The Mirror Crack'd - Agatha Christie [74]
Craddock uttered an ejaculation of astonishment.
‘Surprising, was it not, Mr Craddock? I will assure you categorically that the accusation was entirely unfounded. I did not put tablets in anybody’s glass. I defy anyone to prove that I did. The suggestion is utterly absurd. But it would seem, would it not, that Miss Zielinsky was embarking on blackmail.’
‘You recognized her voice?’
‘You cannot recognize a whisper. But it was Ella Zielinsky all right.’
‘How do you know?’
‘The whisperer sneezed heavily before ringing off. I knew that Miss Zielinsky suffered from hay-fever.’
‘And you think — what?’
‘I think that Miss Zielinsky got hold of the wrong person at her first attempt. It seems to me possible that she was more successful later. Blackmail can be a dangerous game.’
Craddock pulled himself together.
‘I must thank you for your statement, Mr Fenn. As a matter of form, I shall have to check upon your movements today.’
‘Naturally. My chauffeur will be able to give you precise information.’
Craddock rang off and repeated what Fenn had said. Cornish whistled.
‘Either that lets him out completely. Or else —’
‘Or else it’s a magnificent piece of bluff. It could be. He’s the kind of man who has the nerve for it. If there’s the least chance that Ella Zielinsky left a record of her suspicions, then this taking of the bull by the horns is a magnificent bluff.’
‘And his alibi?’
‘We’ve come across some very good faked alibis in our time,’ said Craddock. ‘He could afford to pay a good sum for one.’
II
It was past midnight when Giuseppe returned to Gossington. He took a taxi from Much Benham, as the last train on the branch line to St Mary Mead had gone.
He was in very good spirits. He paid off the taxi at the gate, and took a short cut through the shrubbery. He opened the back door with his key. The house was dark and silent. Giuseppe shut and bolted the door. As he turned to the stair which led to his own comfortable suite of bed and bath, he noticed that there was a draught. A window open somewhere, perhaps. He decided not to bother. He went upstairs smiling and fitted a key into his door. He always kept his suite locked. As he turned the key and pushed the door open, he felt the pressure of a hard round ring in his back. A voice said, ‘Put your hands up and don’t scream.’
Giuseppe threw his hands up quickly. He was taking no chances. Actually there was no chance to take.
The trigger was pressed — once — twice.
Giuseppe fell forward…
III
Bianca lifted her head from her pillow.
Was that a shot…She was almost sure she had heard a shot…She waited some minutes. Then she decided she had been mistaken and lay down again.
Chapter 19
I
‘It’s too dreadful,’ said Miss Knight. She put down her parcels and gasped for breath.
‘Something has happened?’ asked Miss Marple.
‘I really don’t like to tell you about it, dear, I really don’t. It might be a shock to you.’
‘If you don’t tell me,’ said Miss Marple, ‘somebody else will.’
‘Dear, dear, that’s true enough,’ said Miss Knight. ‘Yes, that’s terribly true. Everybody talks too much, they say. And I’m sure there’s a lot in that. I never repeat anything myself. Very careful I am.’
‘You were saying,’ said Miss Marple, ‘that something rather terrible had happened?’
‘It really quite bowled me over,’ said Miss Knight. ‘Are you sure you don’t feel the draught from that window, dear?’
‘I like a little fresh air,’ said Miss Marple.
‘Ah, but we mustn’t catch cold, must we?’ said Miss Knight archly. ‘I’ll tell you what. I’ll just pop out and make you a nice egg-nog. We’d like that, wouldn’t we?’
‘I don’t know whether you would like it,’ said Miss Marple. ‘I should be delighted for you to have it if you would like it.’
‘Now, now,’ said Miss Knight, shaking her finger, ‘so fond of our joke, aren’t we?’
‘But you were going to tell me something,’ said Miss Marple.
‘Well, you mustn’t worry about it,’ said Miss Knight, ‘and you mustn’t let it make you nervous in any way, because I’m sure it