Read Online Third Girl by Agatha Christie - Free Book Online Page B

rather obscurely:
    â€œThere’s one in every family.”
    â€œThis Mrs. Restarick is quite a young woman. I presume she is not the woman he originally ran away with?”
    â€œOh no, that bust up quite soon. She was a pretty bad lot by all accounts, and a tartar as well. He was a fool ever to be taken in by her.” Mr. Goby shut his notebook and looked inquiringly at Poirot. “Anything more you want me to do?”
    â€œYes. I want to know a little more about the late Mrs. Andrew Restarick. She was an invalid, she was frequently in nursing homes. What kind of nursing homes? Mental homes?”
    â€œI take your point, Mr. Poirot.”
    â€œAnd any history of insanity in the family—on either side?”
    â€œI’ll see to it, Mr. Poirot.”
    Mr. Goby rose to his feet. “Then I’ll take leave of you, sir. Good night.”
    Poirot remained thoughtful after Mr. Goby had left. He raised and lowered his eyebrows. He wondered, he wondered very much.
    Then he rang Mrs. Oliver:
    â€œI told you before,” he said, “to be careful. I repeat that—Be very careful.”
    â€œCareful of what?” said Mrs. Oliver.
    â€œOf yourself. I think there might be danger. Danger to anyone who goes poking about where they are not wanted. There is murder in the air—I do not want it to be yours.”
    â€œHave you had the information you said you might have?”
    â€œYes,” said Poirot, “I have had a little information. Mostly rumour and gossip, but it seems something happened at Borodene Mansions.”
    â€œWhat sort of thing?”
    â€œBlood in the courtyard,” said Poirot.
    â€œReally!” said Mrs. Oliver. “That’s just like the title of an old-fashioned detective story. The Stain on the Staircase. I mean nowadays you say something more like She Asked for Death. ”
    â€œPerhaps there may not have been blood in the courtyard. Perhaps it is only what an imaginative, Irish porter imagined.”
    â€œProbably an upset milk bottle,” said Mrs. Oliver. “He couldn’t see it at night. What happened?”
    Poirot did not answer directly.
    â€œThe girl thought she ‘might have committed a murder.’ Was that the murder she meant?”
    â€œYou mean she did shoot someone?”
    â€œOne might presume that she did shoot at someone, but for all intents and purposes missed them. A few drops of blood…That was all. No body.”
    â€œOh dear,” said Mrs. Oliver, “it’s all very confused. Surely if anyone could still run out of a courtyard, you wouldn’t think you’d killed him, would you?”
    â€œC’est difficile,” said Poirot, and rang off.
    II
    â€œI’m worried,” said Claudia Reece-Holland.
    She refilled her cup from the coffee percolator. Frances Cary gave an enormous yawn. Both girls were breakfasting in the small kitchen of the flat. Claudia was dressed and ready to start for her day’s work. Frances was still in dressing gown and pyjamas. Her black hair fell over one eye.
    â€œI’m worried about Norma,” continued Claudia.
    Frances yawned.
    â€œI shouldn’t worry if I were you. She’ll ring up or turn up sooner or later, I suppose.”
    â€œWill she? You know, Fran, I can’t help wondering—”
    â€œI don’t see why,” said Frances, pouring herself out more coffee. She sipped it doubtfully. “I mean—Norma’s not really our business, is she? I mean, we’re not looking after her or spoon-feeding her or anything. She just shares the flat. Why all this motherly solicitude? I certainly wouldn’t worry.”
    â€œI daresay you wouldn’t. You never worry over anything. But it’s not the same for you as it is for me.”
    â€œWhy isn’t it the same? You mean because you’re the tenant of the flat or something?”
    â€œWell, I’m in rather a special position, as you