Agatha Christie - Appointment with Death

"Murder!" Sarah drew in her breath sharply. "But what evidence of that is there? The flimsiest imaginable! Dr. Gerard himself cannot be sure!"

Poirot said quietly: "But there is other evidence, Mademoiselle."

"What evidence?" Her voice was sharp.

"The mark of a hypodermic puncture upon the dead woman's wrist. And something more still-some words that I overheard spoken in Jerusalem on a clear still night when I went to close my bedroom window. Shall I tell you what those words were, Miss King? They were these: I heard Mr. Raymond Boynton say: 'You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?'" He saw the color drain slowly from Sarah's face.

She said: "You heard that?"

"Yes."

The girl stared straight ahead of her. She said at last: "It would be you who heard it!"

He acquiesced. "Yes, it would be me. These things happen. You see now why I think there should be an investigation?"

Sarah said quietly: "I think you are quite right."

"Ah! And you will help me?"

"Certainly."

Her tone was matter-of-fact, unemotional. Her eyes met his coolly.

Poirot bowed. "Thank you, Mademoiselle. Now, I will ask you to tell me in your own words exactly what you can remember of that particular day."

Sarah considered for a moment. "Let me see. I went on an expedition in the morning. None of the Boyntons were with us. I saw them at lunch. They were finishing as we came in. Mrs. Boynton seemed in an unusually good temper."

"She was not usually amiable, I understand."

"Very far from it," said Sarah with a slight grimace. She then described how Mrs. Boynton had released her family from attendance on her.

"That, too, was unusual?"

"Yes. She usually kept them around her."

"Do you think, perhaps, that she suddenly felt remorseful, that she had what is called un bon moment?"

"No, I don't," said Sarah bluntly.

"What did you think, then?"

"I was puzzled. I suspected it was something of the cat and mouse order."

"If you would elaborate, Mademoiselle?"

"A cat enjoys letting a mouse away and then catching it again. Mrs. Boynton had that kind of mentality. I thought she was up to some new deviltry or other."

"What happened next, Mademoiselle?"

"The Boyntons started off-"

"All of them?"

"No; the youngest, Ginevra, was left behind. She was told to go and rest."

"Did she wish to do so?"

"No. But that didn't matter. She did what she was told. The others started off. Dr. Gerard and I joined them-"

"When was this?"

"About half-past three."

"Where was Mrs. Boynton then?"

"Nadine-young Mrs. Boynton-had settled her in her chair outside her cave."

"Proceed."

When we got around the bend Dr. Gerard and I caught up with the others. We all walked together. Then, after a while Dr. Gerard turned back. He had been looking rather queer for some time. I could see he had fever. I wanted to go back with him, but he wouldn't hear of it."

"What time was this?"

"Oh, about four, I suppose."

"And the rest?"

"We went on."

"Were you all together?"

"At first. Then we split up." Sarah hurried on as though foreseeing the next question. "Nadine Boynton and Mr. Cope went one way and Carol, Lennox, Raymond and I went another."

"And you continued like that?"

"Well-no. Raymond Boynton and I separated from the others. We sat down on a slab of rock and admired the wildness of the scenery. Then he went off and I stayed where I was for some time longer. It was about half-past five when I looked at my watch and realized I had better get back. I reached the camp at six o'clock. It was just about sunset."

"You passed Mrs. Boynton on the way?"

"I noticed she was still in her chair up on the ridge."

"That did not strike you as odd, that she had not moved?"

"No, because I had seen her sitting there the night before when we arrived."

"I see. Continuez."

"I went into the marquee. The others were all there-except Dr. Gerard. I washed and then came back. They brought in dinner and one of the servants went to tell Mrs. Boynton. He came running back to say she was ill. I hurried out. She was sitting in her chair just as she had been, but as soon as I touched her I realized she was dead."

"You had no doubt at all as to her death being natural?"

"None whatever. I had heard that she suffered from heart trouble, though no specified disease had been mentioned."

"You simply thought she had died sitting there in her chair?"

"Yes."

"Without calling out for assistance?"

"Yes. It happens that way sometimes. She might even have died in her sleep. She was quite likely to have dozed off. In any case, all the camp was asleep most of the afternoon. No one would have heard her unless she had called very loud."

"Did you form an opinion as to how long she had been dead?"

"Well, I didn't really think very much about it. She had clearly been dead some time."

"What do you call some time?" asked Poirot.

"Well-over an hour. It might have been much longer. The refraction off the rock would keep her body from cooling quickly."

"Over an hour? Are you aware, Mademoiselle King, that Mr. Raymond Boynton spoke to her only a little over half an hour earlier and that she was then alive and well?"

Now her eyes no longer met his. But she shook her head. "He must have made a mistake. It must have been earlier than that."

"No, Mademoiselle, it was not." She looked at him point-blank. He noticed again the set of her mouth.

"Well," said Sarah. "I'm young and I haven't had much experience with dead bodies but I know enough to be quite sure of one thing: Mrs. Boynton had been dead at least an hour when I examined her body!"

"That," said Hercule Poirot unexpectedly, "is your story and you are going to stick to it!"

"It's the truth," said Sarah.

"Then can you explain why Mr. Boynton should say his mother was alive when she was, in point of fact, dead?"

"I've no idea," said Sarah. "They're probably rather vague about time, all of them! They're a very nervous family."

"On how many occasions, Mademoiselle, have you spoken with them?"

Sarah was silent a moment, frowning a little. "I can tell you exactly," she said. "I talked to Raymond Boynton in the Wagon-Lit corridor coming to Jerusalem. I had two conversations with Carol Boynton-one at the Mosque of Omar and one late that evening in my bedroom. I had a conversation with Mrs. Lennox Boynton the following morning. That's all, up to the afternoon of Mrs. Boynton's death, when we all went walking together."

"You did not have any conversation with Mrs. Boynton herself?"

Sarah flushed uncomfortably. "Yes. I exchanged a few words with her the day she left Jerusalem." She paused and then blurted out: "As a matter of fact, I made a fool of myself."

"Ah?"

The interrogation was so patent that, stiffly and unwillingly, Sarah gave an account of the conversation.

Poirot seemed interested and cross-examined her closely. "The mentality of Mrs. Boynton, it is very important in this case," he said. "And you are an outsider-an unbiased observer. That is why your account of her is very significant."

Sarah did not reply. She still felt hot and uncomfortable when she thought of that interview. "Thank you, Mademoiselle," said Poirot. "I will now converse with the other witnesses."

Sarah rose. "Excuse me, M. Poirot, but if I might make a suggestion-"

"Certainly. Certainly."

"Why not postpone all this until an autopsy can be made and you discover whether or not your suspicions are justified. I think all this is rather like putting the cart before the horse."

Poirot waved a grandiloquent hand. "This is the method of Hercule Poirot," he announced.

Pressing her lips together, Sarah left the room.