They Do It With Mirrors

Miss Marple looked out towards where large red brick buildings showed through a belt of sheltered trees. Then her eyes fell on something nearer at hand, and she smiled a little.

'What a very beautiful girl Gina is,' she said.

Carrie Louise's face lit up.

'Yes, isn't she?' she said softly. 'It's so lovely to have her back here again. I sent her to America at the beginning of the war - to Ruth. Did Ruth talk about her at all?'

'No. At least she did just mention her.'

Carrie Louise sighed.

'Poor Ruth! She was frightfully upset over Gina's marriage. But I've told her again and again that I don't blame her in the least. Ruth doesn't realize, as I do, that the old barriers and class shibboleths are gone - or at any rate are going.

'Gina was doing her war work- and she met this young man. He was a Marine and had a very good war record.

And a week later they were married. It was all far too quick, of course, no time to find out if they were really suited to each other - but that's the way of things nowadays. Young people belong to their generation. We may think they're unwise in many of their doings, but we have to accept their decisions. Ruth, though, was terribly upset.'

'She didn't consider the young man suitable?'

'She kept saying that one didn't know anything about him. He came from the Middle West and he hadn't any money - and naturally no profession. There are hundreds of boys like that everywhere - but it wasn't Ruth's idea of what was right for Gina. However, the thing was done. I was so glad when Gina accepted my invitation to come over here with her husband. There's so much going on here - jobs of every kind, and if Walter wants to specialize in medicine or get a degree or anything he could do it in this country. After all, this is Gina's home. It's delightful to have her back, to have someone so warm and gay and alive in the house.'

Miss Marple nodded and looked out of the window again at the two young people standing near the lake.

'They're a remarkably handsome couple, tOO,' she said.

'I don't wonder Gina fell in love with him!'

'Oh, but that - that isn't Wally.' There was, quite suddenly, a touch of embarrassment, or restraint, in Mrs Serrocold's voice. 'That's Steve - the younger of Johnnie Restarick's two boys. When Johnnie - when he went away, he'd no place for the boys in the holidays, so I always had them here. They look on this as their home.

And Steve's here permanently now. He runs our dramatic branch. We have a theatre, you know, and plays we encourage all the artistic instincts. Lewis says that so much of this juvenile crime is due to exhibitionism, most of the boys have had such a thwarted unhappy home life, and these hold-ups and burglaries make them feel heroes.

We urge them to write their own plays and act in them and design and paint their own scenery. Steve is in charge of the theatre. He's so keen and enthusiastic. It's wonderful what life he's put into the whole thing.' 'I see,' said Miss Marple slowly.

Her long-distance sight was good (as many of her neighbours knew to their cost in the village of St Mary Mead) and she saw very clearly the dark handsome face of Stephen Restarick as he stood facing Gina, talking eagerly. Gina's face she could not see, since the girl had her back to them, but there was no mistaking the expression in Stephen Restarick's face.

'It isn't any business of mine,' said Miss Marple, 'but I suppose you realize, Carrie Louise, that he's in love with her.' 'Oh no -' Carrie Louise looked troubled. 'Oh no, I do hope not.' 'You were always up in the clouds, Carrie Louise.

There's not the least doubt about it.'

Chapter 4

Before Mrs Serrocold could say anything, her husband came in from the hall carrying some open letters in his hand.

Lewis Serrocold was a short man, not particularly impressive in appearance, but with a personality that immediately marked him out. Ruth had once said of him that he was more like a dynamo than a human being. He usually concentrated entirely on what was immediately occupying his attention and paid no attention to the objects or persons who were surrounding them.

'A bad blow, dearest,' he said. 'That boy, Jackie Flint.

Back at his tricks again. And I really did think he meant to go straight this time if he got a proper chance. He was most earnest about it. You know we found he'd always been keen on railways - and both Maverick and I thought that if he got a job on the railways he'd stick to it and make good. But it's the same story. Petty thieving from the parcels office. Not even stuff he could want or sell. That shows that it must be psychological. We haven't really got to the root of the trouble. But I'm not giving up.' 'Lewis - this is my old friend, Jane Marple.' 'Oh how d'you do,' said Mr Serrocold absently. 'So glad - they'll prosecute, of course. A nice lad, too, not too many brains, but a really nice boy. Unspeakable home he came from. I ' He suddenly broke off, and the dynamo was switched on to the guest.