She looked at him inquiringly.
"I am a detective. And, a short time before she died, Miss Emily Arundell wrote me a letter."
Mrs Tanios leaned forward; her hands pressed themselves together.
"A letter?" she asked abruptly. "About my husband?"
Poirot watched her for a minute or two, then he said slowly:
"I am afraid I am not at liberty to answer that question."
"Then it was about my husband." Her voice rose slightly. "What did she say? I can assure you, Mr – er – I don't know your name."
"Poirot is my name. Hercule Poirot."
"I can assure you, Mr Poirot, that if anything was said in that letter against my husband, it was entirely untrue! I know, too, who will have inspired that letter! And that is another reason why I would rather have nothing to do with any action undertaken by Theresa and Charles! Theresa has never liked my husband. She has said things! I know she has said things! Aunt Emily was prejudiced against my husband because he was not an Englishman, and she may therefore have believed things that Theresa said about him. But they are not true, Mr Poirot, you can take my word for that!"
"Mother – I've finished my letter."
Mrs Tanios turned quickly. With an affectionate smile she took the letter the little girl held out to her.
"That's very nice, darling, very nice, indeed. And that's a beautiful drawing of Mickey Mouse."
"What shall I do now, Mother?"
"Would you like to get a nice postcard with a picture on it? Here's the money. You go to the gentleman in the hall and choose one and then you can send it to Selim."
The child moved away. I remembered what Charles Arundell had said. Mrs Tanios was evidently a devoted wife and mother. She was also, as he had said, a little like an earwig.
"That is your only child, madame?"
"No, I have a little boy also. He is out with his father at the moment."
"They did not accompany you to Littlegreen House on your visits?"
"Oh, yes, sometimes, but you see, my aunt was rather old and children were inclined to worry her. But she was very kind and always sent them out nice presents at Christmas."
"Let me see, when did you last see Miss Emily Arundell?"
"I think it was just about ten days before she died."
"You and your husband and your two cousins were all down there together, were you not?"
"Oh, no, that was the weekend before – at Easter."
"And you and your husband were down there the weekend after Easter as well?"
"Yes."
"And Miss Arundell was in good health and spirits then?"
"Yes, she seemed much as usual."
"She was not ill in bed?"
"She was laid up with a fall she had had, but she came downstairs again while we were there."
"Did she say anything to you about having made a new will?"
"No, nothing at all."
"And her manner to you was quite unchanged?"
A slightly longer pause this time before Mrs Tanios said:
"Yes."
I feel sure that at that moment Poirot and I had the same conviction.
Mrs Tanios was lying!
Poirot paused a minute and then said:
"Perhaps I should explain that when I asked if Miss Arundell's manner to you was unchanged, I was not using the 'you' plural. I referred to you personally."
Mrs Tanios replied quickly:
"Oh! I see. Aunt Emily was very nice to me. She gave me a little pearl and diamond brooch and she sent ten shillings to each of the children."
There was no constraint in her manner now. The words came freely with a rush.
"And as regards your husband – was there no change in her manner to him?"
The constraint had returned. Mrs Tanios did not meet Poirot' s eye as she replied:
"No, of course not – why should there be?"
"But since you suggest that your cousin Theresa Arundell might have tried to poison your aunt's mind -"
"She did! I'm sure she did!" Mrs Tanios leant forward eagerly. "You are quite right. There was a change! Aunt Emily was suddenly far more distant to him. And she behaved very oddly. There was a special digestive mixture he recommended – even went to the trouble of getting her some – going to the druggist and having it made up. She thanked him and all that – but rather stiffly, and later I actually saw her pouring the bottle down the sink!"
Her indignation was quite fierce.
Poirot's eyes flickered.
"A very odd procedure," he said. His voice was carefully unexcited.
"I thought it most ungrateful," said Dr Tanios's wife hotly.
"As you say, elderly ladies distrust foreigners sometimes," said Poirot. "I am sure they think that English doctors are the only doctors in the world. Insularity accounts for a lot."
"Yes, I suppose it does." Mrs Tanios looked slightly mollified.
"When do you return to Smyrna, madame?"
"In a few weeks' time. My husband – ah! here is my husband and John with him."
Chapter 17
DR. TANIOS
I must say that my first sight of Dr Tanios was rather a shock. I had been imbuing him in my mind with all sorts of sinister attributes. I had been picturing to myself a dark bearded foreigner with a swarthy aspect and a sinister cast of countenance.
Instead, I saw a rotund, jolly, brownhaired, brown-eyed man. And though it is true he had a beard, it was a modest brown affair that made him look more like an artist. He spoke English perfectly. His voice had a pleasant timbre and matched the cheerful good-humour of his face.
"Here we are," he said, smiling to his wife. "John has been passionately thrilled by his first ride in the tube. He has always been in buses until today."
John was not unlike his father in appearance, but both he and his little sister had a definitely foreign-looking appearance and I understood what Miss Peabody had meant when she described them as rather yellow-looking children.
The presence of her husband seemed to make Mrs Tanios nervous. Stammering a little, she introduced Poirot to him. Me, she ignored.
Dr Tanios took up the name sharply.
"Poirot? Monsieur Hercule Poirot? But I know that name well! And what brings you to us, M. Poirot?"
"It is the affair of a lady lately deceased. Miss Emily Arundell," replied Poirot.
"My wife's aunt? Yes – what of her?"
Poirot said slowly:
"Certain matters have arisen in connection with her death -"
Mrs Tanios broke in suddenly:
"It's about the will, Jacob. M. Poirot has been conferring with Theresa and Charles."
Some of the tensity went out of Dr Tanios's attitude. He dropped into a chair.
"Ah, the will! An iniquitous will – but there, it is not my business, I suppose."
Poirot sketched an account of his interview with the two Arundells (hardly a truthful one, I may say) and cautiously hinted at a fighting chance of upsetting the will.
"You interest me, M. Poirot, very much. I may say I am of your opinion. Something could be done. I actually went as far as to consult a lawyer on the subject, but his advice was not encouraging. Therefore -" He shrugged his shoulders.
"Lawyers, as I have told your wife, are cautious people. They do not like taking chances. But me, I am different! And you?"
Dr Tanios laughed – a rich, rollicking laugh.
"Oh, I'd take a chance all right! Often have, haven't I, Bella, old girl?" He smiled across at her, and she smiled back at him – but in a rather mechanical manner, I thought.
He turned his attention back to Poirot.
"I am not a lawyer," he said. "But in my opinion it is perfectly clear that that will was made when the old lady was not responsible for what she was doing. That Lawson woman is both clever and cunning."
Mrs Tanios moved uneasily. Poirot looked at her quickly.
"You do not agree, madame?"
She said rather weakly:
/> "She has always been very kind. I shouldn't call her clever."
"She's been kind to you," said Dr Tanios, "because she had nothing to fear from you, my dear Bella. You're easily taken in!"
He spoke quite good-humouredly, but his wife flushed.
"With me it was different," he went on. "She didn't like me. And she made no bones about showing it! I'll give you an instance. The old lady had a fall down the stairs when we were staying there. I insisted on coming back the following weekend to see how she was. Miss Lawson did her utmost to prevent us. She didn't succeed, but she was annoyed about it, I could see. The reason was clear. She wanted the old lady to herself."
Again Poirot turned to the wife.
"You agree, madame?"
Her husband did not give her time to answer.
"Bella's too kind-hearted," he said. "You won't get her to impute bad motives to anybody. But I'm quite sure I was right. I'll tell you another thing, M. Poirot. The secret of her ascendency over old Miss Arundell was spiritualism! That's how it was done, depend upon it!"
"You think so?"
"Sure of it, my dear fellow. I've seen a lot of that sort of thing. It gets hold of people. You'd be amazed! Especially any one of Miss Arundell's age. I'd be prepared to bet that that's how the suggestion came. Some spirit – possibly her dead father – ordered her to alter her will and leave her money to the Lawson woman. She was in bad health – credulous -"
There was a very faint movement from Mrs Tanios. Poirot turned to her.
"You think it possible – yes?"
"Speak up, Bella," said Dr Tanios. "Tell us your views."
He looked at her encouragingly. Her quick look back at him was an odd one. She hesitated, then said:
"I know so little about these things. I dare say you're right, Jacob."
"Depend upon it I'm all right, eh, M. Poirot?"
Poirot nodded his head.
"It may be – yes." Then he said, "You were down at Market Basing, I think, the weekend before Miss Arundell's death?"
"We were down at Easter and again the weekend after – that is right."
"No, no, I meant the weekend after that – on the 26th. You were there on the Sunday, I think?"
"Oh, Jacob, were you?" Mrs Tanios looked at him wide-eyed.
He turned quickly.
"Yes, you remember? I just ran down in the afternoon. I told you about it."
Both Poirot and I were looking at her. Nervously she pushed her hat a little further back on her head.
"Surely you remember, Bella," her husband continued. "What a terrible memory you've got."
"Of course!" she apologized, a thin smile on her face. "It's quite true; I have a shocking memory. And it's nearly two months ago now."
"Miss Theresa Arundell and Mr Charles Arundell were there then, I believe?" said Poirot.
"They may have been," said Tanios easily. "I didn't see them."
"You were not there very long then?"
"Oh, no – just half an hour or so."
Poirot's inquiring gaze seemed to make him a little uneasy.
"Might as well confess," he said with a twinkle. "I hoped to get a loan – but I didn't get it. I'm afraid my wife's aunt didn't take to me as much as she might. Pity, because I liked her. She was a sporting old lady."
"May I ask you a frank question. Dr Tanios?" Was there or was there not a momentary apprehension in Tanios's eye?
"Certainly, M. Poirot."
"What is your opinion of Charles and Theresa Arundell?"
The doctor looked slightly relieved.
"Charles and Theresa?" He looked at his wife with an affectionate smile. "Bella, my dear, I don't suppose you mind my being frank about your family?"
She shook her head, smiling faintly.
"Then it's my opinion they're rotten to the core, both of them! Funnily enough I like Charles the best. He's a rogue, but he's a likable rogue. He's no moral sense, but he can't help that. People are born that way."
"And Theresa?"
He hesitated.
"I don't know. She's an amazingly attractive young woman. But she's quite ruthless, I should say. She'd murder any one in cold blood if it suited her book. At least that's my fancy. You may have heard, perhaps, that her mother was tried for murder."
"And acquitted," said Poirot.
"As you say 'and acquitted,'" said Tanios quickly. "But all the same, it makes one wonder sometimes."
"You met the young man to whom she is engaged?"
"Donaldson? Yes, he came to supper one night."
"What do you think of him?"
"A very clever fellow. I fancy he'll go far – if he gets the chance. It takes money to specialize."
"You mean that he is clever in his profession?"
"That is what I mean, yes. A first-class brain." He smiled. "Not quite a shining light in society yet. A little precise and prim in manner. He and Theresa make a comic pair. The attraction of opposites. She's a social butterfly and he's a recluse."
The two children were bombarding their mother.
"Mother, can't we go in to lunch? I'm so hungry. We'll be late."
Poirot looked at his watch and gave an exclamation.
"A thousand pardons! I delay your lunch hour."
Glancing at her husband, Mrs Tanios said uncertainly:
"Perhaps we can offer you -"
Poirot said quickly:
"You are most amiable, madame, but I have a luncheon engagement for which I am already late."
He shook hands with both the Tanioses and with the children. I did the same.
We delayed for a minute or two in the hall. Poirot wanted to put through a telephone call. I waited for him by the hall porter's desk. I was standing there when I saw Mrs Tanios come out into the hall and look searchingly around. She had a hunted, harried look. She saw me and came swiftly across to me.
"Your friend – M. Poirot – I suppose he has gone?"
"No, he is in the telephone box."
"Oh."
"You wanted to speak to him?"
She nodded. Her air of nervousness increased.
Poirot came out of the box at that moment and saw us standing together. He came quickly across to us.
"M. Poirot," she began quickly in a low, hurried voice. "There is something that I would like to say – that I must tell you -"
"Yes, madame."
"It is important – very important. You see -"
She stopped. Dr Tanios and the two children had just emerged from the writing-room. He came across and joined us.
"Having a few last words with M. Poirot, Bella?" His tone was good-humoured, the smile on his face pleasantness itself.
"Yes -" She hesitated, then said, "Well, that is really all, M. Poirot. I just wanted you to tell Theresa that we will back her up in anything she decides to do. I quite see that the family must stand together."
She nodded brightly to us, then taking her husband's arm she moved off in the direction of the dining-room.
I caught Poirot by the shoulder.
"That wasn't what she started to say, Poirot!"
He shook his head slowly, watching the retreating couple.
"She changed her mind," I went on.
"Yes, mon ami, she changed her mind."
"Why?"
"I wish I knew," he murmured.
"She will tell us some other time," I said hopefully.
"I wonder. I rather fear – she may not…"
Chapter 18
"A NIGGER IN THE WOODPILE"
We had lunch at a small restaurant not far away. I was eager to learn what he made of the various members of the Arundell family.
"Well, Poirot?" I asked impatiently.
With a look of reproof Poirot turned his whole attention to the menu. When he had ordered he leaned back in his chair, broke his roll of bread in half and said with a slightly mocking intonation:
"Well, Hastings?"
"What do you think of them now you've seen them all?"
&nb
sp; Poirot replied slowly:
"Ma foi, I think they are an interesting lot! Really, this case is an enchanting study! It is, how do you say, the box of surprises? Look how each time I say, 'I got a letter from Miss Arundell before she died,' something crops up. From Miss Lawson I learn about the missing money. Mrs Tanios says at once, 'About my husband?' Why about her husband? Why should Miss Arundell write to me, Hercule Poirot, about Dr Tanios?"
"That woman has something on her mind," I said.
"Yes, she knows something. But what? Miss Peabody tells us that Charles Arundell would murder his grandmother for twopence. Miss Lawson says that Mrs Tanios would murder any one if her husband told her to do so. Dr Tanios says that Charles and Theresa are rotten to the core, and he hints that their mother was a murderess and says apparently carelessly that Theresa is capable of murdering any one in cold blood.
"They have a pretty opinion of each other, all these people! Dr Tanios thinks, or says he thinks, that there was undue influence. His wife, before he came in, evidently did not think so. She does not want to contest the will at first. Later she veers round. See you, Hastings – it is a pot that boils and seethes and every now and then a significant fact comes to the surface and can be seen. There is something in the depths there – yes, there is something! I swear it, by my faith as Hercule Poirot, I swear it!"
I was impressed in spite of myself by his earnestness.
After a minute or two I said:
"Perhaps you are right, but it seems so vague – so nebulous."
"But you agree with me that there is something?"
"Yes," I said hesitatingly. "I believe I do."
Poirot leaned across the table. His eyes bored into mine.
"Yes – you have changed. You are no longer amused, superior – indulging me in my academic pleasures. But what is it that has convinced you? It is not my excellent reasoning – non, ce n'est pas ça! But something – something quite independent – has produced an effect on you. Tell me, my friend, what it is that has suddenly induced you to take this matter seriously?"
"I think," I said slowly, "it was Mrs Tanios. She looked – she looked – afraid…"
"Afraid of me?"
"No – no, not of you. It was something else. She spoke so quietly and sensibly to begin with – a natural resentment at the terms of the will, perhaps, but otherwise she seemed so resigned and willing to leave things as they are. It seemed the natural attitude of a well-bred but rather apathetic woman. And then that sudden change – the eagerness with which she came over to Dr Tanios's point of view. The way she came out into the hall after us – the – almost furtive way -"
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