Agatha Christie - Ordeal by Innocence

"Yes," said Cyril, "just having a game or two, we were. And that's where I saw it. 'Coo,' I said, 'what's this?' Of course I know now. I'm not a silly kid any longer. It was just one of them bubble cars. Bright red, it was."

"And the time?" said Superintendent Huish patiently.

"Well, as I say, I'd had me tea an' we'd gone out there and larked around — must have been near on seven o'clock, because I heard the clock strike and 'Coo,' I thought, 'Mum'llbehome and won't she create if I'm not there.' So I went home. I told her then that I thought I'd seen that Russian satellite come down. Mum said it were all lies, but it wasn't. Only o' course, I knows better now. I was just a kid then, see."

Superintendent Huish said that he saw. After a few more questions he dismissed Mrs. Green and her offspring. P.C. Good, remaining behind, put on the gratified expression of a junior member of the force who has shown intelligence and hopes that it will count in his favour.

"It just come to me," said Good, "what that boy'd been around saying about Russians doing Mrs. Argyle in. I thought to myself, 'Well, that may mean something.'"

"It does mean something," said the superintendent. "Miss Tina Argyle has a red bubble car, and it looks as though I'd have to ask her a few more questions."

Ill

"You were there that night, Miss Argyle?"

Tina looked at the superintendent. Her hands lay loosely in her lap, her eyes, dark, unwinking, told nothing.

"It is so long ago," she said, "really I cannot remember." "Your car was seen there," said Huish. "Was it?"

"Come now, Miss Argyle. When we asked you for an account of your movements on that night, you told us that you went home and didn't go out that evening. You made yourself supper and listened to the gramophone. Now, that isn't true. Just before seven o'clock your car was seen in the road quite near to Sunny Point. What were you doing there?"

She did not answer. Huish waited a few moments, then he spoke again. "Did you go into the house, Miss Argyle?" "No," said Tina. "But you were there." "You say I was there."

"It's not just a question of my saying so. We've got evidence that you were there."

Tina sighed.

"Yes," she said. "I did drive out there that evening."

"But you say you didn't go into the house?" "No, I didn't go into the house." "What did you do?"

"I drove back again to Redmyn. Then, as I told you, I made myself some supper and put on the gramophone."

"Why did you drive out there if you didn't go into the house?"

"I changed my mind," said Tina.

"What made you change your mind, Miss Argyle?"

"When I got there I didn't want to go in."

"Because of something you saw or heard?"

She did not answer.

"Listen, Miss Argyle. That was the night that your mother was murdered. She was killed between seven and half past that evening. You were there, your car was there, at some time before seven. How long it was there we do not know. It is possible, you know, that it may have been there for some time. It may be that you went into the house — you have a key, I think."

"Yes," said Tina, "I have a key."

"Perhaps you went into the house. Perhaps you went into your mother's sitting-room and found her there, dead. Or perhaps –"

Tina raised her head.

"Or perhaps I killed her? Is that what you want to say, Superintendent Huish?"

"It is one possibility," said Huish, "but I think it's more likely, Miss Argyle, someone else did the killing. If so, I think you know — or have a very strong suspicion who the killer was."

"I did not go into the house," said Tina.

"Then you saw something or heard something. You saw someone go into the house or someone leave the house. Someone perhaps who was not known to be there. Was it your brother Michael, Miss Argyle?"

Tina said: "I saw nobody."

"But you heard something," said Huish shrewdly. "What did you hear, Miss Argyle?"

"I tell you," said Tina, "I simply changed my mind."

"You'll forgive me, Miss Argyle, but I don't believe that. Why should you drive out from Redmyn to visit your family, and drive back again without seeing them? Something made you change your mind about that. Something you saw or heard." He leaned forward. "I think you know, Miss Argyle, who killed your mother."

Very slowly she shook her head.

"You know something," said Huish. "Something that you are determined not to tell. But think, Miss Argyle, think very carefully. Do you realise what you are condemning your entire family to go through? Do you want them all to remain under suspicion — for that's what's going to happen unless we get at the truth. Whoever killed your mother doesn't deserve to be shielded. For that's it, isn't it? You're shielding someone."

Again that dark, opaque look met his.

"I know nothing," said Tina. "I didn't hear anything and I didn't see anything. I just — changed my mind."

Calgary and Huish looked at each other. Calgary saw what seemed to him one of the most depressed and gloomy-looking men he had ever seen. So profoundly disillusioned did he appear that Calgary felt tempted to suppose that Superintendent Huish's career had been one long series of failures. He was surprised to discover on a later occasion that Superintendent Huish had been extremely successful professionally. Huish saw a lean, prematurely grey-haired man with slightly stooping shoulders, a sensitive face and a singularly attractive smile.

"You don't know who I am, I'm afraid," Calgary began.

"Oh, we know all about you, Dr. Calgary," said Huish. "You're the joker in the pack who queered the Argyle case." A rather unexpected smile lifted the corners of his sad-looking mouth.

"You can hardly regard me favourably then," said Calgary .

"It's all in the day's work," said Superintendent Huish. "It seemed a clear case and nobody can be blamed for thinking it so. But these things happen," he went on. "They're sent to try us, so my old mother used to say. We don't bear malice, Dr. Calgary. After all, we do stand for Justice, don't we?"

"So I've always believed, and shall continue to believe," said Calgary . "To no man will we deny justice," he murmured softly.

"Magna Carta," said Superintendent Huish.

"Yes," said Calgary , "quoted to me by Miss Tina Argyle."

Superintendent Huish's eyebrows rose.

"Indeed. You surprise me. That young lady, I should say, has not been particularly active in helping the wheels of justice to turn."

"Now why do you say that?" asked Calgary .

"Frankly," said Huish, "for withholding information. There's no doubt about that."

"Why?" asked Calgary .

"Well, it's a family business," said Huish. "Families stick together. But what was it you wanted to see me about?" he continued.

"I want information," said Calgary . "About the Argyle case?"

"Yes. I realise that I must seem to you to be butting in, in a matter that's not my concern –"

"Well, it is your concern in a way, isn't it?

"Ah, you do appreciate that. Yes. I feel responsible. Responsible for bringing trouble."

"You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs, as the French say," said Huish.

"There are things I want to know," said Calgary .

"Such as?"

"I'd like a great deal more information about Jacko Argyle."

"About Jacko Argyle. Well, now, I didn't expect you to say that."

"He'd got a bad record, I know," said Calgary . "What I want is a few details from it"

"Well, that's simple enough," said Huish. "He'd been on probation twice. On another occasion, for embezzlement of funds, he was just saved by being able to put up the money in time."

"The budding young criminal, in fact?" asked Calgary .

"Quite right, sir," said Huish. "Not a murderer, as you've made clear to us, but a good many other things. Nothing, mind you, on a grand scale. He hadn't got the brains or the nerve to put up a big swindle. Just a small-time criminal. Pinching money out of tills, wheedling it out of women."