself,areyou?Inspiteofwhatyousaidjustnow."

"GoodG.o.d,no,"saidChristopher,staring."Whataveryoddthingtosay."

"Oh,Ididn"tsayit.SergeantTrotterdid.Ihatethatman!He-heputsthingsintoyourhead-thingsthataren"ttrue-thatcan"tpossiblybetrue."

Sheputherhandstoherhead,coveringhereyeswiththem.VerygentlyChristophertookthosehandsaway.

"Lookhere,Molly,"hesaid,"whatisallthis?"

Shelethimforcehergentlyintoachairbythekitchentable.Hismannerwasnolongerhystericalorchildish.

"What"sthematter,Molly?"hesaid.

Mollylookedathim-alongappraisingglance.Sheaskedirrelevantly,"HowlonghaveIknownyou,Christopher?Twodays?"

"Justabout.You"rethinking,aren"tyou,thatthoughit"ssuchashorttime,weseemtoknoweachotherratherwell."

"Yes-it"sodd,isn"t.i.t?"

"Oh,Idon"tknow.There"sakindofsympathybetweenus.Possiblybecausewe"veboth-beenupagainst.i.t."

Itwasnotaquestion.Itwasastatement.Mollylet.i.tpa.s.s.Shesaidveryquietly,andagainitwasastatementratherthanaquestion,"Yournameisn"treallyChristopherWren,isit."

"No."

"Whydidyou-"

"Choosethat?Oh,itseemedratherapleasantwhimsy.TheyusedtojeeratmeandcallmeChristopherRobinatschool.Robin-Wren-a.s.sociationofideas,Isuppose."

"What"syourrealname?"

Christophersaidquietly,"Idon"tthinkwe"llgointothat.Itwouldn"tmeananythingtoyou.I"mnotanarchitect.Actually,I"madeserterfromthearmy."

JustforamomentswiftalarmleapedintoMolly"seyes.

Christophersawit."Yes,"hesaid."Justlikeourunknownmurderer.ItoldyouIwastheonlyonethespecificationfitted."

"Don"tbestupid,"saidMolly."ItoldyouIdidn"tbelieveyouwerethemurderer.Goon-tellmeaboutyourself.Whatmadeyoudesert-nerves?"

"Beingafraid,youmean?No,curiouslyenough,Iwasn"tafraid-notmorethananyoneelse,thatistosay.ActuallyIgotareputationforbeingrathercoolunderfire.No,itwa.s.somethingquitedifferent.i.twas-mymother."

"Yourmother?"

"Yes-yousee,shewaskilled-inanairraid.Buried.They-theyhadtodigherout.Idon"tknowwhathappenedtomewhenIheardabout.i.t-IsupposeIwentalittlemad.Ithought,yousee,ithappenedtome.IfeltIhadtogethomequicklyand-anddigmyselfout-Ican"texplain-itwasallconfused."Heloweredhisheadtohishandsandspokeinam.u.f.fledvoice."Iwanderedaboutalongtime,lookingforher-orformyself-Idon"tknowwhich.Andthen,whenmymindclearedup,Iwasafraidtogoback-ortoreport-IknewIcouldneverexplain.Sincethen,I"vejustbeen-nothing."

Hestaredather,hisyoungfacehollowwithdespair.

"Youmustn"tfeellikethat,"saidMollygently."Youcanstartagain."

"Canoneeverdothat?"

"Ofcourse-you"requiteyoung."

"Yes,butyousee-I"vecometotheend."

"No,"saidMolly."Youhaven"tcometotheend,youonlythinkyouhave.Ibelieveeveryonehasthatfeelingonce,atleast,intheirlives-that.i.t"stheend,thattheycan"tgoon."

"You"vehadit,haven"tyou,Molly?Youmusthave-tobeabletospeaklikethat."

"Yes."

"Whatwasyours?"

"Minewasjustwhathappenedtoalotofpeople.Iwasengagedtoayoungfighterpilot-andhewaskilled."

"Wasn"ttheremoretoitthanthat?"

"Isupposetherewas.I"dhadanastyshockwhenIwasyounger.Icameupagainstsomethingthatwasrathercruelandbeastly.Itpredisposedmetothinkthatlifewasalways-horrible.WhenJackwaskilleditjustconfirmedmybeliefthatthewholeoflifewascruelandtreacherous."

"Iknow.Andthen,Isuppose,"saidChristopher,watchingher,"Gilescamealong."

"Yes."

Hesawthesmile,tender,almostshy,thattrembledonhermouth."Gilescame-everythingfeltrightandsafeandhappy-Giles!"

Thesmilefledfromherlips.Herfacewa.s.suddenlystricken.Sheshiveredasthoughwithcold.

"What"sthematter,Molly?What"sfrighteningyou?Youarefrightened,aren"tyou?"

Shenodded.

"Andit"ssomethingtodowithGiles?Somethinghe"ssaidordone?"

"It"snotGiles,really.It"sthathorribleman!"

"Whathorribleman?"Christopherwa.s.surprised."Paravicini?"

"No,no.SergeantTrotter."

"SergeantTrotter?"

"Suggestingthings-hintingthings-puttinghorriblethoughtsintomymindaboutGiles-thoughtsthatIdidn"tknowwerethere.Oh,Ihatehim-Ihatehim."

Christopher"seyebrowsroseinslowsurprise.

"Giles?Giles!Yes,ofcourse,heandIaremuchofanage.HeseemstomemucholderthanIam-butIsupposeheisn"t,really.Yes,Gilesmightfitthebillequallywell.Butlookhere,Molly,that"sallnonsense.GileswasdownherewithyouthedaythatwomanwaskilledinLondon."

Mollydidnotanswer.

Christopherlookedathersharply."Wasn"thehere?"

Mollyspokebreathlessly,thewordscomingoutinanincoherentjumble."Hewasoutallday-inthecar-hewentovertotheothersideofthecountyaboutsomewirenettinginasalethere-atleastthat"swhathesaid-that"swhat.i.thought-until-until-"

"Untilwhat?"

SlowlyMolly"shandreachedoutandtracedthedateoftheEveningStandardthatcoveredaportionofthekitchentable.

Christopherlookedat.i.tandsaid,"Londonedition,twodaysago."

"ItwasinGiles"spocketwhenhecameback.He-hemusthavebeeninLondon."

Christopherstared.HestaredatthepaperandhestaredatMolly.Hepurseduphislipsandbegantowhistle,thencheckedhimselfabruptly.Itwouldn"tdotowhistlethattunejustnow.

Choosinghiswordsverycarefully,andavoidinghereye,hesaid,"Howmuchdoyouactually-knowaboutGiles?"

"Don"t,"criedMolly."Don"t!That"sjustwhatthatbeastTrottersaid-orhinted.Thatwomenoftendidn"tknowanythingaboutthementhattheymarried-especiallyinwartime.They-theyjusttooktheman"sownaccountofhimself."

"That"strueenough,Isuppose."

"Don"tyousayit,too!Ican"tbearit.It"sjustbecausewe"reallinsuchastate,soworkedup.We"d-we"dbelieveanyfantasticsuggestion-It"snottrue!I-"

Shestopped.Thekitchendoorhadopened.

Gilescamein.Therewasratheragrimlookonhisface."AmIinterruptinganything?"heasked.

Christopherslippedfromthetable."I"mjusttakingafewcookerylessons,"hesaid.

"Indeed?Well,lookhere,Wren,tete-a-tetesaren"tveryhealthythingsatthepresenttime.Youkeepoutofthekitchen,doyouhear?"

"Oh,butsurely-"

"Youkeepawayfrommywife,Wren.She"snotgoingtobethenextvictim."

"That,"saidChristopher,"isjustwhatI"mworryingabout."

Iftherewa.s.significanceinthewords,Gilesdidnotapparentlynoticethem.Hemerelyturnedaratherdarkershadeofbrick-red."I"lldotheworrying,"hesaid."Icanlookaftermyownwife.Gettheh.e.l.loutofhere."

Mollysaidinaclearvoice,"Pleasego,Christopher.Yes-really."

Christophermovedslowlytowardthedoor."Ishan"tgoveryfar,"hesaid,andthewordswereaddressedtoMollyandheldaverydefinitemeaning.

"w.i.l.l.yougetoutofhere?"

Christophergaveahighchildishgiggle."Aye,aye,Commander,"hesaid.

Thedoorshutbehindhim.GilesturnedonMolly.

"ForG.o.d"ssake,Molly,haven"tyougotanysense?Shutinherealonewithadangeroushomicidalmaniac!"

"Heisn"tthe-"shechangedherphrasequickly-"heisn"tdangerous.Anyway,I"monmyguard.Ican-lookaftermyself."

Gileslaughedunpleasantly."SocouldMrsBoyle."

"Oh,Giles,don"t."

"Sorry,mydear.ButI"mhetup.Thatwretchedboy.WhatyouseeinhimIcan"timagine."

Mollysaidslowly,"I"msorryforhim."

"Sorryforahomicidallunatic?"

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