At Bertram's Hotel - Agatha Christie [27]
“What did you do?”
“Pretended I knew nothing about it. I did say that I thought you’d said something about going to see some friends at Wimbledon.”
“Why Wimbledon?”
“It was the first place came into my head.”
Elvira sighed. “Oh well, I suppose I’ll have to cook up something. An old governess, perhaps, who lives at Wimbledon. All this fussing does make things so complicated. I hope Cousin Mildred doesn’t make a real fool of herself and ring up the police or something like that.”
“Are you going down there now?”
“Not till this evening. I’ve got a lot to do first.”
“You got to Ireland. Was it—all right?”
“I found out what I wanted to know.”
“You sound—sort of grim.”
“I’m feeling grim.”
“Can’t I help you, Elvira? Do anything?”
“Nobody can help me really…It’s a thing I have to do myself. I hoped something wasn’t true, but it is true. I don’t know quite what to do about it.”
“Are you in danger, Elvira?”
“Don’t be melodramatic, Bridget. I’ll have to be careful, that’s all. I’ll have to be very careful.”
“Then you are in danger.”
Elvira said after a moment’s pause, “I expect I’m just imagining things, that’s all.”
“Elvira, what are you going to do about that bracelet?”
“Oh, that’s all right. I’ve arranged to get some money from someone, so I can go and—what’s the word—redeem it. Then just take it back to Bollards.”
“D’you think they’ll be all right about it?—No, Mummy, it’s just the laundry. They say we never sent that sheet. Yes, Mummy, yes, I’ll tell the manageress. All right then.”
At the other end of the line Elvira grinned and put down the receiver. She opened her purse, sorted through her money, counted out the coins she needed and arranged them in front of her and proceeded to put through a call. When she got the number she wanted she put in the necessary coins, pressed Button A and spoke in a small rather breathless voice.
“Hallo, Cousin Mildred. Yes, it’s me…I’m terribly sorry…Yes, I know…well I was going to…yes it was dear old Maddy, you know our old Mademoiselle…yes I wrote a postcard, then I forgot to post it. It’s still in my pocket now…well, you see she was ill and there was no one to look after her and so I just stopped to see she was all right. Yes, I was going to Bridget’s but this changed things…I don’t understand about the message you got. Someone must have jumbled it up…Yes, I’ll explain it all to you when I get back…yes, this afternoon. No, I shall just wait and see the nurse who’s coming to look after old Maddy—well, not really a nurse. You know one of those—er—practical aid nurses or something like that. No, she would hate to go to hospital…But I am sorry, Cousin Mildred, I really am very, very sorry.” She put down the receiver and sighed in an exasperated manner. “If only,” she murmured to herself, “one didn’t have to tell so many lies to everybody.”
She came out of the telephone box, noting as she did so the big newspaper placards—BIG TRAIN ROBBERY. IRISH MAIL ATTACKED BY BANDITS.
II
Mr. Bollard was serving a customer when the shop door opened. He looked up to see the Honourable Elvira Blake entering.
“No,” she said to an assistant who came forward to her. “I’d rather wait until Mr. Bollard is free.”
Presently Mr. Bollard’s customer’s business was concluded and Elvira moved into the vacant place.
“Good morning, Mr. Bollard,” she said.
“I’m afraid your watch isn’t done quite as soon as this, Miss Elvira,” said Mr. Bollard.
“Oh, it’s not the watch,” said Elvira. “I’ve come to apologize. A dreadful thing happened.” She opened her bag and took out a small box. From it she extracted the sapphire and diamond bracelet. “You will remember when I