Cards on the Table - Agatha Christie [38]
‘I see,’ said Battle. ‘So you are now twenty-five, Miss Meredith. Now, there’s just one thing more—the name and address of a couple of people in Cheltenham who knew you and your father.’
Anne supplied him with these.
‘Now, about this trip to Switzerland—where you met Mr Shaitana. Did you go alone there—or was Miss Dawes here with you?’
‘We went out together. We joined some other people. There was a party of eight.’
‘Tell me about your meeting with Mr Shaitana.’
Anne crinkled her brows.
‘There’s really nothing to tell. He was just there. We knew him in the way you know people in a hotel. He got first prize at the fancy dress ball. He went as Mephistopheles.’
Superintendent Battle sighed.
‘Yes, that always was his favourite effect.’
‘He really was marvellous,’ said Rhoda. ‘He hardly had to make up at all.’
The superintendent looked from one girl to the other.
‘Which of you two young ladies knew him best?’
Anne hesitated. It was Rhoda who answered.
‘Both the same to begin with. Awfully little, that is. You see, our crowd was the ski-ing lot, and we were off doing runs most days and dancing together in the evenings. But then Shaitana seemed to take rather a fancy to Anne. You know, went out of his way to pay her compliments, and all that. We ragged her about it, rather.’
‘I just think he did it to annoy me,’ said Anne. ‘Because I didn’t like him. I think it amused him to make me feel embarrassed.’
Rhoda said laughing:
‘We told Anne it would be a nice rich marriage for her. She got simply wild with us.’
‘Perhaps,’ said Battle, ‘you’d give me the names of the other people in your party?’
‘You aren’t what I call a trustful man,’ said Rhoda. ‘Do you think that every word we’re telling you is downright lies?’
Superintendent Battle twinkled.
‘I’m going to make sure it isn’t, anyway,’ he said.
‘You are suspicious,’ said Rhoda.
She scribbled some names on a piece of paper and gave it to him.
Battle rose.
‘Well, thank you very much, Miss Meredith,’ he said. ‘As Miss Dawes says, you seem to have led a particularly blameless life. I don’t think you need worry much. It’s odd the way Mr Shaitana’s manner changed to you. You’ll excuse my asking, but he didn’t ask you to marry him—or—er—pester you with attentions of another kind?’
‘He didn’t try to seduce her,’ said Rhoda helpfully. ‘If that’s what you mean.’
Anne was blushing.
‘Nothing of the kind,’ she said. ‘He was always most polite and—and—formal. It was just his elaborate manners that made me uncomfortable.’
‘And little things he said or hinted?’
‘Yes—at least—no. He never hinted things.’
‘Sorry. These lady-killers do sometimes. Well, goodnight, Miss Meredith. Thank you very much. Excellent coffee. Goodnight, Miss Dawes.’
‘There,’ said Rhoda as Anne came back into the room after shutting the door after Battle. ‘That’s over, and not so very terrible. He’s a nice fatherly man, and he evidently doesn’t suspect you in the least. It was all ever so much better than I expected.’
Anne sank down with a sigh.
‘It was really quite easy,’ she said. ‘It was silly of me to work myself up so. I thought he’d try to browbeat me—like K.C.s on the stage.’
‘He looks sensible,’ said Rhoda. ‘He’d know well enough you’re not a murdering kind of female.’
She hesitated and then said:
‘I say, Anne, you didn’t mention being at Croftways. Did you forget?’
Anne said slowly:
‘I didn’t think it counted. I was only there a few months. And there’s no one to ask about me there. I can write and tell him if you think it matters; but I’m sure it doesn’t. Let’s leave it.’
‘Right, if you say so.’
Rhoda rose and turned on the wireless.
A raucous voice said:
‘You have just heard the Black Nubians play “Why do you tell me lies, Baby?”’
Chapter 15
Major Despard
Major Despard came out of the Albany, turned sharply into Regent Street and jumped on a bus.
It was the quiet time of day—the top of the bus