Cards on the Table hp-15 Read online

  "Had he?"

  Poirot shrugged his shoulders.

  "That we shall never know."

  "Doctor Roberts!" repeated Mrs. Oliver firmly. "Such a hearty man. Murderers are often hearty – as a disguise! If I were you, Superintendent Battle, I should arrest him at once."

  "I daresay we would if there was a woman at the head of Scotland Yard," said Superintendent Battle, a momentary twinkle showing in his unemotional eyes, "But you see, mere men being in charge, we've got to be careful. We've got to get there slowly."

  "Oh, men – men," sighed Mrs. Oliver and began to compose newspaper articles in her head.

  "Better have them in now," said Superintendent Battle. "It won't do to keep them hanging about too long."

  Colonel Race half rose. "If you'd like us to go -"

  Superintendent Battle hesitated a minute as he caught Mrs. Oliver's eloquent eye. He was well aware of Colonel Race's official position and Poirot had worked with the police on many occasions. For Mrs. Oliver to remain was decidedly stretching a point. But Battle was a kindly man. He remembered that Mrs. Oliver had lost three pounds and seven shillings at bridge and that she had been a cheerful loser.

  "You can all stay," he said, "as far as I'm concerned. But no interruptions, please (he looked at Mrs. Oliver) and there mustn't be a hint of what Monsieur Poirot has just told us. That was Shaitana's little secret and to all intents and purposes it died with him. Understand?"

  "Perfectly," said Mrs. Oliver.

  Battle strode to the door and called the constable who was on duty in the hall.

  "Go to the little smoking-room. You'll find Anderson there with the four guests. Ask Doctor Roberts if he'll be so good as to step this way,"

  "I should have kept him to the end," said Mrs. Oliver. "In a book I mean," she added apologetically.

  "Real life's a bit different," said Battle.

  "I know," said Mrs. Oliver. "Badly constructed."

  Doctor Roberts entered with the springiness of his step slightly subdued.

  "I say, Battle," he said. "This is the devil of a business! Excuse me, Mrs. Oliver, but it is. Professionally speaking, I could hardly have believed it! To stab a man with three other people a few yards away." He shook his head. "Whew! I wouldn't like to have done it." A slight smile twitched up the corners of his mouth. "What can I say or do to convince you that I didn't do it?"

  "Well, there's motive, Doctor Roberts."

  The doctor nodded his head emphatically.

  "That's all clear. I hadn't the shadow of a motive for doing away with poor Shaitana. I didn't even know him very well. He amused me – he was such a fantastic fellow. Touch of the Oriental about him. Naturally you'll investigate my relations with him closely; I expect that. I'm not a fool. But you won't find anything. I'd no reason for killing Shaitana and I didn't kill him."

  Superintendent Battle nodded woodenly.

  "That's all right, Doctor Roberts. I've got to investigate, as you know. You're a sensible man. Now can you tell me anything about the other three people?"

  "I'm afraid I don't know very much. Despard and Miss Meredith I met for the first time tonight. I knew of Despard before – read his travel book, and a jolly good yarn it is."

  "Did you know that he and Mr. Shaitana were acquainted?"

  "No. Shaitana never mentioned him to me. As I say, I'd heard of him, but never met him. Miss Meredith I've never seen before. Mrs. Lorrimer I know slightly."

  "What do you know about her?"

  Roberts shrugged his shoulders.

  "She's a widow. Moderately well off. Intelligent, well-bred woman – first class bridge player. That's where I've met her as a matter of fact, playing bridge."

  "And Mr. Shaitana never mentioned her either?"

  "No."

  "H'm – that doesn't help us much. Now, Doctor Roberts, perhaps you'll be so kind as to tax your memory carefully and tell me how often you yourself left your seat at the bridge table and all you can remember about the movements of the others."

  Doctor Roberts took a few minutes to think.

  "It's difficult," he said frankly, "I can remember my own movements more or less. I got up three times – that is, on three occasions when I was dummy, I left my seat and made myself useful. Once I went over and put wood on the fire. Once I brought drinks to the two ladies. Once I poured out a whisky and soda for myself."

  "Can you remember the times?"

  "I could only say very roughly. We began to play about nine-thirty, I imagine. I should say it was about an hour later that I stoked the fire; quite a short time after that I fetched the drinks, next hand but one, I think; and perhaps half-past eleven when I got myself a whisky and soda but those times are quite approximate. I couldn't answer for their being correct."

  "The table, with the drinks was beyond Mr. Shaitana's chair?"

  "Yes. That's to say I passed quite near him three times."

  "And each time to the best of your belief he was asleep?"

  "That's what I thought the first time. The second time I didn't even look at him. Third time I rather fancy the thought just passed through my mind 'How the beggar does sleep' but I didn't really look at him."

  "Very good. Now when did your fellow players leave then seats?"

  Doctor Roberts frowned.

  "Difficult – very difficult. Despard went and fetched an extra ash tray, I think. And he went for a drink. That was before me, for I remember he asked me if I'd have one and I said I wasn't quite ready."

  "And the ladies?"

  "Mrs. Lorrimer went over to the fire once. Poked it I think. I rather fancy she spoke to Shaitana, but I don't know. I was playing a rather tricky no trump at the time."

  "And Miss Meredith?"

  "She certainly left the table once. Came round and looked at my hand – I was her partner at the time. Then she looked at the other people's hands and then she wandered round the room. I don't know what she was doing exactly. I wasn't paying attention."

  Superintendent Battle said thoughtfully, "As you were sitting at the bridge table, no one's chair was directly facing the fireplace?"

  "No, sort of sideways on and there was a big cabinet between – Chinese piece, very handsome. I can see, of course, that it would be perfectly possible to stab the old boy. After all when you're playing bridge, you're playing bridge. You're not looking round you and noticing what is going on. The only person who's likely to be doing that is dummy. And in this case -"

  "In this case, undoubtedly dummy was the murderer" said Superintendent Battle.

  "All the same," said Doctor Roberts, "it wanted nerve you know! After all, who is to say that somebody won't look up just at the critical moment?"

  "Yes," said Battle. "It was a big risk. The motive must have been a strong one. I wish we knew what it was," he added with unblushing mendacity.

  "You'll find out, I expect," said Roberts. "You'll go through his papers and all that sort of thing. There will probably be a clue."

  "We'll hope so," said Superintendent Battle gloomily. He shot a keen glance at the other.

  "I wonder if you'd oblige me, Doctor Roberts, by giving me a personal opinion – as man to man."

  "Certainly."

  "Which do you fancy yourself of the three?"

  Doctor Roberts shrugged his shoulders.

  "That's easy. Offhand I'd say Despard. The man's got plenty of nerve, he's used to a dangerous life where you've got to act quickly. He wouldn't mind taking a risk. It doesn't seem to me likely the women are in on this. Take a bit of strength, I should imagine."

  "Not so much as you might think. Take a look at this."

  Rather like a conjuror, Battle suddenly produced a long, thin instrument of gleaming metal with a small, round jeweled head.

  Doctor Roberts leaned forward, took it, and examined it with rich, professional appreciation. He tried the point and whistled. "What a tool! What a tool! Absolutely made for murder, this little toy. Go in like butter – absolutely like butter. Brought it with hi
m, I suppose."

  Battle shook his head.

  "No. It was Mr. Shaitana's. It lay on the table near the door with a good many other knick-knacks."

  "So the murderer helped himself. A bit of luck finding a tool like that."

  "Well, that's one way of looking at it," said Battle slowly.

  "Well, of course it wasn't luck for Shaitana, poor fellow."

  "I didn't mean that, Doctor Roberts. I meant that there was another angle of looking at the business. It occurs to me that it was noticing this weapon that put the idea of murder into our criminal's mind."

  "You mean it was a sudden inspiration? That the murder wasn't premeditated? He conceived the idea after he got here? Er – anything to suggest that idea to you?" He glanced at Battle searchingly.

  "It's just an idea," said Superintendent Battle stolidly.

  "Well, it might be so, of course," said Doctor Roberts slowly.

  Superintendent Battle cleared his throat.

  "Well, I won't keep you any longer, Doctor. Thank you for your help. Perhaps you'll leave your address."

  "Certainly. Two hundred Gloucester Terrace, W. two. Telephone Bayswater No. two-three-eight-nine-six."

  "Thank you. I may have to call upon you shortly."

  "Delighted to see you any time. Hope there won't be too much in the papers. I don't want my nervous patients upset."

  Superintendent Battle looked round at Poirot.

  "Excuse me, Monsieur Poirot. If you'd like to ask any questions I'm sure the doctor wouldn't mind."

  "Of course not. Of course not. Great admirer of yours, Monsieur Poirot. Little gray cells – order and method. I know all about it. I feel sure you'll think of something most intriguing to ask me."

  Hercule Poirot spread out his hands in his most foreign manner.

  "No, no. I just like to get all the details clear in my mind. For instance, how many rubbers did you play?"

  "Three," said Roberts promptly. "We'd got well into the fourth rubber when you came in."

  "And who played with who?"

  "First rubber, Despard and I against the ladies. They beat us, God bless 'em. Walkover, we never held a card.

  "Second rubber Miss Meredith and I against Despard and Mrs. Lorrimer. Third rubber Mrs. Lorrimer and I against Miss Meredith and Despard. We cut each time but it worked out like a pivot. Fourth rubber Miss Meredith and I again."

  "Who won and who lost?"

  "Mrs. Lorrimer won every rubber. Miss Meredith won the first and lost the next two. I was a bit up and Miss Meredith and Despard must have been down."

  Poirot said smiling, "The good superintendent has asked you your opinion of your companions as candidates for murder. I now ask you for your opinion of them as bridge players."

  "Mrs. Lorrimer's first class," Doctor Roberts replied promptly. "I'll bet she makes a good income a year out of bridge. Despard's a good player too – what I call a sound player – longheaded chap; Miss Meredith you might describe as quite a safe player. She doesn't make mistakes but she isn't brilliant."

  "And you yourself, Doctor?"

  Roberts's eyes twinkled, "I overbid my hand a bit, or so they say. But I've always found it pays."

  Poirot smiled.

  Doctor Roberts rose. "Anything more?"

  Poirot shook his head.

  "Well, good night, then. Good night, Mrs. Oliver. You ought to get some copy out of this. Better than your untraceable poisons, eh?"

  Doctor Roberts left the room, his bearing springy once more. Mrs. Oliver said bitterly as the door closed behind him, "Copy! Copy indeed! People are so unintelligent. I could invent a better murder any day than anything real. I'm never at a loss for a plot. And the people who read my books like untraceable poisons!"

  Chapter 5

  SECOND MURDERER?

  Mrs. Lorrimer came into the dining-room like a gentlewoman. She looked a little pale, but composed.

  "I'm sorry to have to bother you," Superintendent Battle began.

  "You must do your duty, of course," said Mrs. Lorrimer quietly. "It is, I agree, an unpleasant position in which to be placed, but there is no good shirking it. I quite realize that one of the four people in that room must be guilty. Naturally I can't expect you to take my word that I am not the person."

  She accepted the chair that Colonel Race offered her and sat down opposite the superintendent. Her intelligent gray eyes met his. She waited attentively.

  "You knew Mr. Shaitana well?" began the superintendent.

  "Not very well. I have known him over a period of some years, but never intimately."

  "Where did you meet him?"

  "At a hotel in Egypt – the Winter Palace at Luxor, I think."

  "What did you think of him?"

  Mrs. Lorrimer shrugged her shoulders slightly.

  "I thought him – I may as well say so – rather a charlatan."

  "You had – excuse me for asking – no motive for wishing him out of the way?"

  Mrs. Lorrimer looked slightly amused.

  "Really, Superintendent Battle, do you think I should admit it if I had?"

  "You might," said Battle. "A really intelligent person might know that a thing was bound to come out."

  Mrs. Lorrimer inclined her head thoughtfully.

  "There is that, of course. No, Superintendent Battle, I had no motive for wishing Mr. Shaitana out of the way. It is really a matter of indifference to me whether he is alive or dead. I thought him a poser and rather theatrical, and sometimes he irritated me. That is – or rather was – my attitude toward him."

  "That is that, then. Now, Mrs. Lorrimer, can you tell me anything about your three companions?"

  "I'm afraid not. Major Despard and Miss Meredith I met for the first time tonight. Both of them seem charming people. Doctor Roberts I know slightly. He's a very popular doctor, I believe."

  "He is not your own doctor?"

  "Oh, no."

  "Now, Mrs. Lorrimer, can you tell me how often you got up from your seat tonight, and will you also describe the movements of the other three?"

  Mrs. Lorrimer did not take any time to think.

  "I thought you would probably ask me that. I have been trying to think it out. I got up once myself when I was dummy. I went over to the fire. Mr. Shaitana was alive then. I mentioned to him how nice it was to see a wood fire."

  "And he answered?"

  "That he hated radiators."

  "Did anyone overhear your conversation?"

  "I don't think so. I lowered my voice not to interrupt the players." She added dryly, "In fact you have only my word for it that Mr. Shaitana was alive and spoke to me."

  Superintendent Battle made no protest. He went on with his quiet methodical questioning.

  "What time was that?"

  "I should think we had been playing a little over an hour."

  "What about the others?"

  "Doctor Roberts got me a drink. He also got himself one – that was later. Major Despard also went to get a drink – at about eleven-fifteen, I should say."

  "Only once?"

  "No – twice, I think. The men moved about a fair amount, but I didn't notice what they did. Miss Meredith left her seat once only I think. She went round to look at her partner's hand."

  "But she remained near the bridge table?"

  "I couldn't say at all. She may have moved away."

  Battle nodded. "It's all very vague," he grumbled.

  "I am sorry."

  Once again Battle did his conjuring trick and produced the long, delicate stiletto.

  "Will you look at this, Mrs. Lorrimer?"

  Mrs. Lorrimer took it without emotion.

  "Have you ever seen that before?"

  "Never."

  "Yet it was lying on a table in the drawing-room."

  "I didn't notice it."

  "You realize, perhaps, Mrs. Lorrimer, that with a weapon like that a woman could do the trick just as easily as a man."

  "I suppose she could," said Mrs. Lorrimer quietly.r />
  She leaned forward and handed the dainty little thing back to him.

  "But all the same," said Superintendent Battle, "the woman would have to be pretty desperate. It was a long chance to take."

  He waited a minute but Mrs. Lorrimer did not speak.

  "Do you know anything of the relations between the other three and Mr. Shaitana?"

  She shook her head.

  "Nothing at all."

  "Would you care to give me an opinion as to which of them you consider the most likely person?"

  Mrs. Lorrimer drew herself up stiffly.

  "I should not care to do anything of the kind. I consider that a most improper question."

  The superintendent looked like an abashed little boy who has been reprimanded by his grandmother.

  "Address, please," he mumbled, drawing his notebook toward him.

  " One eleven Cheyne Lane, Chelsea."

  "Telephone number?"

  " Chelsea four-five-six-three-two." Mrs. Lorrimer rose.

  "Anything you want to ask, Monsieur Poirot?" said Battle hurriedly.

  Mrs. Lorrimer paused, her head slightly inclined.

  "Would it be a proper question, madame, to ask you your opinion of your companions not as potential murderers but as bridge players?"

  Mrs. Lorrimer answered coldly, "I have no objection to answering that – if it bears upon the matter at issue in any way, though I fail to see how it can."

  "I will be the judge of that. Your answer, if you please, madame."

  In the tone of an impatient adult humoring an idiot child Mrs. Lorrimer replied, "Major Despard is a good sound player. Doctor Roberts overbids but plays his hand brilliantly. Miss Meredith is quite a nice little player but a bit too cautious. Anything more?"

  In his turn doing a conjuring trick, Poirot produced four crumpled bridge scores.

  "These scores, madame, is one of these yours?"

  She examined them. "This is my writing. It is the score of the third rubber."

  "And this score?"

  "That must be Major Despard's. He cancels as he goes."

  "And this one?"