Taken at the Flood - Agatha Christie [49]
‘Are you — are you sure of what you’re saying?’
He stared at her, for the first time he looked faintly puzzled.
‘Of course I’m sure! It’s elementary. Everything’s all right now. It’s the same as Gordon meant it to be. Everything’s the same as if that precious pair had never butted in.’
Everything’s the same…But you couldn’t, Lynn thought, wash out like that something that had happened. You couldn’t pretend that it had never been. She said slowly:
‘What will they do?’
‘Eh?’ She saw that until that moment Rowley had hardly considered that question. ‘I don’t know. Go back where they came from, I suppose. I think, you know — ’ She could see him slowly following it out. ‘Yes, I think we ought to do something for her. I mean, she married Gordon in all good faith. I gather she really believed her first husband was dead. It’s not her fault. Yes, we must do something about her — give her a decent allowance. Make it up between us all.’
‘You like her, don’t you?’ said Lynn.
‘Well, yes.’ He considered. ‘I do in a way. She’s a nice kid. She knows a cow when she sees it.’
‘I don’t,’ said Lynn.
‘Oh, you’ll learn,’ said Rowley kindly.
‘And what about — David?’ asked Lynn.
Rowley scowled.
‘To hell with David! It was never his money anyway. He just came along and sponged on his sister.’
‘No, Rowley, it wasn’t like that — it wasn’t. He’s not a sponger. He’s — an adventurer, perhaps — ’
‘And a ruddy murderer!’
She said breathlessly:
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, who do you think killed Underhay?’
She cried:
‘I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!’
‘Of course he killed Underhay! Who else could have done it? He was down here that day. Came down by the five-thirty. I was meeting some stuff at the station and caught sight of him in the distance.’
Lynn said sharply:
‘He went back to London that evening.’
‘After having killed Underhay,’ said Rowley triumphantly.
‘You oughtn’t to say things like that, Rowley. What time was Underhay killed?’
‘Well — I don’t know exactly.’ Rowley slowed up — considered. ‘Don’t suppose we shall know until the inquest tomorrow. Some time between nine and ten, I imagine.’
‘David caught the nine-twenty train back to London.’
‘Look here, Lynn, how do you know?’
‘I — I met him — he was running for it.’
‘How do you know he ever caught it?’
‘Because he telephoned me from London later.’
Rowley scowled angrily.
‘What the hell should he telephone you for? Look here, Lynn, I’m damned if I — ’
‘Oh, what does it matter, Rowley? Anyway, it shows he caught that train.’
‘Plenty of time to have killed Underhay and then run for the train.’
‘Not if he was killed after nine o’clock.’
‘Well, he may have been killed just before nine.’
But his voice was a little doubtful.
Lynn half-closed her eyes. Was that the truth of it? When, breathless, swearing, David had emerged from the copse, had it been a murderer fresh from his crime who had taken her in his arms? She remembered his curious excitement — the recklessness of his mood. Was that the way that murder would affect him? It might. She had to admit it. Were David and murder so far removed from each other? Would he kill a man who had never done him any harm — a ghost from the past? A man whose only crime was to stand between Rosaleen and a big inheritance — between David and the enjoyment of Rosaleen’s money.
She murmured:
‘Why should he kill Underhay?’
‘My God, Lynn, can you ask? I’ve just told you! Underhay’s being alive means that we get Gordon’s money! Anyway, Underhay was blackmailing him.’
Ah, that fell more into the pattern. David might kill a blackmailer — in fact, wasn’t it just the way he would deal with a blackmailer? Yes, it all fell into pattern. David’s haste, his excitement — his fierce, almost angry, lovemaking. And, later, his renouncement of her. ‘I’d better clear out…’ Yes,