Hercule Poirot's Christmas / Рождество Эркюля Пуаро. Книга для чтения на английском языке

Superintendent Sugden glanced up at the door. ‘Booby trap[397],’ he said. ‘An old-fashioned booby trap – and its purpose was murder! That’s the second murder planned in this house. But this time it didn’t come off!’

Stephen Farr said huskily: ‘Thank God you’re safe.’

Pilar flung out her hands in a wide, appealing gesture.‘Madre de Dios[398],’ she cried. ‘Why should anyone wish to kill me? What have I done?’

Hercule Poirot said slowly: ‘You should rather ask, mademoiselle, what do I know?’

She stared. ‘Know? I do not know anything.’

Hercule Poirot said: ‘That is where you are wrong.[399] Tell me, Mademoiselle Pilar, where were you at the time of the murder? You were not in this room.’

‘I was. I have told you so!’

Superintendent Sugden said with deceptive mildness: ‘Yes, but you weren’t speaking the truth when you said that, you know. You told us you heard your grandfather scream – you couldn’t have heard that if you were in here – Mr Poirot and I tested that yesterday.’

‘Oh!’ Pilar caught her breath.

Poirot said: ‘You were somewhere very much nearer[400] his room. I will tell you where I think you were, mademoiselle. You were in the recess with the statues quite close to your grandfather’s door.’

Pilar said, startled: ‘Oh… How did you know?’

Poirot said with a faint smile: ‘Mr Farr saw you there.’

Stephen said sharply: ‘I did not. That’s an absolute lie!’

Poirot said: ‘I ask your pardon, Mr Farr, but you did see her. Remember your impression that there were three statues in that recess, not two. Only one person wore a white dress that night, Mademoiselle Estravados. She was the third white figure you saw. That is so, is it not, mademoiselle?’

Pilar said, after a moment’s hesitation: ‘Yes, it is true.’

Poirot said gently: ‘Now tell us, mademoiselle, the whole truth. Why were you there?’

Pilar said: ‘I left the drawing-room after dinner and I thought I would go and see my grandfather. I thought he would be pleased. But when I turned into the passage I saw someone else was there at his door. I did not want to be seen because I knew my grandfather had said he did not want to see anyone that night. I slipped into the recess in case the person at the door turned round.

‘Then, all at once, I heard the most horrible sounds, tables – chairs’ – she waved her hands – ‘everything falling and crashing. I did not move. I do not know why. I was frightened. And then there was a terrible scream’ – she crossed herself – ‘and my heart it stopped beating, and I said, “Someone is dead…” ’

‘And then?’

‘And then people began coming running along the passage and I came out at the end and joined them.’

Superintendent Sugden said sharply: ‘You said nothing of all this when we first questioned you. Why not?’

Pilar shook her head. She said, with an air of wisdom:‘It is not good to tell too much to the police. I thought, you see, that if I said I was near there you might think that I had killed him. So I said I was in my room.’

Sugden said sharply: ‘If you tell deliberate lies all that it ends in is that you’re bound to come under suspicion[401].’

Stephen Farr said: ‘Pilar?’

‘Yes?’

‘Who did you see standing at the door when you turned into the passage? Tell us.’

Sugden said: ‘Yes, tell us.’

For a moment the girl hesitated. Her eyes opened, then narrowed. She said slowly: ‘I don’t know who it was. It was too dimly lit to see. But it was a woman… ’

V

Superintendent Sugden looked round at the circle of faces. He said, with something as near irritation as he had yet shown: ‘This is very irregular, Mr Poirot.’

Poirot said: ‘It is a little idea of mine. I wish to share with everyone the knowledge that I have acquired. I shall then invite their co-operation, and so we shall get at the truth.’

Sugden murmured under his breath: ‘Monkey tricks.[402]’ He leaned back in his chair.

Poirot said:

‘To begin with, you have, I think, an explanation to ask of Mr Farr.’

Sugden’s mouth tightened. ‘I should have chosen a less public moment,’ he said. ‘However, I’ve no objection.’ He handed the cable to Stephen Farr. ‘Now, Mr Farr, as you call yourself, perhaps you can explain this?’

Stephen Farr took it. Raising his eyebrows, he read it slowly out loud. Then, with a bow, he handed it back to the superintendent.

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘It’s pretty damning, isn’t it?’

Sugden said: ‘Is that all you’ve got to say about it? You quite understand there is no obligation on you to make a statement[403] – ’

Stephen Farr interrupted. He said: ‘You needn’t caution me, Superintendent. I can see it trembling on your tongue! Yes, I’ll give you an explanation. It’s not a very good one, but it’s the truth.’