Chapter 22 22 Miss Marple's narrative

When did you find out, asked Professor Wang Sitai.Those two women are the secret agents who are accompanying you to protect you? He leaned forward from the seat and looked thoughtfully at the old lady with white hair and straight waist sitting opposite him.They are now in a government office building in London, and there are four other people present: a prosecutor from the District Attorney's Office, and the deputy commissioner of the London Scotland Police Yard James.Sir Lowy, the warden of Manstone Prison Andrew.Sir McNeil.The fourth is the Minister of the Interior. I only found out last night, said Miss Marple.Before last night, I hadn't been sure.Miss Cooke has been to St. Mary Mead, she claims to have a lot of experience in gardening, and she was there to help a friend with her garden, but it didn't take long for me to find out that she is not who she claims to be, so I must know her real purpose.She was there to see what I looked like, which was apparently her only purpose in being there.Therefore, when I recognized her again on the tour bus, I had to make a judgment: Did she join this tour group to protect me, or were these two women enemies sent by my opponent?

Until last night, Miss Cook told me not to drink Crotty, in very obvious words of warning.The coffee BeberlySmithKline put in front of me, I was really sure.Her choice of words was clever, but it was clearly a warning.Afterwards I said good night to them, and one of them took my hand between hers, and gave me a very friendly and hearty shake, and at the same time thrust something into my hand.When I saw it later, it turned out to be a high-pitched whistle.So I took it to bed.Taking care to maintain a simple and friendly manner, I took the milk that my hostess so kindly offered me to drink, and said good night to her.

You didn't drink that glass of milk? Of course not, said Miss Marple.Who do you think I am? Please excuse me, said Professor Wang Sidai.I wonder why you didn't lock the door. That would be wrong, said Miss Marple.I hope Crotty.Beverly Smith came into the room.I wondered what she would say and do.I figured she would come in after a while, to make sure I had drunk my milk and fallen into an unconscious sleep, and probably never woke up again. Did you let Miss Cook hide in the closet? no.Even I was surprised when she came out of the closet suddenly.I think, Miss Marple thought about it, and said: She slipped in when I was out of the room to go, uh, to the bathroom.

You already knew those two women were in the house? Since they gave me the whistle, I figured they must be nearby.I'm sure it would be easy to sneak into that house; it doesn't have shutters, burglar alarms, or anything like that.One of them might have managed to unlatch a window in the midst of an excuse to drop a handbag and scarf and come back for it.I think they came in not long after they left, when everyone in the house was getting ready for bed. You're taking a big risk, Miss Marple. I'm optimistic, said Miss Marple.Since taking risks is inevitable, I must take risks several times in my life.

By the way, about the tip you gave me, which was the package sent to that charity, the mission was successfully completed.Inside is a brand new men's round neck pullover, which is a bright red and black check pattern, which is extremely eye-catching.How did you come up with it? Oh, said Miss Marple.it's actually really easy.According to Pais and Joanna's description of the figure, the man seemed to want others to notice the bright and dazzling clothes, so these clothes must not be hidden locally or in his own clothes, and must be sent to a distant place as soon as possible. place.There is actually only one way to successfully dispose of things, and that is through ordinary mail.As long as it's clothing or something, it's pretty easy to send to a charity; you can imagine someone who collects winter clothing for unemployed women, or similar charities, to find someone sending in an almost new wool jumper How happy they will be.All I have to do is find out where the clothes were delivered.

Did you ask at the post office?asked the Minister of the Interior, looking surprised. Of course, I didn't ask directly.I mean, I had to feign panic, say I had misaddressed a few pieces of clothing I was going to send to a charity, and asked if they knew the package my kind hostess was going to send No?A very kind lady at the post office tried to recall, and she remembered that the address was not where I intended to send it, and gave me the address she had copied down.I don't think she suspects that I have any ulterior motives at all, she just thinks that I'm, uh, a confused old lady who only worries about where her old clothes and bags are going.

Ah, said Professor Wang Sitai.Miss Marple, I think you are not only an avenger, but also a good actor. He went on to say: When did you start to find out what happened ten years ago? At first, said Miss Marple.I found things difficult, almost impossible tasks.I blame Mr. Raphael in my heart for not explaining things clearly, but now I understand that he is smart not to explain things clearly.Indeed, he was a very clever man.I can understand why he would be a great financial expert and make a lot of money with ease.He was very farsighted, and every time he only gave me just enough tips, and I followed his instructions.First of all, my patron saint carefully recognized my appearance; secondly, I joined the tour group as instructed and got in touch with those companions.

Did you suspect at first IMHO someone in the tour group? Just thought it was possible. You don't smell evil? Ah, you remember.Yes, I don't think there's anything sinister about it.No one told me that my contact was in the tour group, but she offered to identify me. You mean Elizabeth.Temple? Yes, it was like a searchlight, said Miss Marple.Light up everything in the dark night.You know, I was groping in the dark until then.There must be some truth, I mean, logically there must be, because Rafael had hinted at it.Somewhere, somewhere, there must be a victim, and there must be a murderer.Yes, he pointed out that there was a murderer, because that was the only connection between me and Mr. Raphael.There had been a murder in the West Indies in which he and I had been involved, and all he knew of me was my connection to that murder.Therefore, this assignment cannot be any other kind of crime, nor can it be an accidental crime.It must have been (and it is plainly shown) the orchestration of a man whose conscience was clouded by evil.It seems to imply that there were two victims, one brutally murdered and the other clearly the victim of injustice charged with a trumped-up crime.So, although I thought about it carefully, I still had no idea until I talked to Miss Temple.She was very warm and positive, so I found my first connection with Mr. Raphael.She mentioned that she knew a girl who had once been engaged to Mr. Raphael's son.It was the first light I saw in the dark.Then she told me that the girl did not marry him later.I asked her why, she said: because she died.I asked her how this happened and why she died, and she said in a deep and powerful tone: For love, that sound is like a deep chime, and I can still hear it.She added: Love is one of the most frightening words in the world and I wasn't sure what she meant at the time.In fact, my first thought was that the girl had committed suicide because of her disappointment in love.This happens often, and every time it happens it is a tragedy.At most I knew that back then.I also know that her trip is not purely for pleasure.She told me she was on a pilgrimage.She was going somewhere, or meeting someone.I didn't know who that man was at the time, and I didn't until later.

Is it the vicar of Bolazong? Yes.At that time I didn't know he existed.But I've had the feeling since then that the main character of the play (or main actor, whatever you want to call it) is not on the tour.None of them were part of the tour group.I hesitated for a short time and doubted several people.I once doubted Joanna.Crawford and Emlyn.Pais. Why lock them? Because they were young, said Miss Marple.Young people are often associated with suicide, violence, intense jealousy, and unrequited love.A man kills his girlfriend, that happens all the time.Yes, I suspected them, but I don't think there is a connection.There is no trace of guilt, despair, or torment in them.Last night, when we were drinking sherry at the Old Manor, I deliberately called them disinformation.I said they might be Elizabeth.The prime suspect in Temple's death.If I see them again, Miss Marple said solemnly.I want to apologize to them for using them to distract the murderer from my real intentions.

Next is Elizabeth.Miss Temple's death? No, said Miss Marple.The next step was actually my trip to the old manor. I was warmly invited and received warmly by them.This is also Mr. Rafael's arrangement, so I know I have to go, but I don't know why I go.That place might give me some more information to guide me further.I am sorry, said Miss Marple, suddenly returning to her usual polite and cautious nature.I talk too much?I really shouldn't say everything I think, and Please continue, Professor Wang Sidai said.You probably don't know how interesting everything you say sounds to me, it fits perfectly with what I've seen and heard at work.Go ahead and tell me what you thought at the time.

Yes, go ahead, Andrew.Sir McNeill said. It was just a feeling, Miss Marple said.You know, it's not really a logical reasoning.It's an emotional response or sensitivity oh, I can only call it vibe. That's right, Wang Sitai said.The vibe is there.A house has its atmosphere, a garden, a forest, a tavern, a cottage, every place has its atmosphere three sisters.This was the first thing I thought, felt, and even said to myself when I entered the old manor.I got Lavinia.Mrs. Green's hospitality.The term Three Sisters symbolizes some kind of bad omen in my mind.It is a blend of the three goddesses of fate in Russian literature and the three witches of the wasteland in Macbeth.I think there seems to be a sad vibe to the house, a mix of very deep melancholy and fear, and also an vibe of trying to be different, what I can only describe as normal. That last adjective of yours is intriguing, Wang Sitai said. I think it's because of Mrs. Green.When the tour bus arrived, she was the one who picked me up, and she was the one who explained the whole story of the invitation to me.She is a normal, gracious woman.She's a widow and not very happy, but I say her unhappiness has nothing to do with sadness or deep melancholy, only that her character doesn't fit the atmosphere.She took me home, where I met two other sisters.The next morning I heard a story from the old maid who brought me my morning tea, a tragic tale of the past.She said one girl had been killed by her boyfriend; several other girls in the neighborhood had also been violently or raped.At this time I must make my second judgment.I have already ruled out the people in the tour group, thinking that those people have nothing to do with my investigation.But the killer is still lurking somewhere.I had to ask myself, could there be a murderer here?In the house where I was invited to stay, lived Crotty, Lavinia, and Anthea?Are these three eccentric sisters happy, unhappy, tortured, or filled with fear?What kind are they?My attention was first drawn to Crotty.A tall and beautiful woman, a wonderful character, like Elizabeth.Same as Temple.I feel that, since the place is so small, I shall try to draw as general a conclusion as possible about the three sisters.The three goddesses of fate, who could be the murderer?What kind of murderer?What kind of murder did you do?I felt an atmosphere slowly enveloping me like a miasma.I don't think there's a word to describe that atmosphere other than evil.This is not to say that any of the three sisters was necessarily evil by nature, but they did live in the atmosphere of an evil event in the past that cast a shadow that still haunts them today.The eldest sister, Crotty, was the first one I considered.She's beautiful, strong, and I think she's a strong woman.I have to admit, as soon as I saw her I thought she looked like Clyta Mestra.Recently, Miss Marple lowered her voice and said, "I was kindly taken to see a Greek play at a well-known boys' school not far from home."I was really impressed by the acting skills of those kids especially the one who played Claire Mestra.What a performance.In Crotty, I seemed to see a woman who planned to murder her husband while he was taking a bath, and actually carried it out. Professor Wang Sitai tried his best not to laugh, because Miss Marple's tone was too serious.She winked slightly at him. Yes, that sounds kind of silly, doesn't it?But I could see the way she acted, in other words, the part she was playing.She is unlucky and has no husband, so no husband to kill.Then I thought of the person who brought me to this old house, Lavinia.Green.She appeared to be a very kind, reasonable, gracious woman.It is a pity that some murderers have created such an illusion around them.They are often very charming.Many murderers are amiable people, so when people find out that they are murderers, they are often dumbfounded and unbelievable.I call them respectable murderers; these people kill out of utilitarian rather than emotional impulse, in order to achieve a pre-set purpose.I don't think Mrs. Green kills, and I'd be very, very surprised if she did.But I can't exclude her, she had a husband after all.She is currently a widow, and she has been widowed for several years, but she still has the potential to commit crimes.My thoughts on her end here.Then I thought of their little sister, Anshiya.She is a disturbing person.In my opinion, she has poor coordination, is distracted, and is constantly in a state of fear.She was afraid of something, and very scared.Therefore, she also has the possibility of murder.If she has sinned in the past, it is possible to relapse into a sin she thought was over with the past.She may have been terrified that someone would bring it up again, or find out that it had something to do with Elizabeth.investigation into the Temple case.She often looks at you with weird eyes, and then turns her head to look around, as if there is something standing behind her.That thing scared her.So, the answer might lie in her too.She could be a deranged murderer who killed because she thought someone wanted to kill her, because she was afraid.These are just thoughts in my mind, possibilities that I have weighed in my mind on the tour bus.But I feel that the atmosphere of this house is getting stronger and stronger.The next day, I went for a walk in the garden with Anthea.There is a small mound at the end of that main grass path.There used to be a greenhouse here, and the mound was formed after the collapse.Because of disrepair for a long time, and because the gardener could not be found at the end of the war, the place has long since fallen into wasteland and fell apart.The haphazardly piled rubble was covered with dirt and turf, and a vine grew on it.Anyone who wants to cover up certain imperfections in the garden knows this plant, called Polygonum vine.It is an extremely fast growing flowering shrub.As it spreads, it devours and crowds out other plants, and finally kills them all.It covers everything, it destroys everything, and in a way it is a horrible plant.It has beautiful white flowers that look very pretty.It was just beginning to bloom, and there I was standing with Anthea, who seemed utterly devastated that the greenhouse was gone.She said that there were very lovely vines in the greenhouse, which seemed to be one of the things she remembered most clearly from her childhood.She hoped, in fact, longed for enough money to level the mound and rebuild the greenhouse with muscadines and peach trees, just as the greenhouse had done before.She has a morbid nostalgia for the past, and it goes beyond that.I felt that very palpable air of fear again.The little mound frightened her.At the time I hadn't figured out why. You also know what happened next, that is Elizabeth.Temple's death.From Emlyn.Pais and Joanna.According to Crawford's account, there is no doubt that there is only one conclusion of that incident: her death was not an accident, but a deliberate murder. I think that's when I started to know, Miss Marple said.My conclusion is that three lives were involved.I have heard all kinds of things about Mr. Raphael's son.The kid was not good enough, he was doing crimes everywhere, he was in prison, all these were facts, but none of these facts showed that he had killed someone or was likely to kill someone.But all the evidence was against him.No doubt everyone thinks he killed the man I now know as Viloty.Hunter's girl.However, only the vicar of Bollazon attached a positive meaning to this matter.He knew the two young men.They had gone to him and told him of their intention to marry, and he had decided to undertake the wedding for them.He thought it might not be a wise union, but since it was a fact that they loved each other, their marriage was a logical one.The girl loved the boy deeply, and it was true love as true as her name.And although this boy is notorious in the relationship between men and women, he treats this girl sincerely, and is willing to work hard to be faithful to her, and try his best to get rid of the existing bad habits.The archdeacon is not optimistic about this.I don't think he believed it was going to be a happy marriage, but it was an inevitable one.The so-called inevitable is because you love deeply enough that you are willing to pay the price, even if the price is disappointment or some degree of unhappiness.But one thing I'm pretty sure of.Her disfigured face and smashed head could not have been done by a man who truly loved her.This is not a story of sexual violence.On this point, I am willing to accept the vicar's view.But I also know that I have the right clue, and that clue is Elizabeth.Temple gave it to me.She once told me that Viloty died because love was the most frightening word in the world. So the facts are quite obvious, said Miss Marple.I think I've known for a long time that there were only a few little details that didn't match, and now, even those details fit.This is all due to Elizabeth.What Temple said was the cause of Viloty's death.She first said: for love, then said: love is one of the most frightening words in the world.So, everything is displayed clearly.Crotty had an overwhelming love for the girl.The girl worshiped her as a hero and relied on her everywhere; later, when she grew up, her natural instincts began to wake up.She yearns for love between men and women, for free love, and for marriage and children.Then, the boy she loves shows up.She knew he couldn't be trusted, she knew he was an out-and-out wretch, but, Miss Marple said in a gossip-like tone, none of that was likely to deter girls from such a boy.impossible.Young girls like bad boys, always have.They fall in love with bad men, believing they can change them.In my youth, good, steady, reliable husbands would respond with: Treat them like sisters, but girls are never satisfied with such words.Microetti fell in love with Mike.Raphael, Mike.Rafael is also going to change his past and marry her, and he also promised that he will never look at other girls again.I dare not say that they will live happily ever after, but as the archdeacon said, it was true love.So, they plan to get married.I think Microdie wrote to Elizabeth and told her she was going to marry Mike.Raphael.The wedding will be held in secret, because I think Viloty knows she's doing it as an escape.She wanted to escape a life she didn't want to live anymore, someone she loved dearly but who wasn't the same as Mike.But the man would not allow her to do so.She couldn't get permission; they were bound to run into obstacles.So, like any other young man, they plan to elope.There was no need for them to flee to Gretna Green (Gretna Green, the name of a Scottish village, known as the marriage place of elopements since ancient times), because they had reached the marriageable age.So she turned to the Vicar of Bharat.The old friend who had once confirmed her was a true friend.The wedding has been arranged, the date and time have been fixed, and the wedding dress has probably been secretly bought.No doubt they were going to meet somewhere.They will arrive at the appointed place separately.I think he went to the meeting as promised, but she didn't come.He may have waited for a while, and tried to find out why she didn't come.I think he may have received a note or even a letter saying in forged handwriting that she had changed her mind.It was all over, and she was going away for a while, to forget about it.I don't know the truth, but I don't think he dreamed of the real reason why she didn't come, or why she didn't say a word.He had no idea that she had been murdered premeditatedly, cruelly, and almost insanely.Crotty doesn't want to lose the one she loves.She would not let her go, would not throw her into the arms of a young man she loathed, hated.She wanted to keep Microlotty, in her own way.But I don't believe it, I don't believe she strangled the girl and mutilated her face.I don't think she could be cruel enough to do that.I think she rebuilt the collapsed greenhouse bricks, covered them with soil, and laid turf.The girl probably drank a drink that contained an overdose of sleeping pills, as in the fabled Greek tradition of drinking thapsigargin, even though it wasn't thapsigargin.So she buried the girl in the garden, and piled bricks on top of her, and covered it with earth and turf. Are her two younger sisters not suspicious? Mrs. Green was not there; her husband was not dead, and she was abroad.However, Ancia was at home.I think Anthea knows something.I don't think she knew at first that someone had been killed, but she knew that Clottey had been busy working the field at the end of the garden, making mounds and planting flowering shrubs there.I think, she gradually realized the truth later on, and since Crotty has committed evil thoughts and committed a crime, it means that she has bowed to the evil, and naturally has no scruples about her next plan.She even takes pleasure in her own plans, I think.She has a little influence over a sly, coquettish country girl.The girl would come to the house from time to time to ask for some small favors.I think it was easy for her to make arrangements to take the girl to a far away place, about thirty or forty miles away, for a picnic.I believe she had chosen the place beforehand.She strangled the girl, disfigured her, and buried her under dirt, leaves, and branches.Who could doubt that she would do such a thing?She had left Microlotty's handbag and her usual necklace at the scene, and probably had Microlotty's dress on her as well.She hoped that the crime would not be discovered too soon, and she was spreading rumors that Nora was seen.Broad once got into Mike's car and went for a drive.Maybe she also went around saying Mike was unfaithful, and Viloty broke her engagement with him for that.She can probably say anything, and I think she takes pride in everything she says.The poor man who lost his soul. Why do you call her a poor soulless soul, Miss Marple? Because, said Miss Marple, I think Crotty has been tortured for all ten years beyond words.She has been living in eternal sorrow.You know, she had to live with her.She kept Microlotty, kept her in the old manor, in the garden, kept her forever.It didn't occur to her at first what this meant.She desperately longed for the girl to be resurrected.I don't think she ever regretted it.I don't think she has even the consolation of regret.She was just tortured, tortured, year after year.I just now know Elizabeth.Temple means.If she hadn't done it herself, maybe the situation would have been better.Love is a very scary thing.It can bring evil to life, and it is itself the greatest evil in the world.Crotty had to live with sin day after day, year after year.I think that's what Anshiya is afraid of.I think she knew exactly what Crotty was doing, and she thought Crotty knew she knew too.She was afraid of what Crotty might do.Crotty handed the package with the jumper to Ancia to mail.She had told me about Anthea, that she was insane, that she was suffering from persecution paranoia or jealousy, that Anthea could do anything.I thought, yes, something will happen to An Xiya soon.She will be arranged to commit suicide due to a disturbed conscience But you still feel sorry for that woman?asked Sir Andrew.Sin is like cancer, like a malignant tumor, it brings pain. Of course, Miss Marple replied. After your patron saint escorts you away, said Professor Wang Sitai.I assume you've heard what happened that night? You mean Crotty?I remember her holding my glass of milk in her hand.When Miss Cook took me out of the room, she was still holding it.I think she drank it down, didn't she? Yes.Did you ever think this could happen? I did not expect.No, it didn't occur to me at the time.If I put my mind to it, I probably would. No one can stop her.She moved too fast, and no one thought there was poison in the milk. So she drank it. Are you surprised? No, I'm not surprised that this seems to be a matter of course to her.This time it was her turn to flee, to flee from everything tied to her, just as Viloty had wanted to flee from that place.It's strange that the consequences of her own repercussions fit so well with the sins of her own making, don't you think? Judging from your tone, it seems that she is more worthy of regret than the dead girl. No, said Miss Marple, those were two different regrets.I feel sorry for Viloty because she missed everything, everything she was about to have.She chose a life of love, loyalty, and serving her husband. That man was chosen by herself and she truly loved him.She loved him with all her heart.She missed it all, everything irrevocably.I feel sorry for her because she has nothing.But she escaped from all that Crotty had to endure; grief, desolation, fear, and a growing, simmering evil.Crotty had to live with these.What accompanies her day and night is grief, the love that she can no longer get and has been destroyed.She had to live with the two younger sisters who doubted and feared her.She had to live with the girl she kept. Do you mean microloty? Yes.She was buried in the garden, in the grave that Crotty had prepared for her.She was at the Old Manor, and Crotty knew she was there.She might even see her, or think she sees her, when she goes to pick a handful of Polygonum white flowers.She must have felt very close to Viloty then.Nothing could be more painful for her, right?There is nothing more painful than this.