Agatha Christie - Dumb Witness

"I've never yet taken anything before Early Service and I'm not going to begin now. You can do as you like."

"Oh, no – I didn't mean – I'm sure -"

Miss Lawson was flustered and upset. "Take Bob's collar off," said Miss Arundell.

The slave hastened to obey.

Still trying to please, she said:

"Such a pleasant evening. They all seem so pleased to be here."

"Hmph," said Emily Arundell. "All here for what they can get."

"Oh, dear Miss Arundell -"

"My good Minnie, I'm not a fool, whatever else I am! I just wonder which of them will open the subject first."

She was not long left in doubt on that point. She and Miss Lawson returned from attending Early Service just after nine. Dr and Mrs Tanios were in the dining-room, but there were no signs of the two Arundells.

After breakfast, when the others had left. Miss Arundell sat on, entering up some accounts in a little book.

Charles entered the room about ten. "Sorry I'm late. Aunt Emily. But Theresa's worse. She's not unclosed an eyelid yet."

"At half-past ten breakfast will be cleared away," said Miss Arundell. "I know it is the fashion not to consider servants nowadays, but that is not the case in my house."

"Good. That's the true diehard spirit!"

Charles helped himself to kidneys and sat down beside her.

His grin, as always, was very attractive. Emily Arundell soon found herself smiling indulgently at him. Emboldened by this sign of favour, Charles plunged.

"Look here. Aunt Emily, sorry to bother you, but I'm in the devil of a hole. Can you possibly help me out? A hundred would do it."

His aunt's face was not encouraging. A certain grimness showed itself in her expression.

Emily Arundell was not afraid of speaking her mind. She spoke it.

Miss Lawson bustling across the hall almost collided with Charles as he left the dining-room. She glanced at him curiously. She entered the dining-room to find Miss Arundell sitting very upright with a flushed face.

Charles ran lightly up the stairs and tapped on his sister's door. Her answering "Come in" came promptly and he entered.

Theresa was sitting up in bed yawning.

Charles took a seat on the bed.

"What a decorative female you are, Theresa," he remarked appreciatively.

Theresa said sharply:

"What's the matter?"

Charles grinned.

"Sharp, aren't you? Well, I stole a march on you, my girl! Thought I'd make my touch before you got to work."

"Well?"

Charles spread his hands downwards in negation.

"Nothing doing! Aunt Emily ticked me off good and proper. She intimated that she was under no illusions as to why her affectionate family had gathered round her! And she also intimated that the said affectionate family would be disappointed. Nothing being handed out but affection – and not so much of that."

"You might have waited a bit," said Theresa drily.

Charles grinned again.

"I was afraid you or Tanios might get in ahead of me. I'm sadly afraid, Theresa my sweet, that there'll be nothing doing this time. Old Emily is by no means a fool."

"I never thought she was."

"I even tried to put the wind up her."

"What d'you mean?" asked his sister sharply.

"Told her she was going about it the right way to get bumped off. After all, she can't take the dibs to heaven with her. Why not loosen up a bit?"

"Charles, you are a fool!"

"No, I'm not. I'm a bit of a psychologist in my way. It's never a bit of good sucking up to the old girl. She much prefers you to stand up to her. And after all, I was only talking sense. We get the money when she dies – she might just as well part with a little beforehand! Otherwise the temptation to help her out of the way might become overwhelming."

"Did she see your point?" asked Theresa, her delicate mouth curling up scornfully.

"I'm not sure. She didn't admit it. Just thanked me rather nastily for my advice and said she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. 'Well,' I said, 'I've warned you.' 'I'll remember it,' she said."

Theresa said angrily:

"Really, Charles, you are an utter fool."

"Damn it all, Theresa, I was a bit ratty myself! The old girl's rolling – simply rolling. I bet she doesn't spend a tenth part of her income – what has she got to spend it on, anyway? And here we are – young, able to enjoy life – and to spite us she's capable of living to a hundred… I want my fun now… So do you…"

Theresa nodded.

She said in a low, breathless voice:

"They don't understand – old people don't… they can't… They don't know what it is to live!"

Brother and sister were silent for some minutes.

Charles got up.

"Well, my love, I wish you better success than I've had. But I rather doubt it."

Theresa said:

"I'm rather counting on Rex to do the trick. If I can make old Emily realize how brilliant he is, and how it matters terrifically that he should have his chance and not have to sink into a rut as a general practitioner… Oh, Charles, a few thousands of capital just at this minute would make all the difference in the world to our lives!"

"Hope you get it, but I don't think you will. You've got through a bit too much capital in riotous living in your time. I say, Theresa, you don't think the dreary Bella or the dubious Tanios will get anything, do you?"

"I don't see that money would be any good to Bella. She goes about looking like a rag bag and her tastes are purely domestic."

"Oh, well," said Charles vaguely. "I expect she wants things for those unprepossessing children of hers, schools, and plates for their front teeth and music lessons. And anyway it isn't Bella – it's Tanios. I bet he's got a nose for money all right! Trust a Greek for that. You know he's got through most of Bella's? Speculated with it and lost it all."

"Do you think he'll get something out of old Emily?"

"He won't if I can prevent him," said Charles grimly.

He left the room and wandered downstairs. Bob was in the hall. He fussed up to Charles agreeably. Dogs liked Charles.

He ran towards the drawing-room door and looked back at Charles.

"What's the matter?" said Charles, strolling after him.

Bob hurried into the drawing-room and sat down expectantly by a small bureau.

Charles strolled over to him.

"What's it all about?"

Bob wagged his tail, looked hard at the drawers of the bureau and uttered an appealing squeak.

"Want something that's in here?"

Charles pulled open the top drawer. His eyebrows rose.

"Dear, dear," he said.

At one side of the drawer was a little pile of treasury notes.

Charles picked up the bundle and counted them. With a grin he removed three one pound notes and two ten shilling ones and put them in his pocket. He replaced the rest of the notes carefully in the drawer where he had found them.

"That was a good idea. Bob," he said. "Your uncle Charles will be able at any rate to cover expenses. A little ready cash always comes in handy."

Bob uttered a faint reproachful bark as Charles shut the drawer.

"Sorry, old man," Charles apologized. He opened the next drawer. Bob's ball was in the corner of it. He took it out.

"Here you are. Enjoy yourself with it."

Bob caught the ball, trotted out of the room and presently bump, bump, bump, was heard down the stairs.

Charles strolled out into the garden. It was a fine sunny morning with a scent of lilac.

Miss Arundell had Dr Tanios by her side.

He was speaking of the advantage of an English education – a good education – for children and how deeply he regretted that he could not afford such a luxury for his own children.

Charles smiled with satisfied malice. He joined in the conversation in a light-hearted manner, turning it adroitly into entirely different channels.