Black Coffee - Agatha Christie [36]
‘Was it like this?’ asked Poirot, taking a key from his pocket and throwing it down on the floor. It made no sound, and Miss Amory, after waiting for a few seconds, declared that she could hear nothing. ‘Well, like this, perhaps?’ Poirot tried again, retrieving the key from the floor and hitting it sharply against the coffee table.
‘Why, that’s exactly the sound I heard last night!’ Miss Amory exclaimed. ‘How curious!’
‘Continue, I pray you, mademoiselle,’ Poirot encouraged her.
‘Well, I heard Lucia scream and call out to Sir Claud. And then the knocking came on the door.’
‘That was all? You are sure?’
‘Yes, I think so – oh, wait a minute! Right at the beginning, there was a curious noise, like the tearing of silk. Somebody’s dress, I suppose.’
‘Whose dress, do you think?’ asked Poirot. ‘It must have been Lucia’s. It wouldn’t have been Barbara’s, because she was sitting right next to me, here.’
‘That is curious,’ murmured Poirot thoughtfully.
‘And that really is all,’ Miss Amory concluded. ‘May I open my eyes now?’
‘Oh yes, certainly, mademoiselle.’ As she did so, Poirot asked her, ‘Who poured out Sir Claud’s coffee? Was it you?’
‘No,’ Miss Amory told him. ‘Lucia poured out the coffee.’
‘When was that, exactly?’
‘It must have been just after we were talking about those dreadful drugs.’
‘Did Mrs Amory take the coffee to Sir Claud herself ?’
Caroline Amory paused for thought. ‘No –’, she finally decided.
‘No?’ asked Poirot. ‘Then, who did?’ ‘I don’t know – I’m not sure – let me see, now. Oh yes, I remember! Sir Claud’s coffee cup was on the table beside Lucia’s own cup. I remember that, because Mr Raynor was carrying the cup to Sir Claud in the study, and Lucia called him back and said he had taken the wrong cup – which really was very silly, because they were both exactly the same – black, without sugar.’
‘So,’ Poirot observed, ‘Monsieur Raynor took the coffee to Sir Claud?’
‘Yes – or, at least – no, that’s right, Richard took it from him, because Barbara wanted to dance with Mr Raynor.’
‘Oh! So Monsieur Amory took the coffee to his father.’
‘Yes, that’s correct,’ Miss Amory confirmed.
‘Ah!’ exclaimed Poirot. ‘Tell me, what had Monsieur Amory been doing just before that? Dancing?’
‘Oh, no,’ Miss Amory replied. ‘He had been packing away the drugs. Putting them all back in the box tidily, you know.’
‘I see, I see. Sir Claud, then, drank his coffee in his study?’
‘I suppose he began to do so,’ Miss Amory remembered. ‘But he came back in here with the cup in his hand. I remember his complaining about the taste, saying that it was bitter. And I assure you, Monsieur Poirot, it was the very best coffee. A special mixture that I had ordered myself from the Army and Navy Stores in London. You know, that wonderful department store in Victoria Street. It’s so convenient, not far from the railway station. And I –’
She broke off as the door opened and Edward Raynor entered. ‘Am I interrupting?’ the secretary asked. ‘I am so sorry. I wanted to speak to Monsieur Poirot, but I can come back later.’
‘No, no,’ declared Poirot. ‘I have finished putting this poor lady upon the rack!’
Miss Amory rose. ‘I’m afraid I haven’t been able to tell you anything useful,’ she apologized, as she went to the door.
Poirot rose, and walked ahead of her. ‘You have told me a great deal, mademoiselle. More than you realize, perhaps,’ he assured Miss Amory as he opened the door for her.
Chapter 13
After seeing Miss Amory out, Poirot turned his attention to Edward Raynor. ‘Now, Monsieur Raynor,’ he said as he gestured the secretary to a chair, ‘let me hear what you have to tell me.’
Raynor sat, and regarded Poirot earnestly. ‘Mr Amory has just told me the news about Sir Claud. The cause of his death, I mean. This is a most extraordinary business, monsieur.’
‘It has come as a shock to you?’ asked Poirot.
‘Certainly. I never suspected such a thing.’ Approaching him,