Chapter Fifteen
F ather drew a deep breath.
“No,” he said. “No, I suppose nobody would ask you. It’s as simple as that.”
He relapsed into silence again.
“You think something has happened to him, don’t you?” asked Miss Marple.
“It’s over a week now,” said Father. “He didn’t have a stroke and fall down in the street. He’s not in a hospital as aresult of an accident. So where is he? His disappearance¹ has been reported in the Press, but nobody’s come forwardwith any information yet.”
“They may not have seen it. I didn’t.”
“It looks—it really looks—” Father was following out his own line of thought—“as though he meant to disappear.
Leaving this place like that in the middle of the night. You’re quite sure about it, aren’t you?” he demanded sharply.
“You didn’t dream it?”
“I am absolutely sure,” said Miss Marple with finality.
Father heaved himself to his feet.
“I’d better go and see that chambermaid,” he said.
Father found Rose Sheldon on duty and ran an approving eye over her pleasant person.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” he said. “I know you’ve seen our sergeant² already. But it’s about that missinggentleman, Canon Pennyfather.”
“Oh yes, sir, a very nice gentleman. He often stays here.”
“Absentminded,” said Father.
Rose Sheldon permitted a discreet³ smile to appear on her respectful mask of a face.
“Now let me see.” Father pretended to consult some notes. “The last time you saw Canon Pennyfather—was—”
“On the Thursday morning, sir. Thursday the 19th. He told me that he would not be back that night and possiblynot the next either. He was going, I think, to Geneva. Somewhere in Switzerland, anyway. He gave me two shirts hewanted washed and I said they would be ready for him on the morning of the following day.”
“And that’s the last you saw of him, eh?”
“Yes, sir. You see, I’m not on duty in the afternoons. I come back again at 6 o’clock. By then he must have left, orat any rate he was downstairs. Not in his room. He had left two suitcases behind.”
“That’s right,” said Father. The contents of the suitcases had been examined, but had given no useful lead. He wenton: “Did you call him the next morning?”

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