Lord Edgware Dies - Agatha Christie [20]
‘How long were you away from the dinner table?’
‘About a minute and a half.’
Japp collapsed after that. I was fully convinced that he did not believe a word she was saying, but having heard her story he could do no more until he had confirmed or disproved it.
Having thanked her coldly, he withdrew.
We also took our leave but she called Poirot back.
‘M. Poirot. Will you do something for me?’
‘Certainly, Madame.’
‘Send a cable for me to the Duke in Paris. He’s at the Crillon. He ought to know about this. I don’t like to send it myself. I guess I’ve got to look the bereaved widow for a week or two.’
‘It is quite unnecessary to cable, Madame,’ said Poirot gently. ‘It will be in the papers over there.’
‘Why, what a headpiece you’ve got! Of course it will. Much better not to cable. I feel it’s up to me to keep up my position now everything’s gone right. I want to act the way a widow should. Sort of dignified, you know. I thought of sending a wreath of orchids. They’re about the most expensive things going. I suppose I shall have to go to the funeral. What do you think?’
‘You will have to go to the inquest first, Madame.’
‘Why, I suppose that’s true.’ She considered for a moment or two. ‘I don’t like that Scotland Yard inspector at all. He just scared me to death. M. Poirot?’
‘Yes?’
‘Seems it’s kind of lucky I changed my mind and went to that party after all.’
Poirot had been going towards the door. Suddenly, at these words, he wheeled round.
‘What is that you say, Madame? You changed your mind?’
‘Yes. I meant to give it a miss. I had a frightful headache yesterday afternoon.’
Poirot swallowed once or twice. He seemed to have a difficulty in speaking.
‘Did you – say so to anyone?’ he asked at last.
‘Certainly I did. There was quite a crowd of us having tea and they wanted me to go on to a cocktail party and I said “No.” I said my head was aching fit to split and that I was going right home and that I was going to cut the dinner too.’
‘And what made you change your mind, Madame?’
‘Ellis went on at me. Said I couldn’t afford to turn it down. Old Sir Montagu pulls a lot of strings, you know, and he’s a crotchety creature – takes offence easily. Well, I didn’t care. Once I marry Merton I’m through with all this. But Ellis is always on the cautious side. She said there’s many a slip, etc., and after all I guess she’s right. Anyway, off I went.’
‘You owe Ellis a debt of gratitude, Madame,’ said Poirot seriously.
‘I suppose I do. That inspector had got it all taped out, hadn’t he?’
She laughed, Poirot did not. He said in a low voice:
‘All the same – this gives one furiously to think. Yes, furiously to think.’
‘Ellis,’ called Jane.
The maid came in from the next room.
‘M. Poirot says it’s very lucky you made me go to that party last night.’
Ellis barely cast a glance at Poirot. She was looking grim and disapproving.
‘It doesn’t do to break engagements, m’lady. You’re much too fond of doing it. People don’t always forgive it. They turn nasty.’
Jane picked up the hat she had been trying on when we came in. She tried it again.
‘I hate black,’ she said disconsolately. ‘I never wear it. But I suppose, as a correct widow I’ve just got to. All those hats are too frightful. Ring up the other hat place, Ellis. I’ve got to be fit to be seen.’
Poirot and I slipped quietly from the room.
Chapter 7
The Secretary
We had not seen the last of Japp. He reappeared about an hour later, flung down his hat on the table and said he was eternally blasted.
‘You have made the inquiries?’ asked Poirot sympathetically.
Japp nodded gloomily.
‘And unless fourteen people are lying, she didn’t do it,’ he growled.
He went on:
‘I don’t mind telling you, M. Poirot, that I expected to find a put-up job. On the face of it, it didn’t seem likely that anyone else could have killed Lord Edgware. She’s the only person who’s got the ghost of a motive.’
‘I would not say that. Mais continuez.’
‘Well, as I say, I expected to find a put-up job. You know what these theatrical crowds are – they’d all hang together to screen a