They Do It With Mirrors by Agatha Christie Page A

friends.”
    â€œQuite so. And you went along to Mr. Gulbrandsen’s room. Did you touch anything while you were in the room, either of you?”
    â€œOh no. Mr. Serrocold warned us not to.”
    â€œDid you happen to notice, Ma’am, whether there was a letter or a piece of paper, say, in the typewriter?”
    â€œThere wasn’t,” said Miss Marple promptly. “I noticed that at once because it seemed to me odd. Mr. Gulbrandsen was sitting there at the typewriter, so he must have been typing something. Yes, I thought it very odd.”
    Inspector Curry looked at her sharply. He said:
    â€œDid you have much conversation with Mr. Gulbrandsen while he was here?”
    â€œVery little.”
    â€œThere is nothing especial—or significant that you can remember?”
    Miss Marple considered.
    â€œHe asked me about Mrs. Serrocold’s health. In particular, about her heart.”
    â€œHer heart? Is there something wrong with her heart?”
    â€œNothing whatever, I understand.”
    Inspector Curry was silent for a moment or two, then he said:
    â€œYou heard a shot this evening during the quarrel between Mr. Serrocold and Edgar Lawson?”
    â€œI didn’t actually hear it myself. I am a little deaf, you know. But Mrs. Serrocold mentioned it as being outside in the park.”
    â€œMr. Gulbrandsen left the party immediately after dinner, I understand?”
    â€œYes, he said he had letters to write.”
    â€œHe didn’t show any wish for a business conference with Mr. Serrocold?”
    â€œNo.”
    Miss Marple added:
    â€œYou see, they’d already had one little talk.”
    â€œThey had? When? I understood that Mr. Serrocold only returned home just before dinner.”
    â€œThat’s quite true, but he walked up through the park, and Mr. Gulbrandsen went out to meet him and they walked up and down the terrace together.”
    â€œWho else knows this?”
    â€œI shouldn’t think anybody else,” said Miss Marple. “Unless, of course, Mr. Serrocold told Mrs. Serrocold. I just happened to be looking out of my window—at some birds.”
    â€œBirds?”
    â€œBirds.” Miss Marple added after a moment or two, “I thought, perhaps, they might be siskins.”
    Inspector Curry was uninterested in siskins.
    â€œYou didn’t,” he said delicately, “happen to—er—overhear anything of what they said?”
    Innocent, china blue eyes met his.
    â€œOnly fragments, I’m afraid,” said Miss Marple gently.
    â€œAnd those fragments?”
    Miss Marple was silent a moment, then she said:
    â€œI do not know the actual subject of their conversation, but their immediate concern was to keep whatever it was from the knowledge of Mrs. Serrocold. To spare her—that was how Mr. Gulbrandsen put it, and Mr. Serrocold said, ‘I agree that it is she who must beconsidered.’ They also mentioned a ‘big responsibility’ and that they should, perhaps, ‘take outside advice.’”
    She paused.
    â€œI think, you know, you had better ask Mr. Serrocold himself about all this.”
    â€œWe shall do so, Ma’am. Now there is nothing else that struck you as unusual this evening?”
    Miss Marple considered.
    â€œIt was all so unusual, if you know what I mean—”
    â€œQuite so. Quite so.”
    Something flickered into Miss Marple’s memory.
    â€œThere was one rather unusual incident. Mr. Serrocold stopped Mrs. Serrocold from taking her medicine. Miss Bellever was quite put out about it.”
    She smiled in a deprecating fashion.
    â€œBut that, of course, is such a little thing….”
    â€œYes, of course. Well, thank you, Miss Marple.”
    As Miss Marple went out of the room, Sergeant Lake said: “She’s old, but she’s sharp….”

Ten
    L ewis Serrocold came into the office and immediately the whole focus of the room shifted.