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‘A fine lot of books,’ said Miss Greenshaw
Ray at the books Frolance there was no book here of any real interest or, indeed, any book which appeared to have been read They were all superbly bound sets of the classics as supplied ninety years ago for furnishing a gentleone period were included But they too showed little signs of having been read
Miss Greenshaas fu in the drawers of a vast desk Finally she pulled out a parchment document
‘My will,’ she explained ‘Got to leave your money to someone—or so they say If I died without a will I suppose that son of a horse-coper would get it Handsoue if there ever was one Don’t see why his son should inherit this place No,’ she went on, as though answering so it to Cresswell’
‘Your housekeeper?’
‘Yes I’ve explained it to her I ot and then I don’t need to pay her any wages Saves me a lot in current expenses, and it keeps her up to theoff at any minute Very la-di-dah and all that, isn’t she? But her father was a working pluive herself airs about’
She had by now unfolded the parch up a pen she dipped it in the inkstand and wrote her signature, Katherine Dorothy Greenshaw
‘That’s right,’ she said ‘You’ve seen al’
She handed the pen to Ray an unexpected repulsion to what he was asked to do Then he quickly scrawled the well-known signature, for which his ht at least six demands a day
Horace took the pen fronature
‘That’s done,’ said Miss Greenshaw
Sheat thelass door, took out a book and slipped the folded parchment inside
‘I’ve s,’ she said
‘Lady Audley’s Secret,’ Rayht of the title as she replaced the book
Miss Greenshaw gave another cackle of laughter
‘Best-seller in its day,’ she remarked ‘Not like your books, eh?’
She gave Raye in the ribs Raymond was rather surprised that she even knerote books Although Raymond West was quite a name in literature, he could hardly be described as a best-seller Though softening a little with the advent of e, his books dealt bleakly with the sordid side of life
‘I wonder,’ Horace deraph of the clock?’
‘By all means,’ said Miss Greenshaw ‘It came, I believe, from the Paris exhibition’
‘Very probably,’ said Horace He took his picture
‘This roorandfather’s time,’ said Miss Greenshaw ‘This desk’s full of old diaries of his Interesting, I should think I haven’t the eyesight to read theet theood deal’
‘You could engage someone to do that,’ said Raymond West
‘Could I really? It’s an idea, you know I’ll think about it’
Raylanced at his watch
‘We er,’ he said
‘Pleased to have seen you,’ said Miss Greenshaw graciously ‘Thought you were the police round the corner of the house’
‘Why a police questions
Miss Greenshaw responded unexpectedly
‘If you want to know the time, ask a policeman,’ she carolled, and with this exaed Horace in the ribs and roared with laughter
‘It’s been a wonderful afternoon,’ sighed Horace as they walked ho the library needs is a body Those old-fashioned detective stories about murder in the library—that’s just the kind of library I’m sure the authors had in mind’
‘If you want to discuss murder,’ said Raymond, ‘you must talk to my Aunt Jane’
‘Your Aunt Jane? Do you mean Miss Marple?’ He felt a little at a loss