AgathaChristie-HerculePoirotsCasebook

by Hercule Poirot's Casebook (lit)

  it?'

  'That's so, sir.'

  'And yo didn't hear anything else? Any sounds of a

  quarrel?'

  'No, sir, nor likely to. Not, that is to say, that such thin3s

  couldn't be heard - because the contrary to that is well 1¥::,

  - and down the other end the way Mrs Stevens goes for

  poor frightened maid of hers is common talk - and one d

  we've advised her not to stand it, but there, the wages is

  - temper of the devil she may have but pays for it - fcty

  shillings a week...'

  Japp said quickly:

  82

  'But you didn't hear anything of the kind at No. 147'

  'No, sir. Nor likely to with fireworks popping offhere, there

  and everywhere and my Eddie with his eyebrows singed off as

  near as nothing.'

  'This man left at ten-twenty - that's right, is it?'

  'It might be, sir. I couldn't say myself. But Hogg says so and

  he's a very reliable, steady man.'

  'You actually saw him leave. Did you hear what he said?'

  'No, sir. I wasn't near enough for that. Just saw him from my

  [-indows, standing in the doorway talking to Mrs Allen.'

  'See her too?'

  'Yes, sir, she was standing just inside the doorway.'

  'Notice what she was wearing?'

  [ 'Now really, sir, I couldn't say. Not noticing particularly as

  t were.'

  Poirot said:

  [ 'You did not even notice if she was wearing day dress or

  'iening dress?'

  'No, sir, I can't say I did.'

  Poirot looked thoughtfully up at the window above and then

  across to No. 14. He smiled and for a moment his eye caught

  Japp's.

  'And the gentleman?'

  'He was in a dark-blue overcoat and a bowler hat. Very smart

  and well set up.'

  Japp asked a few more questions and then proceeded to his

  next interview. This was with Master Frederick Hogg, an

  impish-faced, bright-eyed lad, considerably swollen with self-importance.

  'Yes, sir. I heard them talking. "Think it over and let me

  kno," the gent said. Pleasant like, you know. And then she

  said something and he answered, '/Ill right. $o long.' And he

  got imo the car - I was holding the door open but he didn't give

  me nothing,' said Master Hogg with a slight tinge of depression

  in his tone. 'And he drove away.'

  'You didn't hear what Mrs Allen said?'

  'No, sir, can't say I did.'

  83

  'Can you tell me what she was wearing? What colour, fir

  instance?'

  'Couldn't say, sir. You see, I didn't really see her. She must

  have been round behind the door.'

  'Just so,' said Japp. 'Now look here, my boy, I want you o

  think and answer my next question very carefully. If you don't

  know and can't remember, say so. Is that clear?'

  'Yes, sir.'

  Master Hogg looked at him eagerly.

  'Which of'em dosed the door, Mrs Allen or the

  gendeman?'

  'The front door?'

  'The front door, naturally.'

  The child reflected. His eyes screwed themselves up in an

  effort of remembrance.

  'Think the lady probably did - No, she didn't. He did.

  Pulled it to with a bit of a bang and jumped into the car quick.

  Looked as though he had a date somewhere.'

  'Right. Well, young man, you seem a bright kind of shaver.

  Here's sixpence for you.'

  Dismissing Master Hogg, Japp turned to his friend. Slowly

  with one accord they nodded.

  'Could be!' said Japp.

  'There are possibilities,' agreed Poirot.

  His eyes shone with a green light. They looked like a cat's.

  CHAPTER 6

  On re-entering the sitting-room of No. 14, Japp wasted no tin,:

  in beating about the bush. He came straight to the point.

  'Now look here, Miss Plenderleith, don't you think it's

  better to spill the beans here and now. It's going .to come to that

  in the end.'

  84

  Jane Plenderleith raised her eyebrows. She was standing by

  the mantelpiece, gently warming one foot at the fire.

  'I really don't know what you mean.'

  'Is that quite true, Miss Plenderleith?'

  ·

  She shrugged her shoulders.

  I 'I've answered all your questions. I don't see what more I

  ,csn do.'

  I: 'Well, it's my opinion you could do a lot more - if you chose.'

  'That's only an opinion, though, isn't it, Chief Inspector?' Japp grew rather red in the face.

  l'I think,' said Poirot, 'that mademoiselle would appreciate

  tter the reason for your questions if you told her just how the l case stands.'

  'That's very simple. Now then, Miss Plenderleith, the facts

  are as follows. Your friend was found shot through the head

  with a pistol in her hand and the door and the window fastened.

  That looked like a plain case of suicide. But it wara't suicide.

  The medical evidence alone proves that.'

  'How?'

  All her ironic coolness had disappeared. She leaned forward - intent - watching his face.

  'The pistol was in her hand - but the fingers weren't grasping it. Moreover there were no fingerprints at all on the pistol. And

  the angle of the wound makes it impossible that the wound

  should have been self-inflicted. Then again, she left no letter rather

  an unusual thing for a suicide. And though the door was

  locked the key has not been found.'

  Jane Plenderleith turned slowly and sat down in a chair

  facing them.

  'So that's it!' she said. 'All along I've felt it was impossible that she should have killed herselfi I was right! She didn't kill herself. Someone else killed her.'

  For a moment or two she remained lost in thought. Then she

  raised her head brusquely.

  'Ask me any questions you like,' she said. 'I will answer them

  to the best of my ability.'

  Japp began:

  85

  'Last night Mrs Allen had a visitor. He is described as a

  of forty-five, military bearing, toothbrush moustache, sonar ]v

  dressed and driving a Standard Swallow salooti car. Do

  know who that is?'

  'I can't be sure, of course, but it sounds like Major Eust:e.'

  'Who is Major Eustace? Tell me all you can about him?

  'He was a man Barbara had known abroad - in India.

  turned up about a year ago, and we've seen him on and off since.'

  'He was a friend of Mrs Allen's?'

  'He behaved like one,' said Jane dryly.

  'What was her attitude to him?'

  'I don't think she really liked him - in fact, I'm sure she

  didn't.'

  'But she treated him with outward friendliness?'

  'Yes.'

  'Did she ever seem - think carefully, Miss Plenderleith afraid

  of him?'

  Jane Plenderleith considered this thoughtfully for a minute

  or two. Then she said:

  'Yes - I think she was. She was always nervous when he was

  about.'

  'Did he and Mr Laverton-West meet at all?'

  'Only once, I think. They didn't take to each other mu¢.

  That is to say, Major Eustace made himself as agreeable as

  could to Charles, but Charles wasn't having any. Charles

  got a very good nose for anybody who i
sn't well - quite - quite.'

  'And Major Eustace was not - what you call - quite - quite ?'

  asked Poirot.

  The girl said dryly:

  'No, he wasn't. Bit hairy at the heel. Definitely not out of the

  top drawer.'

  'Alas - I do not know those two expressions. You mear

  say he was not the pukka satu'b?'

  A fleeting smile passed across Jane Plenderleith's face,

  she replied gravely, 'No.'

  86

  'Would it come as a great surprise to you, Miss Plenderleith,

  if I suggested that this man was blackmailing Mrs Allen?'

  Japp sat forward to observe the result of his suggestion.

  He was well satisfied. The girl started forward, the colour

  rose in her cheeks, she brought down her hand sharply on the

  arm of her chair.

  'So that was it! What a fool I was not to have guessed. Of

  course I'

  'You think the suggestion feasible, mademoiselle?' asked

  Poirot.

  'I was a fool not to have thought of it! Barbara's borrowed

  small sums off me several times during the last six months. And

  i've seen her sitting poring over her passbook. I knew she was

  living well within her income, so I didn't bother, but, of course,

  if she was paying out sums of money-'

  'And it would accord with her general demeanour - yes?'

  sked Poirot.'

  'Absolutely. She was nervous. Quite jumpy sometimes.

  tltogether different from what she used to be.'

  Poirot said gently:

  'Excuse me, but that is not just what you told us before.'

  'That was different,' Jane Plenderleith waved an impatient

  hand. 'She wasn't depressed. I mean she wasn't feeling suiddal

  or anything like that. But blackmail - yes. I wish she'd told me.

  I'd have sent him to the devil.'

  'But he might have gone - not to the devil, but to Mr Charles

  Laverton-West?' observed Poirot.

  il,5'Yes,' said lane Plenderleith slowly. 'Yes... that's true...'

  'You've no idea of what this man's hold over her may have

  ?' asked Japp.

  e girl shook her head. ,

  'I haven't the faintest idea. I can t believe, knowing Barbara,

  hat it could have been anything really serious. On the other

  hand -' she paused, then went on. 'What I mean is, Barbara

  as a bit of a simpleton in some ways. She'd be very ea.ily

  ghtened. In fact, she was the kind of girl who would be a

  positive gift to a blackmailer! The nasty brute?

  87

  She snapped out the last three words with real venom.

  'Unfortunately,' said Poirot, 'the crime seems to have takec

  place the wrong way round. It is the victim who should kill

  blackmailer, not the blackmailer his victim.'

  Jane Plenderleith frowned a little.

  'No - that is true - but I can imagine circumstances-'

  'Such as?'

  'Supposing Barbara got desperate. She may have threatenecl

  him with that silly little pistol of hers. He tries to wrench away from her and in the struggle he fires it and kills her. Then

  he's horrified at what he's done and tries to pretend it was

  suicide.'

  'Might be,' said Japp. 'But there's a difficulty.'

  She looked at him inquiringly.

  'Major Eustace (if it was him) left here last night at ten-twenty

  and said goodbye to Mrs Allen on the doorstep.'

  'Oh,' the girl's face fell. 'I see.' She.paused a minute or tw)

  'But he might have come back later,' she said slowly.

  'Yes, that is possible,' said Poirot.

  Japp continued:

  'Tell me, Miss Plenderleith, where was Mrs Allen in the

  habit of receiving guests, here or in the room upstairs?'

  'Both. But this room was used for more communal partie

  for my own special friends. You see, the arrangement wa th;t

  Barbara had the big bedroom and used it as a sitting-rool

  well, and I had the little bedroom and used this room.'

  'If Major Eustace came by appointment last night, in which

  room do you think Mrs Allen would have received him?'

  'I think she would probably bring him in here.' The girl

  sounded a little doubtful. 'It would be less intimate. On the

  other hand, if she wanted to write a cheque or anything of that

  kind, she would probably take him upstairs. There arc no

  writing materials down here.'

  Japp shook his head.

  'There was no question of a cheque. Mrs Allen drew out we

  hundred pounds in cash yesterday. And so far we've not been

  able to find any trace of it in the house.'

  88

  'And she gave it to that brute? Oh, poor Barbara! Poor, poor

  Barbara!'

  Poirot coughed.

  'Unless, as you suggest, it was more or less an accident, it still

  seems a remarkable fact that he should kill an apparently

  regular source of income.'

  'Accident? It wasn't an accident. He lost his temper and saw

  red and shot her.'

  'That is how you think it happened?'

  'Yes.' She added vehemently, 'It was murder - murder?

  Poirot said gravely:

  'I will not ay that you are wrong, mademoiselle.'

  Japp said:

  'What cigarettes did Mrs Allen smoke?'

  'Gaspers. There are some in that box.'

  Japp opened the box, took out a cigarette and nodded. He

  slipped the cigarette into his pocket.

  'And you, mademoiselle?' asked Poirot.

  'The same.'

  'You do not smoke Turkish?'

  'Never.'

  'Nor Mrs Alien?'

  'No. She didn't like them.'

  Poirot asked:

  'And Mr Laverton-West. What did he smoke?'

  She stared hard at him.

  'Charles? What does it matter what he smoked? You're not

  going to pretend that he killed her?'

  Poirot shrugged his shoulders.

  'A man has killed the woman he loved before now,

  mademoiselle.'

  Jane shook her head impatiently.

  'Charles wouldn't kill anybody. He's a very careful man.'

  'All the same, mademoiselle, it is the careful men who

  commit the cleverest murders.'

  She stared at him.

  'But not for the motive you have just advanced, M. Poirot.'

  89

  He bowed his head.

  'No, that is true.'

  Japp rose.

  'Well, I don't think that there's much more I can do here. I'd

  like to have one more look round.'

  'In case that money should be tucked away somewhere

  Certainly. Look anywhere you like. And in my room too

  although it isn't likely Barbara would hide it there.'

  Japp's search was quick but efficient. The living-room had

  given up all its secrets in a very few minutes. Then he went

  upstairs. Jane Plenderleith sat on the arm of a chair, smoking a

  cigarette and frowning at the fire. Poirot watched her.

  After some minutes, he said quietly:

  'Do you know if Mr Laverton-West is in London at

  present?'

  'I don't know at all. I rather fancy he's in Hampshire with his

  people. I suppose I ought to have wired him. How dreadful.

  forgot.'

  'It is not easy to remember everything, mademoiselle, when

  a catastrophe occurs. And after all, the bad news,
it will keep.

  One hears it only too soon."

  'Yes, that's true,' the girl said absently.

  Japp's footsteps were heard descending the stairs. Jane went

  out to meet him.

  'Well?'

  Japp shook his head.

  'Nothing helpful, I'm afraid, Miss Plenderleith. I've been

  over the whole house now. Oh, I suppose I'd better just have

  a look in this cupboard under the stairs.'

  He caught hold of the handle as he spoke, and pulled.

  Jane Plenderleith said:

  'It's locked.'

  Something in her voice made both men look at her sharply.

  'Yes,' said Japp pleasantly. 'I can see it's locked. Perhaps

  you'll get the key.'

  The girl was standing as though carved in stone.

  'I-I'm not sure where it is.'

  Japp shot a quick glance at her. His voice continued

  resolutely pleasant and offhand.

  'Dear me, that's too bad. Don't want to splinter the wood,

  opening it by force. I'll send Jameson out to get an assortment

  of keys.'

  She moved forward stiffly.

  'Oh,' she said/'One minute. It might be-'

  She went back into the living-room and reappeared a

  moment later holding a fair-sized key in her hand.