Sad cypress - Agatha Christie [55]
She stopped.
‘But later, when we went back into the morning-room, she was dying…’
She stopped. Poirot was staring at her very intently. She flushed and said:
‘Will you ask me – again – did I kill Mary Gerrard?’
Poirot rose to his feet. He said quickly:
‘I shall ask you – nothing. There are things I do not want to know…’
Chapter 12
Dr Lord met the train at the station as requested.
Hercule Poirot alighted from it. He looked very Londonified and was wearing pointed patent leather shoes.
Peter Lord scrutinized his face anxiously, but Hercule Poirot was giving nothing away.
Peter Lord said:
‘I’ve done my best to get answers to your questions. First, Mary Gerrard left here for London on July 10th. Second, I haven’t got a housekeeper – a couple of giggling girls run my house. I think you must mean Mrs Slattery, who was Ransome’s (my predecessor’s) housekeeper. I can take you to her this morning if you like. I’ve arranged that she shall be in.’
Poirot said:
‘Yes, I think it would be as well if I saw her first.’
‘Then you said you wanted to go to Hunterbury, I could come with you there. It beats me why you haven’t been there already. I can’t think why you wouldn’t go when you were down here before. I should have thought the first thing to be done in a case like this was to visit the place where the crime took place.’
Holding his head a little on one side, Hercule Poirot inquired:
‘Why?’
‘Why?’ Peter Lord was rather disconcerted by the question. ‘Isn’t it the usual thing to do?’
Hercule Poirot said:
‘One does not practise detection with a textbook! One uses one’s natural intelligence.’
Peter Lord said:
‘You might find a clue of some sort there.’
Poirot sighed:
‘You read too much detective fiction. Your police force in this country is quite admirable. I have no doubt that they searched the house and grounds most carefully.’
‘For evidence against Elinor Carlisle – not for evidence in her favour.’
Poirot sighed:
‘My dear friend, it is not a monster – this police force! Elinor Carlisle was arrested because sufficient evidence was found to make out a case against her – a very strong case, I may say. It was useless for me to go over ground when the police had gone over it already.’
‘But you do want to go there now?’ objected Peter.
Hercule Poirot nodded his head. He said:
‘Yes – now it is necessary. Because now I know exactly what I am looking for. One must understand with the cells of one’s brain before one uses one’s eyes.’
‘Then you do think there might be – something – there still?’
Poirot said gently:
‘I have a little idea we shall find something – yes.’
‘Something to prove Elinor’s innocence?’
‘Ah, I did not say that.’
Peter Lord stopped dead.
‘You don’t mean you still think she’s guilty?’
Poirot said gravely:
‘You must wait, my friend, before you get an answer to that question.’
II
Poirot lunched with the doctor in a pleasant square room with a window open on to the garden.
Lord said:
‘Did you get what you wanted out of old Slattery?’
Poirot nodded.
‘Yes.’
‘What did you want with her?’
‘Gossip! Talk about old days. Some crimes have their roots in the past. I think this one had.’
Peter Lord said irritably:
‘I don’t understand a word you are talking about.’
Poirot smiled. He said:
‘This fish is deliciously fresh.’
Lord said impatiently:
‘I dare say. I caught it myself before breakfast this morning. Look here, Poirot, am I to have any idea what you’re driving at? Why keep me in the dark?’
The other shook his head.
‘Because as yet there is no light. I am always brought up short by the fact that there was no one who had any reason to kill Mary Gerrard – except Elinor Carlisle.’
Peter Lord said:
‘You can’t be sure of that. She’d been abroad