Sleeping Murder

Read Online Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie - Free Book Online Page B

Book: Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie Read Free Book Online
Authors: Agatha Christie
Ads: Link
later.”
    â€œWhere was this Sanatorium exactly?”
    â€œI’m sorry. I can’t remember now. As I say, I have an impression it was on the east coast.”
    There was definite evasion now in his manner. Giles and Gwenda looked at each other for a brief second.
    Giles said, “At least, sir, you can tell us where he’s buried? Gwenda is—naturally—very anxious to visit his grave.”
    Dr. Kennedy bent over the fireplace, scraping in the bowl of his pipe with a penknife.
    â€œDo you know,” he said, rather indistinctly, “I don’t really thinkI should dwell too much on the past. All this ancestor worship—it’s a mistake. The future is what matters. Here you are, you two, young and healthy with the world in front of you. Think forward. No use going about putting flowers on the grave of someone whom, for all practical purposes, you hardly knew.”
    Gwenda said mutinously: “I should like to see my father’s grave.”
    â€œI’m afraid I can’t help you.” Dr. Kennedy’s tones were pleasant but cold. “It’s a long time ago, and my memory isn’t what it was. I lost touch with your father after he left Dillmouth. I think he wrote to me once from the Sanatorium and, as I say, I have an impression it was on the east coast—but I couldn’t really be sure even of that. And I’ve no idea at all of where he is buried.”
    â€œHow very odd,” said Giles.
    â€œNot really. The link between us, you see, was Helen. I was always very fond of Helen. She’s my half sister and very many years younger than I am, but I tried to bring her up as well as I could. The right schools and all that. But there’s no gainsaying that Helen—well, that she never had a stable character. There was trouble when she was quite young with a very undesirable young man. I got her out of that safely. Then she elected to go out to India and marry Walter Fane. Well, that was all right, nice lad, son of Dillmouth’s leading solicitor, but frankly, dull as ditchwater. He’d always adored her, but she never looked at him. Still, she changed her mind and went out to India to marry him. When she saw him again, it was all off. She wired to me for money for her passage home. I sent it. On the way back, she met Kelvin. They were married before I knew about it. I’ve felt, shall we say, apologetic for that sister of mine. It explains why Kelvin and I didn’t keep up the relationship after shewent away.” He added suddenly: “Where’s Helen now? Can you tell me? I’d like to get in touch with her.”
    â€œBut we don’t know,” said Gwenda. “We don’t know at all.”
    â€œOh! I thought from your advertisement—” He looked at them with sudden curiosity. “Tell me, why did you advertise?”
    Gwenda said: “We wanted to get in touch—” and stopped.
    â€œWith someone you can hardly remember?” Dr. Kennedy looked puzzled.
    Gwenda said quickly: “I thought—if I could get in touch with her—she’d tell me—about my father.”
    â€œYes—yes—I see. Sorry I can’t be of much use. Memory not what it was. And it’s a long time ago.”
    â€œAt least,” said Giles, “you know what kind of a Sanatorium it was? Tubercular?”
    Dr. Kennedy’s face again looked suddenly wooden: “Yes—yes, I rather believe it was.”
    â€œThen we ought to be able to trace that quite easily,” said Giles. “Thank you very much, sir, for all you’ve told us.”
    He got up and Gwenda followed suit.
    â€œThank you very much,” she said. “And do come and see us at Hillside.”
    They went out of the room and Gwenda, glancing back over her shoulder, had a final view of Dr. Kennedy standing by the mantelpiece, pulling his grizzled moustache and looking troubled.
    â€œHe knows something he

Similar Books

Ringworld

Larry Niven

The Witch of Eye

Mari Griffith

The Jongurian Mission

Greg Strandberg

Dear Sir, I'm Yours

Joely Sue Burkhart

The Outcast

David Thompson

Sizzling Erotic Sex Stories

Anonymous Anonymous

The Gunslinger

Lorraine Heath

Ruby Red

Kerstin Gier