Three Blind Mice and Other Stories Part 4

HiseyerovedoverthegroupandpickedoutGiles.

"AreyouMrDavis?CanIgettheseskisoffandstowthemsomewhere?"

"Ofcourse,comewithme."

MrsBoylesaidacidlyasthedoortothehallclosedbehindthem,"Isupposethat'swhatwepayourpoliceforcefor,nowadays,togoroundenjoyingthemselvesatwintersports."

ParavicinihadcomeclosetoMolly.Therewasquiteahissinhisvoiceashesaidinaquick,lowvoice,"Whydidyousendforthepolice,MrsDavis?"

Sherecoiledalittlebeforethesteadymalignityofhisglance.ThiswasanewMrParavicini.Foramomentshefeltafraid.Shesaidhelplessly,"ButIdidn't.Ididn't."

AndthenChristopherWrencameexcitedlythroughthedoor,sayinginahighpenetratingwhisper,"Who'sthatmaninthehall?Wheredidhecomefrom?Soterriblyheartyandalloversnow."

MrsBoyle'svoiceboomedoutovertheclickofherknitting-needles."Youmaybelieveitornot,b.u.t.thatmanisapoliceman.Apoliceman-skiing!"

Thefinaldisruptionofthelowercla.s.seshadcome,sohermannerseemedtosay.

MajorMetcalfmurmuredtoMolly,"Excuseme,MrsDavis,butmayIuseyourtelephone?"

"Ofcourse,MajorMetcalf."

Hewentovertotheinstrument,justasChristopherWrensaidshrilly,"He'sveryhandsome,don'tyouthinkso?Ialwaysthinkpolicemenareterriblyattractive."

"Hullo,hullo-"MajorMetcalfwasrattlingthetelephoneirritably.HeturnedtoMolly.

"MrsDavis,thistelephoneisdead,quitedead."

"Itwasallrightjustnow.I-"

Shewasinterrupted.ChristopherWrenwaslaughing,ahigh,shrill,almosthystericallaugh."Sowe'requitecutoffnow.Quitecutoff.That'sfunny,isn't.i.t?"

"Idon'tseeanythingtolaughat,"saidMajorMetcalfstiffly.

"No,indeed,"saidMrsBoyle.

Christopherwa.s.stillinfitsoflaughter."It'saprivatejokeofmyown,"hesaid."Hsh,"heputhisfingertohislips,"thesleuthiscoming."

GilescameinwithSergeantTrotter.Thelatterhadgotridofhisskisandbrushedoffthesnowandwasholdinginhishandalargenotebookandpencil.Hebroughtanatmosphereofunhurriedjudicialprocedurewithhim.

"Molly,"saidGiles,"SergeantTrotterwantsawordwithusalone."

Mollyfollowedthembothoutoftheroom.

"We'llgointhestudy,"Gilessaid.

Theywentintothesmallroomatthebackofthehallwhichwasdignifiedbythatname.SergeantTrotterclosedthedoorcarefullybehindhim.

"Whathavewedone,Sergeant?"Mollydemandedplaintively.

"Done?"SergeantTrotterstaredather.Thenhesmiledbroadly."Oh,"hesaid."It'snothingofthatkind,madam.I'msorryifthere'sbeenamisapprehensionofanykind.No,MrsDavis,it'ssomethingquitedifferent.It'smoreamatterofpoliceprotection,ifyouunderstandme."

Notunderstandinghimintheleast,theybothlookedathiminquiringly.

SergeantTrotterwentonfluently,"ItrelatestothedeathofMrsLyon,MrsMaureenLyon,whowasmurderedinLondontwodaysago.Youmayhavereadaboutthecase."

"Yes,"saidMolly.

"ThefirstthingIwanttoknowisifyouwereacquaintedwiththisMrsLyon?"

"Neverheardofher,"saidGiles,andMollymurmuredconcurrence.

"Well,that'sratherwhatweexpected.ButasamatteroffactLyonwasn'tthemurderedwoman'srealname.Shehadapolicerecord,andherfingerprintswereonfile,sowewereabletoidentifyherwithoutanydifficulty.HerrealnamewasGregg;MaureenGregg.Herlatehusband,JohnGregg,wasafarmerwh.o.r.esidedatLongridgeFarmnotveryfarfromhere.YoumayhaveheardoftheLongridgeFarmcase."

Theroomwasverystill.Onlyonesoundbrokethestillness,asoft,unexpectedplopa.s.snowslitheredofftheroofandfelltothegroundoutside.Itwasasecret,almostsinistersound.

Trotterwenton."ThreeevacueechildrenwerebilletedontheGreggsatLongridgeFarmin1940.Oneofthosechildrensubsequentlydiedastheresultofcriminalneglectandill-treatment.Thecasemadequiteasensation,andtheGreggswerebothsentencedtotermsofimprisonment.Greggescapedonhiswaytoprison,hestoleacarandhadacrashwhiletryingtoevadethepolice.Hewaskilledoutright.MrsGreggservedhersentenceandwasreleasedtwomonthsago."

"Andnowshe'sbeenmurdered,"saidGiles."Whodotheythinkdidit?"

ButSergeantTrotterwasnottobehurried."Yourememberthecase,sir?"heasked.

Gilesshookhishead."In1940IwasamidshipmanservingintheMediterranean."

"I-Idorememberhearingabout.i.t,Ithink,"saidMollyratherbreathlessly."Butwhydoyoucometous?Whathavewetodowithit?"

"It'saquestionofyourbeingindanger,MrsDavis!"

"Danger?"Gilesspokeincredulously.

"It'slikethis,sir.Anotebookwaspickedupnearthesceneofthecrime.Initwerewrittentwoaddresses.Thefirstwa.s.seventy-FourCulverStreet."

"Wherethewomanwasmurdered?"Mollyputin.

"Yes"MrsDavis.TheotheraddresswasMonkswellManor."

"What?"Molly'stonewasincredulous."Buthowextraordinary."

"Yes.That'swhySuperintendentHogbenthought.i.timperativetofindoutifyouknewofanyconnectionbetweenyou,orbetweenthishouse,andtheLongridgeFarmcase."

"There'snothing-absolutelynothing,"saidGiles."Itmustbesomecoincidence."

SergeantTrottersaidgently,"SuperintendentHogbendoesn'tthinkitisacoincidence.He'dhavecomehimselfifithadbeenatallpossible.Undertheweatherconditions,andasI'manexpertskier,hesentmewithinstructionstogetfullparticularsofeveryoneinthishouse,toreportbacktohimbyphone,andtotakeallmeasuresIthoughtexpedientforthesafetyofthehousehold."

Gilessaidsharply."Safety?GoodLord,man,youdon'tthinksomebodyisgoingtobekilledhere?"

Trottersaidapologetically,"Ididn'twanttoupsetthelady,butyes,thatisjustwhatSuperintendentHogbendoesthink."

"Butwhatearthlyreasoncouldtherebe-"

Gilesbrokeoff,andTrottersaid,"That'sjustwhatI'mheretofindout."

"b.u.t.thewholething'scrazy."

"Yes,sir,but.i.t'sbecauseit'scrazythat.i.t'sdangerous."

Mollysaid,"There'ssomethingmoreyouhaven'ttoldusyet,isn'tthere,Sergeant?"

"Yes,madam.Atthetopofthepageinthenotebookwaswritten,'ThreeBlindMice.'Pinnedtothedeadwoman'sbodywasapaperwith'Thisisthefirst'writtenonit.Andbelowitadrawingofthreemiceandabarofmusic.Themusicwasthetuneofthenurseryrhyme'ThreeBlindMice.'"

Mollysangsoftly: "ThreeBlindMice,Seehowtheyrun.Theyallranafterthefarmer'swife!She-"

Shebrokeoff."Oh,it'shorrible-horrible.Therewerethreechildren,weren'tthere?"

"Yes,MrsDavis.Aboyoffifteen,agirloffourteen,andtheboyoftwelvewhodied."

"Whathappenedtotheothers?"

"Thegirlwas,Ibelieve,adoptedbysomeone.Wehaven'tbeenabletotraceher.Theboywouldbejustontwenty-threenow.We'velosttrackofhim.Hewa.s.saidtohavealwaysbeenabit-queer.Hejoinedupinthearmyateighteen.Laterhedeserted.Sincethenhe'sdisappeared.Thearmypsychiatristsaysdefinitelythathe'snotnormal."

"Youthinkthat.i.twashewhokilledMrsLyon?"Gilesasked."Andthathe'sahomicidalmaniacandmayturnuphereforsomeunknownreason?"

"WethinkthattheremustbeaconnectionbetweensomeonehereandtheLongridgeFarmbusiness.Oncewecanestablishwhatthatconnectionis,wewillbeforearmed.Nowyoustate,sir,thatyouyourselfhavenoconnectionwiththatcase.Thesamegoesforyou,MrsDavis?"

"I-oh,yes-yes."

"Perhapsyouwilltellmeexactlywhoelsethereisinthehouse?"

Theygavehimthenames.MrsBoyle.MajorMetcalf.MrChristopherWren.MrParavicini.

Hewrotethemdowninhisnotebook.

"Servants?"

"Wehaven'tanyservants,"saidMolly."Andthatremindsme,Imustgoandputthepotatoeson."

Sheleftthestudyabruptly.

TrotterturnedtoGiles."Whatdoyouknowaboutthesepeople,sir?"

"I-We-"Gilespaused.Thenhesaidquietly,"Really,wedon'tknowanythingaboutthem,SergeantTrotter.MrsBoylewrotefromaBournemouthhotel.MajorMetcalffromLeamington.MrWrenfromaprivatehotelinSouthKensington.MrParavicinijustturnedupoutoftheblue-orratheroutofthewhite-hiscaroverturnedinasnowdriftnearhere.Still,Isupposethey'llhaveident.i.tycards,rationbooks,thatsortofthing?"

"Ishallgointoallthat,ofcourse."

"Inawayit'sluckythattheweatherissoawful,"saidGiles."Themurderercan'tverywellturnupinthis,canhe?"

"Perhapshedoesn'tneedto,MrDavis."

"Whatdoyoumean?"

SergeantTrotterhesitatedforamomentandthenhesaid,"You'vegottoconsider,sir,thathemaybeherealready."

Gilesstaredathim.

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"MrsGreggwaskilledtwodaysago.Allyourvisitorsherehavearrivedsincethen,MrDavis."

"Yes,b.u.t.they'dbookedbeforehand-sometimebeforehand-exceptforParavicini."

SergeantTrottersighed.Hisvoicesoundedtired."Thesecrimeswereplannedinadvance."

"Crimes?Butonlyonecrimehashappenedyet.Whyareyousurethattherewillbeanother?"

"That.i.twillhappen-no.Ihopetopreventthat.That.i.twillbeattempted,yes."

"b.u.t.then-ifyou'reright,"Gilesspokeexcitedly,"there'sonlyonepersonitcouldbe.There'sonlyonepersonwho'stherightage.ChristopherWren!"

SergeantTrotterhadjoinedMollyinthekitchen.

"I'dbeglad,MrsDavis,ifyouwouldcomewithmetothelibrary.Iwanttomakeageneralstatementtoeveryone.MrDavishaskindlygonetopreparetheway-"

"Allright-justletmefinishthesepotatoes.SometimesIwishSirWalterRaleighhadneverdiscoveredthebeastlythings."

SergeantTrotterpreservedadisapprovingsilence.Mollysaidapologetically,"Ican'treallybelieveit,yousee-It'ssofantastic-"

"Itisn'tfantastic,MrsDavis-It'sjustplainfacts."

"Youhaveadescriptionoftheman?"Mollyaskedcuriously.

"Mediumheight,slightbuild,woreadarkovercoatandalighthat,spokeinawhisper,hisfacewashiddenbyam.u.f.fler.Yousee-thatmightbeanybody."Hepausedandadded,"Therearethreedarkovercoatsandlighthatshangingupinyourhallhere,MrsDavis."

"Idon'tthinkanyofthesepeoplecamefromLondon."

"Didn'tthey,MrsDavis?"WithaswiftmovementSergeantTrottermovedtothedresserandpickedupanewspaper.

"TheEveningStandardofFebruary19th.Twodaysago.Someonebroughtthatpaperhere,MrsDavis."

"Buthowextraordinary."Mollystared,somefaintchordofmemorystirred."Wherecanthatpaperhavecomefrom?"

"Youmustn'ttakepeoplealwaysattheirfacevalue,MrsDavis.Youdon'treallyknowanythingaboutthesepeopleyouhaveadmittedtoyourhouse."Headded,"ItakeityouandMrDavisarenewtotheguest-housebusiness?"

"Yes,weare,"Mollyadmitted.Shefeltsuddenlyyoung,foolish,andchildish.

"Youhaven'tbeenmarriedlong,perhaps,either?"

"Justayear."Sheblushedslightly."Itwasallrathersudden."

"Loveatfirstsight,"saidSergeantTrottersympathetically.