Her voice rang out, beautiful and deep.
The others were coming back, laughing and talking. Mrs Franklin resumed her place on the chaise longue. Franklin came back to his seat and stirred his coffee. Norton and Elizabeth Cole finished drinking theirs and excused themselves, as they had promised to play bridge with the Luttrells.
Mrs Franklin drank her coffee and then demanded her 'drops.' Judith got them for her from the bathroom, as Nurse Craven had just gone out.
Franklin was wandering aimlessly round the room. He stumbled over a small table. His wife said sharply:
'Don't be so clumsy, John.'
'Sorry, Barbara. I was thinking of something.'
Mrs Franklin said rather affectedly:
'Such a great bear, aren't you, darling?'
He looked at her rather abstractedly. Then he said:
'Nice night; think I'll take a stroll.'
He went out.
Mrs Franklin said:
'He is a genius, you know. You can tell it from his manner. I really do admire him terrifically. Such a passion for his work.'
'Yes, yes, clever fellow.' said Boyd Carrington – rather perfunctorily.
Judith left the room abruptly, nearly colliding with Nurse Craven in the doorway.
Boyd Carrington said:
'What about a game of picquet, Babs?'
'Oh, lovely. Can you get hold of some cards, Nurse?'
Nurse Craven went to get cards, and I wished Mrs Franklin good night and thanked her for the coffee.
Outside I overtook Franklin and Judith. They were standing looking out of the passage window. They were not speaking. Just standing side by side.
Franklin looked over his shoulder as I approached. He moved a step or two, hesitated and said:
'Coming out for a stroll, Judith?'
My daughter shook her head.
'Not tonight,' She added abruptly, 'I'm going to bed. Good night.'
I went downstairs with Franklin. He was whistling softly to himself and smiling.
I remarked rather crossly, for I was feeling depressed myself:
'You seem pleased with yourself tonight.'
He admitted it.
'Yes. I've done something that I've been meaning to do for a long time. Very satisfactory, that.'
I parted from him downstairs and looked in on the bridge players for a minute. Norton winked at me when Mrs Luttrell wasn't looking. The rubber seemed to be progressing with unusual harmony.
Allerton had still not come back. It seemed to me that the house was happier and less oppressive without him.
I went up to Poirot's room. I found Judith sitting with him. She smiled at me when I came in and did not speak.
'She has forgiven you, mon ami,' said Poirot – an outrageous remark.
'Really,' I spluttered. 'I hardly think -'
Judith got up. She put an arm round my neck and kissed me. She said:
'Poor Father. Uncle Hercule shall not attack your dignity. I am the one to be forgiven. So forgive me and say good night.'
I don't quite know why, but I said:
'I'm sorry, Judith. I'm very sorry. I didn't mean -'
She stopped me.
'That's all right. Let's forget it. Everything's all right now.' She smiled a slow far-away smile. She said again: 'Everything's all right now…' and quietly left the room.
When she had gone, Poirot looked at me.
'Well,' he demanded, 'what has been happening this evening?'
I spread out my hands.
'Nothing has happened or is likely to happen,' I told him.
Actually I was very wide of the mark. For something did happen that night. Mrs Franklin was taken violently ill. Two more doctors were sent for, but in vain. She died the following morning.
It was not until twenty-four hours later that we learned that her death was due to poisoning by physostigmine.
Chapter 14
I
The inquest took place two days later. It was the second time I had attended an inquest in this part of the world.
The coroner was an able middle-aged man with a shrewd glance and a dry manner of speech.
The medical evidence was taken first. It established the fact that death was the result of poisoning by physostigmine, and that other alkaloids of the Calabar bean were also present. The poison must have been taken sometime on the preceding evening between seven o'clock and midnight. The police surgeon and his colleague refused to be more precise.
The next witness was Dr Franklin. He created on the whole a good impression. His evidence was clear and simple. After his wife's death he had checked over his solutions in the laboratory. He had discovered that a certain bottle which should have contained a strong solution of alkaloids of the Calabar bean, with which he had been conducting experiments, had been filled up with ordinary water in which only a trace of the original contents was present. He could not say with certainty when this had been done, as he had not used that particular preparation for some days.
The question of access to the laboratory was then gone into. Dr Franklin agreed that the laboratory was usually kept locked and that he usually had the key in his pocket. His assistant, Miss Hastings, had a duplicate key. Anyone who wished to go into the studio had to get the key from her or from himself. His wife had borrowed it occasionally, when she had left things belonging to her in the laboratory. He himself had never brought a solution of physostigmine into the house or into his wife's room and he thought that by no possibility could she have taken it accidentally.
Questioned further by the coroner, he said that his wife had for some time been in a low and nervous state of health. There was no organic disease. She suffered from depression and from a rapid alternation of moods.
Of late, he said, she had been cheerful and he had considered her improved in health and spirits. There had been no quarrel between them and they had been on good terms. On the last evening his wife had seemed in good spirits and not melancholy.
He said that his wife had occasionally spoken of ending her life but that he had not taken her remarks seriously. Asked the question definitely, he replied that in his opinion his wife had not been a suicidal type. That was his medical opinion as well as his personal one.
He was followed by Nurse Craven. She looked smart and efficient in her trim uniform, and her replies were crisp and professional. She had been in attendance on Mrs Franklin for over two months. Mrs Franklin suffered badly
