Murder Most Foul Page #2

So, you're a bachelor, Mr Stringer.

- Not staying to tea?

- Oh, no, Miss Marple.

Dear me,

the lady will be disappointed. Up!

Miss Marple, I assure you,

I gave that woman no encouragement.

It is of small importance,

Mr Stringer.

Good heavens, I've got it! Jim!

Look, there's the page

of the Milchester Gazette

I took from Mrs McGinty's room.

Here's the identical page

I got from the newspaper offices.

I've snipped out the same words

and letters and produced this.

A rose. A rose?

Milchester 862, please.

Is that Lady Cynthia Waterhouse?

Lady who?

No, this is Mrs Gladys Thomas.

I'm so sorry,

I have the wrong number.

As I thought. 862 is the telephone

number of Mrs McGinty's cottage.

I'm at a loss.

This type of message is typical

of a certain kind of criminal -

the blackmailer.

Yes, I think Mrs McGinty

may have been one.

- Dear me.

- Well, consider...

The Cosgood Players gave six

performances of Murder She Said

here in Milchester

in the week of May 12th to 19th;

The same week, incidentally,

as this issue of the Gazette.

Here we have six programmes.

Mrs McGinty

attended each performance.

- Why?

- It's an excellent play.

True, but her interest

was not primarily in the play,

former actress

though she may have been.

No, I am convinced

she was a blackmailer

and she was blackmailing

a member of this company.

- Her murderer, you suppose?

- I do.

- I think we deserve a small beer.

- Yes, please.

It's you, Inspector.

You gave me quite a turn.

You gave me

quite a turn, Miss Marple.

- May I come in?

- Well...

Yes.

It's Inspector Craddock, Mr Stringer.

Oh, how nice.

- Good evening, Inspector.

- Good evening.

Are you here socially

or officially, Inspector?

Well, a little bit of both

shall we say.

That poses an interesting problem.

Socially, I can

offer you a small beer.

Officially,

I cannot if you're on duty.

I...

All right,

Miss Marple, it's official.

Then perhaps some tea.

Won't you sit down?

Thank you, no. This won't take long.

We were playing anagrams, Inspector.

Miss Marple,

Police Constable Wells informs me

that he observed you this afternoon

at the late Mrs McGinty's cottage.

Oh?

You were impersonating

a rag-and-bone dealer.

I certainly was not.

- I was collecting for the church.

- Is that so?

If you don't believe me,

I suggest you ring the vicar...

..now!

Look, Miss Marple, in the past you've

been of some small help

to the police and we're grateful,

but at the trial you interfered

with the course of justice.

I'd feel a lot easier in my mind

and so would the Chief Constable,

if you would promise me here and now

not to continue to do so.

You can have that promise freely.

I have no intention of interfering

with the course of justice.

Yes.

Well, good.

- There's no more to be said then.

- No.

- I'll say good night.

- Good night.

Yes.

Perhaps we should have

confided our suspicions.

Certainly not.

That man has just

thrown down the gauntlet.

You know what the police are.

The month of September 1951...

This reference to a rose...

These things must have a great

significance for our man or woman.

I suppose so.

The difficulty is,

the Cosgood Players have moved on.

I read they were at

the Palace Theatre over at Halford.

There is no doubt in my mind

that one of these play actors

is a murderer.

If you're really convinced

of your theory,

I suppose we should

in some way, well, act.

Act!

Of course, why not?

That's what I must do.

After all, nothing ventured,

nothing gained.

Take our bags to the YMCA, Jim.

If I'm successful,

I'll collect mine from you later.

I think I ought to wait, Miss Marple.

No, this may take some time.

Au revoir.

All I know is that we had over 300

and now we've got nothing.

Where is it? It's a simple question.

- For simple-minded people.

- That's mine!

What's the use?

Ah, thank you.

Daddy's very democratic.

He doesn't mind who I marry.

You could have put that better!

If he's not asking for a pedigree,

you're fine, eh Bill?

You could have put that better too!

Oh! I was looking for Mr Cosgood.

Haven't I seen you before?

Really? I wonder where

that could have been?

- I'm not sure.

- Probably in another dimension.

Don't take any notice,

she's our weirdie.

No, it was in a dream...

she and you, George.

- Something to do with death.

- Oh, please, Eva. Can I help you?

I have an appointment

with Mr Cosgood.

He's probably messing about

on the stage. It's over there.

Oh yes, thank you.

I'll find him, young man.

Mr Cosgood!

Mr Cosgood!

Mr Cos.... oh!

- Are you Jane Marble?

- Marple, if you please.

- Very well, get on with it.

- It?

I have a performance

in half an hour.

Whatever you have

chosen to do, do!

Oh!

Throw your voice to the back of the

theatre. I want to hear you.

I can't catch what you say.

I want to hear every word!

Oh, very well.

The Shooting of Dan McGrew...

..by Mr Robert W. Service.

'A bunch of the boys were whooping

it up in the Malamute saloon

'The kid that handles the music-box

was hitting a jag-time tune

'And back at the bar...

'..in a solo game

sat dangerous Dan McGrew

'And watching his luck was his

light-o'-love, the lady known as Lou.

'When out of the night...

'When out of the night

that was fifty below

'And into the din and the glare,

'There stumbled a miner

fresh from the creeks

'Dog dirty and loaded for bear.'

Just give me the gist

and get to the climax!

Oh, dear me, that's very difficult.

It's a long poem

and there's a great deal behind it.

However, as you wish.

Well now... soon after the stranger

has entered this lurid scene,

it becomes increasingly evident

there is a growing antagonism

between him and Mr McGrew.

An antagonism which is to end

in stark tragedy.

Shall I pick it up at the point

when the miner,

seated at the saloon piano,

is playing like a maniac?

Yes, yes, please do.

Thank you.

'Then the stranger turned

'And his eyes they burned

in a most peculiar way

'ln a buckskin shirt

that was glazed with dirt he sat

'And I saw him sway

'Then his lips went thin

in a kind of grin

'And he spoke

and his voice was calm

'Boys, says he, you don't know me

and none of you care a darn...'

Yes, yes, yes,

but get to the point, please!

'But I want to state

and my words are straight

'And I'll bet my poke they're true

'That one of you is a hound of hell

'And that one is Dan McGrew

'Then I ducked my head

and the lights went out

'And two guns blazed in the dark

'And a woman screamed

'And the lights went up

and two men lay stiff and stark

'Pitched on his head and pumped full

of lead was dangerous Dan McGrew

'While the man from the creeks

'lay clutched to the breast

of the lady that's known as Lou

'I'm not as wise

as the lawyer guys

'But strictly between us two

'The woman who kissed him

and pinched his poke

'Was the lady that's known as Lou.'

Are you still there?

- You were joking, of course.

- Joking? Indeed, I was not.

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