The Body in the Library Read Free

the toenails in their cheap silver sandal shoes. It was a cheap, tawdry, flamboyant figure—most incongruous in the solid old-fashioned comfort of Colonel Bantry’s library.
    Mrs. Bantry said in a low voice:
    â€œYou see what I mean? It just isn’t true! ”
    The old lady by her side nodded her head. She looked down long and thoughtfully at the huddled figure.
    She said at last in a gentle voice:
    â€œShe’s very young.”
    â€œYes—yes—I suppose she is.” Mrs. Bantry seemed almost surprised—like one making a discovery.
    Miss Marple bent down. She did not touch the girl. She looked at the fingers that clutched frantically at the front of the girl’s dress, as though she had clawed it in her last frantic struggle for breath.
    There was the sound of a car scrunching on the gravel outside. Constable Palk said with urgency:
    â€œThat’ll be the Inspector….”
    True to his ingrained belief that the gentry didn’t let you down, Mrs. Bantry immediately moved to the door. Miss Marple followed her. Mrs. Bantry said:
    â€œThat’ll be all right, Palk.”
    Constable Palk was immensely relieved.
    VI
    Hastily downing the last fragments of toast and marmalade with a drink of coffee, Colonel Bantry hurried out into the hall and was relieved to see Colonel Melchett, the Chief Constable of the county, descending from a car with Inspector Slack in attendance. Melchett was a friend of the Colonel’s. Slack he had never much taken to—an energetic man who belied his name and who accompanied his bustling manner with a good deal of disregard for the feelings of anyone he did not consider important.
    â€œMorning, Bantry,” said the Chief Constable. “Thought I’d better come along myself. This seems an extraordinary business.”
    â€œIt’s—it’s—” Colonel Bantry struggled to express himself. “It’s incredible—fantastic! ”
    â€œNo idea who the woman is?”
    â€œNot the slightest. Never set eyes on her in my life.”
    â€œButler know anything?” asked Inspector Slack.
    â€œLorrimer is just as taken aback as I am.”
    â€œAh,” said Inspector Slack. “I wonder.”
    Colonel Bantry said:
    â€œThere’s breakfast in the dining room, Melchett, if you’d like anything?”
    â€œNo, no—better get on with the job. Haydock ought to be here any minute now—ah, here he is.”
    Another car drew up and big, broad-shouldered Doctor Haydock, who was also the police surgeon, got out. A second police car had disgorged two plainclothes men, one with a camera.
    â€œAll set—eh?” said the Chief Constable. “Right. We’ll go along. In the library, Slack tells me.”
    Colonel Bantry groaned.
    â€œIt’s incredible! You know, when my wife insisted this morning that the housemaid had come in and said there was a body in the library, I just wouldn’t believe her.”
    â€œNo, no, I can quite understand that. Hope your missus isn’t too badly upset by it all?”
    â€œShe’s been wonderful—really wonderful. She’s got old Miss Marple up here with her—from the village, you know.”
    â€œMiss Marple?” The Chief Constable stiffened. “Why did she send for her?”
    â€œOh, a woman wants another woman—don’t you think so?”
    Colonel Melchett said with a slight chuckle:
    â€œIf you ask me, your wife’s going to try her hand at a little amateur detecting. Miss Marple’s quite the local sleuth. Put it over us properly once, didn’t she, Slack?”
    Inspector Slack said: “That was different.”
    â€œDifferent from what?”
    â€œThat was a local case, that was, sir. The old lady knows everything that goes on in the village, that’s true enough. But she’ll be out of her depth here.”
    Melchett said dryly: “You don’t know very much about it