"Women," said Sir Henry, "treat their devoted admirers very badly." Miss Marple smiled, but made no answer.
"Does he strike you as rather a dull dog?" asked Sir Henry. "I'd be interested to know."
"A little limited in his ideas, perhaps," said Miss Marple. "But with possibilities, I think - oh, definitely possibilities."
Sir Henry, in his turn, got up. "It's time for me to go and do my stuff. I see Mrs Bantry is on her way to keep you company."
II
Mrs Bantry arrived breathless and sat down with a gasp. She said, "I've been talking to chambermaids. But it isn't any good. I haven't found out a thing more! Do you think that girl can really have been carrying on with someone without everybody in the hotel knowing all about it?"
"That's a very interesting point, dear. I should say definitely not. Somebody knows, depend upon it, if it's true. But she must have been very clever about it."
Mrs Bantry's attention had strayed to the tennis court. She said approvingly, "Addie's tennis is coming on a lot. Attractive young man, that tennis pro. Addie's quite nice-looking. She's still an attractive woman. I shouldn't be at all surprised if she married again."
"She'll be quite a rich woman, too, when Mr Jefferson dies," said Miss Marple.
"Oh, don't always have such a nasty mind, Jane. Why haven't you solved this mystery yet? We don't seem to be getting on at all. I thought you'd know at once." Mrs Bantry's tone held reproach.
"No, no, dear, I didn't know at once, not for some time."
Mrs Bantry turned startled and incredulous eyes on her. "You mean you know now who killed Ruby Keene?"
"Oh, yes," said Miss Marple. "I know that!" "But, Jane, who is it? Tell me at once."
Miss Marple shook her head very firmly and pursed up her lips. "I'm sorry Dolly, but that wouldn't do at all."
"Why wouldn't it do?"
"Because you're so indiscreet. You would go round telling everyone or if you didn't tell, you'd hint."
"No, indeed, I wouldn't. I wouldn't tell a soul."
"People who use that phrase are always the last to live up to it. It's no good, dear. There's a long way to go yet. A great many things that are quite obscure. You remember when I was so against letting Mrs Partridge collect for the Red Cross and I couldn't say why. The reason was that her nose had twitched in just the same way that that maid of mine, Alice, twitched her nose when I sent her out to pay the accounts. Always paid them a shilling or so short and said it could go on to next week, which, of course, was exactly what Mrs Partridge did, only on a much larger scale. Seventy-five pounds it was she embezzled."
"Never mind Mrs Partridge," said Mrs Bantry.
"But I had to explain to you. And if you care, I give you a hint. The trouble in this case is that everybody has been much too credulous and believing. You simply cannot afford to believe everything that people tell you. When there's anything fishy about, I never believe anyone at all. You see, I know human nature so well."
Mrs Bantry was silent for a minute or two. Then she said in a different tone of voice, "I told you, didn't I, that I didn't see why I shouldn't enjoy myself over this case? A real murder in my own house! The sort of thing that will never happen again."
"I hope not," said Miss Marple.
"Well, so do I, really. Once is enough. But it's my murder, Jane. I want to enjoy myself over it."
Miss Marple shot a glance at her. Mrs Ban try said belligerently, "Don't you believe that?"
Miss Marple said sweetly, "Of course, Dolly, if you tell me so."
"Yes, but you never believe what people tell you, do you? You've just said so. Well, you're quite right." Mrs Bantry's voice took on a sudden, bitter note. She said, "I'm not altogether a fool. You may think, Jane, that I don't know what they're saying all over St Mary Mead, all over the county! They're saying, one and all, that there's no smoke without fire; that if the girl was found in Arthur's library, then Arthur must know something about it. They're saying that the girl was Arthur's mistress; that she was his illegitimate daughter; that she was blackmailing him; they're saying anything that comes into their heads. And it will go on like that! Arthur won't realize it at first; he won't know what's wrong. He's such a dear old stupid that he'd never believe people would think things like that about him. He'll be cold-shouldered - and looked at askance whatever that means! - and it will dawn on him little by little, and suddenly he'll be horrified and cut to the soul, and he'll fasten up like a clam and just endure, day after day. It's because of all that's going to happen to him that I've come here to ferret out every single thing about it that I can! This murder's got to be solved! If it isn't, then Arthur's whole life will be wrecked, and I won't have that happen. I won't! I won't! I won't!" She paused for a minute and said, "I won't have the dear old boy go through hell for something he didn't do. That's the only reason I came to Danemouth and left him alone at home - to find out the truth."
"I know, dear," said Miss Marple. "That's why I'm here too."
Chapter 17
In a quiet hotel room Edwards was listening deferentially to Sir Henry Clithering.
"There are certain questions I would like to ask you, Edwards, but I want you first to understand quite clearly my position here. I was at one time commissioner of the police at Scotland Yard. I am now retired into private life. Your master sent for me when this tragedy occurred. He begged me to use my skill and experience in order to find out the truth." Sir Henry paused.
Edwards, his pale, intelligent eyes on the other's face, inclined his head. He said, "Quite so. Sir Henry."
Clithering went on slowly and deliberately, "In all police cases there is necessarily a lot of information that is held back. It is held back for various reasons - because it touches on a family skeleton, because it is considered to have no bearing on the case, because it would entail awkwardness and embarrassment to the parties concerned."
Again Edwards said, "Quite so. Sir Henry."
"I expect, Edwards, that by now you appreciate quite clearly the main points of this business. The dead girl was on the point of becoming Mr Jefferson's adopted daughter. Two people had a motive in seeing that this should not happen. Those two people are Mr Gaskell and Mrs Jefferson."
The valet's eyes displayed a momentary gleam. He said, "May I ask if they are under suspicion, sir?"
"They are in no danger of arrest, if that is what you mean. But the police are bound to be suspicious of them and will continue to be so until the matter is cleared up."
"An unpleasant position for them, sir."
"Very unpleasant. Now to get at the truth, one must have all the facts of the case. A lot depends, must depend, on the reactions, the words and gestures, of Mr Jefferson and his family. How did they feel, what did they show, what things were said? I am asking you, Edwards, for inside information, the kind of inside information that only you are likely to have. You know your master's moods. From observation of them you probably know what caused them. I am asking this, not as a policeman but as a friend of Mr Jefferson's. That is to say, if anything you tell me is not, in my opinion, relevant to the case, I shall not pass it on to the police." He paused.
Edwards said quietly, "I understand you, sir. You want me to speak quite frankly; to say things that, in the ordinary course of events, I should not say, and that, excuse me sir, you wouldn't dream of listening to."
Sir Henry said, "You're a very intelligent fellow, Edwards. That's exactly what I do mean."
Edwards was silent for a minute or two, then he began to speak. "Of course I know Mr Jefferson fairly well by now. I've been with him quite a number of years. And I see him in his 'off moments, not only in his 'on' ones. Sometimes, sir, I've questioned in my own mind whether it's good for anyone to fight fate in the way Mr Jefferson has fought. It's taken a terrible toll of him, sir. If, sometimes, he could have given way, been an unhappy, lonely, broken old man -well, it might have been better for him in the end. But he's too proud for that. He'll go down fighting, that's his motto. But that sort of thing leads, Sir Henry, to a lot of nervous reaction. He looks a good-tempered gentleman. I've seen him in violent rages when he could hardly speak for passion. And the one thing that roused him, sir, was deceit."
"Are you saying that for any particular reason, Edwards?" "Yes, sir. I am. You asked me, sir, to speak quite frankly." "That is the idea."
"Well, then, Sir Henry, in my opinion the young woman that Mr Jefferson was so taken up with wasn't worth it. She was, to put it bluntly, a common little piece. And she didn't care tuppence for Mr Jefferson. All that play of affection and gratitude was so much poppycock. I don't say there was any harm in her, but she wasn't, by a long way, what Mr Jefferson thought her. It was funny, that, sir, for Mr Jefferson was a shrewd gentleman; he wasn't often deceived over people. But there, a gentleman isn't himself in his judgment when it comes to a young woman being in question. Young Mrs Jefferson, you see, whom he'd always depended upon a lot for sympathy, had changed a good deal this summer. He noticed it and he felt it badly. He was fond of her, you see. Mr Mark he never liked much."
Sir Henry interjected, "And yet he had him with him constantly?"
"Yes, but that was for Miss Rosamund's sake. Mrs Gaskell, that was. She was the apple of his eye. He adored her. Mr Mark was Miss Rosamund's husband. He always thought of him like that."
"Supposing Mr Mark had married someone else?"
"Mr Jefferson, sir, would have been furious."
Sir Henry raised his eyebrows. "As much as that?"
"He wouldn't have shown it, but that's what it would have been."
"And if Mrs Jefferson had married again?"
"Mr Jefferson wouldn't have liked that either, sir."
"Please go on, Edwards."
"I was saying, sir, that Mr Jefferson fell for this young woman. I've often seen it happen with the gentlemen I've been with. Comes over them like a kind of disease. They want to protect the girl, and shield her, and shower benefits upon her, and nine times out often the girl is very well able to look after herself and has a good eye to the main chance."
"So you think Ruby Keene was a schemer?"
"Well, Sir Henry, she was quite inexperienced, being so young, but she had the makings of a very fine schemer indeed when she'd once got well into her swing, so to speak. In another five years she'd have been an expert at the game."
Sir Henry said, "I'm glad to have your opinion of her. It's valuable. Now, do you recall any incidents in which this matter was discussed between Mr Jefferson and the members of his family?"
"There was very little discussion, sir. Mr Jefferson announced what he had in mind and stifled any protests. That is, he shut up Mr Mark, who was a bit outspoken. Mrs Jefferson didn't say much - she's a quiet lady - only urged him not to do anything in a great hurry."
Sir Henry nodded. "Anything else? What was the girl's attitude?"
With marked distaste the valet said, "I should describe it, Sir Henry, as jubilant."
"Ah, jubilant, you say? You had no reason to believe, Edwards, that -" he sought about for a phrase suitable to Edwards - "that... er... her affections were engaged elsewhere?"
"Mr Jefferson was not proposing marriage, sir. He was going to adopt her." "Cut out the 'elsewhere' and let the question stand."
The valet said slowly, "There was one incident, sir. I happened to be a witness of it."
"That is gratifying. Tell me."
"There is probably nothing in it, sir. It was just that one day, the young woman chancing to open her handbag, a small snapshot fell out. Mr Jefferson pounced on it and said, 'Hullo, kitten, who's this, eh?'
"It was a snapshot, sir, of a young man, a dark young man with rather untidy hair, and his tie very badly arranged. Miss Keene pretended that she didn't know anything about it. She said, 'I've no idea, Jeffie. No idea at all. I don't know how it could have got into my bag. I didn't put it there.'"
"Now, Mr Jefferson, sir, wasn't quite a fool. That story wasn't good enough. He looked angry, his brows came down heavy, and his voice was gruff when he said, 'Now then, kitten, now then. You know who it is right enough.' She changed her tactics quick, sir. Looked frightened. She said, 'I do recognize him now. He comes here sometimes and I've danced with him. I don't know his name. The silly idiot must have stuffed his photo into my bag one day. These boys are too silly for anything!' She tossed her head and giggled and passed it off. But it wasn't a likely story, was it? And I don't think Mr Jefferson quite believed it. He looked at her once or twice after that in a sharp way, and sometimes, if she'd been out, he asked her where she'd been."
Sir Henry said, "Have you ever seen the original of the photo about the hotel?"
"Not to my knowledge, sir. Of course I am not much downstairs in the public apartments."
Sir Henry nodded. He asked a few more questions, but Edwards could tell him nothing more.
II
In the police station at Danemouth Superintendent Harper was interviewing Jessie Davis, Florence Small, Beatrice Henniker, Mary Price and Lilian Ridgeway. They were girls much of an age, differing slightly in mentality. They ranged from "county" to farmers' and shopkeepers' daughters. One and all, they told the same story. Pamela Reeves had been just the same as usual; she had said nothing to any of them except that she was going to Woolworth's and would go home by a later bus.
