The Mirror Crack'd - Agatha Christie [48]
‘That might not mean any lack of courage,’ Miss Marple objected.
‘On the other hand,’ said Craddock, ‘if she knows quite well that she was the object of attack, it’s also possible that she may know who did it.’
‘You mean she knows who did it — but does not want to disclose the fact?’
‘I just say it’s a possibility, and if so, one rather wonders why not? It looks as though the motive, the root of the matter, was something she didn’t want to come to her husband’s ear.’
‘That is certainly an interesting thought,’ said Miss Marple.
‘Here are a few more names. The secretary, Ella Zielinsky. An extremely competent and efficient young woman.’
‘In love with the husband, do you think?’ asked Miss Marple.
‘I should think definitely,’ answered Craddock, ‘but why should you think so?’
‘Well, it so often happens,’ said Miss Marple. ‘And therefore not very fond of poor Marina Gregg, I expect?’
‘Therefore possible motive for murder,’ said Craddock.
‘A lot of secretaries and employees are in love with their employers’ husbands,’ said Miss Marple, ‘but very, very few of them try to poison them.’
‘Well, we must allow for exceptions,’ said Craddock. ‘Then there were two local and one London photographer, and two members of the Press. None of them seems likely but we will follow them up. There was the woman who was formerly married to Marina Gregg’s second or third husband. She didn’t like it when Marina Gregg took her husband away. Still, that’s about eleven or twelve years ago. It seems unlikely that she’d make a visit here at this juncture on purpose to poison Marina because of that. Then there’s a man called Ardwyck Fenn. He was once a very close friend of Marina Gregg’s. He hasn’t seen her for years. He was not known to be in this part of the world and it was a great surprise when he turned up on this occasion.’
‘She would be startled then when she saw him?’
‘Presumably yes.’
‘Startled — and possibly frightened.’
‘ “The doom has come upon me,” ’ said Craddock. ‘That’s the idea. Then there was young Hailey Preston dodging about that day, doing his stuff. Talks a good deal but definitely heard nothing, saw nothing and knew nothing. Almost too anxious to say so. Does anything there ring a bell?’
‘Not exactly,’ said Miss Marple. ‘Plenty of interesting possibilities. But I’d still like to know a little more about the children.’
He looked at her curiously. ‘You’ve got quite a bee in your bonnet about that, haven’t you?’ he said. ‘All right, I’ll find out.’
Chapter 13
I
‘I suppose it couldn’t possibly have been the mayor?’ said Inspector Cornish wistfully.
He tapped the paper with the list of names on it with his pencil. Dermot Craddock grinned.
‘Wishful thinking?’ he asked.
‘You could certainly call it that,’ said Cornish. ‘Pompous, canting old hypocrite!’ he went on. ‘Everybody’s got it in for him. Throws his weight about, ultra sanctimonious, and neck deep in graft for years past!’
‘Can’t you ever bring it home to him?’
‘No,’ said Cornish. ‘He’s too slick for that. He’s always just on the right side of the law.’
‘It’s tempting, I agree,’ said Dermot Craddock, ‘but I think you’ll have to banish that rosy picture from your mind, Frank.’
‘I know, I know,’ said Cornish. ‘He’s a possible, but a wildly improbable. Who else have we got?’
Both men studied the list again. There were still eight names on it.
‘We’re pretty well agreed,’ said Craddock, ‘that there’s nobody missed out from here?’ There was a faint question in his voice. Cornish answered it.
‘I think you can be pretty sure that’s the lot. After Mrs Bantry came the vicar, and after that the Badcocks. There were then eight people on the stairs. The mayor and his wife, Joshua Grice and wife from Lower Farm. Donald McNeil of the Much Benham Herald & Argus. Ardwyck Fenn, USA, Miss Lola Brewster, USA, Moving Picture Star. There you are. In addition there was an arty photographer from London with a camera set up on the angle of the stairs. If, as you suggest, this Mrs Bantry