"I am not going to pretend," she said. "It is possible.
I hadn't thought of it before. I know Jim wouldn't murder
anyone, but he might quite well get rattled and tell a
silly lie and then, of course, he would have to stick to
it. Yes, it is quite possible."
"The awkward thing is that you can't go and ask him
about it now. I mean they wouldn't let you see him alone,
would they?"
"I can put Mr. Dacres on to him," said Emily. "You
see your solicitor alone, I believe. The worst of Jim is
that he is frightfully obstinate, if he has once said a thing
he sticks to it.'
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Agatha Christie
"That's my story and I'm going to stick to it," said Mr.
Enderby comprehendingly.
"Yes. I am glad you mentioned that possibility to me,
Charles, it hadn't occurred to me. We have been looking
for someone who came in after Jim had left--but if it
was before--"
She paused, lost in thought. Two very different the-ories
stretched out in opposite directions. There was the
one suggested by Mr. Rycroft, in which Jim's quarrel
with his uncle was the determining point. The other
theory, however, took no cognizance of Jim whatsoever.
The first thing to do, Emily felt, was to see the doctor
who had first examined the body. If it were possible that
Captain Trevelyan had been murdered at--say--four
o'clock, it might make a considerable difference to the
question of alibis. And the other thing to do was to make
Mr. Dacres urge most strongly on his client the absolute
necessity of speaking the truth on this point.
She rose from the bed.
"Well," she said, "you had better find out how I can
get to Exhampton. The man at the smithy has a car of a
kind I believe. Will you go and settle with him about it?
I'll start immediately after lunch. There's a train at three
ten to Exeter. That will give me time to see the doctor
first. What's the time now?"
"Half past twelve," said Mr. Enderby, consulting his
watch.
"Then we will both go up and fix up about that car,"
said Emily. "And there's just one other thing I want to
do before leaving Sittaford."
"What's that?" ·.
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Murder at Hazelmoor
"I am going to pay a call on Mr. Duke. He's the only
person in Sittaford I haven't seen. And he was one of
the people at the table turning."
"Oh, we'll pass his cottage on the way to the smithy."
Mr. Duke's cottage was the last of the row. Emily and
Charles unlatched the gate and walked up the path. And
then something rather surprising occurred. For the door
opened and a man came out. And that man was Inspector
Narracott.
He, too, looked surprised and, Emily fancied, em-barrassed.
Emily abandoned her original intention.
"I am so glad to have meet you, Inspector Narracott,"
she said. "There are one or two things I want to talk to
you about if I may."
"Delighted, Miss Trefusis." He drew out a watch. "I'm
afraid you will have to look sharp, I've a car waiting. I've
got to go back to Exhampton almost immediately."
"How extraordinarily fortunate," said Emily, "you might
give me a lift, will you, Inspector?"
The Inspector said rather woodenly that he would be
very pleased to do so.
"You might go and get my suitcase, Charles," said
Emily. "It's packed up and ready."
Charles departed immediately.
"It's a great surprise meeting you here, Miss Trefusis,"
said Inspector Narracott.
"I said au revoir," Emily reminded him.
"I didn't notice it at the time."
"You've not seen the last of me by a long way," said
Emily candidly. "You know, Inspector Narracott, you've
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Agatha Christie
made a mistake. Jim's not the man you're after."
"Indeed!"
"And what's more," said Emily, "I believe in your
heart that you agree with me."
"What makes you think that, Miss Trefusis?"
"What were you doing in Mr. Duke's cottage?" retal-iated
Emily.
Narracott looked embarrassed and she was quick to
follow it up.
"You're doubtful, Inspector--that's what you are--doubtful.
You thought you had got the right man and
now you are not so sure, and so you are making a few
investigations. Well, I have got something to tell you
that may help. I'll tell it to you on the way to Ex-hampton."
Footsteps sounded down the road, and Ronnie Gar-field
appeared. He had the air of a truant, breathless and
guilty.
"I say, Miss Trefusis," he began. "What about a walk
this afternoon? While my aunt has a nap, you know."
"Impossible," said Emily. "I'm going away. To Exe-ter."
"What,,not really! For good you mean?"
"Oh, no," said Emily. "I shall be back again tomor-row."
"Oh, that's splendid."
Emily took something from the pocket of her sweater
and handed it to him. "Give that to your aunt, will you?
It's a recipe for coffee cake, and tell her that she was just
in time, the cook is leaving today and so are the other
servants. Be sure you tell her, she will be interested."
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Murder at Hazelmoor
A far off scream was borne on the breeze. "Ronnie,"
it said, "Ronnie, Ronnie."
"There's my aunt," said Ronnie starting nervously. "I
had better go."
"I think you had," said Emily. "You've got green paint
on your left cheek," she called after him. Ronnie Garfield
disappeared through his aunt's gate.
"Here's my boy friend with my suitcase," said Emily.
"Come on, Inspector. I'll tell you everything in the car."
169
Visit to Aunt Jennifer
A T half past two Dr. Warren received a call from Emily.
He took an immediate fancy to this businesslike and
attractive girl. Her questions were blunt and to the point.
"Yes, Miss Trefusis, I see exactly what you mean.
You'll understand that contrary to the popular belief in
novels it is extremely difficult to fix the time of death
accurately. I saw the body at eight o'clock. I can say
decidedly that Captain Trevelyan had been dead at least
two hours. How much longer than that would be difficult
to say. If you were to tell me that he was killed at four
o'clock, I should say that it was possible, though my own
opinion inclines to a later time. On the other hand he
could certainly not have been dead for much longer than
that. Four and a half hours would be the outside limit."
"Thank you," said Emily, "that's all that I wanted to
know."
She caught the three ten train at the station and drove
straight to the hotel where Mr. Dacres was staying.
Their interview was business-like and unemotional.
Mr. Dacres had known Emily since she was a small child,
and had managed her affairs for her since she came of
> age.
"You must prepare yourself for a shock, Emily," he
said. "Things are much worse for Jim Pearson than we
imagined."
"Worse?"
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Murder at Hazelmoor
"Yes. It's no good beating about the bush. Certain
Facts have come to light which are bound to show him
up in a most unfavorable light. It is those facts which
led the police actually to charge him with the crime. I
should not be acting in your interests if I withheld these
Facts from you."
"Please tell me," said Emily.
Her voice was perfectly calm and composed. Whatever
the inward shock she might have felt, she had no inten-tion
of making an outward display of her feelings. It was
not feelings that were going to help Jim Pearson, it was
brains. She must keep all her wits about her.
"There is no doubt that he was in urgent and imme-diate
need of money. I am not going to enter into the
ethics of the situation at the moment. Pearson had ap-parently
before now occasionally borrowed money--to
use a euphemism--from his firm--I may say without
their knowledge. He was fond of speculating in shares,
and on one occasion previously, knowing that certain
dividends were to be paid into his account in a week's
time, he anticipated them by using the firm's money to
buy certain shares which he had pretty certain knowl-edge
were bound to go up. The transaction was quite
satisfactory, the money was replaced and Pearson really
doesn't seem to have had any doubts as to the honesty
of the transaction. Apparently he repeated this just over
a week ago. This time an unforeseen thing occurred. The
books of the firm are examined at certain stated times,
but for some reason or other this date was advanced and
Pearson was faced with a very unpleasant dilemma. He
was quite aware of the construction that would be put
Agatha Christie
on his action and he was quite unable to raise the sum
of money involved. He admits himself that he had tried
in various quarters and failed when as a last resource he
rushed down to Devonshire to lay the matter before his
uncle and persuade him to help him. This Captain Trevelyan
absolutely refused to do.
"Now, my dear Emily, we shall be quite unable to
prevent these facts from being brought to light. The
police have already unearthed the matter. And you see,
don't you, that we have here a very pressing and urgent
motive for the crime? The moment Captain Trevelyan
was dead Pearson could easily have obtained the necessary
sum as an advance from Mr. Kirkwood and saved
himself from disaster and possibly criminal prosecution." "Oh, the idiot," said Emily helplessly.
"Quite so," said Mr. Dacres dryly. "It seems to me
that our only chance lies in proving that Jim Pearson was
quite unaware of the provisions of his uncle's will."
There was a pause while Emily considered the matter.
Then she said quietly:
"I'm 'afraid that's impossible. All three of them knew
--Sylvia, Jim and Brian. They often discussed it and
laughed and joked about the rich uncle in Devonshire."
"Dear, dear," said Mr. Dacres. "That's unfortunate."
"You don't think him guilty, Mr. Dacres?" asked
Emily.
"Curiously enough I do not," replied the lawyer. "In
some ways Jim Pearson is a most transparent young man.
He hasn't, if you will allow me to say so, Emily, a very
high standard of commercial honesty, but I do not believe
for one minute that his hand sandbagged his uncle."
Murder at Hazelmoor
"Well, that's a good thing," said Emily. "I wish the
police thought the same."
"Quite so. Our own impressions and ideas are of no
practical use. The case against him is unfortunately strong.
I am not going to disguise from you, my dear child, that
the outlook is bad. I should suggest Lorimer, K.C., as
the defence. Forlorn hope man they call him," he added
cheerfully.
"There is one thing I should like to know," said Emily.
"You have, of course, seen Jim?"
"Certainly."
"I want you to tell me honestly if you think he has
told the truth in other respects." She outlined to,him
the idea that Enderby had suggested to her. '
The lawyer considered the matter carefully before re-plying.
"It's my impression," he said, "that he is speaking the
truth when he describes his interview with his uncle.
But there is little doubt that he has got the wind up
badly, and if he went round to the window, entered that
way and came across his uncle's dead body--he might
just possibly be too scared to admit the fact and have
concocted this other story."
"That's what I thought," said Emily. "Next time you
see him, Mr. Dacres, will you urge him to speak the
truth? It may make the most tremendous difference."
"I will do so. All the same," he said after a moment
or two's pause, "I think you are mistaken in this idea.
The news of Captain Trevelyan's death was bandied around
in Exhampton about eight thirty. At that time the last
train had left for Exeter but Jim Pearson got the first
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Agatha Christie
traiVa available in the morning--a thoroughly unwise pro-cee6:ling
by the way as it called attention to his move-mets
which without, would not have been aroused if
he 1ad left by a train at a more conventional hour. Now
if, aS you suggest, he discovered his uncle's dead body
sorrve time after half past four, I think he would have left
Exlvampton straight away. There's a train which leaves
shofftly after six and another at a quarter to eight."
"Fhat's a point," admitted Emily, "I didn't think of
that '"
"1[ have questioned him narrowly about his method of
entering his uncle's house," went on Mr. Dacres. "He
says that Captain Trevelyan made him remove his boots,
and leave them on the doorstep. That accounts for no
wet marks being discovered in the hall."
"Ie doesn't speak of having heard any sound--anythir}g
at all--that gives him the idea that there might
havre been someone else in the house?"
"-Ie didn't mention it to me. But I will ask him."
'"Thank you," said Emily. "If I write a note can you
tak it to him?"
"ubject to its being read, of course."
"Oh, it will be a very discreet one."
she crossed to the writing table and scribbled a few
worl2ls.
"DEAREST JIM,--Everything's going to be all right,
sO cheer up. I am working like fnry to find out the
truth. What an idiot you've been, darling.
"Love from
"EMILY."
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Murder at Hazelmoor
"There," she said.
Mr. Dacres read it but made no comment.
"I have taken pains with my handwriting," said Emily,
"so that the prison authorities can read it easily. Now, I
must be off."
"You will allow me to offer you a cup of tea."
"No, thank you, Mr. Dacres. I have no time to lose.
I am going to see Jim's Aunt Jennifer."
At The Laurels, Emily was informed that Mrs. Gardner
was out but would be home shortly.
Emily smiled upon the parlormaid.
"I'll come in and wait then."
"Would you like to see Nurse Davis?"
Emily was always ready to see anybody. "Yes," she
said promptly.
A few minutes later Nurse Davis, starched and curious,
arrived.
"How do you do," said Emily. "I am Emily Trefusis
--a kind of niece of Mrs. Gardner's. That is I am going
to be a niece but my fiance, Jim Pearson, has been arrested
as I expect you know."
"Oh, it's been too dreadful," said Nurse Davis. "We
saw it all in the papers this morning. What a terrible
business. You seem to be bearing up wonderfully, Miss
Trefusis--really wonderfully."
There was a faint note of disapproval in the Nurse's
voice. Hospital nurses, she implied, were able to bear
up owing to their force of character, but lesser mortals
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