WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:05.839 Chapter one, The Mysterious Delivery. In the winter of nineteen 2 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:09.240 thirty two, the village of Saint mary Mead lay blanketed 3 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:13.759 in a gentle frost, Its thatched cottages and winding lanes 4 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:19.120 aglow with the quiet anticipation of advent. The air carried 5 00:00:19.160 --> 00:00:22.399 the scent of pine and coal smoke, and the villagers 6 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:27.039 busied themselves with preparations for the Christmas season. Fairy lights 7 00:00:27.079 --> 00:00:31.000 twinkled in shop windows, and children sang carols by the 8 00:00:31.079 --> 00:00:35.920 village green, their voices crisp in the December chill. Yet 9 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:41.039 beneath this festive veneer, an undercurrent of unease was about 10 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:45.479 to ripple through the community. Miss Jane Marple sat by 11 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:49.439 her parlor window, her knitting needles clicking softly as she 12 00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:54.719 observed the world beyond her lace curtains. Her cottage, nestled 13 00:00:54.759 --> 00:00:57.560 at the edge of the village, offered a perfect vantage 14 00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:00.520 point for noting the comings and goings of Saint Mary Mead. 15 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:05.200 At seventy, her eyes were as sharp as her mind, 16 00:01:05.719 --> 00:01:09.439 and her gentle demeanor belied a knack for unraveling the 17 00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:13.840 tangled threads of human nature. She had just set down 18 00:01:13.879 --> 00:01:16.680 her needles to sip a cup of Darjeeling when she 19 00:01:16.840 --> 00:01:22.040 noticed a curious sight, a delivery boy, not one of 20 00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:26.280 the usual lads, pedaling a bicycle with a basket overflowing 21 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:31.719 with parcels most peculiar, Miss Marple murmured, adjusting her spectacles. 22 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:35.719 The boys stopped at the grander houses, the vicarage, the 23 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:39.799 bantery's manner, Doctor Haydock's residence, and even the newer home 24 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:43.840 of mister Clement, the Solicitor. At each he left an 25 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:48.920 identical parcel, a flat, rectangular package wrapped in brown paper 26 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:54.560 and tied with red twine. Miss Marple's curiosity was piqued. 27 00:01:55.359 --> 00:02:00.519 Advent calenders, perhaps, she mused, though the packages seemed to large, 28 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:05.200 too deliberate for such a simple tradition. By tea time, 29 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:09.680 the village was a buzz. Missus Price, the postmistress had 30 00:02:09.719 --> 00:02:14.280 received one such parcel, and, unable to resist, had opened 31 00:02:14.280 --> 00:02:17.719 it at the village shop. It's an advent calendar, but 32 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:21.080 not like any I've seen, she declared to a small crowd, 33 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:26.879 her voice tinged with unease. The calendar was exquisitely crafted, 34 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:30.719 made of heavy card with embossed gold lettering, and twenty 35 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:35.479 four numbered doors, each adorned with a tiny holly sprick. 36 00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:39.960 A note pinned to it read, simply open one door 37 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.439 each day and truth shall be revealed by Christmas Eve. 38 00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:49.599 No signature, no sender's address. Miss Marple, who had ventured 39 00:02:49.639 --> 00:02:52.719 to the shop for a skein of wool, overheard the chatter. 40 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:57.840 No sender, you say, she asked, her tone mild, but 41 00:02:57.960 --> 00:03:02.800 her eyes bright with interest. None at all, missus Price replied, 42 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:08.199 clutching the calendar and the paper's foreign I'd wager too 43 00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:13.719 fine for our local stationers. Most intriguing, Miss Marple said, 44 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:18.840 her mind already turning. She declined to linger, but not 45 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:23.360 before noting that several others, Colonel Bantry, the Vicar's wife, 46 00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:28.840 missus Clement, and even young Miss Hartnell, had received identical calenders. 47 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:33.080 Each recipient was a pillar of Saint Mary Mead's Society, 48 00:03:33.639 --> 00:03:38.439 which made the anonymous delivery all the more curious. That evening, 49 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:42.439 as Miss Marple sat by her fire, her maid Florence 50 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:45.319 brought in a tray of scones and a letter from 51 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:50.639 Dolly Bantry, her dear friend. They're all talking about those calenders, 52 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:55.000 miss Florence said, setting the tray down. Some say it's 53 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:58.800 a prank. But missus Bantry's in a right state, says 54 00:03:58.840 --> 00:04:03.960 it feels like a Miss Marple opened the letter, which 55 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:10.360 confirmed Florence's report. Dolly wrote of Colonel Bantry's unease, He'd 56 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:14.960 grumbled about damned nonsense, but kept glancing at the calendar 57 00:04:15.039 --> 00:04:19.560 on their mantle Jane. The letter read, you've a nose 58 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:23.079 for these things. Do come to tea tomorrow and tell 59 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:27.000 me what you make of it. Miss Marple folded the letter, 60 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:32.439 her thoughts drifting to the calenders. A prank, perhaps, but 61 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:37.199 the craftsmanship suggested purpose, and the choice of recipients hinted 62 00:04:37.240 --> 00:04:41.600 at something personal. She recalled a similar incident years ago 63 00:04:41.639 --> 00:04:45.839 in Chipping Cleghorn, a seemingly innocent notice that had led 64 00:04:45.879 --> 00:04:51.439 to murder. People are so careless with their secrets. She murmured, 65 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:56.439 her needles, resuming their rhythm. As the clock struck nine, 66 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:01.040 a sharp cry echoed from the direction of the vicarage. 67 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:04.639 Miss Marple set her knitting aside and moved to the window. 68 00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:09.920 Lanterns bobbed in the darkness, and voices carried on the wind. 69 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:16.639 Something had happened, something dire. She wrapped her shawl about 70 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:20.959 her shoulders and stepped into the night, her heart quickening 71 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:25.160 with the certainty that the advent calender's first door was 72 00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:30.800 about to open, revealing not holiday cheer, but something far 73 00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:35.439 more sinister. Before we move on, detective, where in the 74 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:39.079 world are you solving mysteries with us? Drop your location 75 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:42.959 in the comments, and if you're craving more twisted tails, 76 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:49.680 hit subscribe. Tomorrow's case file gets even darker. Stay sharp. 77 00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:55.279 Chapter two. Behind the first door. The night air was 78 00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:58.839 sharp as Miss Marple stepped onto the frosty lane, her 79 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:02.519 breath misting in the glow of the village lamps. The 80 00:06:02.600 --> 00:06:06.800 cry from the vicarage had drawn a small crowd curious neighbors, 81 00:06:07.319 --> 00:06:11.079 their faces pale in the lantern light, murmuring as they 82 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:15.920 gathered near the ivy clad walls of Saint Mary's. Miss Marple, 83 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:21.079 her shawl drawn tight, moved with quiet purpose, her keen 84 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:25.839 eyes scanning the scene. The vicarage door stood ajar and 85 00:06:25.959 --> 00:06:30.279 inside missus Harmon, the vicar's wife, was wringing her hands, 86 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:35.959 her usual composure shattered. It's dreadful, simply dreadful, She gasped 87 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:39.160 to Constable Park, who was scribbling notes with a furrowed 88 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:44.240 brow on the parlor floor. Lay mister Giles, the churchwarden, 89 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:50.000 his face ashen. A broken teacup beside him. The advent calendar, 90 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:53.519 its first door, torn open, rested on the table nearby. 91 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:59.839 Miss Marple slipped inside, unnoticed. Amid the chaos, She noted 92 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:04.160 the calender's open door, number one for December first, revealing 93 00:07:04.199 --> 00:07:08.079 a slip of paper with elegant script, the first She'll 94 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:13.439 fall by the shepherd's hand. Her lips pursed. The message 95 00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:18.839 was cryptic, yet chillingly precise. Mister Giles, a stout man 96 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:22.319 of sixty known for his piety and temper, had collapsed 97 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:27.519 during tea. Clutching his chest. Doctor Haydock, summoned from his 98 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:33.439 own home, knelt beside the body, His expression grim poison, 99 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:40.000 I'd wager, Doctor Haydock muttered, glancing at the teacup, something fast, cyanide. 100 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:45.720 Perhaps we'll need a proper autopsy. Poison. Missus Harmon whispered, 101 00:07:45.959 --> 00:07:49.519 her eyes wide, But we were just having tea. He 102 00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:53.639 opened the calendar, read that dreadful note, and then oh 103 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:58.279 it was awful. Miss Marple's gaze lingered on the teacup, 104 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:03.519 its contents spilled across the rug. Who else was present 105 00:08:03.560 --> 00:08:07.519 missus Harmon, She asked gently, just the vicar, myself and 106 00:08:07.560 --> 00:08:11.360 mister Giles, She replied, trembling. We thought the calendar was 107 00:08:11.399 --> 00:08:15.600 a curiosity, nothing more. Then he read the note and laughed, 108 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:21.879 said it was nonsense. Moments later he was gone. Constable Polk, 109 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:27.079 a diligent but unimaginative man, took charge. Right, No one 110 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:31.519 touch anything. I'll need statements from everyone. He eyed the 111 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:35.320 calendar suspiciously. This thing's got something to do with it, 112 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:40.080 mark my words. Miss Marple, standing quietly by the hearth, 113 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:44.840 studied the room. The vicarage was cozy, cluttered with books 114 00:08:44.840 --> 00:08:48.840 and advent decorations, Holly reads a small crash, but the 115 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:54.279 calendar dominated the scene. Its craftsmanship was exquisite, almost mocking 116 00:08:54.320 --> 00:08:57.720 in its beauty. She noted a faint smudge of ink 117 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:00.519 on the paper, as if the writer had been careless 118 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:04.919 or hurried. As the crowd dispersed and mister Giles's body 119 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:10.720 was carried away, Miss Marple lingered her mind turning. Poison 120 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:16.200 suggested intent, and the calender's message implied for knowledge. But 121 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:20.759 why mister Giles? He was respected, if a touch overbearing, 122 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:26.080 with no obvious enemies. Yet Miss Marple, knew that even 123 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:30.200 the most upright lives could hide secrets. She recalled a 124 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:34.240 conversation with her nephew Raymond, about village grudges, how they 125 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:41.240 festered unseen like embers beneath ash. Outside, she met Dolly Bantry, 126 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:46.879 who had hurried over upon hearing the news. Jane, it's ghastly, 127 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:51.279 Dolly exclaimed, her cheeks flushed. First, those calendars, now this, 128 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:55.080 do you think they're connected? I should be very surprised 129 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:58.759 if they were not, Miss Marple replied, softly. The question 130 00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:04.679 is who sent them and why Dolly shivered. We opened 131 00:10:04.679 --> 00:10:08.279 our first door tonight too, it said, Beware the second, 132 00:10:08.480 --> 00:10:12.279 for justice follows. Arthur laughed it off, but I'm not 133 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:17.879 so sure now, Miss Marple's eyes narrowed. Indeed, we must 134 00:10:17.879 --> 00:10:21.960 see what to morrow's door reveals. As she walked home, 135 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:25.360 the village silence save for the crunch of frost underfoot, 136 00:10:25.879 --> 00:10:30.120 Miss Marple considered the recipients of the calenders. All were 137 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:36.720 prominent figures. Colonel Bantry, a retired military man, Doctor Haydock, 138 00:10:36.919 --> 00:10:41.960 the village physician, Mister Clement the solicitor, missus Price the postmistress, 139 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:46.360 and Miss Hartnell the spinster with a sharp tongue. Each 140 00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:52.000 held influence and influence. Miss Marple knew often bred resentment. 141 00:10:53.679 --> 00:10:56.279 Back in her cottage, she sat by the fire, her 142 00:10:56.320 --> 00:11:00.440 knitting untouched. The calender's message echoed in her mind. The 143 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:04.639 first shall fall by the shepherd's hand. The vicar, often 144 00:11:04.679 --> 00:11:08.639 called the shepherd of his flock, had been present. But 145 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:12.960 was he the hand or merely a witness? And what 146 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:18.440 did the second message portend? As the clock chimed midnight, 147 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:23.159 Miss Marple resolved to attend Dolly's tea tomorrow, where she 148 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:28.039 could observe the others. In Saint mary Mead, secrets were 149 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:31.919 rarely shouted, they were whispered, and she knew how to listen. 150 00:11:33.320 --> 00:11:38.200 Chapter three whispers in the village. The morning after mister 151 00:11:38.279 --> 00:11:42.679 Giles's untimely demise dawned crisp and clear, with a light 152 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:46.000 snow dusting the rooftops of Saint mary Mead like icing 153 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:50.919 on a Christmas cake. Yet the village's usual cheer was muted, 154 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:55.440 replaced by hushed conversations in the shops and furtive glances 155 00:11:55.480 --> 00:12:00.720 over garden fences. News of the churchwarden's death had spread 156 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:04.960 like wildfire, and the advent calendars were now viewed with 157 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:11.000 suspicion rather than curiosity. Miss Marple, ever, the early riser, 158 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:14.679 was already at her window when the postman arrived with 159 00:12:14.759 --> 00:12:19.360 the morning papers. She noted the headline in the local gazette, 160 00:12:19.799 --> 00:12:25.159 mysterious death at vicarage poison suspected. Sipping her tea, she 161 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:32.440 pondered the implications poison required, planning, access and motive elements 162 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:36.840 that pointed to someone intimately familiar with the victim's habits. 163 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:41.159 By midday, she made her way to Gossington Hall, the 164 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:45.679 Bantery's stately home, for the promised tea. The hall was 165 00:12:45.720 --> 00:12:49.480 festooned with holly and ribbons, but the atmosphere was tense. 166 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:54.720 Dolly Bantry greeted her at the door. Her vivacious nature 167 00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:59.360 subdued Jane, Thank heavens you're here. The whole village is 168 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:03.039 in an uproar. Arthur's been on the telephone with Inspector 169 00:13:03.080 --> 00:13:07.679 Slack all morning. Inside the drawing room, a small group 170 00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:12.320 had gathered, Colonel Bantry puffing on his pipe, Doctor Haydock, 171 00:13:12.679 --> 00:13:17.000 looking weary from his night's vigil, Mister Clement, the Solicitor, 172 00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:21.840 fidgeting with his cufflinks, and Miss Hartnell her lips pursed 173 00:13:21.879 --> 00:13:25.919 in disapproval. The advent calender sat on a side table, 174 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:31.840 its second door still sealed. Ghastly business Colonel Bantry grumbled, 175 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:35.840 handing Miss Marple a cup of tea. Giles was a 176 00:13:35.879 --> 00:13:39.799 good man, bit of a bore at committee meetings, but harmless. 177 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:46.120 Who'd want him dead? Indeed, Miss Marple murmured, settling into 178 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:50.480 a chintz armchair. And yet the calender's message seemed to 179 00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:54.320 predict it. The first she'll fall by the shepherd's hand. 180 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:59.159 The vicar was there, was he not? Doctor Haydock nodded. 181 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:04.960 He called the tea himself. But poison. It's unthinkable. I've 182 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:10.679 known Reverend Harmon for years. Miss Hartnell sniffed, unthinkable or not? 183 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:16.080 Facts are facts, and those calenders who scent them, I 184 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:19.519 say it's someone with a grudge against us all Why 185 00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:23.039 my own said the same as the bantries. Beware the 186 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:27.759 second for justice follows justice. For what I ask you, 187 00:14:28.919 --> 00:14:33.039 Mister Clement cleared his throat. Perhaps it's a hoax gone wrong. 188 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:38.240 Giles had a weak heart. Maybe the shock nonsense, doctor 189 00:14:38.279 --> 00:14:42.919 Haydock interrupted. Autopsy will confirm, but the symptoms were classic 190 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:47.799 cyanide bitter almond smell in the cup. The room fell silent, 191 00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:51.759 broken only by the crackle of the fire. Miss Marple 192 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:56.879 sipped her tea, her eyes drifting over the group. Colonel Bantry, 193 00:14:57.159 --> 00:15:03.600 blustery but kind, Dolly the host hears, Doctor Haydok, reliable 194 00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:08.720 yet secretive about his war experiences. Mister Clement, whose legal 195 00:15:08.759 --> 00:15:13.559 work often involved delicate matters, Miss Hartnell, a gossip with 196 00:15:13.639 --> 00:15:17.600 a heart of gold beneath her stern exterior. Each had 197 00:15:17.639 --> 00:15:23.919 received a calendar, each a potential target or suspect. Tell me, 198 00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:28.440 Miss Marple, said, mildly. Has anyone inquired about the delivery boy? 199 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:34.639 He seemed unfamiliar? Dolly brightened, Arthur did. The lad was 200 00:15:34.679 --> 00:15:37.440 from Daymouth, hired by a man in a dark coat 201 00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:42.720 at the station, paid in cash, no name given. Most interesting, 202 00:15:42.919 --> 00:15:47.759 Miss Marple replied, And the calenders themselves foreign paper, missus 203 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:52.879 Price said. As the conversation turned to village affairs, Miss 204 00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:59.960 Marple listened intently. Whispers of old scandal's surfaced, mister Giles's 205 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:04.320 strict enforcement of church funds, which had irked some, a 206 00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:08.559 rumored dispute with mister Clement over a will, even a 207 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:13.519 long ago affair involving the doctor. Nothing concrete but threads 208 00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:18.960 nonetheless outside. As Miss Marple prepared to leave, Dolly pulled 209 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:23.519 her aside. Jane, you're thinking something I can tell? Is 210 00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:28.639 it one of us? Miss Marple smiled gently, my dear Dolly. 211 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:33.000 In villages like ours, it's always one of us. But 212 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:37.639 motives are like snowflakes, unique, yet they melt under scrutiny. 213 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:42.759 Walking home through the gathering dusk, Miss Marple reflected on 214 00:16:42.840 --> 00:16:47.159 the whispers. The village was a web of interconnections, and 215 00:16:47.240 --> 00:16:51.159 the calenders were tugging at its strands. As she passed 216 00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:55.639 the post office, missus Price waved her in, Miss Marple, 217 00:16:56.120 --> 00:16:59.320 I've been thinking those calenders remind me of what I 218 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:02.399 saw in London and years ago from a fancy shop. 219 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:08.440 Perhaps it's a clue. Perhaps, Miss Marple agreed, but her 220 00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:12.480 mind was on the second door, unopened yet pregnant with 221 00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:18.359 promise or peril. Tomorrow would bring advent second day, and 222 00:17:18.440 --> 00:17:22.359 with it she feared another shadow over Saint mary Mead. 223 00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:27.680 Chapter four, The second omen December. The second brought a 224 00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:32.000 heavier snowfall to Saint mary Mead, transforming the village into 225 00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:37.160 a picturesque postcard of whitecapped roofs and muffled lanes. But 226 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:41.319 the beauty belied the growing dread. Whispers of poison and 227 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:46.920 prophecies had cast a pall over the advent preparations. Church 228 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:52.200 bells told somberly, and even the children's snowball fights seemed subdued. 229 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:56.599 Miss Marple spent the morning in her garden room, poring 230 00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:00.000 over her notes, scribbled observations from the previous day's time 231 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:04.119 he and recollections of village history. She had a way 232 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:08.400 of connecting dots that others overlooked, like the intricate patterns 233 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:13.000 in her knitting. The second omen, she murmured, recalling the 234 00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:19.839 calender's warning justice follows, what justice and for whom. Her 235 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:23.480 musings were interrupted by a knock at the door. It 236 00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:27.359 was young Raymond West, her nephew, down from London for 237 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:31.839 the holidays. A successful author with a flare for the dramatic, 238 00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:36.880 he burst in with his usual energy. Aunt Jane, I've 239 00:18:36.920 --> 00:18:41.039 heard about this calendar business. Sounds like material for a thriller, 240 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:46.319 poisoned tea cryptic messages. Have you solved it yet? Miss 241 00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:52.279 Marple smiled indulgently. Not quite, dear boy, but patterns emerge 242 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:56.079 like in your stories. Tell me, have you seen one 243 00:18:56.119 --> 00:19:00.359 of these calenders? Raymond shook his head. No. Oh, but 244 00:19:00.519 --> 00:19:04.200 Joan has she's friendly with. Miss Hartnell says the second 245 00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:07.880 door is to be open today. Everyone's on edge quite so. 246 00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:11.440 Miss Marple agreed, perhaps we should pay a visit to 247 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:15.240 the Clements. Mister Clement mentioned he'd open his in private, 248 00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:20.759 but observation is key. They set off together, the snow 249 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:26.759 crunching underfoot. At the Clements's modern bungalow, missus Clement welcomed 250 00:19:26.759 --> 00:19:30.480 them with forced cheer, her eyes darting to the calendar 251 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:35.400 on the sideboard. Mister Clement, a thin man with wire 252 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:40.079 rimmed glasses, looked harassed. Miss Marple, Mister West, come in, 253 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:44.440 come in. Dreadful about Giles, isn't it? And now this thing? 254 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:50.519 The calender's second door was still closed. It's gold numeral gleaming. 255 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:56.799 Shall we Raymond suggested, His curiosity pequed. Mister Clement hesitated, 256 00:19:57.079 --> 00:20:01.759 then nodded with trembling finger. He pried open the door. 257 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:06.440 Inside was another slip. The healer shall mend no more. 258 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:10.400 Choked by the fruit of his labors, a chill ran 259 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:15.119 through the room. The healer missus Clement whispered, that sounds 260 00:20:15.160 --> 00:20:20.759 like doctor Haydock. Raymond's eyes widened. Good Lord, we must 261 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:24.960 warn him. But even as they hurried to the doctor's surgery, 262 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:30.440 a sense of foreboding settled. Upon arrival, they found chaos, 263 00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:36.920 the waiting room empty, Nurse Fletcher in hysterics. It's the doctor, 264 00:20:37.319 --> 00:20:40.880 she cried. He was eating his lunch, an apple from 265 00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:45.720 his own orchard, and suddenly he clutched, his throat turned blue. 266 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:51.640 He's gone. Miss Marple's face remained composed, but her mind raced. 267 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:56.400 Doctor Haydock lay in his office and half eaten apple 268 00:20:56.480 --> 00:21:02.079 beside him, his features contorted. Constable Pulk was already there, 269 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:06.519 sealing the room. Another one, he muttered, looks like choking. 270 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:11.920 But that apple smells off cyanide again. I'll bet precisely, 271 00:21:12.359 --> 00:21:16.400 Miss Marple said, quietly, noting the calendar on the doctor's desk. 272 00:21:16.839 --> 00:21:21.119 Its second door opened to the same ominous message. The 273 00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:24.920 fruit of his labors, his orchard apple. Some one knew 274 00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:30.279 his habits. Raymond pasd this is madness. Two deaths in 275 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:35.359 two days, each foretold. Who's next? Mister Clement, who had 276 00:21:35.400 --> 00:21:39.000 followed paled We all have these calenders. It could be 277 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:43.400 any of us. As the group dispersed, Miss Marple lingered, 278 00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:49.599 examining the apple. A small puncture mark suggested injection, clever premeditated. 279 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:54.519 She recalled doctor Haydock's role in a past scandal, a 280 00:21:54.599 --> 00:21:58.680 hushed up medical error years ago involving mister Giles and 281 00:21:58.720 --> 00:22:03.599 a patient's death. Could that be the link justice? She 282 00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:09.000 whispered for old wrongs. Back home over Coco with Raymond, 283 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:13.960 she shared her thoughts. The killer is punishing perceived sins, 284 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:18.839 using the calenders to taunt. But why announce it? Pride 285 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:24.359 perhaps or a deeper game. Raymond leaned forward, like a 286 00:22:24.440 --> 00:22:30.480 cat playing with mice. Aunt Jane, you're brilliant but dangerous. 287 00:22:30.759 --> 00:22:35.720 Whoever's doing this won't stop no. Miss Marple agreed, her 288 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:40.440 eyes thoughtful, and to Morrow's door may reveal the next victim. 289 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:44.839 We must watch closely, dear boy. In Saint Mary mead, 290 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:50.160 the past is never truly buried, especially under snow. As 291 00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:54.680 night fell, the village hunkered down doors, locked against the 292 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:59.119 cold and the unseen threat. But Miss Marple knew the 293 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:03.200 real danger le within in the hearts and histories of 294 00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:10.000 her neighbours. Chapter five, tea and suspicions. With two deaths 295 00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:13.359 hanging over Saint mary Meade like a storm cloud, Miss 296 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:16.799 Marple decided it was time to take a more active role. 297 00:23:18.039 --> 00:23:22.440 The snow had ceased, leaving the village paths slushy and treacherous, 298 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:27.799 but her resolve was firm. She sent Florence with invitations 299 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:32.400 for an impromptu tea at her cottage that afternoon. Nothing formal, 300 00:23:33.039 --> 00:23:37.319 just a gathering of concerned friends to discuss the troubling events. 301 00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:42.680 The recipients the bantries mister and missus Clement, Miss Hartnell, 302 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:48.160 Missus Price, and the vicar, Reverend Harmon. By three o'clock, 303 00:23:48.519 --> 00:23:51.759 her parlor was filled with the aroma of fresh scones 304 00:23:51.799 --> 00:23:55.720 and earl gray, the fire crackling merrily to ward off 305 00:23:55.759 --> 00:24:01.200 the chill. Miss Marple, in her favorite armchair, greeted each 306 00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:06.480 guest with her customary warmth, her eyes missing nothing, the 307 00:24:06.519 --> 00:24:11.400 nervous twitch of mister Clement's hands, Miss Hartnell's tight lipped smile, 308 00:24:12.279 --> 00:24:17.559 Reverend Harmon's haunted expression, thank you all for coming. She 309 00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:23.000 began pouring tea with steady hands. These are trying times 310 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:26.640 for our little village. Poor mister Giles and doctor Haydock, 311 00:24:26.960 --> 00:24:31.240 such losses. I thought we might share our thoughts, perhaps 312 00:24:31.319 --> 00:24:37.519 pool our observations. Colonel Bantry her rumped, accepting a scone 313 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:41.880 damned right slacks on the case. Now, Inspector from much 314 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:46.400 Benham says its murder plain as day cyanide in both 315 00:24:46.440 --> 00:24:52.759 cases confirmed by autopsy. Dolly Bantry leaned forward. But the 316 00:24:52.839 --> 00:24:57.680 calenders they predicted it all ours for the third door, well, 317 00:24:58.039 --> 00:25:03.519 we haven't opened it yet. Two frightened Miss Hartnell nodded vigorously. 318 00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:07.680 Mine says the same for the second. But after the 319 00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:12.039 doctor's the healer shall mend no more. It's as if 320 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:17.759 the send anew. Reverend Harmon, pale and subdued, stirred his 321 00:25:17.880 --> 00:25:22.920 tea absently. I poured mister Giles's cup myself. If it 322 00:25:23.079 --> 00:25:27.839 was poisoned, then, but how the pot was shared? Perhaps 323 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:31.599 the cup was tampered with earlier. Miss Marple suggested mildly, 324 00:25:32.039 --> 00:25:35.720 her knitting needles clicking softly. Or the sugar? Did he 325 00:25:35.799 --> 00:25:40.880 take sugar? Two lumps? Missus Price chimed in her postmistress's memory, 326 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:44.000 sharp from the bowl on the table, But we all 327 00:25:44.119 --> 00:25:49.200 used it. Mister Clement adjusted his glasses. This is preposterous. 328 00:25:49.559 --> 00:25:53.640 We're all suspects now, I've handled wills for half the village, 329 00:25:53.799 --> 00:25:57.799 Giles included, but poison. I'm a solicitor, not a chemist. 330 00:25:58.440 --> 00:26:03.599 Miss Marple's eyes twined behind her spectacles. Ah, but motives, 331 00:26:03.640 --> 00:26:08.160 mister Clement. Doctor Haydock once mentioned a disputed will involving 332 00:26:08.200 --> 00:26:12.880 mister Giles's family, something about a cousin cut out, and 333 00:26:12.920 --> 00:26:17.440 the doctor certified the death as natural. I recall the 334 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:22.799 room tensed. Mister Clement flushed. That was years ago, a 335 00:26:22.839 --> 00:26:29.160 private matter resolved amicably. Quite Miss Marple agreed, changing tack, 336 00:26:29.720 --> 00:26:35.279 Miss Hartnell, you were close to doctor Haydock's patients. Any irregularities, 337 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:42.640 Miss Hartnell bristled. Irregularities. The doctor was exemplary, though there 338 00:26:42.759 --> 00:26:47.079 was that business with old missus Symington over prescribed laudanum, 339 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:52.200 some said, but Giles defended him at the inquest. Reverend 340 00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:55.880 Harmon set down his cup with a clatter. Enough, these 341 00:26:55.880 --> 00:27:01.400 insinuations were friends, neighbors. This killer is twisting our pasts 342 00:27:01.440 --> 00:27:07.559 against us. Dolly shivered, But why us? What connects us all? 343 00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:11.640 Missus Price piped up. The calenders were delivered to those 344 00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:16.680 with influence. Church law medicine post. We know everyone's secrets, 345 00:27:18.279 --> 00:27:23.519 Miss Marple nodded thoughtfully. Secrets, yes, Like threads in a tapestry, 346 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:27.599 Pull one and the picture changes. As the tea progressed, 347 00:27:28.079 --> 00:27:33.400 she steered the conversation deftly, noting alliances and evasions. Colonel 348 00:27:33.400 --> 00:27:38.400 Bantry blustered about wartime poisons. Missus Clement spoke little, her 349 00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:42.559 eyes darting to her husband. By the end, no confessions, 350 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:47.599 but seeds of doubts sown. After the guests departed, Raymond, 351 00:27:47.720 --> 00:27:52.279 who had observed, quietly, turned to her Aunt Jane. You 352 00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:56.400 were masterful, like a spider spinning a web, she smiled. 353 00:27:56.839 --> 00:28:01.240 People reveal much when they think they're defending themselves. Now 354 00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:06.519 the third door approaches, we must be vigilant. Outside. The 355 00:28:06.599 --> 00:28:11.960 sun dipped low, casting long shadows, Miss Marple watched from 356 00:28:11.960 --> 00:28:15.759 her window as the group dispersed, wondering who among them 357 00:28:15.880 --> 00:28:21.559 might next fall victim or turn perpetrator. The advent Calender's 358 00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:27.440 game was far from over. Chapter six, Shadows of the Past. 359 00:28:28.519 --> 00:28:31.200 The third day of advent arrived with a biting wind 360 00:28:31.480 --> 00:28:36.119 that swept through Saint mary Mead, rattling windows and stirring unease. 361 00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:40.799 Miss Marple sat by her parlor fire, her knitting idle 362 00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:44.559 as she sifted through the threads of conversation from yesterday's tea. 363 00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:49.559 The calenders, the deaths, the cryptic messages all pointed to 364 00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:53.559 a vendetta rooted in the village's past. She knew that 365 00:28:53.640 --> 00:28:57.960 in small communities, old wounds festered quietly, and the key 366 00:28:58.039 --> 00:29:02.440 to this mystery lay in un earthing them. At noon, 367 00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:05.960 she received a visit from Inspector Slack, a brisk man 368 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:10.839 with a penchant for overlooking subtleties. He stood in her doorway, 369 00:29:11.160 --> 00:29:17.039 notebook in hand, his mustache twitching with impatience. Miss Marple, 370 00:29:17.400 --> 00:29:22.519 I understand you've been inquiring any insights. This calendar business 371 00:29:22.519 --> 00:29:26.240 has the whole county in a tizzy. Miss Marple offered 372 00:29:26.279 --> 00:29:33.039 him tea, which he declined. Only observations, Inspector, she said mildly. 373 00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:36.920 The victims, mister Giles and doctor Haydock were linked to 374 00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:41.000 an old inquest, Were they not missus Symington's death some 375 00:29:41.160 --> 00:29:47.279 ten years ago? Slack's eyes narrowed, you're well informed. Yes, 376 00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:52.920 Laudanum overdose ruled accidental. Giles was on the church committee 377 00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:57.079 that hushed it up and Haydock signed the certificate. But 378 00:29:57.240 --> 00:30:02.359 that's ancient history. His has a way of lingering, Miss 379 00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:07.960 Marple replied, her voice soft. Might there have been family, say, 380 00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:13.839 a son or daughter who felt justice was denied? Slack grunted. 381 00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:19.640 Missus Symington's only son, Richard, left for London after the inquest. 382 00:30:20.200 --> 00:30:24.039 Haven't heard of him since you think he's back sending 383 00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:29.559 these calendars. It's a possibility, miss Marple said, though her 384 00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:33.839 tone suggested she was considering others. The delivery boy from 385 00:30:33.880 --> 00:30:38.960 Daymouth any trace hired by a stranger, as Missus Bantry said. 386 00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:43.400 We're checking station records, but it's a needle in a haystack. 387 00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:47.720 After he left, Miss Marple donned her coat and headed 388 00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:51.559 to the village library, a small room above the post 389 00:30:51.559 --> 00:30:57.279 office where Missus Price kept old records. There, among dusty ledgers, 390 00:30:57.640 --> 00:31:02.519 she found the inquest report. Missus Symington, a widow, had 391 00:31:02.599 --> 00:31:08.119 died of laudanum poisoning prescribed by doctor Haydock. Mister Giles 392 00:31:08.160 --> 00:31:11.920 had vouched for the doctor's character, and mister Clement, then 393 00:31:11.960 --> 00:31:16.640 a young solicitor, had handled her estate. A son, Richard, 394 00:31:17.039 --> 00:31:20.880 aged twenty at the time, had contested the will claiming 395 00:31:20.960 --> 00:31:25.440 his mother's death was no accident. The matter was dismissed, 396 00:31:25.720 --> 00:31:30.160 and Richard vanished interesting. Miss Marple murmured, closing the ledger. 397 00:31:31.200 --> 00:31:35.759 Richard Symington a name to remember, She recalled a bitter 398 00:31:35.799 --> 00:31:38.880 young man at the inquest, his eyes burning with grief. 399 00:31:39.960 --> 00:31:44.720 Could he have returned nursing a decade long grudge? Her 400 00:31:44.759 --> 00:31:49.839 thoughts were interrupted by a commotion outside. Hurrying to the window, 401 00:31:50.359 --> 00:31:54.000