VI

Hastily downing the last fragments of toast and marmalade with a drinkof coffee, Colonel Bantry hurried out into the hall and was relieved to seeColonel Melchett, the Chief Constable of the county, descending from a carwith Inspector Slack in attendance. Melchett was a friend of the Colonel’s.

Slack he had never much taken to—an energetic man who belied his nameand who accompanied his bustling manner with a good deal of disregardfor the feelings of anyone he did not consider important.

“Morning, Bantry,” said the Chief Constable. “Thought I’d better comealong myself. This seems an extraordinary business.”

“It’s—it’s—” Colonel Bantry struggled to express himself. “It’s incredible—fantastic!”

“No idea who the woman is?”

“Not the slightest. Never set eyes on her in my life.”

“Butler know anything?” asked Inspector Slack.

“Lorrimer is just as taken aback as I am.”

“Ah,” said Inspector Slack. “I wonder.”

Colonel Bantry said:

“There’s breakfast in the dining room, Melchett, if you’d like anything?”

“No, no — better get on with the job. Haydock ought to be here anyminute now—ah, here he is.”

Another car drew up and big, broad-shouldered Doctor Haydock, whowas also the police surgeon, got out. A second police car had disgorgedtwo plainclothes men, one with a camera.

“All set—eh?” said the Chief Constable. “Right. We’ll go along. In the lib-rary, Slack tells me.”

Colonel Bantry groaned.

“It’s incredible! You know, when my wife insisted this morning that thehousemaid had come in and said there was a body in the library, I justwouldn’t believe her.”

“No, no, I can quite understand that. Hope your missus isn’t too badlyupset by it all?”

“She’s been wonderful—really wonderful. She’s got old Miss Marple uphere with her—from the village, you know.”

“Miss Marple?” The Chief Constable stiffened. “Why did she send forher?”

“Oh, a woman wants another woman—don’t you think so?”

Colonel Melchett said with a slight chuckle:

“If you ask me, your wife’s going to try her hand at a little amateur de-tecting. Miss Marple’s quite the local sleuth. Put it over us properly once,didn’t she, Slack?”

Inspector Slack said: “That was different.”

“Different from what?”

“That was a local case, that was, sir. The old lady knows everything thatgoes on in the village, that’s true enough. But she’ll be out of her depthhere.”

Melchett said dryly: “You don’t know very much about it yourself yet,Slack.”

“Ah, you wait, sir. It won’t take me long to get down to it.”