Read Online The Mirror Crack's From Side to Side by Agatha Christie - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Agatha Christie
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Doctor Haydock,' she said.
'You can't pull the wool over my eyes, my dear lady. I've known you too many years. Sudden death at Gossington Hall and all the tongues of St. Mary Mead are wagging. Isn't that so? Murder suggested long before anybody even knows the result of the inquest.'
'When is the inquest to be held?' asked Miss Marple.
'The day after tomorrow,' said Dr Haydock, 'and by that time,' he said, 'you ladies will have reviewed the whole story, decided on the verdict and decided on a good many other points too, I expect. Well,' he added, 'I shan't waste my time here. It's no good wasting time on a patient that doesn't need my ministrations. Your cheeks are pink, your eyes are bright, you've begun to enjoy yourself. Nothing like having an interest in life. I'll be on my way.' He stomped out again.
'I'd rather have him than Sandford any day,' said Mrs Bantry.
'So would I,' added Miss Marple. 'He's a good friend, too,' she added thoughtfully. 'He came, I think, to give me the go-ahead sign.'
'Then it was murder,' said Mrs Bantry. They looked at each other. 'At any rate, the doctors think so.'
Miss Knight brought in cups of coffee. For once in their lives, both ladies were too impatient to welcome this interruption.
When Miss Knight had gone Miss Marple started immediately. 'Now then, Dolly, you were there -'
'I practically saw it happen,' said Mrs Bantry, with modest pride.
'Splendid,' said Miss Marple. 'I mean - well, you know what I mean. So you can tell me just exactly what happened from the moment she arrived.'
'I'd been taken into the house,' said Mrs Bantry. 'Snob status.'
'Who took you in?'
'Oh, a willowy-looking young man. I think he's Marina Gregg's secretary or something like that. He took me in, up the staircase. They were having a kind of reunion reception committee at the top of the stairs.'
'On the landing?' said Miss Marple, surprised.
'Oh, they've altered all that. They've knocked the dressing-room and bedroom down so that you've got a big sort of alcove, practically a room. It's very attractive looking.'
'I see. And who was there?'
'Marina Gregg, being natural and charming, looking lovely in a sort of willowy grey-green dress. And the husband, of course, and that woman Ella Zielinsky I told you about. She's their social secretary. And there were about - oh, eight or ten people I should think. Some of them I knew, some of them I didn't. Some I think were from the studios - the ones I didn't know. There was the vicar and Doctor Sandford's wife. He wasn't there himself until later, and Colonel and Mrs Clittering and the High Sheriff. And I think there was someone from the press there. And a young woman with a big camera taking photographs.'
Miss Marple nodded.
'Go on.'
'Heather Badcock and her husband arrived just after me. Marina Gregg said nice things to me, then to somebody else, oh yes, - the vicar - and then Heather Badcock and her husband came. She's the secretary, you know, of the St John Ambulance. Somebody said something about that and how hard she worked and how valuable she was. And Marina Gregg said some pretty things. Then Mrs Badcock, who struck me, I must say, Jane, as rather a tiresome sort of woman, began some long rigmarole of how years before she'd met Marina Gregg somewhere. She wasn't awfully tactful about it since she urged exactly how long ago and the year it was and everything like that. I'm sure that actresses and film stars and people don't really like being reminded of the exact age they are. Still, she wouldn't think of that I suppose.'
'No,' said Miss Marple, 'she wasn't the kind of woman who would have thought of that. Well?'
'Well, there was nothing particular in that except for the fact that Marina Gregg didn't do her usual stuff.'
'You mean she was annoyed?'
'No, no, I don't mean that. As a matter of fact I'm not at all sure that she heard a word of it. She was staring, you know, over Mrs Badcock's shoulder and when Mrs Badcock had finished her rather
'You can't pull the wool over my eyes, my dear lady. I've known you too many years. Sudden death at Gossington Hall and all the tongues of St. Mary Mead are wagging. Isn't that so? Murder suggested long before anybody even knows the result of the inquest.'
'When is the inquest to be held?' asked Miss Marple.
'The day after tomorrow,' said Dr Haydock, 'and by that time,' he said, 'you ladies will have reviewed the whole story, decided on the verdict and decided on a good many other points too, I expect. Well,' he added, 'I shan't waste my time here. It's no good wasting time on a patient that doesn't need my ministrations. Your cheeks are pink, your eyes are bright, you've begun to enjoy yourself. Nothing like having an interest in life. I'll be on my way.' He stomped out again.
'I'd rather have him than Sandford any day,' said Mrs Bantry.
'So would I,' added Miss Marple. 'He's a good friend, too,' she added thoughtfully. 'He came, I think, to give me the go-ahead sign.'
'Then it was murder,' said Mrs Bantry. They looked at each other. 'At any rate, the doctors think so.'
Miss Knight brought in cups of coffee. For once in their lives, both ladies were too impatient to welcome this interruption.
When Miss Knight had gone Miss Marple started immediately. 'Now then, Dolly, you were there -'
'I practically saw it happen,' said Mrs Bantry, with modest pride.
'Splendid,' said Miss Marple. 'I mean - well, you know what I mean. So you can tell me just exactly what happened from the moment she arrived.'
'I'd been taken into the house,' said Mrs Bantry. 'Snob status.'
'Who took you in?'
'Oh, a willowy-looking young man. I think he's Marina Gregg's secretary or something like that. He took me in, up the staircase. They were having a kind of reunion reception committee at the top of the stairs.'
'On the landing?' said Miss Marple, surprised.
'Oh, they've altered all that. They've knocked the dressing-room and bedroom down so that you've got a big sort of alcove, practically a room. It's very attractive looking.'
'I see. And who was there?'
'Marina Gregg, being natural and charming, looking lovely in a sort of willowy grey-green dress. And the husband, of course, and that woman Ella Zielinsky I told you about. She's their social secretary. And there were about - oh, eight or ten people I should think. Some of them I knew, some of them I didn't. Some I think were from the studios - the ones I didn't know. There was the vicar and Doctor Sandford's wife. He wasn't there himself until later, and Colonel and Mrs Clittering and the High Sheriff. And I think there was someone from the press there. And a young woman with a big camera taking photographs.'
Miss Marple nodded.
'Go on.'
'Heather Badcock and her husband arrived just after me. Marina Gregg said nice things to me, then to somebody else, oh yes, - the vicar - and then Heather Badcock and her husband came. She's the secretary, you know, of the St John Ambulance. Somebody said something about that and how hard she worked and how valuable she was. And Marina Gregg said some pretty things. Then Mrs Badcock, who struck me, I must say, Jane, as rather a tiresome sort of woman, began some long rigmarole of how years before she'd met Marina Gregg somewhere. She wasn't awfully tactful about it since she urged exactly how long ago and the year it was and everything like that. I'm sure that actresses and film stars and people don't really like being reminded of the exact age they are. Still, she wouldn't think of that I suppose.'
'No,' said Miss Marple, 'she wasn't the kind of woman who would have thought of that. Well?'
'Well, there was nothing particular in that except for the fact that Marina Gregg didn't do her usual stuff.'
'You mean she was annoyed?'
'No, no, I don't mean that. As a matter of fact I'm not at all sure that she heard a word of it. She was staring, you know, over Mrs Badcock's shoulder and when Mrs Badcock had finished her rather
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