bank. Foolish on my part, of course. I ought to have realized the old lady was sharp as needles. However, all these incidents have been very small fry – fivers or tenners – that class. A deathbed will would be admittedly risky. One would have to get hold of the stiff and starched Ellen and – is suborn the word? – anyway, induce her to say she had witnessed it. It would take some doing, I fear. I might even marry her and then she wouldn't be able to give evidence against me afterwards.'
He grinned amiably at Poirot.
'I feel sure you've installed a secret dictaphone and Scotland Yard is listening in,' he said.
'Your problem interests me,' said Poirot with a touch of reproof in his manner. 'Naturally I could not connive at anything against the law. But there are more ways than one -' He stopped significantly.
Charles Arundell shrugged his graceful shoulders.
'I've no doubt there's an equal choice of devious ways inside the law,' he said agreeably. 'You should know.'
'By whom was the will witnessed? I mean the one made on April 21st?'
'Purvis brought down his clerk and the second witness was the gardener.'
'It was signed then in Mr Purvis's presence?'
'It was.'
'And Mr Purvis, I fancy, is a man of the highest respectability?'
'Purvis, Purvis, Charlesworth and once more Purvis are just about as respectable and impeccable as the Bank of England,' said Charles.
'He didn't like making the will,' said Theresa. 'In an ultra-correct fashion I believe he even tried to dissuade Aunt Emily from making it.'
Charles said sharply:
'Did he tell you that, Theresa?'
'Yes. I went to see him again yesterday.'
'It's no good, my sweet – you ought to realize that. Only piles up the six and eightpences.'
Theresa shrugged her shoulders.
Poirot said:
'I will ask of you to give me as much information as you can about the last weeks of Miss Arundell's life. Now, to begin with, I understand that you and your brother and also Dr Tanios and his wife stayed there for Easter?'
'Yes, we did.'
'Did anything happen of significance during that weekend?'
'I don't think so.'
'Nothing? But I thought -'
Charles broke in.
'What a self-centred creature you are, Theresa. Nothing of significance happened to you! Wrapped in love's young dream! Let me tell you, M. Poirot, that Theresa has a blue-eyed boy in Market Basing. One of the local sawbones. She's got rather a faulty sense of proportion in consequence. As a matter of fact, my revered aunt took a header down the stairs and nearly passed out. Wish she had. It would have saved all this fuss.'
'She fell down the stairs?'
'Yes, tripped over the dog's ball. Intelligent little brute left it at the top of the stairs and she took a header over it in the night.'
'This was – when?'
'Let me see – Tuesday – the evening before we left.'
'Your aunt was seriously injured?'
'Unfortunately she didn't fall on her head. If she had we might have pleaded softening of the brain – or whatever it's called scientifically. No, she was hardly hurt at all.'
Poirot said drily:
'Very disappointing for you!'
'Eh? Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, as you say, very disappointing. Tough nuts, these old ladies.'
'And you all left on the Wednesday morning?'
'That's right.'
'That was Wednesday, the fifteenth. When did you next see your aunt?'
'Well, it wasn't the next weekend. It was the weekend after that.'
'That would be – let me see – the twenty-fifth, would it not?'
'Yes, I think that was the date.'
'And your aunt died – when?'
'The following Friday.'
'Having been taken ill on the Monday night?'
'Yes.'
'That was the Monday that you left?'
'Yes.'
'You did not return during her illness?'
'Not until the Friday. We didn't realize she was really bad.'
'You got there in time to see her alive?'
'No, she died before we arrived.'
Poirot shifted his glance to Theresa Arundell.
'You accompanied your brother on both these occasions?'
'Yes.'
'And nothing was said during that second weekend about a new will having been made?'
'Nothing,' said Theresa.
Charles, however, had answered at the same moment.
'Oh, yes,' he said. 'It was.'
He spoke airily as ever, but there was something a little constrained, as though the airiness were more artificial than usual.
'It was?' said Poirot.
'Charles!' cried Theresa.
Charles seemed anxious not to meet his sister's eye.
He spoke to her without looking at her.
'Surely you remember, old girl? I told you. Aunt Emily made a kind of ultimatum of it. Sat there like a judge in court. Made a kind of speech. Said she thoroughly disapproved of all her relations – that is to say, of me and Theresa. Bella, she allowed, she had nothing against, but on the other hand she disliked and distrusted her husband. Buy British was ever Aunt Emily's motto. If Bella were to inherit any considerable sum of money she said she was convinced that Tanios would somehow or other get possession of it. Trust a Greek to do that! 'She's safer as she is,' she went on to say. Then she said that neither I nor Theresa were fit people to be trusted with money. We would only gamble and squander it away. Therefore, she finished up, she had made a new will and had left the entire estate to Miss Lawson. 'She is a fool,' said Aunt Emily, 'but she is a faithful soul. And I really believe she is devoted to me. She cannot help her lack of brains. I have thought it fairer to tell you this, Charles, as you may as well realize that it will not be possible for you to raise money on your expectations from me.' Rather a nasty one, that. Just what I'd been trying to do.'
'Why didn't you tell me, Charles?' demanded Theresa fiercely.
'Thought I did.' Charles avoided her eye.
Poirot asked:
'And what did you say, Mr Arundell?'
'I?' said Charles airily. 'Oh, I just laughed. No good cutting up rough. That's not the way. 'Just as you please. Aunt Emily,' I said. 'Bit of a blow, perhaps, but after all, it's your own money and you can do what you like with it.''
'And your aunt's reaction to that?'
'Oh, it went down well – very well, indeed. She said, 'Well, I will say you're a sportsman, Charles.' And I said, 'Got to take the rough with the smooth. As a matter of fact, if I've no expectations, what about giving me a tenner
