Six

IIn the offices of Messrs Breather & Scuttle, Poirot was shown, after some demur, into the room ofMr. Scuttle himself.

Mr. Scuttle was a brisk, bustling man, with a hearty manner.

“Good morning. Good morning.” He rubbed his hands. “Now, what can we do for you?”

His professional eye shot over Poirot, trying to place him, making, as it were, a series ofmarginal notes.

Foreign. Good quality clothes. Probably rich. Restaurant proprietor? Hotel manager? Films?

“I hope not to trespass on your time unduly. I wanted to talk to you about your formeremployee, James Bentley.”

Mr. Scuttle’s expressive eyebrows shot up an inch and dropped.

“James Bentley. James Bentley?” He shot out a question. “Press?”

“No.”

“And you wouldn’t be police?”

“No. At least—not of this country.”

“Not of this country.” Mr. Scuttle filed this away rapidly as though for future reference.

“What’s it all about?”

Poirot, never hindered by a pedantic regard for truth, launched out into speech.

“I am opening a further inquiry into James Bentley’s case—at the request of certain relativesof his.”

“Didn’t know he had any. Anyway, he’s been found guilty, you know, and condemned todeath.”

“But not yet executed.”

“While there’s life, there’s hope, eh?” Mr. Scuttle shook his head. “Should doubt it, though.

Evidence was strong. Who are these relations of his?”

“I can only tell you this, they are both rich and powerful. Immensely rich.”

“You surprise me.” Mr. Scuttle was unable to help thawing slightly. The words “immenselyrich” had an attractive and hypnotic quality. “Yes, you really do surprise me.”

“Bentley’s mother, the late Mrs. Bentley,” explained Poirot, “cut herself and her son offcompletely from her family.”

“One of these family feuds, eh? Well, well. And young Bentley without a farthing to blesshimself with. Pity these relations didn’t come to the rescue before.”

“They have only just become aware of the facts,” explained Poirot. “They have engaged meto come with all speed to this country and do everything possible.”

Mr. Scuttle leaned back, relaxing his business manner.

“Don’t know what you can do. I suppose there’s insanity? A bit late in the day—but if yougot hold of the big medicos. Of course I’m not up in these things myself.”

Poirot leaned forward.

“Monsieur, James Bentley worked here. You can tell me about him.”

“Precious little to tell—precious little. He was one of our junior clerks. Nothing against him.

Seemed a perfectly decent young fellow, quite conscientious and all that. But no idea ofsalesmanship. He just couldn’t put a project over. That’s no good in this job. If a client comes tous with a house he wants to sell, we’re there to sell it for him. And if a client wants a house, wefind him one. If it’s a house in a lonely place with no amenities, we stress its antiquity, call it aperiod piece—and don’t mention the plumbing! And if the house looks straight into the gasworks,we talk about amenities and facilities and don’t mention the view. Hustle your client into it—that’swhat you’re here to do. All sorts of little tricks there are. ‘We advise you, madam, to make animmediate offer. There’s a Member of Parliament who’s very keen on it—very keen indeed.

Going out to see it again this afternoon.’ They fall for that every time—a Member of Parliament isalways a good touch. Can’t think why! No member ever lives away from his constituency. It’s justthe good solid sound of it.” He laughed suddenly, displayed gleaming dentures. “Psychology—that’s what it is—just psychology.”

Poirot leapt at the word.

“Psychology. How right you are. I see that you are a judge of men.”

“Not too bad. Not too bad,” said Mr. Scuttle modestly.

“So I ask you again what was your impression of James Bentley? Between ourselves—strictly between ourselves—you think he killed the old woman?”

Scuttle stared.

“Of course.”

“And you think, too, that it was a likely thing for him to do—psychologically speaking?”

“Well—if you put it like that—no, not really. Shouldn’t have thought he had the guts. Tellyou what, if you ask me, he was barmy. Put it that way, and it works. Always a bit soft in thehead, and what with being out of a job and worrying and all that, he just went right over the edge.”

“You had no special reason for discharging him?”

Scuttle shook his head.

“Bad time of year. Staff hadn’t enough to do. We sacked the one who was least competent.

That was Bentley. Always would be, I expect. Gave him a good reference and all that. He didn’tget another job, though. No pep. Made a bad impression on people.”

It always came back to that, Poirot thought, as he left the office. James Bentley made a badimpression on people. He took comfort in considering various murderers he had known whommost people had found full of charm.

II

“Excuse me, do you mind if I sit down here and talk to you for a moment?”

Poirot, ensconced at a small table in the Blue Cat, looked up from the menu he was studyingwith a start. It was rather dark in the Blue Cat, which specialized in an old-world effect of oak andleaded panes, but the young woman who had just sat down opposite to him stood out brightly fromher dark background.

She had determinedly golden hair, and was wearing an electric blue jumper suit. Moreover,Hercule Poirot was conscious of having noticed her somewhere only a short time previously.

She went on:

“I couldn’t help, you see, hearing something of what you were saying to Mr. Scuttle.”

Poirot nodded. He had realized that the partitions in the offices of Breather & Scuttle weremade for convenience rather than privacy. That had not worried him, since it was chiefly publicitythat he desired.

“You were typing,” he said, “to the right of the back window.”

She nodded. Her teeth shone white in an acquiescing smile. A very healthy young woman,with a full buxom figure that Poirot approved. About thirty-three or four, he judged, and by naturedark-haired, but not one to be dictated to by nature.

“About Mr. Bentley,” she said.

“What about Mr. Bentley?”

“Is he going to appeal? Does it mean that there’s new evidence? Oh, I’m so glad. I couldn’t—I just couldn’t believe he did it.”

Poirot’s eyebrows rose.

“So you never thought he did it,” he said slowly.

“Well, not at first. I thought it must be a mistake. But then the evidence—” She stopped.

“Yes, the evidence,” said Poirot.

“There just didn’t seem anyone else who could have done it. I thought perhaps he’d gone alittle mad.”

“Did he ever seem to you a little—what shall I say—queer?”

“Oh no. Not queer in that way. He was just shy and awkward as anyone might be. The truthwas, he didn’t make the best of himself. He hadn’t confidence in himself.”

Poirot looked at her. She certainly had confidence in herself. Possibly she had enoughconfidence for two.

“You liked him?” he asked.

She flushed.

“Yes, I did. Amy—that’s the other girl in the office—used to laugh at him and call him a drip,but I liked him very much. He was gentle and polite—and he knew a lot really. Things out ofbooks, I mean.”

“Ah yes, things out of books.”

“He missed his mother. She’d been ill for years, you know. At least, not really ill, but notstrong, and he’d done everything for her.”

Poirot nodded. He knew those mothers.

“And of course she’d looked after him, too. I mean taken care of his health and his chest inwinter and what he ate and all that.”

Again he nodded. He asked:

“You and he were friends?”

“I don’t know—not exactly. We used to talk sometimes. But after he left here, he—I—Ididn’t see much of him. I wrote to him once in a friendly way, but he didn’t answer.”

Poirot said gently:

“But you like him?”

She said rather defiantly:

“Yes, I do. .?.?.”

“That is excellent,” said Poirot.

His mind switched back to the day of his interview with the condemned prisoner .?.?. He sawJames Bentley clearly. The mouse-coloured hair, the thin awkward body, the hands with their bigknuckles and wrists, the Adam’s apple in the lean neck. He saw the furtive, embarrassed—almostsly glance. Not straightforward, not a man whose word could be trusted—a secretive, sly deceitfulfellow with an ungracious, muttering way of talking .?.?. That was the impression James Bentleywould give to most superficial observers. It was the impression he had given in the dock. The sortof fellow who would tell lies, and steal money, and hit an old woman over the head. .?.?.

But on Superintendent Spence, who knew men, he had not made that impression. Nor onHercule Poirot .?.?. And now here was this girl.

“What is your name, mademoiselle?” he asked.

“Maude Williams. Is there anything I could do—to help?”

“I think there is. There are people who believe, Miss Williams, that James Bentley isinnocent. They are working to prove that fact. I am the person charged with that investigation, andI may tell you that I have already made considerable progress—yes, considerable progress.”

He uttered that lie without a blush. To his mind it was a very necessary lie. Someone,somewhere, had got to be made uneasy. Maude Williams would talk, and talk was like a stone in apond, it made a ripple that went on spreading outwards.

He said: “You tell me that you and James Bentley talked together. He told you about hismother and his home life. Did he ever mention anyone with whom he, or perhaps his mother, wason bad terms?”

Maude Williams reflected.

“No—not what you’d call bad terms. His mother didn’t like young women much, I gather.”

“Mothers of devoted sons never like young women. No, I mean more than that. Some familyfeud, some enmity. Someone with a grudge?”

She shook her head.

“He never mentioned anything of that kind.”

“Did he ever speak of his landlady, Mrs. McGinty?”

She shivered slightly.

“Not by name. He said once that she gave him kippers much too often—and once he said hislandlady was upset because she had lost her cat.”

“Did he ever—you must be honest, please—mention that he knew where she kept hermoney?”

Some of the colour went out of the girl’s face, but she threw up her chin defiantly.

“Actually, he did. We were talking about people being distrustful of banks—and he said hisold landlady kept her spare money under a floorboard. He said: ‘I could help myself any day to itwhen she’s out.’ Not quite as a joke, he didn’t joke, more as though he were really worried by hercarelessness.”

“Ah,” said Poirot. “That is good. From my point of view, I mean. When James Bentley thinksof stealing, it presents itself to him as an action that is done behind someone’s back. He mighthave said, you see, ‘Some day someone will knock her on the head for it.’”

“But either way, he wouldn’t be meaning it.”

“Oh no. But talk, however light, however idle, gives away, inevitably, the sort of person youare. The wise criminal would never open his mouth, but criminals are seldom wise and usuallyvain and they talk a good deal—and so most criminals are caught.”

Maude Williams said abruptly:

“But someone must have killed the old woman.”

“Naturally.”

“Who did? Do you know? Have you any idea?”

“Yes,” said Hercule Poirot mendaciously. “I think I have a very good idea. But we are only atthe beginning of the road.”

The girl glanced at her watch.

“I must get back. We’re only supposed to take half an hour. One-horse place, Kilchester—I’ve always had jobs in London before. You’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do—really do,I mean?”

Poirot took out one of his cards. On it he wrote Long Meadows and the telephone number.

“That is where I am staying.”

His name, he noted with chagrin, made no particular impression on her. The youngergeneration, he could not but feel, were singularly lacking in knowledge of notable celebrities.

III

Hercule Poirot caught a bus back to Broadhinny feeling slightly more cheerful. At any rate therewas one person who shared his belief in James Bentley’s innocence. Bentley was not so friendlessas he had made himself out to be.

His mind went back again to Bentley in prison. What a dispiriting interview it had been.

There had been no hope aroused, hardly a stirring of interest.

“Thank you,” Bentley had said dully, “but I don’t suppose there is anything anyone can do.”

No, he was sure he had not got any enemies.

“When people barely notice you’re alive, you’re not likely to have any enemies.”

“Your mother? Did she have an enemy?”

“Certainly not. Everyone liked and respected her.”

There was a faint indignation in his tone.

“What about your friends?”

And James Bentley had said, or rather muttered, “I haven’t any friends. .?.?.”

But that had not been quite true. For Maude Williams was a friend.

“What a wonderful dispensation it is of Nature’s,” thought Hercule Poirot, “that every man,however superficially unattractive, should be some woman’s choice.”

For all Miss Williams’s sexy appearance, he had a shrewd suspicion that she was really thematernal type.

She had the qualities that James Bentley lacked, the energy, the drive, the refusal to bebeaten, the determination to succeed.

He sighed.

What monstrous lies he had told that day! Never mind—they were necessary.

“For somewhere,” said Poirot to himself, indulging in an absolute riot of mixed metaphors,“there is in the hay a needle, and among the sleeping dogs there is one on whom I shall put myfoot, and by shooting the arrows into the air, one will come down and hit a glasshouse!”