Chapter 12 Chapter Eleven

A day or two later, Colonel Melchett and Superintendent Harper sat across the former's large table.Harper came to March, and Benham's purpose was to exchange situations. Melchett said moodily: "Well, we know we're making progress—or not making progress!" "No progress is more appropriate, sir." "We've got two deaths to consider," Melchett said, "two murders. Ruby Keith and Pamela Reeves. Poor kid, not much to identify her, but enough Yes. Her father has confirmed that the unburned shoe is hers, and this button from the Girl Scout uniform. This guy is a monster, Superintendent."

Superintendent Harper said softly, "You're right, sir." "It takes some comfort that she was undoubtedly dead before the car was set ablaze. That can be deduced from the way she was thrown on the seat of the car. Poor child, probably shot in the head." "It could have been strangled," Harper said. Melchett stared at him. "Do you see it that way?" "Here, sir, there's been a similar murder." "I know. I've seen the girl's parents—her mother was going crazy. This is so distressing, the question we have to settle is—are the two murders connected?"

"I think there must be." "I see it that way, too." The Superintendent stated his views: "Pamela Reeves attended the Girl Scouts rally in Dewsbury Downs. Her mates said she was behaving normally and she was having a good time. She didn't ride with three mates afterwards. The bus went back to Medchester. She told them she was going to Woolworth via Danemouth, and from there she rode home. The road from the Downs to Danemouth goes around a big country inland. Meera Reeves took a shortcut that required crossing two clearings, a trail and a path, and came near the Majesty Hotel in Danemouth. The path actually went west of the hotel. So she had Might have overheard or seen something - something about Ruby Keene - that threatened the killer - say she heard the killer arranged for Ruby Keene to meet at eleven o'clock that night .

He found out that the female student heard him and had to kill him. " Colonel Melchett said, "Harper, you're saying the killing of Ruby Keene was premeditated—not accidental." Superintendent Harper agreed. "I believe so, sir. It looked like something else—like a sudden violence, a moment of impulse, or jealousy—but now I don't think that's the case. Otherwise I don't know how to account for the Reeves family. the cause of death of the child. If she had seen what happened, it would have been late at night, around eleven o'clock in the evening.What is she still doing at Zunhuang Hotel at this time?By the time she came home at nine o'clock, her parents were already worried. "

"Another possibility is that she went to Danemouth to meet someone her parents and friends didn't know and her death had nothing to do with another homicide." "No, sir, I don't think so. Just remember that old Miss Marple immediately pointed out that the two cases were connected. She immediately asked if the body in the car was the missing girl.She was indeed a very shrewd old woman.See, these old ladies are very sharp sometimes, and they can get to the point. " "Miss Marple has done this more than once," said Colonel Melchett dryly. "Besides, there's that car, sir. I think her death must have something to do with the Majesty Hotel. It's Mr. George Bartlett's car."

The two looked at each other again.Melchett said, "George Bartlett? Possibly: what do you think?" Harper began to state his views methodically. "The last time people saw Ruby Keene, she was with George Bartlett. He said she went to her room (as evidenced by her change of clothes in the room). So is it possible that she finished changing Did they go out with him afterward? Did they have an appointment—say, before dinner, and Pamela Reeves happened to overhear?" "He didn't report his car until the next morning, when he was very vague and pretended not to remember exactly when his car was last seen," Melchett said.

"It might be a trick, sir. In my opinion, he's either—a wise man pretending to be confused, or he's a big fool." "What we need is a motive. And he didn't have any motive for killing Ruby Keene," Melchett said. "Yeah—we're always stuck here. Motive. All the reports from Brixwell's posh ballroom supposedly don't turn up anything either?" "Exactly! Ruby Keene has no particular boyfriend. Slack has done a thorough investigation--to be fair, thorough." "Yes, sir. Thorough indeed." "He'd have dug it out if there was anything to be found. But there's nothing there. He's got a list of her most frequent dance partners--checked them all, no problem. They're innocent lads, And all were able to produce an alibi that night."

"Ah," said Superintendent Harper, "alibi. That's exactly what we're dealing with." Melchett looked at him sharply. "Really? The investigation in this area has been entrusted to you." "Yes, sir. It has been investigated--very thoroughly. We have also requested the assistance of London." "what's the result?" "Mr. Conway Jefferson may think that Mr. Gaswell and Mrs. Jefferson Jr. are rich, but they are not. They are very hard-pressed!" "real?" "Yes, sir. Mr. Conway Jefferson is right. He gave his children a lot of money when they married. But that was ten years ago. Mr. Jefferson Jr. thought he was good at investing. He wasn't." Never made any risky investments, and he's had bad luck, more than one misjudgment. His fortunes have been dwindling. I bet that widow is struggling to make ends meet, and sending her son to a good school is hard. "

"Didn't she ask her father-in-law for help?" "No, sir. She lives with him, as far as I know, and is therefore free of household expenses." "And his health is so bad that people think he may not live long?" "That's right, sir. Now Mr. Mark Gaskell. He's a complete gambler. Quickly squandering the money his wife left him. He's in dire straits. He's in dire need of money--and It's a lot of money." "I don't like the look of the fellow," said Colonel Melchett, "of the loose sort—isn't he? And he does have motives. Twenty-five thousand pounds means the girl has to be got rid of. Yes, That's really a motivation."

"Both of them had a motive." "I didn't mean Mrs. Jefferson." "I know you don't mean her, sir. Anyway, they both have an alibi, and the fact is they couldn't have done it." "Have you any details of their activities that night?" "Yes. Mr. Gaskell first. He was having dinner and coffee with his father-in-law and Mrs. Jefferson when Ruby Keene came in. Then he said he wanted to write a letter and walked away. Actually He drove around in front of the hotel. He told me frankly that he couldn't play bridge all night. The old man was too obsessed with bridge. So he said writing letters was just an excuse. Ruby Keene was with other people all the time. When Mark Gaskell returned, she was dancing with Raymond.

She had some drinks with them after the dance, and then left with Bartlett Jr.Gaskell and the others started splitting the cards.It was twenty minutes to eleven—he didn't leave the table until after midnight.That's for sure, sir. Everyone said so: his family, the waiters, everyone.Therefore, it cannot be him.Mrs. Jefferson also had an alibi.She never left the poker table either.So they can be excluded, both of them can be excluded. " Colonel Melchett leaned back, tapping the table with his paper knife. Superintendent Harper said: "That is, if the girl was killed before midnight." "Haydock said so. He's an expert in the field, experienced. He said yes." "Maybe there's something else--health, biological specificity, or something." "I'll tell him." Melchett glanced at his watch, picked up the phone and dialed a number.He said: "Haydock should be home by now. Assuming the girl was killed before midnight?" Harper said: "Then maybe we still have a chance. There were people coming and going after midnight. Suppose Gaskell asked the girl to meet him somewhere outside—say at twelve twenty minutes. He slipped out." For a while. Stretch her, come back, and dispose of the body at a later time—say, early in the morning." Melchett said, "Take her to the Bantry family's library, more than thirty miles away, in a car? Never mind, that's impossible." "Yes, that's impossible," the Superintendent admitted immediately. Then the phone rang.Melchett picked up the receiver. "Hello, Haydock, is that you? Ruby Keane. Is it possible she was killed after midnight?" "I said she was killed between ten o'clock and midnight." "Yes, I know, but it can be extended a bit, can't it?" "No, it cannot be extended. I said she was killed before midnight, that is, before midnight, don't try to tamper with the medical evidence." "Yes. But is there some kind of physical phenomenon? You know what I mean." "I understand you don't know what you're talking about. That girl is healthy and everything is normal - I won't say she's abnormal to help you find a poor scapegoat. Don't be convinced, I know your part By the way, the girl was strangled reluctantly—that is, she was drugged first, a strong narcotic. She died of asphyxiation, but first drugged." Haydock hung up. Telephone. Melchett said gloomily, "Well, that's all." "I thought I'd found another possible starting point — but it disappeared again," Harper said. "What? Who?" "He's your man, strictly speaking, sir. His name is Basil Black, and he lives near Gossington Kew." "Crazy brat!" thought Basil.Black's insolence, the colonel's face darkened. "What has he to do with it?" "Looks like he knows Ruby Keene. He used to eat at the Majesty-dancing with that girl. Do you remember what Josie said to Raymond when people found out Ruby wasn't there?" Did she make a movie with that with a guy like that?' I found out she was referring to Blake. You know, he works for Limeville Studios. Josie has no basis for that, she just thinks Ruby likes him." "There's hope, Harper, there's hope." "That doesn't sound all that promising, sir. Basil Black was at a party at the studio that night. You know how it goes. Everyone was on fire from cocktails at eight until the air was cloudy." Get drunk. According to Inspector Slack, who questioned him, he left the studio around midnight.By midnight Ruby Keene was dead. " "Anyone who can prove what he said?" "I guess most of the people at the party were very-yet-tired. The young woman who was-er-at the villa now-Miss Dinah Lee-said he was telling the truth." "What she said didn't make any sense:" "No, sir, probably not. On the whole, the others at the party testified to what he said. It's just that there was some ambiguity about the timing." "Where is the studio?" "Limeville, sir. Thirty miles southwest of London." "Hmph—about the same distance as here?" "Yes, sir." Colonel Melchett rubbed his nose.He said very displeased: "In this way, it seems that we can exclude him." "I think so, sir. There's no evidence that he's really attracted to Ruby Keith. In fact," Superintendent Harper coughed primly—"he seems totally enamored of his young lady." Melchett said, "Well, all that's left is 'X', an unknown murderer—so unknown that even Slack couldn't find a trace of him! Or Jefferson's son-in-law, who may have Wanted to kill the girl—but had no chance of doing so. Daughter-in-law was in the same situation as him. Or George Bartlett, who had no alibi—but, unfortunately, had no motive. Or the young Blake, he has an alibi and no motive. That's all! No, wait, I think we should consider the dancer - Raymond Starr. He sees that girl a lot, after all. " Harper said slowly: "I don't believe how much he's interested in her—otherwise he'd be a good actor. He's got an alibi, too, actually. Between twenty-one and midnight, people were almost Saw him dancing with different partners. I don't think we can have a case against him." "Actually," said Colonel Melchett, "we can't have a case against anyone." "If we can find a motive, George Bartlett is our best hope." "Have you talked to him?" "Yes, sir. He was an only son, spoiled by his mother. She left him a fortune when she died a year ago. He spends it quickly. He is weak but not evil." "Psychologically, perhaps," said Melchett hopefully. Superintendent Harper nodded.He said: "Have you ever thought about it? It might explain the whole case." "You mean, a mentally ill criminal?" "Yes, sir. There are fellows who specialize in strangling young girls. Doctors have a long name for that." "This solves all of our problems," Melchett said. "There's only one thing I don't like about that explanation," said Superintendent Harper. "Which point?" "so easy." "Well—yes—maybe. So, as I said at the beginning, how are we going?" "No progress, sir," said Superintendent Harper.