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“Are you really asking rove is seen near the scene of a bank holdup Soo into it It’s all a mistake He was somewhere else at the time But it wasn’t for a while that we realized that these were all what is sometimes called ‘deliberate mistakes’ Nobody’s bothered about the man who had looked so like him And doesn’t look particularly like hi his part The whole thing brings about confusion At one tie, an Archdeacon, an Admiral, a Major-General, all seen near the scene of a crime

“After the Bedhampton train robbery at least four vehicles were concerned before the loot arrived in London A racing car driven by Malinowski took part in it, a false Metal Box lorry, an old-fashioned Daiyman with a thatch of white hair in a Morris Oxford The whole thing was a splendid operation, beautifully planned

“And then one day the gang had a bit of bad luck That muddle-headed old ecclesiastic, Canon Pennyfather, went off to catch his plane on the wrong day, they turned him away from the air station, he wandered out into Croht, came up to his room, of which he had the key in his pocket, opened the door, and walked in to get the shock of his life when he sahat appeared to be hi expected was to see the real Canon Pennyfather, supposed to be safely in Lucerne, walk in! His double was just getting ready to start off to play his part at Bedhampton when in walked the real man They didn’t knohat to do but there was a quick reflex action from one member of the party Humfries, I suspect He hit the old man on the head, and he went down unconscious Sory However, they examined the old boy, decided he was only knocked out, and would probably come round later and they went on with their plans The false Canon Pennyfather left his room, went out of the hotel and drove to the scene of activities where he was to play his part in the relay race What they did with the real Canon Pennyfather I don’t know I can only guess I presuht, driven down in a car, taken to the e which was at a spot not too far from where the train was to be held up and where a doctor could attend to hih about Canon Pennyfather having been seen in the neighbourhood, it would all fit in It must have been an anxious ained consciousness and they found that at least three days had been knocked out of his remembrance”

“Would they have killed him otherwise?” asked Miss Marple

“No,” said Father “I don’t think they would have killed him Someone wouldn’t have let that happen It had see that whoever ran this show had an objection to murder”

“It sounds fantastic,” said Bess Sedgwick “Utterly fantastic! And I don’t believe you have any evidence whatever to link Ladislaus Malinoith this rigmarole”

“I’ve got plenty of evidence against Ladislaus Malinowski,” said Father “He’s careless, you know He hung around here when he shouldn’t have On the first occasion he cahter They had a code arranged”

“Nonsense She told you herself that she didn’t know him”

“She may have told me that but it wasn’t true She’s in love with him She wants the fellow to marry her”

“I don’t believe it!”

“You’re not in a position to know,” Chief-Inspector Davy pointed out “Malinowski isn’t the sort of person who tells all his secrets and your daughter you don’t know at all You adry, weren’t you, when you found out Malinowski had come to Bertram’s Hotel”

“Why should I be angry?”

“Because you’re the brains of the show,” said Father “You and Henry The financial side was run by the Hoffements with the Continental banks and accounts and that sort of thing, but the boss of the syndicate, the brains that run it, and plan it, are your brains, Lady Sedgwick”

Bess looked at hi so ridiculous!” she said

“Oh no, it’s not ridiculous at all You’ve got brains, courage and daring You’ve tried ht you’d turn your hand to crime Plenty of excitement in it, plenty of risk It wasn’t the money that attracted you, I’d say, it was the fun of the whole thing But you wouldn’t stand for s, no brutal assaults, only nice quiet scientific taps on the head if necessary You’re a very interesting woreat criminals”

There was silence for sowick rose to her feet

“I think you must be mad” She put her hand out to the telephone

“Going to ring up your solicitor? Quite the right thing to do before you say too much”