Agatha Christie - Towards Zero

"Blood on the coat sleeve is human," he announced. "Same blood group as Lady T's. Looks as though Nevile Strange is for it — "

Battle had walked over to the window and was looking out with considerable interest.

"A beautiful young man out there," he remarked. "Quite beautiful and a definite wrong 'un, I should say. It's a pity Mr. Latimer — for I feel that that's Mr. Latimer — was over at Easterhead Bay last night. He's the type that would smash in his own grandmother's head if he thought he could get away with it and if he knew he'd make something out of it."

"Well, there wasn't anything in it for him," said Leach. "Lady T's death doesn't benefit him in any way whatever." The telephone bell rang again. "Damn this phone, what's the matter now?"

He went to it.

"Hullo. Oh, it's you, doctor. What? Come round, has she? What? What?"

He turned his head. "Uncle, just come and listen to this."

Battle came over and took the phone. He listened, his face as usual showing no expression. He said to Leach: "Get Nevile Strange, Jim."

When Nevile came in, Battle was just replacing the phone on its hook.

Nevile, looking white and spent, stared curiously at the Scotland Yard superintendent, trying to read the emotion behind the wooden mask.

"Mr. Strange," said Battle . "Do you know anyone who dislikes you very much?" Nevile stared and shook his head.

"Sure?" Battle was impressive. "I mean, sir, someone who does more than dislike you — someone who — frankly — hates your guts?"

Nevile sat bolt upright.

"No. No, certainly not. Nothing of the kind."

"Think, Mr. Strange. Is there no one you've injured in any way — " Nevile flushed.

"There's only one person I can be said to have injured, and she's not the kind who bears rancour. That's my first wife, when I left her for another woman. But I can assure you that she doesn't hate me. She's — she's been an angel."

The Superintendent leaned forward across the table.

"Let me tell you, Mr. Strange, you're a very lucky man. I don't say I liked the case against you — I didn't. But it was a case! It would have stood up all right, and unless the jury happened to have liked your personality, it would have hanged you."

"You speak," said Nevile, "as though all that were past."

"It is past," said Battle . "You've been saved, Mr. Strange, by pure chance."

Nevile still looked inquiringly at him.

"After you left her last night," said Battle , "Lady Tressilian rang the bell for her maid."

He watched whilst Nevile took it in. "After. Then Barrett saw her — "

"Yes. Alive and well. Barrett also saw you leave the house before she went in to her mistress."

Nevile said: "But the niblick — my fingerprints — "

"She wasn't hit with that niblick. Dr. Lazenby didn't like it all the time. I saw that. She was killed with something else. That niblick was put there deliberately to throw suspicion on you. It may be by someone who overheard the quarrel and so selected you as a suitable victim, or it may be because — "

He paused, arid then repeated his question: "Who is there in this house that hates you, Mr. Strange?"

"I've got a question for you, doctor," said Battle .

They were in the doctor's house after returning from the nursing home, where they had had a short interview with Jane Barrett.

Barrett was weak and exhausted, but quite clear in her statement.

She had just been getting into bed after drinking her senna when Lady Tressilian's bell had wrung. She had glanced at the dock and seen the time — twenty-five minutes past ten.

She had put on her dressing-gown and come down. She had heard a noise in the hall below and had looked over the balusters.

"It was Mr. Nevile just going out. He was taking his raincoat down from the hook."

"What suit was he wearing?"

"His grey pinstripe. His face was very worried and unhappy-looking. He shoved his arms into his coat as though he didn't care how he put it on. Then he went out and banged the front door behind him. I went on in to Her Ladyship. She was very drowsy, poor dear, and couldn't remember why she had rung for me — she couldn't always, poor lady. But I beat up her pillows and brought her a fresh glass of water and settled her comfortably."

"She didn't seem upset or afraid of anything?"

"Just tired, that's all. I was tired myself. Yawning. I went up and went right off to sleep."

That was Barrett's story, and it seemed impossible to doubt her genuine grief and horror at the news of her mistress's death.

They went back to Lazenby's house, and it was then that Battle announced that he had a question to ask.

"Ask away," said Lazenby.

"What time do you think Lady Tressilian died?"

"I've told you. Between ten o'clock and midnight."

"I know that's what you said. But it wasn't my question. I asked you what you personally thought."

"Off the record, eh?"

"Yes."

"All right. My guess would be in the neighbourhood of eleven o'clock."

"That's what I wanted you to say," said Battle .

"Glad to oblige. Why?"

"Never did like the idea of her being killed before ten-twenty. Take Barrett's sleeping-draught — it wouldn't have got to work by then. That sleeping-draught shows that the murder was meant to be committed a good deal later — during the night. I'd prefer midnight myself."

"Could be. Eleven is only a guess."

"But it definitely couldn't be later than midnight?"

"No."

"It couldn't be after 2.30?"

"Good heavens, no."

"Well, that seems to let Strange out all right. I'll just have to check up on his movements after he left the house. If he's telling the truth he's washed out and we can go on to our other suspects."

"The other people who inherit money?" suggested Leach.

"Maybe," said Battle . "But, somehow, I don't think so. Someone with a kink, I'm looking for."

"A kink?"

"A nasty kink."

When they left the doctors house they went on to the ferry. The ferry consisted of a rowing boat operated by two brothers, Will and George Barnes. The Barnes brothers knew everybody in Saltcreek by sight and most of the people who came over from Easterhead Bay . George said at once that Mr. Strange from Gull's Point had gone across at 10.30 on the preceding night. No, he had not brought Mr. Strange back again. Last ferry had gone at 1.30 from the Easterhead side and Mr. Strange wasn't on it.

Battle asked him if he knew Mr. Latimer.

"Latimer? Latimer? Tall, handsome young gentleman? Comes over from the hotel up to Gull's Point? Yes, I know him. Didn't see him at all last night, though. He's been over this morning. Went back last trip."

They crossed on the ferry and went up to the Easterhead Bay Hotel.

Here they found Mr. Latimer newly returned from the other side. He had crossed on the ferry before theirs.

Mr. Latimer was very anxious to do all he could to help.

"Yes, old Nevile came over last night. Looked very blue over something. Told me he'd had a row with the old lady. I hear he'd fallen out with Kay, too, but he didn't tell me that, of course. Anyway, he was a bit down in the mouth. Seemed quite glad of my company for once in a way."

"He wasn't able to find you at once, I understand?"

Latimer said sharply: "Don't know why. I was sitting in the lounge. Strange said he looked in and didn't see me, but he wasn't in a state to concentrate. Or I may have strolled out into the gardens for five minutes or so. Always get out when I can. Beastly smell in this hotel. Noticed it last night in the bar. Drains, I think! Strange mentioned it, too! We both smelt it. Nasty decayed smell. Might be a dead rat under the billiard-room floor."

"You played billiards, and after your game?"

"Oh, we talked a bit, had another drink or two. Then Nevile said, 'Hullo, I've missed the ferry,’ so I said I'd get out my car and drive him back, which I did. We got there about 2.30."