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two murders on account of the money. So they might as well commit a third. Mark, of course, must be absolutely clear, so he went off to London and established an alibi by dining at a restaurant with friends and going on to a night club. Josie was to do the work. They still wanted Ruby’s death to be put down to Basil’s account, so Mr. Jefferson’s death must be thought due to his heart failing. There was digitalin, so the Superintendent tells me, in the syringe. Any doctor would think death from heart trouble quite natural in the circumstances. Josie had loosened one of the stone balls on the balcony and she was going to let it crash down afterwards. His death would be put down to the shock of the noise.”

Melchett said: “Ingenious devil.”

Sir Henry said: “So the third death you spoke of was to be Conway Jefferson?”

Miss Marple shook her head.

“Oh no—I meant Basil Blake. They’d have got him hanged if they could.”

“Or shut up in Broadmoor,” said Sir Henry.

Conway Jefferson grunted. He said:

“Always knew Rosamund had married a rotter. Tried not to admit it to myself. She was damned fond of him. Fond of a murderer! Well, he’ll hang as well as the woman. I’m glad he went to pieces and gave the show away.”

Miss Marple said:

“She was always the strong character. It was her plan throughout. The irony of it is that she got the girl down here herself, never dreaming that she would take Mr. Jefferson’s fancy and ruin all her own prospects.”

Jefferson said:

“Poor lass. Poor little Ruby….”

Adelaide Jefferson and Hugo McLean came in. Adelaide looked almost beautiful tonight. She came up to Conway Jefferson and laid a hand on his shoulder. She said, with a little catch in her breath:

“I want to tell you something, Jeff. At once. I’m going to marry Hugo.”

Conway Jefferson looked up at her for a moment. He said gruffly:

“About time you married again. Congratulations to you both. By the way, Addie, I’m making a new will tomorrow.”

She nodded. “Oh yes, I know.”

Jefferson said:

“No, you don’t. I’m settling ten thousand pounds on you. Everything else I have goes to Peter when I die. How does that suit you, my girl?”

“Oh, Jeff!” Her voice broke. “You’re wonderful!”

“He’s a nice lad. I’d like to see a good deal of him—in the time I’ve got left.”

“Oh, you shall!”

“Got a great feeling for crime, Peter has,” said Conway Jefferson meditatively. “Not only has he got the fingernail of the murdered girl—one of the murdered girls, anyway—but he was lucky enough to have a bit of Josie’s shawl caught in with the nail. So he’s got a souvenir of the murderess too! That makes him very happy!”

II

Hugo and Adelaide passed by the ballroom. Raymond came up to them.

Adelaide said, rather quickly:

“I must tell you my news. We’re going to be married.”

The smile on Raymond’s face was perfect—a brave, pensive smile.

“I hope,” he said, ignoring Hugo and gazing into her eyes, “that you will be very, very happy….”

They passed on and Raymond stood looking after them.

“A nice woman,” he said to himself. “A very nice woman. And she would have had money too. The trouble I took to mug up that bit about the Devonshire Starrs … Oh well, my luck’s out. Dance, dance, little gentleman!”

And Raymond returned to the ballroom.

* * *

The

Agatha Christie

Collection

THE HERCULE POIROT MYSTERIES

Match your wits with the famous Belgian detective.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The Murder on the Links

Poirot Investigates

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The Big Four

The Mystery of the Blue Train

Peril at End House

Lord Edgware Dies

Murder on the Orient Express

Three Act Tragedy

Death in the Clouds

The A.B.C. Murders

Murder in Mesopotamia

Cards on the Table

Murder in the Mews and Other Stories

Dumb Witness

Death on the Nile

Appointment with Death

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas

Sad Cypress

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

Evil Under the Sun

Five Little Pigs

The Hollow

The Labors of Hercules

Taken at the Flood

The Underdog and Other Stories

Mrs. McGinty’s Dead

After the Funeral

Hickory Dickory Dock

Dead Man’s Folly

Cat Among the Pigeons