VIII

Alistair Blunt had never loomed large in the public eye. Possibly because he was himself a veryquiet and retiring man. Possibly because for many years he had functioned as a Prince Consortrather than as a King.

Rebecca Sanseverato, née Arnholt, came to London a disillusioned woman of forty-five. Oneither side she came of the Royalty of wealth. Her mother was an heiress of the European familyof Rothersteins. Her father was the head of the great American banking house of Arnholt. RebeccaArnholt, owing to the calamitous deaths of two brothers and a cousin in an air accident, was soleheiress to immense wealth. She married a European aristocrat with a famous name, Prince Felipedi Sanseverato. Three years later she obtained a divorce and custody of the child of the marriage,having spent two years of wretchedness with a well-bred scoundrel whose conduct was notorious.

A few years later her child died.

Embittered by her sufferings, Rebecca Arnholt turned her undoubted brains to the business offinance—the aptitude for it ran in her blood. She associated herself with her father in banking.

After his death she continued to be a powerful figure in the financial world with her immenseholdings. She came to London—and a junior partner of the London house was sent to Claridge’sto see her with various documents. Six months later the world was electrified to hear that RebeccaSanseverato was marrying Alistair Blunt, a man nearly twenty years younger than herself.

There were the usual jeers—and smiles. Rebecca, her friends said, was really an incurable foolwhere men were concerned! First Sanseverato—now this young man. Of course he was onlymarrying her for her money. She was in for a second disaster! But to everyone’s surprise themarriage was a success. The people who prophesied that Alistair Blunt would spend her money onother women were wrong. He remained quietly devoted to his wife. Even after her death, ten yearslater, when as inheritor of her vast wealth he might have been supposed to cut loose, he did notmarry again. He lived the same quiet and simple life. His genius for finance had been no less thanhis wife’s. His judgements and dealings were sound—his integrity above question. He dominatedthe vast Arnholt and Rotherstein interests by his sheer ability.

He went very little into society, had a house in Kent and one in Norfolk where he spentweekends—not with gay parties, but with a few quiet stodgy friends. He was fond of golf andplayed moderately well. He was interested in his garden.

This was the man towards whom Chief Inspector Japp and Hercule Poirot were bouncing alongin a somewhat elderly taxi.

The Gothic House was a well-known feature on Chelsea Embankment. Inside it was luxuriouswith an expensive simplicity. It was not very modern but it was eminently comfortable.

Alistair Blunt did not keep them waiting. He came to them almost at once.

“Chief Inspector Japp?”

Japp came forward and introduced Hercule Poirot. Blunt looked at him with interest.

“I know your name, of course, M. Poirot. And surely—somewhere—quite recently—” hepaused, frowning.

Poirot said:

“This morning, Monsieur, in the waiting room of ce pauvre M. Morley.”

Alistair Blunt’s brow cleared. He said:

“Of course. I knew I had seen you somewhere.” He turned to Japp. “What can I do for you? Iam extremely sorry to hear about poor Morley.”

“You were surprised, Mr. Blunt?”

“Very surprised. Of course I knew very little about him, but I should have thought him a mostunlikely person to commit suicide.”

“He seemed in good health and spirits then, this morning?”

“I think so—yes.” Alistair Blunt paused, then said with an almost boyish smile: “To tell you thetruth, I’m a most awful coward about going to the dentist. And I simply hate that beastly drill thingthey run into you. That’s why I really didn’t notice anything much. Not till it was over, you know,and I got up to go. But I must say Morley seemed perfectly natural then. Cheerful and busy.”

“You have been to him often?”

“I think this was my third or fourth visit. I’ve never had much trouble with my teeth until thelast year. Breaking up, I suppose.”

Hercule Poirot asked:

“Who recommended Mr. Morley to you originally?”

Blunt drew his brows together in an effort of concentration.

“Let me see now—I had a twinge—somebody told me Morley of Queen Charlotte Street wasthe man to go to—no, I can’t for the life of me remember who it was. Sorry.”

Poirot said:

“If it should come back to you, perhaps you will let one of us know?”

Alistair Blunt looked at him curiously.

He said:

“I will—certainly. Why? Does it matter?”

“I have an idea,” said Poirot, “that it might matter very much.”

They were going down the steps of the house when a car drew up in front of it. It was a car ofsporting build—one of those cars from which it is necessary to wriggle from under the wheel insections.

The young woman who did so appeared to consist chiefly of arms and legs. She had finallydislodged herself as the men turned to walk down the street.

The girl stood on the pavement looking after them. Then, suddenly and vigorously, sheejaculated, “Hi!”

Not realizing that the call was addressed to them, neither man turned, and the girl repeated: “Hi!

Hi! You there!”

They stopped and looked round inquiringly. The girl walked towards them. The impression ofarms and legs remained. She was tall, thin, and her face had an intelligence and aliveness thatredeemed its lack of actual beauty. She was dark with a deeply tanned skin.

She was addressing Poirot:

“I know who you are—you’re the detective man, Hercule Poirot!” Her voice was warm anddeep, with a trace of American accent.

Poirot said:

“At your service, Mademoiselle.”

Her eyes went on to his companion.

Poirot said:

“Chief Inspector Japp.”

Her eyes widened—almost it seemed with alarm. She said, and there was a slight breathlessnessin her voice:

“What have you been doing here? Nothing—nothing has happened to Uncle Alistair, has it?”

Poirot said quickly:

“Why should you think so, Mademoiselle?”

“It hasn’t? Good.”

Japp took up Poirot’s question.

“Why should you think anything had happened to Mr. Blunt, Miss—”

He paused inquiringly.

The girl said mechanically:

“Olivera. Jane Olivera.” Then she gave a slight and rather unconvincing laugh. “Sleuths on thedoorstep rather suggest bombs in the attic, don’t they?”

“There’s nothing wrong with Mr. Blunt, I’m thankful to say, Miss Olivera.”

She looked directly at Poirot.

“Did he call you in about something?”

Japp said:

“We called on him, Miss Olivera, to see if he could throw any light on a case of suicide thatoccurred this morning.”

She said sharply:

“Suicide? Whose? Where?”

“A Mr. Morley, a dentist, of 58, Queen Charlotte Street.”

“Oh!” said Jane Olivera blankly. “Oh!—” She started ahead of her, frowning. Then she saidunexpectedly:

“Oh, but that’s absurd!” And turning on her heel she left them abruptly and without ceremony,running up the steps of the Gothic House and letting herself in with a key.

“Well!” said Japp, staring after her, “that’s an extraordinary thing to say.”

“Interesting,” observed Poirot mildly.

Japp pulled himself together, glanced at his watch and hailed an approaching taxi.

“We’ll have time to take the Sainsbury Seale on our way to the Savoy.”