Protheroe –’
‘Oh! It’s quite true. I suppose I’ve said it rather bluntly, but I never can go into hysterics over anything. I’ve hated him for a long time, and yesterday I shot him.’
She lay back on the pillows and closed her eyes.
‘That’s all. I suppose you’ll arrest me and take me away. I’ll get up and dress as soon as I can. At the moment I am feeling rather sick.’
‘Are you aware, Mrs Protheroe, that Mr Lawrence Redding has already accused himself of committing the crime?’
Anne opened her eyes and nodded brightly.
‘I know. Silly boy. He’s very much in love with me, you know. It was frightfully noble of him – but very silly.’
‘He knew that it was you who had committed the crime?’
‘Yes.’
‘How did he know?’
She hesitated.
‘Did you tell him?’
Still she hesitated. Then at last she seemed to make up her mind.
‘Yes – I told him…’
She twitched her shoulders with a movement of irritation.
‘Can’t you go away now? I’ve told you. I don’t want to talk about it any more.’
‘Where did you get the pistol, Mrs Protheroe?’
‘The pistol! Oh, it was my husband’s. I got it out of the drawer of his dressing-table.’
‘I see. And you took it with you to the Vicarage?’
‘Yes. I knew he would be there –’
‘What time was this?’
‘It must have been after six – quarter – twenty past – something like that.’
‘You took the pistol meaning to shoot your husband?’
‘No – I – meant it for myself.’
‘I see. But you went to the Vicarage?’
‘Yes. I went along to the window. There were no voices. I looked in. I saw my husband. Something came over me – and I fired.’
‘And then?’
‘Then? Oh, then I went away.’
‘And told Mr Redding what you had done?’
Again I noticed the hesitation in her voice before she said ‘Yes.’
‘Did anybody see you entering or leaving the Vicarage?’
‘No – at least, yes. Old Miss Marple. I talked to her for a few minutes. She was in her garden.’
She moved restlessly on the pillows.
‘Isn’t that enough? I’ve told you. Why do you want to go on bothering me?’
Dr Haydock moved to her side and felt her pulse.
He beckoned to Melchett.
‘I’ll stay with her,’ he said in a whisper, ‘whilst you make the necessary arrangements. She oughtn’t to be left. Might do herself a mischief.’
Melchett nodded.
We left the room and descended the stairs. I saw a thin, cadaverous-looking man come out of the adjoining room and on impulse I remounted the stairs.
‘Are you Colonel Protheroe’s valet?’
The man looked surprised. ‘Yes, sir.’
‘Do you know whether your late master kept a pistol anywhere?’
‘Not that I know of, sir.’
‘Not in one of the drawers of his dressing-table? Think, man.’
The valet shook his head decisively.
‘I’m quite sure he didn’t, sir. I’d have seen it if so. Bound to.’
I hurried down the stairs after the others.
Mrs Protheroe had lied about the pistol.
Why?
After leaving a message at the police station, the Chief Constable announced his intention of paying a visit to Miss Marple.
‘You’d better come with me, Vicar,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to give a member of your flock hysterics. So lend the weight of your soothing presence.’
I smiled. For all her fragile appearance, Miss Marple is capable of holding her own with any policeman or Chief Constable in existence.
‘What’s she like?’ asked the Colonel, as we rang the bell. ‘Anything she says to be depended upon or otherwise?’
I considered the matter.
‘I think she is quite dependable,’ I said cautiously. ‘That is, in so far as she is talking of what she has actually seen. Beyond that, of course, when you get on to what she thinks – well, that is another matter. She has a powerful imagination and systematically thinks the worst of everyone.’
‘The typical elderly spinster, in fact,’ said Melchett, with a laugh. ‘Well, I ought to know the breed by now. Gad, the tea parties down here!’
We were admitted by a very diminutive maid and shown into a small drawing-room.
‘A bit crowded,’ said Colonel Melchett, looking round. ‘But plenty of good stuff. A lady’s room, eh, Clement?’
I agreed, and at that moment the door opened and Miss Marple made her appearance.
‘Very sorry to bother you, Miss Marple,’ said the Colonel, when I had introduced him, putting on his bluff military manner which he had an idea was attractive to elderly ladies. ‘Got to do my duty, you know.’
‘Of course, of course,’ said Miss Marple. ‘I quite understand. Won’t you sit down? And might I offer you a little glass of cherry brandy? My own making. A recipe of my grandmother’s.’
‘Thank you very much, Miss Marple. Very kind of you. But I think I won’t. Nothing till lunch time, that’s my motto. Now, I want to talk to you about this sad business – very sad business indeed. Upset us all, I’m sure. Well, it seems possible that owing to the position of your house and garden, you may have been able to tell us something we want to know about yesterday evening.’
‘As
