Mollygavehimacuriousglance."Icouldbesorryforahomicidallunatic,"shesaid.
"CallinghimChristopher,too.SincewhenhaveyoubeenonChristian-nameterms?"
"OhGiles,don"tberidiculous.EveryonealwaysusesChristiannamesnowadays.Youknowtheydo."
"Evenafteracoupleofdays?Butperhapsit"smorethanthat.PerhapsyouknewMrChristopherWren,thephonyarchitect,beforehecamehere?Perhapsyousuggestedtohimthatheshouldcomehere?Perhapsyoucookeditallupbetweenyou?"
Mollystaredathim."Giles,haveyougoneoutofyourmind?Whatonearthareyousuggesting?"
"I"msuggestingthatChristopherWrenisanoldfriend,thatyou"reonratherclosertermswithhimthanyou"dlikemetoknow."
"Giles,youmustbecrazy!"
"Isupposeyou"llsticktoitthatyouneversawhimuntilhewalkedinhere.Ratheroddthatheshouldcomeandstayinanout-of-the-wayplacelikethis,isn"t.i.t?"
"IsitanyodderthanthatMajorMetcalfand-andMrsBoyleshould?"
"Yes-Ithinkitis.I"vealwaysreadthatthesemurderingloonieshadapeculiarfascinationforwomen.Looksasthoughitweretrue.Howdidyougettoknowhim?Howlonghasthisbeengoingon?"
"You"rebeingabsolutelyabsurd,Giles.IneversawChristopherWrenuntilhearrivedhere."
"Youdidn"tgouptoLondontomeethimtwodaysagoandfixuptomeetherea.s.strangers?"
"Youknowperfectlywell,Giles,Ihaven"tbeenuptoLondonforweeks."
"Haven"tyou?That"sinteresting."Hefishedafur-linedgloveoutofhispocketandhelditout.
"That"soneoftheglovesyouwerewearingdaybeforeyesterday,isn"t.i.t?ThedayIwasoveratSailhamgettingthenetting."
"ThedayyouwereoveratSailhamgettingthenetting,"saidMolly,eyinghimsteadily."Yes,IworethosegloveswhenIwentout."
"Youwenttothevillage,yousaid.Ifyouonlywenttothevillage,whatisthisdoinginsidethatglove?"
Accusingly,heheldoutapinkbusticket.
Therewasamoment"ssilence.
"YouwenttoLondon,"saidGiles.
"Allright,"saidMolly.Herchinshotup."IwenttoLondon."
"TomeetthischapChristopherWren."
"No,nottomeetChristopher."
"Thenwhydidyougo?"
"Justatthemoment,Giles,"saidMolly,"I"mnotgoingtotellyou."
"Meaningyou"llgiveyourselftimetothinkupagoodstory!"
"Ithink,"saidMolly,"thatIhateyou!"
"Idon"thateyou,"saidGilesslowly."ButIalmostwishIdid.Isimplyfeelthat-Idon"tknowyouanymore-Idon"tknowanythingaboutyou."
"Ifeelthesame,"saidMolly."You-you"rejustastranger.Amanwholiestome-"
"WhenhaveIeverliedtoyou?"
Mollylaughed."DoyouthinkIbelievedthatstoryofyoursaboutthewirenetting?YouwereinLondon,too,thatday."
"Isupposeyousawmethere,"saidGiles."Andyoudidn"ttrustmeenough-"
"Trustyou?I"llnevertrustanyone-ever-again."
Neitherofthemhadnoticedthesoftopeningofthekitchendoor.MrParavicinigavealittlecough.
"Soembarra.s.sing,"hemurmured."Idohopeyouyoungpeoplearenotbothsayingjustalittlemorethanyoumean.Oneissoapttointheselovers"quarrels."
"Lovers"quarrels,"saidGilesderisively."That"sgood."
"Quiteso,quiteso,"saidMrParavicini."Iknowjusthowyoufeel.IhavebeenthroughallthismyselfwhenIwasayoungerman.ButwhatIcametosaywasthattheinspectorpersonissimplyinsistingthatweshouldallcomeintothedrawing-room.Itappearsthathehasanidea."MrParavicinisn.i.g.g.e.redgently."Thepolicehaveaclue-yes,onehearsthatfrequently.Butanidea?Iverymuchdoubt.i.t.Azealousandpainstakingofficer,nodoubt,ourSergeantTrotter,butnot,Ithink,over-endowedwithbrains."
"Goon,Giles,"saidMolly."I"vegotthecookingtoseeto.SergeantTrottercandowithoutme."
"Talkingofcooking,"saidMrParavicini,skippingnimblyacrossthekitchentoMolly"sside,"haveyouevertriedchickenliversservedontoastthathasbeenthicklyspreadwithfoiegrasandaverythinrasherofbaconsmearedwithFrenchmustard?"
"Onedoesn"tseemuchfoiegrasnowadays,"saidGiles,"Comeon,Paravicini."
"ShallIstayanda.s.sistyou,dearlady?"
"Youcomealongtothedrawing-room,Paravicini,"saidGiles.
MrParavicinilaughedsoftly.
"Yourhusbandisafraidforyou.Quitenatural.Hedoesn"tfancytheideaofleavingyoualonewithme.Itismys.a.d.i.s.tictendencieshefears-notmydishonorableones.Iyieldtoforce."Hebowedgracefullyandkissedthetipsofhisfingers.
Mollysaiduncomfortably,"Oh,MrParavicini,I"msure-"
MrParavicinishookhishead.HesaidtoGiles,"You"reverywise,youngman.Takenochances.CanIprovetoyou-ortotheinspectorforthatmatter-thatIamnotahomicidalmaniac?No,Icannot.Negativesaresuchdifficultthingstoprove."
Hehummedcheerfully.
Mollyflinched."PleaseMrParavicini-notthathorribletune."
""ThreeBlindMice"-soitwas!Thetunehasgotintomyhead.NowIcometothinkofit,itisagruesomelittlerhyme.Notanicelittlerhymeatall.Butchildrenlikegruesomethings.Youmayhavenoticedthat?ThatrhymeisveryEnglish-thebucolic,cruelEnglishcountryside."Shecutofftheirtailswithacarving-knife."Ofcourseachildwouldlovethat-Icouldtellyouthingsaboutchildren-"
"Pleasedon"t,"saidMollyfaintly,"Ithinkyou"recruel,too."Hervoicerosehysterically."Youlaughandsmile-you"relikeacatplayingwithamouse-playing-"
Shebegantolaugh.
"Steady,Molly,"saidGiles."Comealong,we"llallgointothedrawing-roomtogether.Trotterwillbegettingimpatient.Nevermindthecooking.Murderismoreimportantthanfood."
"I"mnotsurethatIagreewithyou,"saidMrParaviciniashefollowedthemwithlittleskippingsteps."Thecondemnedmanateaheartybreakfast-that"swhattheyalwayssay."
ChristopherWrenjoinedtheminthehallandreceivedascowlfromGiles.HelookedatMollywithaquick,anxiousglance,butMolly,herheadheldhigh,walkedlookingstraightaheadofher.Theymarchedalmostlikeaprocessiontothedrawing-roomdoor.MrParavicinibroughtuptherearwithhislittleskippingsteps.
SergeantTrotterandMajorMetcalfwerestandingwaitinginthedrawing-room.Themajorwaslookingsulky.SergeantTrotterwaslookingflushedandenergetic.
"That"sright,"hesaid,astheyentered."Iwantedyoualltogether.Iwanttomakeacertainexperiment-andforthatIshallrequireyourco-operation."
"Willittakelong?"Mollyasked."I"mratherbusyinthekitchen.Afterall,we"vegottohaveamealsometime."
"Yes,"saidTrotter."Iappreciatethat,MrsDavis.But,ifyou"llexcuseme,therearemoreimportantthingsthanmeals!MrsBoyle,forinstance,won"tneedanothermeal."
"Really,Sergeant,"saidMajorMetcalf,"that"sanextraordinarilytactlesswayofputtingthings."
"I"msorry,MajorMetcalf,butIwanteveryonetocooperateinthis."
"Haveyoufoundyourskis,SergeantTrotter?"askedMolly.
Theyoungmanreddened."No,Ihavenot,MrsDavis.ButImaysayIhaveaveryshrewdsuspicionwhotookthem.Andofwhytheyweretaken.Iwon"tsayanymoreatpresent."
"Pleasedon"t,"beggedMrParavicini."Ialwaysthinkexplanationsshouldbekepttotheveryend-thatexcitinglastchapter,youknow."
"Thisisn"tagame,sir."
"Isn"t.i.t?NowthereIthinkyou"rewrong.Ithinkitisagame-tosomebody."
"Themurdererisenjoyinghimself,"murmuredMollysoftly.
Theotherslookedatherinastonishment.Sheflushed.
"I"monlyquotingwhatSergeantTrottersaidtome."
SergeantTrotterdidnotlooktoopleased."It"sallverywell,MrParavicini,mentioninglastchaptersandspeakingasthoughthiswasamysterythriller,"hesaid."Thisisreal.Thisishappening."
"Solong,"saidChristopherWren,fingeringhisneckgingerly,"asitdoesn"thappentome."
"Now,then,"saidMajorMetcalf."Noneofthat,youngfellow.Thesergeanthereisgoingtotellusjustwhathewantsustodo."
SergeantTrotterclearedhisthroat.Hisvoicebecameofficial.
"Itookcertainstatementsfromyouallashorttimeago,"hesaid."ThosestatementsrelatedtoyourpositionsatthetimewhenthemurderofMrsBoyleoccurred.MrWrenandMrDaviswereintheirseparatebedrooms.MrsDaviswasinthekitchen.MajorMetcalfwasinthecellar.MrParaviciniwashereinthisroom-"
Hepausedandthenwenton.
"Thosearethestatementsyoumade.Ihavenomeansofcheckingthosestatements.Theymaybetrue-theymaynot.Toput.i.tquiteclearly-fourofthosestatementsaretrue-butoneofthemisfalse.Whichone?"
Helookedfromfacetoface.n.o.bodyspoke.
"Fourofyouarespeakingthetruth-oneislying.Ihaveaplanthatmayhelpmetodiscovertheliar.AndifIdiscoverthatoneofyouliedtome-thenIknowwhothemurdereris."
Gilessaidsharply,"Notnecessarily.Someonemighthavelied-forsomeotherreason."
"Iratherdoubtthat,MrDavis."
"Butwhat"stheidea,man?You"vejustsaidyou"venomeansofcheckingthesestatements?"
"No,butsupposingeveryonewastogothroughthesemovementsasecondtime."
"Bah,"saidMajorMetcalfdisparagingly."Reconstructionofthecrime.Foreignidea."
"Notareconstructionofthecrime,MajorMetcalf.Areconstructionofthemovementsofapparentlyinnocentpersons."
"Andwhatdoyouexpecttolearnfromthat?"
"YouwillforgivemeifIdon"tmakethatclearjustatthemoment."
"Youwant,"askedMolly,"arepeatperformance?"
"Moreorless,MrsDavis."
Therewasasilence.Itwas,somehow,anuneasysilence.
It"satrap,thoughtMolly.It"satrap-butIdon"tseehow- Youmighthavethoughtthattherewerefiveguiltypeopleintheroom,insteadofoneguiltyandfourinnocentones.Oneandallcastdoubtfulsidewaysglancesatthea.s.sured,smilingyoungmanwhoproposedthisinnocent-soundingmaneuver.
Christopherburstoutshrilly,"ButIdon"tsee-Isimplycan"tsee-whatyoucanpossiblyhopetofindout-justbymakingpeopledothesamethingtheydidbefore.Itseemstomejustnonsense!"
"Doesit,MrWren?"
"Ofcourse,"saidGilesslowly,"whatyousaygoes,Sergeant.We"llco-operate.Arewealltodoexactlywhatwedidbefore?"
"Thesameactionswillbeperformed,yes."
AfaintambiguityinthephrasemadeMajorMetcalflookupsharply.
SergeantTrotterwenton.
"MrParavicinihastoldusthathesatatthepianoandplayedacertaintune.Perhaps,MrParavicini,youwouldkindlyshowus.e.xactlywhatyoudiddo?"
"Butcertainly,mydea.r.s.ergeant."
MrParaviciniskippednimblyacrosstheroomtothegrandpianoandsettledhimselfonthemusicstool.
"Themaestroatthepianowillplaythesignaturetunetoamurder,"hesaidwithaflourish.
Hegrinned,andwithelaboratemannerismshepickedoutwithonefingerthetuneof"ThreeBlindMice."