Agatha Christie - Postern of Fate

Albert appeared suddenly.

'Mrs Redcliffe on the telephone, madam,' he said. 'Wanted to know if you could lunch tomorrow.'

'Tell her I'm very sorry,' said Tuppence. 'I'm afraid we may have to go to London tomorrow. Oh – wait a minute, Albert. Just wait while I write a word or two.'

She pulled out a small pad from her bag, wrote a few words on it and handed it to Albert.

'Tell Mr Beresford.,' she said. 'Tell him Miss Mullins is here and we're in the garden. I forgot to do what he asked me to do, give him the name and address of the person he is writing to. I've written it here -'

'Certainly, madam,' said Albert, and disappeared.

Tuppence returned to the vegetable conversation.

'I expect you're very busy,' she said, 'as you are working three days already.'

'Yes, and as I said it's rather the other side of the town. I live the other side of the town. I've got a small cottage there.'

At that moment Tommy arrived from the house. Hannibal was with him, running round in large circles. Hannibal reached Tuppence first. He stopped still for a moment, spread out his paws, and then rushed at Miss Mullins with a fierce array of barking. She took a step or two back in some alarm.

'This is our terrible dog,' said Tuppence. 'He doesn't really bite, you know. At least very seldom. It's usually only the postman he likes to bite.'

'All dogs bite postmen, or try to,' said Miss Mullins.

'He's a very good guard dog,' said Tuppence. 'He's a Manchester Terrier, you know, and they are good guard dogs. He protects the house in a wonderful way. He won't let anyone near it or come inside and he looks after me very carefully. He evidently regards me as his principal charge in life.'

'Oh well, of course I suppose it's a good thing nowadays.'

'I know. There are so many robberies about,' said Tuppence. 'Lots of our friends, you know, have had burglars. Some even who come in in broad daylight in the most extraordinary way. They set up ladders and take window-sashes out or pretend to be window-cleaners – oh, up to all kinds of tricks. So it's a good thing to let it be known that there's a fierce dog in the house, I think.'

'I think perhaps you're quite right.'

'Here is my husband,' said Tuppence. 'This is Miss Mullins, Tommy. Mrs Griffin very kindly told her that we wanted someone who could possibly do some gardening for us.'

'Would this be too heavy work for you perhaps, Miss Mullins?'

'Of course not,' said Miss Mullins in her deep voice. 'Oh, I can dig with anyone. You've got to dig the right way. It's not only trenching the sweet-peas, it's everything needs digging, needs manuring. The ground's got to be prepared. Makes all the difference.'

Hannibal continued to bark.

'I think, Tommy,' said Tuppence, 'you'd really better take Hannibal back to the house. He seems to be in rather a protective mood this morning.'

'All right,' said Tommy.

'Won't you come back to the house,' said Tuppence to Miss Mullins, 'and have something to drink? It's rather a hot morning and I think it would be a good thing, don't you? And we can discuss plans together perhaps.'

Hannibal was shut into the kitchen and Miss Mullins accepted a glass of sherry. A few suggestions were made, then Miss Mullins looked at her watch and said she must hurry back.

'I have an appointment,' she explained. 'I mustn't be late.' She bade them a somewhat hurried farewell and departed.

'She seems all right,' said Tuppence.

'I know,' said Tommy – 'But one can't ever be sure -'

'One could ask questions?' said Tuppence doubtfully.

'You must be tired going all round the garden. We must leave our expedition this afternoon for another day – you have been ordered to rest.'

'You understand, Albert,' said Tommy.

He and Albert were together in the pantry where Albert was washing up the tea tray he had just brought down from Tuppence's bedroom.

'Yes, sir,' said Albert. 'I understand.'

'You know, I think you will get a bit of a warning – from Hannibal.'

'He's a good dog in some ways,' said Albert. 'Doesn't take to everyone, of course.'

'No,' said Tommy, 'that's not his job in life. Not one of those dogs who welcome in the burglars and wag their tails at the wrong person. Hannibal knows a few things. But I have made it quite clear to you, haven't I?'

'Yes. I don't know what I am to do if the missus – well, am I to do what the missus says or tell her what you said or -'

'I think you'll have to use a certain amount of diplomacy,' said Tommy. 'I'm making her stay in bed today. I'm leaving her in your charge more or less.'

Albert had just opened the front door to a youngish man in a tweed suit.

Albert looked up doubtfully at Tommy. The visitor stepped inside and advanced one step, a friendly smile on his face.

'Mr Beresford? I've heard you want a bit of help in your garden – just moved in here lately, haven't you? I noticed coming up the drive that it was getting rather overgrown. I did some work locally a couple of years ago – for a Mr Solomon – you may have heard of him.'

'Mr Solomon, yes, someone did mention him.'

'My name's Crispin, Angus Crispin. Perhaps we might take a look at what wants doing.'

'About time someone did something about the garden,' said Mr Crispin, as Tommy led him on a tour of the flower-beds and the vegetable garden.

'That's where they used to grow the spinach along this kitchen garden path here. Behind it were some frames. They used to grow melons too.'

'You seem to be very well aware of all this.'

'Well, one heard a lot you know of what had been everywhere in the old days. Old ladies tell you about the flower-beds and Alexander Parkinson told a lot of his pals about the foxglove leaves.'

'He must have been a rather remarkable boy.'

'Well, he had ideas and he was very keen on crime. He made a kind of code message out in one of Stevenson's books: The Black Arrow.'

'Rather a good one that, isn't it? I read it myself about five years ago. Before that I'd never got further than Kidnapped. When I was working for -' He hesitated.

'Mr Solomon?' suggested Tommy.

'Yes, yes, that's the name. I heard things. Heard things from old Isaac, I gather, unless I've heard the wrong rumours, I gather that old Isaac must have been, oh, getting on for a hundred and did some work for you here.'

'Yes,' said Tommy. 'For his age he was rather wonderful, really. He knew a lot of things he used to tell us, too. Things he couldn't have remembered himself.'

'No, but ho liked the gossip of the old days. He's got relations here still, you know, who have listened to his tales and checked up on his stories. I expect you've heard a good many things yourself.'

'So far,' said Tommy, 'everything seems to work out in lists of names. Names from the past but names, naturally, that don't mean anything to me. They can't.'

'All hearsay?'

'Mostly. My wife has listened to a lot of it and made some lists. I don't know whether any of them mean anything. I've got one list myself. It only came into my hands yesterday, as a matter of fact.'

'Oh. What's your list?'

'Census,' said Tommy. 'You know, there was a census on – I've got the date written down so I'll give it to you – and the people who were entered up that day because they spent the night here. There was a big party. A dinner-party.'

'So you know on a certain date – and perhaps quite an interesting date – who was here?'

'Yes,' said Tommy.

'It might be valuable. It might be quite significant. You've only just moved in here, haven't you?'

'Yes,' said Tommy, 'but it's possible we might just want to move out of here.'

'Don't you like it? It's a nice house, and this garden – well, this garden could be made very beautiful indeed. You've got some fine shrubs – wants a bit of clearing out, superfluous trees and bushes, flowering shrubs that haven't flowered lately and may never flower again by the look of them. Yes, I don't know why you'd want to go and move.'