Seventeen

I
Sir Henry’s face was very grave.

He said:

“I don’t like it.”

“I am aware,” said Miss Marple, “that it isn’t what you call orthodox. Butit is so important, isn’t it, to be quite sure —‘to make assurance doublysure,’ as Shakespeare has it. I think, if Mr. Jefferson would agree—?”

“What about Harper? Is he to be in on this?”

“It might be awkward for him to know too much. But there might be ahint from you. To watch certain persons—have them trailed, you know.”

Sir Henry said slowly:

“Yes, that would meet the case….”

II

Superintendent Harper looked piercingly at Sir Henry Clithering.

“Let’s get this quite clear, sir. You’re giving me a hint?”

Sir Henry said:

“I’m informing you of what my friend has just informed me—he didn’ttell me in confidence—that he proposes to visit a solicitor in Danemouthtomorrow for the purpose of making a new will.”

The Superintendent’s bushy eyebrows drew downwards over his steadyeyes. He said:

“Does Mr. Conway Jefferson propose to inform his son- in- law anddaughter-in-law of that fact?”

“He intends to tell them about it this evening.”

“I see.”

The Superintendent tapped his desk with a penholder.

He repeated again: “I see….”

Then the piercing eyes bored once more into the eyes of the other man.

Harper said:

“So you’re not satisfied with the case against Basil Blake?”

“Are you?”

The Superintendent’s moustaches quivered. He said:

“Is Miss Marple?”

The two men looked at each other.

Then Harper said:

“You can leave it to me. I’ll have men detailed. There will be no funnybusiness, I can promise you that.”

Sir Henry said:

“There is one more thing. You’d better see this.”

He unfolded a slip of paper and pushed it across the table.

This time the Superintendent’s calm deserted him. He whistled:

“So that’s it, is it? That puts an entirely different complexion on the mat-ter. How did you come to dig up this?”

“Women,” said Sir Henry, “are eternally interested in marriages.”

“Especially,” said the Superintendent, “elderly single women.”