Appointment With Death - Agatha Christie [58]
He felt her stiffen. His tone became grimmer.
‘I went and—’
‘Don’t…’
He gave her a quick glance.
‘I went and—argued with her.’ He spoke with a complete change of tone—careful and rather toneless. ‘I told her that I got to choose between her and you—and that I chose you.’
There was a pause.
He repeated, in a tone of curious self-approval:
‘Yes, that’s what I said to her.’
Chapter 14
Poirot met two people on his way home. The first was Mr Jefferson Cope.
‘M. Hercule Poirot? My name’s Jefferson Cope.’
The two men shook hands ceremoniously.
Then, falling into step beside Poirot, Mr Cope explained: ‘It’s just got round to me that you’re making a kind of routine inquiry into the death of my old friend Mrs Boynton. That certainly was a shocking business. Of course, mind you, the old lady ought never to have undertaken such a fatiguing journey. But she was headstrong, M. Poirot. Her family could do nothing with her. She was by way of being a household tyrant—had had her own way too long, I guess. It certainly is true what she said went. Yes, sir, that certainly was true.’
There was a momentary pause.
‘I’d just like to tell you, M. Poirot, that I’m an old friend of the Boynton family. Naturally they’re all a good deal upset over this business; they’re a trifle nervous and highly strung, too, you know, so if there are any arrangements to be made—necessary formalities, arrangements for the funeral—transport of the body to Jerusalem, why, I’ll take as much trouble as I can off their hands. Just call upon me for anything that needs doing.’
‘I am sure the family will appreciate your offer,’ said Poirot. He added, ‘You are, I think, a special friend of young Mrs Boynton’s.’
Mr Jefferson Cope went a little pink.
‘Well, we won’t say much about that, M. Poirot. I hear you had an interview with Mrs Lennox Boynton this morning, and she may have given you a hint how things were between us, but that’s all over now. Mrs Boynton is a very fine woman and she feels that her first duty is to her husband in his sad bereavement.’
There was a pause. Poirot received the information by a delicate gesture of the head. Then he murmured:
‘It is the desire of Colonel Carbury to have a clear statement concerning the afternoon of Mrs Boynton’s death. Can you give me an account of that afternoon?’
‘Why, certainly. After our luncheon and a brief rest we set out for a kind of informal tour round. We escaped, I’m glad to say, without that pestilential dragoman. That man’s just crazy on the subject of the Jews. I don’t think he’s quite sane on that point. Anyway, as I was saying, we set out. It was then that I had my interview with Nadine. Afterwards she wished to be alone with her husband to discuss matters with him. I went off on my own, working gradually back towards the camp. About half-way there I met the two English ladies who had been on the morning expedition—one of them’s an English peeress, I understand?’
Poirot said that such was the case.
‘Ah, she’s a fine woman, a very powerful intellect and very well informed. The other seemed to me rather a weak sister—and she looked about dead with fatigue. That expedition in the morning was very strenuous for an elderly lady, especially when she doesn’t like heights. Well, as I was saying, I met these two ladies and was able to give them some information on the subject of the Nabateans. We went around a bit and got back to the camp about six. Lady Westholme insisted on having tea and I had the pleasure of having a cup with her—the tea was kind of weak, but it had an interesting flavour. Then the boys laid the table for supper and sent out to the old lady only to find that she was sitting there dead in her chair.’
‘Did you notice her as you walked home?’
‘I did notice she was there—it was her usual seat in the afternoon and evening, but I didn’t pay special attention. I was just explaining to Lady