Death On The Nile - Christie Agatha - Страница 32

"Me, I slept absolutely like the log. I heard nothing-but nothing at all. I might have been drugged I slept so soundly." "A pity," said Race. "Well, let's hope we have a bit of luck with the people who have cabins on the starboard side. Fanthorp we've done. The Allertons come next. I'll send the steward to fetch them." Mrs. Allerton came in briskly. She was wearing a soft grey striped silk dress.

Her face looked distressed.

"It's too horrible," she said as she accepted the chair that Poirot placed for her. "I can hardly believe it. That lovely creature with everything to live for-dead.

I almost feel I can't believe it." "I know how you feel, Madame," said Poirot sympathetically.

"I'm glad you are on board," said Mrs. Allerton simply. "You'll be able to find Out who did it. I'm so glad it isn't that poor tragic girl." "You mean Mademoiselle de Bellefort. Who told you she did not do it?" "Cornelia Robson," said Mrs. Allerton with a faint smile. "You know, She's simply thrilled by it all. It's probably the only exciting thing that has ever happened to her and probably the only exciting thing that ever will happen to her.

But she's so nice that she's terribly ashamed of enjoying it. She thinks it's awful of

Mrs. Allerton gave a look at Poirot and then added.

"But I mustn't chatter. You want to ask me questions." "If you please. You went to bed at what time, Madame?" "Just after half-past ten." "And you went to sleep at once?" "Yes. I was sleepy." "And did you hear anything-anything at alluring the night?" Mrs. Allerton wrinkled her brows.

"Yes, I think I heard a splash and some one running--or was it the other way about? I'm rather hazy. I just had a vague idea that some one had fallen overboard at sea-a dream, you know, and then I woke up and listened but it was all quite quiet." "Do you know what time that was?" "No, I'm afraid I don't. But I don't think it was very long after I went to sleep.

I mean it was within the first hour or so." "Alas, Madame, that is not very definite." "No, I know it isn't. But it's no good my trying to guess, is it, when I haven't really the vaguest idea?" "And that is all you can tell us, Madame?" "I'm afraid so." "Had you ever actually met Mrs. Doyle before?" "No, Tim had met her. And I'd heard a good deal about her-through a cousin of ours, Joanna Southwood, but I'd never spoken to her till we met at Assuan." "I have one other question, Madame, if you will pardon me for asking." Mrs. Allerton murmured with a faint smile: "I should love to be asked an indiscreet question." "It is this. Did you, or your family, ever suffer anq financial loss through the operations of Mrs. Doyle's father, Melhuish Ridgeway!" Mrs. Allerton looked thoroughly astonished.

"Oh, no! The family finances have never suffered except by dwindling You know, everything paying less interest than it used to. There's never been anything melodramatic about our poverty. My husband left very little money but what he left I still have, though it doesn't yield as much as it used to yield." "I thank you, Madame. Perhaps you will ask your son to come to us." Tim said lightly when his mother came to him:

"Ordeal over? My turn now! What sort of things did they ask you?"

"Only whether I heard anything last night," said Mrs. Allerton. "And unluckily I didn't hear anything at all. I can't think why not. After all, Linnet's cabin is only one away from mine. I should think I'd have been bound to hear the shot. Go along, Tim, they're waiting for you."

To Tim Allerton Poirot repeated his previous question.

Tim answered:

"I went to bed early, half-past ten or so, I read for a bit. Put out my light just after eleven."

"Did you hear anything after that?"

"Heard a man's voice saying good-night, I think, not far away."

"That was I saying good-night to Mrs. Doyle," said Race.

"Yes. After that I went to sleep. Then, later, I heard a kind of hullabaloo going on, somebody calling Fanthorp, I remember."

"Miss Robson when she ran out from the observation saloon."

"Yes, I suppose that was it. And then a lot of different voices. And then somebody running along the deck. And then a splash. And then I heard old

Bessner booming out something about, 'Careful now,' and 'Not too quick.'" "You heard a splash?"

"Well, something of that kind."

"You are sure it was not a shot you heard?"

"Yes, I suppose it might have been I did hear a cork pop. Perhaps that was the shot. I may have imagined the splash from connecting the idea of the cork with liquid pouring into a glass… I know my foggy idea was that there was some kind of party on. And I wished they'd all go to bed and shut up." "Anything more after that?" Tim thought.

"Only Fanthorp barging round in his cabin next door. I thought he'd never get to bed." "And after that?" Tim shrugged his shoulders.

"After that blivion." "You heard nothing more?" "Nothing whatever." "Thank you, Mr.

Allerton." Tim got up and left the cabin.

Chapter 15

Race pored thoughtfully over a plan of the promenade deck of the Karnak.

"Fanthorp, young Allerton, Mrs. Allerton. Then an empty cabin-Simon Doyle's. Now who's on the other side of Mrs. Doyle's? The old American dame.

If any one heard anything she should have done. If she's up we'd better have her along." Miss Van Schuyler entered the room. She looked even older and yellower than usual this morning. Her small dark eyes had an air of venomous displeasure in them.

Race rose and bowed.

"We're very sorry to trouble you, Miss Van Schuyler. It's very good of you.

Please sit down."

Miss Van Schuyler said sharply:

"I dislike being mixed up in this. I resent it very much. I do not wish to be associated in any way with this-er-very unpleasant affair."

"Quite quite. I was just saying to M. Poirot that the sooner we took your statement the better, as then you need have no further trouble."

Miss Van Schuyler looked at Poirot with something approaching favour.

"I'm glad you both realise my feelings. I am not accustomed to anything of this kind."

Poirot said soothingly.

"Precisely, Mademoiselle. That is why we wish to free you from the unpleasantness as quickly as possible. Now you went to bed last night-at what time?"

"Ten o'clock is my usual time. Last night I was rather later as Cornelia Robson, very inconsiderately, kept me waiting."

"Trs bien, Mademoiselle. Now what did you hear after you had retired?" Miss Van Schuyler said: "I sleep very lightly."

"A merveille! That is very fortunate for us."

"I was awoken by that rather flashy young woman-Mrs. Doyle's maid who said 'Bonne nuit, Madame,' in what I cannot but think an unnecessarily loud voice."

"And after that?"

"I went to sleep again. I woke up thinking some one was in my cabin but I realised that it was some one in the cabin next door."

"In Mrs. Doyle's cabin?"

"Yes. Then I heard some one outside on the deck and then a splash." "You have no idea what time this was?"

"I can tell you the time exactly. It was ten minutes past one."

"You are sure of that?"

"Yes. I looked at my little clock that stands by my bed." "You did not hear a shot?" "No, nothing of the kind."

"But it might possibly have been a shot that awakened you?"

Miss Van Schuyler considered the question, her toad-like head on one side. "It might," she admitted rather grudgingly.

"And you have no idea what caused the splash you heard?" "Not at all-I know perfectly." Colonel Race sat up alertly.

"You know?"

"Certainly. I did not like this sound of prowling around. I got up and went to the door of my cabin. Miss Otterbourne was leaning over the side. She had just dropped something into the water."