Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chatting with Esther Walders

"It's a very different place, too," said Mr. Ryfell wearily, seeing Miss Marple coming towards where he sat with his secretary. "It doesn't take long for an old hen to come to your feet. What is the old hen doing in the West Indies?" "Where do you think they should go?" asked Esther Walders. "To Gardenham," said Mr. Rifle, without thinking. "Or Burnhams," he began to list: "Torquay and Landon Dowells. There's plenty of places; they'll love it, and they'll be happy." "I don't think they can often afford to come to the Western Indian Ocean," Yi Shu said, "Not everyone is as lucky as you."

"Yes," said Mr. Rifle, "damn me further. I'm aching all over here, and my joints are falling off. Have you ever given me any comfort? You've done nothing. The letters Believe me, why haven't you finished yet?" "I don't know how to do it." "Go and fight, will it work? I brought you here to do something, not to sunbathe and show off your figure." Others would think that Mr. Ryfell's words are too flimsy, but Esther Walders has worked for him for many years, and she knows that Mr. Ryfell's howl is far worse than his bite. Mostly, he is a person who never leaves his body in pain, and his nagging and cursing are just a way of venting.Therefore, no matter what he said, she was resigned.

"What a lovely evening, isn't it?" Miss Marple stopped beside them. "Why not?" said Mr. Rifle, "no why are we here? isn't it? " Miss Marple laughed crisply a few times. "You are too harsh. Isn't talking about the weather the best topic for British people? I think people forget it. Oh, too bad, I have the wrong color of wool." She put the knitting bag on the garden table. , and walked quickly back to his cabin. "Jackson!" cried Mr. Rifle. Jaxon rushed over. "Help me back to my room," said Mr. Rifle. "You'll massage me now, or that old hen will come back again. Your massage isn't really going to help," he added.After speaking, he stood up slowly while being held by the arm, and went back to the cabin with his masseuse.

Esther Walders watched them from behind, and saw Miss Marple returning with a ball of wool.Only then did he turn around. "I hope I haven't disturbed you?" said Miss Marple. "Where is the job?" said Esther Walders, "I have to type some letters later, but at the moment I have to enjoy the beauty of the sunset for ten minutes." Miss Marple sat down and began to talk Let's chat.As she spoke, she considered Esther Walders carefully. Not trendy at all, but still pretty if she wanted to.Miss Marple wondered why she hadn't thought about it.Of course, Mr. Laffer may not agree with it, but Miss Marble thinks that Mr. Laffer will not care.

He is such a self-centered old man, as long as someone takes good care of him and his secretary is dressed like a fairy, he should not object.Besides, he usually went to bed very early at night, and when the oil drum beat music was playing, Esther Walders should easily—Miss Marple was still talking about her going to James Things to do around town—oh, yes, in bloom.Esther Walders should bloom like a flower at night. Slowly she turned the topic to Jaxon. When it comes to Jaxon, Esther Walders is a bit vague. "He's very capable," she said. "A well-trained masseur."

"I suppose he's been with Mr. Raifel for years?" "Er, no—but nine months, I think—" "Is he married?" Miss Marple ventured. "Married? I don't think so," Yi Shulue said in surprise, "At least he didn't mention it to me—" "No," she said again, "I dare say, absolutely not." There was still a mocking look on her face. Miss Marple put into her own mind what she had said: "Anyway, he doesn't look like a married man." Then again, how many married men in the world act as if they were unmarried!Miss Marple can easily cite dozens of examples!

"He's good-looking," she said deliberately. "Yeah, I think it's pretty good," said Esther Walders quite unenthusiastically. Miss Marple studied this woman deeply in her mind.Not interested in men? Maybe she was the kind of woman who was only interested in one man.Perhaps, as they say, a widow. She asked: "Have you worked for Mr. Rifle long?" "Four or five years. After my husband died, I had to come out and find a job. My daughter is still studying, and my husband left nothing for me." "Mr. Laffer must be a difficult boss?" Miss Marple asked again rashly.

"Not really, as long as you know him well. He's very irritable and conflicted. His biggest trouble, I think, is that he's tired of everybody. He's had five valets in two years." .He likes to get a new one out. He's always been on good terms with me, though." "Mr. Jaxon seems like a very conscientious young man, doesn't he?" "He is very good at being a man and knows a lot," Yi Shu said. "Of course, sometimes he is a little—" She stopped and didn't continue. Miss Marple's heart skipped a beat. "His job is sometimes difficult?"

She took it for her. "It's hard to say. It's neither. But—" She smiled and said: "I think he'll have fun." Miss Marple reconsidered the remark, but could not see why.She went on babbling again, and before long she was hearing a great deal about the two nature-loving couples, Dyson and Hillingdon. "The Hillingdons have been here for at least three or four years," Yishu said, "but the Dysons have been here much longer. He knows the West Indies like the back of his hand. I think he came at first with his first wife.She is very weak and has to go abroad in winter to a warm place. "

"She died later? Or divorced?" "She's dead. I think it's here: I don't mean on this island, but on an island in the West Indian Ocean. Seems like it's kind of complicated, there's some sex thing going on or something. He never mentioned her. Someone told me. From what I can tell, they don't get on very well." "And then he married this woman named 'Lucky'?" When she said the name, she felt very uncomfortable, as if she wanted to say: "Really, why is it called such a weird name!" "I heard he was related to his first wife."

"Have they known the Hillingdons many years ago?" "Well, I think it was after the Hillingdons came here. Three or four years at the most." "The Hillingdons seem to be very friendly," said Miss Marple. "They don't talk much, of course." "Yes, the couple are very silent." "They say they love each other very much," said Miss Marple.There was some suspicion in her tone, and Yishu Walters gave her a sharp look. 1 But you don't think so, do you? "she says. "You don't quite believe it yourself, do you, dear?" "Well, sometimes I do have doubts..." "A taciturn man like Colonel Shillingdon," said Miss Marple, "is often very attracted to attractive women." After a deliberate pause, she continued: "Lucky—that's a very curious name. Do you think Mr. Dyson would have noticed that something was wrong?" "Talky old bastards," Esther Walders scolded in her heart, "Really, these old women!" She said coldly, "I don't know." Miss Marple changed the subject again. "Major Balgrave is miserable, don't you think?" she said. Esther Walders agreed, somewhat perfunctorily. "I feel very sorry for the Kendalls," she said. "Yes, I think it's really unfortunate that something like this happens in a hotel." "You think, guests come here for fun, right?" Yi Shu said: "Forget about sickness and death and income taxes and frozen pipes. They don't want to—" She said suddenly, in a totally different mood, "to hear about death." Marble put down the yarn she was knitting. "Well said, my dear," she said: "That's very well said. You have a good point." "You know, they're both young," Essue Walders said, "it's only been six months since they took over the hotel from the Sandersons, and they're worried about not being successful because they both No experience at all." "Then you think this kind of thing is bad for them?" "Well, no, frankly, I don't think so," said Esther Walders. "I think people forget about things like that in a day or two. In places like this, people go 'to I'm here for the fun, so why not have a good time.' I think when someone dies, it makes everyone feel uncomfortable for a day or two at most, and after the funeral, no one thinks about it. Unless someone keeps talking Bring it up. That's what I'd have done to Molly, but she's a worrier by nature." "Mrs. Kendall is worried? She always seems to be very happy." "I think it's mostly just pretending," Yi Shu said slowly, "Actually, I think she is the kind of person who is afraid of making mistakes in everything and is naturally worried." "I thought he was more worried than she was." "No, I don't think so. I think love is worried about her, and he is worried because she is worried, you know what I mean?" "I didn't expect that," said Miss Marple. "I think Molly is trying desperately to look cheerful and relaxed. She works hard, but she can't keep up. Besides, she suffers from a chronic depression. She's a little -- well, a little unbalanced. " "Poor child," said Miss Marple, "there are such people, and people often don't see them." "You can't tell, they pretended to be good, right? But," Yi Shu said again, "I don't think Molly is so dedicated to this matter. I mean, these days, people often suffer from coronary heart disease. Arterial blood clots or cerebral hemorrhages kill them all at once. At least it seems to me a lot more than ever. Only food poisoning or typhoid or something like that scares people away." "Major Balgrave never mentioned to me that he was hypertensive," said Miss Marple; "did he mention it to you?" "Anyway, he told people— I don't know who it is either.Perhaps it was to Mr. Ryfell.And Mr. Ryfell always said the opposite, he always did!At least Jaxon mentioned it to me once.He said the major should be careful about his drinking habits. " "Oh, it is so," said Miss Marple thoughtfully.Then she asked again: "I suppose you think he's a very disagreeable old man? He likes to tell stories, and he tells them over and over again." "That's the worst part," Yi Shu said, "Unless you can find a way to stop him immediately, you won't be able to finish listening to him." "Of course I don't mind," said Miss Marple, "because I'm used to it. If the same story is told to me often, I'm not afraid to hear it again, because I usually forget it." "That's good." Yi Shu said and laughed briskly. "One of his favorite stories," said Miss Marple, "is about murder. I think he told you that too, didn't he? " Esther Walders opened the handbag and groped inside.She took out a lipstick and said, "I thought it fell off." Then she said, "I'm sorry, what did you just say?" "I asked you if Major Belgrave ever told you a murder story?" "I wanted to say it, and now that I think about it, it's like someone gassed to death, didn't they? But the lady poisoned him, I mean, she gave him a sedative first, and then put his head into the oven of a gas stove, is this the story?" "It doesn't seem so," said Miss Marple, looking intently at Esther Walders. "He told so many stories and anecdotes," Esther Walders said apologetically, "I also said that no one paid attention." "He's got a little picture," said Miss Marple, "that he shows people all the time." "I think there is... I can't remember what it was. Did he show it to you?" "No," said Miss Marple, "it wasn't shown to me. Our small talk was interrupted..."