The Body in the Library (Miss Marple 3)

“I left the sum of fifty thousand pounds to be held in trust for Ruby Keene until she was twenty-five, when she would come into the principal.”

Superintendent Harper’s eyes opened. So did Colonel Melchett’s. Harper said in an almost awed voice:

“That’s a very large sum of money, Mr. Jefferson.”

“In these days, yes, it is.”

“And you were leaving it to a girl you had only known a few weeks?”

Anger flashed into the vivid blue eyes.

“Must I go on repeating the same thing over and over again? I’ve no flesh and blood of my own—no nieces or nephews or distant cousins, even! I might have left it to charity. I prefer to leave it to an individual.” He laughed. “Cinderella turned into a princess overnight! A fairy-godfather instead of a fairy-godmother. Why not? It’s my money. I made it.”

Colonel Melchett asked: “Any other bequests?”

“A small legacy to Edwards, my valet—and the remainder to Mark and Addie in equal shares.”

“Would—excuse me—the residue amount to a large sum?”

“Probably not. It’s difficult to say exactly, investments fluctuate all the time. The sum involved, after death duties and expenses had been paid, would probably have come to something between five and ten thousand pounds net.”

“I see.”

“And you needn’t think I was treating them shabbily. As I said, I divided up my estate at the time my children married. I left myself, actually, a very small sum. But after—after the tragedy—I wanted something to occupy my mind. I flung myself into business. At my house in London I had a private line put in connecting my bedroom with my office. I worked hard—it helped me not to think, and it made me feel that my—my mutilation had not vanquished me. I threw myself into work”—his voice took on a deeper note, he spoke more to himself than to his audience—“and, by some subtle irony, everything I did prospered! My wildest speculations succeeded. If I gambled, I won. Everything I touched turned to gold. Fate’s ironic way of righting the balance, I suppose.”

The lines of suffering stood out on his face again.

Recollecting himself, he smiled wryly at them.

“So you see, the sum of money I left Ruby was indisputably mine to do with as my fancy dictated.”

Melchett said quickly:

“Undoubtedly, my dear fellow, we are not questioning that for a moment.”

Conway Jefferson said: “Good. Now I want to ask some questions in my turn, if I may. I want to hear—more about this terrible business. All I know is that she—that little Ruby was found strangled in a house some twenty miles from here.”

“That is correct. At Gossington Hall.”

Jefferson frowned.

“Gossington? But that’s—”

“Colonel Bantry’s house.”

“Bantry! Arthur Bantry? But I know him. Know him and his wife! Met them abroad some years ago. I didn’t realize they lived in this part of the world. Why, it’s—”

He broke off. Superintendent Harper slipped in smoothly:

“Colonel Bantry was dining in the hotel here Tuesday of last week. You didn’t see him?”

“Tuesday? Tuesday? No, we were back late. Went over to Harden Head and had dinner on the way back.”

Melchett said:

“Ruby Keene never mentioned the Bantrys to you?”

Jefferson shook his head.

“Never. Don’t believe she knew them. Sure she didn’t. She didn’t know anybody but theatrical folk and that sort of thing.” He paused and then asked abruptly:

“What’s Bantry got to say about it?”

“He can’t account for it in the least. He was out at a Conservative meeting last night. The body was discovered this morning. He says he’s never seen the girl in his life.”

Jefferson nodded. He said:

“It certainly seems fantastic.”

Superintendent Harper cleared his throat. He said:

“Have you any idea at all, sir, who can have done this?”

“Good God, I wish I had!” The veins stood out on his forehead. “It’s incredible, unimaginable! I’d say it couldn’t have happened, if it hadn’t happened!”

“There’s no friend of hers—from her past life—no man hanging about—or threatening her?”

“I’m sure there isn’t. She’d have told me if so. She’s never had a regular ‘boyfriend.’ She told me so herself.”

Superintendent Harper thought:

“Yes, I dare say that’s what she told you! But that’s as may be!”

Conway Jefferson went on:

“Josie would know better than anyone if there had been some man hanging about Ruby or pestering her. Can’t she help?”

“She says not.”

Jefferson said, frowning:

“I can’t help feeling it must be the work of some maniac—the brutality of the method—breaking into a country house—the whole thing so unconnected and senseless. There are men of that type, men outwardly sane, but who decoy girls—sometime

s children—away and kill them. Sexual crimes really, I suppose.”

Harper said:

“Oh, yes, there are such cases, but we’ve no knowledge of anyone of that kind operating in this neighbourhood.”

Jefferson went on:

“I’ve thought over all the various men I’ve seen with Ruby. Guests here and outsiders—men she’d danced with. They all seem harmless enough—the usual type. She had no special friend of any kind.”

Superintendent Harper’s face remained quite impassive, but unseen by Conway Jefferson there was still a speculative glint in his eye.

It was quite possible, he thought, that Ruby Keene might have had a special friend even though Conway Jefferson did not know about it.

He said nothing, however. The Chief Constable gave him a glance of inquiry and then rose to his feet. He said:

“Thank you, Mr. Jefferson. That’s all we need for the present.”

Jefferson said:

“You’ll keep me informed of your progress?”

“Yes, yes, we’ll keep in touch with you.”

The two men went out.

Conway Jefferson leaned back in his chair.

His eyelids came down and veiled the fierce blue of his eyes. He looked suddenly a very tired man.

Then, after a minute or two, the lids flickered. He called: “Edwards!”

From the next room the valet appeared promptly. Edwards knew his master as no one else did. Others, even his nearest, knew only his strength. Edwards knew his weakness. He had seen Conway Jefferson tired, discouraged, weary of life, momentarily defeated by infirmity and loneliness.

“Yes, sir?”

Jefferson said:

“Get on to Sir Henry Clithering. He’s at Melborne Abbas. Ask him, from me, to get here today if he can, instead of tomorrow. Tell him it’s urgent.”

Seven

I

When they were outside Jefferson’s door, Superintendent Harper said:

“Well, for what it’s worth, we’ve got a motive, sir.”

“H’m,” said Melchett. “Fifty thousand pounds, eh?”

“Yes, sir. Murder’s been done for a good deal less than that.”