“Really? How interesting.”
“There’s one other thing, Mrs. Percival.
Do you know anything about blackbirds?”
Jennifer Fortescue started violently. She
191
dropped her handbag on the floor and bent to
pick it up.
“Blackbirds, Inspector? Blackbirds? What
kind of blackbirds?”
Her voice was rather breathless. Smiling a
little. Inspector Neele said:
“Just blackbirds. Alive or dead or even, shall we say, symbolical?”
Jennifer Fortescue said sharply,
“I don’t know what you mean. I don’t
know what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t know anything about blackbirds, then, Mrs. Fortescue?”
She said slowly:
“I suppose you mean the ones last summer
in the pie. All very silly.”
“There were some left on the library table,
too, weren’t there?”
“It was all a very silly practical joke. I don’t
know who’s been talking to you about it. Mr.
Fortescue, my father-in-law, was very much
annoyed by it.”
“Just annoyed? Nothing more?”
“Oh. I see what you mean. Yes, I suppose–yes,
it’s true. He asked us if there were
any strangers about the place.”
“Strangers!” Inspector Neele raised his
eyebrows.
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“Well, that’s what he said,” said Mrs.
Percival defensively.
“Strangers,” repeated Inspector Neele
thoughtfully. Then he asked, “Did he seem
afraid in any way?”
“Afraid? I don’t know what you mean.”
“Nervous. About strangers, I mean.”
“Yes. Yes, he did, rather. Of course I don’t
remember very well. It was several months
ago, you know. I don’t think it was anything
except a silly practical joke. Crump perhaps.
I really do think that Crump is a very
unbalanced man, and I’m perfectly certain
that he drinks. He’s really very insolent in his
manner sometimes. I’ve sometimes wondered
if he could have had a grudge against Mr.
Fortescue. Do you think that’s possible,
Inspector?”
”Anything’s possible,” said Inspector
Neele and went away.
&.. ,, JJ
Percival Fortescue was in London, but
Inspector Neele found Lancelot sitting with
his wife in the library. They were playing
chess together.
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“I don’t want to interrupt you,” said
Neele, apologetically.
“We’re only killing time. Inspector, aren’t
we. Pat?”
Pat nodded.
“I expect you’ll think it’s rather a foolish
question I’m asking you,” said Neele. “Do
you know anything about blackbirds, Mr.
Fortescue?”
“Blackbirds?” Lance looked amused.
“What kind of blackbirds? Do you mean
genuine birds, or the slave trade?”
Inspector Neele said with a sudden,
disarming smile:
“I’m not sure what I mean, Mr. Fortescue.
It’s just that a mention of blackbirds has
turned up.”
“Good Lord.” Lancelot looked suddenly
alert, “Not the old Blackbird Mine, I
suppose?”
Inspector Neele said sharply:
“The Blackbird Mine? What was that?”
Lance frowned in a puzzled fashion.
“The trouble is. Inspector, that I can’t
really remember much myself. I just have a
vague idea about some shady transaction in
my papa’s past. Something on the West Coast
of Africa. Aunt Effie I believe, once threw it
194
in his teeth, but I can’t remember anything
definite about it.”
“Aunt EfFie? That will be Miss Ramsbottom,
won’t it?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll go and ask her about it,” said
Inspector Neele. He added ruefully, “She’s
rather a formidable old lady, Mr. Fortescue.
Always makes me feel quite nervous.”
Lance laughed.
“Yes. Aunt Effie is certainly a character, but she may be helpful to you. Inspector, if
you get on the right side other. Especially if
you’re delving into the past. She’s got an
excellent memory, she takes a positive
pleasure in remembering anything that’s
detrimental in any way.” He added thoughtfully,
“There’s something else. I went up to
see her, you know, soon after I got back here.
Immediately after tea that day, as a matter of
fact. And she was talking about Gladys. The
maid who got killed. Not that we knew she
was dead then, of course. But Aunt Effie was
saying she was quite convinced that Gladys
knew something that she hadn’t told the
police.”
“That seems fairly certain,” said Inspector
Neele. “She’ll never tell it now, poor girl.”
195
“No. It seems Aunt EfFie had given her
good advice as to spilling anything she knew.
Pity the girl didn’t take it.”
Inspector Neele nodded. Bracing himself
for the encounter he penetrated to Miss
Ramsbottom’s fortress. Rather to his surprise, he found Miss Marple there. The two