Taken at the Flood - Agatha Christie [52]
‘That’s what he said, yes. And he laughed.’
‘He laughed, did he? What did you take those words to mean?’
‘Well — I just thought he was trying to get me to make him an offer, but afterwards I got thinking — ’
‘Yes, Mr Cloade — but what you thought afterwards is hardly relevant. Shall we put it that as a result of that interview you set about trying to find some person who was acquainted with the late Robert Underhay? And that, with certain help, you were successful.’
Rowley nodded.
‘That’s right.’
‘What time was it when you left the deceased?’
‘As nearly as I can tell it was five minutes to nine.’
‘What made you fix on that time?’
‘As I went along the street I heard the nine o’clock chimes through an open window.’
‘Did the deceased mention at what time he was expecting this client?’
‘He said “At any minute.”’
‘He did not mention any name?’
‘No.’
‘David Hunter!’
There was just a faint soft buzz as the inhabitants of Warmsley Vale craned their necks to look at the tall thin bitter-looking young man who stood defiantly facing the coroner.
The preliminaries went rapidly. The coroner continued:
‘You went to see the deceased on Saturday evening?’
‘Yes. I received a letter from him asking for assistance and stating he had known my sister’s first husband in Africa.’
‘You have got that letter?’
‘No, I don’t keep letters.’
‘You have heard the account given by Beatrice Lippincott of your conversation with the deceased. Is that a true account?’
‘Quite untrue. The deceased spoke of knowing my late brother-in-law, complained of his own bad luck and of having come down in the world, and begged for some financial assistance which, as is usual, he was quite confident of being able to repay.’
‘Did he tell you that Robert Underhay was still alive?’
David smiled:
‘Certainly not. He said, “If Robert were still alive I know he would help me.”’
‘That is quite different from what Beatrice Lippincott tells us.’
‘Eavesdroppers,’ said David, ‘usually hear only a portion of what goes on and frequently get the whole thing wrong owing to supplying the missing details from their own fertile imaginations.’
Beatrice flounced angrily and exclaimed, ‘Well, I never — ’ The coroner said repressively, ‘Silence, please.’
‘Now, Mr Hunter, did you visit the deceased again on the night of Tuesday — ’
‘No, I did not.’
‘You have heard Mr Rowley Cloade say that the deceased expected a visitor?’
‘He may have expected a visitor. If so, I was not that visitor. I’d given him a fiver before. I thought that was quite enough for him. There was no proof that he’d ever known Robert Underhay. My sister, since she inherited a large income from her husband, has been the target of every begging letter-writer and every sponger in the neighbourhood.’
Quietly he let his eyes pass over the assembled Cloades.
‘Mr Hunter, will you tell us where you were on the evening of Tuesday?’
‘Find out!’ said David.
‘Mr Hunter!’ The coroner rapped the table. ‘That is a most foolish and ill-advised thing to say.’
‘Why should I tell you where I was, and what I was doing? Time enough for that when you accuse me of murdering the man.’
‘If you persist in that attitude it may come to that sooner than you think. Do you recognize this, Mr Hunter?’
Leaning forward, David took the gold cigarette lighter into his hand. His face was puzzled. Handing it back, he said slowly: ‘Yes, it’s mine.’
‘When did you have it last?’
‘I missed it — ’ He paused.
‘Yes, Mr Hunter?’ The coroner’s voice was suave.
Gaythorne fidgeted, seemed about to speak. But David was too quick for him.
‘I had it last Friday — Friday morning. I don’t remember seeing it since.’
Mr Gaythorne rose.
‘With your permission, Mr Coroner. You visited the deceased Saturday evening. Might you not have left the lighter there then?’
‘I might have, I suppose,’ David said slowly. ‘I certainly don’t remember seeing it after Friday — ’ He added: ‘Where was it found?’
The coroner said:
‘We shall go into that later. You can stand down now, Mr Hunter.