The Floating Admiral - Agatha Christie [25]
“So that’s what they say?”
Mrs. Davis nodded very significantly.
“And what the Admiral wanted to see Mr. Holland about, I’ve no idea,” she went on. “But it’s crossed my mind that maybe the young lady wanted the engagement off, and sent her uncle to do the dirty work for her. Though why it couldn’t have waited till the morning … I dare say that’s exactly what the Admiral thought, and why he changed his mind and said he had a train to catch.”
Inspector Rudge made a valiant effort and interpreted this cryptic pronouncement.
“Do you mean,” he said, “that Admiral Penistone called here last night?”
“Why, of course he did. Asked the Boots for Mr. Holland. And then, just as the man was going off, called him back again, hemmed and hawed and looked at his watch, and said he had a train to catch, there wouldn’t be time for him to see Mr. Holland.”
“What time was this?”
“I couldn’t say exactly. It was after eleven o’clock. I was in bed, and glad to be there. Such a day as we’d had. Really, these charabancs—they do take it out of one! There were a lot of people about still. These warm nights you can’t get the people to bed.”
“A train to catch,” mused the Inspector.
“That would be the 11.25 I expect,” said Mrs. Davis. “The up train for London. Six in the morning it gets there. But he didn’t go by it. What I mean is, he couldn’t have gone by it, because if he had, he wouldn’t have been lying murdered in the Vicar’s boat.”
And she looked at Inspector Rudge triumphantly.
CHAPTER V
By John Rhode
INSPECTOR RUDGE BEGINS TO FORM A THEORY
INSPECTOR RUDGE assumed an expression of profound admiration. “My word, Mrs. Davis, it takes a woman like you to put two and two together like that!” he exclaimed. “Of course the Admiral could not have caught the train, now I come to think of it!”
Mrs. Davis chuckled good-humouredly. “There, now you’re laughing at me,” she said. “I don’t know how it is, but most of my visitors always seem to find a joke in something or other I say to them. Perhaps it’s just as well, it keeps them cheerful and contented, and what I always say is: make your visitors happy as long as you’re sure they have got enough money to pay their bills. Not that they often manage to hoodwink me—”
“I’m sure they don’t,” interrupted the Inspector politely. “It would take a clever man to do that, I’m certain. By the way, how was it you knew all about the murder of Admiral Penistone before I got here?”
“It isn’t always those that get about the most that hears the most,” replied Mrs. Davis roguishly. “Here am I, not been outside the house this blessed morning, and I warrant I know more about it than anybody else in Whynmouth, barring the police, of course, Inspector. You see, it’s this way: you came in by the hotel entrance, and you wouldn’t have noticed it. But if you go up the side street there’s another door that leads into the Shades. It’s put there, apart from the house, so that it won’t interfere with the hotel visitors. They get their drinks in the smoking-room, and pay more for them, too. It’s the outside customers that use the Shades, fishermen and the like of that, such as the gentlemen who use the smoking-room wouldn’t care to associate with. Not that there’s anything amiss with them, bar that they’re a bit free with their language sometimes. They’re polite enough to me when I go in there in the mornings at opening time to see that all’s right and comfortable.”
“Ah, so you heard about the murder in the Shades this morning, did you, Mrs. Davis?” suggested the Inspector.
“Why! that’s just what I was going to tell you about!