Murder on the Links Page 4

  The examining magistrate stroked his beard disconsolately.

  'And you can fix the time of this outrage?'

  'Yes, I distinctly remember hearing the clock on the mantelpiece strike two.' She nodded towards an eight-day travelling clock in a leather case which stood in the centre of the mantelpiece.

  Poirot rose from his seat, scrutinized the clock carefully, and nodded, satisfied.

  'And here too,' exclaimed M. Bex, 'is a wristwatch, knocked off the dressing table by the assassins, without doubt, and smashed to atoms. Little did they know it would testify against them.'

  Gently he picked away the fragments of broken glass.

  Suddenly his face changed to one of utter stupefaction.

  'Mon Dieu!' he ejaculated.

  'What is it?'

  'The hands of the watch point to seven o'clock!'

  'What?' cried the examining magistrate, astonished.

  But Poirot, deft as ever, took the broken trinket from the startled commissary, and held it to his ear. Then he smiled.

  'The glass is broken, yes but the watch itself is still going.'

  The explanation of the mystery was greeted with a relieved smile. But the magistrate bethought him of another point.

  'But surely it is not seven o'clock now?'

  'No,' said Poirot gently, 'it is a few minutes after five. Possibly the watch gains, is that so, madame?'

  Mrs. Renauld was frowning perplexedly. 'It does gain,' she admitted. 'But I've never known it gain quite so much as that.'

  With a gesture of impatience the magistrate left the matter of the watch and proceeded with his interrogatory.

  'Madame, the front door was found ajar. It seems almost certain that the murderers entered that way, yet it has not been forced at all. Can you suggest any explanation?'

  'Possibly my husband went out for a stroll the last thing, and forgot to latch it when he came in.'

  'Is that a likely thing to happen?'

  'Very. My husband was the most absentminded of men.'

  There was a slight frown on her brow as she spoke as though this trait in the dead man's character had at times vexed her.

  'There is one inference I think we might draw,' remarked the commissary suddenly. 'Since the men insisted on Monsieur Renauld dressing himself, it looks as though the place they were taking him to, the place where "the secret" was concealed, lay some distance away.'

  The magistrate nodded.

  'Yes, far, and yet not too far, since he spoke of being back by morning.'

  'What time does the last train leave the station of Merlinville?' asked Poirot.

  '[unreadable] one way, and [unreadable] the other, but it is more probable that they had a motor waiting.'

  'Of course,' agreed Poirot, looking somewhat crestfallen.

  'Indeed, that might be one way of tracing them,' continued the magistrate, brightening. 'A motor containing two foreigners is quite likely to have been noticed. That is an excellent point, Monsieur Bex.'

  He smiled to himself, and then, becoming grave once more, he said to Mrs. Renauld: 'There is another question. Do you know anyone of the name of "Duveen"?'

  'Duveen?' Mrs. Renauld repeated thoughtfully. 'No, for the moment, I cannot say I do.'

  'You have never heard your husband mention anyone of that name.'

  'Never.'

  'Do you know anyone whose Christian name is Bella?'

  He watched Mrs. Renauld narrowly as he spoke, seeking to surprise any signs of anger or consciousness, but she merely shook her head in quite a natural manner. He continued his questions.

  'Are you aware that your husband had a visitor last night?'

  Now he saw the red mount slightly in her cheeks, but she replied composedly: 'No, who was that?'

  'A lady.'

  'Indeed?'

  But for the moment the magistrate was content to say no more. It seemed unlikely that Madame Daubreuil had any connexion with the crime, and he was anxious not to upset Mrs. Renauld more than necessary.

  He made a sign to the commissary, and the latter replied with a nod. Then rising, he went across the room, and returned with the glass jar we had seen in the outhouse in his hand. From this he took the dagger.

  'Madame,' he said gently, 'do you recognize this?'

  She gave a little cry. 'Yes, that is my little dagger.' Then she saw the stained point, and she drew back, her eyes widening with horror.

  'Is that—blood?'

  'Yes, madame. Your husband was killed with this weapon.' He removed it hastily from sight. 'You are quite sure about it being the one that was on your dressing table last night?'

  'Oh, yes. It was a present from my son. He was in the Air Force during the War. He gave his age as older than it was.' There was a touch of the proud mother in her voice.

  'This was made from a streamline aeroplane wire, and was given to me by my son as a souvenir of the War.'

  'I see, madame. That brings us to another matter. Your son, where is he now? It is necessary that he should be telegraphed to without delay.'

  'Jack? He is on his way to Buenos Aires.'

  'What?'

  'Yes. My husband telegraphed to him yesterday. He had sent him on business to Paris, but yesterday he discovered that it would be necessary for him to proceed without delay to South America. There was a boat leaving Cherbourg for Buenos Aires last night, and he wired him to catch it.'

  'Have you any knowledge of what the business in Buenos Aires was?'

  'No, monsieur, I know nothing of its nature, but Buenos Aires is not my son's final destination. He was going over-land from there to Santiago.'

  And, in unison, the magistrate and the commissary exclaimed: 'Santiago! Again Santiago!'

  It was at this moment, when we were all stunned by the mention of that word, that Poirot approached Mrs. Renauld.

  He had been standing by the window like a man lost in a dream, and I doubt if he had fully taken in what had passed.

  He paused by the lady's side with a bow.

  'Pardon, madame, but may I examine your wrists?'

  Though slightly surprised at the request, Mrs. Renauld held them out to him. Round each of them was a cruel red mark where the cords had bitten into the flesh. As he examined them, I fancied that a momentary flicker of excitement I had seen in his eyes disappeared.

  'They must cause you great pain,' he said, and once more he looked puzzled.

  But the magistrate was speaking excitedly.

  'Young Monsieur Renauld must be communicated with at once by wireless. It is vital that we should know anything he can tell us about this trip to Santiago.' He hesitated. 'I hoped he might have been near at hand, so that we could have saved you pain, madame.' He paused.

  'You mean,' she said in a low voice, 'the identification of my husband's body?'

  The magistrate bowed his head.

  'I am a strong woman, monsieur. I can bear all that is required of me. I am ready—now.'

  'Oh, tomorrow will be quite soon enough, I assure you—'

  'I prefer to get it over,' she said in a low tone, a spasm of pain crossing her face. 'If you will be so good as to give me your arms doctor?'

  The doctor hastened forward, a cloak was thrown over Mrs. Renauld's shoulders, and a slow procession went down the stairs. M. Bex hurried on ahead to open the door of the shed. In a minute or two Mrs. Renauld appeared in the doorway. She was very pale, but resolute. She raised her hand to her face.

  'A moment, messieurs, while I steel myself.'

  She took her hand away and looked down at the dead man. Then the marvellous self-control which had upheld her so far deserted her.

  'Paul!' she cried. 'Husband! Oh, God!' And pitching forward she fell unconscious to the ground.

  Instantly Poirot was beside her, he raised the lid of her eye, felt her pulse. When he had satisfied himself that she had really fainted, he drew aside. He caught me by the arm.

  'I am an imbecile my friend! If ever there was love and grief in a woman's vo
ice, I heard it then. My little idea was all wrong. Eh bien! I must start again!'

  CHAPTER 6

  THE SCENE OF THE CRIME

  BETWEEN them, the doctor and M. Hautet carried the unconscious woman into the house. The commissary looked after them, shaking his head.

  'Pauvre femme,' he murmured to himself. 'The shock was too much for her. Well, well, we can do nothing. Now, Monsieur Poirot, shall we visit the place where the crime was committed?'

  'If you please, Monsieur Bex.'

  We passed through the house, and out by the front door.

  Poirot had looked up at the staircase in passing, and shook his head in a dissatisfied manner.

  'It is to me incredible that the servants heard nothing. The creaking of that staircase, with three people descending it, would awaken the dead!'

  'It was the middle of the night, remember. They were sound asleep by then.'

  But Poirot continued to shake his head as though not fully accepting the explanation. On the sweep of the drive he paused, looking up at the house.

  'What moved them in the first place to try if the front door were open? It was a most unlikely thing that it should be. It was far more probable that they should at once try to force a window.'

  'But all the windows on the ground floor are barred with iron shutters,' objected the commissary.

  Poirot pointed to a window on the first floor,

  'That is the window of the bedroom we have just come from, is it not? And see—there is a tree by which it would be the easiest thing in the world to mount.'

  'Possibly,' admitted the other. 'But they could not have done so without leaving footprints in the flowerbed.'

  I saw the justice of his words. There were two large oval flowerbeds planted with scarlet geraniums, one each side of the steps leading up to the front door. The tree in question had its roots actually at the back of the bed itself, and it would have been impossible to reach it without stepping on the bed.

  'You see,' continued the commissary, 'owing to the dry weather no prints would show on the drive or paths; but, on the soft mould of the flowerbed, it would have been a very different affair.'

  Poirot went close to the bed and studied it attentively. As Bex had said, the mould was perfectly smooth. There was not an indentation on it anywhere.

  Poirot nodded, as though convinced, and we turned away; but he suddenly darted off and began examining the other flowerbed.

  'Monsieur Bex!' he called. 'See here. Here are plenty of traces for you.'

  The commissary joined him—and smiled.

  'My dear Monsieur Poirot, those are without doubt the footprints of the gardener's large hobnailed boots. In any case, it would have no importance, since this side we have no tree, and consequently no means of gaining access to the upper storey.'

  'True,' said Poirot, evidently crestfallen. 'So you think these footprints are of no importance?'

  'Not the least in the world.'

  Then to my utter astonishment, Poirot pronounced these words: 'I do not agree with you. I have a little idea that these footprints are the most important things we have seen yet.'

  M. Bex said nothing, merely shrugged his shoulders. He was far too courteous to utter his real opinion.

  'Shall we proceed?' he asked, instead.

  'Certainly. I can investigate this matter of the footprints later,' said Poirot cheerfully.

  Instead of following the drive down to the gate, M. Bex turned up a path that branched off at right angles. It led, up a slight incline, round to the right of the house, and was bordered on either side by a kind of shrubbery. Suddenly it emerged into a little clearing from which one obtained a view of the sea. A seat had been placed here, and not far from it was a rather ramshackle shed. A few steps farther on, a neat line of small bushes marked the boundary of the villa grounds. M. Bex pushed his way through these, and we found ourselves on a wide stretch of open downs. I looked round, and saw something that filled me with astonishment: 'Why, this is a Golf Course,' I cried.

  Bex nodded.

  'The links are not completed yet,' he explained. 'It is hoped to be able to open them some time next month. It was some of the men working on them who discovered the body early this morning.'

  I gave a gasp. A little to my left, where for the moment I had overlooked it, was a long narrow pit and by its face downwards, was the body of a man! For a moment, my heart gave a terrible leap, and I had a wild fancy that the tragedy had been duplicated. But the commissary dispelled my illusion by moving forward with a sharp exclamation of annoyance: 'What have my police been about? They had strict orders to allow no one near the place without proper credentials!'

  The man on the ground turned his head over his shoulder.

  'But I have proper credentials.' he remarked and rose slowly to his feet.

  'My dear Monsieur Giraud,' cried the commissary. 'I had no idea that you had arrived, even. The examining magistrate has been awaiting you with the utmost impatience.'

  As he spoke, I was scanning the newcomer with the keenest curiosity. The famous detective from the Paris Sureté was familiar to me by name and I was extremely interested to see him in the flesh. He was very tall, perhaps about thirty years of age, with auburn hair and moustache, and a military carriage. There was a trace of arrogance in his manner which showed that he was fully alive to his own importance.

  Bex introduced us, presenting Poirot as a colleague. A flicker of interest came into the detective's eye.

  'I know you by name, Monsieur Poirot,' he said. 'You cut quite a figure in the old days, didn't you? But methods are very different now.'

  'Crimes, though, are very much the same,' remarked Poirot gently.

  I saw at once that Giraud was prepared to be hostile. He resented the other being associated with him, and I felt that if he came across any clue of importance he would be more than likely to keep it to himself.

  'The examining magistrate—' began Bex again.

  But Giraud interrupted rudely: 'A fig for the examining magistrate! The light is the important thing. For all practical purposes it will be gone in another half hour or so. I know all about the case, and the people at the house will do very well until tomorrow; but, if we're going to find a clue to the murderers, here is the spot we shall find it. Is it your police who have been trampling all over the place? I thought they knew better nowadays.'

  'Assuredly they do. The marks you complain of were made by the workmen who discovered the body.'

  The other grunted disgustedly.

  'I can see the tracks where the three of them came through the hedge—but they were cunning. You can just recognize the centre footmarks as those of Monsieur Renauld, but those on either side have been carefully obliterated. Not that there would really be much to see anyway on this hard ground, but they weren't taking any chances.'

  'The external sign,' said Poirot. 'That is what you seek, eh?'

  The other detective stared.

  'Of course.'

  A very faint smile came to Poirot's lips. He seemed about to speak, but checked himself. He bent down to where a spade was lying.

  'That's what the grave was dug with, right enough,' said Giraud. 'But you'll get nothing from it. It was Renauld's own spade, and the man who used it wore gloves. Here they are.' He gesticulated with his foot to where two soil-stained gloves were lying. 'And they're Renauld's too—or at least his gardener's. I tell you, the men who planned out this crime were taking no chances. The man was stabbed with his own dagger, and would have been buried with his own spade. They counted on leaving no traces! But I'll beat them. There's always something! And I mean to find it.'

  But Poirot was now apparently 'interested in something else, a short, discoloured piece of lead-piping which lay beside the spade. He touched it delicately with his finger.

  'And does this, too, belong to the murdered man?' he asked, and I thought I detected a subtle flavour of irony in the question.

  Giraud shrugged his shoulders to indicate that he neithe
r knew nor cared.

  'May have been lying around here for weeks. Anyway, it doesn't interest me.'

  'I, on the contrary, find it very interesting,' said Poirot [unclear].

  I guessed that he was merely bent on annoying the Paris detective and if so, he succeeded. The other turned away rudely remarking that he had no time to waste, and bending down he resumed his minute search of the ground.

  Meanwhile, Poirot, as though struck by a sudden idea, stepped back over the boundary, and tried the door of the little shed.

  'That's locked,' said Giraud over his shoulder. 'But it's only a place where the gardener keeps his rubbish. The spade didn't come from there, but from the tool-shed up by the house.'

  'Marvellous,' murmured M. Bex ecstatically to me. 'He has been here but half an hour, and he already knows everything! What a man! Undoubtedly Giraud is the greatest detective alive today!'

  Although I disliked the detective heartily, I nevertheless was secretly impressed. Efficiency seemed to radiate from the man. I could not help feeling that, so far, Poirot had not greatly distinguished himself, and it vexed me. He seemed to be directing his attention to all sorts of silly puerile points that had nothing to do with the case. Indeed, at this juncture, he suddenly asked: 'Monsieur Bex, tell me, I pray you, the meaning of this whitewashed line that extends all round the grave. Is it a device of the police?'

  'No, Monsieur Poirot, it is an affair of the golf course. It shows that there is here to be a "bunkair", as you call it.'

  'A bunker?' Poirot turned to me. 'That is the irregular hole filled with sand and a bank at one side is it not?'

  I concurred.

  'Monsieur Renauld, without doubt he played the golf?'

  'Yes, he was a keen golfer. It's mainly owing to him, and to his large subscriptions, that this work is being carried forward. He even had a say in the designing of it.'

  Poirot nodded thoughtfully. Then he remarked: 'It was not a very good choice they made—of a spot to bury the body? When the men began to dig up the ground, all would have been discovered.'

  'Exactly,' cried Giraud triumphantly. 'And that proves that they were strangers to the place. It's an excellent piece of indirect evidence.'