A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie Page B

then there was another shot and his torch went out and everybody began pushing and calling out. All banging into each other.”
    â€œWhere were you standing, Miss Blacklock?”
    â€œShe was over by the table. She’d got that vase of violets in her hand,” said Miss Bunner breathlessly.
    â€œI was over here.” Miss Blacklock went over to the small table by the archway. “Actually it was the cigarette box I’d got in my hand.”
    Inspector Craddock examined the wall behind her. The two bullet holes showed plainly. The bullets themselves had been extracted and had been sent for comparison with the revolver.
    He said quietly:
    â€œYou had a very near escape, Miss Blacklock.”
    â€œHe did shoot at her,” said Miss Bunner. “Deliberately at her! I saw him. He turned the flash round on everybody until he found her and then he held it right at her and just fired at her. He meant to kill you, Letty.”
    â€œDora dear, you’ve just got that into your head from mulling the whole thing over and over.”
    â€œHe shot at you, ” repeated Dora stubbornly. “He meant to shoot you and when he’d missed, he shot himself. I’m certain that’s the way it was!”
    â€œI don’t think he meant to shoot himself for a minute,” said Miss Blacklock. “He wasn’t the kind of man who shoots himself.”
    â€œYou tell me, Miss Blacklock, that until the revolver was fired you thought the whole business was a joke?”
    â€œNaturally. What else could I think it was?”
    â€œWho do you think was the author of this joke?”
    â€œYou thought Patrick had done it at first,” Dora Bunner reminded her.
    â€œPatrick?” asked the Inspector sharply.
    â€œMy young cousin, Patrick Simmons,” Miss Blacklock continued sharply, annoyed with her friend. “It did occur to me when I saw this advertisement that it might be some attempt at humour on his part, but he denied it absolutely.”
    â€œAnd then you were worried, Letty,” said Miss Bunner. “You were worried, although you pretended not to be. And you were quite right to be worried. It said a murder is announced—and it was announced— your murder! And if the man hadn’t missed, you would have been murdered. And then where should we all be?”
    Dora Bunner was trembling as she spoke. Her face was puckered up and she looked as though she were going to cry.
    Miss Blacklock patted her on the shoulder.
    â€œIt’s all right, Dora dear—don’t get excited. It’s so bad for you. Everything’s quite all right. We’ve had a nasty experience, but it’s over now.” She added, “You must pull yourself together for my sake, Dora. I rely on you, you know, to keep the house going. Isn’t it the day for the laundry to come?”
    â€œOh, dear me, Letty, how fortunate you reminded me! I wonder if they’ll return that missing pillowcase. I must make a note in the book about it. I’ll go and see to it at once.”
    â€œAnd take those violets away,” said Miss Blacklock. “There’s nothing I hate more than dead flowers.”
    â€œWhat a pity. I picked them fresh yesterday. They haven’t lasted at all—oh, dear, I must have forgotten to put any water in the vase. Fancy that! I’m always forgetting things. Now I must go and see about the laundry. They might be here any moment.”
    She bustled away, looking quite happy again.
    â€œShe’s not very strong,” said Miss Blacklock, “and excitements are bad for her. Is there anything more you want to know, Inspector?”
    â€œI just want to know exactly how many people make up your household here and something about them.”
    â€œYes, well in addition to myself and Dora Bunner, I have two young cousins living here at present, Patrick and Julia Simmons.”
    â€œCousins? Not a nephew and niece?”
    â€œNo. They