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Authors: Agatha Christie
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following the questioning, now broke in. 'Oh, do they not, indeed!' he exclaimed. 'The way they talk sometimes, you'd think that not only were they within the speed limit, but that they'd managed to get into reverse at the same time!'
Annoyed at this latest interruption, the inspector turned slowly and looked at the sergeant. Miss Bennett also regarded the young man in some surprise. Embarrassed, Sergeant Cadwallader looked down at his notes, and the inspector turned again to Miss Bennett. 'What I'm getting at is this,' he told her. 'In the grief and stress of the moment, a man might easily threaten revenge for an accident that had killed his child. But on reflection, if things were as stated, he would surely have realized that the accident was not Richard Warwick's fault.'
'Oh,' said Miss Bennett. 'Yes, I see what you mean.'
The inspector paced slowly about the room as he continued, 'If, on the other hand, the car had been driven erratically and at excessive speed - if the car had been, shall we say, out of control -'
'Did Laura tell you that?' Miss Bennett interrupted him.
The inspector turned to look at her, surprised at her mention of the murdered man's wife. 'What makes you think she told me?' he asked.
'I don't know,' Miss Bennett replied. 'I just wondered.' Looking confused, she glanced at her watch. 'Is that all?' she asked. 'I'm very busy this morning.' She walked to the door, opened it, and was about to leave when the inspector said, 'I'd like to have a word with young Jan next, if I may.'
Miss Bennett turned in the doorway. 'Oh, he's rather excited this morning,' she said, sounding somewhat truculent. 'I'd really be much obliged if you wouldn't talk to him - raking it all up. I've just got him calmed down.'
'I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we must ask him a few questions,' the inspector insisted.
Miss Bennett closed the door firmly and came back into the room. 'Why can't you just find this man MacGregor, and question him?' she suggested. 'He can't have got far away.'
'We'll find him. Don't you worry,' the inspector assured her.
'I hope you will,' Miss Bennett retorted. 'Revenge, indeed! Why, it's not Christian.'
'Of course,' the inspector agreed, adding meaningfully, 'especially when the accident was not Mr Warwick's fault and could not have been avoided.'
Miss Bennett gave him a sharp look. There was a pause, and then the inspector repeated, 'I'd like to speak to Jan, please.'
'I don't know if I can find him,' said Miss Bennett. 'He may have gone out.' She left the room quickly. The inspector looked at Sergeant Cadwallader, nodding his head towards the door, and the sergeant followed her out. In the corridor, Miss Bennett admonished Cadwallader. 'You're not to worry him,' she said. She came back into the room. 'You're not to worry the boy,' she ordered the inspector. 'He's very easily - unsettled. He gets excited, temperamental.'
The inspector regarded her silently for a moment, and then asked, 'Is he ever violent?'
'No, of course not. He's a very sweet boy, very gentle. Docile, really. I simply meant that you might upset him. It's not good for children, things like murder. And that's all he is, really. A child.'
The inspector sat in the chair at the desk. 'You needn't worry, Miss Bennett, I assure you,' he told her. 'We quite understand the position.'
The Unexpected Guest
CHAPTER NINE
Just then Sergeant, Cadwallader ushered in Jan, who rushed up to the inspector. 'Do you want me?' he cried excitedly. 'Have you caught him yet? Will there be blood on his clothes?'
'Now, Jan,' Miss Bennett cautioned him, 'you must behave yourself. Just answer any questions the gentleman asks you.'
Jan turned happily to Miss Bennett, and then back to the inspector. 'Oh, yes, I will,' he promised. 'But can't I ask any questions?'
'Of course you can ask questions,' the inspector assured him kindly.
Miss Bennett sat on the sofa. 'I'll wait while you're talking to him,' she said.
The inspector got up quickly, went to
Annoyed at this latest interruption, the inspector turned slowly and looked at the sergeant. Miss Bennett also regarded the young man in some surprise. Embarrassed, Sergeant Cadwallader looked down at his notes, and the inspector turned again to Miss Bennett. 'What I'm getting at is this,' he told her. 'In the grief and stress of the moment, a man might easily threaten revenge for an accident that had killed his child. But on reflection, if things were as stated, he would surely have realized that the accident was not Richard Warwick's fault.'
'Oh,' said Miss Bennett. 'Yes, I see what you mean.'
The inspector paced slowly about the room as he continued, 'If, on the other hand, the car had been driven erratically and at excessive speed - if the car had been, shall we say, out of control -'
'Did Laura tell you that?' Miss Bennett interrupted him.
The inspector turned to look at her, surprised at her mention of the murdered man's wife. 'What makes you think she told me?' he asked.
'I don't know,' Miss Bennett replied. 'I just wondered.' Looking confused, she glanced at her watch. 'Is that all?' she asked. 'I'm very busy this morning.' She walked to the door, opened it, and was about to leave when the inspector said, 'I'd like to have a word with young Jan next, if I may.'
Miss Bennett turned in the doorway. 'Oh, he's rather excited this morning,' she said, sounding somewhat truculent. 'I'd really be much obliged if you wouldn't talk to him - raking it all up. I've just got him calmed down.'
'I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we must ask him a few questions,' the inspector insisted.
Miss Bennett closed the door firmly and came back into the room. 'Why can't you just find this man MacGregor, and question him?' she suggested. 'He can't have got far away.'
'We'll find him. Don't you worry,' the inspector assured her.
'I hope you will,' Miss Bennett retorted. 'Revenge, indeed! Why, it's not Christian.'
'Of course,' the inspector agreed, adding meaningfully, 'especially when the accident was not Mr Warwick's fault and could not have been avoided.'
Miss Bennett gave him a sharp look. There was a pause, and then the inspector repeated, 'I'd like to speak to Jan, please.'
'I don't know if I can find him,' said Miss Bennett. 'He may have gone out.' She left the room quickly. The inspector looked at Sergeant Cadwallader, nodding his head towards the door, and the sergeant followed her out. In the corridor, Miss Bennett admonished Cadwallader. 'You're not to worry him,' she said. She came back into the room. 'You're not to worry the boy,' she ordered the inspector. 'He's very easily - unsettled. He gets excited, temperamental.'
The inspector regarded her silently for a moment, and then asked, 'Is he ever violent?'
'No, of course not. He's a very sweet boy, very gentle. Docile, really. I simply meant that you might upset him. It's not good for children, things like murder. And that's all he is, really. A child.'
The inspector sat in the chair at the desk. 'You needn't worry, Miss Bennett, I assure you,' he told her. 'We quite understand the position.'
The Unexpected Guest
CHAPTER NINE
Just then Sergeant, Cadwallader ushered in Jan, who rushed up to the inspector. 'Do you want me?' he cried excitedly. 'Have you caught him yet? Will there be blood on his clothes?'
'Now, Jan,' Miss Bennett cautioned him, 'you must behave yourself. Just answer any questions the gentleman asks you.'
Jan turned happily to Miss Bennett, and then back to the inspector. 'Oh, yes, I will,' he promised. 'But can't I ask any questions?'
'Of course you can ask questions,' the inspector assured him kindly.
Miss Bennett sat on the sofa. 'I'll wait while you're talking to him,' she said.
The inspector got up quickly, went to
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