Агата Кристи - Dumb Witness / Безмолвный свидетель. Книга для чтения на английском языке

And then, quite unexpectedly, she asked:

‘Was it about the money?’

Poirot, even, was slightly taken aback. He said tentatively:

‘You mean the money that was—’

‘Yes, yes. The money that was taken from the drawer?’

Poirot said, quietly:

‘Miss Arundell didn’t tell you she had written to me on the subject of that money?’

‘No, indeed. I had no idea—Well, really, I must say I’m very surprised—’

‘You thought she would not have mentioned it to anyone?’

‘I certainly didn’t think so. You see, she had a very good idea—’

She stopped again. Poirot said, quickly:

‘She had a very good idea who took it. That is what you would say, is it not?’

Miss Lawson nodded and continued breathlessly:

‘And I shouldn’t have thought she would have wanted— well, I mean she said—that is, she seemed to feel—’

Again Poirot cut in neatly into the midst of these incoherencies.

‘It was a family matter?’

‘Exactly.’

‘But me,’ said Poirot, ‘I specialize in family matters. I am, you see, very very discreet.’

Miss Lawson nodded vigorously.

‘Oh! of course—that makes a difference. It’s not like the police .’

‘No, no. I am not at all like the police. That would not have done at all.’

‘Oh, no. Dear Miss Arundell was such a proud woman. Of course, there had been trouble before with Charles, but it was always hushed up. Once, I believe, he had to go to Australia!’

‘Just so,’ said Poirot. ‘Now the facts of the case were as follows, were they not? Miss Arundell had a sum of money in a drawer—’

He paused. Miss Lawson hastened to confirm his statement.

‘Yes—from the Bank. For the wages, you know, and the books.’

‘And how much was missing exactly?’

‘Four pound notes. No, no, I am wrong, three pound notes and two ten-shilling notes. One must be exact, I know, very exact, in such matters.’ Miss Lawson looked at him earnestly and absent-mindedly knocked her pince-nez a little farther awry. Her rather prominent eyes seemed to goggle at him.

‘Thank you, Miss Lawson. I see you have an excellent business sense.’

Miss Lawson bridled a little and uttered a deprecatory laugh.

‘Miss Arundell suspected, no doubt with reason, that her nephew Charles was responsible for this theft,’ went on Poirot.

‘Yes.’

‘Although there was no particular evidence to show who actually took the money?’

‘Oh, but it must have been Charles! Mrs Tanios wouldn’t do such a thing, and her husband was quite a stranger and wouldn’t have known where the money was kept—neither of them would. And I don’t think Theresa Arundell would dream of such a thing. She’s got plenty of money and always so beautifully dressed.’

‘It might have been one of the servants,’ Poirot suggested.

Miss Lawson seemed horrified by the idea.

‘Oh, no, indeed, neither Ellen nor Annie would have dreamed of such a thing.They are both most superior women and absolutely honest I am sure.’

Poirot waited a minute or two. Then he said:

‘I wonder if you can give me any idea—I am sure you can, for if anyone possessed Miss Arundell’s confidence you did—’

Miss Lawson murmured confusedly:

‘Oh, I don’t know about that, I’m sure—’ but she was clearly flattered [390] to be flattered – быть польщенным .

‘I feel that you will be able to help me.’

‘Oh, I’m sure, if I can—anything I can do—’

Poirot went on:

‘This is in confidence—’

A sort of owlish expression appeared on Miss Lawson’s face. The magical words ‘in confidence’ seemed to be a kind of Open Sesame [391] Open Sesame – Сезам, откройся .

‘Have you any idea of the reason which caused Miss Arundell to alter her will?’

‘Her will? Oh—her will?’

Miss Lawson seemed slightly taken aback.

Poirot said, watching her closely:

‘It is true, is it not, that she made a new will shortly before her death, leaving all her fortune to you?’

‘Yes, but I knew nothing about it. Nothing at all!’ Miss Lawson was shrill in protest. ‘It was the greatest surprise to me! A wonderful surprise, of course! So good of dear Miss Arundell. And she never even gave me a hint. Not the smallest hint! I was so taken aback when Mr Purvis read it out, I didn’t know where to look, or whether to laugh or cry! I assure you, M. Poirot, the shock of it—the shock, you know. The kindness —the wonderful kindness of dear Miss Arundell. Of course, I’d hoped perhaps, for just a little something—perhaps just a teeny, teeny legacy—though of course, there was no reason she should have left me even that. I’d not been with her so very long. But this—it was like—it was like a fairy story! Even now I can’t quite believe in it, if you know what I mean. And sometimes—well sometimes—I don’t feel altogether comfortable about it. I mean—well, I mean—’

She knocked off her pince-nez, picked them up, fumbled with them and went on even more incoherently.

‘Sometimes I feel that—well, flesh and blood is flesh and blood after all, and I don’t feel quite comfortable at Miss Arundell’s leaving all her money away from her family. I mean, it doesn’t seem right, does it? Not all of it. Such a large fortune, too! Nobody had any idea ! But—well—it does make one feel uncomfortable—and everyone saying things [392] to say things – наговаривать , you know—and I’m sure I’ve never been an ill-natured woman! I mean I wouldn’t have dreamed of influencing Miss Arundell in any way! And it’s not as though I could, either. Truth to tell, I was always just a teeny weeny bit [393] a teeny weeny bit – (разг.) чуточку afraid of her! She was so sharp, you know, so inclined to jump on you. And quite rude sometimes! “Don’t be a downright fool,” she’d snap. And really, after all, I had my feelings and sometimes I’d feel quite upset… And then to find out that all the time she’d really been fond of me—well, it was very wonderful, wasn’t it? Only of course, as I say, there’s been a lot of unkindness, and really in some ways one feels—I mean, well, it does seem a little hard, doesn’t it, on some people?’

‘You mean that you would prefer to relinquish the money?’ asked Poirot.

Just for a moment I fancied a flicker of some quite different expression showed itself in Miss Lawson’s dull, pale blue eyes. I imagined that, just for a moment, a shrewd, intelligent woman sat there instead of an amiable, foolish one.

She said with a little laugh.

‘Well—of course, there is the other side of it too… I mean there are two sides to every question. What I say is, Miss Arundell meant me to have the money. I mean if I didn’t take it I should be going against her wishes. And that wouldn’t be right, either, would it?’

‘It is a difficult question,’ said Poirot, shaking his head.

‘Yes, indeed, I have worried over it a great deal. Mrs Tanios—Bella—she is such a nice woman—and those dear children! I mean, I feel sure Miss Arundell wouldn’t have wanted her to—I feel, you see, that dear Miss Arundell intended me to use my discretion. She didn’t want to leave any money outright to Bella because she was afraid that man would get hold of it.’

‘What man?’

‘Her husband. You know, Mr Poirot, the poor girl is quite under his thumb. She does anything he tells her. I dare say she’d murder someone if he told her to! And she’s afraid of him. I’m quite sure she’s afraid of him. I’ve seen her look simply terrified once or twice. Now that isn’t right, Mr Poirot—you can’t say that’s right.’