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“You can’t be sure I think—I think she feels it”
“What gives you that idea?” said Bess Sedgwick sharply
“So she said yesterday She asked where you were, what you were doing”
Bess Sedgalked across the roo on the pane
“You’re so nice, Derek,” she said “You have such nice ideas But they don’t work, ot to say to yourself They don’t work and they erous”
“Oh coerous?”
“Yes, yes, yes Dangerous I’erous”
“When I think of sos you’ve done,” said Colonel Luscombe
“That’s er has become a kind of habit withLike that nice little dollop of heroin addicts have to have every so often toWell, that’s all right That’s s—never needed the But people who live as I do can be a source of harm to others Now don’t be an obstinate old fool, Derek You keep that girl well away froood Only har in the sa up the Melfords and take her down there today Make soency—”
Colonel Lusco his moustaches
“I think you’re hed “She asked where you were I told her you were abroad”
“Well, I shall be in another twelve hours, so that all fits very nicely”
She came up to him, kissed hih they were about to play Blind Man’s Buff, opened the door, gave hi shove out of it As the door shut behind hi the corner fro to herself as she looked into her handbag “Dear, dear me I suppose I must have left it in my room Oh dear”
She passed Colonel Lusco much attention to him apparently, but as he went on down the stairs Miss Marple paused by her roolance after hiwick’s door “So that’s who she aiting for,” said Miss Marple to herself “I wonder why”
III
Canon Pennyfather, fortified by breakfast, wandered across the lounge, reh the swinging doors, and was neatly inserted into a taxi by the Irish commissionaire who existed for this purpose
“Where to, sir?”
“Oh dear,” said Canon Pennyfather in sudden dis?”
The traffic in Pond Street was held up for some minutes whilst Canon Pennyfather and the commissionaire debated this knotty point
Finally Canon Pennyfather had a brainwave and the taxi was directed to go to the British Museum
The corin on his face, and since no other exits see the façade of the hotel whistling an old tune in a muted manner
One of the s on the ground floor of Bertra up—but the commissionaire did not even turn his head until a voice spoke unexpectedly through the open
“So this is where you’ve landed up, Micky What on earth brought you to this place?”
He swung round, startled—and stared
Lady Sedgwick thrust her head through the open
“Don’t you know me?” she demanded
A sudden gleanition came across the man’s face
“Why, if it isn’t little Bessie now! Fancy that! After all these years Little Bessie”
“Nobody but you ever calledall these years?”
“This and that,” said Micky with some reserve “I’ve not been in the news like you have I’ve read of your doings in the paper tiain”
Bess Sedgwick laughed “Anyway, I’ve worn better than you have,” she said “You drink too much You always did”
“You’ve ell because you’ve always been in the money”
“Money wouldn’t have done you any good You’d have drunk even s coht you here? That’s what I want to kno did you ever get taken on at this place?”
“I wanted a job I had these—” his hand flicked over the row of medals
“Yes, I see” She was thoughtful “All genuine too, aren’t they?”
“Sure they’re genuine Why shouldn’t they be?”
“Oh I believe you You always had courage You’ve always been a good fighter Yes, the army suited you I’m sure of that”