Parker Pyne Investigates - Agatha Christie [22]
‘Magnificent!’
‘And then she told me to go away. She doesn’t ever want to speak to me again. She talked of packing up and leaving.’ His face was dismayed.
Madeleine smiled. ‘I’ll tell you the answer to that one. Tell her that you’ll be the one to go; that you’ll pack up and clear out to town.’
‘But I don’t want to!’
‘That’s all right. You won’t have to. Your wife would hate to think of you amusing yourself in London.’
IV
The following morning Reggie Wade had a fresh bulletin to impart.
‘She says she’s been thinking that it isn’t fair for her to go away when she agreed to stay six months. But she says that as I have my friends down here she doesn’t see why she shouldn’t have hers. She is asking Sinclair Jordan.’
‘Is he the one?’
‘Yes, and I’m damned if I’ll have him in my house!’
‘You must,’ said Madeleine. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll attend to him. Say that on thinking things over you have no objection and that you know she won’t mind you asking me to stay on, too.’
‘Oh dear!’ sighed Mr Wade.
‘Now don’t lose heart,’ said Madeleine. ‘Everything is going splendidly. Another fortnight–and all your troubles will be over.’
‘A fortnight? Do you really think so?’ demanded Mr Wade.
‘Think so? I’m sure of it,’ said Madeleine.
V
A week later Madeleine de Sara entered Mr Parker Pyne’s office and sank wearily into a chair.
‘Enter the Queen of the Vamps,’ said Mr Parker Pyne, smiling.
‘Vamps!’ said Madeleine. She gave a hollow laugh. ‘I’ve never had such uphill work being a vamp. That man is obsessed by his wife! It’s a disease.’
Mr Parker Pyne smiled. ‘Yes, indeed. Well, in one way it made our task easier. It is not every man, my dear Madeleine, whom I would expose to your fascination so lightheartedly.’
The girl laughed. ‘If you knew the difficulty I had to make him even kiss me as though he liked it!’
‘A novel experience for you, my dear. Well, is your task accomplished?’
‘Yes, I think all is well. We had a tremendous scene last night. Let me see, my last report was three days ago?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, as I told you, I only had to look at that miserable worm, Sinclair Jordan, once. He was all over me–especially as he thought from my clothes that I had money. Mrs Wade was furious, of course. Here were both her men dancing attendance on me. I soon showed where my preference lay. I made fun of Sinclair Jordan, to his face and to her. I laughed at his clothes, and at the length of his hair. I pointed out that he had knock knees.’
‘Excellent technique,’ said Mr Parker Pyne appreciatively.
‘Everything boiled up last night. Mrs Wade came out in the open. She accused me of breaking up her home. Reggie Wade mentioned the little matter of Sinclair Jordan. She said that that was only the result of her unhappiness and loneliness. She had noticed her husband’s abstraction for some time, but had no idea as to the cause of it. She said they had always been ideally happy, that she adored him and he knew it, and that she wanted him and only him.
‘I said it was too late for that. Mr Wade followed his instructions splendidly. He said he didn’t give a damn! He was going to marry me! Mrs Wade could have her Sinclair as soon as she pleased. There was no reason why the divorce proceedings shouldn’t be started at once; waiting six months was absurd.
‘Within a few days, he said, she should have the necessary evidence and could instruct her solicitors. He said he couldn’t live without me. Then Mrs Wade clutched her chest and talked about her weak heart and had to be given brandy. He didn’t weaken. He went up to town this morning, and I’ve no doubt she’s gone after him by this time.’
‘So that’s all right,’ said Mr Pyne cheerfully. ‘A very satisfactory case.’
The door flew open. In the doorway stood Reggie Wade.
‘Is she here?’ he demanded, advancing