Elephants Can Remember - Agatha Christie [65]
He replaced the receiver and started once more writing down words. In half an hour the telephone rang once more. Once again he picked up the phone.
‘I’m back from Cheltenham,’ said a voice which Poirot had no difficulty in recognizing.
‘Ah, chère madame, you have returned? You have seen Mrs Rosentelle?’
‘Yes. She is nice. Very nice. And you were quite right, you know, she is another elephant.’
‘Meaning, chère madame?’
‘I mean that she remembered Molly Ravenscroft.’
‘And she remembered her wigs?’
‘Yes.’
Briefly she outlined what the retired hairdresser had told her about the wigs.
‘Yes,’ said Poirot, ‘that agrees. That is exactly what Superintendent Garroway mentioned to me. The four wigs that the police found. Curls, an evening type of head-dress, and two other plainer ones. Four.’
‘So I really only told you what you knew already?’
‘No, you told me something more than that. She said – that is what you told me just now, is it not? – that Lady Ravenscroft wanted two extra wigs to add to the two that she already had and that this was about three weeks to six weeks before the suicide tragedy occurred. Yes, that is interesting, is it not?’
‘It’s very natural,’ said Mrs Oliver. ‘I mean, you know that people, women, I mean, may do awful damage to things. To false hair and things of that kind. If it can’t be re-dressed and cleaned, if it’s got burnt or got stuff spilt on it you can’t get out, or it’s been dyed and dyed all wrong – something like that – well then, of course you have to get two new wigs or switches or whatever they are. I don’t see what makes you excited about that.’
‘Not exactly excited,’ said Poirot, ‘no. It is a point, but the more interesting point is what you have just added. It was a French lady, was it not, who brought the wigs to be copied or matched?’
‘Yes. I gathered some kind of companion or something. Lady Ravenscroft had been or was in hospital or in a nursing home somewhere and she was not in good health and she could not come herself to make a choice or anything of that kind.’
‘I see.’
‘And so her French companion came.’
‘Do you know the name of that companion by any chance?’
‘No. I don’t think Mrs Rosentelle mentioned it. In fact I don’t think she knew. The appointment was made by Lady Ravenscroft and the French girl or woman just brought the wigs along for size and matching and all the rest of it, I suppose.’
‘Well,’ said Poirot, ‘that helps me towards the further step that I am about to take.’
‘What have you learnt?’ said Mrs Oliver. ‘Have you done anything?’
‘You are always so sceptical,’ said Poirot. ‘You always consider that I do nothing, that I sit in a chair and repose myself.’
‘Well I think you sit in a chair and think,’ admitted Mrs Oliver, ‘but I quite agree that you don’t often go out and do things.’
‘In the near future I think I may possibly go out and do things,’ said Hercule Poirot, ‘and that will please you. I may even cross the Channel though certainly not in a boat. A plane, I think is indicated.’
‘Oh,’ said Mrs Oliver. ‘Do you want me to come too?’
‘No,’ said Poirot, ‘I think it would be better if I went alone on this occasion.’
‘You really will go?’
‘Oh yes, oh yes. I will run about with all activity and so you should be pleased with me, madame.’
When he had rung off, he dialled another number which he looked up from a note he had made in his pocket-book. Presently he was connected to the person whom he wished to speak to.
‘My dear Superintendent Garroway, it is Hercule Poirot who addresses you. I do not derange you too much? You are not very busy at this moment?’
‘No, I am not busy,’ said Superintendent Garroway. ‘I am pruning my roses, that’s all.’
‘There is something that I want to ask you. Quite a small thing.’
‘About our problem of the double suicide?’
‘Yes, about our problem. You said there was a dog in the house. You said that the dog went for walks with the family, or so you understood.’
‘Yes, there was some mention made of a dog. I think it may have been either the housekeeper or someone who said that they went