“What do you make of it?” I asked.
Why should Poirot always be the one to ask the questions.
“I call it very interesting–very interesting indeed. So was Miss Theresa ArundelFs reaction to it. Their passage of arms was suggestive–very suggestive.” “ITm,” I said in oracular fashion.
“It opens up two distinct lines of inquiry.” “They seem a nice pair of crooks,” I remarked. “Ready for anything. The girl’s amazingly good-looking. As for young Charles, he’s certainly an attractive scoundrel.”
Poirot was just hailing a taxi. It drew into the curb and Poirot gave an address to the driver.
“17 Clanroyden Mansions, Bayswater.” , “So it’s Lawson next,” I commented.
, “And after that–the Tanioses?” I “Quite right, Hastings.” “What role are you adopting here?” I inquired as the taxi drew up at Clanroyden Mansions. “The biographer of General Arundell, a prospective tenant of Littlegreen House, or something more subtle still?” “I shall present myself simply as Hercule Poirot.” “How very disappointing,” I gibed.
Poirot merely threw me a glance and paid off the taxi.
No. 17 was on the second floor. A pertlooking maid opened the door and showed us into a room that really struck a ludicrous note after the one we had just left.
Theresa ArundelFs flat had been bare to the point of emptiness. Miss Lawson’s on the other hand was so crammed with furniture and odds and ends that one could hardly move about without the fear of knocking something over.
The door opened and a rather stout, middle-aged lady came in. Miss Lawson was very much as I had pictured her. She had an eager, rather foolish face, untidy greyish hair and pince-nez perched a little askew on her nose. Her style of conversation was spasmodic and consisted of gasps.
“Good-morning–er–I don’t think–” “Miss Wilhelmina Lawson?” “Yes–yes–that is my name….” “My name is Poirot–Hercule Poirot.
Yesterday I was looking over Littlegreen House.” “Oh, yes?” Miss Lawson’s mouth fell a little wider open and she made some inefficient dabs at her untidy hair.
“Won’t you sit down?” She went on. “Sit here, won’t you? Oh, dear, I’m afraid that table is in your way. I’m just a little bit crowded here. So difficult! These flats! Just a teeny bit on the small side. But so central!
And I do like being central. Don’t you?” With a gasp she sat down on an uncomfortable-looking Victorian chair and, her pince-nez still awry, leaned forward breathlessly and looked at Poirot hopefully.
“I went to Littlegreen House in the guise of a purchaser,” went on Poirot. “But I should like to say at once–this is in the strictest confidence–” “Oh, yes,” breathed Miss Lawson, apparently pleasurably excited.
“The very strictest confidence,” continued Poirot, “that I went there with another object…. You may or you may not be aware that shortly before she died Miss Arundell wrote to me–” He paused and then went on.
“I am a well-known private detective.” A variety of expressions chased themselves over Miss Lawson’s slightly flushed countenance.
I wondered which one Poirot would single out as relevant to his inquiry. Alarm, excitement, surprise, puzzlement….
“Oh,” she said. Then after a pause, “Oh,” again.
And then, quite unexpectedly, she asked: “Was it about the money?” Poirot, even, was slightly taken aback. He said tentatively: “You mean the money that was–” “Yes, yes. The money that was taken from the drawer?” Poirot said quietly: “Miss Arundell didn’t tell you she had written to me on the subject of that money?” “No, indeed. I had no idea– Well, really, I must say I’m very surprised–” “You thought she should not have mentioned it to any one?” “I certainly didn’t think so. You see, she had a very good idea–” She stopped again. Poirot said quickly: “She had a very good idea who took it.
That is what you would say, is it not?” Miss Lawson nodded and continued breathlessly: “And I shouldn’t have thought she would have wanted–well, I mean she said–that is, she seemed to feel–” Again Poirot cut in neatly into the midst of these incoherencies.
“It was a family matter?” “Exactly.” “But me,” said Poirot, “I specialize in family matters. I am, you see, very, very discreet.” Miss Lawson nodded vigorously.