Agatha Christie's Marple

They won't find her. She'll be in the witch's house by now.

Do you know the story of the witch, Ethan?

My dad said she used to take children from the village,

...back in the golden days.

Come on!

You're making me late!

- Darling! Are you coming? - Yes.

I said I wanted to be there by 11,

gone by 12 and back in London by 1:15!

You should've told me.

We could have synchronised our watches.

- Yes, I wish we had. - Yes, I know you do.

Come, come, come! Quick, quick, quick!

Tuppence!

Yes, coming!

Come on!

- Can't you drive? - Oh!

I want to read my book.

- Macbeth? - Macbeth.

I was in Macbeth at my prep school.

''Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day.''

I heard you were marvellous.

- Who from? - You.

''By the pricking of my thumbs

Something wicked this way comes.''

Morning, Mr Beresford.

Miss Packard.

How nice to see you again.

Darling!

Coming.

Your Aunt Ada will be extremely pleased to see you.

She's been asking after you for months,

although she does enjoy the postcards.

Ah, yes. I've been rather remiss, I'm afraid.

Even this visit is squeezed in between business trips.

She's been looking out the window all morning,

cursing everything and anything that might have delayed you.

Ah, yes. Do you really want to come in, darling?

I could take that

and if she's in one of her moods, you know how she can be.

No, I'd like to see her, thank you.

Well...yes.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

- Oh, I like your brooch! - Oh...

Thank you.

It's pretty.

Yes. Thank you, Mrs Lancaster.

Would you like a Polo mint?

Oh, no, thank you.

- Darling, come on! - The colour suits your eyes.

Come in.

Ah, ha, ha!

Doesn't she look marvellous!

Hello, Ada.

I hope there are no jam cakes in basket you're clutching.

I'm not an invalid, Tommy. I don't need charity.

- No, no, no. - Kissing, please.

What's in there?

I baked you a cake.

Well, take it back down to the kitchen, or something.

I'm sure Miss Packard will dish it out to the old biddies.

You're one of the oldest biddies here, Aunt Ada.

To the young biddies, then.

I'm sure some of them need a bit of fattening up.

- There's something I wanted to ask you. - Yes.

The United Nations building in New York - what's it like?

- I've been reading about it. - I haven't been, Aunt Ada.

You haven't been?

Really, Tom!

You're so clever, they should have let you run the place!

Have you seen today's crossword?

No.

Will you get rid of those cakes!

You never had the intelligence for this kind of thing.

White House flowers away from the African plain.

Ah! Something ''-velt''.

''Roosevelt'', which means the answer's ''Rose''.

Hello. You look lost, my dear.

Do I? I was looking for Miss Packard's office.

- It's on the ground floor. - Ah.

The quickest way is the back stairs.

- Thank you very much. - Come on, Marjorie.

Hello.

Er, yes?

Ada asked if this cake could be used for everyone.

Oh, thank you. Er...leave it there.

And jam.

Is there somewhere I could sit and wait for my husband?

Er, yes.

This way.

It's such a pretty brooch.

It was my mother's.

I think you must look like your mother.

- Yes. - She must have been proud.

Would you like some tea or coffee, perhaps?

- They're very obliging here. - No, thank you.

Or a glass of milk?

I know you don't like Polos.

I...I do, actually.

I was just being polite.

Oh, that's the spirit. There.

Thank you.

Have you been here long, Mrs Lancaster?

Oh, two...two...three years.

One loses touch with things.

Three. One loses touch with people, too.

Any relatives I have spend all their time abroad.

Oh, that must be sad.

You make new friends.

Ada is a friend.

She suffers terribly from arthritis.

I do feel for her.

You're looking at the fireplace.

Am I?

Yes.

Excuse me.

It wasn't your poor child?

No. I don't think so.

Oh. I thought perhaps you'd come for a reason.

Someone will come...

sometime.

That's where the poor child was, you know.

The poor dead child.

Behind the fire.

Who?

Cocoa! Cocoa!

Where's my cocoa?

- Oh, you want your cocoa, Marjorie? - Yes, I do!

They really should give it to her on time.

Yes, they should!

- I'll come and get it for you. - Quick!

Tommy, what do you think to this place?

Excellent.

Aunt Ada's been very happy here.

Mrs Lancaster said something about a dead child

being buried behind the fireplace.

Of course she did.

And I would imagine they all complain cocoa's been poisoned

and that the cleaner is trying to steal their purse.

What does that remind you of?

Act 1, Scene 1.

''When shall we three meet again

in thunder, lightning, or in rain?''

SIX WEEKS LATER

Yes?

May I speak to Mr Beresford, please?

No, I'm...I'm sorry,

I'm afraid he's on the Continent on business.

This is Miss Vera Packard...

from Sunny Ridge.

I'm afrald I've got some bad news for you.

Your husband's aunt died in the night.

Oh...

Oh, dear. Poor Ada.

I realise this is not a good time,

but I'll be in touch concerning funeral arrangements

and the transfer of her belongings to your husband.

That's the last of it.

If you could sign this, ma'am.

All right.

Are you sure that painting was Ada Beresford's?

I don't remember it from her room.

- Right. Thank you. - Thank you, ma'am.

Tommy, I am writing down certain matters

which have come to my knowledge in recent days

here at Sunny Ridge.

I believe there's a murderer at large.

Mrs Lancaster is not safe.

I will remain watchful

and shall record facts as they become clear to me,

but if I should die, Tommy,

look to the painting

and, for God's sakes,

use your intelligence.

Hello?

This is Christopher Beresford's mother.

May I speak with him, please?

He's on a field trip this week, Mrs Beresford.

I see.

Well, would you leave a message with Judith

that her father's out of the country

- and I'd like to speak with her? - I'll pass it on.

Thank you. Goodbye.

Andrew,I think there's been a problem with Aunt Ada's death.

I think she's been murdered.

So, if you speak to your brother or sister,

could you ask them to call me, please?

Have you been drinking again, Mother?

- No. - Dad'll be home in a few days, won't he?

- Mother? - Yes, darling.

- Mrs Beresford. - Yes.

Good afternoon. What can I do for you?

Ada's funeral isn't until Monday.

No. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions.

Have all her belongings arrived safely?

No. That's just it.

There's a painting among Ada's things didn't belong to her.

It's rather an attractive picture of a house in the woods.

I'm sure she'd have wanted it returned to the rightful owner