A Greek Beauty

A Greek Beauty
A Lily Pond
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
American Day Dream
Then she gave a slight shiver.
"One forgets," she said. "The boys have been having such fun that one almost thought of it all as a game. But it's not a game."
"No," said Miss Marple. "Murder isn't a game."
She was silent for a moment or two before she said:
"Don't the boys go back to school soon?"
"Yes, next week. They go tomorrow to James Stoddart-West's home for the last few days of the holidays."
"I'm glad of that," said Miss Marple gravely. "I shouldn't like anything to happen while they're there."
"You mean to old Mr. Crackenthorpe. Do you think he's going to be murdered next?"
"Oh, no," said Miss Marple. "He'll be all right. I meant to the boys."
"To the boys?"
"Well, to Alexander."
"But surely –"
"Hunting about, you know – looking for clues. Boys love that sort of things – but it might be very dangerous."
Craddock looked at her thoughtfully.
"You're not prepared to believe, are you, Miss Marple, that it's a case of an unknown woman murdered by an unknown man? You tie it up definitely connection, yes."
"I think there's a definite connection, yes."
"All we know about the murderer is that he's a tall dark man. That's what your friend says and all she can say. There are three tall dark men at Rutherford Hall. On the day of the inquest, you know, I came out to see the three brothers standing waiting on the pavement for the car to draw up. They had their backs to me and it was astonishing how, in their heavy overcoats, they looked all alike. Three tall dark men. And yet, actually, they're all three quite different types." He sighed. "It makes it very difficult."
"I wonder," murmured Miss Marple. "I have been wondering – whether it might perhaps be all much simpler than we suppose. Murders so often are quite simple - with an obvious rather sordid motive…."
"Do you believe in the mysterious Martine, Miss Marple?"
"I'm quite ready to believe that Edmund Crackenthorpe either married, or meant to marry, a girl called Martine. Emma Crackenthorpe showed you his letter, I understand, and from what I've seen of her and from what Lucy tells me, I should say Emma Crackenthorpe is quite incapable of making up a thing of that kind - indeed, why should she?"