Tapemeasure Murder.docx

Tapemeasure Murder.docx

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TapemeasureMurder

MissMarple'sFinalCases

Tape-MeasureMurder

  MissPolitttookholdoftheknockerandrappedpolitelyonthecottagedoor.Afteradiscreetintervalsheknockedagain.Theparcelunderherleftarmshiftedalittleasshedidso,andshereadjustedit.InsidetheparcelwasMrs.Spenlow'snewgreenwinterdress,readyforfitting.FromMissPolitt'slefthanddangledabagofblacksilk,containingatapemeasure,apincushion,andalarge,practicalpairofscissors.

  MissPolittwastallandgaunt,withasharpnose,pursedlips,andameagreiron-greyhair.Shehesitatedbeforeusingtheknockerforthethirdtime.Glancingdownthestreet,shesawafigurerapidlyapproaching.MissHartnell,jolly,weather-beaten,fifty-five,shoutedoutinherusualloudbassvoice,"Goodafternoon,MissPolitt!

"

  Thedressmakeranswered,"Goodafternoon,MissHartnell."Hervoicewasexcessivelythinandgenteelinitsaccents.Shehadstartedlifeasalady'smaid."Excuseme,"shewenton,"butdoyouhappentoknowifbyanychanceMrs.Spenlowisn'tathome?

"

  "Nottheleastidea,"saidMissHartnell.

  "It'sratherawkward,yousee.IwastofitonMrs.Spenlow'snewdressthisafternoon.Three-thirty,shesaid."

  MissHartnellconsultedherwristwatch."It'salittlepastthehalf-hournow."

  "Yes.Ihaveknockedthreetimes,buttheredoesn'tseemtobeanyanswer,soIwaswonderingifperhapsMrs.Spenlowmighthavegoneoutandforgotten.Shedoesn'tforgetappointmentsasarule,andshewantsthedresstowearthedayaftertomorrow."

  MissHartnellenteredthegateandwalkedupthepathtojoinMissPolittoutsidethedoorofLaburnamCottage.

  "Whydoesn'tGladysanswerthedoor?

"shedemanded."Oh,no,ofcourse,it'sThursday-Gladys'sdayout.IexpectMrs.Spenlowhasfallenasleep.Idon'texpectyou'vemadeenoughnoisewiththisthing."

  Seizingtheknocker,sheexecutedadeafeningrat-a-tat-tat,andinaddition,thumpeduponthepanelsofthedoor.Shealsocalledoutinastentorianvoice:

"Whatho,withinthere!

"

  Therewasnoresponse.

  MissPolittmurmured,"Oh,IthinkMrs.Spenlowmusthaveforgottenandgoneout.I'llcallroundsomeothertime."Shebeganedgingawaydownthepath.

  "Nonsense,"saidMissHartnellfirmly."Shecan'thavegoneout.I'dhavemether.I'lljusttakealookthroughthewindowsandseeifIcanfindanysignsoflife."

  Shelaughedinherusualheartymanner,toindicatethatitwasajoke,andappliedaperfunctoryglancetothenearestwindowpane-perfunctorybecausesheknewquitewellthatthefrontroomwasseldomused,Mr.andMrs.Spenlowpreferringthesmallbacksittingroom.

  Perfunctoryasitwas,though,itsucceededinitsobject.MissHartnell,itistrue,sawnosignsoflife.Onthecontrary,shesaw,throughthewindow,Mrs.Spenlowlyingonthehearthrug-dead.

  "Ofcourse,"saidMissHartnell,tellingthestoryafterward,"Imanagedtokeepmyhead.ThatPolittcreaturewouldn'thavehadtheleastideaofwhattodo.'Gottokeepourheads,'Isaidtoher.'YoustayhereandI'llgoforConstablePalk.'Shesaidsomethingaboutnotwantingtobeleft,butIpaidnoattentionatall.Onehastobefirmwiththatsortofperson.I'vealwaysfoundtheyenjoymakingafuss.SoIwasjustgoingoffwhen,atthatverymoment,Mr.Spenlowcameroundthecornerofthehouse."

  HereMissHartnellmadeasignificantpause.Itenabledheraudiencetoaskbreathlessly,"Tellme,howdidhelook?

"

  MissHartnellwouldthengoon:

"Frankly,Isuspectedsomethingatonce!

Hewasfartoocalm.Hedidn'tseemsurprisedintheleast.Andyoumaysaywhatyoulike,itisn'tnaturalforamantohearthathiswifeisdeadanddisplaynoemotionwhatever."

  Everybodyagreedwiththisstatement.

  Thepoliceagreedwithittoo.SosuspiciousdidtheyconsiderMr.Spenlow'sdetachmentthattheylostnotimeinascertaininghowthatgentlemanwassituatedasaresultofhiswife'sdeath.WhentheydiscoveredthatMrs.Spenlowhadbeenthemoneyedpartner,andthathermoneywenttoherhusbandunderawillmadesoonaftertheirmarriage,theyweremoresuspiciousthanever.

  MissMarple,thatsweet-faced-and,somesaid,vinegar-tongued-elderlyspinsterwholivedinthehousenexttotherectory,wasinterviewedveryearly-withinhalfanhourofthediscoveryofthecrime.ShewasapproachedbyPoliceConstablePalk,importantlythumbinganotebook."Ifyoudon'tmind,ma'am,I'veafewquestionstoaskyou."

  Missmarplesaid,"InconnectionwiththemurderofMrs.Spenlow?

"

  Palkwasstartled."MayIask,madam,howyougottoknowofit?

"

  "Thefish,"saidMissMarple.

  ThereplywasperfectlyintelligibletoConstablePalk.Heassumedcorrectlythatthefishmonger'sboyhadbroughtit,togetherwithMissMarple'seveningmeal.

  MissMarplecontinuedgently."Lyingonthefloorinthesittingroom,strangled-possiblybyaverynarrowbelt.Butwhateveritwas,itwastakenaway."

  Palk'sfacewaswrathful."HowthatyoungFredgetstoknoweverything-"

  MissMarplecuthimshortadroitly.Shesaid,"There'sapininyourtunic."

  ConstablePalklookeddown,startled.Hesaid,"Theydosay:

'Seeapinandpickitup,allthedayyou'llhavegoodluck.'"

  "Ihopethatwillcometrue.Nowwhatisityouwantmetotellyou?

"

  ConstablePalkclearedhisthroat,lookedimportant,andconsultedhisnotebook."StatementwasmadetomebyMr.ArthurSpenlow,husbandofthedeceased.Mr.Spenlowsaysthatattwo-thirty,asfarashecansay,hewasrungupbyMissMarpleandaskedifhewouldcomeoverataquarterpastthree,asshewasanxioustoconsulthimaboutsomething.Now,ma'am,isthattrue?

"

  "Certainlynot,"saidMissMarple.

  "YoudidnotringupMr.Spenlowattwo-thirty?

"

  "Neitherattwo-thirtynoranyothertime."

  "Ah,"saidConstablePalk,andsuckedhismoustachewithagooddealofsatisfaction.

  "WhatelsedidMr.Spenlowsay?

"

  "Mr.Spenlow'sstatementwasthathecameoverhereasrequested,leavinghisownhouseattenminutespastthree;thatonarrivalherehewasinformedbythemaidservantthatMissMarplewas'notat'ome.'"

  "Thatpartofitistrue,"saidMissMarple."Hedidcomehere,butIwasatameetingattheWomen'sInstitute."

  "Ah,"saidConstablePalkagain.

  "MissMarpleexclaimed,"Dotellme,Constable,doyoususpectMr.Spenlow?

"

  "It'snotformetosayatthisstage,butitlookstomeasthoughsomebody,namingnonames,hadbeentryingtobeartful."

  MissMarplesaidthoughtfully,"Mr.Spenlow?

"

  ShelikedMr.Spenlow.Hewasasmall,spareman,stiffandconventionalinspeech,theacmeofrespectability.Itseemedoddthatheshouldhavecometoliveinthecountry,hehadsoclearlylivedintownsallhislife.ToMissMarpleheconfidedthereason.Hesaid,"Ihavealwaysintended,eversinceIwasasmallboy,toliveinthecountrysomedayandhaveagardenofmyown.Ihavealwaysbeenverymuchattachedtoflowers.Mywife,youknow,keptaflowershop.That'swhereIsawherfirst."

  Adrystatement,butitopenedupavistaofromance.Ayounger,prettierMrs.Spenlow,seenagainstabackgroundofflowers.

  Mr.Spenlow,however,reallyknewnothingaboutflowers.Hehadnoideaofseeds,ofcuttings,ofbeddingout,ofannualsorperennials.Hehadonlyavision-avisionofasmallcottagegardenthicklyplantedwithsweet-smelling,brightlycolouredblossoms.Hehadasked,almostpathetically,forinstructionandhadnoteddownMissMarple'srepliestoquestionsinalittlebook.

  Hewasamanofquietmethod.Itwas,perhaps,becauseofthistraitthatthepolicewereinterestedinhimwhenhiswifewasfoundmurdered.WithpatienceandperseverancetheylearnedagooddealaboutthelateMrs.Spenlow-andsoonallSt.MaryMeadknewittoo.

  ThelateMrs.Spenlowhadbegunlifeasabetween-maidinalargehouse.ShehadleftthatpositiontomarrythesecondgardenerandwithhimhadstartedaflowershopinLondon.Theshophadprospered.Notsothegardener,whobeforelonghadsickenedanddied.

  Hiswidowhadcarriedontheshopandenlargeditinanambitiousway.Shehadcontinuedtoprosper.Theshehadsoldthebusinessatahandsomepriceandembarkeduponmatrimonyforthesecondtime-withMr.Spenlow,amiddle-agedjewellerwhohadinheritedasmallandstrugglingbusiness.NotlongafterwardtheyhadsoldthebusinessandcomedowntoSt.MaryMead.

  Mrs.Spenlowwasawell-to-dowoman.Theprofitsfromherflorist'sestablishmentshehadinvested-"underspiritguidance,"assheexplainedtoallandsundry.Thespiritshadadvisedherwithunexpectedacumen.

  Allherinvestmentshadprospered,someinquiteasensationalfashion.Instead,however,ofthisincreasingherbeliefinspiritualism,Mrs.SpenlowbaselydesertedmediumsandsittingsandmadeabriefbutwholeheartedplungeintoanobscurereligionwithIndianaffinitieswhichwasbasedonvariousformsofdeepbreathing.When,however,shearrivedatSt.MaryMead,shehadrelapsedintoaperiodoforthodoxChurch-of-Englandbeliefs.ShewasagooddealattheVicarageandattendedchurchserviceswithassiduity.Shepatronisedthevillageshops,tookaninterestinthelocalhappenings,andplayedvillagebridge.

  Ahumdrum,everydaylife.And-suddenly-murder.

  ColonelMelchett,thechiefconstable,hadsummonedInspectorSlack.

  Slackwasapositivetypeofman.Whenhemadeuphismind,hewassure.Hewasquitesurenow."Husbanddidit,sir,"hesaid.

  "Youthinkso?

"

  "Quitesureofit.You'veonlygottolookathim.Nevershowedasignofgrieforemotion.Hecamebacktothehouseknowingshewasdead."

  "Wouldn't