The Mirror Crack'd - Agatha Christie [25]
‘Seems a nice woman,’ said Inspector Cornish.
‘Yes, indeed. She’s very kind, a very good neighbour, a very sympathetic woman,’ said Arthur Badcock.
‘Was she a great friend of your wife?’
‘No. No, I wouldn’t say that. They were neighbourly and on pleasant terms. Nothing special about it though.’
‘I see. Now, Mr Badcock, we want as much information as we can from you. The findings of the inquest have been a shock to you, I expect?’
‘Oh, they have, Inspector. Of course I realized that you must think something was wrong and I almost thought so myself because Heather has always been such a healthy woman. Practically never a day’s illness. I said to myself, “There must be something wrong.” But it seems so incredible, if you understand what I mean, Inspector. Really quite incredible. What is this stuff — this Bi-ethyl-hex —’ He came to a stop.
‘There is an easier name for it,’ said the inspector. ‘It’s sold under a trade name, the trade name of Calmo. Ever come across it?’
Arthur Badcock shook his head, perplexed.
‘It’s more used in America than here,’ said the inspector. ‘They prescribe it very freely over there, I understand.’
‘What’s it for?’
‘It induces, or so I understand, a happy and tranquil state of mind,’ said Cornish. ‘It’s prescribed for those under strain; suffering anxiety, depression, melancholy, sleeplessness and a good many other things. The properly prescribed dose is not dangerous, but overdoses are not to be advised. It would seem that your wife took something like six times the ordinary dose.’
Badcock stared. ‘Heather never took anything like that in her life,’ he said. ‘I’m sure of it. She wasn’t one for taking medicines anyway. She was never depressed or worried. She was one of the most cheerful women you could possibly imagine.’
The inspector nodded. ‘I see. And no doctor had prescribed anything of this kind for her?’
‘No. Certainly not. I’m sure of that.’
‘Who was her doctor?’
‘She was on Dr Sim’s panel, but I don’t think she’s been to him once since we’ve been here.’
Inspector Cornish said thoughtfully, ‘So she doesn’t seem the kind of woman to have been likely to need such a thing, or to have taken it?’
‘She didn’t, Inspector, I’m sure she didn’t. She must have taken it by a mistake of some kind.’
‘It’s a very difficult mistake to imagine,’ said Inspector Cornish. ‘What did she have to eat and drink that afternoon?’
‘Well, let me see. For lunch —’
‘You needn’t go back as far as lunch,’ said Cornish. ‘Given in such quantity the drug would act quickly and suddenly. Tea. Go back to tea.’
‘Well, we went into the marquee in the grounds. It was a terrible scrum in there, but we managed in the end to get a bun each and a cup of tea. We finished it as quickly as possible because it was very hot in the marquee and we came out again.’
‘And that’s all she had, a bun and a cup of tea there?’
‘That’s right, sir.’
‘And after that you went into the house. Is that right?’
‘Yes. The young lady came and said that Miss Marina Gregg would be very pleased to see my wife if she would like to come into the house. Of course my wife was delighted. She had been talking about Marina Gregg for days. Everybody was excited. Oh well, you know that, Inspector, as well as anyone does.’
‘Yes, indeed,’ said Cornish. ‘My wife was excited, too. Why, from all around people were paying their shilling to go in and see Gossington Hall and what had been done there, and hoped to catch a glimpse of Marina Gregg herself.’
‘The young lady took us into the house,’ said Arthur Badcock, ‘and up the stairs. That’s where the party was. On the landing up there. But it looked quite different from what it used to look like, so I understand. It was more like a room, a sort of big hollowed out place with chairs and tables with drinks on them. There were about ten or twelve people there, I suppose.’
Inspector Cornish nodded. ‘And you