Poirot's Early Cases - Agatha Christie [61]
‘Flossie made a will soon after her marriage, leaving everything to her husband.’ He hesitated for a minute, and then went on: ‘I may as well tell you, Monsieur Poirot, that I regard my son-in-law as an unprincipled scoundrel, and that, by my advice, my daughter was on the eve of freeing herself from him by legal means—no difficult matter. I settled her money upon her in such a way that he could not touch it during her lifetime, but although they have lived entirely apart for some years, she had frequently acceded to his demands for money, rather than face an open scandal. However, I was determined to put an end to this. At last Flossie agreed, and my lawyers were instructed to take proceedings.’
‘And where is Monsieur Carrington?’
‘In town. I believe he was away in the country yesterday, but he returned last night.’
Poirot considered a little while. Then he said: ‘I think that is all, monsieur.’
‘You would like to see the maid, Jane Mason?’
‘If you please.’
Halliday rang the bell, and gave a short order to the footman.
A few minutes later Jane Mason entered the room, a respectable, hard-featured woman, as emotionless in the face of tragedy as only a good servant can be.
‘You will permit me to put a few questions? Your mistress, she was quite as usual before starting yesterday morning? Not excited or flurried?’
‘Oh no, sir!’
‘But at Bristol she was quite different?’
‘Yes, sir, regular upset—so nervous she didn’t seem to know what she was saying.’
‘What did she say exactly?’
‘Well, sir, as near as I can remember, she said: “Mason, I’ve got to alter my plans. Something has happened—I mean, I’m not getting out here after all. I must go on. Get out the luggage and put it in the cloakroom; then have some tea, and wait for me in the station.”
‘ “Wait for you here, ma’am?” I asked.
‘ “Yes, yes. Don’t leave the station. I shall return by a later train. I don’t know when. It mayn’t be until quite late.”
‘ “Very well, ma’am,” I says. It wasn’t my place to ask questions, but I thought it very strange.’
‘It was unlike your mistress, eh?’
‘Very unlike her, sir.’
‘What do you think?’
‘Well, sir, I thought it was to do with the gentleman in the carriage. She didn’t speak to him, but she turned round once or twice as though to ask him if she was doing right.’
‘But you didn’t see the gentleman’s face?’
‘No, sir; he stood with his back to me all the time.’
‘Can you describe him at all?’
‘He had on a light fawn overcoat, and a travelling-cap. He was tall and slender, like and the back of his head was dark.’
‘You didn’t know him?’
‘Oh no, I don’t think so, sir.’
‘It was not your master, Mr Carrington, by any chance?’
Mason looked rather startled.
‘Oh, I don’t think so, sir!’
‘But you are not sure?’
‘It was about the master’s build, sir—but I never thought of it being him. We so seldom saw him…I couldn’t say it wasn’t him!’
Poirot picked up a pin from the carpet, and frowned at it severely; then he continued: ‘Would it be possible for the man to have entered the train at Bristol before you reached the carriage?’
Mason considered.
‘Yes, sir, I think it would. My compartment was very crowded, and it was some minutes before I could get out—and then there was a very large crowd on the platform, and that delayed me too. But he’d only have had a minute or two to speak to the mistress, that way. I took it for granted that he’d come along the corridor.’
‘That is more probable, certainly.’
He paused, still frowning.
‘You know how the mistress was dressed, sir?’
‘The papers give a few details, but I would like you to confirm them.’
‘She was wearing a white fox fur toque, sir, with a white spotted veil, and a blue frieze coat and skirt—the shade of blue they call electric.’
‘H’m, rather striking.’
‘Yes,’ remarked Mr Halliday. ‘Inspector Japp is in hopes that that may help us to fix the spot where the crime took place. Anyone who saw her would remember her.’
‘Précisément!—Thank you, mademoiselle.’
The maid left the room.
‘Well!’ Poirot got up briskly. ‘That is all I can do here—except, monsieur, that I would