Read Online Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Agatha Christie
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acknowledged the sentiment and strove to return from the subject of the saintly Emma Jane to that of the less saintly Tommy.
“Your boy died quite recently?” he asked. “An accident?”
“An accident it was, sir. Cleaning the windows of the old hall, which is now the library, and he must have lost his balance and fell - from the top windows, that was.”
Mrs. Pierce expatiated at some length on all the details of the accident.
“Wasn't there some story,” said Luke carelessly, “of his having been seen dancing on the window sill?”
Mrs. Pierce said that boys would be boys, but no doubt it did give the Major a turn, him being a fussy gentleman.
“Major Horton?”
“Yes, sir, the gentleman with the bulldogs. After the accident happened, he chanced to mention having seen our Tommy acting very rashlike - and, of course, it does show that if something sudden had startled him, he would have fallen easy enough. High spirits, sir, that was Tommy's trouble. A sore trial he's been to me in many ways,” she finished, “but there it was just high spirits - nothing but high spirits, such as any lad might have. There wasn't no real harm in him, as you might say.”
“No, no, I'm sure there wasn't but sometimes, you know, Mrs. Pierce, people - sober middle-aged people - find it hard to remember they've ever been young themselves.”
Mrs. Pierce sighed. “Very true those words are, sir. I can't help but hope that some gentlemen I could name, but won't, will have taken it to heart, the way they were hard upon the lad just on account of his high spirits.”
“Played a few tricks upon his employers, did he?” asked Luke, with an indulgent smile.
Mrs. Pierce responded immediately, “It was just his fun, sir, that was all. Tommy was always good at imitations. Make us hold our sides with laughing, the way he'd pretend to be that Mr. Ellsworthy at the curio shop, or old Mr. Hobbs, the churchwarden, and he was imitating his lordship up at the Manor, and the two undergardeners laughing, when up came his lordship quiet like and gave Tommy the sack on the spot; and, naturally, that was only to be expected and quite right, and his lordship didn't bear malice afterwards, and helped Tommy to get another job.”
“But other people weren't so magnanimous, eh?” said Luke.
“That they were not, sir. Naming no names. And you'd never think it, with Mr. Abbot so pleasant in his manner and always a kind word or a joke.”
“Tommy got into trouble with him?”
Mrs. Pierce said, “It's not, I'm sure, that the boy meant any harm. And after all, if papers are private and not meant to be looked at, they shouldn't be laid out on a table - that's what I say.”
“Oh, quite,” said Luke. “Private papers in a lawyer's office ought to be kept in the safe.”
“That's right, sir. That's what I think, and Mr. Pierce, he agrees with me. It's not even as though Tommy had read much of it.”
“What was it - a will?” asked Luke. He judged - probably rightly - that a question as to what the document in question had been might make Mrs. Pierce halt. But this direct question brought an instant response.
“Oh, no, sir; nothing of that kind. Nothing really important. Just a private letter it was - from a lady - and Tommy didn't even see who the lady was. All such a fuss about nothing - that's what I say.”
“Mr. Abbot must be the sort of man who takes offense very easily,” said Luke.
“Well, it does seem so, doesn't it, sir? Although, as I say, he's always such a pleasant gentleman to speak to - always a joke or a cheery word. But it's true that I have heard he was a difficult man to get up against, and him and Doctor Humbleby was daggers drawn, as the saying is, just before the poor gentleman died. And not a pleasant thought for Mr. Abbot afterwards. For, once there's a death, one doesn't like to think there's been harsh words spoken and no chance of taking them back.”
Luke shook his head solemnly and murmured, “Very
“Your boy died quite recently?” he asked. “An accident?”
“An accident it was, sir. Cleaning the windows of the old hall, which is now the library, and he must have lost his balance and fell - from the top windows, that was.”
Mrs. Pierce expatiated at some length on all the details of the accident.
“Wasn't there some story,” said Luke carelessly, “of his having been seen dancing on the window sill?”
Mrs. Pierce said that boys would be boys, but no doubt it did give the Major a turn, him being a fussy gentleman.
“Major Horton?”
“Yes, sir, the gentleman with the bulldogs. After the accident happened, he chanced to mention having seen our Tommy acting very rashlike - and, of course, it does show that if something sudden had startled him, he would have fallen easy enough. High spirits, sir, that was Tommy's trouble. A sore trial he's been to me in many ways,” she finished, “but there it was just high spirits - nothing but high spirits, such as any lad might have. There wasn't no real harm in him, as you might say.”
“No, no, I'm sure there wasn't but sometimes, you know, Mrs. Pierce, people - sober middle-aged people - find it hard to remember they've ever been young themselves.”
Mrs. Pierce sighed. “Very true those words are, sir. I can't help but hope that some gentlemen I could name, but won't, will have taken it to heart, the way they were hard upon the lad just on account of his high spirits.”
“Played a few tricks upon his employers, did he?” asked Luke, with an indulgent smile.
Mrs. Pierce responded immediately, “It was just his fun, sir, that was all. Tommy was always good at imitations. Make us hold our sides with laughing, the way he'd pretend to be that Mr. Ellsworthy at the curio shop, or old Mr. Hobbs, the churchwarden, and he was imitating his lordship up at the Manor, and the two undergardeners laughing, when up came his lordship quiet like and gave Tommy the sack on the spot; and, naturally, that was only to be expected and quite right, and his lordship didn't bear malice afterwards, and helped Tommy to get another job.”
“But other people weren't so magnanimous, eh?” said Luke.
“That they were not, sir. Naming no names. And you'd never think it, with Mr. Abbot so pleasant in his manner and always a kind word or a joke.”
“Tommy got into trouble with him?”
Mrs. Pierce said, “It's not, I'm sure, that the boy meant any harm. And after all, if papers are private and not meant to be looked at, they shouldn't be laid out on a table - that's what I say.”
“Oh, quite,” said Luke. “Private papers in a lawyer's office ought to be kept in the safe.”
“That's right, sir. That's what I think, and Mr. Pierce, he agrees with me. It's not even as though Tommy had read much of it.”
“What was it - a will?” asked Luke. He judged - probably rightly - that a question as to what the document in question had been might make Mrs. Pierce halt. But this direct question brought an instant response.
“Oh, no, sir; nothing of that kind. Nothing really important. Just a private letter it was - from a lady - and Tommy didn't even see who the lady was. All such a fuss about nothing - that's what I say.”
“Mr. Abbot must be the sort of man who takes offense very easily,” said Luke.
“Well, it does seem so, doesn't it, sir? Although, as I say, he's always such a pleasant gentleman to speak to - always a joke or a cheery word. But it's true that I have heard he was a difficult man to get up against, and him and Doctor Humbleby was daggers drawn, as the saying is, just before the poor gentleman died. And not a pleasant thought for Mr. Abbot afterwards. For, once there's a death, one doesn't like to think there's been harsh words spoken and no chance of taking them back.”
Luke shook his head solemnly and murmured, “Very
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