Three Blind Mice and Other Stories Part 15

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!"

Afriends.h.i.+phadsprungupbetweenClariceVaneandyoungMrsLaxton.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,"Howsheadores.h.i.+m."

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!"

Louisegavealittles.h.i.+ver.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,hewaspleasedtonotethattherewasapinkflus.h.i.+nMissMarple'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.