Three Blind Mice and Other Stories Part 8

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."ButIalmostwis.h.i.+did.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."