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Authors: Agatha Christie
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what he had expected. He offered a cigarette to Knighton, lit one himself, and sank back in his chair, murmuring in a slightly sardonic voice:
“An offer? That sounds rather interesting.”
“Shall I go on?”
“Please. You must forgive my surprise, but it seems to me that my dear father-in-law has rather climbed down since our chat this morning. And climbing down is not what one associates with strong men. Napoleons of finance, etc. It shows - I think it shows that he finds his position weaker than he thought it.”
Knighton listened politely to the easy, mocking voice, but no sign of any kind showed itself on his rather stolid countenance.
He waited until Derek had finished, and then he said quietly:
“I will state the proposition in the fewest possible words.”
Knighton did not look at the other. His voice was curt and matter-of-fact.
“The matter is simply this. Mrs Kettering, as you know, is about to file a petition for divorce. If the case goes undefended you will receive one hundred thousand on the day that the decree is made absolute.”
Derek, in the act of lighting his cigarette, suddenly stopped dead.
“A hundred thousand!” he said sharply. “Dollars?”
“Pounds.”
There was dead silence for at least two minutes. Kettering had his brows together linking. A hundred thousand pounds. It meant Mirelle and a continuance of his pleasant, carefree life. It meant that Van Aldin knew something. Van Aldin did not pay for nothing. He got up and stood by the chimney-piece.
“And in the event of my refusing his handsome offer?” he asked, with a cold, ironical politeness.
Knighton made a deprecating gesture.
“I can assure you, Mr Kettering,” he said earnestly, “that it is with the utmost unwillingness that I came here with this message.”
“That's all right,” said Kettering. “Don't distress yourself; it's not your fault. Now then - I asked you a question, will you answer it?”
Knighton also rose. He spoke more reluctantly than before.
“In the event of your refusing this proposition,” he said, “Mr Van Aldin wished me to tell you in plain words that he proposes to break you. Just that.”
Kettering raised his eyebrows, but he retained his light, amused manner.
“Well, well!” he said, “I suppose he can do it. I certainly should not be able to put up much of a fight against America's man of millions. A hundred thousand! If you are going to bribe a man there is nothing like doing it thoroughly. Supposing I were to tell you that for two hundred thousand I'd do what he wanted, what then?”
“I would take your message back to Mr Van Aldin,” said Knighton unemotionally. “Is that your answer?”
“No,” said Derek, “funnily enough it is not. You can go back to my father-in-law and tell him to take himself and his bribes to hell. Is that clear?”
“Perfectly,” said Knighton. He got up, hesitated, and then flushed. “I - you will allow me to say, Mr Kettering, that I am glad you have answered as you have.”
Derek did not reply. When the other had left the room he remained for a minute or two lost in thought. A curious smile came to his lips.
“And that is that,” he said softly.
The Mystery of the Blue Train
Chapter 10
ON THE BLUE TRAIN
“Dad!”
Mrs Kettering started violently. Her nerves were not completely under control this morning. Very perfectly dressed in a long mink coat and a little hat of Chinese lacquer red, she had been walking along the crowded platform of Victoria deep in thought, and her father's sudden appearance and hearty greeting had an unlooked-for effect upon her.
“Why, Ruth, how you jumped!”
“I didn't expect to see you, I suppose, Dad. You said good-bye to me last night and said you had a conference this morning.”
“So I have,” said Van Aldin, “but you are more to me than any number of darned conferences. I came to take a last look at you, since I am not going to see you for some time.”
“That is very sweet of
“An offer? That sounds rather interesting.”
“Shall I go on?”
“Please. You must forgive my surprise, but it seems to me that my dear father-in-law has rather climbed down since our chat this morning. And climbing down is not what one associates with strong men. Napoleons of finance, etc. It shows - I think it shows that he finds his position weaker than he thought it.”
Knighton listened politely to the easy, mocking voice, but no sign of any kind showed itself on his rather stolid countenance.
He waited until Derek had finished, and then he said quietly:
“I will state the proposition in the fewest possible words.”
Knighton did not look at the other. His voice was curt and matter-of-fact.
“The matter is simply this. Mrs Kettering, as you know, is about to file a petition for divorce. If the case goes undefended you will receive one hundred thousand on the day that the decree is made absolute.”
Derek, in the act of lighting his cigarette, suddenly stopped dead.
“A hundred thousand!” he said sharply. “Dollars?”
“Pounds.”
There was dead silence for at least two minutes. Kettering had his brows together linking. A hundred thousand pounds. It meant Mirelle and a continuance of his pleasant, carefree life. It meant that Van Aldin knew something. Van Aldin did not pay for nothing. He got up and stood by the chimney-piece.
“And in the event of my refusing his handsome offer?” he asked, with a cold, ironical politeness.
Knighton made a deprecating gesture.
“I can assure you, Mr Kettering,” he said earnestly, “that it is with the utmost unwillingness that I came here with this message.”
“That's all right,” said Kettering. “Don't distress yourself; it's not your fault. Now then - I asked you a question, will you answer it?”
Knighton also rose. He spoke more reluctantly than before.
“In the event of your refusing this proposition,” he said, “Mr Van Aldin wished me to tell you in plain words that he proposes to break you. Just that.”
Kettering raised his eyebrows, but he retained his light, amused manner.
“Well, well!” he said, “I suppose he can do it. I certainly should not be able to put up much of a fight against America's man of millions. A hundred thousand! If you are going to bribe a man there is nothing like doing it thoroughly. Supposing I were to tell you that for two hundred thousand I'd do what he wanted, what then?”
“I would take your message back to Mr Van Aldin,” said Knighton unemotionally. “Is that your answer?”
“No,” said Derek, “funnily enough it is not. You can go back to my father-in-law and tell him to take himself and his bribes to hell. Is that clear?”
“Perfectly,” said Knighton. He got up, hesitated, and then flushed. “I - you will allow me to say, Mr Kettering, that I am glad you have answered as you have.”
Derek did not reply. When the other had left the room he remained for a minute or two lost in thought. A curious smile came to his lips.
“And that is that,” he said softly.
The Mystery of the Blue Train
Chapter 10
ON THE BLUE TRAIN
“Dad!”
Mrs Kettering started violently. Her nerves were not completely under control this morning. Very perfectly dressed in a long mink coat and a little hat of Chinese lacquer red, she had been walking along the crowded platform of Victoria deep in thought, and her father's sudden appearance and hearty greeting had an unlooked-for effect upon her.
“Why, Ruth, how you jumped!”
“I didn't expect to see you, I suppose, Dad. You said good-bye to me last night and said you had a conference this morning.”
“So I have,” said Van Aldin, “but you are more to me than any number of darned conferences. I came to take a last look at you, since I am not going to see you for some time.”
“That is very sweet of
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