‘Yes, I’ve got a revolver — and it’s loaded. No, don’t speak, don’t move. You’re going to hear me out. It’s you who started this conspiracy against me and now you’re going to pay for it.’

What sounded like the report of a firearm made them all start, but Carrie Louise said:

‘It’s all right, it’s outside — in the park somewhere.’

Behind the locked door, Edgar was raving in a high screaming voice.

‘You sit there looking at me — looking at me — pretending to be unmoved. Why don’t you get down on your knees and beg for mercy? I’m going to shoot, I tell you. I’m going to shoot you dead! I’m your son — your unacknowledged despised son — you wanted me hidden away, out of the world altogether, perhaps. You set your spies to follow me — to hound me down — you plotted against me. You, my father! My father. I’m only a bastard, aren’t I? Only a bastard. You went on filling me up with lies. Pretending to be kind to me, and all the time — all the time — You’re not fit to live. I won’t let you live.’

Again there came a stream of obscene profanity. Somewhere during the scene Miss Marple was conscious of Miss Bellever saying:

‘We must do something,’ and leaving the Hall.

Edgar seemed to pause for breath and then he shouted out:

‘You’re going to die — to die. You’re going to die now. Take that, you devil, and that!’

Two sharp cracks rang out — not in the park this time, but definitely behind the locked door.

Somebody, Miss Marple thought it was Mildred, cried out:

‘Oh God, what shall we do?’

There was a thud from inside the room and then a sound, almost more terrible than what had gone before, the sound of slow heavy sobbing.

Somebody strode past Miss Marple and started shaking and rattling the door.

It was Stephen Restarick.

‘Open the door. Open the door,’ he shouted.

Miss Bellever came back into the Hall. In her hand she held an assortment of keys.

‘Try some of these,’ she said breathlessly.

At that moment the fused lights came on again. The Hall sprang into life again after its eerie dimness.

Stephen Restarick began trying the keys.

They heard the inside key fall out as he did so.

Inside that wild desperate sobbing went on.

Walter Hudd, coming lazily back into the Hall, stopped dead and demanded:

‘Say, what’s going on round here?’

Mildred said tearfully:

‘That awful crazy young man has shot Mr Serrocold.’

‘Please.’ It was Carrie Louise who spoke. She got up and came across to the study door. Very gently she pushed Stephen Restarick aside. ‘Let me speak to him.’

She called — very softly — ‘Edgar…Edgar…let me in, will you? Please, Edgar.’

They heard the key fitted into the lock. It turned and the door was slowly opened.

But it was not Edgar who opened it. It was Lewis Serrocold. He was breathing hard as though he had been running, but otherwise he was unmoved.