The Mirror Crack'd - Agatha Christie [83]
‘Very interesting,’ said Miss Marple. ‘I’ve had descriptions, you know, of what this look was on her face. A frozen look. Yes, that describes it quite well. A look of doom. I’m not really so sure about that. It’s more a kind of paralysis of feeling rather than apprehension of doom. Don’t you think so? I wouldn’t say it was actually fear, would you, although fear of course might take you that way. It might paralyse you. But I don’t think it was fear. I think rather that it was shock. Dermot, my dear boy, I want you to tell me, if you’ve got notes of it, what exactly Heather Badcock said to Marina Gregg on that occasion. I know roughly the gist of it, of course, but how near can you get to the actual words. I suppose you had accounts of it from different people.’
Dermot nodded.
‘Yes. Let me see. Your friend, Mrs Bantry, then Jason Rudd and I think Arthur Badcock. As you say they varied a little in wording, but the gist of them was the same.’
‘I know. It’s the variations that I want. I think it might help us.’
‘I don’t see how,’ said Dermot, ‘though perhaps you do. Your friend, Mrs Bantry, was probably the most definite on the point. As far as I remember — wait — I carry a good many of my jottings around with me.’
He took out a small note-book from his pocket, looked through it to refresh his memory.
‘I haven’t got the exact words here,’ he said, ‘but I made a rough note. Apparently Mrs Badcock was very cheerful, rather arch, and delighted with herself. She said something like “I can’t tell you how wonderful this is for me. You won’t remember but years ago in Bermuda — I got up from bed when I had chicken pox and came along to see you and you gave me an autograph and it’s one of the proudest days of my life which I have never forgotten.” ’
‘I see,’ said Miss Marple, ‘she mentioned the place but not the date, did she?’
‘Yes.’
‘And what did Rudd say?’
‘Jason Rudd? He said that Mrs Badcock told his wife that she’d got up from bed when she had the ’flu and had come to meet Marina and she still had her autograph. It was a shorter account than your friend’s but the gist of it was the same.’
‘Did he mention the time and place?’
‘No. I don’t think he did. I think he said roughly that it was some ten or twelve years ago.’
‘I see. And what about Mr Badcock?’
‘Mr Badcock said that Heather was extremely excited and anxious to meet Marina Gregg, that she was a great fan of Marina Gregg’s and that she’d told him that once when she was ill as a girl she managed to get up and meet Miss Gregg and get her autograph. He didn’t go into any close particulars, as it was evidently in the days before he was married to his wife. He impressed me as not thinking the incident of much importance.’
‘I see,’ said Miss Marple. ‘Yes, I see…’
‘And what do you see?’ asked Craddock.
‘Not quite as much as I’d like to yet,’ said Miss Marple, honestly, ‘but I have a sort of feeling if I only knew why she’d ruined her new dress —’
‘Who — Mrs Badcock?’
‘Yes. It seems to me such a very odd thing — such an inexplicable one unless — of course — Dear me, I think I must be very stupid!’
Miss Knight opened the door and entered, switching the light on as she did so.
‘I think we want a little light in here,’ she said brightly.
‘Yes,’ said Miss Marple, ‘you are so right, Miss Knight. That is exactly what we did want. A little light. I think, you know, that at last we’ve got it.’
The tête-à-tête seemed ended and Craddock rose to his feet.
‘There only remains one thing,’ he said, ‘and that is for you to tell me just what particular memory from your own past is agitating your mind now.’
‘Everyone always teases me about that,’ said Miss Marple, ‘but I must say that I was reminded just for a moment of the Lauristons’ parlourmaid.’
‘The Lauristons’ parlourmaid?’ Craddock looked