Agatha Christie - Towards Zero

"Stairs?" Mary looked at him inquiringly.

"Yes. When Latimer and I left him he was just starting up. We told him to take it slow."

Mary exclaimed: "But how very foolish of him not to take the lift."

"The lift was out of order."

"Oh, I see. How very unfortunate! Poor old man."

She added: "I am going round there now. Camilla wants to know if there is anything we can do."

Thomas said: "I'll come with you."

They walked together down the road and round the corner to the Balmoral Court .

Mary remarked : "I wonder if he has any relatives who ought to be notified?"

"He didn't mention anyone."

"No, and people usually do. They say 'my niece' or 'my cousin.'"

"Was he married?"

"I believe not."

They entered the open door of the Balmoral Court .

Mrs. Rogers, the proprietress, was talking to a tall middle-aged man, who raised a friendly hand in greeting to Mary.

"Good afternoon. Miss Aldin."

"Good afternoon, Dr. Lazenby. This is Mr. Royde. We came round with a message from Lady Tressilian to know if there is anything we can do."

"That's very kind of you, Miss Aldin," said the hotel proprietress. "Come into my room, won't you?"

They all went into the small comfortable sitting-room and Dr. Lazenby said: "Mr. Treves was dining at your place last night, wasn't he?"

"Yes."

"How did he seem? Did he show any signs of distress?"

"No, he seemed very well and cheerful."

The doctor nodded.

"Yes, that's the worst of these heart cases. The end is nearly always sudden. I had a look at his prescriptions upstairs and it seems quite clear that he was in a very precarious state of health. I shall communicate with his London doctor, of course."

"He was very careful of himself always," said Mrs. Rogers. "And I'm sure he had every care here we could give him."

"I'm sure of that, Mrs. Rogers," said the doctor tactfully. "It was just some tiny additional strain, no doubt."

"Such as walking upstairs," suggested Mary.

"Yes, that might do it. In fact, almost certainly would — that is, if he ever walked up those three flights — but surely he never did anything of that kind?"

"Oh, no," said Mrs. Rogers. "He always used the lift. Always. He was most particular."

"I mean," said Mary, "that with the lift being out of order last night — "

Mrs. Rogers was staring at her in surprise.

"But the lift wasn't out of order at all yesterday, Miss Aldin."

"Excuse me," said Royde. "I came home with Mr. Treves last night. There was a placard on the lift saying 'Out of order.'"

Mrs. Rogers stared.

"Well, that's an odd thing. I'd have declared there was nothing wrong with the lift — in fact, I'm sure there wasn't. I'd have heard about it if there was. We haven't had anything go wrong with the lift (touching wood) since — oh, not for a good eighteen months. Very reliable it is."

"Perhaps," suggested the doctor, "some porter or hall-boy put that notice up when he was off duty?"

"It's an automatic lift, doctor; it doesn't need anyone to work it."

"Ah, yes, so it is. I was forgetting."

"I'll have a word with Joe," said Mrs. Rogers. She bustled out of the room, calling, "Joe — Joe."

Dr. Lazenby looked curiously at Thomas. "Excuse me, you're quite sure, Mr. — er — "

"Royde," put in Mary.

"Quite sure," said Thomas.

Mrs. Rogers came back with the porter. Joe was emphatic that nothing whatever had been wrong with the lift on the preceding night. There was such a placard as Thomas had described — but it was tucked away under the desk and hadn't been used for over a year.

They all looked at each other and agreed it was a most mysterious thing. The doctor suggested some practical joke on the part of one of the hotel visitors, and perforce they left it at that.

In reply to Mary's inquiries, Dr. Lazenby explained that Mr. Treves' chauffeur had given him the address of Mr. Treves' solicitors, and he was communicating with them and that he would come round and see Lady Tressilian and tell her what was going to be done about the funeral.

Then the busy, cheerful doctor hurried off and Mary and Thomas walked slowly back to Gull's Point.

Mary said: "You're quite sure you saw that notice, Thomas?"

"Both Latimer and I saw it."

"What an extraordinary thing!" said Mary.

It was the 12th of September. "Only two more days," said Mary Aldin. Then she bit her lip and flushed.

Thomas Royde looked at her thoughtfully. "Is that how you feel about it?"

"I don't know what's the matter with me," said Mary. "Never in all my life have I been so anxious for a visit to come to an end. And usually we enjoy having Nevile so much. And Audrey, too."

Thomas nodded.

"But this time," went on Mary, "one feels as though one were sitting on dynamite. At any minute the whole thing may explode. That's why I said to myself first thing this morning: 'Only two days more.' Audrey goes on Wednesday and Nevile and Kay on Thursday."

"And I go on Friday," said Thomas.

"Oh, I'm not counting you. You've been a tower of strength. I don't know what I should have done without you."

"The human buffer?"

"More than that. You've been so kind and so — so calm. That sounds rather ridiculous, but it really does express what I mean."

Thomas looked pleased, though slightly embarrassed.

"I don't know why we've all been so het up," said Mary reflectively. "After all, if there were an — an outburst — it would be awkward and embarrassing, but nothing more."

"But there's been more to your feeling than that."

"Oh, yes, there has. A definite feeling of apprehension. Even the servants feel it. The kitchen-maid burst into tears and gave notice this morning — for no reason at all. The cook's jumpy — Hurstall is all on edge — even Barrett, who is usually as calm as a — a battleship — has shown signs of nerves. And all because Nevile had this ridiculous idea of wanting his former and his present wife to make friends and so soothe his own conscience."

"In which ingenious idea he has singularly failed," remarked Thomas.

"Yes. Kay is — is getting quite beside herself. And really, Thomas, I can't help sympathising with her."

She paused. "Did you notice the way Nevile looked after Audrey as she went up the stairs last night? He still cares about her, Thomas. The whole thing has been the most tragic mistake."

Thomas started filling his pipe.

"He should have thought of that before," he said in a hard voice.

"Oh, I know. That's what one says. But it doesn't alter the fact that the whole thing is a tragedy. I can't help feeling sorry for Nevile."

"People like Nevile — " began Thomas, and then stopped.

"Yes?"

"People like Nevile think they can always have everything their own way — and have everything they want, too. I don't suppose Nevile has ever had a set-back over anything in his life till he came up against this business of Audrey. She's out of his reach. No good his making a song and dance about it. He's just got to lump it."

"I suppose you're quite right. But you do sound hard. Audrey was so much in love with Nevile when she married him — and they always got on together so well."

"Well, she's out of love with him now."

"I wonder," murmured Mary under her breath.

Thomas was going on: "And I'll tell you something else. Nevile had better look out for Kay. She's a dangerous kind of young woman — really dangerous. If she got her temper up she'd stop at nothing."

"Oh, dear," Mary sighed and, returning to her original remarks, said hopefully: "Well, it's only two days more."

Things had been very difficult for the last four or five days. The death of Mr. Treves had given Lady Tressilian a shock which had told adversely on her health. The funeral had taken place in London , for which Mary was thankful, since it enabled the old lady to take her mind off the sad event more quickly than she might have been able to do otherwise. The domestic side of the household had been very nervy and difficult and Mary really felt tired and dispirited this morning.