The Mirror Crack'd - Agatha Christie [40]
‘Excuse me, Mr Rudd, do you mean by that you can’t or that you won’t?’
Jason Rudd spoke quickly. ‘Can’t. Can’t every time. It seems to me just as impossible as it would seem to her that anyone would dislike her enough — should have a sufficient grudge against her — to do such a thing. On the other hand, on the sheer, downright evidence of the facts, that is exactly what must have occurred.’
‘Will you outline the facts to me as you see them?’
‘If you like. The circumstances are quite clear. I poured out two daiquiri cocktails from an already prepared jug. I took them to Marina and Mrs Badcock. What Mrs Badcock did I do not know. She moved on, I presume, to speak to someone she knew. My wife had her drink in her hand. At that moment the mayor and his wife were approaching. She put down her glass, as yet untouched, and greeted them. Then there were more greetings. An old friend we’d not seen for years, some other locals and one or two people from the studios. During that time the glass containing the cocktail stood on the table which was situated at that time behind us since we had both moved forward a little to the top of the stairs. One or two photographs were taken of my wife talking to the mayor, which we hoped would please the local population, at the special request of the representatives of the local newspaper. While this was being done I brought some fresh drinks to a few of the last arrivals. During that time my wife’s glass must have been poisoned. Don’t ask me how it was done, it cannot have been easy to do. On the other hand, it is startling, if anyone has the nerve to do an action openly and unconcernedly, how little people are likely to notice it! You ask me if I have suspicions; all I can say is that at least one of about twenty people might have done it. People, you see, were moving about in little groups, talking, occasionally going off to have a look at the alterations which had been done to the house. There was movement, continual movement. I’ve thought and I’ve thought, I’ve racked my brains but there is nothing, absolutely nothing to direct my suspicions to any particular person.’
He paused and gave an exasperated sigh.
‘I understand,’ said Dermot. ‘Go on, please.’
‘I dare say you’ve heard the next part before.’
‘I should like to hear it again from you.’
‘Well, I had come back towards the head of the stairs. My wife had turned towards the table and was just picking up her glass. There was a slight exclamation from Mrs Badcock. Somebody must have jogged her arm and the glass slipped out of her fingers and was broken on the floor. Marina did the natural hostess’s act. Her own skirt had been slightly touched with the liquid. She insisted no harm was done, used her own handkerchief to wipe Mrs Badcock’s skirt and insisted on her having her own drink. If I remember she said “I’ve had far too much already.” So that was that. But I can assure you of this. The fatal dose could not have been added after that for Mrs Badcock immediately began to drink from the glass. As you know, four or five minutes later she was dead. I wonder — how I wonder — what the poisoner must have felt when he realised how badly his scheme had failed…’
‘All this occurred to you at the time?’
‘Of course not. At the time I concluded, naturally enough, this woman had had some kind of a seizure. Perhaps heart, coronary thrombosis, something of that sort. It never occurred to me that poisoning was involved. Would it occur to you — would it occur to anybody?’
‘Probably not,’ said Dermot. ‘Well your account is clear enough and you seem sure of your facts. You say you have no suspicion of any particular person. I can’t quite accept that, you know.’
‘I assure you it’s the truth.’
‘Let us approach it from another angle. Who is there who could wish to harm your wife? It all sounds melodramatic if you put it this way, but what enemies had she got?’
Jason Rudd made an expressive gesture.
‘Enemies? Enemies? It’s so hard to define what one means by an enemy. There’s plenty of envy and jealousy in the world my wife and I occupy.