Elephants Can Remember

But I promised-I swore to Molly when she was dying. I swore I'd do as she asked. There's a way, a possible way to save Dolly, if only Dolly can do her part. I don't know if she's capable of it.' I said, 'Do what?' And Alistair said, 'Pretend she's Molly and that it's Dorothea who walked in her sleep and fell to her death.' "We managed it. Took Dolly to an empty cottage we knew of and I stayed with her there for some days. Alistair said Molly had been taken to hospital suffering from shock after the discovery that her sister had fallen over the cliff while walking in her sleep at night. Then we brought Dolly back- brought her back as Molly-wearing Molly's clothes and Molly's wig. I got extra wigs-the kind with curls, which really did disguise her. The dear old housekeeper, Janet, couldn't see very well. Dolly and Molly were really very much alike, you know, and their voices were alike. Everyone accepted quite easily that it was Molly, behaving rather peculiarly now and then because of still suffering from shock. It all seemed quite natural. That was the horrible part of it-" "But how could she keep it up?" asked Celia. "It must have been dreadfully difficult." "No-she did not find it difficult. She had got, you see, what she wanted-what she had always wanted. She had got Alistair-" "But Alistair-how could he bear it?" "He told me why and how-on the day he had arranged for me to go back to Switzerland. He told me what I had to do and then he told me what he was going to do.

"He said: "There is only one thing for me to do. I promised Margaret that I wouldn't hand Dolly over to the police, that it should never be known that she was a murderess, that the children were never to know that they had a murderess for an aunt. No one need ever know that Dolly committed murder.

She walked in her sleep and fell over the cliff-a sad accident and she will be buried here in the church, and under her own name.' " 'How can you let that be done?' I asked. I couldn't bear it.

"He said: 'Because of what I am going to do-you have got to know about it.' " 'You see,' he said, 'Dolly has to be stopped from living. If she's near children, she'll take more lives-poor soul; she's not fit to live. But you must understand, Zeiie, that because of what I am going to do, I must pay with my own life, too. I shall live here quietly for a few weeks with Dolly playing the part of my wife-and then there will be another tragedy-' "I didn't understand what he meant. I said, 'Another accident? Sleepwalking again?' And he said, 'No-what will be known to the world is that I and Molly have both committed suicide. I don't suppose the reason will ever be known.

They may think it's because she was convinced she had cancer-or that I thought so-all sorts of things may be suggested. But you see-you must help me, Zeiie. You are the only person who really loves me and loves Molly and loves the children. If Dolly has got to die, I am the only person who must do it. She won't be unhappy or frightened. I shall shoot her and then myself. Her fingerprints will show on the revolver because she handled it not long ago, and mine will be there too. Justice has to be done and I have to be the executioner. The thing I want you to know is that I did-that I still do-love them both. Molly more than my life. Dolly because I pity her so much for what she was born to be.' He said, 'Always remember that-' " Zeiie rose and came towards Celia. "Now you know the truth," she said. "I promised your father that you should never know.

I have broken my word. I never meant to reveal it to you or to anyone else. Monsieur Poirot made me feel differently. But- it's such a horrible story-" "I understand how you felt," said Celia. "Perhaps you were right from your point of view, but I-I am glad to know, because now a great burden seems to have been lifted off me-" "Because now," said Desmond, "we both know. And it's something we'll never mind about knowing. It was a tragedy.