The Bloodstained Pavement by Agatha Christie. Short summary

5 seconds

A short story from the collection Thirteen Mysterious Occurrences. At the fourth meeting of Tuesday Night Club, young artist Joyce Lempriere tells the story of mysterious blood stains on the sidewalk and a drowned vacationer.

1 minute

Joyce Lempriere’s story takes place in the small village of Rathole. One morning the artist was painting a picture when two cars drove by. In the first car was a married couple and in the second was a woman in red. The artist heard the three agree to go for a boat ride. The woman in red named Carol said she would walk to the spot and wait for the couple.

The artist soon learned that Carol was lost, and the couple (David and Margery) went looking for her. Also, Joyce noticed blood stains on the sidewalk, which then disappeared. A few days later, Joyce learns from the newspaper that Margery has drowned.

The members of the Tuesday Club believe the girl’s death was an accident, but Miss Marple guesses that drops of blood fell from the swimmers’ clothes. Joyce confirmed the hunch, revealing that a year later she saw Denis Carol again and another woman, presumably Denis’s new wife. The perpetrator insured his wives and then killed them with the help of Carol, his real wife.