Chapter 19 Chapter Eighteen

1 Sir Henry Clithering said: "Miss Marple, as a common man I would like to know what method you use." Superintendent Harper said: "I wonder what brought this matter to your attention in the first place." Colonel Melchett said: "Ah! You've done it again this time. I'd like to know the history of it." Miss Marple smoothed her best burgundy silk evening dress.Her cheeks were flushed, and she smiled slightly, looking extremely shy. She said: "I'm afraid you will think my methods, as Sir Henry said, very amateurish. The problem is that most people - and I do not exclude the police - have too much faith in this wicked world. They believe what other people say. I Never.

I'm afraid I always want to verify everything myself. " "It's the scientific attitude," said Sir Henry. "In this case," continued Miss Marple, "something was taken for granted at the outset—rather than based on facts. The facts I observed were that the victim was very young and that she had a habit of biting her nails. , the teeth stick out a bit - this is often the case with young girls if they are not corrected with braces in time (kids are naughty and take the braces off when adults are not looking). "But that's beside the point. Where did I just say that? Oh, yes, I was sad to see the dead girl. It's always sad to see a young life cut short. I don't think the murderer Who, it must be a very evil person. Of course, the fact that she was found in Colonel Bantry's library is puzzling, too much like the portrayal in the book to be believed.

In fact, the whole thing went wrong.You know, that wasn't the original plan of the murderer, and it confuses us too. The murderer's real intention was to imprison poor little Basil Blake (a man more likely to be a criminal), and he delayed the progress by moving the body to the Colonel's library, for which the real murderer Must be very annoying. "Mr. Black would have been the first suspect of the police. According to the murderer's thinking, the police would conduct an investigation in Danemouth and find that he knew the girl and had a close relationship with another girl. They would think that Ruby Go blackmail him, or something like that, and he strangles her in a fit of rage. It's just going to be a normal, nasty, what I call a nightclub type of crime 2" of course everything went wrong and the police were very interested Quickly move on to the Jeffersons--this is making someone very angry.

"As I said earlier, I was very skeptical. My nephew Raymond said (jokingly of course and very kindly) My heart is like a cesspool.He said most Victorians were like that.And all I can say is that the Victorians knew too much about human nature. "As I said, with such an unhealthy—or healthy—psychology, I immediately looked at it from a money standpoint. There were two people who would definitely benefit from the girl's death—that couldn't Neglect. Fifty thousand pounds is a lot of money - especially for someone in financial trouble, and they were both. Of course, they both seem to be very kind and likeable people - — they don't look like the kind of people who do that kind of thing — but who knows, isn't it?” Like Mrs. Jefferson — everyone likes her.But she did become very restless that summer, tired of being completely dependent on her father-in-law.Because the doctor had told her, she knew he wouldn't live long--to put it harshly--so she could bear it--or she could have carried on if Ruby Keene hadn't come.Mrs. Jefferson loved her son very much.Some women think very strangely that it is almost morally acceptable to sin for the sake of their children.I have met such people in the country.They said: 'Well, you see, missy, it's all about Daisy. ’ They seemed to think it would make questionable behavior irrelevant.This is a very unserious thought.

"Of course, if I'm allowed to use a sporting term, Mr. Marc Gaskell is a more likely runner. He's a gambler, and I don't think he has very high moral standards. But for some reason, I think this case involves a woman. "I said I was looking for a motive, and money seemed very instructive. Based on the medical evidence, Ruby Keane died without either of these men at the scene of the crime, which is infuriating. "But soon after, Pamela Reeves' body was found in a burnt-out car, and the whole thing became clear. The alibi doesn't tell the story. "Now I have two sides to this case, and both are convincing, but I can't connect them. There must be some kind of connection, but I can't find it. The only suspect I know of has no motive.

"Silly of me," said Miss Marple thoughtfully, "if it hadn't been for Dinah Lee, I wouldn't have thought of it—it's actually the most unmistakable thing in the world. Somerset Church: Get married! This is not just a matter of Mr. Gaskell or Mrs. Jefferson - being married means more possibilities. If one of them is married, or may even be married, then the other party to the engagement is also taken into account. For example, Ray Mund probably thought he had a good chance of marrying a rich woman. He was very courteous to Mrs. Jefferson, and I think it was his charm that roused her from her long widowhood. She had been content to be nothing but Mr. Jefferson daughter - like Ruth and Naomi - except, if you remember, Naomi went to great lengths to arrange a suitable marriage for Ruth.

"As well as Raymond, there was Mr. MacLeath. She liked him a lot, and it seemed probable that she would marry him in the end. He wasn't rich—and he wasn't far from Danemouth the night it happened. It seemed Everyone has something to do, right? Of course, I know that. We can't ignore those bitten nails." "Nails?" said Sir Henry, "but she split one, and cut off the rest." "Nothing at all," said Miss Marple, "bitten nails are not the same as clipped nails. Anyone who knows a little about girls' nails can't be mistaken-bitten nails are ugly, I always Said it to the girls in class. Those fingernails were the truth, you know. They showed that the body in Colonel Bantry's library was not Ruby Keene at all.

"That reminds me immediately of the man involved. Josie! Josie identified the body. She knew then, she must know it wasn't Ruby Keene's. But she said it was. She didn't understand, Totally don't understand why the body is there. Actually she gave away the secret. Why? Because she knows best where the body should have been 2 in Basil? Blake's cabin. Who drew our attention to Basil? It was Josie, who told Raymond that Ruby might be with the guy who made the movie. Before that, she slid a snapshot of Basil in Ruby's handbag. Who could hate this girl so much; Can't even hide seeing her dead? Josie 2 Josie, shrewd, practical, ruthless, and only interested in money.

"That's what I meant when I said it was too easy to believe people. Nobody doubted Josie's claim that Ruby Keene's body was identified, simply because at the time she didn't seem to have an incentive to lie. Motivation is always a difficult question—very There was obviously something to do with Josie, but Ruby's death seemed to be the exact opposite of her interests anyway. It wasn't until Dinah Lee brought up Somerset Church that I found that connection." "Marriage: Josie and Mark Gaskell are actually married—then it's clear. Now we know that Mark and Josie were married a year ago. They're going to keep it a secret until Mr. Jefferson dies."

"Look, it's interesting to follow the story - to actually see exactly how the plot is being carried out. Complicated and simple.The poor kid Pamela was picked first, approaching her from a cinematic perspective.Auditions - the poor kid certainly couldn't say no to it, at least not under the glib mouth of Mark Gaskell.When she came to the hotel, he was waiting for her, and he took her in by the side door, and introduced her to Josie, one of their make-up artists!Poor boy, it makes me sick to think about it!She sat in Josie's bathroom and let her dye her hair, put makeup on her face, and oil her fingernails and toenails.While all this was going on, she was drugged.

Most likely in ice cream soda.She fell into a coma.I guess they put her in an empty room across the way - remember?These rooms are only cleaned once a week. " "After dinner, Mark Gaskell took his car out for a spin—he said he was going to the Marina. In fact he was driving Pamela's body, in one of Ruby's old dresses, to Paris. Zill's hut, and laid the body on the hearth rug. When he strangled her with his skirt, she was still unconscious, but not dead..." Too bad - I pray she didn't feel any of this at the time.Really, the thought of hanging Gaskell was delightful...it must have been just after ten o'clock. Then he drove as fast as he could back to the hotel and rejoined the group in the lounge, where Ruby Keith was still alive doing her show dance with Raymond. "I think Josie told Ruby what to do beforehand. Ruby was used to doing what Josie said. She was told to go to Josie's room to change and wait there. She was also drugged, The medicine was probably in the coffee after dinner. Do you remember? She couldn't stop yawning when she was talking to Bartlett Jr." "Josie later went upstairs to 'get her' - no one else was in Josie's room except Josie herself. She probably disposed of Ruby at that time - perhaps with a needle injection, or a tap on the back of the head She went downstairs, danced with Raymond, then argued with the Jeffersons about where Ruby might be, and finally went to bed. In the wee hours she dressed Ruby in Pamela's clothes and carried the body from the side stairs Next—she was a muscular young woman—she opened George Bartlett's car, drove the two miles to the quarry, poured gasoline on it, lit it, and walked back to the hotel, probably Timed to be back at the hotel at eight or nine—people thought she was up early in a hurry about Ruby." "It's a complex plot," said Colonel Melchett. "No more complicated than a dance step," said Miss Marple. "Probably so." "She was very thoughtful," said Miss Marple, "and she even took into account the difference in nails. So she managed to break one of Ruby's nails with her shawl to show that Ruby had cut hers short." .” Harper said, "Yes, she's thoughtful. Miss Marple, your real evidence is just a schoolgirl's nails." "It's more than that," said Miss Marple. "Some people talk a lot. Mark Gaskell talks too much. He said of Ruby, 'Her teeth are all up and down.' But Colonel Bantry's library The teeth of the female corpse in it stick out." Conway Jefferson said with a very serious expression, "Miss Marple, did you direct that last dramatic scene?" Miss Marple admitted: "It was my idea, indeed. Wouldn't it be nice to figure things out?" "Exactly," snapped Conway Jefferson. "Look," said Miss Marple, "once Mark and Josie know you're going to make a new will, they're going to do something about it. They've already killed two people for money, so it's not a bad idea to kill another. Of course, Mark mustn't get involved." , so he went to London, had dinner with friends at a restaurant, then went to a nightclub to establish an alibi. Josie was in charge of doing the killing. They also wanted to put Ruby's death on Basil's On account, so Mr. Jefferson's death must have been caused by heart failure. The superintendent told me there was digitoxin in the syringe. Any doctor would think that sudden death from a heart attack in these circumstances was a natural occurrence.Josie had loosened a boulder on the balcony, and she was going to push it down afterwards.One would think that his death was caused by being frightened by the sound. " Melchett said, "Scheming monster." Sir Henry said: "The third death you spoke of was Conway Jefferson, then?" Miss Marple shook her head. "Oh, no—I mean Basil Blake. If they could have done it, they'd have hanged him long ago." "Or at Broadmoor," said Sir Henry. Conway Jefferson muttered: "I've always thought Rosamund married a scoundrel, try not to admit it. She's very fond of him. Like a murderer! Come on. Both he and the woman will be hanged. I Glad he's done." Miss Marple said: "She's always had a strong personality. It was her plan from start to finish. The irony is that Ruby was called by herself, and she never dreamed that Mr. Jefferson would like Ruby. and ruined her prospects." Jefferson said: "Poor little girl. Poor little Ruby..." Then Adelaide Jefferson and Hugo McLeath entered. Adelaide looked beautiful tonight.She approached Conway Jefferson, put a hand on his shoulder, and said in a choked voice, "I want to tell you something, Jeff. I'll tell you now. I'm going to marry Hugo." Conway Jefferson looked up at her for a moment, then said gruffly, "It's time for you to remarry. Congratulations to you both. By the way, Eddie, I'm making a new will tomorrow." She nodded. "Oh yes, I know." Jefferson said: "No, you don't. I'm going to leave you ten thousand pounds and the rest to Peter when I die. What do you think, my girl?" "Oh, Jeff!" she blurted out, "You're so kind!" "Peter was a good boy. I'd like to see him a lot—as long as I live." "Oh, you will!" "Peter had a deep feeling for crime," said Conway Jefferson mused. "Not only did he have the nails of the murdered girl—one of the murdered girls, anyway—he was lucky enough to have some The shawl that hung the nail, so he still has a keepsake of the murderess! That makes him very happy!" 2 Hugo and Adelaide pass by the ballroom.Raymond stepped forward. Adelaide said hurriedly: "I have some news for you. We are going to get married." Raymond had an impeccable smile—a brave, deep smile.He ignored Hugo, just looked her in the eyes and said, "I wish you very, very happy future..." They left, and Raymond stood there watching their backs as they went away. "A fine woman," he said to himself, "a very fine woman. And she'll be rich. That little Devonshire Starr thing I've worked so hard on... oh, forget it , my luck is gone. Jump, jump, humble little man!" Raymond walked out of the ballroom.