Mildred Strete said, whether to the universe or Miss Marple was not quite certain, ‘Not even a black tie!’
‘I don’t suppose,’ said Miss Marple apologetically, ‘that they knew beforehand that a murder was going to happen.’
Gina made a smothered sound and Mildred Strete looked sharply at her.
‘Where’s Walter this morning?’ she asked.
Gina flushed.
‘I don’t know. I haven’t seen him.’
She sat there uneasily like a guilty child.
Miss Marple got up.
‘I’ll go to the library now,’ she said.
II Lewis Serrocold was standing by the window in the library.
There was no one else in the room.
He turned as Miss Marple came in and came forward to meet her, taking her hand in his.
‘I hope,’ he said, ‘that you are not feeling the worse for the shock. To be at close quarters with what is undoubt-edly murder must be a great strain on anyone who has not come in contact with such a thing before.’
Modesty forbade Miss Marple to reply that she was, by now, quite at home with murder. She merely said that life in St Mary Mead was not quite so sheltered as outside people believed.
‘Very nasty things go on in a village, I assure you,’ she said. ‘One has an opportunity of studying things there that one would never have in a town.’
Lewis Serrocold listened indulgently, but with only half an ear.
He said very simply: ‘I want your help.’
‘But of course, Mr Serrocold.’
‘It is a matter that affects my wife – affects Caroline. I think that you are really attached to her?’
‘Yes, indeed. Everyone is.’
‘That is what I believed. It seems that I am wrong.
With the permission of Inspector Curry, I am going to tell you something that no one else as yet knows. Or perhaps I should say what only one person knows.’
Briefly, he told her what he had told Inspector Curry the night before.
Miss Marple looked horrified.
‘I can’t believe it, Mr Serrocold. I really can’t believe it.’
‘That is what I felt when Christian Gulbrandsen told me.’
‘I should have said that dear Carrie Louise had not got an enemy in the world.’ ‘It seems incredible that she should have. But you see the implication? P6isoning – slow poisoning – is an intimate family matter. It must be one of our closely-knit little household ‘ ‘If it is true. Are you sure that Mr Gulbrandsen was not mistaken?’ ‘Christian was not mistaken. He is too cautious a man to make such a statement without foundation. Besides, the police took away Caroline’s medicine bottle and a separate sample of its contents. There was arsenic in both of them – and arsenic was not prescribed. The actual quantitative tests will take longer – but the actual fact of arsenic being present is established.’ ‘Then her rheumatism – the difficulty in walking – all that ‘ ‘Yes, leg cramps are typical, I understand. Also, before you came, Caroline has had one or two severe attacks of a gastric nature – I never dreamed until Christian came ‘.He broke off. Miss Marple said softly: ‘So Ruth was right!’ ‘Ruth?’ Lewis Serrocold sounded surprised. Miss Marple flushed.
‘There is something I have not told you. My coming here was not entirely fortuitous. If you will let me explain – I’m afraid I tell things so badly. Please have patience.’ Lewis Serrocold listened whilst Miss Marple told him of Ruth’s unease and urgency.
‘Extraordinary,’ he commented. ‘I had no idea of this.’ ‘It was all so vague,’ said Miss Marple. ‘Ruth herself didn’t know why she had this feeling. There must be a reason – in my experience there always is – but “something wrong” was as near as she could get.’
Lewis Serrocold said grimly: ‘Well, it seems that she was right. Now, Miss Marple, you see how I am placed. Am I to tell Carrie Louise of this?’ Miss Marple said quickly: ‘Oh no,’ in a distressed voice, and then flushed and stared doubtfully at Lewis.
He nodded.
‘So you feel as I do? As Christian Gulbrandsen did.
Should we feel like that with an ordinary woman?’ ‘Carrie Louise is not an ordinary woman. She lives by her trust, by her belief in human nature – oh dear, I am expressing myself very badly. But I do feel that until we know who ‘ ‘Yes, that is the crux. But you do see, Miss Marple, that there is a risk in saying nothing ‘ ‘And so you want me to – how shall I put it? – watch over her?’ ‘You see, you are the only person whom I can trust,’ said Lewis Serrocold simply. ‘Everyone here seems devoted. But are they? Now your attachment goes back many years.’ ‘And also I only arrived a few days ago,’ said Miss Marple pertinently.