Agatha Christie - Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories (Miss Marple Mysteries)

Best Detective Stories of Agatha Christie

Longman, 1986 (Unabridged)

ACCIDENT

...And I tell you this -its the same woman- not a doubt of it!

Captain Haydock looked into the eager, vehement face of his friend and sighed. He wished Evans would not be so positive and so jubilant. In the course of a career spent at sea, the old sea captain had learned to leave things that did not concern him well alone. His friend, Evans, late C.I.D. inspector, had a different philosophy of life. Acting on information received - had been his motto in early days, and he had improved upon it to the extent of finding out his own information. Inspector Evans had been a very smart, wide-awake officer, and had justly earned the promotion which had been his. Even now, when he had retired from the force, and had settled down in the country cottage of his dreams, his professional instinct was still active.

Dont often forget a face, he reiterated complacently.

Mrs Anthony - yes, its Mrs Anthony right enough. When you said Mrs Merrowdene - I knew her at once.

Captain Haydock stirred uneasily. The Merrowdenes were his nearest neighbours, barring Evans himself, and this identifying of Mrs Merrowdene with a former heroine of a cause clbre distressed him.

Its a long time ago, he said rather weakly.

Nine years, said Evans, accurately as ever. Nine years and three months. You remember the case?

In a vague sort of way.

Anthony turned out to be an arsenic eater, said Evans,

so they acquitted her.

Well, why shouldnt they?

No reason in the world. Only verdict they could give on the evidence. Absolutely correct.

Then thats all right, said Haydock. And I dont see what were bothering about.

Whos bothering?

I thought you were.

Not at all.

The things over and done with, summed up the captain.

If Mrs Merrowdene at one time of her life was unfortunate enough to be tried and acquitted for murder -

Its not usually considered unfortunate to be acquitted, put in Evans.

You know what I mean, said Captain Haydock irritably. If the poor lady has been through that harrowing experience, its no business of ours to rake it up, is it?

Evans did not answer.

Come now, Evans. The lady was innocent - youve just said so.

I didnt say she was innocent. I said she was acquitted.

Its the same thing.

Not always.

Captain Haydock, who had commenced to tap his pipe out against the side of his chair, stopped, and sat up with a very alert expression.

Hallo - allo - allo, he said. The winds in that quarter, is it? You think she wasnt innocent?

I wouldnt say that. I just - dont know. Anthony was in the habit of taking arsenic. His wife got it for him. One day, by mistake, he takes far too much. Was the mistake his or his wifes? Nobody could tell, and the jury very properly gave her the benefit of the doubt. Thats all quite right and Im not finding fault with it. All the same - Id like to know. Captain Haydock transferred his attention to his pipe once more.

Well, he said comfortably. Its none of our business.

Im not so sure....

But surely -

Listen to me a minute. This man, Merrowdene - in his laboratory this evening, fiddling round with tests - you remember -

Yes. He mentioned Marshs test for arsenic. Said you would know all about it -it was in your line -and chuckled. He wouldnt have said that if hed thought for one moment -

Evans interrupted him.

You mean he wouldnt have said that if he knew. Theyve been married how long -six years you told me? I bet you anything he has no idea his wife is the once notorious Mrs Anthony.

And he will certainly not know it from me, said Captain Haydock stiffly.

Evans paid no attention, but went on:

You interrupted me just now. After Marshs test, Merrowdene heated a substance in a test tube, the metallic residue he dissolved in water and then precipitared it by adding silver nitrate. That was a test for chlorates. A neat unassuming little test. But I chanced to read these words in a book that stood open on the table: H2SO4 decomposes chlorates with evolution of CL4O2 If heated, violent explosions occur; the mixture ought therefore to be kept cool and only very small quantities used.

Haydock stared at his friend.

Well, what about it?

Just this. In my profession weve got tests too -tests for murder. Theres adding up the facts - weighing them, dissecting the residue when youve allowed for prejudicc and the general inaccuracy of witnesses. But theres another test of murder -one that is fairly accurate, but rather -dangerous! A murderer is seldom content with one crime. Give him time, and a lack of suspicion, and hell commit another. You catch a man -has he murdered his wife or hasnt he? - perhaps the case isnt very black against him. Look into his past - if` you find that hes had several wives - and that theyve all died shall we say - rather curiously? - then you know! Im not speaking legally, you understand. Im speaking of moral certainty. Once you know, you can go ahead looking for evidence.

Well?

Im coming to the point. Thats all right if there is a past to look into. But suppose you catch your murderer at his or her first crime? Then that test will be one from which you get no reaction. But suppose the prisoner was acquitted - starting life under another name. Will or will not the murderer repeat the crime?

Thats a horrible idea!

Do you still say its none of our business?

Yes, I do. Youve no reason to think that Mrs Merrowdene is anything but a Perfectly innocent woman.

The ex-inspector was silent for a moment. Then he said slowly:

I told you that we looked into her past and found nothing. Thats not quite true. There was a stepfather. As a girl of eighteen she had a fancy for some young man - and her stepfather exerted his authority to keep them apart. She and her stepfather went for a walk along a rather dangerous part of the cliff. There was an accident - the stepfather went too near the edge - it gave way, and he went over and was killed.

You dont think -

It was an accident. Accident! Anthonys overdose of arsenic was an accident. Shed never have been tried if it hadnt transpired that there was another man - he sheered off, by the way. Looked as though he werent satisfied even if the jury? were. I tell you, Haydock, where that woman is concerned Im afraid of another - accident!

The old captain shrugged his shoulders.

Its been nine years since that affair. Why should there be another accident, as you call it, now?

I didnt say now. I said some day or other. If the necessary motive arose.

Captain Haydock shrugged his shoulders.

Well, I dont know how youre going to guard against that.

Neither do I, said Evans ruefully.

I should leave well alone, said Captain Haydock. No good ever came of butting into other peoples affairs.

But that advice was not Palatable to the ex-inspector. He was a man of patience but determination. Taking leave of his friend, he sauntered down to the village, revolving in his mind the possibilities of some kind of successful action.

Turning into the post office to buy some stamps, he ran into the object of his solicitude, George Merrowdene. The ex-chemistry professor was a small dreamy-looking man, gentle and kindly in manner, and usually completely absent-minded. He recognized the other and greeted him amicably, stooping to recover the letters that the impact had caused him to drop on the ground. Evans stooped also and, more rapid in his movements than the other, secured them first, handing them back to their owner with an apology.

He glanced down at them in doing so, and the address on the topmost suddenly awakened all his suspicions anew. It bore the name of a well-known insurance firm.