MajorMetcalfcamequietlydownthebackstairs.Hewaitedamomentortwointhehall,thenheopenedthebigcupboardunderthestairsandpeeredin.Everythingseemedquiet.n.o.bodyabout.Asgoodatimeasanytodowhathehadsetouttodo- MrsBoyle,inthelibrary,turnedthek.n.o.bsoftheradiowithsomeirritation.

Herfirstattempthadbroughtherintothemiddleofatalkontheoriginandsignificanceofnurseryrhymes.Thelastthingshewantedtohear.Twirlingimpatiently,shewasinformedbyaculturedvoice:"Thepsychologyoffearmustbethoroughlyunderstood.Sayyouarealoneinaroom.Adooropenssoftlybehindyou-"

Adoordidopen.

MrsBoyle,withaviolentstart,turnedsharply.

"Oh,it'syou,"shesaidwithrelief."Idioticprogramstheyhaveonthisthing.Ican'tfindanythingworthlisteningto!"

"Ishouldn'tbothertolisten,MrsBoyle."

MrsBoylesnorted."Whatelseisthereformetodo?"shedemanded."Shutupinahousewithapossiblemurderer-notthatIbelievethatmelodramaticstoryforamoment-"

"Don'tyou,MrsBoyle?"

"Why-whatdoyoumean-"

Thebeltoftheraincoatwa.s.slippedroundhernecksoquicklythatshehardlyrealizeditssignificance.Thek.n.o.boftheradioamplifierwasturnedhigher.ThelectureronthepsychologyoffearshoutedhislearnedremarksintotheroomanddrownedwhatincidentalnoisestherewereattendantonMrsBoyle'sdemise.

b.u.t.therewasn'tmuchnoise.

Thekillerwastooexpertforthat.

Theywereallhuddledinthekitchen.Onthegascookerthepotatoesbubbledmerrily.Thesavorysmellfromtheovenofsteakandkidneypiewa.s.strongerthanever.

Fourshakenpeoplestaredateachother,thefifth,Molly,whiteandshivering,sippedatthegla.s.sofwhiskythatthesixth,SergeantTrotter,hadforcedhertodrink.

SergeantTrotterhimself,hisfacesetandangry,lookedroundatthea.s.sembledpeople.JustfiveminuteshadelapsedsinceMolly'sterrifiedscreamshadbroughthimandtheothersracingtothelibrary.

"She'donlyjustbeenkilledwhenyougottoher,MrsDavis,"hesaid."Areyousureyoudidn'tseeorhearanybodyasyoucameacrossthehall?"

"Whistling,"saidMollyfaintly."b.u.t.thatwasearlier.Ithink-I'mnotsure-IthinkIheardadoorshut-softly,somewhere-justasI-asI-wentintothelibrary."

"Whichdoor?"

"Idon'tknow."

"Think,MrsDavis-tryandthink-upstairs-downstairs-right,left?"

"Idon'tknow,Itellyou,"criedMolly."I'mnotevensureIheardanything."

"Can'tyous...o...b..llyingher?"saidGilesangrily."Can'tyouseeshe'sallin?"

"I'minvestigatingamurder,MrDavis-Ibegyourpardon-CommanderDavis."

"Idon'tusemywarrank,Sergeant."

"Quiteso,sir."Trotterpaused,asthoughhehadmadesomesubtlepoint."AsIsay,I'minvestigatingamurder.Uptonown.o.bodyhastakenthisthingseriously.MrsBoyledidn't.Sheheldoutonmewithinformation.Youallheldoutonme.Well,MrsBoyleisdead.Unlesswegettothebottomofthis-andquickly,mind,theremaybeanotherdeath."

"Another?Nonsense.Why?"

"Because,"saidSergeantTrottergravely,"therewerethreelittleblindmice."

Gilessaidincredulously,"Adeathforeachofthem?b.u.t.therewouldhavetobeaconnection-Imeananotherconnectionwiththecase."

"Yes,therewouldhavetobethat."

"Butwhyanotherdeathhere?"

"Becausetherewereonlytwoaddressesinthenotebook.TherewasonlyonepossiblevictimatSeventy-FourCulverStreet.She'sdead.ButatMonkswellManorthereisawiderfield."

"Nonsense,Trotter.Itwouldbeamostunlikelycoincidencethatthereshouldbetwopeoplebroughtherebychance,bothofthemwithashareintheLongridgeFarmcase."

"Givencertaincirc.u.mstances,itwouldn'tbesomuchofacoincidence.Thinkitout,MrDavis."Heturnedtowardtheothers."I'vehadyouraccountsofwhereyouallwerewhenMrsBoylewaskilled.I'llcheckthemover.Youwereinyourroom,MrWren,whenyouheardMrsDavisscream?"

"Yes,Sergeant."

"MrDavis,youwereupstairsinyourbedroomexaminingthetelephoneextensionthere?"

"Yes,"saidGiles.

"MrParaviciniwasinthedrawing-roomplayingtunesonthepiano.n.o.bodyheardyou,bytheway,MrParavicini?"

"Iwasplayingvery,verysoftly,Sergeant,justwithonefinger."

"Whattunewasit?"

"'ThreeBlindMice,'Sergeant."Hesmiled."ThesametunethatMrWrenwaswhistlingupstairs.Thetunethat'srunningthrougheverybody'shead."

"It'sahorridtune,"saidMolly.

"Howaboutthetelephonewire?"askedMetcalf."Wasitdeliberatelycut?"

"Yes,MajorMetcalf.Asectionhadbeencutoutjustoutsidethedining-roomwindow-IhadjustlocatedthebreakwhenMrsDavisscreamed."

"But.i.t'scrazy.Howcanhehopetogetawaywithit?"demandedChristophershrilly.

Thesergeantmeasuredhimcarefullywithhiseye.

"Perhapshedoesn'tverymuchcareaboutthat,"hesaid."Oragain,hemaybequitesurehe'stoocleverforus.Murderersgetlikethat."Headded,"Wetakeapsychologycourse,youknow,inourtraining.Aschizophrenic'smentalityisveryinteresting."

"Shallwecutoutthelongwords?"saidGiles.

"Certainly,MrDavis.Twosix-letterwordsareallthatconcernusatthemoment.One's'murder'andtheother's'danger.'That'swhatwe'vegottoconcentrateupon.Now,MajorMetcalf,letmebequiteclearaboutyourmovements.Yousayyouwereinthecellar-Why?"

"Lookingaround,"saidthemajor."IlookedinthatcupboardplaceunderthestairsandthenInoticedadoorthereandIopeneditandsawaflightofsteps,soIwentdownthere.Nicecellaryou'vegot,"hesaidtoGiles."Cryptofanoldmonastery,Ishouldsay."

"We'renotengagedinantiquarianresearch,MajorMetcalf.We'reinvestigatingamurder.w.i.l.l.youlistenamoment,MrsDavis?I'llleavethekitchendooropen."Hewentout;adoorshutwithafaintcreak."Isthatwhatyouheard,MrsDavis?"heaskedashereappearedintheopendoorway.

"I-itdoessoundlikeit."

"Thatwasthecupboardunderthestairs.Itcouldbe,youknow,thatafterkillingMrsBoyle,themurderer,retreatingacrossthehall,heardyoucomingoutofthekitchen,andslippedintothecupboard,pullingthedoortoafterhim."

"Thenhisfingerprintswillbeontheinsideofthecupboard,"criedChristopher.

"Minearetherealready,"saidMajorMetcalf.

"Quiteso,"saidSergeantTrotter."Butwe'veasatisfactoryexplanationforthose,haven'twe?"headdedsmoothly.

"Lookhere,Sergeant,"saidGiles,"admittedlyyou'reinchargeofthisaffair.b.u.t.thisismyhouse,andinacertaindegreeIfeelresponsibleforthepeoplestayinginit.Oughtn'twetotakeprecautionarymeasures?"

"Suchas,MrDavis?"

"Well,tobefrank,puttingunderrestraintthepersonwhoseemsprettyclearlyindicatedasthechiefsuspect."

HelookedstraightatChristopherWren.

ChristopherWrensprangforward,hisvoicerose,shrillandhysterical."It'snottrue!It'snottrue!You'reallagainstme.Everyone'salwaysagainstme.You'regoingtoframemeforthis.It'spersecution-persecution-"

"Steadyon,lad,"saidMajorMetcalf.

"It'sallright,Chris."Mollycameforward.Sheputherhandonhisarm."n.o.body'sagainstyou.Tellhimit'sallright,"shesaidtoSergeantTrotter.

"Wedon'tframepeople,"saidSergeantTrotter.

"Tellhimyou'renotgoingtoarresthim."

"I'mnotgoingtoarrestanyone.Todothat,Ineedevidence.There'snoevidence-atpresent."

Gilescriedout,"Ithinkyou'recrazy,Molly.Andyou,too,Sergeant.There'sonlyonepersonwhofitsthebill,and-"

"Wait,Giles,wait-"Mollybrokein."Oh,dobequiet.SergeantTrotter,canI-canIspeaktoyouaminute?"

"I'mstaying,"saidGiles.

"No,Giles,you,too,please."

Giles'sfacegrewasdarkasthunder.Hesaid,"Idon'tknowwhat'scomeoveryou,Molly."

Hefollowedtheothersoutoftheroom,bangingthedoorbehindhim.

"Yes,MrsDavis,whatisit?"

"SergeantTrotter,whenyoutoldusabouttheLongridgeFarmcase,youseemedtothinkthat.i.tmustbetheeldestboywhois-responsibleforallthis.Butyoudon'tknowthat?"

"That'sperfectlytrue,MrsDavis.b.u.t.theprobabilitiesliethatway-mentalinstability,desertionfromthearmy,psychiatrist'sreport."

"Oh,Iknow,andthereforeitallseemstopointtoChristopher.ButIdon'tbelieveitisChristopher.Theremustbeother-possibilities.Hadn'tthosethreechildrenanyrelations-parents,forinstance?"

"Yes.Themotherwasdead.b.u.t.thefatherwa.s.servingabroad."

"Well,whatabouthim?Whereishenow?"

"We'venoinformation.Heobtainedhisdemobilizationpaperslastyear."

"Andifthesonwasmentallyunstable,thefathermayhavebeen,too."

"Thatisso."

"Sothemurderermaybemiddle-agedorold.MajorMetcalf,remember,wasfrightfullyupsetwhenItoldhimthepolicehadrungup.Hereallywas."

SergeantTrottersaidquietly,"Pleasebelieveme,MrsDavis,I'vehadallthepossibilitiesinmindsincethebeginning.Theboy,Jim-thefather-eventhesister.Itcouldhavebeenawoman,youknow.Ihaven'toverlookedanything.Imaybeprettysureinmyownmind-butIdon'tknow-yet.It'sveryhardreallytoknowaboutanythingoranyone-especiallyinthesedays.You'dbesurprisedwhatweseeinthepoliceforce.Withmarriages,especially.Hastymarriages-warmarriages.There'sn.o.background,yousee.Nofamiliesorrelationstomeet.Peopleaccepteachother'sword.Fellowsayshe'safighterpilotoranarmymajor-thegirlbelieveshimimplicitly.Sometimesshedoesn'tfindoutforayearortwothathe'sanabscondingbankclerkwithawifeandfamily,oranarmy-deserter."

Hepausedandwenton.

"Iknowquitewellwhat'sinyourmind,MrsDavis.There'sjustonethingI'dliketosaytoyou.Themurderer'senjoyinghimself.That'stheonethingI'mquitesureof."

Hewenttowardthedoor.

Mollystoodverystraightandstill,aredflushburninginhercheeks.Afterstandingrigidforamomentortwo,shemovedslowlytowardthestove,kneltdown,andopenedtheovendoor.Asavory,familiarsmellcametowardher.Herheartlightened.Itwasasthoughsuddenlyshehadbeenwaftedbackintothedear,familiarworldofeverydaythings.Cooking,housework,homemaking,ordinaryprosaicliving.

So,fromtimeimmemorialwomenhadcookedfoodfortheirmen.Theworldofdanger-ofmadness,receded.Woman,inherkitchen,wa.s.safe-eternallysafe.

Thekitchendooropened.SheturnedherheadasChristopherWrenentered.Hewasalittlebreathless.

"Mydear,"hesaid."Suchructions!Somebody'sstolenthesergeant'sskis!"

"Thesergeant'sskis?Butwhyshouldanyonewanttodothat?"

"Ireallycan'timagine.Imean,ifthesergeantdecidedtogoawayandleaveus,Ishouldimaginethatthemurdererwouldbeonlytoopleased.Imean,itreallydoesn'tmakesense,doesit?"

"Gilesputtheminthecupboardunderthestairs."

"Well,they'renottherenow.Intriguing,isn't.i.t?"Helaughedgleefully."Thesergeant'sawfullyangryabout.i.t.Snappinglikeaturtle.He'sbeenpitchingintopoorMajorMetcalf.Theoldboystickstoitthathedidn'tnoticewhethertheywerethereornotwhenhelookedintothecupboardjustbeforeMrsBoylewasmurdered.Trottersayshemusthavenoticed.Ifyouaskme,"Christopherloweredhisvoiceandleanedforward,"thisbusinessisbeginningtogetTrotterdown."

"It'sgettingusalldown,"saidMolly.

"Notme.Ifinditmoststimulating.It'sallsodelightfullyunreal."

Mollysaidsharply,"Youwouldn'tsaythatif-ifyou'dbeentheonetofindher.MrsBoyle,Imean.Ikeepthinkingofit-Ican'tforget.i.t.Herface-allswollenandpurple-"

Sheshivered.Christophercameacrosstoher.Heputahandonhershoulder.

"Iknow.I'manidiot.I'msorry.Ididn'tthink."

AdrysobroseinMolly'sthroat."Itseemedallrightjustnow-cooking-thekitchen,"shespokeconfusedly,incoherently."Andthensuddenly-itwasallbackagain-likeanightmare."

Therewasacurious.e.xpressiononChristopherWren'sfaceashestoodtherelookingdownonherbenthead.