Read Online Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie - Free Book Online Page A

Warwick continued. ‘I’m telling you all this now,’ she said, ‘because what you want is the truth, isn’t it? You want to be sure there’s sufficient incentive for murder on the part of that little boy’s father. Well, in my opinion, there was. Only, I didn’t think that after all this time–’ Her voice trailed away into silence.
    The inspector looked up from the notes he had been consulting. ‘You didn’t hear anything last night?’ he asked her.
    â€˜I’m a little deaf, you know,’ Mrs Warwick replied quickly. ‘I didn’t know anything was wrong until I heard people talking and passing my door. I came down, and young Jan said, “Richard’s been shot. Richard’s been shot.” I thought at first–’ She passed her hand over her eyes. ‘I thought it was a joke of some kind.’
    â€˜Jan is your younger son?’ the inspector asked her.
    â€˜He’s not my son,’ Mrs Warwick replied. The inspector looked at her quickly as she went on, ‘I divorced my husband many years ago. He remarried. Jan is the son of the second marriage.’ She paused, then continued. ‘It sounds more complicated than it is, really. When both his parents died, the boy came here. Richard and Laura had just been married then. Laura has always been very kind to Richard’s half-brother. She’s been like an elder sister to him, really.’
    She paused, and the inspector took the opportunity to lead her back to talking about Richard Warwick. ‘Yes, I see,’ he said, ‘but now, about your son Richard–’
    â€˜I loved my son, Inspector,’ Mrs Warwick said, ‘but I was not blind to his faults, and they were very largely due to the accident that made him a cripple. He was a proud man, an outdoor man, and to have to live the life of an invalid and a semi-cripple was very galling to him. It did not, shall we say, improve his character.’
    â€˜Yes, I see,’ observed the inspector. ‘Would you say his married life was happy?’
    â€˜I haven’t the least idea.’ Mrs Warwick clearly had no intention of saying any more on the subject. ‘Is there anything else you wish to know, Inspector?’ she asked.
    â€˜No thank you, Mrs Warwick,’ Inspector Thomas replied. ‘But I should like to talk to Miss Bennett now, if I may.’
    Mrs Warwick rose, and Sergeant Cadwallader went to open the door for her. ‘Yes, of course,’ she said. ‘Miss Bennett. Benny, we call her. She’s the person who can help you most. She’s so practical and efficient.’
    â€˜She’s been with you for a long time?’ the inspector asked.
    â€˜Oh yes, for years and years. She looked after Jan when he was little, and before that she helped withRichard, too. Oh, yes, she’s looked after all of us. A very faithful person, Benny.’ Acknowledging the sergeant at the door with a nod, she left the room.

Chapter 8
    Sergeant Cadwallader closed the door and stood with his back against it, looking at the inspector. ‘So Richard Warwick was a drinking man, eh?’ he commented. ‘You know, I’ve heard that said of him before. And all those pistols and air-guns and rifles. A little queer in the head, if you ask me.’
    â€˜Could be,’ Inspector Thomas replied laconically.
    The telephone rang. Expecting his sergeant to answer it, the inspector looked meaningfully at him, but Cadwallader had become immersed in his notes as he strolled across to the armchair and sat, completely oblivious of the phone. After a while, realizing that the sergeant’s mind was elsewhere, no doubt in the process of composing a poem, the inspector sighed, crossed to the desk, and picked up the receiver.
    â€˜Hello,’ he said. ‘Yes, speaking…Starkwedder, he came in? He gave you his prints?…Good…yes–well, ask him to wait…yes, I shall be