Murder in Mesopotamia - Agatha Christie [80]
Mr Carey’s expression did not change.
Poirot went on smoothly.
‘I also considered one other person who, I satisfied myself, would be perfectly capable of committing murder if she felt strongly enough. Miss Reilly has courage and brains and a certain quality of ruthlessness. When Miss Reilly was speaking to me on the subject of the dead woman, I said to her, jokingly, that I hoped she had an alibi. I think Miss Reilly was conscious then that she had had in her heart the desire, at least, to kill. At any rate she immediately uttered a very silly and purposeless lie. She said she had been playing tennis on that afternoon. The next day I learned from a casual conversation with Miss Johnson that far from playing tennis, Miss Reilly had actually been near this house at the time of the murder. It occurred to me that Miss Reilly, if not guilty of the crime, might be able to tell me something useful.’
He stopped and then said quietly: ‘Will you tell us, Miss Reilly, what you did see that afternoon?’
The girl did not answer at once. She still looked out of the window without turning her head, and when she spoke it was in a detached and measured voice.
‘I rode out to the dig after lunch. It must have been about a quarter to two when I got there.’
‘Did you find any of your friends on the dig?’
‘No, there seemed to be no one there but the Arab foreman.’
‘You did not see Mr Carey?’
‘No.’
‘Curious,’ said Poirot. ‘No more did M. Verrier when he went there that same afternoon.’
He looked invitingly at Carey, but the latter neither moved nor spoke.
‘Have you any explanation, Mr Carey?’
‘I went for a walk. There was nothing of interest turning up.’
‘In which direction did you go for a walk?’
‘Down by the river.’
‘Not back towards the house?’
‘No.’
‘I suppose,’ said Miss Reilly, ‘that you were waiting for someone who didn’t come.’
He looked at her but didn’t answer.
Poirot did not press the point. He spoke once more to the girl.
‘Did you see anything else, mademoiselle?’
‘Yes. I was not far from the expedition house when I noticed the expedition lorry drawn up in a wadi. I thought it was rather queer. Then I saw Mr Coleman. He was walking along with his head down as though he were searching for something.’
‘Look here,’ burst out Mr Coleman, ‘I—’
Poirot stopped him with an authoritative gesture.
‘Wait. Did you speak to him, Miss Reilly?’
‘No. I didn’t.’
‘Why?’
The girl said slowly: ‘Because, from time to time, he started and looked round with an extraordinary furtive look. It—gave me an unpleasant feeling. I turned my horse’s head and rode away. I don’t think he saw me. I was not very near and he was absorbed in what he was doing.’
‘Look here,’ Mr Coleman was not to be hushed any longer. ‘I’ve got a perfectly good explanation for what—I admit—looks a bit fishy. As a matter of fact, the day before I had slipped a jolly fine cylinder seal into my coat pocket instead of putting it in the antika-room—forgot all about it. And then I discovered I’d been and lost it out of my pocket—dropped it somewhere. I didn’t want to get into a row about it so I decided I’d have a jolly good search on the quiet. I was pretty sure I’d dropped it on the way to or from the dig. I rushed over my business in Hassanieh. Sent a walad to do some of the shopping and got back early. I stuck the bus where it wouldn’t show and had a jolly good hunt for over an hour. And didn’t find the damned thing at that! Then I got into the bus and drove on to the house. Naturally, everyone thought I’d just got back.’
‘And you did not undeceive them?’ asked Poirot sweetly.
‘Well, that was pretty natural under the circumstances, don’t you think?’
‘I hardly agree,’ said Poirot.
‘Oh, come now—don’t go looking for trouble—that’s my motto! But you can’t fasten anything on me. I never went into the courtyard, and you can’t find anyone who’ll say I did.’
‘That, of course, has been the difficulty,’ said Poirot. ‘The evidence of the servants that no one entered the courtyard from outside. But