Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

Sir Henry Cressering, ex-Constable of the Metropolitan Police, lived with his friends Mr and Mrs Bantry, near St Mary Mead.One Saturday morning, around ten quarters, he came down to have breakfast, which was the best time for guests to have breakfast.He almost bumped into the hostess at the door of the restaurant, and Mrs. Bantry hurried out of the house, looking a little excited and sad. Colonel Bantry sat at the table, looking redder than usual. "Good morning, Clithering," he said. "It's a fine day, please go ahead." Sir Henry obediently found a seat, and as soon as he sat down, a plate of kidney and bacon was placed in front of him, and the host continued, "Dolly was a little uneasy this morning."

"Yes, . . . er . . . I can tell," said Sir Henry gently. He was a little puzzled, the mistress had always been a stable person, and was rarely affected by emotions. As far as Sir Henry knew her, there was only one thing that could excite her—gardening. "Yes," said Colonel Bantry, "she was saddened by the news this morning that a girl in the village, the owner of the Lamb's - Emmott's daughter . . . " "I've heard of this man." Colonel Bantry said after a moment of thought: "It's nothing new for a lovely girl to be pregnant. I've been arguing with Dolly, and I'm a fool, and women never get their senses. Dolly tried to defend the girl that women were all the same, and men were all shameless lovers in their eyes. But it was more than that, at least not now. Girls knew what they wanted, and young boys went to seduce a A girl doesn't have to be a villain, not fifty percent. I'd rather like Sanford, a Don Juan-like young fool."

"Did this man, Sanford, impregnate the girl?" "It seems so. I don't know the situation myself, of course," said the colonel cautiously. "It's just gossip. You know the place. As I said, I don't know anything, and I won't be in a hurry like Dolly." Jumping to conclusions in a hurry. All kinds of accusations, damn it. Everyone should take every word they have to say seriously. You know? It's going to be an autopsy." "Autopsy?" Colonel Bantry's eyes widened. "Yes, didn't I tell you? The girl jumped into the river and killed herself. That's what caused the commotion."

"It's serious," said Sir Henry. "Of course. I don't want to think about it. Poor little one. Her father was a rather stern man, and I reckon she's afraid to face her father." He paused, and Sir Henry went on: "Is that all that disturbs Dolly? Where did she drown?" "In the river, under the mill, where the current is the fastest, there's a narrow path and a bridge. They think she jumped there. Well, don't think of her." Colonel Bantry opened his paper, with a deliberate rustle, and began to concentrate on the government scandals which appeared in it, as a way of distracting his thoughts from the unpleasant affair.

Sir Henry was not very interested in such little tragedies in the country.After breakfast, he lay comfortably on a chair on the grass, pulled down his hat to cover his eyes, and looked at life from a very calm angle. About half-past eleven a neat servant walked softly across the lawn. "Excuse me, sir. Miss Marple is here. She wants to see you." "Miss Marple?" Sir Henry sat up and put on his hat.The name surprised him, and of course he remembered Miss Marple, together with the old maid's elegant and quiet demeanor, her astonishing insight.He couldn't forget that in the dozen unsolved and hypothetical cases, she went straight to the answer.Sir Henry respected Miss Marple so much that he did not know what had brought her here.

Miss Marple was sitting in the living room, her back straight as usual, a brightly colored shopping basket from abroad was placed beside her, her pink cheeks looked a little flustered. "Sir Henry, I am delighted and honored to have found you. I heard you live here...I really hope you will forgive me..." "Nice to meet you," said Sir Henry, taking her hand. "I'm afraid Mrs. Bantry is not at home." "Yes," said Miss Marple, "I saw her talking to that butcher Forteat when I came in. Henry Forteet was run over by a car yesterday, and it was his dog, a kind of A smooth-coated breed like fox fur, squat, squat, barking, and butchers love to keep this kind of dog."

"Yes," agreed Sir Henry. "I came here just as my mistress was away," went on Miss Marple, "because I came to see you about a very sad matter." "Henry Fortet?" asked Sir Henry, somewhat puzzled.Miss Marple shot him a reproachful look. "No, no, it's Ross Emmott, have you heard of it?" Sir Henry nodded. "Bantry told me it was miserable." He seemed to be in the dark, unable to figure out why Miss Marple had come to see him on Rose Emmott's business. Miss Marple sat down again, and Sir Henry sat down too.When the old lady spoke again, her attitude changed, her tone was cold and a little stern.

"Do you remember, Sir Henry, those one or two evenings we spent together? We played a very pleasant game of asking incredible questions and then finding out the answers. For your compliments, think I am Well done." "You beat us all down," said Sir Henry enthusiastically. "You have shown such a talent for uncovering the truth that I remember you always citing similar examples of what happened in the country. These examples help You have found the truth." Sir Henry smiled when he said this, but Miss Marple didn't smile at all, she was very serious the whole time.

"That's what you said that gave me the courage to come here to you. If I said something to you, you wouldn't laugh at me." He suddenly realized that she was very serious. "I'm sure I won't laugh at you." "Sir Henry... This girl, Rose Emerald didn't commit suicide, she was murdered... I know who the murderer is." For two or three seconds Sir Henry said nothing, completely stunned.Miss Marple's tone was very calm, not at all agitated, as if she were making the most ordinary statement expressing all her emotions. "It is a very serious matter to come to such a conclusion, Miss Marple," said Sir Henry after recovering.She nodded slightly.

"I know, I know, that's why I came to you." "But, my dear lady, I am not the man you are looking for. I can only speak for myself, and if you know anything, you should tell the police." "I don't think I can," said Miss Marple. "why?" "Because, you see, I have no evidence." "You mean, that's just your speculation?" "If you will. Not quite. I know my circumstances tell me who did it. Once I tell Inspector Derewitt my reasoning, he'll laugh it off. It's not really his fault either, understanding what you call 'special perception' doesn't happen overnight."

"Such as?" said Sir Henry.Miss Marple smiled at him. "What would you think if I told you that my identification came from a man named Peasegood? A few years ago, this man named Peasegood was driving a cart around delivering groceries. He also Delivering food to my niece, he once sent turnips to my niece instead of carrots." She paused meaningfully. "It is quite appropriate to do this kind of business," said Sir Henry to himself. "Have you come to this judgment through similar incidents in the past?" "I know human nature," said Miss Marple. "It's impossible not to have a deep knowledge of human nature after living in the country. The question is, do you believe me or not?" She stared straight at him, her face turning from pink to red.Her eyes met him, without averting them.Sir Henry was a well-informed man, and he made judgments without scrutiny, and though Miss Marple's assertion was somewhat dubious, he immediately realized that he had accepted it. "I trust you completely, Miss Marple. But I really don't know what you want me to do, or what you came to see me for?" "I've thought it over," said Miss Marple, "and as I said, it's no use going to the police without evidence. I have no evidence, and all I'm asking you to do is participate in the investigation of this matter. I'm sure De Inspector Lewitt will be delighted. Of course, as the investigation progresses, Colonel Melchett, the Chief of Police will take orders from you." Miss Marple looked at him earnestly. "Do you have any clues for me?" "I think," said Miss Marple, "that a man, oh, the man's name is written on a piece of paper to bring with you, and you will see, during the investigation, whether this man was involved. Well, It's possible I'm completely wrong." She paused, trembled, and then said: "It would be too bad if an innocent person was hanged for this." "You..." cried Sir Henry, somewhat startled.She looked at him sadly. "Perhaps I'm wrong, though I don't think so myself. Inspector Drewitt is a sensible man, but half a bottle of water can be very harmful sometimes. It prevents people from getting a deep understanding of things." Sir Henry looked at her strangely. After groping for a while, she opened her bag, took out a small book from it, tore it up, carefully wrote a name on it, folded it in half, and handed it to Sir Henry. He opened the note and glanced at the name written on it.It meant nothing to him, but he looked up at Miss Marple and pocketed the note. "Well," he said, "a special assignment, for the first time in my life. This is where I base my judgment on yours, Miss Marple." Military style.The inspector was a tall man with broad shoulders and was particularly sensitive. "I really feel that I have a reason to participate in the investigation of this case." Sir Henry said with a pleasant smile, "but I can't tell you. In short, it is to prevent the good from being wronged and the bad from being spared." "Dear friend, it is a pleasure to have you with us, please accept our respect." "It is a great honour, Sir Henry," said the inspector. The Chief Constable mused: "The poor fellow must be bored at the Bantry's, with the old man blaming the government and the old lady nagging about bulbs." The Inspector thought: "I hope this man isn't a troublemaker. I hear he has the best brains in England. I hope everything goes well." exclaimed the Chief Constable: "It is very sad and clear, and the first thing people think of is that the girl threw herself into the river. You know, she is pregnant. Fortunately, our doctor Haydock is a very careful person, and he noticed that the deceased There are wounds on the upper parts of both arms, from before death, or someone may have grabbed her by the arms and thrown her down." "Does that take a lot of effort?" "No need, no resistance, the girl won't realize that she will be pushed down. This is a small wooden bridge, the bridge surface is a bit slippery, you only need to push gently, and there is no guardrail at all on one side of the bridge." "Have you any proof that the tragedy happened there?" "Yes. There was a boy named Jimmy Brown, twelve years old, who was in the woods on the other side of the bridge when it happened. He heard a scream from the bridge, and then something fell into the water. When It was dusk and it was hard to see what it was. After a while he saw a white thing floating on the water, and he ran back to find someone. They fished her up, but it was too late to bring her back to life." Sir Henry nodded. "Didn't the boy see anyone on the bridge?" "No. As I said, dusk and fog. I asked the boy if he'd seen anyone before or since, and he took it for granted that the girl jumped herself. Everybody thinks so." .” "We are fortunate to have found a note," said Inspector Drewitt, turning to Sir Henry. "It was found in the pocket of the dead man, sir, with a pen which artists are used to. Although the paper has been Wet, I still managed to make out the words on it." "What to write?" "Written by young Sanford. It read: 'Okay, I'll meet you on the bridge at eight-thirty—Roh Sanford.' About eight-thirty or a few minutes later, Jimmy Brown heard screaming and someone falling into the water." "I don't know if you've seen Sanford," continued Colonel Melchett. "He's been here about a month or so, and he's one of those modern young builders who specialize in quaint houses." I'm building a house for the Arlingtons right now. God knows what it's going to look like. There's some new toothed stuff everywhere, glass dining tables, steel mesh surgical chairs. It's nothing to do with the case. relationship, but it shows who Sanford is, a leftist. You know, these guys have no morals." "Seduction is an old crime, though not murder," said Sir Henry mildly.Colonel Melchett froze. "Ah, yes, it's been there for a long time." "Sir Henry," said Derewitt, "it's a scandal, but it's not complicated. This young Sanford got the girl pregnant. He's got to get everything cleaned up before he goes back to London. He's there There was a girl, a good girl, and he was engaged to marry her. Naturally, he was afraid that she would know, so he killed Rose cunningly. He met Rose on the bridge, and it was a lot of trouble. On a foggy evening, with no one around, he grabbed her by the arm and threw her down. The pig, he's sure to get what he deserves. That's how I see it." Sir Henry was silent for a minute or two.He saw a strong regional bias, and in a conservative place like St. Mary Mead, it was uncommon for an outsider architect to use the new toothed building material. "So there's no doubt that this young man named Sanford is the father of the unborn child?" he asked. "He must be the father," Derewitt said. "Rose Emmott told her father he would marry her. Marry her? How could he!" "Ah!" thought Sir Henry, "I seem to be in a mid-Victorian melodrama, with a gullible girl, a London villain, a stern father, and desertion, all short of a faithful lover." .I think it's about time I asked him." So he raised his voice and said: "Doesn't that girl have a boy she likes in the local area?" "Joe Ellis, you mean?" asked the Inspector. "He's a nice lad who does woodwork for a living. Ah! If she's got anything to do with Joe..." Colonel Melchett nodded approvingly.interrupted him and said: "That's right." "What does Joe Ellis think of the matter?" asked Sir Henry. "Nobody knows what Joe thinks," said the inspector. "He's a shy lad. Joe is like that, quiet. In his eyes, everything Rose does is right. She's in total control." He. Joe just hoped she'd come back to him someday. I think that's just wishful thinking on his part." "I want to speak to him," said Sir Henry. "We're going to visit him," said Colonel Melchett. "We're not ignoring any clues. I think we'll go to Emmott first, then Sanford, and finally Ellis. Don't you think that's all right, sir?" Sir Henry replied, "It couldn't be better." They found Emmott in Blubo.He was a big, stocky middle-aged man with sly eyes and an aggressive jaw. "Good morning, gentlemen, it's a pleasure to meet you. Come in, we can talk all you want, can I help you, gentlemen. No? As you please. You're here about my poor daughter, aren't you?" ?Ah! She was a good girl, yes, Ross was a good girl, until the goddamn slut, excuse me, but he was a slut actually. Before it happened. He promised to marry her, he did it , I'm going to sue him. He brought her to this point. This murderer dishonors us all. My poor daughter." "Your daughter told you herself that Sanford was responsible for her?" Melchett asked quickly. "She told me herself, in this room." "What did you say to her?" asked Sir Henry. "Tell her?" The old man was at a loss for words. "Yes, what did you say to her? For example, kick her out of the house or something." "I'm a bit out of control, that's natural and I'm sure you feel the same way. But I didn't actually throw her out of the house. I wouldn't be so unreasonable. He should be morally responsible , No, what I want to say is, how does the law stipulate? He has to be responsible to her, and if he fails, he will pay the price." He punched the table. "When was the last time you saw your daughter?" said Colonel Melchett. "Yesterday, while drinking tea." "Is there anything unusual about her behavior?" "Well... as usual, I didn't notice anything, if I knew..." "But you don't know," said the inspector impassively.They left him. "Emmott is trying to put on a pleasant face," said Sir Henry thoughtfully. "A bit of a rogue," said Colonel Melchett. "He would have bled Sanford if he had the chance." The second person they called on was the architect.Rex Sanford was not what Sir Henry had imagined him to be. He was a tall, fair, thin young man with bright blue eyes, long tousled hair, and a effeminate voice. Colonel Melchett introduced himself and his companions, and then got straight to the point.He asked the architect to explain his whereabouts the night before the accident. "You have to understand," he warned, "I'm not forcing you to make any statements, but everything you say will be used as evidence in court." "I... I don't understand," Sanford said. "Did you know that Ross Emmott was drowned last night?" "Yeah, it's... so unfortunate. Really, I didn't sleep a wink all night, and I couldn't work today. I feel responsible for her death, inescapable." He ran his hands through his hair, which was crushed Made more mess. "I didn't mean to hurt her," he said pitifully, "I never thought, never expected she would do that." He sat down at the table and buried his face in his hands. "Sanford, do I understand your refusal to tell us where you were at eight-thirty last night?" "No, no, of course not, I'm out, I'm going for a walk." "Are you going to meet Emmott?" "No, I'm alone, through the woods, a long way." "How do you explain the note found in the dead girl's pocket?" Inspector Drewitt read the note aloud and impassively.After reading it, he went on: "So you're going to deny that this note was written by you?" "No... no, that's right, I wrote it. Rose asked me to meet her, she must see me, and I didn't know what to do, so I wrote that note." "That's right," said the inspector. "But I didn't go," Sanford raised his voice a little excitedly, "I think it's better not to go. I'm going back to the city tomorrow, and I plan to write to her when I get to London, so I can think about it in the long run." "Sir, do you know that the girl is pregnant and claims you to be the father?" Sanford groaned, but didn't answer. "Is that correct? Sir." Sanford buried his face even deeper. "I think so," he said in a subdued voice. "Ah!" Inspector Drewitt could not conceal his satisfaction. "Now about the walk. Did anyone see you that night?" "I don't know. I don't think so, I don't remember meeting anyone." "It's a pity." "What do you mean?" Sanford stared at him with wide eyes. "Does it matter if I go for a walk or not? Will that keep Rose from jumping in the river?" "Well!" said the Inspector, "but she didn't jump off herself. She was pushed off on purpose, Mr. Sanford." "She was..." It took him a minute or two before he fully accepted the terrible fact, "My God! So..." He slumped in a chair. Colonel Melchett rose to leave. "You know, Sanford," he said, "you can't leave this house." The three left the place where Sanford lived together.The inspector exchanged glances with the chief constable. "I think the truth is out, sir," said the inspector. "Get a warrant for his arrest." "Excuse me," said Sir Henry, "I forgot my gloves." He returned to the house at once, and Sanford was still sitting where he was, looking at him blankly. "I've come back," said Sir Henry, "to tell you, personally, that I hope to be of help to you. As for why, I cannot tell you. If you wish, I would like you to tell me briefly about your relationship with Miss Rose. What happened in between." "She's lovely," Sanford said, "very sweet and attractive. And also put me in a corner. Swear to God, that's true. She won't leave me alone, alone. I’ve stayed here for a long time, and the people here don’t like me. I... praised her for her good looks, and she seemed to be very good at pleasing men, so we..." He didn't go on talking, and raised his head, "What can you do later? Guess. She wants me to marry her, and I don't know what to do. I have a fiancée in London, and if she finds out about it, she'll... Of course, she'll blow me off. She doesn't understand me, how can she How about that? I'm such a douchebag, I don't know what to do. I avoid her, thinking I'll go back to town and talk to my lawyer and see if I can get money or something Something to sort things out. Good God! I'm so stupid, it's clearly not in my favor, but they must have got it wrong, and she definitely jumped off herself." "Did she threaten to kill herself?" Sanford shook his head: "Never, she's not that kind of person." "What about the man named Joe Ellis?" "The carpenter? The offspring of the kind of farming family in the country, a little dull, Ross drove him crazy." "He must be jealous," Sir Henry reminded. "I think he's a little bit jealous, but he's the kind of guy who has the patience of a bull, and he just suffers in silence." "Well," said Sir Henry, "I must go." Henry rejoined the other two. "Melchett," he said, "before taking the final action, I think we ought to call on another lad, Ellis, and it's not good to catch the wrong man. Jealousy is, after all, one of the chief motives of murder." , and it is not uncommon.” "Couldn't be more correct," said the inspector. "But Joe Ellis wasn't that kind of guy, he wouldn't hurt a fly, and no one ever saw him lose his temper. Still, I agreed to ask him what he was up to last night. place. He might be at home now, Mrs. Bartlett's lodger. She was a very decent woman, and she did some laundry when her husband died." The house they went to was spotless and tidy.The door was opened to them by a stocky, middle-aged woman with a cheerful face and blue eyes. "Good morning, Mrs. Bartlett," said the inspector. "Is Joe Ellis in?" "Not ten minutes back," said Mrs. Bartlett. "Gentlemen, please come in." After wiping her hands on her apron, she ushered them into the small front drawing room, which was crowded with many taxidermy specimens. Birds, china dogs, a sofa and a few pieces of useless furniture. She was busy finding a place for them to sit, so she moved a shelf, and after making room, she went outside and shouted: "Joe! Three gentlemen are looking for you." A voice from the kitchen behind replied, "I'll come when I clean myself up." Bartlett laughed too much. "Come in, Mrs. Bartlett," said Melchett, "and sit down." "Oh, no, sir, I don't want to sit." Mrs. Bartlett startled herself at saying this. "You think Joe Ellis is a good tenant, don't you?" said Melchett in a tone that seemed indifferent. "Can't be better, sir. A quiet, quiet chap, a teetotaler, takes pride in his work, and always helps me with my chores. He made these shelves for me, for the kitchen The new cupboard, and every little thing in the house is on his mind, and Jo takes it all as his own, and never asks for thanks. Ah! You don't see many good young men like Jo." "Someday some lucky girl will marry him," said Melchett casually. "He kind of likes that poor girl Rose Emerson, doesn't he?" Mrs. Bartlett sighed: "It's killing me, really. He adores her and she doesn't bother to talk to him." "Where does Joe usually spend his evenings? Mrs. Bartlett." "Here, sir, generally here. He does extra work in the evenings, and sometimes learns book-keeping by correspondence." "Really? Was he home last night?" "Yes, sir." "Are you sure, Mrs. Bartlett?" asked Sir Henry warily.She turned to him. "Of course, sir." "Did he not go out? At eight-thirty, for example, somewhere." "Oh, no," laughed Mrs. Bartlett. "He's been getting me that kitchen cupboard all night, and I'm passing him this and that from time to time." Sir Henry looked at her reassuring smile and began to have some doubts.After a while, Ellis walked in by himself.He was a broad-shouldered young man, a good-looking country boy, with shy blue eyes, a gentle smile, and generally an affable fellow.Melchett started the conversation, and Mrs. Bartlett withdrew to the kitchen. "We're investigating the death of Rose Emmott, you knew her, Ellis." "I know," he hesitated, then whispered, "I hope to marry her one day, poor heart." "Do you know what happened to her?" "Yes," said Ellis with resentment in his eyes, "he pushed her down. That's all right, she won't be happy marrying him. I expect she'll come to me after that. , I have been caring about her." "Apart from……" "It wasn't her fault. He lured her astray with sweet words. She told me she wasn't worth dying for him." "Ellis, where were you at 8:30 last night?" I don't know whether it was Sir Henry's imagination or the fact that there was a trace of nervousness in his pre-prepared, seemingly overdone answer. . "Here I am, making a wonderful cabinet for Mrs. Bar's kitchen. Ask her, and she'll tell you." "Too quick to answer," thought Sir Henry. "He is a slow man, and to answer so quickly seems to have been rehearsed." However, he still warned himself that it was just his own assumption.He assumed everything, down to the worried look in Alice's blue eyes. After a few rounds of question and answer, they left.Sir Henry found an excuse and went to the kitchen.Mrs. Bartlett, who was busy at the stove, looked up smiling.A new pantry sits against the wall, unfinished, with tools and blocks strewn about. "Is this the chest that Ellis worked on last night?" said Sir Henry. "Yes, sir, well done: he's a very clever carpenter, he is." "There is neither fear nor embarrassment in her eyes. But can Ellis tell a lie so well? There must be deceit in it. I must speak to him again," thought Sir Henry.As he turned to leave the kitchen, he hit a baby carriage. "I hope I don't wake the baby," he said. Mrs. Bartlett let out a fit of laughter. "Oh, no, sir, I'm kind of sorry I don't have kids. That's for clothes." "Ah! I see..." He paused, and then asked suddenly: "Mrs. Bartlett, do you know Rose Emmott? Tell me what you think of her." She looked at him puzzled: "Well, sir, I think she is a little frivolous. But everyone is dead...I don't want to speak ill of dead people. " "But I have a reason, a very good reason to ask," he said in a persuasive tone. She seemed to be thinking about what he meant, and finally made up her mind. "She's one of those bad characters, sir," she said calmly. "I wouldn't say that in front of Jo. She's got him out of the way. A man like him can do anything... It's a pity." , you know how it is, sir." Sir Henry knew that the world of people like Joe Ellis was vulnerable, they were too credulous, and because of this, the revelation of the truth hit them all the more hard. He left the hut confused and bewildered, finding nothing.Joe Ellis had not been out last night, and Mrs. Bartlett was indeed present.Is there any impostor in this?Apart from the doubtful fact that Joe Ellis' answer seemed prepared in advance, there were no holes.If Joe was lying, there was a story to tell. "Well," said Colonel Melchett, "everything is clear, eh?" "Yes, sir," agreed the Inspector. "Sanford's the man we want me to be. His case is flimsy, and it's clear. My personal opinion is that the girl and her father were trying to blackmail him." , refusing to pay, and not wanting the matter to reach her girlfriend's ears, he acted in desperation. What do you think, sir?" he added, paying his respects to Sir Henry. "It seems so," agreed Sir Henry, "but . . . I can hardly imagine Sanford doing anything like that." "But, as he said, he has found no effective way to settle the matter. The most docile animal, when cornered, will act astonishingly." "I want to ask that child." He said suddenly, "the child who heard the noise." Jimmy Brown was a clever little boy, short for his age, with a finely pointed face.He was happy to answer questions, but was somewhat disappointed when asked to recount the drama he had witnessed that ill-fated night. "I hear you were on the other side of the bridge," said Sir Henry. "You were on the other side of the river from the village. Did you see anyone as you crossed?" "Someone's going up in the woods. It's Mr. Sanford, I think, the builder of queer houses." The three exchanged glances. "That was about ten minutes before you heard the sound of falling water, right?" The kid nodded. "Did you see anyone else? Nearer this end of the village?" "A man walking slowly down that path over there, whistling, a little like Joe Ellis." "You can't see who it is," snapped the Inspector. "The fog is thick, and it's dusk." "I judge by the whistle," the boy said. "Joe Ellis keeps blowing the same tune 'I wanna be happy.' That's all he sings." When he said this, he deliberately laughed at these old antiques in a strange voice. "Anyone can whistle," said Melchett. "Is he headed for the bridge?" "No, another way, towards the village." "I don't think we need to waste time on these irrelevant things," Melchett said. "You hear the shouting, then the sound of someone falling into the water, and a few minutes later you see a dead body going down the stream. You ran to find someone, first ran to the bridge, crossed the bridge, and went straight to the village. When you ran back, didn't you see anyone?" "I thought there were two people walking down the path by the river with a cart, but it was so far away that I couldn't tell whether they were coming or going. Mr. Giles's was the closest, so I ran straight to his house. gone." "You did the right thing, boy," Melchett said. "You did well. You used your brains. You're a Boy Scout, aren't you?" "Yes, sir." "Okay, very good." Sir Henry didn't speak, but kept thinking.He took out a note from his pocket, looked at it, and shook his head, as if it was impossible, but... He decided to visit Miss Marple. 在她那雅致的，显得有些拥挤的老式客厅里，马普尔小姐接待了他。 “我是来报告进程的，”亨利爵士说，“以我们预设的观点来看，恐怕事情进展得不是很顺利。他们准备逮捕桑福德，我必须承认他们那么做是有依据的。” “你没找到，怎么说呢，任何支持我观点的证据吗？”她有些困惑和着急，“也许我错了，完全错了。你经验丰富，如果我的断言没错的话，你肯定查得出来的。” “有一件事，”亨利爵士说，“我简直不敢相信，我们面对的是一个天衣无缝的不在场的证据。乔·埃利斯一晚上都在厨房里做柜子，巴特利特大太在一边看着他做。”马普尔小姐向前倾了倾身子，急促地吸了口气。 “那不可能，”她说，“星期五晚上。” “星期五晚上？” “是的，星期五晚上。每个星期五晚上巴特利持太太要把洗好的衣服送到各家各户去。” 亨利爵士倒在椅背上，想起那男孩说的那个吹口哨的人，对了，一切都吻合了。他站起身来，激动地握着马普尔小姐的手。 “我想，我知道该怎么做了，”他说，“至少我可以去试试……” 五分钟后，他又回到了巴特利特的小屋。在那个四周都是瓷器狗的客厅里，他与乔·埃利斯面对面地坐着。 “关于你昨晚的行踪，你对我们撤了谎。”他直截了当地说，“昨晚八点到八点三十分，你根本没在家里做柜子。在罗斯·埃莫特遇害前几分钟，有人看见你在河边的小路上往桥的方向走去。” 乔·埃利斯屏住了呼吸。 “她不是被谋杀的，不是的，我压根儿没杀她，她是自己跳下去的，是的，她是如此的绝望，我连根头发都没伤过她，我不会那么干的。” “那你为什么要说谎呢？”亨利爵士紧迫不舍。他的眼神游移着，不自然地垂了下去。 “我被吓蒙了。巴太太看见我在桥附近。我们听说了所发生的事后，她说我可能会被怀疑，因此，我就咬定我一直在这儿没离开过，她作我的证人。她是一个不寻常的人，是的，她一直对我很好。” 一句话也没说，亨利爵士离开客厅，进了厨房。巴特利特太太正在水槽边洗衣服。 “巴特利特太太，”他说，“所有的事情我都知道了。我想，你最好招认了吧。除非你愿意看到乔·埃利斯为他不曾干过的事而被绞死……不，我想你不会愿意的。我来告诉你你所干的一切。你去送衣服，正遇罗斯。埃莫特，你认为她抛弃了乔，而与一个外来者鬼混。现在她怀了孕，乔已准备好了救她于危难之中，必要的话娶她为妻，他做你的房客已有四年了，你爱上了他，你想把他据为己有。你恨那姑娘，不能容忍这个一文不值的小荡妇抢走你的男人。你是个强壮的女人，巴特利特太太，你抓住她的胳膊，把她扔进了河里。几分钟后，你遇到了乔·埃利斯，那个叫吉米的男孩在远处看见了你们俩。因为天黑雾大，他把婴儿车看成了手推车，而且是两人推着。你说服乔让他相信有一千个理由使他成为怀疑对象，并谋划出他不在现场的借口。实际上是为你自己开脱。好了，是这样吧。” 他屏住呼吸，把所有的希望都押在了这上面。 她站在他面前，在围裙上不停地擦着手。最后，终于下了决心。 “是的，先生，你说的完全对。”她用一种屈服的口气说，亨利爵士突然觉得那是一种很危险的语气，“我不知道是什么支配着我，是无耻，是的，就是恬不知耻在支配着我。她不能把乔从我这儿夺走。我的一生已经够不幸了，丈夫是个穷光蛋，一个脾气暴躁的病人。我照顾他，看护他。后来，乔到这儿住了下来。先生，我还没那么老，虽然我的头发灰白，可我才四十岁。乔是百里挑一的好人，我愿意为他做任何事情，任何事情。他像个孩子，脆弱、轻信。他是我的，他需要我的照顾和关怀。还有……还有……”她咽下了下面的话，反省自己的情绪。事到如今，她还是那么坚强。她站了起来，昂首挺胸，用奇怪的眼光看着亨利爵士。 “我已准备好了，先生。我以为永远也不会有人发现的。我搞不借你是怎么知道的？真不明白你是怎么发现是我干的？” 亨利爵士轻轻地摇了摇头。 “发现真相的不是我，”他说，想起了那张仍装在他口袋里的纸条，上面用老式的笔法写着：巴特利特太太，与乔·埃利斯一起住在米尔小屋2号。 马普尔小姐又对了。