Ordeal by Innocence - Agatha Christie [52]
“Seven o’clock—or thereabouts.”
“Had you heard the altercation between your mother and your brother Jack?”
“No, I didn’t hear anything. I was upstairs.”
“But you saw Mrs. Argyle before you left the house?”
“Yes. I wanted some money. I was right out. And I remembered the petrol in my car was nearly down to empty. I’d have to fill up on the way to Drymouth. So when I was ready to start I went in to Mother and asked her for some money—just a couple of pounds—that’s all I needed.”
“And she gave them to you?”
“Kirsty gave them to me.”
Huish looked slightly surprised.
“I don’t remember that in the original statement.”
“Well, that’s what happened,” said Hester defiantly. “I went in and said could I have some cash, and Kirsten heard me from the hall and called out that she’d got some and would give it to me. She was just going out herself. And Mother said, ‘Yes, get it from Kirsty.’”
“I was just going down to the Women’s Institute with some books on Flower Arrangement,” said Kirsten. “I knew Mrs. Argyle was busy and didn’t want to be disturbed.”
Hester said in an aggrieved voice:
“What does it matter who gave me the money? You wanted to know when I last saw Mother alive. That was when. She was sitting at the table poring over a lot of plans. And I said I wanted cash, and then Kirsten called out that she’d give it to me. I took it from her and then went into Mother’s room again and said good night to Mother and she said she hoped I’d enjoy the play, and to be careful driving. She always said that. And then I went out to the garage and got the car out.”
“And Miss Lindstrom.”
“Oh, she went off as soon as she’d given me the money.”
Kirsten Lindstrom said quickly: “Hester passed me in the car just as I got to the end of our road. She must have started almost immediately after me. She went on up the hill to the main road whilst I turned left to the village.”
Hester opened her mouth as though to speak, then quickly shut it again.
Huish wondered. Was Kirsten Lindstrom trying to establish that Hester would not have had time to commit the crime? Wasn’t it possible that instead of Hester’s saying a quiet good night to Mrs. Argyle, there had been an argument—a quarrel, and that Hester had struck her down?
Smoothly he turned to Kirsten and said:
“Now, Miss Lindstrom, let’s have your account of what you remember.”
She was nervous. Her hands twisted uncomfortably.
“We had tea. It was cleared away. Hester helped me. Then she went upstairs. Then Jacko came.”
“You heard him?”
“Yes. I let him in. He said he had lost his key. He went straight in to his mother. He said at once, ‘I’m in a jam. You’ve got to get me out of it.’ I did not hear any more. I went back into the kitchen. There were things to prepare for supper.”
“Did you hear him leave?”
“Yes, indeed. He was shouting. I came from the kitchen. He was standing there in the front hall—very angry—shouting out that he’d come back, that his mother had better have the money ready for him. Or else! That is what he said: ‘Or else!’ It was a threat.”
“And then?”
“He went off banging the door. Mrs. Argyle came out into the hall. She was very pale and upset. She said to me, ‘You heard?’
“I said: ‘He is in trouble?’
“She nodded. Then she went upstairs to the library to Mr. Argyle. I laid the table for supper, and then I went up to put my outdoor things on. The Women’s Institute were having a Flower Arrangement Competition next day. There were some Flower Arrangement books we had promised them.”
“You took the books to the Institute—what time did you return to the house?”
“It must have been about half past seven. I let myself in with my key. I went in at once to Mrs. Argyle’s room—to give her a message of thanks and a note—she was at the desk, her head forward on her hands. And there was the poker, flung down—and drawers of the bureau pulled out. There had been a burglar, I thought. She had been attacked. And I was right. Now you know that I was right! It was a burglar—someone from outside!