Nemesis - Agatha Christie [71]
‘Interesting,’ said the Professor. ‘Yes, interesting. She didn’t tell you what the pilgrimage was, to where or to whom?’
‘No,’ said Miss Marple, ‘if she’d lived just a little longer and not been so weak, she might have told me. But unfortunately, death came a little too soon.’
‘So that you have not any further ideas on that subject.’
‘No. Only a feeling of assurance that her pilgrimage was put an end to by malign design. Someone wanted to stop her going wherever she was going, or stop her going to whomever she was going to. One can only hope that chance or Providence may throw light on that.’
‘That’s why you’re staying here?’
‘Not only that,’ said Miss Marple. ‘I want to find out something more about a girl called Nora Broad.’
‘Nora Broad.’ He looked faintly puzzled.
‘The other girl who disappeared about the same time as Verity Hunt did. You remember you mentioned her to me. A girl who had boy-friends and was, I understand, very ready to have boy-friends. A foolish girl, but attractive apparently to the male sex. I think,’ said Miss Marple, ‘that to learn a little more about her might help me in my enquiries.’
‘Have it your own way, Detective-Inspector Marple,’ said Professor Wanstead.
II
The service took place on the following morning. All the members of the tour were there. Miss Marple looked round the church. Several of the locals were there also. Mrs Glynne was there and her sister Clotilde. The youngest one, Anthea, did not attend. There were one or two people from the village also, she thought. Probably not acquainted with Miss Temple but there out of a rather morbid curiosity in regard to what was now spoken of by the term ‘foul play’. There was, too, an elderly clergyman; in gaiters, well over seventy, Miss Marple thought, a broad-shouldered old man with a noble mane of white hair. He was slightly crippled and found it difficult both to kneel and to stand. It was a fine face, Miss Marple thought, and she wondered who he was. Some old friend of Elizabeth Temple, she presumed, who might perhaps have come from quite a long distance to attend the service?
As they came out of the church Miss Marple exchanged a few words with her fellow travellers. She knew now pretty well who was doing what. The Butlers were returning to London.
‘I told Henry I just couldn’t go on with it,’ said Mrs Butler. ‘You know — I feel all the time that any minute just as we might be walking round a corner, someone, you know, might shoot us or throw a stone at us. Someone who has got a down on the Famous Houses of England.’
‘Now then, Mamie, now then,’ said Mr Butler, ‘don’t you let your imagination go as far as that!’
‘Well, you just don’t know nowadays. What with hijackers about and kidnapping and all the rest of it, I don’t feel really protected anywhere.’
Old Miss Lumley and Miss Bentham were continuing with the tour, their anxieties allayed.
‘We’ve paid very highly for this tour and it seems a pity to miss anything just because this very sad accident has happened. We rang up a very good neighbour of ours last night, and they are going to see to the cats, so we don’t need to worry.’
It was going to remain an accident for Miss Lumley and Miss Bentham. They had decided it was more comfortable that way.
Mrs Riseley-Porter was also continuing on the tour. Colonel and Mrs Walker were resolved that nothing would make them miss seeing a particularly rare collection of fuchsias in the garden due to be visited the day after tomorrow. The architect, Jameson, was also guided by his wish to see various buildings of special interest for him. Mr Caspar, however, was departing by rail, he said. Miss Cooke and Miss Barrow seemed undecided.
‘Pretty good walks round here,’ said Miss Cooke. ‘I think we’ll stay at the Golden Boar for a little. That’s what you’re going to do, isn’t it, Miss Marple?’
‘I really think so,’ said Miss Marple. ‘I don’t feel quite equal to going on travelling and all that. I think