"Now, let's get this straight.
You really believe that this young man came out here - having previously arranged by means of an advertisement that half the village would turn up agog at that particular time -"
"But he mayn't have meant that to happen," interrupted Miss Bunner eagerly.
"It may have been just a horrid sort of warning - to you, Letty - that's how I read it at the time -
'A murder is announced' - I felt in my bones that it was sinister - if it had all gone as planned he would have shot you and got away - and how would anyone have ever known who it was?"
"That's true enough," said Miss Blacklog. "But -"
"I knew that advertisement wasn't a joke, Letty.
I said so.
And look at Mitzi - she was frightened, too!"
"Ah," said Craddock,
"Mitzi.
I'd like to know rather more about that young woman."
"Her permit and papers are quite in order."
"I don't doubt that," said Craddock dryly.
"Scherz's papers appeared to be quite correct, too."
"But why should this Rudi Scherz want to murder me? That's what you don't attempt to explain, Inspector Craddock."
"There may have been someone behind Scherz," said Craddock slowly.
"Have you thought of that?"
He used the words metaphorically though it flashed across his mind that if Miss Marple's theory was correct, the words would also be true in a literal sense.
In any case they made little impression on Miss Blacklog, who still looked sceptical.
"The point remains the same," she said.
"Why on earth should anyone want to murder me?"
"It's the answer to that that I want you to give me, Miss Blacklog."
"Well, I can't!
That's flat.
I've no enemies.
As far as I'm aware I've always lived on perfectly good terms with my neighbours.
I don't know any guilty secrets about anyone.
The whole idea is ridiculous!
And if what you're hinting is that Mitzi has something to do with this, that's absurd, too.
As Miss Bunner has just told you she was frightened to death when she saw that advertisement in the Gazette.
She actually wanted to pack up and leave the house then and there."
"That may have been a clever move on her part.
She may have known you'd press her to stay."
"Of course, if you've made up your mind about it, you'll find an answer to everything.
But I can assure you that if Mitzi had taken an unreasoning dislike to me, she might conceivably poison my food, but I'm sure she wouldn't go in for all this elaborate rigmarole. "The whole idea's absurd. I believe you police have got an anti-foreigner complex.
Mitzi may be a liar but she's not a cold-blooded murderer.
Go and bully her if you must. But when she's departed in a whirl of indignation, or shut herself up howling in her room, I've a good mind to make you cook the dinner.
Mrs. Harmon is bringing some old lady who is staying with her to tea this afternoon and I wanted Mitzi to make some little cakes - but I suppose you'll upset her completely.
Can't you possibly go and suspect somebody else?"
Craddock went out to the kitchen.
He asked Mitzi questions that he had asked her before and received the same answers.
Yes, she had locked the front door soon after four o'clock.
No, she did not always do so, but that afternoon she had been nervous because of 'that dreadful advertisement.'
It was no good locking the side door because Miss Blacklog and Miss Bunner went out that way to shut up the ducks and feed the chickens and Mrs. Haymes usually came in that way from work.
"Mrs. Haymes says she locked the door when she came in at 5:30."
"Ah, and you believe her - oh, yes, you believe her..."
"Do you think we shouldn't believe her?"
"What does it matter what I think?
You will not believe me."