XIV

Pilar came into the room with the wariness¹ of an animal who suspects a trap. Her eyes wentquickly from side to side. She looked not so much afraid as deeply suspicious.

Colonel Johnson rose and put a chair for her. Then he said:

“You understand English, I suppose, Miss Estravados?”

Pilar’s eyes opened wide. She said:

“Of course. My mother was English. I am really very English indeed.”

A faint smile came to Colonel Johnson’s lips, as his eyes took in the black gloss² of her hair,the proud dark eyes, and the curling red lips. Very English! An incongruous term to apply to PilarEstravados.

He said:

“Mr. Lee was your grandfather. He sent for you to come from Spain. And you arrived a fewdays ago. Is that right?”

Pilar nodded.

“That is right. I had—oh! a lot of adventures getting out of Spain—there was a bomb fromthe air and the chauffeur³ he was killed—where his head had been there was all blood. And I couldnot drive a car, so for a long way I had to walk—and I do not like walking. I never walk. My feetwere sore—but sore—”

Colonel Johnson smiled. He said:

“At any rate you arrived here. Had your mother spoken to you of your grandfather much?”

Pilar nodded cheerfully.

“Oh, yes, she said he was an old devil.”

Hercule Poirot smiled. He said:

“And what did you think of him when you arrived, mademoiselle?”

Pilar said:

“Of course he was very, very old. He had to sit in a chair—and his face was all dried up. ButI liked him all the same. I think that when he was a young man, he must have been handsome—very handsome, like you,” said Pilar to Superintendent⁴ Sugden. Her eyes dwelt with n?ivepleasure on his handsome face, which had turned brick-red at the compliment.

Colonel Johnson stifled⁵ a chuckle⁶. It was one of the few occasions when he had seen thestolid superintendent taken aback.

“But of course,” Pilar continued regretfully, “he could never have been so big as you.”

Hercule Poirot sighed.

“You like, then, big men, se?orita?” he inquired.

Pilar agreed enthusiastically.

“Oh, yes, I like a man to be very big, tall, and the shoulders broad, and very, very strong.”

Colonel Johnson said sharply:

“Did you see much of your grandfather when you arrived here?”

Pilar said:

“Oh, yes. I went to sit with him. He told me things—that he had been a very wicked man, andall the things he did in South Africa.”

“Did he ever tell you that he had diamonds in the safe in his room?”

“Yes, he showed them to me. But they were not like diamonds—they were just like pebbles—very ugly—very ugly indeed.”

Superintendent Sugden said shortly:

“So he showed them to you, did he?”

“Yes.”

“He didn’t give you any of them?”

Pilar shook her head.

“No, he did not. I thought that perhaps one day he would—if I were very nice to him andcame often to sit with him. Because old gentlemen they like very much young girls.”

Colonel Johnson said:

“Do you know that those diamonds have been stolen?”

Pilar opened her eyes very wide.

“Stolen?”

“Yes, have you any idea who might have taken them?”

Pilar nodded her head.

“Oh, yes,” she said. “It would be Horbury.”

“Horbury? You mean the valet?”

“Yes.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because he has the face of a thief. His eyes go so, from side to side, he walks softly andlistens at doors. He is like a cat. And all cats are thieves.”

“H’m,” said Colonel Johnson. “We’ll leave it at that. Now I understand that all the familywere up in your grandfather’s room this afternoon, and that some—er—angry words passed.”

Pilar nodded and smiled.

“Yes,” she said. “It was great fun. Grandfather made them oh! so angry!”

“Oh, you enjoyed it, did you?”

“Yes. I like to see people get angry. I like it very much. But here in England they do not getangry like they do in Spain. In Spain they take out their knives and they curse and shout. InEngland they do nothing, just get very red in the face and shut up their mouths tight.”

“Do you remember what was said?”

Pilar seemed rather doubtful.

“I am not sure. Grandfather said they were no good—that they had not got any children. Hesaid I was better than any of them. He liked me, very much.”

“Did he say anything about money or a will?”

“A will—no, I don’t think so. I don’t remember.”

“What happened?”

“They all went away—except Hilda—the fat one, David’s wife, she stayed behind.”

“Oh, she did, did she?”

“Yes. David looked very funny. He was all shaking and oh! so white. He looked as though hemight be sick.”

“And what then?”

“Then I went and found Stephen. We danced to the gramophone.”

“Stephen Farr?”

“Yes. He is from South Africa—he is the son of Grandfather’s partner. He is very handsometoo. Very brown and big, and he has nice eyes.”

Johnson asked:

“Where were you when the crime occurred?”

“You ask where I was?”

“Yes.”

“I had gone into the drawing room with Lydia. And then I went up to my room and did myface. I was going to dance again with Stephen. And then, far away, I heard a scream and everyonewas running, so I went too. And they were trying to break down Grandfather’s door. Harry⁷ did itwith Stephen, they are both big strong men.”

“Yes?”

“And then—crash—down it went—and we all looked in. Oh, such a sight—everythingsmashed and knocked over, and Grandfather lying in a lot of blood, and his throat was cut likethis”—she made a vivid dramatic gesture at her own neck—“right up under his ear.”

She paused, having obviously enjoyed her narrative⁸.

Johnson said:

“The blood didn’t make you feel ill?”

She stared.

“No, why should it? There is usually blood when people are killed. There was, oh! so muchblood everywhere!”

Poirot said: “Did anyone say anything?”

Pilar said:

“David said such a funny thing—what was it? Oh, yes. The mills of God—that is what hesaid”—she repeated it with emphasis on each word—“The mills—of—God—What does thatmean? Mills are what make flour, are they not?”

Colonel Johnson said:

“Well, I don’t think there is anything more just now, Miss Estravados.”

Pilar got up obediently. She flashed a quick charming smile at each man in turn.

“I will go now, then.” She went out.

Colonel Johnson said:

“The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small. And David Lee said that!”

 

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