Cards on the Table (10 page)

“Don't you think so?”

“I do not, my good idiot. Mrs. Oliver's a
much
more disinterested party.”

“I don't like her,” said Anne abruptly. “I had a sort of feeling about her … I wonder what she really came for?”

“The usual suspicions of your own sex. I daresay Major Despard had an axe to grind if it comes to that.”

“I'm sure he hadn't,” cried Anne hotly.

Then she blushed as Rhoda Dawes laughed.

S
uperintendent Battle arrived at Wallingford about six o'clock. It was his intention to learn as much as he could from innocent local gossip before interviewing Miss Anne Meredith.

It was not difficult to glean such information as there was. Without committing himself definitely to any statement, the superintendent nevertheless gave several different impressions of his rank and calling in life.

At least two people would have said confidently that he was a London builder come down to see about a new wing to be added to the cottage, from another you would have learned that he was “one of these weekenders wanting to take a furnished cottage,” and two more would have said they knew positively, and for a fact, that he was a representative of a hardcourt tennis firm.

The information that the superintendent gathered was entirely favourable.

“Wendon Cottage—Yes, that's right—on the Marlbury Road.
You can't miss it. Yes, two young ladies. Miss Dawes and Miss Meredith. Very nice young ladies, too. The quiet kind.

“Here for years? Oh, no, not that long. Just over two years. September quarter they come in. Mr. Pickersgill they bought it from. Never used it much, he didn't, after his wife died.”

Superintendent Battle's informant had never heard they came from Northumberland. London,
he
thought they came from. Popular in the neighbourhood, though some people were old-fashioned and didn't think two young ladies ought to be living alone. But very quiet, they were. None of this cocktail-drinking weekend lot. Miss Rhoda, she was the dashing one. Miss Meredith was the quiet one. Yes, it was Miss Dawes what paid the bills. She was the one had got the money.

The superintendent's researches at last led him inevitably to Mrs. Astwell—who “did” for the ladies at Wendon Cottage.

Mrs. Astwell was a locquacious lady.

“Well, no, sir. I hardly think they'd want to sell. Not so soon. They only got in two years ago. I've done for them from the beginning, yes, sir. Eight o'clock till twelve—those are my hours. Very nice, lively young ladies, always ready for a joke or a bit of fun. Not stuck up at all.

“Well, of course, I couldn't say if it's the same Miss Dawes
you
knew, sir—the same
family,
I mean. It's my fancy her home's in Devonshire. She gets the cream sent her now and again, and says it reminds her of home; so I think it must be.

“As you say, sir, it's sad for so many young ladies having to earn their living nowadays. These young ladies aren't what you'd call rich, but they have a very pleasant life. It's Miss Dawes has got the money, of course. Miss Anne's her companion, in a manner
of speaking, I suppose you might say. The cottage belongs to Miss Dawes.

“I couldn't really say what part Miss Anne comes from. I've heard her mention the Isle of Wight, and I know she doesn't like the North of England; and she and Miss Rhoda were together in Devonshire, because I've heard them joke about the hills and talk about the pretty coves and beaches.”

The flow went on. Every now and then Superintendent Battle made a mental note. Later, a cryptic word or two was jotted down in his little book.

At half past eight that evening he walked up the path to the door of Wendon Cottage.

It was opened to him by a tall, dark girl wearing a frock of orange cretonne.

“Miss Meredith live here?” inquired Superintendent Battle.

He looked very wooden and soldierly.

“Yes, she does.”

“I'd like to speak to her, please. Superintendent Battle.”

He was immediately favoured with a piercing stare.

“Come in,” said Rhoda Dawes, drawing back from the doorway.

Anne Meredith was sitting in a cosy chair by the fire, sipping coffee. She was wearing embroidered crêpe de chine pyjamas.

“It's Superintendent Battle,” said Rhoda, ushering in the guest.

Anne rose and came forward with outstretched hand.

“A bit late for a call,” said Battle. “But I wanted to find you in, and it's been a fine day.”

Anne smiled.

“Will you have some coffee, Superintendent? Rhoda, fetch another cup.”

“Well, it's very kind of you, Miss Meredith.”

“We think we make rather good coffee,” said Anne.

She indicated a chair, and Superintendent Battle sat down. Rhoda brought a cup, and Anne poured out his coffee. The fire crackled and the flowers in the vases made an agreeable impression upon the superintendent.

It was a pleasant homey atmosphere. Anne seemed self-possessed and at her ease, and the other girl continued to stare at him with devouring interest.

“We've been expecting you,” said Anne.

Her tone was almost reproachful. “Why have you neglected me?” it seemed to say.

“Sorry, Miss Meredith. I've had a lot of routine work to do.”

“Satisfactory?”

“Not particularly. But it all has to be done. I've turned Dr. Roberts inside out, so to speak. And the same for Mrs. Lorrimer. And now I've come to do the same for you, Miss Meredith.”

Anne smiled.

“I'm ready.”

“What about Major Despard?” asked Rhoda.

“Oh, he won't be overlooked. I can promise you that,” said Battle.

He set down his coffee cup and looked towards Anne. She sat up a little straighter in her chair.

“I'm quite ready, superintendent. What do you want to know?”

“Well, roughly, all about yourself, Miss Meredith.”

“I'm quite a respectable person,” said Anne, smiling.

“She's led a blameless life, too,” said Rhoda. “I can answer for that.”

“Well, that's very nice,” said Superintendent Battle cheerfully. “You've known Miss Meredith a long time, then?”

“We were at school together,” said Rhoda. “What ages ago, it seems, doesn't it, Anne?”

“So long ago, you can hardly remember it, I suppose,” said Battle with a chuckle. “Now, then, Miss Meredith, I'm afraid I'm going to be rather like those forms you fill up for passports.”

“I was born—” began Anne.

“Of poor but honest parents,” Rhoda put in.

Superintendent Battle held up a slightly reproving hand.

“Now, now, young lady,” he said.

“Rhoda, darling,” said Anne gravely. “It's serious, this.”

“Sorry,” said Rhoda.

“Now, Miss Meredith, you were born—where?”

“At Quetta, in India.”

“Ah, yes. Your people were Army folk?”

“Yes—my father was Major John Meredith. My mother died when I was eleven. Father retired when I was fifteen and went to live in Cheltenham. He died when I was eighteen and left practically no money.”

Battle nodded his head sympathetically.

“Bit of a shock to you, I expect.”

“It was, rather. I always knew that we weren't well off, but to find there was practically nothing—well, that's different.”

“What did you do, Miss Meredith?”

“I had to take a job. I hadn't been particularly well educated
and I wasn't clever. I didn't know typing or shorthand, or anything. A friend in Cheltenham found me a job with friends of hers—two small boys home in the holidays, and general help in the house.”

“Name, please?”

“That was Mrs. Eldon, The Larches, Ventnor. I stayed there for two years, and then the Eldons went abroad. Then I went to a Mrs. Deering.”

“My aunt,” put in Rhoda.

“Yes, Rhoda got me the job. I was very happy. Rhoda used to come and stay sometimes, and we had great fun.”

“What were you there—companion?”

“Yes—it amounted to that.”

“More like undergardener,” said Rhoda.

She explained:

“My Aunt Emily is just mad on gardening. Anne spent most of her time weeding or putting in bulbs.”

“And you left Mrs. Deering?”

“Her health got worse, and she had to have a regular nurse.”

“She's got cancer,” said Rhoda. “Poor darling, she has to have morphia and things like that.”

“She had been very kind to me. I was very sorry to go,” went on Anne.

“I was looking about for a cottage,” said Rhoda, “and wanting someone to share it with me. Daddy's married again—not my sort at all. I asked Anne to come here with me, and she's been here ever since.”

“Well, that certainly seems a most blameless life,” said Battle. “Let's just get the dates clear. You were with Mrs. Eldon two years, you say. By the way, what is her address now?”

“She's in Palestine. Her husband has some Government appointment out there—I'm not sure what.”

“Ah, well, I can soon find out. And after that you went to Mrs. Deering?”

“I was with her three years,” said Anne quickly. “Her address is Marsh Dene, Little Hembury, Devon.”

“I see,” said Battle. “So you are now twenty-five, Miss Meredith. Now, there's just one thing more—the name and address of a couple of people in Cheltenham who knew you and your father.”

Anne supplied him with these.

“Now, about this trip to Switzerland—where you met Mr. Shaitana. Did you go alone there—or was Miss Dawes here with you?”

“We went out together. We joined some other people. There was a party of eight.”

“Tell me about your meeting with Mr. Shaitana.”

Anne crinkled her brows.

“There's really nothing to tell. He was just there. We knew him in the way you know people in a hotel. He got first prize at the fancy dress ball. He went as Mephistopheles.”

Superintendent Battle sighed.

“Yes, that always was his favourite effect.”

“He really was marvellous,” said Rhoda. “He hardly had to make up at all.”

The superintendent looked from one girl to the other.

“Which of you two young ladies knew him best?”

Anne hesitated. It was Rhoda who answered.

“Both the same to begin with. Awfully little, that is. You see, our crowd was the skiing lot, and we were off doing runs most days
and dancing together in the evenings. But then Shaitana seemed to take rather a fancy to Anne. You know, went out of his way to pay her compliments, and all that. We ragged her about it, rather.”

“I just think he did it to annoy me,” said Anne. “Because I didn't like him. I think it amused him to make me feel embarrassed.”

Rhoda said laughing:

“We told Anne it would be a nice rich marriage for her. She got simply wild with us.”

“Perhaps,” said Battle, “you'd give me the names of the other people in your party?”

“You aren't what I call a trustful man,” said Rhoda. “Do you think that every word we're telling you is downright lies?”

Superintendent Battle twinkled.

“I'm going to make sure it isn't, anyway,” he said.

“You
are
suspicious,” said Rhoda.

She scribbled some names on a piece of paper and gave it to him.

Battle rose.

“Well, thank you very much, Miss Meredith,” he said. “As Miss Dawes says, you seem to have led a particularly blameless life. I don't think you need worry much. It's odd the way Mr. Shaitana's manner changed to you. You'll excuse my asking, but he didn't ask you to marry him—or—er—pester you with attentions of another kind?”

“He didn't try to seduce her,” said Rhoda helpfully. “If that's what you mean.”

Anne was blushing.

“Nothing of the kind,” she said. “He was always most polite
and—and—formal. It was just his elaborate manners that made me uncomfortable.”

“And little things he said or hinted?”

“Yes—at least—no. He never hinted things.”

“Sorry. These lady-killers do sometimes. Well, goodnight, Miss Meredith. Thank you very much. Excellent coffee. Goodnight, Miss Dawes.”

“There,” said Rhoda as Anne came back into the room after shutting the door after Battle. “That's over, and not so very terrible. He's a nice fatherly man, and he evidently doesn't suspect you in the least. It was all ever so much better than I expected.”

Anne sank down with a sigh.

“It was really quite easy,” she said. “It was silly of me to work myself up so. I thought he'd try to browbeat me—like K.C.s on the stage.”

“He looks sensible,” said Rhoda. “He'd know well enough you're not a murdering kind of female.”

She hesitated and then said:

“I say, Anne, you didn't mention being at Croftways. Did you forget?”

Anne said slowly:

“I didn't think it counted. I was only there a few months. And there's no one to ask about me there. I can write and tell him if you think it matters; but I'm sure it doesn't. Let's leave it.”

“Right, if you say so.”

Rhoda rose and turned on the wireless.

A raucous voice said:

“You have just heard the Black Nubians play ‘Why do you tell me lies, Baby?'”

M
ajor Despard came out of the Albany, turned sharply into Regent Street and jumped on a bus.

It was the quiet time of day—the top of the bus had very few seats occupied. Despard made his way forward and sat down on the front seat.

He had jumped on the bus while it was going. Now it came to a halt, took up passengers and made its way once more up Regent Street.

A second traveller climbed the steps, made his way forward and sat down in the front seat on the other side.

Despard did not notice the newcomer, but after a few minutes a tentative voice murmured:

“It is a good view of London, is it not, that one gets from the top of a bus?”

Despard turned his head. He looked puzzled for a moment, then his face cleared.

“I beg your pardon, M. Poirot. I didn't see it was you. Yes as
you say, one has a good bird's eye view of the world from here. It was better, though, in the old days, when there wasn't all this caged-in glass business.”

Poirot sighed.

“
Tout de même,
it was not always agreeable in the wet weather when the inside was full. And there is much wet weather in this country.”

“Rain? Rain never did any harm to anyone.”

“You are in error,” said Poirot. “It leads often to a
fluxion de poitrine
.”

Despard smiled.

“I see you belong to the well-wrapped-up school, M. Poirot.”

Poirot was indeed well equipped against any treachery of an autumn day. He wore a greatcoat and a muffler.

“Rather odd, running into you like this,” said Despard.

He did not see the smile that the muffler concealed. There was nothing odd in this encounter. Having ascertained a likely hour for Despard to leave his rooms, Poirot had been waiting for him. He had prudently not risked leaping on the bus, but he had trotted after it to its next stopping place and boarded it there.

“True. We have not seen each other since the evening at Mr. Shaitana's,” he replied.

“Aren't you taking a hand in the business?” asked Despard.

Poirot scratched his ear delicately.

“I reflect,” he said. “I reflect a good deal. To run to and fro, to make the investigations, that, no. It does not suit my age, my temperament, or my figure.”

Despard said unexpectedly:

“Reflect, eh? Well, you might do worse. There's too much
rushing about nowadays. If people sat tight and thought about a thing before they tackled it, there'd be less mess-ups than there are.”

“Is that your procedure in life, Major Despard?”

“Usually,” said the other simply. “Get your bearings, figure out your route, weigh up the pros and cons, make your decision—stick to it.”

His mouth set grimly.

“And, after that, nothing will turn you from your path, eh?” asked Poirot.

“Oh, I don't say that. No use in being pigheaded over things. If you've made a mistake, admit it.”

“But I imagine that you do not often make a mistake, Major Despard.”

“We all make mistakes, M. Poirot.”

“Some of us,” said Poirot with a certain coldness, possibly due to the pronoun the other had used, “make less than others.”

Despard looked at him, smiled slightly and said:

“Don't you ever have a failure, M. Poirot?”

“The last time was twenty-eight years ago,” said Poirot with dignity. “And even then, there were circumstances—but no matter.”

“That seems a pretty good record,” said Despard.

He added: “What about Shaitana's death? That doesn't count, I suppose, since it isn't officially your business.”

“It is not my business—no. But, all the same, it offends my
amour propre
. I consider it an impertinence, you comprehend, for a murder to be committed under my very nose—by someone who mocks himself at my ability to solve it!”

“Not under
your
nose only,” said Despard drily. “Under the nose of the Criminal Investigation Department also.”

“That was probably a bad mistake,” said Poirot gravely. “The good Superintendent Battle, he may look wooden, but he is not wooden in the head—not at all.”

“I agree,” said Despard. “That stolidity is a pose. He's a very clever and able officer.”

“And I think he is very active in the case.”

“Oh, he's active enough. See a nice quiet soldierly-looking fellow on one of the back seats?”

Poirot looked over his shoulder.

“There is no one here now but ourselves.”

“Oh, well, he's inside, then. He never loses me. Very efficient fellow. Varies his appearance, too, from time to time. Quite artistic about it.”

“Ah, but that would not deceive you. You have the very quick and accurate eye.”

“I never forget a face—even a black one—and that's a lot more than most people can say.”

“You are just the person I need,” said Poirot. “What a chance, meeting you today! I need someone with a good eye and a good memory.
Malheureusement
the two seldom go together. I have asked the Dr. Roberts a question, without result, and the same with Madame Lorrimer. Now, I will try you and see if I get what I want. Cast your mind back to the room in which you played cards at Mr. Shaitana's, and tell me what you remember of it.”

Despard looked puzzled.

“I don't quite understand.”

“Give me a description of the room—the furnishings—the objects in it.”

“I don't know that I'm much of a hand at that sort of thing,” said Despard slowly. “It was a rotten sort of room—to my mind. Not a man's room at all. A lot of brocade and silk and stuff. Sort of room a fellow like Shaitana would have.”

“But to particularize—”

Despard shook his head.

“Afraid I didn't notice … He'd got some good rugs. Two Bokharas and three or four really good Persian ones, including a Hamadan and a Tabriz. Rather a good eland head—no, that was in the hall. From Rowland Ward's, I expect.”

“You do not think that the late Mr. Shaitana was one to go out and shoot wild beasts?”

“Not he. Never potted anything but sitting game, I'll bet. What else was there? I'm sorry to fail you, but I really can't help much. Any amount of knickknacks lying about. Tables were thick with them. Only thing I noticed was a rather jolly idol. Easter Island, I should say. Highly polished wood. You don't see many of them. There was some Malay stuff, too. No, I'm afraid I can't help you.”

“No matter,” said Poirot, looking slightly crestfallen.

He went on:

“Do you know, Mrs. Lorrimer, she has the most amazing card memory! She could tell me the bidding and play of nearly every hand. It was astonishing.”

Despard shrugged his shoulders.

“Some women are like that. Because they play pretty well all day long, I suppose.”

“You could not do it, eh?”

The other shook his head.

“I just remember a couple of hands. One where I could have got game in diamonds—and Roberts bluffed me out of it. Went down himself, but we didn't double him, worse luck. I remember a no trumper, too. Tricky business—every card wrong. We went down a couple—lucky not to have gone down more.”

“Do you play much bridge, Major Despard?”

“No, I'm not a regular player. It's a good game, though.”

“You prefer it to poker?”

“I do personally. Poker's too much of a gamble.”

Poirot said thoughtfully:

“I do not think Mr. Shaitana played any game—any card game, that is.”

“There's only one game that Shaitana played consistently,” said Despard grimly.

“And that?”

“A low-down game.”

Poirot was silent for a minute, then he said:

“Is it that you
know
that? Or do you just
think
it?”

Despard went brick red.

“Meaning one oughtn't to say things without giving chapter and verse? I suppose that's true. Well, it's accurate enough. I happen to
know
. On the other hand, I'm not prepared to give chapter and verse. Such information as I've got came to me privately.”

“Meaning a woman or women are concerned?”

“Yes. Shaitana, like the dirty dog he was, preferred to deal with women.”

“You think he was a blackmailer? That is interesting.”

Despard shook his head.

“No, no, you've misunderstood me. In a way, Shaitana was a blackmailer, but not the common or garden sort. He wasn't after money. He was a spiritual blackmailer, if there can be such a thing.”

“And he got out of it—what?”

“He got a kick out of it. That's the only way I can put it. He got a thrill out of seeing people quail and flinch. I suppose it made him feel less of a louse and more of a man. And it's a very effective pose with women. He'd only got to hint that he knew everything—and they'd start telling him a lot of things that perhaps he didn't know. That would tickle his sense of humour. Then he'd strut about in his Mephistophelian attitude of ‘I know everything! I am the great Shaitana!' The man was an ape!”

“So you think that he frightened Miss Meredith that way,” said Poirot slowly.

“Miss Meredith?” Despard stared. “I wasn't thinking of her. She isn't the kind to be afraid of a man like Shaitana.”

“
Pardon
. You meant Mrs. Lorrimer.”

“No, no, no. You misunderstand me. I was speaking generally. It wouldn't be easy to frighten Mrs. Lorrimer. And she's not the kind of woman who you can imagine having a guilty secret. No, I was not thinking of anyone in particular.”

“It was the general method to which you referred?”

“Exactly.”

“There is no doubt,” said Poirot slowly, “that what you call a Dago often has a very clever understanding of women. He knows how to approach them. He worms secrets out of them—”

He paused.

Despard broke in impatiently:

“It's absurd. The man was a mountebank—nothing really dan
gerous about him. And yet women were afraid of him. Ridiculously so.”

He started up suddenly.

“Hallo, I've overshot the mark. Got too interested in what we were discussing. Good-bye, M. Poirot. Look down and you'll see my faithful shadow leave the bus when I do.”

He hurried to the back and down the steps. The conductor's bell jangled. But a double pull sounded before it had time to stop.

Looking down to the street below, Poirot noticed Despard striding back along the pavement. He did not trouble to pick out the following figure. Something else was interesting him.

“No one in particular,” he murmured to himself. “Now, I wonder.”