Murder She Said Page #5

Goodbye.

- Do you know what that was about?

- Yes.

- I do.

- Why didn't you tell me?

I'm in love with Emma, Inspector.

I want to marry her.

I told her

she should tell you about this.

You didn't insist?

No, it was important to me, to us,

that she made up her own mind.

I understand, Doctor.

Thank you. Is that all?

Is the dead woman Martine?

- Who else could it be?

- Was she killed by a family member?

I'd rather not answer that.

All right.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

Well, sir?

- I'm worried, Bacon.

- About the doctor?

No, no, not him.

I'm worried about Miss Marple.

- Looking for something, Miss Marple?

- No!

Are you... are you all right?

Yes, perfectly, thank you.

What is it you want?

I thought I'd take up the old boy's

night cap and save you the trouble.

That's kind of you. It is ready.

A storm, I expect.

The electricity supply is rather

shaky, like the rest of the place.

- You're a bit shaky too, aren't you?

- No, not at all.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

Oh, my goodness! What are you doing?

- Looking for light.

- You ought to be asleep.

I happen to be reading.

Oh.

May I ask what you're doing?

Trying to provide light.

Oh, I see.

You won't find it there, you know.

- Indeed?

- It's a power failure.

Often happens. May I borrow this?

- Alexander, come back!

- Good night, Jane.

Who's that? Who is it?

Oh, Mr Cedric.

It's a power failure. Often happens.

- I'll have to find some candles.

- Just a minute.

My sister says you started

work here only a few days ago.

You don't look like a domestic.

I have to earn my living

like anybody else.

The day after you arrived,

the body was discovered.

- You found it.

- What makes you think that?

It fits and so neatly.

You telephoned the police.

I am not the person

who telephoned the police.

- You're not?

- No.

Who are you? What are you doing here?

I have already told you.

I'm going to watch you

very closely, Miss Marple... Jane.

Oh, Hillman.

I want to have a word with you.

Get out!

Oh... help!

What is it?

Albert. See to Albert...

Alexander, call the doctor. Quickly!

There was nothing I could do for him.

How are the others?

Emma, Cedric, Harold and Eastley have

had only minor effects.

The old man will be all right.

He's a tough old bird.

They will recover by morning.

- No doubt about the cause?

- No.

- They were all poisoned.

- Well... thank you, Doctor.

Quimper! Quimper!

Harold - I might have expected him

to bellow the hardest.

This is the last chicken stock.

- Finished?

- Just about.

See that stuff gets to the lab.

That's it for tonight.

Well?

Mushroom soup, curried duck and rice

and apple pie.

Thank you.

- Mushroom soup out of a can?

- Certainly not.

Half a pound of mushrooms,

chicken stock, milk, flour,

lemon juice, a touch of herbs...

Hmm. Mushrooms?

I had some of the soup myself -

superb!

Oh, I'm sure! The pie?

I'm afraid I never can resist

my own pie, Inspector.

Anybody else's, of course.

- The curry?

- Exactly.

Good, of course,

but rice you see... fattening...

and as I was having the pie...

Where did the duck come from?

Oh, those... Mr Harold shot them.

He seems to be rather fond

of killing things.

Alexander doesn't seem

to have had any curry either?

No. I thought it would appeal to him.

Curious child.

Well, did anyone enter the kitchen

while the cooking was going on?

Not while I was there.

I do have other duties, you know.

Anyone could have come in.

Six people are poisoned...

only one dies.

I'm thinking about that too,

Inspector.

Message from the Chief Constable.

- He's waiting for your report.

- All right.

- In person, sir.

- Get the car, I'll be a minute.

Very good.

I think the two killings

are connected, don't you?

Yes, I do.

We've got to find out

who has that compact.

I've only been able to search

one room.

- Oh, whose?

- Unfortunately, Albert's.

Oh!

- Miss Marple, I have to go.

- Oh, yes, I know.

A policeman's work is never done.

Nor a woman's.

I was going to say,

please be carefuI.

If you think of anything,

do take me into your confidence.

The lab boys turned it up

as arsenic in the curry.

Not a lot, just enough for

stomach aches. Not enough to kill.

- So Albert had an extra dose?

- Why poison the others at all?

If the poisoner is a member of

the family, he had to be ill as well.

Well, say it isn't, sir.

I mean that gardener of theirs -

Hillman.

Locals say he's in for a nice bequest

when old Ackenthorpe goes.

- It is a possibility.

- You're forgetting the dead woman.

This poisoning means

she was Martine Ackenthorpe.

Have the French police

come up with something then?

Only that there's no record

of a marriage.

The village where Ackenthorpe

was stationed was blown to bits.

- All files were destroyed.

- Well?

Don't you see,

it's the pattern of the killings.

Only a family member

would want her dead too.

Yes, kill off all your relations in

easy stages except the old man.

When he dies naturally,

inherit the fortune and the property.

Albert must have got his second dose

after dinner, possibly in a drink.

Don't drink that.

- Why not?

- Because it's lunch time.

Oh! What is it?

Beef broth and baked custard.

- Beef broth? I ordered beefsteak.

- The doctor said beef broth.

To blazes with him!

I give the orders.

I'm sick of slops. Take it away!

Certainly.

Hillman, another bottle.

Surely you know

that if the woman was Martine,

by giving the letter to the police

the finger points at one of us.

Not only for her death,

but Albert's too.

- Exactly. One of us.

- I expected that from you!

Oh, come now,

you're thinking exactly as I am.

If you didn't do it...

you're thinking it was me.

Stop it! Stop it!

Or even you, dear Emma.

I think we've had enough

of this nonsense.

I bet the police don't think so.

Say what you like,

but please leave Emma out of it.

Well, it could be argued

that Emma kept that letter to herself

to use it to her own advantage.

You'd better explain that.

Well, the moment Martine's body

was discovered

everyone in this family was under

suspicion, including you, Emma.

The moment you produced the letter,

everyone was under suspicion...

excluding you.

- I hadn't thought of it like that.

- You must be round the bend.

The woman was strangled. Do you think

your sister capable of that?

Oh, but Emma's an attractive woman,

don't you think so?

Well?

A pretty lady doesn't need to do

her own dirty work.

Emma, let's leave them to it.

Now, now, Eastley. Emma has her eye

on the doctor, you know.

It won't be so easy for you to marry

into the family again.

Oh, that hit home, didn't it?

Yes and I'm about ready

to break your blasted neck.

Very possibly,

but tell me something first.

Did you meet Emma secretly the night

before the body was found?

- Well, I...

- Hillman saw you.

We did meet that night, yes.

- He asked me to mediate with Father.

- Oh, what for?

I wanted to borrow money.

Oh, my goodness!

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