Mrs Mercado cried: ‘But of course he did! It stands to reason! Why—’ She stopped and said more slowly, ‘Anything else would be incredible!’
‘You are doubtless correct, madame,’ said Poirot with a bow. ‘I explain to you only how the matter must be approached. First I assure myself of the fact that everyone in this room is innocent. After that I seek the murderer elsewhere.’
‘Is it not possible that that may be a little late in the day?’ asked Father Lavigny suavely.
‘The tortoise, mon père, overtook the hare.’
Father Lavigny shrugged his shoulders.
‘We are in your hands,’ he said resignedly. ‘Convince yourself as soon as may be of our innocence in this terrible business.’
‘As rapidly as possible. It was my duty to make the position clear to you, so that you may not resent the impertinence of any questions I may have to ask. Perhaps, mon père, the Church will set an example?’
‘Ask any questions you please of me,’ said Father Lavigny gravely.
‘This is your first season out here?’
‘Yes.’
‘And you arrived—when?’
‘Three weeks ago almost to a day. That is, on the 27th of February.’
‘Coming from?’
‘The Order of the Pères Blancs at Carthage.’
‘Thank you, mon père. Were you at any time acquainted with Mrs Leidner before coming here?’
‘No, I had never seen the lady until I met her here.’
‘Will you tell me what you were doing at the time of the tragedy?’
‘I was working on some cuneiform tablets in my own room.’
I noticed that Poirot had at his elbow a rough plan of the building.
‘That is the room at the south-west corner corresponding to that of Mrs Leidner on the opposite side?’
‘Yes.’
‘At what time did you go to your room?’
‘Immediately after lunch. I should say at about twenty minutes to one.’
‘And you remained there until—when?’
‘Just before three o’clock. I had heard the station wagon come back—and then I heard it drive off again. I wondered why, and came out to see.’
‘During the time that you were there did you leave the room at all?’
‘No, not once.’
‘And you heard or saw nothing that might have any bearing on the tragedy?’
‘No.’
‘You have no window giving on the courtyard in your room?’
‘No, both the windows give on the countryside.’
‘Could you hear at all what was happening in the courtyard?’
‘Not very much. I heard Mr Emmott passing my room and going up to the roof. He did so once or twice.’
‘Can you remember at what time?’
‘No, I’m afraid I can’t. I was engrossed in my work, you see.’
There was a pause and then Poirot said:
‘Can you say or suggest anything at all that might throw light on this business? Did you, for instance, notice anything in the days preceding the murder?’
Father Lavigny looked slightly uncomfortable.
He shot a half-questioning look at Dr Leidner.
‘That is rather a difficult question, monsieur,’ he said gravely. ‘If you ask me I must reply frankly that in my opinion Mrs Leidner was clearly in dread of someone or something. She was definitely nervous about strangers. I imagine she had a reason for this nervousness of hers—but I know nothing. She did not confide in me.’
Poirot cleared his throat and consulted some notes that he held in his hand. ‘Two nights ago I understand there was a scare of burglary.’
Father Lavigny replied in the affirmative and retailed his story of the light seen in the antika-room and the subsequent futile search.
‘You believe, do you not, that some unauthorized person was on the premises at that time?’
‘I don’t know what to think,’ said Father Lavigny frankly. ‘Nothing was taken or disturbed in any way. It might have been one of the house-boys—’
‘Or a member of the expedition?’
‘Or a member of the expedition. But in that case there would be no reason for the person not admitting the fact.’
‘But it might equally have been a stranger from outside?’
‘I suppose so.’
‘Supposing a stranger had been on the premises, could he have concealed himself successfully during the following day and until the afternoon of the day following that?’