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Authors: Agatha Christie
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shook her head.
'No, Giles, we can't stop now. We should always be wondering and imagining. No, we've got to go on... Dr Kennedy wouldn't tell us because he wanted to be kind—but that sort of business is no good. We'll have to go on and find out what really happened. Even if—even if—it was my father who...' But she couldn't go on.
Sleeping Murder
Chapter 8 – Kelvin Halliday's Delusion
They were in the garden on the following morning when Mrs Cocker came out and said: 'Excuse me, sir. There's a Doctor Kennedy on the telephone.'
Leaving Gwenda in consultation with old Foster, Giles went into the house and picked up the telephone receiver.
'Giles Reed here.'
'This is Dr Kennedy. I've been thinking over our conversation yesterday, Mr Reed. There are certain facts which I think perhaps you and your wife ought to know. Will you be at home if I come over this afternoon?'
'Certainly we shall. What time?' 'Three o'clock?' 'Suits us.'
In the garden old Foster said to Gwenda, 'Is that Dr Kennedy as used to live over at West Cliff?'
'I expect so. Did you know him?'
'E was allus reckoned to be the best doctor here—not but what Dr Lazenby wasn't more popular. Always had a word and a laugh to jolly you along, Dr Lazenby did. Dr Kennedy was always short and a bit dry, like—but he knew his job.'
'When did he give up his practice?'
'Long time ago now. Must be fifteen years or so. His health broke down, so they say.'
Giles came out of the window and answered Gwenda's unspoken question.
'He's coming over this afternoon.'
'Oh.' She turned once more to Foster. 'Did you know Dr Kennedy's sister at all?'
'Sister? Not as I remember. She was only a bit of a lass. Went away to school, and then abroad, though I heard she come back here for a bit after she married. But I believe she run off with some chap—always wild she was, they said. Don't know as I ever laid eyes on her myself. I was in a job over to Plymouth for a while, you know.'
Gwenda said to Giles as they walked to the end of the terrace, 'Why is he coming?'
'We'll know at three o'clock.'
Dr Kennedy arrived punctually. Looking round the drawing-room he said: 'Seems odd to be here again.'
Then he came to the point without preamble.
'I take it that you two are quite determined to track down the Sanatorium where Kelvin Halliday died and learn all the details you can about his illness and death?'
'Definitely,’ said Gwenda.
'Well, you can manage that quite easily, of course. So I've come to the conclusion that it will be less shock to you to hear the facts from me. I'm sorry to have to tell you, for it won't do you or anybody else a bit of good, and it will probably cause you, Gwennie, a good deal of pain. But there it is. Your father wasn't suffering from tuberculosis and the Sanatorium in question was a mental home.'
'A mental home? Was he out of his mind, then?' Gwenda's face had gone very white.
'He was never certified. And in my opinion he was not insane in the general meaning of the term. He had had a very severe nervous breakdown and suffered from certain delusional obsessions. He went into the nursing home of his own will and volition and could, of course, have left it at any time he wanted to. His condition did not improve, however, and he died there.'
'Delusional obsessions?' Giles repeated the words questioningly. 'What kind of delusions?' Dr Kennedy said drily, 'He was under the impression that he had strangled his wife.' Gwenda gave a stifled cry. Giles stretched out a hand quickly and took her cold hand in his. Giles said, 'And—and had he?'
'Eh?' Dr Kennedy stared at him. 'No, of course he hadn't. No question of such a thing.' 'But—but how do you know?' Gwenda's voice came uncertainly.
'My dear child! There was never any question of such a thing. Helen left him for another man. He'd been in a very unbalanced condition for some time; nervous dreams, sick fancies. The final shock sent him over the edge. I'm not a psychiatrist myself. They
'No, Giles, we can't stop now. We should always be wondering and imagining. No, we've got to go on... Dr Kennedy wouldn't tell us because he wanted to be kind—but that sort of business is no good. We'll have to go on and find out what really happened. Even if—even if—it was my father who...' But she couldn't go on.
Sleeping Murder
Chapter 8 – Kelvin Halliday's Delusion
They were in the garden on the following morning when Mrs Cocker came out and said: 'Excuse me, sir. There's a Doctor Kennedy on the telephone.'
Leaving Gwenda in consultation with old Foster, Giles went into the house and picked up the telephone receiver.
'Giles Reed here.'
'This is Dr Kennedy. I've been thinking over our conversation yesterday, Mr Reed. There are certain facts which I think perhaps you and your wife ought to know. Will you be at home if I come over this afternoon?'
'Certainly we shall. What time?' 'Three o'clock?' 'Suits us.'
In the garden old Foster said to Gwenda, 'Is that Dr Kennedy as used to live over at West Cliff?'
'I expect so. Did you know him?'
'E was allus reckoned to be the best doctor here—not but what Dr Lazenby wasn't more popular. Always had a word and a laugh to jolly you along, Dr Lazenby did. Dr Kennedy was always short and a bit dry, like—but he knew his job.'
'When did he give up his practice?'
'Long time ago now. Must be fifteen years or so. His health broke down, so they say.'
Giles came out of the window and answered Gwenda's unspoken question.
'He's coming over this afternoon.'
'Oh.' She turned once more to Foster. 'Did you know Dr Kennedy's sister at all?'
'Sister? Not as I remember. She was only a bit of a lass. Went away to school, and then abroad, though I heard she come back here for a bit after she married. But I believe she run off with some chap—always wild she was, they said. Don't know as I ever laid eyes on her myself. I was in a job over to Plymouth for a while, you know.'
Gwenda said to Giles as they walked to the end of the terrace, 'Why is he coming?'
'We'll know at three o'clock.'
Dr Kennedy arrived punctually. Looking round the drawing-room he said: 'Seems odd to be here again.'
Then he came to the point without preamble.
'I take it that you two are quite determined to track down the Sanatorium where Kelvin Halliday died and learn all the details you can about his illness and death?'
'Definitely,’ said Gwenda.
'Well, you can manage that quite easily, of course. So I've come to the conclusion that it will be less shock to you to hear the facts from me. I'm sorry to have to tell you, for it won't do you or anybody else a bit of good, and it will probably cause you, Gwennie, a good deal of pain. But there it is. Your father wasn't suffering from tuberculosis and the Sanatorium in question was a mental home.'
'A mental home? Was he out of his mind, then?' Gwenda's face had gone very white.
'He was never certified. And in my opinion he was not insane in the general meaning of the term. He had had a very severe nervous breakdown and suffered from certain delusional obsessions. He went into the nursing home of his own will and volition and could, of course, have left it at any time he wanted to. His condition did not improve, however, and he died there.'
'Delusional obsessions?' Giles repeated the words questioningly. 'What kind of delusions?' Dr Kennedy said drily, 'He was under the impression that he had strangled his wife.' Gwenda gave a stifled cry. Giles stretched out a hand quickly and took her cold hand in his. Giles said, 'And—and had he?'
'Eh?' Dr Kennedy stared at him. 'No, of course he hadn't. No question of such a thing.' 'But—but how do you know?' Gwenda's voice came uncertainly.
'My dear child! There was never any question of such a thing. Helen left him for another man. He'd been in a very unbalanced condition for some time; nervous dreams, sick fancies. The final shock sent him over the edge. I'm not a psychiatrist myself. They
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