The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories Read online

"Do you sleep with your window open or

  shut?"

  "Open. I like lots of air."

  "Do you and Basil enjoy the same kind of

  food?"

  "Yes."

  "Do you like going to bed early or late?"

  "Really, under the rose, early. At half-past ten

  I yawn--and I secretly feel rather hearty in the

  mornings--but of course I daren't admit it."

  "You ought to suit each other very well," said

  Mr. Parker Pyne.

  "Rather a superficial test."

  "Not at all. I have known seven marriages at

  least, entirely wrecked, because the husband liked

  sitting up till midnight and the wife fell asleep at

  half-past nine and vice versa."

  "It's a pity," said Betty, "that everybody can't

  be happy. Basil and I, and his mother giving us her

  blessing."

  Mr. Parker Pyne coughed.

  "I think," he said, "that that could possibly be

  managed."

  She looked at him doubtfully.

  "Now I wonder," she said, "if you're double

  crossing me?"

  Mr. Parker Pyne's face told nothing.

  PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY

  93

  To Mrs. Chester he was soothing, but vague.

  An engagement was not marriage. He himself was

  going to Soller for a week. He suggested that her

  line of action should be noncommittal. Let her

  appear to acquiesce.

  He spent a very enjoyable week at Soller.

  On his return he found that a totally unexpected

  development had arisen.

  As he entered the Pino d'Oro the first thing he

  saw was Mrs. Chester and Betty Gregg having tea

  together. Basil was not there. Mrs. Chester looked

  haggard. Betty, too, was looking off color. She

  was hardly made up at all, and her eyelids looked

  as though she had been crying.

  They greeted him in a friendly fashion, but

  neither of them mentioned Basil.

  Suddenly he heard the girl beside him draw in

  her breath sharply as though something had hurt

  her. Mr. Parker Pyne turned his head.

  Basil Chester was coming up the steps from the

  sea front. With him was a girl so exotically beauti-ful

  that it quite took your breath away. She was

  dark and her figure was marvelous. No one could

  fail to notice the fact since she wore nothing but a

  single garment of pale blue crepe. She was heavily

  made up with ocher powder and an orange scarlet

  mouth--but the unguents only displayed her re-markable

  beauty in a more pronounced fashion.

  As for young Basil, he seemed unable to take his

  eyes from her face.

  "You're very late, Basil," said his mother.

  "You were to have taken Betty to Mac's."

  "My fault," drawled the beautiful unknown.

  "We just drifted." She turned to Basil. "Angel--

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  Agatha Christie

  get me something with a kick in it!"

  She tossed off her shoe and stretched out her

  manicured toenails which were done emerald

  green to match her fingernails.

  She paid no attention to the two women, but she

  leaned a little towards Mr. Parlcr. Pyne.

  "Terrible island this," she said. "I wds just

  dying with boredom before I met Basil. He is

  rather a pet!"

  "Mr. Parker PynemMiss Ramona," said Mrs.

  Chester.

  The girl acknowledged the introduction with a

  lazy smile.

  "I guess I'll call you Parker almost at once,"

  she murmured. "My name's Dolores."

  Basil returned with the drinks. Miss Ramona

  divided her conversation (what there was of it--it

  was mostly glances) between Basil and Mr. Parker

  Pyne. Of the two women she took no notice whatever.

  Betty attempted once or twice to join in the

  conversation but the other girl merely stared at her

  and yawned.

  Suddenly Dolores rose.

  "Guess I'll be going along now. I'm at the other

  hotel. Anyone coming to see me home?"

  Basil sprang up.

  "I'll come with you."

  Mrs. Chester said: "Basil, my dear--"

  "I'll be back presently, Mother."

  "Isn't he the mother's boy?" Miss Ramona

  asked of the world at large. "Just toots 'round

  after her, don't you?"

  Basil flushed and looked awkward. Miss

  Ramona gave a nod in Mrs. Chester's direction, a

  PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY

  95

  dazzling smile to Mr. Parker Pyne and she and

  Basil moved off together.

  After they had gone there was rather an awk-ward

  silence. Mr. Parker Pyne did not like to

  speak first. Betty Gregg was twisting her fingers

  and looking out to sea. Mrs. Chester looked

  flushed and angry.

  Betty said: "Well, what do you think of our

  new acquisition in Pollensa Bay?" Her voice was

  not quite steady.

  Mr. Parker Pyne said cautiously:

  "A little--er--exotic."

  "Exotic?" Betty gave a short bitter laugh.

  Mrs. Chester said: "She's terrible--terrible.

  Basil must be quite mad."

  Betty said sharply: "Basil's all right."

  "Her toenails," said Mrs. Chester with a shiver

  of nausea.

  Betty rose suddenly.

  "I think, Mrs. Chester, I'll go home and not

  stay to dinner after all."

  "Oh, my dear--Basil will be so disappointed."

  "Will he?" asked Betty with a short laugh.

  "Anyway, I think I will. I've got rather a head-ache."

  She smiled at them both and went off. Mrs.

  Chester turned to Mr. Parker Pyne.

  "I wish we had never come to this place--never!"

  Mr. Parker Pyne shook his head sadly.

  "You shouldn't have gone away," said Mrs.

  Chester. "If you'd been here this wouldn't have

  happened."

  Mr. Parker Pyne was stung to respond,

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  Agatha Christie

  "My dear lady, I can assure you that when it

  comes to a question of a beautiful young woman,

  I should have no influence over your son what-ever.

  He--er--seems to be of a very ?uscePtible

  nature."

  "He never used to be," said Mrs. Chester tear-fully.

  "Well," said Mr. Parker Pyne with an attempt

  at cheerfulness, "this new attraction seems to have

  broken the back of his infatuation for Miss Gregg.

  That must be some satisfaction to you."

  "I don't know what you mean," said Mrs.

  Chester. "Betty is a dear child and devoted to

  Basil. She is behaving extremely well over this. I

  think my boy must be mad."

  Mr. Parker Pyne received this startling change

  of face without wincing. He had met inconsistency

  in women before. He said mildly:

  "Not exactly mad--j ust bewitched."

  "The creature's a Dago. She's impossible."

  "But extremely good-looking."

  Mrs. Chester snorted.

  Basil ran up the steps from the sea front.

  "Hullo, Mater, here I am. Where's Betty?"

  "Betty's gone home with a headache. I don't

  wonder. ' '

>   "Sulking, you mean."

  "I consider, Basil, that you are being extremely

  unkind to Betty."

  "For God's sake, Mother, don't jaw. If Betty is

  going to make this fuss every time I speak to

  another girl a nice sort of life we'll lead together."

  "You are engaged."

  "Oh, we're engaged all right. That doesn't

  PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY

  97

  mean that we're not going to have any friends of

  our own. Nowadays people have to lead their own

  lives and try to cut out jealousy."

  He paused.

  "Look here, if Betty isn't going to dine with

  us--I think I'll go back to the Mariposa. They did

  ask me to dine "

  "Oh,

  Basil--"

  The boy gave her an exasperated look, then ran

  off down the steps.

  Mrs. Chester looked eloquently at Mr. Parker

  Pyne.

  "You see," she said.

  He saw.

  Matters came to a head a couple of days later.

  Betty and Basil were to have gone for a long walk,

  taking a picnic lunch with them. Betty arrived at

  the Pino d'Oro to find that Basil had forgotten the

  plan and gone over to Formentor for the day with

  Dolores Ramona's party.

  Beyond a tightening of the lips the girl made no

  sign. Presently, however, she got up and stood in

  front of Mrs. Chester (the two women were alone

  on the terrace).

  "It's quite all right," she said. "It doesn't

  matter. But I think--all the same--that we'd bet-ter

  call the whole thing off."

  She slipped from her finger the signet ring that

  Basil had given her--he would buy the real en-gagement

  ring later.

  "Will you give him back this, Mrs. Chester?

  And tell him it's all right--not to worry .... "

  "Betty dear, don't! He does love you--really."

  "It looks like it, doesn't it?" said the girl with a

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  Agatha Christie

  short laugh. "No--I've got some pride. Tell him

  everything's all right and that I--I wish him

  luck."

  When Basil returned at sunset he was greeted by

  a storm.

  He flushed a little at the sight of his ring.

  "So that's how she feels, is it? Well, I daresay

  it's the best thing."

  "Basil!"

  "Well, frankly, Mother, we don't seem to have

  been hitting it off lately."

  "Whose fault was that?"

  "I don't see that it was mine particularly. Jealousy's

  beastly and I really don't see why you should get all worked up about it. You begged me

  yourself not to marry Betty."

  "That was before I knew her. Basil--my dear--you're

  not thinking of marrying this other creature.''

  Basil Chester said soberly:

  "I'd marry her like a shot if she'd have me--but

  I'm afraid she won't."

  Cold chills went down Mrs. Chester's spine. She

  sought and found Mr. Parker Pyne, placidly reading

  a book in a sheltered corner.

  "You must do something! You must do something!

  My boy's life will be ruined."

  Mr. Parker Pyne was getting a little tired of

  Basil Chester's life being ruined.

  "What can I do?"

  "Go and see this terrible creature. If necessary

  buy her off."

  "That may come very expensive."

  "I don't care."

  PROBLEM ,T POLLENSA BAY

  99

  "It seems a Pity. Still there are, possibly, other

  ways."

  She looked a question. He shook his head.

  "I'll make no proroises--but I'll see what I can

  do. I have handled that kind before. By the way,

  not a word to Basil--that would be fatal."

  "Of course not."

  Mr. Parker Pyne returned from the Mariposa at

  midnight. Mrs. Chester was sitting up for him.

  "Well?" she demarded breathlessly.

  His eyes twinklcci.

  "The Sefiorita DOlores Ramona will leave Poi-lensa

  tomorrow morning and the island tomorrow

  night.."

  "Oh, Mr. Parker Pyne! How did you manage

  it?"

  "It won't cost a Cnt," said Mr. Parker Pyne.

  Again his cycs twinkled. "I rather fancied I might

  have a hold over her---and I was right."

  "You arc wonderful. Nina Wycherley was quite

  right. Youmust let me know--er--your fees-'

  Mr. Parker Pyue held up a well-manicured

  hand.

  "Not a penny. It has been a pleasure. I hope all

  will go well. Of course the boy will be very upset at

  first when he finds she's disappeared and left no

  address. Just go easy with him for a week or two."

  "If only Betty will forgive him--"

  "She'll forgive him all right. They're a nice

  couple. By the way, I'm leaving tomorrow, too."

  "Oh, Mr. Parker lyne, we shall miss you."

  "Perhaps it's just as well I should go before that

  boy of yours gets infatuated with yet a third girl."

  Mr. Parker Pyne leaned over the rail of the

  100

  Agatha Christie

  steamer and looked at the lights of Palma. Beside

  him stood Dolores Ramona. He was saying appre-ciatively:

  "A very nice piece of work, Madeleine. I'm

  glad I wired you to come out. It's odd when you're

  such a quiet stay-at-home girl really."

  Madeleine de Sara, alias Dolores Ramona, alias

  Maggie Sayers, said primly: "I'm glad you're

  pleased, Mr. Parker Pyne. It's been a nice little

  change. I think I'll go below now and get to bed

  before the boat starts. I'm such a bad sailor."

  A few minutes later a hand fell on Mr. Parker

  Pyne's shoulder. He turned to see Basil Chester.

  "Had to come and see you off, Mr. Parker

  Pyne, and give you Betty's love and her and my

  best thanks. It was a grand stunt of yours. Betty

  and Mother are as thick as thieves. Seemed a

  shame to deceive the old darling--but she was

  being difficult. Anyway it's all right now. I must

  just be careful to keep up the annoyance stuff a

  couple of days longer. We're no end grateful to

  you, Betty and I."

  "I wish you every happiness," said Mr. Parker

  Pyne.

  "Thanks."

  There was a pause, then Basil said with some-what

  overdone carelessness:

  "Is Miss--Miss de Sara--anywhere about? I'd

  like to thank her, too."

  Mr. Parker Pyne shot a keen glance at him.

  He said:

  "I'm afraid Miss de Sara's gone to bed."

  "Oh, too bad--well, perhaps I'll see her in

  London sometime."

  PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY

  101

  "As a matter of fact she is going to America on

  business for me almost at once."

  "Oh!" Basil's tone was blank. "Well," he said.

  "I'll be getting along .... "

  Mr. Parker Pyne smiled. On his way to his

  cabin he tapped on the door of Madeleine's.

  "How are you, my dear? All right? Our young

  friend has been along. The usual slight attack of

  Madeleinitis. He'll get over it in a day or two, bu
t

  you are rather distracting."

  > ->>> ->>> - ->>> ->>> ,>

  Yellow Iris

  106

  Agatha Christie

  Smiling at the pleasing conceit, he lifted the

  receiver.

  Immediately a voice spoke--a soft husky

  woman's voice with a kind of desperate urgency

  about it.

  "Is that M. Hercule Poirot? Is that M. Hercule

  Poirot ?"

  "Hercule Poirot speaks."

  "M. Poirot--can you come at once--at once--

  I'm in danger--in great danger--I know it "

  Poirot

  said sharply,

  "Who

  are you? Where are you speaking from?"

  The

  voice came more faintly but with an even greater

  urgency.

  "At

  once.., it's life or death .... The Jarclin des

  Cygnes. . . at once . . . table with yellow irises....

  "

  There

  was a pause--a queer kind of gasp--the line

  went dead.

  Hercule

  Poirot hung up. His face was puzzled. He

  murmured between his teeth:

  "There