[Mrs Bradley 55] - Nest of Vipers

bit out of date these days, don't it? But it was mostly in the mornings I see 'em, and not together then they wasn't, the tall one in the same car, which she left a bit beyond my front windows but still in this street, and the old one on her own, like I said, scurrying along on foot. But I haven't seen anything of her for quite a week or two lately, so I reckon either she give up the cleaning job or else he sacked her.'

'But you can't be sure that either she or the tall younger woman visited the antique-dealer's shop, can you?'

'Well, being as you ask me, dear, yes, as it happens, I can be sure. Mind you, most times I only see one or other of 'em by accident, like as I might be cleaning my front windows or doing a bit of dusting in there, but sometimes I would have my hat and coat on to do my shopping early, and I walked up the street instead of down it and had to come past the shop and then there's a flagged alley, a bit further along, which takes you down to the shops along the front.'

'And you actually saw one or other of them go into the shop?'

'I did that and with my own eyes. The time I saw the young tall lady, she was carrying a bundle, so I reckon she had tooken something to try and sell. The old one always carried a bag, but I reckon that was only her working overall.'

'But once she wasn't carrying anything, and another young lady came after her with it, but did not catch up with her.'

'Now how do you know that?' asked the woman, wide-eyed.

'Only because that particular young lady was resident at Weston Pipers, and to that extent I became acquainted with her.' Dame Beatrice did not say that she and Elysée had not been resident at the same time, but the woman asked no awkward questions and they parted with mutual expressions of goodwill.

'Heaven bless the uneventful lives of home-based women,' said Laura, when she had heard the story. 'They notice everything, they remember everything and they often add up correctly. So you didn't see the milkman?'

'There was no point, since he is the wrong milkman. In any case, I do not think the one the police interviewed can be of any further help. All the same, I think this kindly and unsuspecting soul I visited has advanced the enquiry a little. She may have established a definite connection between Niobe Nutley and Miss Minnie. This, I imagine, would have been when Niobe made the excuse of coming to the town to bathe from the beach here. Were there any telephone calls?'

'Yes, there was one from Billie Kennett. She rather wanted to know what we were up to, I think, although she didn't put it as baldly as that. She did say that, although she and the Barnes girl have teamed up again pro temshe doesn't think it will last. Reading between the lines as an experienced woman of the world and the mother of a newly-married daughter, it sounded to me as though she believes Chelion Piper has got his eye on our Miss Barnes. At any rate, he seems to have gone to the length of plugging Polly Hempseed in the eye and, knowing what we do know, I would call that rather significant, wouldn't you?'

It is easy enough to read too much into such incidents. I am not an upholder of private vengeance,' said Dame Beatrice, 'ut there are occasions on which it has my full sympathy.'

Is this one of them?' Laura enquired.

No. I am speaking my thoughts aloud.'

I wonder what the police are doing about those two murders? From what we know now, they must be connected in some way.'

Only in one way, of course.'

Two ways, I would have thought. There is the Satanist angle and also there is the point that both Minnie and this Black Art leader must have been killed by the same person.'

I admit your first contention. Your second is much less certain.'

You don't think the same person klled them both?'

People who kill more than once are apt to repeat their methods. Poisoners continue to poison, stabbers to stab. The two deaths we are considering have nothing in common except death itself.'

Couldn't it be that the murderer used whatever means happened to be at his or her disposal?'

Yes, it could be so, of course. Well, I must have a word with the Superintendent. No doubt he will be interested to hear an account of my activities and the conclusions I have drawn from them.'

May one ask what conclusions you have drawn from them?'

Well,' said Dame Beatrice, 'one of the conclusions I have drawn is that I think I may be inclined to keep the eleventh Commandment.'

Which is?'

Oh, come now! You, who must have been in hot water times out of number at school and you who, as I remember it, were not always a model student at Carteret College of Education, should not need to ask me that!'

No, honestly, I don't get you. Is there an eleventh Commandment? If so, how come?'

Certainly there is an eleventh Commandment. Its place of origin, I believe, was Eton College, the pious foundation of King Henry the Sixth.'

Oh!' said Laura, suddenly enlightened. 'Tell a lie, tell a good 'un, and stick to it. Somehow, though, I shouldn't have thought that kind of thing culd be in your line.'

In the ordinary course of events it would not, but circumstances, to quote a trite saying, do alter cases. With what are we confronted?'

'Two murders.'

'Of two infamous characters of whom the world is well rid.'

'Do you mean you know who the murderer is, and that you're going to cover up for him or her?'

'I mean only that I think I know the identity of both murderers, and I think that one is male, the other female. If I am