Spider's Web - Agatha Christie [33]
Politely, but with a certain reserve, the Inspector replied, ‘Certainly, sir, but not for a moment or two just yet. I’d like to ask her a few questions first.’
Sir Rowland tried to persist. ‘She’s really not fit to be questioned at present.’
‘I’m all right, Roly,’ Clarissa interjected, faintly. ‘Really, I am.’
Sir Rowland addressed her, adopting a warning tone. ‘It’s very brave of you, my dear,’ he said, ‘but I really think it would be wiser of you to go and rest for a while.’
‘Dear Uncle Roly,’ Clarissa responded with a smile. To the Inspector she said, ‘I sometimes call him Uncle Roly, though he’s my guardian, not my uncle. But he’s so sweet to me always.’
‘Yes, I can see that,’ was the dry response.
‘Do ask me anything you want to, Inspector,’ Clarissa continued graciously. ‘Though actually I don’t think I can help you very much, I’m afraid, because I just don’t know anything at all about any of this.’
Sir Rowland sighed, shook his head slightly, and turned away.
‘We shan’t worry you for long, madam,’ the Inspector assured her. Going to the library door, he held it open, and turned to address Sir Rowland. ‘Will you join the other gentlemen in the library, sir?’ he suggested.
‘I think I’d better remain here, in case–’ Sir Rowland began, only to be interrupted by the Inspector whose tone had now become firmer. ‘I’ll call you if it should be necessary, sir. In the library, please.’
After a short duel of eyes, Sir Rowland conceded defeat and went into the library. The Inspector closed the door after him, and indicated silently to the Constable that he should sit and take notes. Clarissa swung her feet off the sofa and sat up, as Jones got out his notebook and pencil.
‘Now, Mrs Hailsham-Brown,’ the Inspector began, ‘if you’re ready, let’s make a start.’ He picked up the cigarette box from the table by the sofa, turned it over, opened it, and looked at the cigarettes in it.
‘Dear Uncle Roly, he always wants to spare me everything,’ Clarissa told the Inspector with an enchanting smile. Then, seeing him handling the cigarette box, she became anxious. ‘This isn’t going to be the third degree or anything, is it?’ she asked, trying to make her question sound like a joke.
‘Nothing of that kind, madam, I assure you,’ said the Inspector. ‘Just a few simple questions.’ He turned to the Constable. ‘Are you ready, Jones?’ he asked, as he pulled out a chair from the bridge table, turned it around, and sat facing Clarissa.
‘All ready, sir,’ Constable Jones replied.
‘Good. Now, Mrs Hailsham-Brown,’ the Inspector began. ‘Do you say that you had no idea there was a body concealed in that recess?’
The Constable began his note-taking as Clarissa answered, wide-eyed, ‘No, of course not. It’s horrible.’ She shivered. ‘Quite horrible.’
The Inspector looked at her enquiringly. ‘When we were searching this room,’ he asked, ‘why didn’t you call our attention to that recess?’
Clarissa met his gaze with a look of wide-eyed innocence. ‘Do you know,’ she said, ‘the thought never struck me. You see, we never use the recess, so it just didn’t come into my head.’
The Inspector pounced. ‘But you said,’ he reminded her, ‘that you had just been through there into the library.’
‘Oh no,’ Clarissa exclaimed quickly. ‘You must have misunderstood me.’ She pointed to the library door. ‘What I meant was that we had gone through that door into the library.’
‘Yes, I certainly must have misunderstood you,’ the Inspector observed grimly. ‘Now, let me at least be clear about this. You say you have no idea when Mr Costello came back to this house, or what he might have come for?’
‘No, I simply can’t imagine,’ Clarissa replied, her voice dripping with innocent candour.
‘But the fact remains that he did come back,’ the Inspector persisted.
‘Yes, of course. We know that now.