The Murder at the Vicarage

"Perfectly, perfectly," said Colonel Melchett. "And she went across to the Vicarage, you say?"
"Yes. I saw her turn the corner of the house. I suppose the colonel wasn't there yet, because she came back almost immediately, and went down the lawn to the studio - that building there. The one the vicar lets Mr. Redding use as a studio."
"I see. And - you didn't happen to hear a shot, Miss Marple?"
"I didn't hear a shot then," said Miss Marple.
"But did you hear one sometime?"
"Yes, I think there was a shot somewhere in the woods. But quite five or ten minutes afterwards - and, as I say, out in the woods. At least, I think so. It couldn't have been - surely it couldn't have been -"
She stopped, pale with excitement.
"Yes, yes, we'll come to all that presently," said Colonel Melchett. "Please go on with your story. Mrs. Protheroe went down to the studio?"
"Yes, she went inside and waited. Presently Mr. Redding came along the lane from the village. He came to the Vicarage gate, looked all round -"
"And saw you, Miss Marple."
"As a matter of fact, he didn't see me," said Miss Marple, flushing slightly. "Because, you see, just at that minute I was bending right over - trying to get up one of those nasty dandelions, you know. So difficult. And then he went through the gate and down to the studio."
"He didn't go near the house?"
"Oh, no! he went straight to the studio. Mrs. Protheroe came to the door to meet him, and then they both went inside."
Here Miss Marple contributed a singularly eloquent pause.
"Perhaps she was sitting to him?" I suggested.
"Perhaps," said Miss Marple.
"And they came out - when?"
"About ten minutes later."
"That was roughly?"
"The church clock had chimed the half-hour. They strolled out through the garden gate and along the lane, and just at that minute, Dr. Stone came down the path leading to the Hall, and climbed over the stile and joined them. They all walked towards the village together. At the end of the lane, I think, but I can't be quite sure, they were joined by Miss Cram. I think it must have been Miss Cram because her skirts were so short."
"You must have very good eyesight, Miss Marple, if you can observe as far as that."
"I was observing a bird," said Miss Marple. "A golden crested wren, I think he was. A sweet little fellow. I had my glasses out, and that's how I happened to see Miss Cram (if it was Miss Cram, and I think so), join them."
"Ah! well, that may be so," said Colonel Melchett. "Now, since you seem very good at observing, did you happen to notice, Miss Marple, what sort of expression Mrs. Protheroe and Mr. Redding had as they passed along the lane?"
"They were smiling and talking," said Miss Marple. "They seemed very happy to be together, if you know what I mean."
"They didn't seem upset or disturbed in any way?"
"Oh, no! Just the opposite."
"Deuced odd," said the colonel. "There's something deuced odd about the whole thing."
Miss Marple suddenly took our breath away by remarking in a placid voice:
"Has Mrs. Protheroe been saying that she committed the crime now?"
"Upon my soul," said the colonel, "how did you come to guess that, Miss Marple?"
"Well, I rather thought it might happen," said Miss Marple. "I think dear Lettice thought so, too. She's really a very sharp girl. Not always very scrupulous, I'm afraid. So Anne Protheroe says she killed her husband. Well, well. I don't think it's true. No, I'm almost sure it isn't true. Not with a woman like Anne Protheroe. Although one never can be quite sure about any one, can one? At least that's what I've found. When does she say she shot him?"
"At twenty minutes past six. Just after speaking to you."
Miss Marple shook her head slowly and pityingly. The pity was, I think, for two full-grown men being so foolish as to believe such a story. At least that is what we felt like.
"What did she shoot him with?"
"A pistol."
"Where did she find it?"
"She brought it with her."
"Well, that she didn't do," said Miss Marple, with unexpected decision. "I can swear to that. She'd no such thing with her."
"You mightn't have seen it."
"Of course I should have seen it."
"If it had been in her handbag."
"She wasn't carrying a handbag."
"Well it might have been concealed - er - upon her person."
Miss Marple directed a glance of sorrow and scorn upon him.
"My dear Colonel Melchett, you know what young women are nowadays. Not ashamed to show exactly how the creator made them. She hadn't so much as a handkerchief in the top of her stocking.''
Melchett was obstinate.
"You must admit that it all fits in," he said. "The time, the overturned clock pointing to 6.22 -"
Miss Marple turned on me.
"Do you mean you haven't told him about that clock yet?"
"What about the clock, Clement?"
I told him. He showed a good deal of annoyance.
"Why on earth didn't you tell Slack this last night?"
"Because," I said, "he wouldn't let me."
"Nonsense, you ought to have insisted."
"Probably," I said, "Inspector Slack behaves quite differently to you than he does to me. I had no earthly chance of insisting."
"It's an extraordinary business altogether," said Melchett. "If a third person comes along and claims to have done this murder, I shall go into a lunatic asylum."
"If I might be allowed to suggest -" murmured Miss Marple.
"Well?"
"If you were to tell Mr. Redding what Mrs. Protheroe has done and then explain that you don't really believe it is her. And then if you were to go to Mrs. Protheroe and tell her that Mr. Redding is all right - why then, they might each of them tell you the truth. And the truth is helpful, though I dare say they don't know very much themselves, poor things."
"It's all very well, but they are the only two people who had a motive for making away with Protheroe."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that, Colonel Melchett," said Miss Marple.
"Why, can you think of any one else?"
"Oh! yes, indeed. Why," she counted on her fingers, "one, two, three, four, five, six - yes, and a possible seven. I can think of at least seven people who might be very glad to have Colonel Protheroe out of the way."
The colonel looked at her feebly.
"Seven people? In St. Mary Mead?"
Miss Marple nodded brightly.
"Mind you I name no names," she said. "That wouldn't be right. But I'm afraid there's a lot of wickedness in the world. A nice honourable upright soldier like you doesn't know about these things, Colonel Melchett."
I thought the Chief Constable was going to have apoplexy.
 
Chapter X
His remarks on the subject of Miss Marple as we left the house we're far from complimentary.
"I really believe that wizened-up old maid thinks she knows everything there is to know. And hardly been out of this village all her life. Preposterous. What can she know of life?"
I said mildly that though doubtless Miss Marple knew next to nothing of Life with a capital L, she knew practically everything that went on in St. Mary Mead.
Melchett admitted that grudgingly. She was a valuable witness - particularly valuable from Mrs. Protheroe's point of view.
"I suppose there's no doubt about what she says, eh?"
"If Miss Marple says she had no pistol with her, you can take it for granted that it is so," I said. "If there was the least possibility of such a thing, Miss Marple would have been on to it like a knife."
"That's true enough. We'd better go and have a look at the studio."
The so-called studio was a mere rough shed with a skylight. There were no windows and the door was the only means of entrance or egress. Satisfied on this score, Melchett announced his intention of visiting the Vicarage with the inspector.