Chapter 6 Section 6

A few minutes later, Lucy turned pale, walked out of the warehouse, locked the door, Then hang the key on that nail. She walked briskly to the stables, got her car out, and drove out the back drive.She stopped in front of the post office at the end of the road.She went into the phone booth, put in coins, and made a call. "I want to speak to Miss Marple." "She's resting, miss. It's Miss Esborough, isn't it?" "Yes." "I can't disturb her. No accommodating, miss. She's getting old. Need to rest." "You must alarm her, it is urgent." "I don't—" "Please do as I tell you immediately."

Lucy's voice could be as sharp as a steel knife when she had to, and Florence, hearing a voice of such full authority, knew she had to do it. It was not long before Miss Marple's voice was heard. "Hello, Lucy?" Lucy took a deep breath. "You're quite right," she said. "I found it." "Found a woman's body?" "Yes, a woman in a fur coat. The body is in a sarcophagus in a warehouse and museum near Biezhuang. What do you want me to do? I think , I should notify the police." "Yes, you must notify the police. Immediately!" "But what about the rest? About you? The first thing they asked me must have been why did I go for no reason Pry open a coffin lid that weighs several tons. Do you want me to make up a reason? I can make one up." "No, I don't think so," said Miss Marple in her gentle, serious voice, "You know you The only thing to do is to tell them exactly what is going on." "About you?" "About everything."

Lucy grinned. "That was easy on my part," she said, "but I think they would find it hard to believe." She hangs up.Waited for a while, then dialed to the police station. "I just found a dead body in the sarcophagus in the long warehouse of Losezin Villa." "What did you say?" Lucy said it again, and at the same time, she had already anticipated the other party's next question, so she announced her name first. She drove back, parked the car, and walked into the house. She paused in the hall to think. Then, she nodded abruptly and walked into the study.Miss Crackenthorpe was there helping her father solve the Times crossword. "May I have a word with you, Miss Crackenthorpe?"

Emma looked up, with a little worry on her face.The anxiety, Lucy thought, was purely domestic.Those who help with household chores express in this way that they are going to pack their bags. "Well, go on, girl, go on," said old Mr. Crackenthorpe impatiently. Lucy said to Emma, ​​"I want to have a word with you alone, won't you?" "Wait a minute, Father." Emma stood up and walked towards the door. "It's so boring! We can talk about what she said later." The old man said angrily. "I'm afraid I can't wait," said Lucy. Mr. Crackenthorpe said, "How impertinent!"

Emma came out into the hall.Lucy came out with her, closing the door behind her. "Why?" said Emma, ​​"what's the matter? If you think those two children have too much to live here, I can help you—" "That's not the case at all," said Lucy, "I didn't want to Say in front of your father, because I know he's a sick man, and it may surprise him, that I've just found the body of a murdered woman in that big sarcophagus in the long warehouse." Miss Emma Crackenthorpe stared at her dumbfounded. "In that sarcophagus? A woman who was murdered? It's impossible!" "It's all real. I've already called the police station. They may come at any time."

Emma's face was a little red. "You should have told me first—and then the police." "I'm sorry," said Lucy. "I didn't hear you calling—" said Emma, ​​looking at the telephone on the table in the hall. "I made it at the post office down the road back." "But how special is that—why not from here?" Lucy quickly came up with an excuse. "I'm afraid those two young men might be around--could hear--if I hit from this place in the hall." "Oh—yes—I see. Are they coming?—I mean the police?" "They're here now." A car screeched to a halt at the front door, and the doorbell rang. "I'm sorry - very, very sorry - for asking you that," said Inspector Bacon.

He walked out of the warehouse taking Emma's arm.Emma's face was pale; she looked ill, but she walked resolutely upright. "I'm sure I've never seen this woman before." "We thank you, Miss Crackenthorpe. That's all I need to know. Maybe you'll lie down?" "I got to my father, and as soon as I heard it happened I called up Dr. Kunpo, who's with him now." When they reached the other side of the hall, Dr. Kunpo came out of the study.He's a tall, nice guy with a casual, uninhibited, cynical demeanor.Therefore, his patients find him very interesting.He and the inspector nodded to each other.

"Miss Crackenthorpe did a very brave thing," said Bacon. "Very well, Emma," said the physician, patting her on the shoulder. "You can stand a blow. I've always known that. Your father is all right. Just go in and have a word with him. Then go to the restaurant and have a glass of brandy. That's the prescription." Emma smiled gratefully at him, and went into the study. "That woman is a perfect person." The doctor looked at her back and said, "It's a pity that she is not married yet. The whole family is male, and she is the only female. This bad luck. I think she was married at the age of seventeen. This one is really a beautiful woman. If she is married, she will be a good wife and mother." "I think it's because she loves her father too much. Yes," said Inspector Bacon. "She didn't actually love her father that much--but she had some womanly instincts. It was trying to make the men happy in the family. She knew her father loved being sick, so she let him be. She did the same with her brethren, Cedric thought he was a good painter, and that—what was his name?—Oh, Harold, he knew how much she trusted his good judgment— She surprised her by asking Alfred to tell her how smart he was in dealing with people. Ah, yes, she was a smart woman—not a fool. So, do you want my help? Now that Jiang Sitong has The examination is over (Jiang Sitong is the forensic doctor of the police station), do you want me to see the corpse? Do you want me to see if I gave the wrong medicine and died of the patient?" "I want you to take a look, Yes, doctor. We're going to have someone identify her. I don't think Mr. Crackenthorpe will be able to do that? I'm afraid it's going to put too much pressure on him?" "Pressure? Nonsense! If you don't let him Go and see, he'll never forgive you. He's anxious to see, and he's never had anything more exciting than that in about fifteen years. And it doesn't cost him a penny just to see!" "Well, his There's really nothing wrong with your body, right?"

"He's seventy-two now," said the doctor. "That's all, really. That's what's wrong with him. He has a strange rheumatic pain—who doesn't? That's why he calls it arthritis." .He had a heartbeat after a meal - maybe there was - so he concluded it was a 'heart attack'. However, he was always able to do whatever he wanted. I have had many patients like that, those who really had Sick people usually try their best to say they're healthy. Come, let's see your dead body. I suppose the smell would be unpleasant, wouldn't it?" "Jiang Sitong estimated that she died in about two to three weeks."

"Then the smell is very unpleasant." The physician stood by the sarcophagus, bending over it with frank curiosity, and at the same time showing his true nature, indifferent to the "unpleasant smell." "Never seen her before. Not a patient of mine. I don't remember seeing her here in Brackhamton. She must have been pretty in life. Somebody must have had a crush on her." "Where it was found was—what did they call it?—the 'Long Warehouse'—in the sarcophagus! Incredible! Who found it?" "Miss Esborough." "Ah, is that the young lady they have hired to help with the housework? What is she doing there - rummaging through the sarcophagus!"

"That," said Inspector Bacon gravely, "is what I was going to ask her. Now, what about Mr. Crackenthorpe? Please—" "I'll go and bring him." Mr. Crackenthorpe came briskly, with his scarf on.The doctor walked beside him. "It's outrageous," he said. "It's outrageous! I brought this sarcophagus from Florence—I think about it—must have been in 1948—or was it 1909?" "Now you must calm down," the doctor warned him. "You know, it will be uncomfortable to watch." "No matter how sick I am, I must do my duty, will I not?" Even so, it's been long enough just to take a quick look at the "Long Warehouse".Mr. Crackenthorpe trudged out as fast as he could. "I've never seen her in my life!" he said. "What does that mean? It's outrageous. Oh, I remember now. That sarcophagus was not brought back from Florence. It was Naples. That It's a fine piece of art. A stupid woman would come here and be killed in it!" He grabbed the left sleeve of his coat. "I can't take it...my heart...where's Emma? Doctor..." Doctor Kunpo took his arm. "You'll be all right," he said. "I suggest you have something stimulating. Brandy." They walked back to the villa together. "Please sit down, sir." Inspector Bacon turned to take a look.The two young men came back out of breath on their bicycles.Their faces looked eagerly entreating. "Excuse me, sir, may we see the corpse?" "No, you can't," said Inspector Bacon. "Oh, sir, please let us see. Maybe we'll find out who she is. Promise us, sir, to be good. It's not fair. There's been a murder here, in our In the warehouse. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Be good, sir." "Who are you two?" "I am Alexander Easterly. This is my friend James Stoddles West." "Did you ever see a fair-haired woman in this place? Wearing a squirrel coat dyed beige?" "This—I don't remember very well," said Alexander sharply, "if I could just see—" "Take them in, Sanders," Inspector Bacon said to the policeman standing at the warehouse door. "A person is only young once in his life!" "Oh, sir, thank you, sir," cried both young men, "how kind of you, sir!" Bacon turned around and walked into the house. "And now," he said gravely to himself, "to speak to Miss Lucy Esborough." After Lucy led the police to the "Long Warehouse" and briefly explained what she had found, she went back to the back.However, she had no illusions that the police would stop questioning her.She was preparing potato chips for the evening when someone came to her and said Inspector Bacon wanted her to talk.She put aside the large bowl of salt water in which the potato chips were soaking, and followed the policeman to where the inspector was waiting for her.She sat down and waited calmly for his questioning. She gave him her name and her address in London, and added automatically: "If you want to know everything about me, I can give you the names and addresses of a few people, and you can ask them." Those are famous people.A five-star admiral of the Navy and a dean of Oxford University.And a Lady of the British Empire.Inspector Bacon could not help being very impressed with her. "Now, please, Miss Esborough. You went to the Long Warehouse to find some paint, didn't you? When you found the paint, you took a crowbar, and you pried off the lid of this sarcophagus, and found the body. So, you in that coffin What are you looking for?" "I'm looking for a body," said Lucy. "You were looking for a body—and you found one! Doesn't it seem to you a queer thing?" "Oh, yes. That's a curious thing. Maybe you'll let me explain." "I really think it's better for you to explain." Lucy succinctly explained all the circumstances leading up to this astonishing discovery. The Inspector summed up her words in an insulted voice: "An old lady hired you here to find a job to search for a dead body in the house and grounds. Am I right?" "right." "Who is this old lady?" "Miss Marple. She now lives at No. 4, Madison Road." The Inspector took it down. "Do you expect me to take your word for it?" Lucy said gently: "Perhaps not. But when you talk to Miss Marple and get her confirmation, you will believe it." "Of course I'll talk to her. She must be crazy." Lucy would have liked to point out that proving that her words were true does not prove that a person is insane.But she endured it and said: "What are you going to say to Miss Crackenthorpe? About me, I mean." "Why do you ask that?" "Well—for Miss Marple's part, I have accomplished my task. I have found the body she wished me to find. However, I am still employed by Miss Crackenthorpe. There are two hungry Desperate young men to serve. And, after this unexpected trouble, there may be more coming back. She must need someone to help her with the housework. If you go and tell her I need this job just for For dead bodies, she's bound to throw me out. Otherwise I can go on and do her favor." The inspector watched her closely. "I'm not going to say anything to anyone at the moment," he said, "but I want to confirm your story. You may be making it all up, who knows?" Lucy stood up. "Thank you. Then, I'll go back to the kitchen and get back to work."