At Bertram's Hotel - Agatha Christie [66]
“You drive a car, do you?”
“Yes. I took my driving test last summer. Only, I’m not a very good driver and I hate driving in fog. So Bridget’s mother said I could stay the night, so I rang up Cousin Mildred—that’s where I live in Kent—”
Father nodded.
“—and I said I was going to stay up overnight. She said that was very wise.”
“And what happened next?” asked Father.
“And then the fog seemed lighter suddenly. You know how patchy fogs are. So I said I would drive down to Kent after all. I said good-bye to Bridget and started off. But then it began to come down again. I didn’t like it very much. I ran into a very thick patch of it and I lost my way and I didn’t know where I was. Then after a bit I realized I was at Hyde Park Corner and I thought ‘I really can’t go down to Kent in this.’ At first, I thought I’d go back to Bridget’s but then I remembered how I’d lost my way already. And then I realized that I was quite close to this nice hotel where Uncle Derek took me when I came back from Italy and I thought, ‘I’ll go there and I’m sure they can find me a room.’ That was fairly easy, I found a place to leave the car and then I walked back up the street towards the hotel.”
“Did you meet anyone or did you hear anyone walking near you?”
“It’s funny you saying that, because I did think I heard someone walking behind me. Of course, there must be lots of people walking about in London. Only in a fog like this, it gives you a nervous feeling. I waited and listened but I didn’t hear any footsteps and I thought I’d imagined them. I was quite close to the hotel by then.”
“And then?”
“And then quite suddenly there was a shot. As I told you, it seemed to go right past my ear. The commissionaire man who stands outside the hotel came running down towards me and he pushed me behind him and then—then—the other shot came…He—he fell down and I screamed.” She was shaking now. Her mother spoke to her.
“Steady, girl,” said Bess in a low, firm voice. “Steady now.” It was the voice Bess Sedgwick used for her horses and it was quite as efficacious when used on her daughter. Elvira blinked at her, drew herself up a little, and became calm again.
“Good girl,” said Bess.
“And then you came,” said Elvira to Father. “You blew your whistle, you told the policeman to take me into the hotel. And as soon as I got in, I saw—I saw Mother.” She turned and looked at Bess Sedgwick.
“And that brings us more or less up-to-date,” said Father. He shifted his bulk a little in the chair.
“Do you know a man called Ladislaus Malinowski?” he asked. His tone was even, casual, without any direct inflection. He did not look at the girl, but he was aware, since his ears were functioning at full attention, of a quick little gasp she gave. His eyes were not on the daughter but on the mother.
“No,” said Elvira, having waited just a shade too long to say it. “No, I don’t.”
“Oh,” said Father. “I thought you might. I thought he might have been here this evening.”
“Oh? Why should he be here?”
“Well, his car is here,” said Father. “That’s why I thought he might be.”
“I don’t know him,” said Elvira.
“My mistake,” said Father. “You do, of course?” He turned his head towards Bess Sedgwick.
“Naturally,” said Bess Sedgwick. “Known him for many years.” She added, smiling slightly, “He’s a madman, you know. Drives like an angel or a devil—he’ll break his neck one of these days. Had a bad smash eighteen months ago.”
“Yes, I remember reading about it,” said Father. “Not racing again yet, is he?”
“No, not yet. Perhaps he never will.”
“Do you think I could go to bed now?” asked Elvira, plaintively. “I’m—really terribly tired.”
“Of course. You must be,” said Father. “You’ve told us all you can remember?”
“Oh. Yes.”
“I’ll go up with you,” said Bess.
Mother and daughter went out together.
“She knows him all right,” said Father.
“Do you really think so?” asked Sergeant Wadell.
“I know it. She had tea with him in Battersea Park only