Chapter 16 16 Autopsy

Miss Marple walked slowly along the village road towards the market.The coroner's court was held in an old Georgian building in the market, which for a hundred years had been known as the Curfew Arms.She glanced at her watch, and there were still twenty minutes before leaving the courtroom.She browsed the shop windows of one shop after another.She stopped in front of a store selling wool and children's clothes, and looked inside for a while.There was a girl greeting customers, two kids trying on sweaters, and an old lady at the counter. Miss Marple walked into the store, walked along the counter, sat down opposite the old lady, and took out a bunch of pink wool.She said that she had run out of wool of this brand, but her sweater was barely finished.The wool was quickly matched, and the old lady showed her some samples of her favorite bunches, and the two soon began to talk, starting from the tragic accident that had just happened, Mrs. Merripeet (if the sign outside the shop) Her last name) seemed to take the accident very seriously, noting how difficult it was to get local authorities to do something about the safety of footpaths or public roads.

You know, when it rains the dirt washes away and the big rocks loosen up and roll down.I remember that there were three landslides in one year, that is, three accidents.The first time a little boy almost died; then later in the year, oh, six months later, I think, a man broke his arm; and the third time was poor old Mrs. Walker.She was blind and almost deaf, and could hear nothing, or else escape.Someone saw the falling rock and yelled at her to warn her, but they were too far away to reach out, and they didn't have time to run to her rescue.And so she died. Oh, how miserable, said Miss Marple.What a tragedy.It's not easy to forget such things, don't you think?

It is indeed not easy.I think the coroner will mention this today. I think so too, said Miss Marple.Such seemingly natural disasters are terrifying, though, of course, sometimes accidents are man-made.Someone rolls a stone in order to loosen it, and there are such things. Well, some boys really can do anything.But I haven't seen them run up the hills and do stupid things like that. Miss Marple turned the conversation to pullovers, brightly colored pullovers. Not for me, she said.I want to buy one for my grand nephew.He wants a crew neck sweater, and he likes bright colors. Yes, young people like bright colors these days, right?Mrs. Merripitt agreed.Not necessarily jeans.They like black jeans, black, or dark blue.But they like a brighter upper body.

Miss Marble then described an eye-catching checked sweater.The store seems to stock quite a few pullovers and sweatshirts, but the red and black checked ones don't seem to be on display, not even in recent stock.After looking at a few samples, Miss Marple planned to say goodbye, but before she said goodbye, she chatted about the murders that happened in this area. They finally got the guy, Mrs. Merripitt said.A handsome lad.I really didn't expect him to do such a thing.You know, he was well-bred and went to college.I heard that his father was very rich.I think he's out of his mind.I'm not saying that because they sent him to Broadway or something, they didn't.I just think so, he must have some psychological problems. I heard that he killed five or six girls in total.The police found several young people nearby to help solve the case, and they all said it was Jeffrey.Gran, said he must have led the charge.You know, he's been kind of weird since he was a kid, and he'll pester little girls on their way to school, give them candy, take them into the alley to see primroses and stuff like that.Yes, they thought he was involved, but it wasn't him.Later, the police found another suspect named Bert.Williams, but at least two times when the incident happened, he was far away. This is called an alibi, so the murderer cannot be him.Then I caught this, what's his name?I can't remember, I think it was Luke, no, it was Mike or something.Like I said, he's good looking, but he's got a lot of criminal records.Yeah, stealing, forging checks, everything, and two so-called paternity suits, you know what I mean, where the girl got pregnant and sued, and the guy got paid for alimony.Before that, he had already made two girls pregnant.

Is this girl pregnant too? Yes, she is pregnant.When we first found the body, we thought it was Nora.Broad.She was the niece of Mrs. Broad, who ran the mill, and she hung out with boys all the time.She, too, disappeared after leaving home, and no one knew where she went.So when the body was found six months later, everyone thought it was her at first. But that's not her? No, it's a completely different person. What about her body?Was it discovered later? No.I suppose it will be found someday, but they think she was probably thrown into the river.Ah, you never know how things will turn out, do you?You might find treasure digging a field or something like that, who knows.Once someone took me to see those treasures. It was a place called Ratonloo. Is that the name?It lies among the eastern counties.The treasure was just under a plowed field, and it was beautiful.Gold boats, Viking ships, gold saucers, gold bowls, and some really big plates.Yes, there's no telling, you might just find a dead body someday, or a golden plate.You might find something hundreds of years old, like the golden plate; or you might find a dead body that was only three or four years old, like Mary.Same as Lucas.It is said that she disappeared for four years and was finally found near Reigate.Ah, there are so many such strange things!miserable life.Indeed, a miserable life.You never know what's going to happen to you.

And a girl who lived here was killed too, right?asked Miss Marple. You mean everyone thought it was Nora.Brod's body?That's right.I don't remember her name now, but I think it was Hope.Hope or Mercy, that's the kind of name, you know.Many people took this name in the Victorian era, but it is rarely heard these days.She lived at the old manor, where she lived for some time after her parents died. Her parents died in an accident, didn't they? That's right.They were on a plane going to Spain or Italy, and the plane crashed. And you said she just came to live here?Is it her relative?

I don't know if she was related to them, but as far as I know, Mrs. Green was a very good friend of her mother's.Of course, Mrs. Green had been married and had been abroad, but the eldest of the three Crotty sisters, the darker one, was particularly fond of the girl.She took her to many countries, Italy, France and so on.She trained the girl in typing, shorthand, this and that, and she also taught her art.Crotty is very artistic.Oh, she loves that girl so much.Her heart was broken when the girl disappeared.This is completely different from Anshiya Miss Ancia is the youngest, isn't she?

right.Some say she's not quite right.You know, there's something wrong with the head.Sometimes you can see her talking to herself while walking, and shaking her head in a strange manner from time to time, sometimes even children are frightened by her.I heard her behavior was a bit weird.I don't know either.You can hear everything in the village, can't you?Their great-uncle was also a little strange, always practicing shooting with his revolver in the garden, and no one knew why he did it.He said he takes great pride in the work he does with his guns, no matter what kind of gun he plays with.

But Miss Crotty is not weird, is she? Oh, she's not surprised, she's very clever, and I think she knows Latin and Greek.She once wanted to go to college, but she had to take care of her mother, who had been sick for a long time.But she likes that girl. Oh, what's her name?Probably called confidence.She loves her very much and treats her like her own daughter.Then came this young man whose name I don't know, I think it was Mike.Then one day the girl went out without telling anyone, and never came back.I don't know if Crotty knows she's pregnant. But even you do, said Miss Marple.

Oh, I am experienced.The girl's family is pregnant, and I know it at a glance.It was so obvious that it couldn't escape my eyes.Not only the figure, but you can also see it from their eyes, gait, sitting posture and dizziness and nausea from time to time.Yes, I thought, there is another girl of that kind here.Crotty had to go to identify the body, she was almost heartbroken, and for weeks after that she was a different person.She really loves that girl. And what about the other sister, Miss Ancia? The weird thing is, you know, I think she looks happy instead, like, uh, happy.It's not a good thing, is it?That farmer, Plummer, had a daughter who used to be like that.Her favorite thing is to watch the process of pigs being slaughtered, and she never gets tired of it.Strange families are everywhere.

Miss Marple said good-bye, checked that there were still ten minutes, and walked into the post office.The post office and grocery store of Jocelyn St. Marys are just off the market. Miss Marple went into the post office, bought some stamps, looked at some postcards, and then turned her attention to various paperback books.Sitting behind the postal counter was a middle-aged woman with a mean face.She fetched a book for Miss Marple from the steel bookshelf. Sometimes books stick together.You know, because someone didn't put the book back properly. At this moment, there is no customer in the post office.Miss Marple looked at the cover of the book with a disgusted expression: a hideous murderer held a bloody dagger in his hand, bent over a naked woman whose face was smeared with blood. Really, she said.I don't like these scary patterns now. Some book covers are a little too much, don't you think?said Mrs. Smellyface.This cover is not to everyone's liking.I gotta say, it's just way too violent these days. Miss Marple took down the second book. What Happened to Girl Jane, she read the title.God, what world do we live in. Yes, I know what you mean.I read the newspaper yesterday, a woman left her child outside the supermarket, and the child was pushed away.No one knows why this happened.Fortunately, the police found the child.Yes, those people seem to say the same thing.Whether it's stealing from a supermarket or taking someone else's child, they say they don't know how they got carried away. Maybe they really didn't know, Miss Marple suggested. Mrs. Smellyface's face grew even more mean. I don't believe anything. Miss Marple looked around.The post office was still empty.She walked to the window. If you're not busy, I wonder if you could answer a question for me, said Miss Marple.I did something stupid as hell.I've made a lot of mistakes in recent years.I sent a package to a charity.I send them clothes all the time, pullovers, kids sweaters, stuff like that.I wrapped the clothes, wrote the address, and sent it out.Just this morning, it occurred to me that I had made a mistake, that I had written the wrong address.I don't think you guys have a record of the address of the package, but I figured maybe someone just happened to remember it.The address I was supposed to write to was: Welfare Society of Dorkia and Riverside. Mrs. Smellyface seemed very nice now.Miss Marple's signature incompetent expression and old age softened her heart. Did you bring it yourself? No, no; I'm lodging at the old manor now, one of them I think Mrs. Green, says she or her sister, sister, will post it for me.she is so kind I'll check it out.It should be mailed on Tuesday, right?It wasn't Mrs. Green's, it was the youngest one, Miss Anthea. Yes, yes, I think it was that day. I remember it clearly, it was a big suitcase, and it was quite heavy.It's not the Dokya Society you're talking about though; I don't recall the name being anything like that.It was addressed to the Women's and Children's Sweater Donation Society of East Ham, and received by a Reverend Matthew. Oh, yes, Miss Marple was ecstatic. She clasped her hands and said, "You're so clever."I now know what happened.I did send a shipment to the East Ham Association at Christmas time for a special giving, so I must have copied the address wrong.Can you say that again? She carefully jotted down the address in a small notebook. I'm afraid the package has already been sent Oh yes, but I can write to explain the error and ask them to forward the package to the Dokya Society.Thank you very much. Miss Marple hurried out of the post office. Mrs. Stinkyface handed out a stamp to the next customer, and said to a colleague next to her: What a miss, poor old woman.It is conceivable that she must do this kind of thing all the time. As soon as Miss Marple stepped out of the post office, she ran into Emlyn.Pais and Joanna.Crawford. She noticed that Joanna was pale and depressed. I have to testify in court, she said.I don't know what they will ask me?I am scared.I don't like it.I told the officer what we saw. Don't you worry, Joanna, Emlyn.Pais said.You know, it's just a routine autopsy.I believe the coroner was a nice man, he was a doctor.He'll just ask you a few questions, and you just tell him what you see. You saw it too, said Joanna. Yes, I saw that too, Pais said.At least I saw a guy on top of the hill, right around those boulders and boulders.Come on, Joanna. They also came to the hotel to search our room, Joanna said.They had asked us first, but he had a search warrant.Not only did they search our room, but they also checked the contents of our luggage. I think they're looking for that plaid jumper you mentioned.Well, you have nothing to worry about.If you had a red and black plaid jumper, you wouldn't say it, would you?That dress is a red and black plaid pattern, right? I don't know, Emlyn.Pais said.I can't tell colors well.I just know that the color of the dress is bright, that's all. They didn't find it, Joanna said.After all, we didn't bring much.You don't need to bring extra things when traveling by tour bus.We didn't have that in our luggage. I mean, I've never seen any of us in that, and still haven't.And you? I do not have either.But I actually don't know if I've ever seen this kind of dress, Emlyn."I've never been able to tell the difference between red and green," Pais said. Oh, are you a little colorblind?Joanna said.I noticed it the other day. You said you noticed it, what do you mean by that? I asked you if you saw my red scarf, and you said you saw a green one, but the one you gave me was red.I forgot it in the restaurant, but you didn't know it was red. Hey, don't you go around telling me I'm colorblind, I don't like it.Be kind. More men than women are colorblind, Joanna said.This is a sex-linked inheritance phenomenon, she said in a pedantic tone: You know, it is recessive in women and dominant in men. See you talk like it's syphilis, Emlyn.Pais said.Here we are. You don't seem to care, said Joanna, as they went up the steps. Oh, actually I really don't care.I never set foot in an autopsy court.It's always fun to do something for the first time in your life. Dr. Stock was a middle-aged man with gray hair and glasses.First the police presented the evidence, followed by the medical testimony, plus the professional details of the concussion death.Mrs. Sanborn gave details of the coach tour, the walking tour arranged that afternoon, and the details of the tragedy.She said that Miss Temple, in spite of her age, was light and strong on her feet.At that time, everyone was walking up a well-known winding trail, slowly walking towards the Moreland Church on the top of the hill.The church was built in the time of Queen Elizabeth and has since been refurbished and added.The adjacent mountain is the monument called Lucky Rock, which is a steep slope.The speed at which tourists climb mountains often varies from person to person.Younger people often run or walk ahead and arrive at their destination early, while older tourists take their time and move slowly.She herself usually walks at the end of the group, in order to advise those who are tired to go back when necessary.Miss Temple had been speaking to the Butlers, she said.Although Miss Temple was over sixty, she was a little impatient with the slow pace of the Butchers, so she passed them, turned a corner, and walked quickly to the front.She was often like this, and if she waited too long for others to catch up, she would get impatient and would rather go her own way.Then a cry was heard ahead, and Mrs. Sanborn and some others gave chase, and after turning the bend Miss Temple was found lying on the ground.A boulder fell from the mountainside, and there were several other stones of the same kind on the same spot.They thought that the boulder must have rolled down the hill, when Miss Temple was walking down the walk, when she fell on it.Such an accident is unfortunate and tragic. Do you think it was an absolute accident and nothing else could have happened? No.I don't see any other possibility for this than by accident. On the mountainside above you, don't you see anyone? No.Of course, that is one of the main walks around the mountain, and the top of the mountain is often haunted.I didn't really see anyone that afternoon though. Then there is Joanna.Crawford was called to the witness stand.After asking her for her name and age in detail, Dr. Stock asked: You didn't walk with the members? No.We left the trail and walked up the hill around the top of the slope. Is there anyone walking with you? Yes, Emlyn.Mr Pais. No one else is walking with you? No.While chatting, we looked at the wild flowers beside the road.Those flowers seem to be rare species.Pais was very interested in botany. Didn't you see the other members? Occasionally see.They all went up the main trail, the one just below us. Did you see Miss Temple? I want to have.She went ahead of them all at once, and I think I saw her turn a corner in the path ahead of them and then disappear because the hills got in her way. Do you see people walking on the mountainside above you? Yes, right between a huge pile of boulders.There are some big stones piled up on the side of the mountain. Well, said Dr. Stock.I know where you are referring.A large granite, sometimes commonly known as wether or gray wether. I guess those stones look like sheep from a distance, but we're not very far from it. And you see someone there? Yes, there is a person hiding vaguely among those stones, and that person is bent over. Pushing those rocks, don't you think so? Yes, I think so, and I wonder why the man would do that.He seemed to be pushing a stone at the edge of a rock pile.The rocks were so big and heavy that I don't think the person would be able to push them, but the big rock he or she was pushing seemed to be a loose rock. You said him before, and now you say him or her.Miss Crawford, do you think that was a man or a woman? Uh, I think, I guess I now think the guy was a guy, but I didn't think so at the time.The person, whether he or she, was wearing trousers and a pullover, a boyish crew neck pullover. What color is that jumper? It's a bright red and black check.The man was wearing a flat hat, and the hair protruding from the back was a bit long, like a woman's hair, but it could also be a man's hair. It is indeed possible, Dr. Stock's tone was mocking.It is really not easy to judge whether a person is male or female by hair these days.He asked again: What happened next? Oh, the rock started rolling, it bumped down the side of the hill, and then it started to pick up speed.I just said to Pais: Ah, it's going to roll down the hill, and then there's a loud bang.At this moment I thought I heard a cry coming down the hill, but it could have been my own imagination. and after? Oh, and we ran a few steps up and around the corner to see what the rock was about. What do you see? We saw the boulder fall on the walk below with a man under it, and we saw everyone running around the corner. Was it Miss Temple who yelled? I thought it must be her.Of course, it could also be someone who just caught up around the bend.oh!Terrible, really terrible. Yes, I'm sure it must have been a horrible scene.What about that figure you saw on the mountainside?Is that the man or woman in the red and black plaid jumper, is that person still in the pile of rocks? I don't know, I haven't looked any further since then.I was busy understanding the accident and running down to see if I could help.I thought I glanced up, but I saw no one but the pile of rocks.There are many barriers, and it is easy for anyone to hide from you. Could that person be a member of your regiment? Oh, no way, I'm sure it can never be one of us.I mean, the reason I'm so sure is that you can recognize someone from what they're wearing.I'm pretty sure none of us were wearing red and black checked jumpers back then. Thank you, Miss Crawford. The one who was summoned next was Emlyn.Pais.His narrative is like a carbon copy of Joanna. Then some irrelevant evidence was presented. The coroner came to a conclusion.Since there is no sufficient evidence to prove that Elizabeth.Miss Temple's cause of death, the coroner's court will reconvene in two weeks.