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There was only one nurse in the house now and she passed Lucy on the landing, exchanging greetings.

Cedric, looking incredibly tidied up and neat, was sitting up in bed writing busily on sheets of paper.

“Hallo, Lucy,” he said, “what hell brew have you got for me today? I wish you’d get rid of that god-awful nurse, she’s simply too arch for words. Calls me ‘we’ for some reason. ‘And how are we this morning? Have we slept well? Oh, dear, we’re very naughty, throwing off the bedclothes like that.’” He imitated the refined accents of the nurse in a high falsetto voice.

“You seem very cheerful,” said Lucy. “What are you busy with?”

“Plans,” said Cedric. “Plans for what to do with this place when the old man pops off. It’s a jolly good bit of land here, you know. I can’t make up my mind whether I’d like to develop some of it myself, or whether I’ll sell it in lots all in one go. Very valuable for industrial purposes. The house will do for a nursing home or a school. I’m not sure I shan’t sell half the land and use the money to do something rather outrageous with the other half. What do you think?”

“You haven’t got it yet,” said Lucy, dryly.

“I shall have it, though,” said Cedric. “It’s not divided up like the other stuff. I get it outright. And if I sell it for a good fat price the money will be capital, not income, so I shan’t have to pay taxes on it. Money to burn. Think of it.”

“I always understood you rather despised money,” said Lucy.

“Of course I despise money when I haven’t got any,” said Cedric. “It’s the only dignified thing to do. What a lovely girl you are, Lucy, or do I just think so because I haven’t seen any good-looking women for such a long time?”

“I expect that’s it,” said Lucy.

“Still busy tidying everyone and everything up?”

“Somebody seems to have been tidying you up,” said Lucy, looking at him.

“That’s that damned nurse,” said Cedric with feeling. “Have you had the inquest on Alfred yet? What happened?”

“It was adjourned,” said Lucy.

“Police being cagey. This mass poisoning does give one a bit of a turn, doesn’t it? Mentally, I mean. I’m not referring to more obvious aspects.” He added: “Better look after yourself, my girl.”

“I do,” said Lucy.

“Has young Alexander gone back to school yet?”

“I think he’s still with the Stoddart-Wests. I think it’s the day after tomorrow that school begins.”

Before getting her own lunch Lucy went to the telephone and rang up Miss Marple.

“I’m so terribly sorry I haven’t been able to come over, but I’ve been really very busy.”

“Of course, my dear, of course. Besides, there’s nothing that can be done just now. We just have to wait.”

“Yes, but what are we waiting for?”

“Elspeth McGillicuddy ought to be home very soon now,” said Miss Marple. “I wrote to her to fly home at once. I said it was her duty. So don’t worry too much, my dear.” Her voice was kindly and reassuring.

“You don’t think…” Lucy began, but stopped.

“That there will be anymore deaths? Oh, I hope not, my dear. But one never knows, does one? When anyone is really wicked, I mean. And I think there is great wickedness here.”

“Or madness,” said Lucy.

“Of course I know that is the modern way of looking at things. I don’t agree myself.”

Lucy rang off, went into the kitchen and picked up her tray of lunch. Mrs. Kidder had divested herself of her apron and was about to leave.

“You’ll be all right, miss, I hope?” she asked solicitously.

“Of course I shall be all right,” snapped Lucy.

She took her tray not into the big, gloomy dining room but into the small study. She was just finishing her meal when the door opened and Bryan Eastley came in.

“Hallo,” said Lucy, “this is very unexpected.”

“I suppose it is,” said Bryan. “How is everybody?”

“Oh, much better. Harold’s going back to London tomorrow.”

“What do you think about it all? Was it really arsenic?”

“It was arsenic all right,” said Lucy.

“It hasn’t been in the papers yet.”

“No, I think the police are keeping it up their sleeves for the moment.”

“Somebody must have a pretty good