The Sittaford Mystery - Agatha Christie [37]
She disappeared triumphantly into the scullery amid a clatter of tea things.
Mr Curtis thoughtfully removed an aged pipe from the right side of his mouth to the left side.
‘Women,’ he said, ‘talk a lot.’
He paused and then murmured.
‘And half the time they don’t know the truth of what they are talking about.’
Emily and Charles received this announcement in silence. Seeing that no more was coming, however, Charles murmured approvingly.
‘That’s very true—yes, very true.’
‘Ah!’ said Mr Curtis, and relapsed into a pleasant and contemplative silence.
Charles rose. ‘I think I’ll go round and see old Burnaby,’ he said, ‘tell him the camera parade will be tomorrow morning.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ said Emily. ‘I want to know what he really thinks about Jim and what ideas he has about the crime in general.’
‘Have you got any rubber boots or anything? It’s awfully slushy.’
‘I bought some Wellingtons in Exhampton,’ said Emily.
‘What a practical girl you are. You think of everything.’
‘Unfortunately,’ said Emily, ‘that’s not much help to you in finding out who’s done a murder. It might help one to do a murder,’ she added reflectively.
‘Well, don’t murder me,’ said Mr Enderby.
They went out together. Mrs Curtis immediately returned.
‘They be gone round to the Major’s,’ said Mr Curtis.
‘Ah!’ said Mrs Curtis. ‘Now, what do you think? Are they sweethearting, or are they not? A lot of harm comes of cousins marrying, so they say. Deaf and dumbs and half wits and a lot of other evils. He’s sweet on her, that you can see easily enough. As for her, she’s a deep one like my Great Aunt Sarah’s Belinda, she is. Got a way with her and with the men. I wonder what she’s after now? Do you know what I think, Curtis?’
Mr Curtis grunted.
‘This young gentleman that the police are holding on account of the murder, it’s my belief that he’s the one she’s set on. And she’s come up here to nose about and see what she can find out. And mark my words,’ said Mrs Curtis, rattling china, ‘if there’s anything to find out she will find it!’
Chapter 14
The Willetts
At the same moment that Charles and Emily started out to visit Major Burnaby, Inspector Narracott was seated in the drawing-room of Sittaford House, trying to formulate an impression of Mrs Willett.
He had not been able to interview her sooner as the roads had been impassable until this morning. He had hardly known what he had expected to find, but certainly not what he had found. It was Mrs Willett who had taken charge of the situation, not he.
She had come rushing into the room, thoroughly business-like and efficient. He saw a tall woman, thin-faced and keen-eyed. She was wearing rather an elaborate knitted silk jumper suit that was just over the border line of unsuitability for country wear. Her stockings were of very expensive gossamer silk, her shoes high-heeled patent leather. She wore several valuable rings and rather a large quantity of very good and expensive imitation pearls.
‘Inspector Narracott?’ said Mrs Willett. ‘Naturally, you want to come over the house. What a shocking tragedy! I could hardly believe it. We only heard about it this morning, you know. We were terribly shocked. Sit down, won’t you, Inspector? This is my daughter, Violet.’
He had hardly noticed the girl who had followed her in, and yet, she was a very pretty girl, tall and fair with big blue eyes.
Mrs Willett herself took a seat.
‘Is there any way in which I can help you, Inspector? I knew very little of poor Captain Trevelyan, but if there is anything you can think of—’
The Inspector said slowly:
‘Thank you, madam. Of course, one never knows