"Can't stand speeches, so this won't take very long." "Frank." "I just want to say how very proud I am." " We both are, your mother and I." " Hear, hear." "You have survived heaven knows what in the cause of freedom." "Along with Mark here." "This is for you too, old chap." "You have shown courage and fortitude, which will never, never..." "Get a move on." "And, God willing, you will soon all be free to come home to your beautiful wives." "And life can return to the way it was before it was so rudely interrupted by Herr Hitler." "Happy birthday, Frank." "sevenyearslater" " Morning, Mary." " Morning, Mr Lorrimer." ""The Body in the Library"" "St Mary Mead 235." "Oh, Jane, I'm so glad you've come." "Oh, Dolly, what a terrible thing." "I know." "Rather thrilling, isn't it?" " Good morning, Colonel." " Miss Marple, I hope..." "Finish your breakfast, Arthur." " But whose is it?" " No one knows." "I'm afraid nobody's allowed inside, madam." "Oh, nonsense." " Strangled, apparently." " She's very young." "Yes, I suppose she is." "It's hard to believe, isn't it?" "Thank God you're here." "Thought I'd better come along myself." "Dreadful business." " No idea who she is?" " Never set eyes on her in my life." " Butlers?" "Servants?" " As mystified as I am." " Oh, Terence." " Dolly." " Terribly sorry." " Simply dreadful, isn't it?" " Miss Marple." " Good morning, Colonel." "Old Marple's quick off the blocks." "Look here, Bantry..." "Got to get this off my chest." "If you were tied up with this girl" "I shouldn't blame you, you know." "Man of the world and all that." "Damn it all, Melchett, I don't know her from..." "Adam." "Question is, then what the hell was she doing in your library?" "Perhaps she came with a burglar." "After all, the window was forced." "No, that's stupid, isn't it?" "Dancing, perhaps?" "Maybe a party?" "We don't have that kind of thing down here." "No..." "I got back from the Conservatives' Association about 11.45 and turned straight in." " Why so late?" " Spot of trouble." "Flat tyre." "I see." "And Dolly?" "Fast asleep." "More likely is that she came down from town... ..perhaps with some young fellow." "Certainly not the type you'd see around here, at least." "Basil Blake." "No." "His mother's the nicest woman imaginable." "And so generous with her cuttings." "There's been a lot of talk." "He was the most adorable baby in his bath, Jane." "No, you couldn't possibly think that..." "No, no, that would be jumping to conclusions." "But he has been extremely rude to Arthur on more than one occasion." "He's something to do with films." "Poisonous brute." "Needs a good kick up the backside." "He's taken that ghastly new house on the Lansham Road." "Has parties, full of those dubious types shrieking like banshees." "After the last one, a young woman was found in the bath with practically nothing on." "And recently I expect you've heard he's been seen with a platinum blonde." "Platinum blonde, eh?" "I say, Melchett, you don't think..." " Basil Blake?" " Yeah." "Colonel Melchett." "Chief Constable." "May we step inside for a few moments?" "I don't think so." "I understand that last weekend you had a visitor." "Did I?" " A fairhaired young lady" "What is the world coming to?" "This morning, the body of a fairhaired young lady was found murdered." " Strewth." " In Gossington Hall." "In the library." "Old Bantry's gaff." "Well, I never." "Dirty dog." "Can you shed any light on this?" "'Ello, 'ello." "What's this, then ?" "You bastard!" "A fairhaired young lady." " Why did you leave me?" " You were filthy drunk." "I was having a good time." "I'm so sorry." "Where are my manners?" "Dinah Lee, minor actress... major slut!" "Slut?" "What about that Spanish bitch?" "We were discussing the film." "With your hand down her blouse?" "Very much alive, I think you'll agree." "So I suggest you look for Bantry's bit of fluff elsewhere." " Good morning." " This is Miss Marple." " And you must be...?" " Dinah." "Dinah Lee." "Miss Lee, yes" "I was just about to leave." "I'm collecting for the new organ and your friend was kind enough to offer me coffee." "Colonel Melchett's bark is much worse than his bite." "A result of having all those men under him." "Did you design the house yourself?" "Well, I did the..." ""Minimalist" I think is the word." "Most enlightening." " Thank you so much." " May I?" "Thank you." "She was strangled..." "with the waistband of her dress." " Time of death?" " Between ten and half eleven." "Can you get any nearer?" "Not before ten, not after half eleven." "And if you were a betting man ?" "I'm not." "Mrs Bernard, 65, reported missing a week ago." "Pamela Reeves, 16, missing since last night." " She'd been to a Girl Guide rally." " Description?" "Dark brown hair, pigtails, 5ft 5"." "Mrs Saunders." "Dark hair, blue eyes..." "Mind you, everyone knows except her husband that she ran off with a salesman from Leeds." " Melchett." " Ah, Colonel Melchett." "Superintendent Harper." "Harper." "What can I do for you?" "No, it's what I can do for you, Colonel." "Got a little something you might be interested in." "Young lady reported missing" "Yes." "Miss Ruby Keene." "She's a dance hostess or something at the Majestic Hotel." "Didn't come on to do her turn last night" "Description ?" "5ft 4", platinum blonde hair, wearing a black and white diamante dress and silver sandals" "Seems her cousin works at the hotel." "I'll bring her over to identify the body, shall I?" "Any chance of a gin ?" "God, men are pigs." " You think a man did it?" " Well, wasn't it?" "Any particular man, Miss Turner?" "No idea." "So...she was your cousin, was she..." "Miss Turner?" "That's right." "Poor kid." "I've known her all my life." "Not particularly well, but..." "She was a dancer panto, that sort of thing." "And what was she doing in Danemouth?" "It was because of me" "I'm the dance and bridge hostess at the Majestic Hotel." "Apart from the bridge, I do exhibition dances with Raymond." "Raymond?" "Raymond Starr, the tennis and dancing pro." "Handsome chap." "Got a bit of Argentinian in him." "Anyway, about a month ago," "I slipped on the rocks after having a swim." "Gave my ankle a nasty turn." "That put a stop to the dancing and as I didn't want to risk losing my job," "I suggested to the manager that we get Ruby down." "She'd been working at the Palais de Dance in Brixton." "The idea was that I'd carry on with the hostessing and she'd just do the dancing." "Keep it in the family." " Go down well, did she?" " Oh, yes." "She doesn't dance as good as me, but she's... she was quite nicelooking." "Overdid the makeup a bit." "I was always on at her about that." "Doesn't do for a classy place like the Majestic but you know what girls are." "She was only 18." "Are you all right, Miss Turner?" "When was the last time you saw her?" "Last night, when she was dancing with Raymond." "She'd finished her 10.30 quickstep exhibition with Raymond and then I noticed her dancing with George Bartlett." "One of the young men staying in the hotel." "No bid." "One notrump." "Sorry." "That's the last time I saw her." "Then, just after midnight, Raymond came over to talk to me." "Excuse me." "Where the hell is she?" " Who?" " Ruby." "We're supposed to be on by now." "I'm sure there's a perfectly innocent explanation." "Would you excuse me?" "I was vexed." "It's just the sort of thing to get the management's back up." "Ruby?" "Ruby!" "We went up to her room, but she wasn't there." "I noticed she'd changed and usually she kept the same dress on, unless they were doing a special number." "Special number?" "Well, a rumba or a charleston or something." "Anyway, I had no idea where she'd got to so I said I'd do it with him." "We dropped the flamenco and plumped for a tango." "It's not so hard on the ankle, you see." "Mind you, look at it now." "Just think, if I hadn't twisted the ruddy thing she'd be here now." "Funny, isn't it, how things turn out?" "Anyway, we stayed up till about two." "There was still no sign of her." "I was furious." "And in the morning?" "So, then you went to the police." "Oh, no." "No, I didn't." "A Mr Jefferson reported it, sir." "He's a guest at the hotel." "Why was that, Miss Turner?" "Because I didn't think anything had happened to her." "I thought she'd be up to no good with some young man." "The Majestic doesn't want the police poking their noses everywhere." "Quite." "Tell me, Miss Turner, did Ruby know anyone in St Mary Mead?" "She may have done." "Lots of young men come into Danemouth from all over." "Basil Blake, for example?" "Blake." "Yes I think I did hear her mention that name." "Yes, I'm sure I did." "And did she mention Gossington ?" "What was his first name?" "No." "It's not a person, it's a house." "Gossington Hall." "No, I never heard her mention that." "The thing is, you see, that's where the body was found." "Well...there's a turn up." "As if Arthur could have anything to do with it." "And don't look at me like that." "He's just not that sort of man." " No, dear, of course not." " No, really, he isn't." "He's sometimes a little silly about pretty girls, but why not..." "After all, I've got the garden." "She was there on the hearth rug." "I can't understand it." "I really can't." " Neither can we." " It's just not the sort of place." " That's why it's so very interesting." " Here we go." "It brings to mind little Tommy Timpson and Miss Martin, our new schoolmistress." "She opened a drawer and a frog jumped out." " Is she all right?" " She's absolutely marvellous." "Oh, Arthur..." "Darling, you're back." "How are the pigs?" "He finds them soothing in a crisis." "Don't you, darling?" "Mm." "Bantry, old man like to introduce you to the cousin of the deceased." "Miss Josephine Turner." "Colonel Bantry." " How do you do?" " Pleased to meet you, Colonel." " Sorry about your..." " We're very sorry." "You poor girl." "It must have been frightfully worrying for you when she disappeared." "To be honest, I was more angry than worried." "I never dreamt anything had happened to her." "Then why did you report it to the police?" "I didn't." "Mr Jefferson did." " Jefferson ?" " Yes." "One of the guests at the hotel." "He's an invalid." "Gets easily upset." " Conway Jefferson ?" " That's right." "But he's an old friend of ours." " Did you hear that, Arthur?" " Yes, old Jeff." "Staying at the Majestic." "He reported it to the police." "Isn't that a coincidence?" "We don't see him often, but we do like him, don't we?" "Yes, we like Jeff." "He's stayed before." "Fancy." "And we never knew." " How is he nowadays?" " He's wonderful." "Quite wonderful, considering." "Always cheerful." "Ready with a joke." " Are the family with him?" " Yes." "They're all there." " Well, the ones who..." " Oh, yes, yes, of course." "Very nice, aren't they?" "Yes, they are." "They're very nice." "They are really." "Goodbye, Colonel." "What did she mean by that "they are really"?" "Don't you think there was something?" "Yes, it was unmistakable." "Her manner changed when the Jeffersons were mentioned." "When she said she was angered by the girl's disappearance she really looked it." "And one has to ask oneself why." "Do you know, I think a few days at the seaside might do us both the world of good." "It's the saddest story imaginable." "Poor Jeff." "Such a lovely family." "Blown to bits by one of those V2 things." " Lost the lot of them, and his legs." " Oh, my goodness." "I can't tell you how wonderful he's been." "Such courage." "He never complains." "Adelaide, his daughterin in law, lives with him with her son Peter from her first marriage." "Most of the time, his son in law Mark is there too." "When you've suffered so much together the ties that bind are hard to break." "The whole thing was the most awful tragedy." "Now there's another." "Yes, but nothing to do with the Jeffersons." "Isn't it?" "After all it was Mr Jefferson who went to the police." "You know, Jane, that is curious." "Mm." " Could I have your ration books, please?" " Of course." "Dolly." "This way, ladies." "Follow me." "Oh!" "Isn't it divine?" "It's very nice, yes." "Hot water!" "Heaven !" "Freesia!" "Ooh." "Isn't it a little extravagant?" "You sound just like Arthur." "Always banging on about tightening our belts." "We deserve a little bit of pampering, surely." "After all, life's been so unutterably gloomy." "Ooh!" "Bliss!" "Are you cold?" "Right, off you go." "Nice to see you keeping your hand in, sir." "What do you mean by that?" "Taking the case on personally." "Still, with Colonel Bantry being an old mate..." "I suggest, Harper, you keep your suppositions to yourself." "Josie's been very good finding time for my son Peter, after all that's happened." " It's all too ghastly." " Isn't it?" "Jeff, my father-in in-law, he's taken it very badly." " He was so fond of Ruby." " If he'd rather we didn't..." " He'd love to see you." " Keep him calm, won't you?" "His heart's not too good." "It's a wonder the shock didn't do for him." "As bad as that?" "It's incredible the way he's rallied." "Shall we?" "Did you know her well, Mrs Jefferson ?" "It's difficult to say." "She spent a good deal of time with us." "Jeff enjoys the company of young people, but Ruby was a little different, and she seemed to fascinate him." " Did you see her last night?" " Oh, yes." "She joined us as usual after dinner." "...all over her stockings." "Jeff, I'm just going to..." " I'm going to write some letters." " All right, dear." "I went to write some letters before the bridge started" "Later, Ruby started her first dance with Raymond Starr and we began our bridge, Josie making a fourth." "We were all at the table until midnight." "Mark, Josie, Jeff and I." "One no trump." "No bid." "No bid." "The last I saw of her was when she danced with some young man." "Then, around midnight, Raymond came over to us, very angry, wanting to know where Ruby was." "She was due to do her second dance." "Josie tried to make light of it." "They went up to Ruby's room, but there was no sign of her, so Josie ended up having to dance." "Rather plucky of her, considering her sprained ankle." "Jeff was in a terrible state this morning and insisted on calling the police." "I insist you telephone the police!" "I hope you don't mind my asking, but have you any idea who could have done such a thing?" "None of whatsoever" "Did Ruby ever say anything about jealousy?" "Some man she was afraid of, perhaps, or intimate with?" "I'm afraid she didn't, Miss Marple." "Mr Jefferson 's ready for you, ma'am." "Thank you." "Shall we?" "Ruby was a little on the cheap side perhaps for a hotel of this class, but a nice manner and she danced well." "Many young men sniffing around?" "This isn't a kennel." "Answer the question, sir." "There was some interest from one or two of the boys, but nothing in the strangling line, I assure you." "She got on better with older gents." "There was something of the child about her, which they liked" "Mr Jefferson, for instance." "Yes, he was the one I had in mind." "Mr. Jefferson is fond of young people." "I think he found her amusing." "Why was it him who reported her missing?" "Because he was the only one who assumed that anything was wrong." "Even Miss Turner thought he was overreacting but he'd have none of it." "He was in such a state and insisted the police be told at once." "Miss Turner was very annoyed, but what could she say?" "The Jeffersons are amongst our best customers." "Nothing is ever stinted when they're staying with us." "Such a happy family, weren't we, Dolly?" "Yes, you were." "You know..." "I still reach out for Margaret in the night." "And other times I think I hear her voice." "And little Rosamund and Frank." "He was a fighter pilot, along with his two great friends," "Mark my son in law and a chap called Mike Carmody." "Mike was Adelaide's first husband, the father of young Peter" "Mike was shot down earyon." "And later, Adelaide married my son Frank." "Now, the year before the war ended," "Frank and Mark were home on leave." "It was the autumn the V2s were targeted on London." "We were celebrating Frank's birthday." "That night, a rocket hit close by." "Fate plays cruel tricks, don't you think?" "Adelaide and Mark have been very good to me." "But recently I've realised they have their own lives to lead" "Problem is, I'm lonely." "And having young people around... well, it lifts the spirits." "That's why during this past month" "I became friendly with Ruby" "She was a complete original." "So charming naive" "Different from anyone I'd known" "She never complained." "Worked hard." "Sweet child" "..up there in front of all those people." "The lights all on me, that lovely sparkly frock." "The pink one with the spangles." "I got more and more fond of her and in the end I decided to adopt her." "What did Mark and Adelaide have to say about that?" "There wasn't much they could say." "I'm sure they didn't like it, but they behaved well enough." "It's not as though they were dependent on me." "You see, when my children married" "I turned over a great deal of money to them." "So, Mark and Adelaide were well provided for when tragedy struck." "Do you mean, Mr Jefferson, that as well as adopting her, you also intended to make full provision ?" " That's right, yes." " Had you already done so?" "The necessary formalities for legal adoption hadn't been completed, no, but I had changed my will." " I see." " About ten days ago." "£50 000 for Ruby Keene until she was 25." "50,000?" "!" "But you hardly knew her." "It's my money." "I can do what I like with it." "So, if she hadn't come along..." "It would have gone to Mark and Adelaide." "And if anything happens to you now..." "Nothing is going to happen to me, Miss Marple." "I may be a cripple, but I'm as strong as an ox." " But if it did." " The money would revert to them." "Little Ruby." "Dear God" "She was found some miles away, you know." " Yes, we know." " Do you?" "Didn't the police tell you?" " Tell me what?" " Jeff, that's why we're here." "The thing is, you see, Ruby Keene was found at Gossington Hall." "Oh, I say." "It's an awful todo, isn't it?" "Sort of thing one reads about in the Sunday papers." "Know her well, did you, Mr Bartlett?" "No, no, not well at all, no." "Hardly at all." "Seems you were the last person to see her alive." "Gosh, was I?" "Sounds awful, doesn't it?" "She was absolutely perfectly all right when I saw her." "What time was that?" "Well, I never really know about time." " It wasn't very late." " Dance with her, did you?" "Yes." "Yes, as a matter of fact." "Yes, I-I did." "Quite early on, after she'd danced with the Latin chappie." "It must have been ten...half past." "One heart." "No bid." "Well...we danced." "Not that I'm much of a dancer." "How you dance, Mr Bartlett, is irrelevant." "Yes, that's right, of course it is." "Well, we danced...round and round and I talked quite a lot and Ruby yawned quite a lot." "As I say, I'm not much of a dancer." "Sorry, I know, not relevant." "And girls tend to give it a miss, if you know what I mean." "She said she had a headache and I know where to get off, so I said rightyho." "And that was that." "She never mentioned meeting anyone?" "No, she just seemed bored to death." "Couldn't stop..." " Yawning?" " Right." "Gave me the old, you know, heaveho." "What happened then, Mr Bartlett?" "I strolled around for a bit, had a drink, then sauntered back to the ballroom." "I noticed that...what's her name?" "Josie, was dancing with the Latino." "Been on the sick list with her ankle." "That would fix the time of your return to the ballroom at just after midnight." "Which means you were wandering around outside for over an hour, Mr Bartlett." "Yes, well, I was thinking about things." "Lot to think about, eh?" "Yes, you know..." "Things." "Things, you know." "Are you the detectives?" "Yes." "I'm Peter Carmody." "Grandfather well, I call him that, but he isn't really said he's ready to see you." "Good." "Thank you, Mr Bartlett." "That'll be all for now." "For now, mind." "I'm going back to school next week and I'll tell everyone that I knew the victim really well." " What did you think of her?" " Rather stupid, I'd say." "Mum and Uncle Mark couldn't stand her." " Why was that?" " Oh, I don't know." "She was always chatting on about this and that." "They hated grandfather making a fuss of her." "I expect they're jolly glad she's dead." " Did they say as much?" " Not exactly." "Uncle Mark said something like, "It's one way out."" "And Mum said, "But such a horrible one"." "Here we are." "Better be off." " Good afternoon." " Afternoon." "Gentlemen." " £50,000." " Yes, but you don't think..." "Murder has been done for a good deal less." "But they couldn't have." "They were both playing bridge." "I think that this Ruby creature had another chap on the side who found out about poor old Jeff and went completely bonkers." "And the fact that she was found in your library?" "It was just a ghastly coincidence." "But it isn't, is it?" "The fact that we know the Jeffersons must have had a bearing" "Can you imagine what the village will be saying?" "They'll have poor Arthur hung, drawn and quartered already." "Of course, they'll be talking." "We all do." "But you must stay calm." "He sounded very strange on the phone just now." "Oh, Jane..." "I can't help wondering..." "Pretty much as she left it, sir." "She was a late riser." "The maids hadn't been in by the time my lads arrived." " Fingerprints?" " Nothing we couldn't account for." "The legs were bare when the body was found." "She only wore stockings for dancing, sir." "She used makeup the rest of the time, to save money." "So she came back here to change and then she went out again." "Question is, where?" "Do they really use all this lot?" "Fingernails." "Fingernails." "We should talk to that dancer." "What's his name?" "Starr, sir." "Raymond Starr." "She might have let something slip while they pranced about." "Ah, yes, just the chaps." "Was w- w- w- w" "..wanting a word." "Probably not important, but thought I ought to let you know." "Fact is, can't find my car." "You think it's been stolen ?" "That's just it." "I mean one doesn't know." "I mean somebody could've buzzed off in it for a bit of a lark." "When did you last see it?" "I was trying to remember." "It's darn difficult remembering things." "I think I left it in the courtyard." "You think you did?" "Well, I thought I did, but I..." "I didn't exactly go out and have a look if you get my drift." " What's the make?" " A Minoan 14." "Let's just get this quite clear." "When was the last time you actually saw the car?" "Probably before lunch yesterday." "And as far as you can remember, the car was in the courtyard" "I've got a jolly good idea it probably was." "Right." "I'll get one of my boys to take down the particulars." " Where are you going to be?" " Oh, around." "Just thought I ought to... let you know." "Good God." "Isn't that the old biddy that was at Gossington Hall?" "Damn." "Think I'll leave you to it." " Miss Marple." " Colonel Melchett." "What a surprise." "Dolly thought a change of scene might do us good." "I was just about to take tea." "Would you..." " Lovely." " Good." "Come along." "This way." "Good afternoon." "If you'll follow me, please." "Here's your table." "She was quite pleasant and rather stupid." " That's about it." " No special men friends?" "No, I don't think so." "Did you know that Mr Jefferson planned to adopt her?" "Well, well." "No fool like an old fool." " She never mentioned it?" " No, she didn't." "And Josie?" "Oh, I'm sure she'd have known." "Probably planned the whole thing." "Mr Jefferson would be feeling lonely and unwanted and would want a nice young girl to impress." "Exactly like Mr Badger." " Mr Badger?" " The chemist." "Pebble glasses and a rather unfortunate mouth." "He made a fuss over the young lady in toiletries and even bought her a diamond bracelet." "Imagine how that went down with Mrs Badger." "So she found out a thing or two." "The girl was carrying on with an undesirable man connected with racehorses who had pawned the bracelet." "When this was related to Mr Badger... ..that was the end of that." "So you're saying that if Ruby had a young man then Jefferson might have changed his mind." "Well, I think she'd take care to keep very quiet about it, not only because of Mr Jefferson." "Josie, you mean." "Oh, yes." "Weren't you struck this morning by how angry she seemed?" "Yes..." "No doubt she was looking forward to doing well out of it." "Raymond." "It's not very Argentinian, is it?" "My real name's Ramon, but I changed it." "Why?" "There's so much prejudice in this country, don't you think?" "Could you tell me exactly what happened last night?" "Ciao, bella." "Sorry, superintendent?" "Last night." "At 10.30, Ruby and I did our first exhibition dance, and then at midnight, for our second number, there was no sign of her, so I asked Josie." "Where the hell is she?" " Who?" " Ruby." "We should be on by now." "I'm sure there's a perfectly innocent explanation." "Excuse me." " Damn little fool!" "Who's she with?" " Haven't a clue." "Last time I saw her she was dancing with that chap who stutters." "She won't go off with him." "I bet she's with that film bloke." " Film bloke?" " Yes, I don't know his name." "Longhaired theatrical type." "He's dined at the hotel and danced with Ruby." "But I don't think she knew him so I was surprised when Josie mentioned him." "Ruby?" "Ruby!" "It looks like she's put on her old blackandwhite dress." "She should be in her Spanish number." "I suppose I'll have to do it with you." "When I get my hands on her..." "I'll just go and change, all right?" "So she did" "Won't be a minute." "Then we danced the tango" "She managed pretty well despite her ankle" "And that's about it." "Oh, just one more thing, Mr Starr." "What did you do between your first dance with Ruby and midnight?" " I can't remember." " I'm sure you can, Mr Starr." "If you put your mind to it." "A little dance and a chat with the ladies, you know, the sort of thing." " Then I went to change." " And how long did that take?" "I don't know." "Ten minutes or so." "Will that be all, superintendent?" "For now." "It's Arthur I feel sorry for." "Shut himself away, poor man in the hope that no one will notice him." "He's quite abnormally sensitive, like most military men." "I never thought of it like that." "Yeah." "It's all this whispering business." "A slight here, a snub there." "For both his and Dolly's sake, we must find out the truth." "Couldn't agree with you more." "That's exactly what I intend to do." "Well, thank you, Miss Marple, for the tea." "A pleasure, Colonel." "I wish you the best of luck." "One of those cases when one could so easily find oneself barking up the wrong tree." "What tree might that be?" "For example one might be asking oneself why she was either killed here and taken to Colonel Bantry's or why she was taken there first and then killed." "Yes, but..." "But that would be the wrong question, wouldn't it?" " Would it?" " Oh, yes." "Why is that, Miss Marple?" "Because it never happened." "You mean that some fellow strangled her, put her in the car and then decided to dump her in the first house he came to?" "I don't think anything of the kind." "What I think is that a very careful plan was made and that the plan went wrong." "But please don't let me keep you." "Sir." "Miss Marple." "Straight down." "The only way." "Tell me what was this Ruby Keene girl really like?" "Common or garden golddigger." "Couldn't you have done something about it?" "Mark thinks I should have seen what was coming." "Left the old boy alone too much." "Tennis lessons with Raymond Starr." "Jeff's always been so levelheaded." "Gentlemen, I find, are not always as levelheaded as one might think." "Isn't she marvellous?" "Believe it or not" "Jane has a mind that's plumbed the depths of human iniquity" "Shall we go in ?" "God knows what he saw in her." "Little trollop." " You mustn't say such things." " What does it matter?" "I mean, if anyone had any interest in seeing her dead..." " You really mustn't." " 50 grand." "What I couldn't do with that." "I'd have made a dreadful fuss" "It's difficult when you're not actually his flesh and blood." "If only it had been some other kind of girl." " Or Peter." " Yes." "Jeff's always seemed so fond of him." "It was Josie's fault." "She brought her here." " I thought you liked Josie." " I do." "It's you that finds her a pill." "Well, surely you don't think that it was deliberate." "I'm not saying she actually planned it." "But I'm sure she knew which way the wind was blowing and kept very quiet." "Was she pretty?" " I thought you'd seen her." " Oh, yes, we did." "But she'd been strangled, so one couldn't tell." "No, she wasn't pretty." "Nice eyes" "She had a kind of spurious resemblance to my wife." "Yes." "Perhaps that's what attracted Jeff." "Terrible business, isn't it?" "Hit him very hard." "The awful thing is that Addy and I can't help but feel relieved." "Excuse me." "Madam, sir, Mr Jefferson would like to see you." " Righto." " See you later." "Ladies." "Well, what do you think?" "That she's a very devoted mother." "Good evening." "And Mark?" "Mr Gaskell's a most attractive man." "So many of those pilots were." "But...a little unwise, perhaps, to talk as much as he does." "There's another very attractive man." "Adelaide tells me he's done wonders for her lob." "Peter!" " Oh, hello, Mrs Bantry." " Shouldn't you be in bed?" "Well, sort of, but Josie said she might be able to get me a treat from the kitchen." "A treat." "Ooh." " You are a lucky boy." " I am rather." " How do you do?" " Enjoying the last of summer?" "Actually, we're here to do a bit of sleuthing." "Oh, I see." "I expect everyone will be at it once it's in the papers." "The hotel manager asked me not to talk about it." "Questions are about to be asked and I won't know what to say." "I merely don't see why it should all be blamed on me, anyway." "Is anyone blaming you?" "Mrs Jefferson and Mr Gaskell, perhaps." "But it wasn't my fault, was it?" "I mean, these things happen." "But when it had happened..." "We're all entitled to a bit of luck once in a while." "It gets you down, you know." "The cheap digs, dancing with strangers." "Spiteful lot, I reckon." "Be nice to get out." "Go somewhere new." "It's time we made something for ourselves." "We?" "If I'm lucky enough to find someone." "There's always Uncle Mark." "He's a jolly nice chap." " Don't be silly." " What a frightfully good idea." " Fancy an ice cream?" " Rather!" "Sir, over here." "Just found this, sir." "The Girl Guide." "God!" "God!" "Please keep calm." "Mr Prestcott, what on earth is going on ?" "Another incident, apparently." "A burntout car in a quarry." " My car, my poor car." " They're not sure whose it is." " Was someone in it?" " I'm afraid there was." "Somebody in the car?" "First it's burnt out, then someone's in the car..." "Come into my office." "Everything will be..." "Now, now, please, Mr Bartlett, please." "I expect that'll be the Girl Guide." "Why would you think that?" "It was on the wireless." "Her home's not far from here." "She was last seen at the rally on Danebury Downs which is very close." "She'd have to pass through Danemouth to get home." "It does rather fit, doesn't it?" "She might have seen or heard something she wasn't meant to, and if so..." "A second murder?" "If you've committed one, why not another?" "Or even a third." "Mrs Reevess?" "Yoss?" "Mummy." "Mummy." "Goodbye." "Until tomorrow night." " Peter, what are you doing?" " I thought I'd lost you." "Oh, no, my darling, no." "I needed some air." "I've got one of my heads." "All right, all right." "You'll all get served." "Thank God she was already dead." "Probably knocked on the head, poor kid." "Or strangled." " You think there's a connection ?" " Definitely, sir." "She said she was coming into town after the rally to go to Woolworths." "Took a short cut, which brought her past the hotel." "Perhaps she was meeting someone no one knows about." "How do we explain it was George Bartlett's car?" "He was the last person to see her, after all." "When he says she went to her room, maybe she was changing to go out with him." "When they made the arrangement that's what Pamela Reeves overheard." "And his motive for killing Ruby?" "I haven't got that far yet." "Either he's very smart and pretending to be stupid, or else." " No, he's stupid, isn't he?" " Her London contacts?" "All negative." "No special friend, nothing." "More to the point is what we've dug up about Jefferson 's family." "Adelaide Jefferson and Mark Gaskell are both stony broke." "Adelaide's husband lost everything on bad investments." "Couldn't she have asked Jefferson for help?" "No, she never told him." "For the sake of her husband, apparently." "And then there's Gaskell." "He's a gambler, plain and simple." "Got through his wife's money and now he's up to his eyes in debt." "25,000 quid." "That's enough motive for anybody." "Yeah." "Problem is, their alibis are rock solid." "They were playing bridge from twenty to eleven till after midnight." "Everyone can testify to that." "That's assuming that Ruby Keene was killed before midnight." "I've told you." "She was killed between ten and half past eleven." "Yes, I know, but couldn't one stretch it a bit?" "Don't try tampering with the medical evidence, Melchett." "I say, hey, look, I wouldn't quite put it like that." "And, by the way... she was drugged before she was strangled" "The strangulation killed her, but she was drugged first." "Touchy bugger." "Well, that's that." "There is someone else, sir, but, strictly speaking, he's your pigeon." "Lives near Gossington Hall." "Basil Blake." "That's the one." "He dined at the hotel, danced with Ruby a couple of times." "According to Raymond Starr," "Josie mentioned, "That film bloke."" "But he was at a party till after midnight, by which time, Ruby was already dead." "That leaves us with..." "Mr X, unknown murderer," "Mark Gaskell and Adelaide Jefferson, who both have a motive but also an alibi," "Basil Blake, who has an alibi but no motive, and George Bartlett, who has no alibi but unfortunately no motive either." "What about your mate Colonel Bantry?" "He hasn't got an alibi." "No." "But neither does he have a motive." "And that's the lot." "Except for Raymond Starr." "There's something about that bloke." "I know what you mean." "Too much swing in the hips." "He's vague about what he was up to just before midnight." "I reckon it'd be hard to make a case against him." "Hard to make a case against anyone." "Jane and I were planning a stroll after lunch but..." "Oh, well." " I do like her." " Isn't she sweet?" "And such a refreshingly low opinion of human nature." " Sherry?" " Yes, lovely." "Two dry sherries, please." " Good afternoon, Mr Gaskell." " Miss Marple." "I wouldn't have thought you'd be starting so early." "What can I get you?" "Lemonade?" "Orange squash?" "That's very kind of you." "A ginger wine, perhaps." "Gone quite chilly, hasn't it?" "A ginger wine for the lady." "With just a splash of Scotch." " Would you prefer..." " Oh, no, no, thank you." "This looks...oh" "..rather fun." "It's those police chappies, the way they look at me." "Number one suspect, I reckon." "Still, I suppose it's my own fault." "Flat broke, you know." "Risk everything." "That's my motto." "As you did so bravely during the war." "I wasn't the only one." "Poor old Mike." "He was... he was Addy's first husband." "He..." "He was shot down without ever seeing his son." "Imagine that." "Never seeing your own kid." "And Frank... safe at home...or so he thinks." "And then out of the blue..." "And Rosamund." "She was a smashing girl." "I loved her to death." " Did you?" " Oh, yes." " More than I ever showed." " Poor thing." "I won't let that happen again." "The woman I love, she'll know all right." "It's so important to tell those dear to us how we feel." "The opportunity can too easily be gone for ever." "There's someone I'd like to tell but she never gives me the chance." "Josephine Turner, perhaps." " How did you know that?" " Just a shot in the dark." "She's a handsome woman." "Very bright." "An expert in romance as well, are you?" "I didn't think you were the type." "Don't judge a book by its cover asssure you, I never do" "Look at me one of the heroes, one of the nation 's saviours." "Can't even get a date with a dance hostess." " It's a joke, isn't it?" " I don't think it's a joke." "You know, he's... he's never said as much, but..." "I reckon Jeff has always resented me for being the fellow who pulled through." "He's been good to you." "He's been generous to a fault." "Because, in his eyes..." "I'll always be Rosamund's husband, as Addy will always be Frank's wife." "Suddenly, this summer, something happened to me." "I didn't want to think of Frank any more." "I know exactly what you mean." "I sometimes feel the same about Arthur and he's still alive." "Don't get me wrong, he's the sweetest old stick, but men do think the world revolves around them." "It can get so exhausting pretending they're right." "The two men in my life I've hardly had the chance to know." "You poor thing." "Life can be bitterly cruel." "You deserve a fresh start." "You do, really." "I thought so, too." "So when Ruby came along, I was rather glad." "It left me free to do what I wanted." "I never dreamed that Jeff would become so infatuated." " And when you found out?" "I was furious." "There was Peter, you see." "His whole future depends on Jeff." "I thought he looked on him as a grandson." "And to think he was going to be disinherited for Ruby Keene." "I'll bet you anything... ..that she went to meet a man that night." "And Jeff wouldn't have liked that." "Oh, no, no, no." "Not one bit." "When he loses it..." "A few days ago, for example..." "She was looking for something in her bag." "Who's this?" "No idea, Jeffy." "Kitten, you know I don't like fibbing." " Who is it?" " I sort of recognise him." "He's been here once or twice." "Didn't I see you dancing with him the other evening?" "I might've done." "I can't remember." "He must've put it in my bag when I wasn't looking." "These boys are too silly for words." "Honestly, that's the truth." "Don't look at me like that." " Whose photo was it?" " I haven't a clue." "Thing is..." "Jeff has to control people." "He can't help himself." "But I can't live in the past for ever." "What about Adelaide?" "She's her own woman." "Make no mistake." "You've got your eye on someone." "No." "Of course I haven't." "Yes, you have and I know exactly who it is." "Raymond Starr." "Isn't he lovely?" "And such reassuring thighs." "It's not Raymond." "Oh?" "Promise not to breathe a word." "I haven't told him." "My dear, who ?" "Mark." "I say." "He's the kindest man." "And he was such a good friend to Mike and Frank." "He's always watched out for me, and just lately I've begun to realise how very special he is" "Who knows?" "Maybe third time lucky." "Addy, I do hope so." "And may I say what very good taste." "He has the most disarming twinkle." "You'll have to tell him." "He may be feeling exactly the same." "Yes, I will, but not quite yet." "So, I beg you, please, not a word." "My lips are sealed." "Lucky for us that someone strangled the poor kid." "Not so lucky for her, perhaps." "Cos now, if old Jeff dies according to schedule," "Addy and I can divide the dibs and all will be well." "It wasn't me, though." "Still..." "I don't expect them to believe that." "I'm surprised they haven't arrested me already." " You have an alibi." " Alibis!" "No innocent person ever has an alibi." "I'm pretty scared, actually." " Nail clippings?" " Yes." "Did you happen to find any in Ruby Keene's room?" "As it happens, we did." "I see." "Then that's that." "Why do you want to know?" "It was one of the things that... that seemed wrong when I looked at the body." "The hands." "There was something about them." "but I couldn't think what." "Then I realised that a girl who wore so much makeup would have long nails." "So I presumed Ruby had bitten hers." "But if you found nail clippings, then maybe Ruby broke one and cut the rest to match." "You said one of the things." " Was there something else?" " Oh, yes, the dress." " That was quite wrong." " Was it?" "Well, it was an old dress." "If Ruby had changed to meet a boyfriend which I believe is the current theory, why would she change into an old dress?" "She'd wear her best dress." "Girls of Ruby's class always wear their best clothes, however I assume the case, so why didn't she stay as she was?" "In her best pink frock." " Do you have an explanation ?" " No." "Not yet." "But I can't help feeling that it's important." "She does move well, that girl." "Even with her ankle." "She moves well enough." "She's too hardnosed for my taste." "She has to earn a living." "Oh, that was absolutely marvellous." "It was like dancing with..." "Astaire." "Look, he's blushing." "Isn't that sweet?" "He was telling me all about Argentina and the family ranch and the cattle and the hustling." "Or do I mean rustling?" "Apparently, he's marvellous on a horse." "Look, he's blushing again." "Yes." "Vodka, if you please." "I'm just going to..." "Raymond, you should give Jane a twirl." "Oh!" "I'm sure his dance card's far too full." "Isn't it, Mr Starr?" "Thank you" "You appear to apply yourself to your work most assiduously." "I was taught to believe that whatever the task, one should do the best of his ability." "An admirable maxim, Mr Starr." "Tell me, were you brought up in Argentina?" "Until I was 13, then I was sent here to school." " Which one?" "Meadow House." "Meadow House ?" "I didn't think they turned out dancers." "My family ran into a few...problems" "I had to take what I could get." "Such difficult times we live in." "Still, you seem to have landed on your feet." " Good evening." " Good evening." "I thought you looked a bit forlorn." " Fancy a foxtrot?" " Foxtrot?" "Shouldn't you be resting the old ankle." "Oh, no." "It's loosening up wonderfully." "All right, then." "See you all later." "One never knows what's round the corner, does one?" "Poor Ruby, for instance." "You must be very upset." "Not particularly." "Didn't you like her?" "I hardly knew her." "Just one of those sordid little crimes." "No clues, no motive." "There are two people who certainly had motive, aren't there?" "Superintendent." "Mrs Jefferson and Mr Gaskell." "That's ridiculous." "No." "The idea of either of them strangling a girl in cold blood..." "Money, Mr Starr can make people do the most surprising things." "As I'm sure you know." "Hello, everyone." " Sorry I'm late." " Good evening, Mrs Jefferson." " Good evening." " Evening." "If you'll excuse us." "Thick as thieves." "Only as far as Mrs Jefferson will allow." "I'm sure he was up to something that night." "I'm sure he's up to something every night." "But not murder." "Not him." "What, then ?" "Actually, Miss Marple..." "I was wondering if tomorrow you might..." "If you'd do me a little favour." "It was Last week" "We all met at the Guide rally on Danebury Downs." "Pamela behaving quite normal, was she?" "She seemed the same as usual." "And what happened afterwards?" "She said she'd be going to Woolworths, superintendent, and then she'd be going home." "That's all I can remember, I'm afraid." "Thank you, Beatrice." "That'll be all...for now." "Thank you, superintendent." "I would like to speak to Florence." "You understand, Florence that it is of the utmost importance that we know everything that poor Pamela did on the day of her death." "To keep back any information is a very serious offence." "Practically perjury." "And for that you can be sent to prison." "Have you been to the cinema lately, Florence?" " Yes, miss." " What have you seen ?" "A..." "A..." "Place In The Sun ?" "Yes, miss." "Not entirely suitable fare for a girl of your years, is it?" "No, miss." "But some fine performances, nonetheless." "Especially young Mr Clift." "Such a sensitive soul." "Pamela wasn't really going to Woolworths, was she?" "Something to do with films, wasn't it?" "Oh, yes, miss." "I thought so." "Details, please." "I've been ever so worried, miss." "I promised Pam I'd never say a word and then when she was found in that car..." "Oh, it was horrible." "I thought I should die." "I felt it was all my fault." "I ought to have stopped her." "From doing what, Florence?" "It was on the way to the rally." " Can you keep a secret?" " Yes." " Promise not to tell anyone." " Promise." "What is it?" " I've got a screen test." " What?" "You mean, films?" "Yes." "You know when we went to see A Place ln The Sun ?" "Yes." "Well, after we split up, I met this producer in the street." "He just came back from Hollywood, who said that I was just what they were looking for." " You're kidding?" " I'm not." "They want to put me on camera and have acting lessons and sign a contract." "I mustn't be too disappointed if I don't get it." "It won't be all beer and skittles, but overnight sensations can happen." "Just look at Vivien Leigh." "You mustn't breathe a word till I've done the test." " Hollywood!" " Well, Lenville Studios, actually." "Lenville Studios." "Yes, miss." "So, anyway, after the rally," "Pam was going into Danemouth to meet at the hotel, and after the test she'd catch her bus home and say she'd been shopping." "She got through the rally without turning a hair." "When she said she was off to Woolworths, she just winked at me." "I should have realised a thing like that couldn't be true." "I feel terrible, just terrible." "There there, dear." "No one will blame you." "Any luck?" "Oh, no, superintendent, just years of experience." "Now I really must get back to St Mary Mead." "Would you be kind enough to give me a lift to the hotel?" "Good day." "May I have a minute?" "Thank you so much." " Quite warm for this time of year, isn't it?" " Yes." "I just called to see if I could enlist your help for our sale of work." " Sale of work?" " At the vicarage." " I'm afraid..." " Anything will do." "Half a crown ?" "Right." "I daresay I can manage that." "No hearth rug, I see." "That's rather dangerous, you know." "Sparks fly out and singe the carpet." "There was one and I'm not sure where it's got to." "The fluffy woolly kind, I expect." " Yes." "That's right." " Oh, thank you so much." "What name shall I put down ?" "You know perfectly well." "Miss Dinah Lee." " May I offer you some advice?" " I'd rather you didn't." "Nevertheless, I shall." "I advise you very strongly not to continue using your maiden name." " What on earth do you mean ?" " In a very short time, you and your husband may need all the goodwill you can find." "There is a prejudice in such places as this against people living together." "It has amused you both to pretend that is what you are doing" "But the time for games is over, Mrs Blake." " How did you know?" " Oh, my dear." " No, but how." " Things get round in a village." "The kind of quarrels you have quite unlike an illicit relationship." "It's been said you can only really get under someone's skin if you're married." "So true, don't you think?" "Married or not, we do love each other." "I'd do anything for him." "And he would for me." "I'm sure you would." "So why do we need goodwill all of a sudden?" "Because any minute now your husband may be arrested for murder." "You are joking, aren't you?" "Haven't you read the papers?" "The Majestic." "I've got the gin." "She says you'll be arrested for the murder at the Majestic." "It's not true, is it?" "Is it?" "Oh, my God." "What did you do with the hearth rug, Mr Blake?" "Dustbin." "That was very stupid of you." "People simply don't put good hearth rugs in dustbins." "It had spangles on it from her dress, I suppose." "What are you talking about?" "Tell me." "Well, you may ask her." "She seems to know all about it." "I can tell you what I think happened." "Do correct me, Mr Blake, if I go wrong." "After having a row with your wife at a party, and after having had too much to drink, you drove here." "I'm not sure at what time." "It was about two in the morning." "You saw a body on the hearth rug, a girl in a white evening dress... strangled." "I don't know if you recognised her." "I..." "I couldn't look again after the first glance." "Her face was terribly blue and swollen." "You panicked, didn't you?" "Yes." "I thought Dinah might turn up at any minute and she'd find me there with it and..." "What the hell would she think?" "And then the police, and god knows what..." "Then I had this idea." "It seemed quite good at the time." "I thought, "I'll put her in old Bantry's library."" "He's always despised me, always looked down his nose at me." ""Artistic type."" "Just like the whole damn village!" "And I thought, "Serve him right."" "Actually, I thought it would be quite a good laugh." "Old Bantry with a dead blonde." "I was a bit drunk, see." "Little Tommy Timpson had much the same idea." "Rather a sensitive boy, like yourself." "He thought his teacher was picking on him, so he put a frog in her drawer." "A body, of course, is a somewhat more serious matter." "I woke up in the morning and it hit me." "I couldn't believe I'd been so stupid." "You should have gone to the police, Mr Blake." "You really think they'd have swallowed it?" "A bit of a prank." "No harm done." "You saw what that chief constable was like." "Pompous ass." " Basil." " Open up!" "Mr Blake!" "I'm for it, aren't I?" "Get on to the solicitor, then go and see Mum." "Tell her about us." "Don't worry, sweetheart, I didn't do it." "It'll be fine." "Mr Blake, open up!" "No!" "His poor mother." "He didn't do it." "He put her in the library but he didn't kill her." "He was rather under the influence of alcohol and thought he'd try and implicate Arthur as a sort of joke." "I'm not bloody laughing." "I mean, look at him." "It's absolutely destroying him." "Isn't there anything we can do?" "So, you're not satisfied with the case against Basil Blake?" "No, I'm afraid I'm not." "We'd better let him go, then !" "I'm fully aware that this isn't what one might call orthodox" "Any other cases you're not satisfied with?" "Terence, don't be so silly." "Remember your heart." "You mean you know who did it?" "Of course I do." "That's why I'm here." "You must hear her out, if only for poor Arthur's sake." "He's in absolute shreds about the whole horrid business." " Very well!" " Thank you, Colonel." "Most people believe what's told them, whereas I never do." "Of course it's all very confusing that the body was in Colonel Bantry's library, but that's because it wasn't meant to be there." "I'm quite convinced that the plan had been to plant the body on Basil Blake, a much more likely person." "The fact that he put it in the library, delayed things considerably." " Poor Arthur." " Yes, indeed." "It was a source of great annoyance to the real murderer." "Basil Blake would have been the first person to be suspected" "You would have found out that he knew Ruby Keene but that he's involved with another girl." "You would consequently have assumed that Ruby came to blackmail him and that he'd strangled her in a fit of rage." "But that all went wrong." "And interest became focused much too soon on the Jeffersons." "It's the money angle that I find of particular interest." "And two people stand to benefit." "Not likely murderers at all but... one can never tell, can one?" "Mind like a sink, you know." "There's Mrs Jefferson, passionately devoted to her son, but restless and tired of the life she's been leading." "And then there's Mark Gaskell." "So brave and fearless during the war but now a disillusioned soul." "It was most annoying, I must confess, to find that both these people had alibis." "But the discovery of Pamela Reeves's body suddenly rendered them worthless." "I knew there had to be a connection." "All for love and not a little money." "So stupid of me not to realise but it's those fingernails, you see." " Just can't get away from them." " Fingernails?" "The nail clippings you discovered in Ruby's wastebasket don't convince me at all, I'm afraid." "I'm quite certain that the nails of the dead girl weren't cut, but bitten." "That can only mean one thing." "That the body in the library wasn't Ruby Keene at all." "Isn't she marvellous?" "Which leads us straight to the one person I know to be involved." "Josephine Turner." "She must've known it wasn't Ruby." "And was completely perplexed as to why the body was there because she knew where it ought to have been." "I can't understand it, I really can't." "Neither can we." "In Basil Blake's house." "It was Josie who drew attention to him." "Blake?" "Yes, I think I did hear her mention that name." "Yes, I'm sure I did." "And Josie, I'm sure, who slipped the snapshot of Basil Blake into Ruby's handbag." " Who's this?" " No idea, Jeffy." "A cool operator, without a doubt." "But still unable to conceal her anger against Ruby after her death." "That's what I mean about believing too readily." "Why doubt that the body was Ruby's?" "Because it doesn't seem she could have any motive for lying." "That's always been the difficulty." "Ruby's death appears, if anything, contrary to her interests" "It was not till Dinah Lee said she'd do anything for love that I made the connection." "If Josie has a lover, then the whole thing becomes clear." "Gaskell." "My God." "That I should live to see the day." "Oh, no." "No, no, Colonel." "Not Gaskell." "Adelaide." "I always suspected it had a woman 's touch." "Bloody hell." " But..." " Terence, do try to keep calm." "Well...one doesn't come across such things." "Maybe not a lot in Much Benham, but there is a world beyond." "A clever plan." "Complicated yet simple" "First of all the selection of the poor child Pamela whose death would provide them with their alibi" " Excuse me!" " She fitted the bill perfectly." "She was not dissimilar to Ruby Keene." "What's more a film fan so when Mrs Jefferson approached her regarding a screen test she found it irresistible." "But the girl said she was approached by a film producer." "Inconceivable though it might seem, one or two women're managing to make their mark on the industry." "Quite a film buff, you know." "So a date was arranged and Pamela duly appeared at the hotel where Mrs Jefferson introduced her to her makeup expert" "You can put on this dressing gown." "We're doing your hair." "It'll be fantastic." "And after that, you can put on your dress." "Poor child." "Makes me quite sick to think of it." "After having turned Pamela into an approximation of Ruby" "Josie Turner drugged her" "There!" "Just wait until we get you over there." "A little drink to celebrate." "Lovely, lovely." "Get it down you." "I imagine they then hid her in one of the empty rooms" "After dinner Mrs Jefferson said she went to write letters" "I'm going to go upstairs to write letters." "That is when she drove the comatose Pamela to Basil Blake's house" "And placed her on the hearth rug" "At that point, the poor girl was not yet dead." "Mrs Jefferson saw to that." "That must have been just after ten." "She then drove back to the hotel at top speed, where Ruby Keene was alive and dancing with Raymond Starr." "They had provided themselves with the perfect alibi." "I'm sorry I'm late." "I had to write some letters." "After her dance with George Bartlett" "Ruby went up to her room to change following Josie's instructions" "No doubt she was used to doing what Josie told her" "And waited in Josie's room" "She too had been drugged" "Probably in her afterdinner coffee." "George Bartlett mentioned her yawning when he danced with her." "Josie then went up to her room with Mr Starr on the pretence of looking for her." "I bet she's with that film bloke." "Looks like she's put on her old blackandwhite dress." "She should be in her Spanish number." "I suppose I'll have to do it with you." "I won't be a minute." "Apart from Ruby nobody but Josie went into Josie's room" "And that's probably when she finished the girl off" "She then went down to dance with Mr Starr" "In the early hours of the morning she dressed Ruby in Pamela's clothes" "She was very thorough." "Even down to the fingernails" "And drove the body in Mr Bartlett's car to the quarry" "Where she set it alight" "You must admit, she's frightfully good." "Are you absolutely sure about Mrs Jefferson ?" "I don't see how one can't be." "Such a madam." "She even had the gall to tell me some guff about her and Mark Gaskell." "Of course, I wasn't taken in for a second." "What about our Argie friend?" "I think you'll find he was far too busy providing his little extras." "Good God." "That place really has gone down the chute." "You see, once one accepts that the body in the library wasn't Ruby Keene's," "Mrs Jefferson has no alibi." "She slipped away to write letters, she claims." "Whereas Mr Gaskell ~ stayed put the whole time." "But it's so important, isn't it, to be quite sure?" "Which is where my little plan comes in." "We will have to make it necessary for them to try to kill Mr Jefferson." "If Mr Jefferson would consent." "And because they'll still want Ruby's death to be blamed on Basil Blake..." "..the most obvious solution, it seems to me, would be to make it look like heart failure." "But hopefully, gentlemen with your help, it won't get that far." " They took it very well." " What did you say?" "And that I proposed visiting a solicitor tomorrow." "I'm surprised they swallowed it." "Adelaide was very, very kind to me, you know." "Helped me through the darkest times." "And Frank...he loved her so much." "Josie I can just about understand." "She had nothing to lose." "But Adelaide?" "What can she have been thinking of?" "Dear Jeff." "Breaks one's heart." "And Peter, poor boy." "I'm sure it was part of their plan." "A new life for the three of them." "Thousands of miles from here." "To think that I could have suspected Arthur, even for moment" "All the time he was just fretting about these new taxes." "What those creatures have put us through." "How on earth could they imagine they'd ever get away with it" "Because when you're in love, you think you're invincible." "It blinds you... and you don't seem to care." "Addy?" "Addy!" "Addy!" "I'm here." "Addy!" "Josie!" " I love you !" " I love you too, Josie!"