Anyone, it seems, could have come in from outside, and shot Mr Gulbrandsen, since the terrace door was unlocked. But there is a narrower field inside the house, and in view of what you have been telling me, it seems to me that very close attention must be paid to that. It seems possible that, with the exception of old Miss - er - yes, Marple, who happened to be looking out of her bedroom window, no one was aware that you and Christian Gulbrandsen had already had a private interview. If so, Gulbrandsen may have been shot to prevent him communicating his suspicions to you. Of course it is too early to say as yet what other motives may exist. Mr Gulbrandsen was a wealthy man, I presume?'
'Yes, he was a very wealthy man. He has sons and daughters and grandchildren - all of them will probably benefit by his death. But I do not think that any of his family are in this country, and they are all solid and highly respectable people. As far as I know, there are no black sheep amongst them.'
'Had he any enemies?'
'I should think it most unlikely. He was - really, he was not that type of man.'
'So it boils down, doesn't it, to this house and the people in it? Who from inside the house could have killed him?'
Lewis Serrocold said slowly:
'That is difficult for me to say. There are the servants and the members of my household and our guests. They are, from your point of view, all possibilities, I suppose. I can only tell you that, as far as I know, everyone except the servants was in the Great Hall when Christian left it, and whilst I was there, nobody left it.'
'Nobody at all?'
'I think -' Lewis frowned in an effort of remembrance - 'oh yes. Some of the lights fused - Mr Walter Hudd went to see to it.'
'That's the young American gentleman?'
'Yes - of course I don't know what took place after Edgar and I came in here.'
'And you can't give me anything nearer than that, Mr Serrocold?'
Lewis Serrocold shook his head.
'No, I'm afraid I can't help you. It's - it's all quite inconceivable.'
Inspector Curry sighed. He said: 'Mr Gulbrandsen was shot with a small automatic pistol. Do you know if anyone in the house has such a weapon?'
'I have no idea, I should think it most unlikely.' Inspector Curry sighed again. He said:
'You can tell the party that they can all go to bed. I'll talk to them tomorrow.'
When Serrocold had left the room, Inspector Curry said to Lake:
'Well - what do you think?'
'Knows - or thinks he knows, who did it,' said Lake.
'Yes. I agree with you. And he doesn't like it a bit -'
They Do It With Mirrors
Chapter 11
Gina greeted Miss Marple with a rush as the latter came down to breakfast the next morning.
'The police are here again,' she said. 'They're in the library this time. Wally is absolutely fascinated by them. He can't understand their being so quiet and so remote. I think he's really quite thrilled by the whole thing. I'm not. I hate it. I think it's horrible. Why do you think I'm so upset? Because I'm half Italian?'
'Very possibly. At least perhaps it explains why you don't mind showing what you feel.'
Miss Marple smiled just a little as she said this.
'Jolly's frightfully cross,' said Gina, hanging on Miss Marple's arm and propelling her into the dining-room. 'I think really because the police are in charge and she can't exactly “run” them like she runs everybody else.
'Alex and Stephen,' continued Gina severely, as they came into the dining-room where the two brothers were finishing their breakfast, 'just don't care.'
'Gina dearest,' said Alex, 'you are most unkind. Good morning, Miss Marple. I care intensely. Except for the fact that I hardly knew your Uncle Christian, I'm far and away the best suspect. You do realize that, I hope.'
'Why?'
'Well, I was driving up to the house at about the right time, it seems. And they've been checking up on things, and it seems that I took too much time between the lodge and the house - time enough, the implication is, to leave the car, run round
'Yes, he was a very wealthy man. He has sons and daughters and grandchildren - all of them will probably benefit by his death. But I do not think that any of his family are in this country, and they are all solid and highly respectable people. As far as I know, there are no black sheep amongst them.'
'Had he any enemies?'
'I should think it most unlikely. He was - really, he was not that type of man.'
'So it boils down, doesn't it, to this house and the people in it? Who from inside the house could have killed him?'
Lewis Serrocold said slowly:
'That is difficult for me to say. There are the servants and the members of my household and our guests. They are, from your point of view, all possibilities, I suppose. I can only tell you that, as far as I know, everyone except the servants was in the Great Hall when Christian left it, and whilst I was there, nobody left it.'
'Nobody at all?'
'I think -' Lewis frowned in an effort of remembrance - 'oh yes. Some of the lights fused - Mr Walter Hudd went to see to it.'
'That's the young American gentleman?'
'Yes - of course I don't know what took place after Edgar and I came in here.'
'And you can't give me anything nearer than that, Mr Serrocold?'
Lewis Serrocold shook his head.
'No, I'm afraid I can't help you. It's - it's all quite inconceivable.'
Inspector Curry sighed. He said: 'Mr Gulbrandsen was shot with a small automatic pistol. Do you know if anyone in the house has such a weapon?'
'I have no idea, I should think it most unlikely.' Inspector Curry sighed again. He said:
'You can tell the party that they can all go to bed. I'll talk to them tomorrow.'
When Serrocold had left the room, Inspector Curry said to Lake:
'Well - what do you think?'
'Knows - or thinks he knows, who did it,' said Lake.
'Yes. I agree with you. And he doesn't like it a bit -'
They Do It With Mirrors
Chapter 11
Gina greeted Miss Marple with a rush as the latter came down to breakfast the next morning.
'The police are here again,' she said. 'They're in the library this time. Wally is absolutely fascinated by them. He can't understand their being so quiet and so remote. I think he's really quite thrilled by the whole thing. I'm not. I hate it. I think it's horrible. Why do you think I'm so upset? Because I'm half Italian?'
'Very possibly. At least perhaps it explains why you don't mind showing what you feel.'
Miss Marple smiled just a little as she said this.
'Jolly's frightfully cross,' said Gina, hanging on Miss Marple's arm and propelling her into the dining-room. 'I think really because the police are in charge and she can't exactly “run” them like she runs everybody else.
'Alex and Stephen,' continued Gina severely, as they came into the dining-room where the two brothers were finishing their breakfast, 'just don't care.'
'Gina dearest,' said Alex, 'you are most unkind. Good morning, Miss Marple. I care intensely. Except for the fact that I hardly knew your Uncle Christian, I'm far and away the best suspect. You do realize that, I hope.'
'Why?'
'Well, I was driving up to the house at about the right time, it seems. And they've been checking up on things, and it seems that I took too much time between the lodge and the house - time enough, the implication is, to leave the car, run round
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