Part Three Miss Marple

It's not my business. I've retired.

And what is more, I'm on holiday.

"Colonel Arthur Bantry, squire of the small village of St Mary Mead,

"cannot explain the presence

"glamorous nightclub chanteuse Ruby Keene, who was found strangled in the library of his house

Mrs Bantry, it is understood,

I must telephone to Arthur at once. Heaven knows what he'll think

Have you thought any further? Oh, yes. To any conclusion?

..whoever killed Ruby Keene

And I'm afraid that, very shortly, a third murder will be attempted.

Yes, Slack. Have the lab sent the

inconclusive. I think the rug was probably in the killer's car, sir.

Yes, I suppose that's fair enough. What did the Yard say about Blake?

The nightwatchman saw Blake drive

As the cars go past his hut, the light falls on the driver's side. And how far to St Mary Mead?

20 miles. So he could have done it.

Now we've had corroborated evidence that Blake was at the studio party

He could have gone back to establish

Slack, I retain the impression that you don't really take her seriously.

Let me give you a piece of advice.

more cynical and just plain cleverer

Oh, good morning, Mr Gaskell.

Good morning. No tennis today, Mrs Jefferson? Later on, actually.

and at the Girl Guide rally.

But Miss Marple's point is that one of them must know more, that the Reeve girl was an average child

and every average child has a special friend in whom she confides.

this is a great imposition.

- You must have an enormous amount - Nothing we're not abreast of, sir.

Oh, no, of course not. I was just going to suggest that if you could organise an afternoon of interviews,

perhaps one of your junior officers could preside and if Miss Marple

Very well, sir. I'll set that up.

Anything else, sir? Thank you, Inspector. Keep me informed.

Excuse me. Are you a detective? No. Somebody told me you were a rather

I can see that one person at least is enjoying this horrid business.

Yes, I am rather. I've been sniffing

I've got a souvenir, though. My mother wanted me to chuck it

Look at this. A fingernail. of the murdered woman. Ohhh!

What do you think? Good, isn't it?

she was going to be murdered then.

Do you think it's nearly lunchtime?

I daren't leave the building.

Peter... It had been worrying me, how to account for her nails.

Her nails? Well, they were so short.

usually has elegant little claws.

then she might have had to clip the others to match. I wonder.

Well, I... Oh, there's Slack.

Just a detail. Did you find any nail clippings in the girl's room?

Sir? Not only do we have a retired

Give me some straightforward robbery with violence. Anything more on Blake yet? Yes, sir. Quite a lot.

I don't want it. But, sir...

Oh, go to hell. Now, Jeff, would you like Adelaide to come up and have

And his weakness is that he needs people to dominate. How interesting.

Jeff gave us so much money,

that money was a way of denying Frank the means of becoming himself.

properly. Do you rather hate Jeff?

He lives his life on thin ice. He could die at any moment.

Are you going to get married again?

Yes, he wants to marry me. I suppose

Anyway, I haven't accepted.

Forgive my asking, Mrs Jefferson,

She was a vulgar, gold-digging simpleton. I didn't like her, no.

When I discovered what she was up to, I'm afraid I was very angry.

Right. So we know that Blake left

giving him time to carry out

We've established his presence in town on three separate occasions and at the Majestic at least once.

Blake lied about when he left lied about being at the Majestic.

I think it's time we had a look

can have a shufti at his automobile.

School and the Girl Guides. Right.

What about the financial inquiries? Mrs Jefferson and Mr Gaskell.

I thought we'd dropped them. Cast-iron alibis. 100,000 green ones

Now I think we'll have a look

You see, fork the thumb there and grip it nice and tight.

Keep square. Right the way through.

tomorrow. Is that all right?

I'm improving, don't you think? Hmph!

On time as usual. Off you go, then.

Oh, Hugo! Stop stuffing your shirt.

I can't help how I feel, Adelaide.

Did you know that Hugo McLean was staying over at Danebury Head

He hadn't far to come when he was

What a coincidence! Isn't it?

Not at all. I'll drive over

I mean, the police were bound

All right. Thank you, dear.

I must go back to Gossington.

That must mean that they think I believe all the horrible things

I'll keep this suite on, Jane.

Oh, Jane, you're so clever. Why haven't you solved this by now?

all. I thought you'd know at once.

It's a question of the others.

Jane...you're not to tease me. who it is and what you mean.

Oh, no, that would never do at all,

You'd go around telling everyone.

No, no, there's a long way to go that are still quite obscure.

Take it round the back, sir. There's spaces there. Rightio.

Let's start at the back of the car. When Slack says 10 minutes,

Once he got over his grief,

Anger against the gods I call it.

- May I be frank, Sir Henry?

You see, sir, the young woman that Mr Jefferson was so taken up with

She was, to put it bluntly,

she particularly liked him, even.

Miss Keene was with Mr Jefferson.

You'll never believe it - it was the same landlady as had the dog

Worst thing you can do. Here, let me.

What? I don't see how it could have.

"I'll be true, Sweet Ruby-Roo,

Oh, I know who it is! He comes here

Silly idiot. Must have stuck his photo in my bag. Honestly, Jeff.

They're always nicking my piccy

Nicking my piccy, of course.

He was on edge all that day.

Completely lost his temper later with his broker on the phone.

Things returned to normal, of course, but I fancy he was more watchful

He asked her more questions

- Did you see the photograph?

What do you think he would have done

I think it would have finished him.

Thanks very much for coming in, sir.

I hope you don't feel you've wasted

Drive carefully, then, sir.

Now you will tell the Inspector about the dress, won't you?

The idea is, isn't it, that she to meet someone, a man we suppose.

Well, it won't do. If Ruby was going to wear the kind of dress she wore,

the questions I've got for you now.

Miss Marple. I really don't think...

I should like to speak to Florrie Small. Did you notice her as she went out? She relaxed too soon.

It's all right. We just want to have another word with you.

You're sure then, Florrie, are you,

I'd rather hear you say it out loud,

and make a clean breast of things.

Florrie Small, if you refuse

it shall be a very serious matter

Florence, don't prevaricate. Tell me everything you know at once. Pamela was not going to Woolworths.

Something to do with films,

Oh, Miss, I've been ever so worried.

All Edwards could tell me was that Ruby Keene referred to the chap

as something to do with films. Inspector Slack's favourite.

we've found hairs in his car.

There's something I should like to suggest. Yes? Look here, you don't dress. We've... Miss Marple says

It was when we were walking

that she told me... Pammy asked me

Do you remember when we went

I didn't only do that. I met a man.

Nothing like that. What, then?

Well, he picked me up, all right,

A film test. I'm going to be tested

He says I mustn't be disappointed.

He's looking for a particular type and needs to see me on film.

But, Pammy, how do you know...

He was terribly business-like.

If there was a contract, he reckoned a solicitor should look at it.

And I'm going to be chaperoned at the test. A woman will be there

what's happening. That's amazing.

And where was Pamela supposed

And where was this supposed

He said they had a small studio

The hairs we found on the girl's dress are identical with those from Blake's car. Congratulations.

I had a feeling it would be ordinary police work that would crack this.

What about the second murder?

Only a matter of time. The lab says we can have something barrister-proof by morning. Then we'll pull Blake in.

I've checked him out a bit myself.

Par for the course. He joined the Fire Service Auxiliary. Got the George Medal. Good night, Slack.

Oh, I am so glad you're here.

Would you like to sit down?

the Bishop's appeal for deep sea

All right. Don't answer that.

I've taken to giving conducted tours and charging a couple of bob.

Where would you like to start?

in the difficult time ahead. What?

I want to advise you most strongly

In a short while you'll need all the a prejudice in country places

against people who are not married

Oh, it's amused you, no doubt,

and it has helped to keep all but the most curious at a distance,

but the time for such games is over.

How did you know we were married? My dear. The way you quarrel.

to each other by more than a mere

And the rest of it? I'm so sorry?

some time today your husband will be

But he didn't do it! I know, but that's not the point now.

What did he do with the rug?

But you didn't clear up properly.

I should like to know more.

I left the studio party early.

I had to get her out of the house.

'I had no idea where I was going.

'I just drove...and drove.'

'Then I found myself going past

that seemed to be the answer.'

but I thought it was rather a good joke. Bantry can be an appallingly

Didn't you know who it was? No! I hardly knew Ruby Keene.

And the face was... Yes, yes.

What are we going to do about this,

Well, may I suggest you engage

Jane! Thank goodness you're here. Come in. I can't stay, Dolly,

but I thought I'd bring the news. News? Basil Blake has been arrested for the murder of Ruby Keene.

He did, however, deposit the body

Well, like Tommy Bond and his frog.

I think he did it as a kind of joke.

I think the answer to that lies

Yes, now London. Inch, if we hurry, we can catch the 10 o'clock.

I'm not sure you should be seen with me, old man. How's that?

What is it? Certainly somebody I don't want to be seen with. Excuse me to the King of Wimbledon(!)

Not the subtlest of human beings, is he? I don't know why he has to be

I've hardly spoken to the man. What are you drinking? Look here, there's

What does that mean? Well, true Jeffersons aren't in the habit of marrying tennis players, old boy.

I wonder if we could have a word.

And I just thought perhaps...

Conway Jefferson has informed Mrs Jefferson and Mr Gaskell,

that as Ruby Keene is dead, he's he intended to settle on her.

The fund is to be used to establish

he's going to finalise the details with his solicitor tomorrow.

Now this is what I want done.

It'll be dark in a couple of hours.

George, put that in the boot for me.

Oh, if anybody should want me tonight, they can ring me at my flat. Back at lunchtime tomorrow.

Don't forget. Three o'clock

Now, Jane, before the Jeffersons

Well, yes, but Miss Marple should explain. There's one or two things

Well, I'm afraid you'll find

As we since discovered, Mark Gaskell was married to Josie Turner

and they were keeping it a secret until Mr Jefferson should die,

No, Miss Marple. I'm afraid

It was the nails that worried me. Although Ruby Keene cut hers quite short, the poor girl in the library

had bitten hers. It just wasn't right. Too like a book to be true.

Then, of course, I realised finally that the body in the library

Well, then, whose body was it?

And Pamela Reeve's fake movie

But the person behind it all

It was obvious from the first that she was a very capable woman, capable of engineering it all.

It was a very clear-sighted plan

Mark Gaskell was her ticket to wealth and a good position.

Nothing, certainly not little Ruby Keene, was going to stop her.

The double murder and the substitute body. She cold-bloodedly chose Basil Blake as chief murder suspect.

poor little Pamela's chaperone

for the film test. She bleached her hair, painted her bitten nails,

put her into one of Ruby's dresses

ready for the deadly attentions

Who then completed the plan by getting her to Blake's cottage,

and getting back to the hotel.

So at the time the doctor said she died, Gaskell and Josie had

They were sitting playing bridge, watching the real Ruby Keene dance.

After giving Ruby something to make

that is Josie's, room and lie down

knowing that the drug would shortly

It was when she went up to change

She strangled the poor child

Later that evening, she and Gaskell dressed her in the Guide uniform,

Tell me, that tune that was racketing around in your head.

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