夜雨聆风Miss Blacklock, quite calm now, looked at Miss Marple.
“So you know all about it?” she said.
“Yes, I’ve known for some time.”
Charlotte Blacklock sat down by the table and began to cry.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” she said. “Not made Dora’s voice come. Iloved Dora. I really loved Dora.”
Inspector Craddock and the others had crowded in the doorway.
Constable Edwards, who added a knowledge of first aid and artificialrespiration to his other accomplishments, was busy with Mitzi. As soon asMitzi could speak she was lyrical with self-praise.
“I do that good, do I not? I am clever! And I am brave! Oh, I am brave!
Very very nearly was I murdered, too. But I was so brave I riskeverything.”
With a rush Miss Hinchcliffe thrust aside the others and leapt upon theweeping figure of Charlotte Blacklock by the table.
It took all Sergeant Fletcher’s strength to hold her off.
“Now then—” he said. “Now then—no, no, Miss Hinchcliffe—”
Between clenched teeth Miss Hinchcliffe was muttering:
“Let me get at her. Just let me get at her. It was she who killed Amy Mur-gatroyd.”
Charlotte Blacklock looked up and sniffed.
“I didn’t want to kill her. I didn’t want to kill anybody—I had to—but it’sDora I mind about—after Dora was dead, I was all alone—ever since shedied—I’ve been alone—oh, Dora—Dora—”
And once again she dropped her head on her hands and wept.