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.