Hilda said:
‘The child seems quite upset.’
George cleared his throat and said portentously:
‘Er – as I pointed out this morning – the principle involved is wrong. Pilar has the wit to see that for herself. She refuses to accept charity–’
Lydia said sharply:
‘It is not charity. It is her right!’
George said:
‘She does not seem to think so!’
Superintendent Sugden and Hercule Poirot came in. The former looked round and asked:
‘Where’s Mr Farr? I want a word with him.’
Before anyone had time to answer, Hercule Poirot said sharply:
‘Where is the senorita Estravados?’
George Lee said with a trace of malicious satisfaction:
‘Going to clear out, so she says. Apparently she has had enough of her English relations.’
Poirot wheeled round.
He said to Sugden:
‘Come!’
As the two men emerged into the hall, there was the sound of a heavy crash and a far-away shriek.
Poirot cried:
‘Quick… Come…’
They raced along the hall and up the far staircase. The door of Pilar’s room was open and a man stood in the doorway. He turned his head as they ran up. It was Stephen Farr.
He said:
‘She’s alive…’
Pilar stood crouched against the wall of her room. She was staring at the floor where a big stone cannon ball was lying.
She said breathlessly:
‘It was on top of my door, balanced there. It would have crashed down on my head when I came in, but my skirt caught on a nail and jerked me back just as I was coming in.’
Poirot knelt down and examined the nail. On it was a thread of purple tweed. He looked up and nodded gravely.
‘That nail, mademoiselle,’ he said, ‘saved your life.’
The superintendent said, bewildered:
‘Look here, what’s the meaning of all this?’
Pilar said:
‘Someone tried to kill me!’
She nodded her head several times.
Superintendent Sugden glanced up at the door.
‘Booby trap,’ he said. ‘An old-fashioned booby trap – and its purpose was murder! That’s the second murder planned in this house. But this time it didn’t come off!’
Stephen Farr said huskily:
‘Thank God you’re safe.’
Pilar flung out her hands in a wide, appealing gesture.
‘Madre de Dios,’ she cried. ‘Why should anyone wish to kill me? What have I done?’
Hercule Poirot said slowly:
‘You should rather ask, mademoiselle, what do I know?’
She stared.
‘Know? I do not know anything.’
Hercule Poirot said:
‘That is where you are wrong. Tell me, Mademoiselle Pilar, where were you at the time of the murder? You were not in this room.’
‘I was. I have told you so!’
Superintendent Sugden said with deceptive mildness:
‘Yes, but you weren’t speaking the truth when you said that, you know. You told us you heard your grandfather scream – you couldn’t have heard that if you were in here – Mr Poirot and I tested that yesterday.’
‘Oh!’ Pilar caught her breath.
Poirot said:
‘You were somewhere very much nearer his room. I will tell you where I think you were, mademoiselle. You were in the recess with the statues quite close to your grandfather’s door.’
Pilar said, startled:
‘Oh… How did you know?’
Poirot said with a faint smile:
‘Mr Farr saw you there.’
Stephen said sharply:
‘I did not. That’s an absolute lie!’
Poirot said:
‘I ask your pardon, Mr Farr, but you did see her. Remember your impression that there were three statues in that recess, not two. Only one person wore a white dress that night, Mademoiselle Estravados. She was the third white figure you saw. That is so, is it not, mademoiselle?’
Pilar said, after a moment’s hesitation: ‘Yes, it is true.’
Poirot said gently: ‘Now tell us, mademoiselle, the whole truth.Why were you there?’
Pilar said:
‘I left the drawing-room after dinner and I thought I would go and see my grandfather. I thought he would be pleased. But when I turned into the passage I saw someone else was there at his door. I did not want to be seen because I knew my grandfather had said he did not want to see anyone that night. I slipped into the recess in case the person at the door turned round.’
‘Then, all at once, I heard the most horrible sounds, tables – chairs’ – she waved her hands – ‘everything falling and crashing. I did not move. I do not know why. I was frightened. And then there was a terrible scream’ – she crossed herself – ‘and my heart it stopped beating, and I said, “Someone is dead… ”’
‘And then?’
‘And then people began coming running along the passage and I came out at the end and joined them.’
Superintendent Sugden said sharply:
‘You said nothing of all this when we first questioned you. Why not?’
Pilar shook her head. She said, with an air of wisdom:
‘It is not good to tell too much to the police. I thought, you see, that if I said I was near there you might think that I had killed him. So I said I was in my room.’
Sugden said sharply:
‘If you tell deliberate lies all that it ends in is that you’re bound to come under suspicion.’
Stephen Farr said: ‘Pilar?’
‘Yes?’
‘Who did you see standing at the doorwhen you turned into the passage? Tell us.’
Sugden said: ‘Yes, tell us.’
For a moment the girl hesitated. Her eyes opened, then narrowed. She said slowly:
‘I don’t know who it was. It was too dimly lit to see. But it was a woman… ’
