The Body in the Library

‘No, but he really isn’t. He’s just—sometimes—a little silly about pretty girls who come to tennis. You know—rather fatuous and avuncular. There’s no harm in it. And why shouldn’t he? After all,’ finished Mrs Bantry rather obscurely, ‘I’ve got the garden.’

Miss Marple smiled.

‘You must not worry, Dolly,’ she said.

‘No, I don’t mean to. But all the same I do a little. So does Arthur. It’s upset him. All these policemen prowling about. He’s gone down to the farm. Looking at pigs and things always soothes him if he’s been upset. Hallo, here they are.’

The Chief Constable’s car drew up outside.

Colonel Melchett came in accompanied by a smartly dressed young woman.

‘This is Miss Turner, Mrs Bantry. The cousin of the—er—victim.’

‘How do you do,’ said Mrs Bantry, advancing with outstretched hand. ‘All this must be rather awful for you.’

Josephine Turner said frankly: ‘Oh, it is. None of it seems real, somehow. It’s like a bad dream.’

Mrs Bantry introduced Miss Marple.

Melchett said casually: ‘Your good man about?’

‘He had to go down to one of the farms. He’ll be back soon.’

‘Oh—’ Melchett seemed rather at a loss.

Mrs Bantry said to Josie: ‘Would you like to see where—where it happened? Or would you rather not?’

Josephine said after a moment’s pause:

‘I think I’d like to see.’

Mrs Bantry led her to her library with Miss Marple and Melchett following behind.

‘She was there,’ said Mrs Bantry, pointing dramatically; ‘on the hearthrug.’

‘Oh!’ Josie shuddered. But she also looked perplexed. She said, her brow creased: ‘I just can’t understand it! I can’t!’

‘Well, we certainly can’t,’ said Mrs Bantry.

Josie said slowly:

‘It isn’t the sort of place—’ and broke off.

Miss Marple nodded her head gently in agreement with the unfinished sentiment.

‘That,’ she murmured, ‘is what makes it so very interesting.’

‘Come now, Miss Marple,’ said Colonel Melchett good-humouredly, ‘haven’t you got an explanation?’

‘Oh yes, I’ve got an explanation,’ said Miss Marple. ‘Quite a feasible one. But of course it’s only my own idea. Tommy Bond,’ she continued, ‘and Mrs Martin, our new schoolmistress. She went to wind up the clock and a frog jumped out.’

Josephine Turner looked puzzled. As they all went out of the room she murmured to Mrs Bantry: ‘Is the old lady a bit funny in the head?’

‘Not at all,’ said Mrs Bantry indignantly.

Josie said: ‘Sorry; I thought perhaps she thought she was a frog or something.’

Colonel Bantry was just coming in through the side door. Melchett hailed him, and watched Josephine Turner as he introduced them to each other. But there was no sign of interest or recognition in her face. Melchett breathed a sigh of relief. Curse Slack and his insinuations!

In answer to Mrs Bantry’s questions Josie was pouring out the story of Ruby Keene’s disappearance.

‘Frightfully worrying for you, my dear,’ said Mrs Bantry.

‘I was more angry than worried,’ said Josie. ‘You see, I didn’t know then that anything had happened to her.’

‘And yet,’ said Miss Marple, ‘you went to the police. Wasn’t that—excuse me—rather premature?’

Josie said eagerly:

‘Oh, but I didn’t. That was Mr Jefferson—’

Mrs Bantry said: ‘Jefferson?’

‘Yes, he’s an invalid.’

‘Not Conway Jefferson? But I know him well. He’s an old friend of ours. Arthur, listen—Conway Jefferson. He’s staying at the Majestic, and it was he who went to the police! Isn’t that a coincidence?’

Josephine Turner said:

‘Mr Jefferson was here last summer too.’

‘Fancy! And we never knew. I haven’t seen him for a long time.’ She turned to Josie. ‘How—how is he, nowadays?’

Josie considered.

‘I think he’s wonderful, really—quite wonderful. Considering, I mean. He’s always cheerful—always got a joke.’

‘Are the family there with him?’

‘Mr Gaskell, you mean? And young Mrs Jefferson? And Peter? Oh, yes.’

There was something inhibiting Josephine Turner’s usual attractive frankness of manner. When she spoke of the Jeffersons there was something not quite natural in her voice.

Mrs Bantry said: ‘They’re both very nice, aren’t they? The young ones, I mean.’

Josie said rather uncertainly:

‘Oh yes—yes, they are. I—we—yes, they are, really.’