Agatha Christie - They Do It With Mirrors

'It was a dream that might have come true,' said Carrie Louise.

'Yes, it might have come true. But the means Lewis Serrocold adopted were dishonest means, and Christian Gulbrandsen discovered that. He was very upset, particularly by the realization of what the discovery and the probable prosecution of Lewis would mean to you, Carrie Louise.'

'That's why he asked me if my heart was strong, and seemed so worried about my health,' said Carrie Louise. 'I couldn't understand it.'

'Then Lewis Serrocold arrived back from the North and Christian met him outside the house and told him that he knew what was going on. Lewis took it calmly, I think. Both men agreed they must do all they could to spare you. Christian said he would write to me and ask me to come here, as a co-trustee, to discuss the position.'

'But of course,' said Miss Marple, 'Lewis Serrocold had already prepared for this emergency. It was all planned. He had brought the young man who was to play the part of Edgar Lawson to the house. There was a real Edgar Lawson - of course - in case the police looked up his record. This false Edgar knew exactly what he had to do - act the part of a schizophrenic victim of persecution - and give Lewis Serrocold an alibi for a few vital minutes.

'The next step had been thought out too. Lewis's story that you, Carrie Louise, were being slowly poisoned when one actually came to think of it there was only Lewis's story of what Christian had told him - that, and a few lines added on the typewriter whilst he was waiting for the police. It was easy to add arsenic to the tonic. No danger for you there - since he was on the spot to prevent you drinking it. The chocolates were just an added touch - and of course the original chocolates weren't poisoned - only those he substituted before turning them over to Inspector Curry.'

'And Alex guessed,' said Carrie Louise.

'Yes - that's why he collected your nail parings. They would show if arsenic actually had been administered over a long period.'

'Poor Alex - poor Ernie.' There was a moment's silence as the other two thought of Christian Gulbrandsen, of Alexis Restarick, and of the boy Ernie - and of how quickly the act of murder could distort and deform.

'But surely,' said the Bishop, 'Lewis was taking a big risk in persuading Edgar to be his accomplice - even if he had some hold over him -'

Carrie shook her head.

'It wasn't exactly a hold over him. Edgar was devoted to Lewis.'

'Yes,' said Miss Marple. 'Like Leonard Wylie and his father. I wonder perhaps if-'

She paused delicately.

'You saw the likeness, I suppose?' said Carrie Louise.

'So you knew that all along?'

'I guessed. I knew Lewis had once had a short infatuation for an actress, before he met me. He told me about it. It wasn't serious, she was a gold-digging type of woman and she didn't care for him, but I've no doubt at all that Edgar was actually Lewis's son…'

'Yes,' said Miss Marple. 'That explains everything…'

'And he gave his life for him in the end,' said Carrie Louise. She looked pleadingly at the Bishop. 'He did, you know.'

There was a silence and then Carrie Louise said: 'I'm glad it ended that way… with his life given in the hope of saving the boy… People who can be very good can be very bad, too. I always knew that was true about Lewis… But - he loved me very much - and I loved him.'

'Did you - ever suspect him?' asked Miss Marple.

'No,' said Carrie Louise. 'Because I was puzzled by the poisoning. I knew Lewis would never poison me and yet that letter of Christian's said definitely that someone was poisoning me - so I thought that everything I thought I knew about people must be wrong…'

Miss Marple said: 'But when Alex and Ernie were found killed. You suspected then?'

'Yes,' said Carrie Louise. 'Because I didn't think anyone else but Lewis would have dared. And I began to be afraid of what he might do next…' She shivered slightly.

'I admired Lewis. I admired his - what shall I call it his goodness? But I do see that if you're - good, you have to be humble as well.' Dr Galbraith said gently: 'That, Carrie Louise, is what I have always admired in you - your humility.' The lovely blue eyes opened wide in surprise.

'But I'm not clever - and not particularly good. I can only admire goodness in other people.'

'Dear Carrie Louise,' said Miss Marple.

'I think Grandam will be quite all right with Aunt Mildred,' said Gina. 'Aunt Mildred seems much nicer now - not so peculiar, if you know what I mean?'

'I know what you mean,' said Miss Marple.

'So Wally and I will go back to the States in a fortnight's time.'

Gina cast a look sideways at her husband.

'I shall forget all about Stonygates and Italy and all my girlish past and become a hundred per cent American.

Our son will be always addressed as Junior. I can't say fairer than that, can I, Wally?'

'You certainly cannot, Kate,' said Miss Marple.

Wally, smiling indulgently at an old lady who got names wrong, corrected her gently: 'Gina, not Kate.' But Gina laughed.

'She knows what she's saying! You see - she'll call you Petruchio in a moment!'

'I just think,' said Miss Marple to Walter, 'that you have acted very wisely, my dear boy.'

'She thinks you're just the right husband for me,' said Gina.

Miss Marple looked from one to the other. It was very nice, she thought, to see two young people so much in love, and Walter Hudd was completely transformed from the sulky young man she had first encountered into a good-humoured smiling giant…

'You two remind me,' she said, 'of-'

Gina rushed forward and placed a hand firmly over Miss Marple's mouth.

'No, darling,' she exclaimed. 'Don't say it. I'm suspicious of these village parallels. They've always got a sting in the tail. You really are a wicked old woman, you know.'

Her eyes went misty.

'When I think of you, and Aunt Ruth and Grandam all being young together… How I wonder what you were all like! I can't imagine it somehow…'

'I don't suppose you can,' said Miss Marple. 'It was all a long time ago…'