Devil In The Dark
In Murder, She Said there is a definitive sequence that illustrates Marple's relationship to light. Normally she is the light-bringer, casting the fixed stare of the torch on the darkness around her, while others sleep. But in this scene she is in the kitchen of the estate when the power goes out. She lights a lamp and goes out to the hall to check the fuse-box.
Hearing a noise on the stairs she is transfixed in terror as the impish boy, Alexander, descends, unafraid of the darkness. This is because he is a creature of the night, full of profane knowledge beyond his years (as when he whispers a sexual impropriety in Marple's ear). His demonic nature is emphasised by the fact that his voice has been dubbed in by a woman. It has even been speculated that this is the identical voice actor used in the film Village of the Damned. Demon indeed!
The devil in the dark steals Marple's beacon of hope, leaving her fumbling.
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