"I'lltakeyou,"saidLucy.
LucyandMrs.McGillicuddylefttheroomtogether.
"Verycold,drivingtoday,"saidMiss.Marpleinavaguelyexplanatorymanner.
"Aboutthesoundbarrier,"saidBryan,"yousee,it'slikethis...Oh,hallo,there'sQuimper."
Thedoctordroveupinhiscar.Hecameinrubbinghishandsandlookingverycold."Goingtosnow,"hesaid,"that'smyguess.Hallo,Emma,howareyou?Goodlord,what'sallthis?"
"Wemadeyouabirthdaycake,"saidEmma."D'youremember?Youtoldmetodaywasyourbirthday."
"Ididn'texpectallthis,"saidQuimper.
"Youknowit'syears-why,itmustbe-yes,sixteenyearssinceanyone'srememberedmybirthday."Helookedalmostuncomfortablytouched.
"DoyouknowMiss.Marple?"Emmaintroducedhim.
"Oh,yes,"saidMiss.Marple,"ImetDr.QuimperherebeforeandhecameandsawmewhenIhadaverynastychilltheotherdayandhewasmostkind."
"Allrightagainnow,Ihope?"saidthedoctor.
Miss.Marpleassuredhimthatshewasquiteallrightnow.
"Youhaven'tbeentoseemelately,Quimper,"saidMr.Crackenthorpe."Imightbedyingforallthenoticeyoutakeofme!"
"Idon'tseeyoudyingyetawhile,"saidDr.Quimper.
"Idon'tmeanto,"saidMr.Crackenthorpe.
"Comeon,let'shavetea.What'rewewaitingfor?"
"Oh,please,"saidMiss.Marple,"don'twaitformyfriend.Shewouldbemostupsetifyoudid."
Theysatdownandstartedtea.Miss.Marpleacceptedapieceofbreadandbutterfirst,andthenwentontoasandwich.
"Arethey-?"Shehesitated.
"Fish,"saidBryan."Ihelpedmakethem."
Mr.Crackenthorpegaveacackleoflaughter.
"Poisonedfishpaste,"hesaid."That'swhattheyare.Eat'ematyourperil."
"Please,Father!"
"You'vegottobecarefulwhatyoueatinthishouse,"saidMr.CrackenthorpetoMiss.Marple."Twoofmysonshavebeenmurderedlikeflies.Who'sdoingit-that'swhatIwanttoknow."
"Don'tlethimputyouoff,"saidCedric,handingtheplateoncemoretoMiss.Marple."Atouchofarsenicimprovesthecomplexion,theysay,solongasyoudon'thavetoomuch."
"Eatoneyourself,boy,"saidoldMr.Crackenthorpe.
"Wantmetobeofficialtaster?"saidCedric."Heregoes."
Hetookasandwichandputitwholeintohismouth.Miss.Marplegaveagentle,ladylikelittlelaughandtookasandwich.
Shetookabite,andsaid:"Idothinkit'ssobraveofyoualltomakethesejokes.Yes,really,Ithinkit'sverybraveindeed.Idoadmirebraverysomuch."
Shegaveasuddengaspandbegantochoke."Afishbone,"shegaspedout,"inmythroat."
Quimperrosequickly.Hewentacrosstoher,movedherbackwardstowardsthewindowandtoldhertoopenhermouth.
Hepulledoutacasefromhispocket,selectingsomeforcepsfromit.Withquickprofessionalskillhepeereddowntheoldlady'sthroat.AtthatmomentthedooropenedandMrs.McGillicuddyfollowedbyLucy,camein.Mrs.McGillicuddygaveasuddengaspashereyesfellonthetableauinfrontofher.Miss.Marpleleaningbackandthedoctorholdingherthroatandtiltingupherhead.
"Butthat'shim!"criedMrs.McGillicuddy."That'sthemaninthetrain..."
WithincredibleswiftnessMiss.Marpleslippedfromthedoctor'sgraspandcametowardsherfriend.
"Ithoughtyou'drecognisehim,Elspeth!"shesaid."No.Don'tsayanotherword."SheturnedtriumphantlyroundtoDr.Quimper."Youdidn'tknow,didyou,Doctor,whenyoustrangledthatwomaninthetrain,thatsomebodyactuallysawyoudoit?Itwasmyfriendhere.Mrs.McGillicuddy.Shesawyou.Doyouunderstand?Sawyouwithherowneyes.Shewasinanothertrainthatwasrunningparallelwithyours."
"Whatthehell?"Dr.QuimpermadeaquicksteptowardsMrs.McGillicuddybutagain,swiftly,Miss.Marplewasbetweenhimandher.
"Yes,"saidMiss.Marple."Shesawyou,andsherecognisesyou,andshe'llsweartoitincourt.It'snotoften,Ibelieve,"wentonMiss.Marpleinhergentleplaintivevoice,"thatanyoneactuallyseesamurdercommitted.It'susuallycircumstantialevidenceofcourse.Butinthiscasetheconditionswereveryunusual.Therewasactuallyaneyewitnesstomurder."
"Youdevilisholdhag,"saidDr.Quimper.HelungedforwardatMiss.MarplebutthistimeitwasCedricwhocaughthimbytheshoulder.
"Soyou'rethemurderingdevil,areyou?"saidCedricasheswunghimround."IneverlikedyouandIalwaysthoughtyouwereawrong'un,butlordknows,Ineversuspectedyou."
BryanEastleycamequicklytoCedric'sassistance.InspectorCraddockandInspectorBaconenteredtheroomfromthefartherdoor.
"Dr.Quimper,"saidBacon,"Imustcautionyouthat..."
"Youcantakeyourcautiontohell,"saidDr.Quimper."Doyouthinkanyone'sgoingtobelievewhatacoupleofbattyoldwomensay?Who'severheardofallthisrigmaroleaboutatrain!"
Miss.Marplesaid:"ElspethMcGillicuddyreportedthemurdertothepoliceatonceonthe20thofDecemberandgaveadescriptionoftheman."
Dr.Quimpergaveasuddenheaveoftheshoulders."Ifeveramanhadthedevil'sownluck,"saidDr.Quimper.
"But-"saidMrs.McGillicuddy.
"Bequiet,Elspeth,"saidMiss.Marple.
"WhyshouldIwanttomurderaperfectlystrangewoman?"saidDr.Quimper.
"Shewasn'tastrangewoman,"saidInspectorCraddock."Shewasyourwife."
Chapter27
"Soyousee,"saidMiss.Marple,"itreallyturnedouttobe,asIbegantosuspect,very,verysimple.Thesimplestkindofcrime.Somanymenseemtomurdertheirwives."
Mrs.McGillicuddylookedatMiss.MarpleandInspectorCraddock."I'dbeobliged,"shesaid,"ifyou'dputmealittlemoreuptodate."
"Hesawachance,yousee,"saidMiss.Marple,"ofmarryingarichwife,EmmaCrackenthorpe.Onlyhecouldn'tmarryherbecausehehadawifealready.They'dbeenseparatedforyearsbutshewouldn'tdivorcehim.ThatfittedinverywellwithwhatInspectorCraddocktoldmeofthisgirlwhocalledherselfAnnaStravinska.ShehadanEnglishhusband,soshetoldoneofherfriends,anditwasalsosaidshewasaverydevoutCatholic.Dr.Quimpercouldn'triskmarryingEmmabigamously,sohedecided,beingaveryruthlessandcold-bloodedman,thathewouldgetridofhiswife.Theideaofmurderingherinthetrainandlaterputtingherbodyinthesarcophagusinthebarnwasreallyratheracleverone.Hemeantittotieup,yousee,withtheCrackenthorpefamily.Beforethathe'dwrittenalettertoEmmawhichpurportedtobefromthegirlMartinewhomEdmundCrackenthorpehadtalkedofmarrying.EmmahadtoldDr.Quimperallaboutherbrother,yousee.Then,whenthemomentaroseheencouragedhertogotothepolicewiththestory.HewantedthedeadwomanidentifiedasMartine.IthinkhemayhaveheardthatinquirieswerebeingmadebytheParispoliceaboutAnnaStravinska,andsohearrangedtohaveapostcardcomefromherfromJamaica.
"ItwaseasyforhimtoarrangetomeethiswifeinLondon,totellherthathehopedtobereconciledwithherandthathewouldlikehertocomedownand'meethisfamily'.Wewon'ttalkaboutthenextpartofit,whichisveryunpleasanttothinkabout.Ofcoursehewasagreedyman.Whenhethoughtabouttaxation,andhowmuchitcutsintoincome,hebeganthinkingthatitwouldbenicetohaveagooddealmorecapital.Perhapshe'dalreadythoughtofthatbeforehedecidedtomurderhiswife.Anyway,hestartedspreadingrumoursthatsomeonewastryingtopoisonoldMr.Crackenthorpesoastogetthegroundprepared,andthenheendedbyadministeringarsenictothefamily.Nottoomuch,ofcourse,forhedidn'twantoldMr.Crackenthorpetodie."
"ButIstilldon'tseehowhemanaged,"saidCraddock."Hewasn'tinthehousewhenthecurrywasbeingprepared."
"Oh,buttherewasn'tanyarsenicinthecurrythen,"saidMiss.Marple."Heintroducedittothecurryafterwardswhenhetookitawaytobetested.Heprobablyputthearsenicinthecocktailjugearlier.Then,ofcourse,itwasquiteeasyforhim,inhisroleofmedicalattendant,topoisonoffAlfredCrackenthorpeandalsotosendthetabletstoHaroldinLondon,havingsafe-guardedhimselfbytellingHaroldthathewouldn'tneedanymoretablets.Everythinghedidwasboldandaudaciousandcruelandgreedy,andIamreallyvery,verysorry,"finishedMiss.Marple,lookingasfierceasafluffyoldladycanlook,"thattheyhaveabolishedcapitalpunishmentbecauseIdofeelthatifthereisanyonewhooughttohang,it'sDr.Quimper."
"Hear,hear,"saidInspectorCraddock.
"Itoccurredtome,youknow,"continuedMiss.Marple,"thatevenifyouonlyseeanybodyfromthebackview,sotospeak,neverthelessabackviewischaracteristic.IthoughtthatifElspethweretoseeDr.Quimperinexactlythesamepositionasshe'dseenthemaninthetrainin,thatis,withhisbacktoher,bentoverawomanwhomhewasholdingbythethroat,thenIwasalmostsureshewouldrecognisehim,orwouldmakesomekindofstartledexclamation.ThatiswhyIhadtolaymylittleplanwithLucy'skindassistance."
"Imustsay,"saidMrs.McGillicuddy,"itgavemequiteaturn.Isaid,'That'shim'beforeIcouldstopmyself.Andyet,youknow,Ihadn'tactuallyseentheman'sfaceand-"
"Iwasterriblyafraidthatyouweregoingtosayso,Elspeth,"saidMiss.Marple.
"Iwas,"saidMrs.McGillicuddy."IwasgoingtosaythatofcourseIhadn'tseenhisface."
"That,"saidMiss.Marple,"wouldhavebeenquitefatal!Yousee,dear,hethoughtyoureallydidrecognisehim.Imean,hecouldn'tknowthatyouhadn'tseenhisface."
"AgoodthingIheldmytonguethen,"saidMrs.McGillicuddy.
"Iwasn'tgoingtoletyousayanotherword,"saidMiss.Marple.
Craddocklaughedsuddenly."Youtwo!"hesaid."You'reamarvellouspair.Whatnext,Miss.Marple?What'sthehappyending?WhathappenstopoorEmmaCrackenthorpe,forinstance?"
"She'llgetoverthedoctor,ofcourse,"saidMiss.Marple,"andIdaresayifherfatherweretodie-andIdon'tthinkhe'squitesorobustashethinksheis-thatshe'dgoonacruiseorperhapstostayabroadlikeGeraldineWebb,andIdaresaysomethingmightcomeofit.AnicermanthanDr.Quimper,Ihope."
"WhataboutLucyEyelesbarrow?Wedingbellstheretoo?"
"Perhaps,"saidMiss.Marple,"Ishouldn'twonder."
"Whichof'emisshegoingtochoose?"saidDermotCraddock.
"Don'tyouknow?"saidMiss.Marple.
"No,Idon't,"saidCraddock."Doyou?"
"Oh,yes,Ithinkso,"saidMiss.Marple.
Andshetwinkledathim.