Murder Is Easy - Agatha Christie [28]
“No, no—I’m sure there wasn’t, but sometimes, you know, Mrs. Pierce, people—sober middle-aged people—find it hard to remember they’ve ever been young themselves.”
Mrs. Pierce sighed.
“Very true those words are, sir. I can’t help but hoping that some gentlemen I could name but won’t will have taken it to heart the way they were hard upon the lad—just on account of his high spirits.”
“Played a few tricks upon his employers, did he?” asked Luke with an indulgent smile.
Mrs. Pierce responded immediately.
“It was just his fun, sir, that was all. Tommy was always good at imitations. Make us hold our sides with laughing the way he’d mince about pretending to be that Mr. Ellsworthy at the curio shop—or old Mr. Hobbs, the churchwarden—and he was imitating his lordship up at the manor and the two under-gardeners laughing, when up came his lordship quiet-like and gave Tommy the sack on the spot—and naturally that was only to be expected, and quite right, and his lordship didn’t bear malice afterwards, and helped Tommy to get another job.”
“But other people weren’t so magnanimous, eh?” said Luke.
“That they were not, sir. Naming no names. And you’d never think it with Mr. Abbot, so pleasant in his manner and always a kind word or a joke.”
“Tommy got into trouble with him?”
Mrs. Pierce said:
“It’s not, I’m sure, that the boy meant any harm…And after all, if papers are private and not meant to be looked at, they shouldn’t be laid out on a table—that’s what I say.”
“Oh, quite,” said Luke. “Private papers in a lawyer’s office ought to be kept in the safe.”
“That’s right, sir. That’s what I think, and Mr. Pierce he agrees with me. It’s not even as though Tommy had read much of it.”
“What was it—a will?” asked Luke.
He judged (probably rightly) that a question as to what the document in question had been might make Mrs. Pierce halt. But this direct question brought an instant response.
“Oh, no, sir, nothing of that kind. Nothing really important. Just a private letter it was—from a lady—and Tommy didn’t even see who the lady was. All such a fuss about nothing—that’s what I say.”
“Mr. Abbot must be the sort of man who takes offence very easily,” said Luke.
“Well, it does seem so, doesn’t it, sir? Although, as I say, he’s always such a pleasant gentleman to speak to—always a joke or a cheery word. But it’s true that I have heard he was a difficult man to get up against, and him and Dr. Humbleby was daggers drawn, as the saying is, just before the poor gentleman died. And not a pleasant thought for Mr. Abbot afterwards. For once there’s a death one doesn’t like to think there’s been harsh words spoken and no chance of taking them back.”
Luke shook his head solemnly and murmured:
“Very true—very true.”
He went on:
“A bit of a coincidence—that. Hard words with Dr. Humbleby and Dr. Humbleby died—harsh treatment of your Tommy—and the boy dies! I should think that a double experience like that would tend to make Mr. Abbot careful of his tongue in future.”
“Harry Carter, too, down at the Seven Stars,” said Mrs. Pierce. “Very sharp words passed between them only a week before Carter went and drowned himself—but one can’t blame Mr. Abbot for that. The abuse was all on Carter’s side—went up to Mr. Abbot’s house, he did, being in liquor at the time, and shouting out the foulest language at the top of his voice. Poor Mrs. Carter, she had a deal to put up with, and it must be owned Carter’s death was a merciful release as far as she was concerned.”
“He left a daughter, too, didn’t he?”
“Ah,” said Mrs. Pierce. “I’m never one to gossip.”
This was unexpected but promising. Luke pricked up his ears and waited.
“I don’t say there was anything in it but talk. Lucy Carter’s a fine-looking young woman in her way, and if it hadn’t been for the difference