The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie Read Free Book Online Page B

were all killed: the pilot, Mrs. Jefferson, Rosamund, and Frank. Conway had both legs so badly injured they had to be amputated. And he’s been wonderful—his courage, his pluck! He was a very active man and now he’s a helpless cripple, but he never complains. His daughter-in-law lives with him—she was a widow when Frank Jefferson married her and she had a son by her first marriage—Peter Carmody. They both live with Conway. And Mark Gaskell, Rosamund’s husband, is there too most of the time. The whole thing was the most awful tragedy.”
    â€œAnd now,” said Miss Marple, “there’s another tragedy—”
    Mrs. Bantry said: “Oh yes—yes—but it’s nothing to do with the Jeffersons.”
    â€œIsn’t it?” said Miss Marple. “It was Mr. Jefferson who went to the police.”
    â€œSo he did … You know, Jane, that is curious….”

Five
    I
    C olonel Melchett was facing a much annoyed hotel manager. With him was Superintendent Harper of the Glenshire Police and the inevitable Inspector Slack—the latter rather disgruntled at the Chief Constable’s wilful usurpation of the case.
    Superintendent Harper was inclined to be soothing with the almost tearful Mr. Prestcott—Colonel Melchett tended towards a blunt brutality.
    â€œNo good crying over spilt milk,” he said sharply. “The girl’s dead—strangled. You’re lucky that she wasn’t strangled in your hotel. This puts the inquiry in a different county and lets your establishment down extremely lightly. But certain inquiries have got to be made, and the sooner we get on with it the better. You can trust us to be discreet and tactful. So I suggest you cut the cackle and come to the horses. Just what exactly do you know about the girl?”
    â€œI knew nothing of her—nothing at all. Josie brought her here.”
    â€œJosie’s been here some time?”
    â€œTwo years—no, three.”
    â€œAnd you like her?”
    â€œYes, Josie’s a good girl—a nice girl. Competent. She gets on with people, and smoothes over differences—bridge, you know, is a touchy sort of game—” Colonel Melchett nodded feelingly. His wife was a keen but an extremely bad bridge player. Mr. Prestcott went on: “Josie was very good at calming down unpleasantnesses. She could handle people well—sort of bright and firm, if you know what I mean.”
    Again Melchett nodded. He knew now what it was Miss Josephine Turner had reminded him of. In spite of the makeup and the smart turnout there was a distinct touch of the nursery governess about her.
    â€œI depend upon her,” went on Mr. Prestcott. His manner became aggrieved. “What does she want to go playing about on slippery rocks in that damn’ fool way? We’ve got a nice beach here. Why couldn’t she bathe from that? Slipping and falling and breaking her ankle. It wasn’t fair on me! I pay her to dance and play bridge and keep people happy and amused—not to go bathing off rocks and breaking her ankle. Dancers ought to be careful of their ankles—not take risks. I was very annoyed about it. It wasn’t fair to the hotel.”
    Melchett cut the recital short.
    â€œAnd then she suggested this girl—her cousin—coming down?”
    Prestcott assented grudgingly.
    â€œThat’s right. It sounded quite a good idea. Mind you, I wasn’t going to pay anything extra. The girl could have her keep; but as for salary, that would have to be fixed up between her and Josie. That’s the way it was arranged. I didn’t know anything about the girl.”
    â€œBut she turned out all right?”
    â€œOh yes, there wasn’t anything wrong with her—not to look at, anyway. She was very young, of course—rather cheap in style, perhaps, for a place of this kind, but nice manners—quiet and wellbehaved. Danced well. People