The Mirror Crack'd Page #8

my scene with Sir Walter Raleigh?

- What?

- Jason! Jason!

- What is it?

- The...

The coffee.

There's nothing wrong with it,

it's just a little strong.

- You're lying.

- Honey, come on.

You're lying! It's poisoned!

I'll see you in the morning,

Miss Marple. I've laid everything out.

And don't forget,

I left your dinner in the oven.

Thank you, Cherry dear.

Remember me?

I saw you, murderer.

Good evening, miss.

Mr Rudd has been asking for you.

- Where have you been?

I've been out for a walk.

What's the matter with you?

You look terrible.

The coffee Marina

almost drank on the set.

I had it analysed.

- Arsenic.

- Arsenic?

- How?

- I'm asking you.

- What's that supposed to mean?

- You made it, you poured it.

- You gave it to her.

- Do you think I tried to poison her?

Yes!

No. I don't know.

I don't know what to think.

You really do love her,

don't you, Jason?

Don't worry, I'm sure they'll find him.

- Him?

- Whoever did it.

Oh, for God's sake,

do something about that cold.

- ls the doctor here?

- Yes, sir.

Mr Rudd called the station at 8:55, sir.

You'll have my report in the morning.

Alright, girls, you can go now.

Bates, if you'll stay, Constable Arnold

will take your statement now.

Inspector, who would want to kill her?

The same person

that tried to poison your wife.

Did you know that Miss Zielinsky

was making a series of phone calls

from the box in the village?

She was apparently playing detectives.

Phoning every suspect.

Telling them that she'd seen them

poison Miss Gregg.

Waiting for a reaction.

If whoever she was talking to had

took the bait, she'd find the murderer.

She obviously did.

You've seen the coffee analysis?

Yes. Mr Rudd, why didn't you

tell me about these notes?

I obviously forgot about them.

Somebody threatened to kill your wife

and you forgot?

- I thought I could handle it.

- Not very effectively, it seems.

What are you doing?

- I'm getting out of here.

- Marina.

I'm sorry, Jason,

but I'm not staying here another night.

- What about the picture?

- To hell with the picture!

Somebody out there

is trying to kill me.

- Think I'm gonna sit and wait for them?

- No one is going to hurt you.

- Oh, Jinks. I'm so scared!

- I know, I know.

But I'm here with you.

The police are on guard.

Why? Why would somebody

want to hurt me?

Shh.

Why didn't you tell me

about those notes?

What's the point?

Scare the hell out of you too?

Please, let's get out of here.

OK, we'll check into a hotel

in the morning.

- Do you promise?

- I promise.

And we'll be together always.

Till death do us part.

Why'd you say that?

Seems we can eliminate

Miss Zielinsky as a suspect.

Murder is a very dangerous business.

If one gets mixed up in it, one must

be prepared for the consequences.

She wasn't a pretty sight.

Prussic acid

is a most unpleasant death.

So, where do we go from here, Aunt Jane?

Our most likely suspecfs

become our latest victim.

Do you realise there were

at least 40 people at that party

and no one saw the poison

being put into the glass?

Come now, Dermot. At least three people

could have quite easily.

One, the unobservant soul

preoccupied with other thoughts,

- completely unaware of what he saw.

- Hmm, second?

The person who may have seen it

and thought nothing of it

because it seemed quite natural.

In my day,

it was considered bad manners,

but people today are always

putting things in their drinks.

- Pills, medicine. All sorts of things.

- I suppose. And third?

We have the person

who actually did it.

The same person

who murdered Ella Zielinsky.

Exactly. You know, Dermot, I always

think that murder is like a jigsaw.

Until you've fitted in the final piece,

you can't see the whole picture.

Obviously,

we still have a piece missing.

Now, what was that awful women's name?

Brown boots, sort of Cheltenham type.

- Colethorpe.

- Cynthia Colethorpe, right.

And I distinctly remember it

wasn't till halfway through the case

when you reminded me about

her smelly little Pekingese.

What was its name?

It smelt revoltingly.

Aunt Jane?

Frozen. That frozen look.

What was it that Heather Babcock

said to Marina Gregg

just before she gave the frozen look?

You mean all that interminable nonsense

about how she was ill?

Marina gave her an autograph

and it was

the most exciting moment of her life.

Yes, it was before

she spilled the drink.

- Here it is.

- It's not good enough.

We've got to know Heather's exact words.

I'm not sure that I follow you.

- Alice Wetherby's cousin.

- Alice Wetherby's cousin?

She went into a back room one day

and found her husband had hung himself

from a hook at the top of the ceiling

eight feet high'

There was absolutely nothing else in

the room except the hook, the body

and a small puddle of water

beneath his feet.

Nobody could understand how he'd

manoeuvred himself to perform the deed,

until it was discovered

he had purchased a two-foot block of ice

from the local fishmonger,

Mr Croswell.

To this day,

Alice Wetherby's cousin shudders

at the mere suggestion

of an ice cube in her gin.

Yes, Aunt Jane.

Don't you see, Dermot?

Something as trivial as

the suggestion of an ice cube

when it becomes associated

with another experience,

something that caused great grief,

it fixes in the mind,

stays with you forever.

Yes, but I'm not sure

what you're getting at.

If only we knew what

Heather actually said.

Cherry!

Oh, I'm afraid that's impossible.

At least for now. I've sent her away.

Whatever for?

Dear boy,

I don't want her to be murdered too.

Marina, honey.

I brought you something warm to drink.

Hot chocolate.

Do you remember when we used to drink it

on those cold nights in Sun Valley?

When there was nothing else to do.

I mean, afterwards.

Sleep tight.

I'll take these.

You won't be needing them any more.

Jason?

Hmm?

- I love you.

- I love you too, baby.

Of course, the vicar!

Thank you, Inch.

If you'll wait, please.

I'm sorry, Miss Marple,

Miss Gregg is not available.

But it is imperative

that I see her at once.

My apologies, madam. I have my orders.

Then I shall wait.

- There is a lady here, sir.

- What kind of a lady?

A somewhat elderly lady, sir.

A Miss Marple.

She refuses to leave. Shall I...'?

No. I'll get rid of her.

Mr Rudd. Good morning, Mr Rudd.

Look, Miss, er, Marble,

or whatever your name is,

I don't know what you're doing here,

but you cannot stay.

It's Marple, and I won't keep you long.

I'm correct, am I not,

that that is where your wife stood

the day of the murder?

She looked in that direction

and then her face froze.

I think you'd better leave.

Bellini's Mother and Child.

A very fine painting.

A present of the Brera Institute

in Milano, I believe.

The whole thing

is really quite simple, isn't it?

I don't know what you're talking about.

I think you do.

- Ah, Dermot.

- Good Lord, Aunt Jane.

I might have guessed you'd be here.

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