Spider's Web - Agatha Christie [23]
‘You see?’ Clarissa urged him. ‘So it’s absolutely vital that we get the body away from here.’
‘Where’s his car, did you say?’ Jeremy asked.
‘Round by the stables.’
‘And the servants are out, I gather?’
Clarissa nodded. ‘Yes.’
Jeremy picked up a pair of gloves from the sofa. ‘Right,’ he exclaimed decisively. ‘Do I take the body to the car, or bring the car to the body?’
Sir Rowland held out a hand in a restraining gesture. ‘Wait a moment,’ he advised. ‘We mustn’t rush it like this.’
Jeremy put the gloves down again, but Clarissa turned to Sir Rowland, crying desperately, ‘But we must hurry.’
Sir Rowland regarded her gravely. ‘I’m not sure that this plan of yours is the best one, Clarissa,’ he declared. ‘Now, if we could just delay finding the body until tomorrow morning–that would meet the case, I think, and it would be very much simpler. If, for now, we merely moved the body to another room, for instance, I think that might be just excusable.’
Clarissa turned to address him directly. ‘It’s you I’ve got to convince, isn’t it?’ she told him. Looking at Jeremy, she continued, ‘Jeremy’s ready enough.’ She glanced at Hugo. ‘And Hugo will grunt and shake his head, but he’d do it all the same. It’s you…’
She went to the library door and opened it. ‘Will you both excuse us for a short time?’ she asked Jeremy and Hugo. ‘I want to speak to Roly alone.’
‘Don’t you let her talk you into any tomfoolery, Roly,’ Hugo warned as they left the room. Jeremy gave Clarissa a reassuring smile and a murmured ‘Good luck!’
Sir Rowland, looking grave, took a seat at the library table.
‘Now!’ Clarissa exclaimed, as she sat and faced him on the other side of the table.
‘My dear,’ Sir Rowland warned her, ‘I love you, and I will always love you dearly. But, before you ask, in this case the answer simply has to be no.’
Clarissa began to speak seriously and with emphasis. ‘That man’s body mustn’t be found in this house,’ she insisted. ‘If he’s found in Marsden Wood, I can say that he was here today for a short time, and I can also tell the police exactly when he left. Actually, Miss Peake saw him off, which turns out to be very fortunate. There need be no question of his ever having come back here.’
She took a deep breath. ‘But if his body is found here,’ she continued, ‘then we shall all be questioned.’ She paused before adding, with great deliberation, ‘And Pippa won’t be able to stand it.’
‘Pippa?’ Sir Rowland was obviously puzzled.
Clarissa’s face was grim. ‘Yes, Pippa. She’ll break down and confess that she did it.’
‘Pippa!’ Sir Rowland repeated, as he slowly took in what he was hearing.
Clarissa nodded.
‘My God!’ Sir Rowland exclaimed.
‘She was terrified when he came here today,’ Clarissa told him. ‘I tried to reassure her that I wouldn’t let him take her away, but I don’t think she believed me. You know what she’s been through–the nervous breakdown she’s had? Well, I don’t think she could have survived being made to go back and live with Oliver and Miranda. Pippa was here when I found Oliver’s body. She told me she never meant to do it, I’m sure she was telling the truth. It was sheer panic. She got hold of that stick, and struck out blindly.’
‘What stick?’ Sir Rowland asked.
‘The one from the hall stand. It’s in the recess. I left it there, I didn’t touch it.’
Sir Rowland thought for a moment, and then asked sharply, ‘Where is Pippa now?’
‘In bed,’ said Clarissa. ‘I’ve given her a sleeping pill. She ought not to wake up till morning. Tomorrow I’ll take her up to London, and my old nanny will look after her for a while.’
Sir Rowland got up and walked over to look down at Oliver Costello’s body behind the sofa. Returning to Clarissa, he kissed her. ‘You win, my dear,’ he said. ‘I apologize. That child musn’t be asked to face the music. Get the others back.’
He went across to the window and closed it, while Clarissa opened the library door, calling, ‘Hugo, Jeremy. Would you come back, please?’
The two men came back into the room.