it. Almost as bad as that diamond lnine! Canadian land,
that ought to be sound now."
His cogitations were interrupted as the head of Mr.
Ronald Garfield appeared at the open window.
"Hello," said Ronnie cheerfully, "I hope I'm not but-ting
in?"
"If you are coming in go round to the front door," said
Major Burnaby. "Mind the rock plants. I believe you are
standing on them at the moment."
Ronnie retreated with an apology and presently pre-sented
himself at the front door.
"Wipe your feet on the mat, if you don't mind," cried
the Major.
He found young men extremely trying. Indeed, the
only young man towards whom he had felt any kindliness
for a long time was the journalist, Charles Enderby.
203
Agatha Christie
"A nice young chap," the Major had said to himself.
"And very interested, too, in what I have told him about
the Boer War."
Towards Ronnie Garfield the Major felt no such kind-liness.
Practically everything that the unfortunate Ronnie
said or did managed to rub the Major up the wrong way.
Still, hospitality is hospitality.
"Have a drink?" said the Major loyal to that tradition.
"No thanks. As a matter of fact I just dropped in to
see if we couldn't get together. I wanted to go to Ex-hampton
today and I hear Elmer is booked to take you
in."
Burnaby nodded.
"Got to go over Trevelyan's things," he explained.
"The police have done with the place now."
"Well, you see," said Ronnie rather awkwardly, "I
particularly wanted to go into Exhampton today. I thought
if we could get together and share and share alike as it
were. Eh? What about it?"
"Certainly," said the Major. "I am agreeable. Do you
a lot more good to walk," he added. "Exercise. None of
you young chaps nowadays take any exercise. A brisk six
miles there and a brisk six miles back would do you all
the good in the world. If it weren't that I needed the
car to bring some of Trevelyan's things back here, I
should be walking myself. Getting soft--that's the curse
of the present day."
"Oh, well," said Ronnie, "I don't believe in being
strenuous myself. But I'm glad we've settled that all
right. Elmer said you were starting at eleven o'clock. Is
that right?"
204
Murder at Hazelmoor
"That's it."
"Good. I'll be there."
Ronnie was not quite so good as his word, his idea of
being on the spot was to be ten minutes late and he
found Major Burnaby fuming and fretting and not at all
inclined to be placated by a careless apology.
"What a fuss old buffers make," thought Ronnie to
himself. "They have no idea what a curse they are to
everybody with their punctuality, and everything done
on the dot of the minute, and their cursed exercise and
keeping fit."
His mind played agreeably for a few minutes with the
idea of a marriage between Major Burnaby and his aunt.
Which, he wondered, would get the better of it? He
thought his aunt every time. Rather amusing to think of
her clapping her hands and uttering piercing cries to
summon the Major to her side.
Banishing these reflections from his mind he proceeded
to enter into cheerful conversation.
"Sittaford has become a pretty gay spot--what? Miss
Trefusis and this chap Enderby and the lad from
Australia--by the way when did he blow in? There he
was as large as life this morning and nobody knew where
he had come from. It's been worrying my aunt blue in
the face."
"He is staying with the Willetts," said Major Burnaby
tartly.
"Yes, but where did he blow in from? Even the Willetts
haven't got a private aerodrome. You know, I think
there's something deuced mysterious about this lad Pearson.
He's got what I call a nasty gleam in his eye--a very
zo5
Agatha Christie
"A nice young chap," the Major had said to himself.
"And very interested, too, in what I have told him about
the Boer War."
Towards Ronnie Garfield the Major felt no such kindliness.
Practically everything that the unfortunate Ronnie
said or did managed to rub the Major up the wrong way.
Still, hospitality is hospitality.
"Have a drink?" said the Major loyal to that tradition. "No thanks. As a matter of fact I just dropped in to
see if we couldn't get together. I wanted to go to Ex-hampton
today and I hear Elmer is booked to take you
in."
Burnaby nodded.
"Got to go over Trevelyan's things," he explained.
"The police have done with the place now."
"Well, you see," said Ronnie rather awkwardly, "I particularly wanted to go into Exhampton today. I thought
if we could get together and share and share alike as it
were. Eh? What about it?"
"Certainly," said the Major. "I am agreeable. Do you
a lot more good to walk," he added. "Exercise. None of
you young chaps nowadays take any exercise. A brisk six
miles there and a brisk six miles back would do you all
the good in the world. If it weren't that I needed the
car to bring some of Trevelyan's things back here, I
should be walking myself. Getting soft--that's the curse
of the present day."
"Oh, well," said Ronnie, "I don't believe in being
strenuous myself. But I'm glad we've settled that all
right. Elmer said you were starting at eleven o'clock. Is
that right?"
204
Murder at Hazelmoor
"That's it."
"Good. I'll be there."
Ronnie was not quite so good as his word, his idea of
being on the spot was to be ten minutes late and he
found Major Burnaby fuming and fretting and not at all inclined to be placated by a careless apology.
"What a fuss old buffers make," thought Ronnie to
himself. "They have no idea what a curse they are to
everybody with their punctuality, and everything done
on the dot of the minute, and their cursed exercise and
keeping fit."
His mind played agreeably for a few minutes with the
idea of a marriage between Major Burnaby and his aunt.
Which, he wondered, would get the better of it? He
thought his aunt every time. Rather amusing to think of
her clapping her hands and uttering piercing cries to
summon the Major to her side.
Banishing these reflections from his mind he proceeded
to enter into cheerful conversation.
"Sittaford has become a pretty gay spot--what? Miss
Trefusis and this chap Enderby and the lad from
Australia--by the way when did he blow in? There he
was as large as life this morning and nobody knew where
he had come from. It's been worrying my aunt blue in
the face."
"He is staying with the Willetts," said Major Burnaby
tartly.
"Yes, but where did he blow in from? Even the W
illetts
haven't got a private aerodrome. You know, I think
there's something deuced mysterious about this lad Pearson.
He's got what I call a nasty gleam in his eye--a very
:zo5
Agatha Christie
nasty glint. It's my impression that he's the chap who
did in loor old Trevelyan."
The Nlajor made no reply.
"The way I look at it is this," continued Ronnie, "fellows that go off to the Colonies are usually bad hats.
Their rlations don't like them and push them out there
for that reason. Very well then--there you are. The bad
hat comes back, short of money, visits wealthy uncle in
the neighborhood of Christmas time, wealthy relative
won't cough up to impecunious nephew--and impecunious
nphew bats him one. That's what I call a theory."
"You should mention it to the police," said Major
Burnaby.
"I thotght you might do that," said Mr. Garfield. "You're
Narracott's little pal, aren't you? By the way he hasn't
been nosing about Sittaford again, has he?"
"Not that I know about."
"Not aeeting you at the house today, is he?" "No."
The slortness of the Major's answers seemed to strike
Ronnie at last.
"Well," he said vaguely, "that's that," and relapsed
into a thoughtful silence.
At E×hampton the car drew up outside the Three
Crowns. Ronnie alighted and after arranging with the
Major that they would rendezvous there at half past four
for the return journey, he strode off in the direction of
such shops as Exhampton offered.
The Major went first to see Mr. Kirkwood, after a brief
conversation with him, he took the keys and started off
for Hazelmoor.
o6
Murder at Hazelmoor
He had told Evans to meet him there at twelve o'clock
and he found the faithful retainer waiting on the door-step.
With a rather grim face, Major Burnaby inserted
the key into the front door and passed into the empty
house, Evans at his heels. He had not been in it since
the night of the tragedy, and in spite of his iron deter-mination
to show no weakness, he gave a slight shiver
as he passed the drawing-room.
Evans and the Major worked together in sympathy
and silence. When either of them made a brief remark
it was duly appreciated and understood by the other.
"Unpleasant job this, but it has to be done," said Major
Burnaby and Evans, sorting out socks into neat piles,
and counting pajamas, responded.
"It seems rather unnatural like, but as you say, sir,
it's got to be done."
Evans was deft and efficient at his work. Everything
was neatly sorted and arranged and classified in heaps.
At one o'clock they repaired to the Three Crowns for a
short midday meal When they returned to the house
the Major suddenly caught Evans by the arm as the latter
closed the front door behind him.
"Hush," he said. "Do you hear that footstep overhead?
It's--it's in Joe's bedroom."
"My Gawd, sir. So it is."
A kind of superstitious terror held them both for a
minute and then breaking loose from it, and with an
angry squaring of the shoulders the Major strode to the
foot of the stairs and shouted in a stentorian voice:
"Who's that? Come out of there I say."
To his intense surprise and annoyance and yet, be it
zo7
Agatha Christie
confessed, to his slight relief, Ronnie Garfield appeared
at the top of the stairs. He looked embarrassed and
sheepish.
"Hello," he said. "I have been looking for you."
"What do you mean, looking for me?"
"Well, I wanted to tell you that I shan't be ready at
half past four. I've got to go into Exeter. So don't wait
for me. I'll have to get a car up from Exhampton."
"How did you get into this house?" asked the Major.
"The door was open," exclaimed Ronnie. "Naturally I
thought you were here."
The Major turned to Evans sharply.
"Didn't you lockit when you came out?"
"N, sir, I hadn't got the key."
"Stupid of me," muttered the Major.
"You don't mind, do you?" said Ronnie. "I couldn't
see aryone downstairs so I went upstairs and had a look
round."
"Of course, it doesn't matter," snapped the Major.
"You startled me, that's all."
"Well," said Bonnie airily. "I shall be pushing along
now. So 10ng."
The Major grunted. Ronnie came down the stairs.
"I say," he said boyishly, "do you mind telling me
er--er--vhere it happened?"
The Major jerked a thumb in the direction of the draw-ing-room.
"Oh, may I look inside?"
"If you like," growled the Major.
Ronie0pened the drawing-room door. He was absent
a few minutes and then returned.
208
MUrder at Hazelnoor
The Major had gone up t the stairs but Evans was in
the hall. He had the air of a bulldog on guard, his small
deep-set eyes wat'hed Ron?tnie ith a somewhat mali
cious scrutiny.
"I say," said Bonnie. "I th,P°ghty°u could never wash.
out blood staias. I thought, OW?er much you washed
them, they always came ba.pC,k'.0h, of course--the old
fellow was sandbagged, wasn t he? Stupid of me. It was
one of these, wasryt it?" H ht°°k. uPa long narrow -bol
ster that lay against one of t[,ne other doors. He weighed
it thoughtfully anq balancec1 it in his hand. "Nice little
toy, eh?" He maqe a few
tentative swings with it in
the air.
Evans was silent.
,., zing that the silence was not
"Well," said Bonnie rean I'd h t
etter be get 'ng along.
a wholly appreciative one, tactless, eh?" He jerked his
I'm afraid I'*e been a bit
head towards the hpper stor'Y' '? forgot about them being
such pals and all that. Two cTM kind, weren't they? Well,
I'm really going how. SoreTM if I've said all the wrong
things."
He walked aC%ss the h'11 a,nd out through the front
.
.. stw . .
,ivety in the hall, and only
door. .vam rect lmpas
when he had hetrd the la:ch, of the gate close behind
Mr. Garfield did he mounhe Stairs and rejoin Major
Burnaby. With°hr any wof or comment he resumed
' ' -d lef
straight across the room and
where ne na
on, going, .
kneeling down itq front of /ae, o0t eupboara.
At half past theee their ask Was finished. One trunk
of clothes aad ultderelothgwas allotted to Evans, and
another was straDped up repdy to Ie sent to the Seamen's
to9
Agatha Christie
confessed, to his slight relief, Ronnie Garfield appeared
at the top of the stairs. He looked embarrassed and
sheepish.
"Hello," he said. "I have been looking for you."
"What do you mean, looking for me?"
"Well, I wanted to tell you
that I shan't be ready at
half past four. I've got to go into Exeter. So don't wait
for me. I'll have to get a car up from Exhampton."
"How did you get into this house?" asked the Major.
"The door was open," exclaimed Ronnie. "Naturally I
thought you were here."
The Major turned to Evans sharply.
"Didn't you lock' it when you came out?"
"No, sir, I hadn't got the key."
"Stupid of me," muttered the Major.
"You don't mind, do you?" said Ronnie. "I couldn't
see anyone downstairs so I went upstairs and had a look
round."
"Of course, it doesn't matter," snapped the Major.
"You startled me, that's all."
"Well," said Bonnie airily. "I shall be pushing along
now. So long."
The Major grunted. Bonnie came down the stairs.
"I say," he said boyishly, "do you mind telling me
er--er--where it happened?"
The Major jerked a thumb in the direction of the draw-ing-room.
"Oh, may I look inside?"
"If you like," growled the Major.
Bonnie opened the drawing-room door. He was absent
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