Cards On The Table Part 6

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, Dr. 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, Dr. 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 beforeread 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-cla.s.s 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, Dr. 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."

Dr. Roberts took a few minutes to think. "It's difficult," he said frankly. "I can remeb, ermy 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 pa.s.sed 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 pa.s.sed through my mind: 'How the beggar does sleep.' But I didn't really look closely at him."

"Very good. Now, when did your fellow-players leave their seats?"

Dr. 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?"

396

"No, sort of sideways on, and there was a big cabinet betweenhinese 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 Dr. 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 unblus.h.i.+ng 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, Dr. Roberts, by giving me a personal opinion--as man to man."

"Certainly."

"Which do you fancy yourself of the three?"

Dr. Roberts shrugged his shoulders.

"That's easy. Off-hand, 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 conjurer, Battle suddenly produced a long thin instrument of gleaming metal with a small round jewelled head.

Dr. 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 b.u.t.ter absolutely like b.u.t.ter. Brought it with him, 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 knickknacks."

"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, Dr. 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 him searchingly.

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

"Well, it might be so, of course," said Dr. 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. 200 Gloucester Terrace, W.2. Telephone No. Bayswater 23896."

"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, M. 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, M. Poirot. Little grey

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 to one game all, in the fourth

rubber, when you came in."