Findeyson’s time. A picture it were, then.
Very fond of her garden she was, Mrs.
Findeyson.” Giles leaned easily against a roller.
Gwenda snipped off some rose heads. Miss Marple, retreating a little up stage, bent to the bindweed. Old Manning leant on his rake. All was set for a leisurely morning discussion of old times and gardening in the good old days.
“I suppose you know most of the gardens round here,” said Giles encouragingly.
“Ar, I know this place moderate well, I do. And the fancies people went in for.
Airs. Yule, up at Niagra, she had a yew hedge used to be clipped like a squirrel.
Silly, I thought it. Peacocks is one thing and squirrels is another. Then Colonel Lampard, he was a great man for begonias — lovely beds of begonias he used to have.
Bedding out now, that’s going out of fashion. I wouldn’t like to tell you how often I’ve had to fill up beds in the front lawns and turf ’em over in the last six years. Seems people ain’t got no eye for geraniums and a nice bit of lobelia edging no more.” “You worked at Dr. Kennedy’s, didn’t you?” “Ar. Long time ago, that were. Must have been 1920 and on. He’s moved now –given up. Young Dr. Brent’s up at Crosby Lodge now. Funny ideas, he has — little white tablets and so on. Vittapins he calls ’em.” ec! suppose you remember Miss Helen Kennedy, the doctor’s sister.” “Ar, I remember Miss Helen right enough. Pretty maid, she was, with her long yellow hair. The doctor set a lot of store by her. Come back and lived in this very house here, she did, after she was married. Army gentleman from India.” “Yes,” said Gwenda. “We know.” “Ar. I did “ear — Saturday night it was — as you and your ‘usband was some kind of relations. Pretty as a picter. Miss Helen was, when she first come back from school. Full of fun, too. Wanting to go everywhere — dances and tennis and all that. ‘Ad to mark the tennis court, I ‘ad — hadn’t been used for nigh twenty years, I’d say. And the shrubs overgrowing it cruel. ‘Ad to cut ’em back, I did. And get a lot of whitewash and mark out the lines.
Lot of work it made — and in the end hardly played on. Funny thing I always thought that was.” “What was a funny thing?” asked Giles.
“Business with the tennis net. Someone come along one night—and cut it to ribbons. Just to ribbons it was. Spite, as you might say. That was what it was — nasty bit of spite.” “But who would do a thing like that?” “That’s what the doctor wanted to know.
Proper put out about it he was — and I don’t blame him. Just paid for it, he had.
But none of us could tell who’d done it.
We never did know. And he said he wasn’t going to get another–quite right, too, for if it’s spite one time, it would be spite again. But Miss Helen, she was rare and put out. She didn’t have no luck. Miss Helen didn’t. First that net — and then her bad foot.” “A bad foot?” asked Gwenda.
“Yes — fell over a scraper or somesuch and cut it. Not much more than a graze, it seemed, but it wouldn’t heal. Fair worried about it, the doctor was. He was dressing it and treating it, but it didn’t get well. I remember him saying I can’t understand it — there must have been something spectic — or some word like that — on the scraper.
And anyway,’ he says, ‘what was the scraper doing out in the middle of the drive?’ Because that’s where it was when Miss Helen fell over it, walking home on a dark night. The poor maid, there she was, missing going to dances, and sitting about with her foot up. Seemed as though there were nothing but bad luck for her.” The moment had come, Giles thought.
He asked casually, “Do you remember somebody called Afflick?” “Ar. You mean Jackie Afflick? As was in Fane and Watchman’s office?” “Yes. Wasn’t he a friend of Miss Helen’s?” “That were just a bit of nonsense. Doctor put a stop to it and quite right too. He wasn’t any class, Jackie Afflick. And he was the kind that’s too sharp by half. Cut themselves in the end, that kind do. But he weren’t here long. Got himself into hot water. Good riddance. Us don’t want the likes of he in Dillmouth. Go and be smart somewhere else, that’s what he were welcome to do.” Gwenda asked: “Was he here when that tennis net was cut up?” “Ar. I see what you’re thinking. But he wouldn’t do a senseless thing like that.