Hercule Poirot's Christmas: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot 20)

She paused, having obviously enjoyed her narrative.

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 much blood 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 he said’—she repeated it with emphasis on each word—‘The mills—of—God—What does that mean? 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!’

XV

As the door opened once more, Colonel Johnson looked up. For a moment he took the entering figure to be that of Harry Lee, but as Stephen Farr advanced into the room he saw his error.

‘Sit down, Mr Farr,’ he said.

Stephen sat. His eyes, cool, intelligent eyes, went from one to the other of the three men. He said:

‘I’m afraid I shan’t be much use to you. But please ask me anything that you think may help. Perhaps I’d better explain, to start with, who I am. My father, Ebenezer Farr, was Simeon Lee’s partner in South Africa in the old days. I’m talking of over forty years ago.’

He paused.

‘My dad talked to me a lot about Simeon Lee—what a personality he was. He and Dad cleaned up a good bit together. Simeon Lee went home with a fortune and my father didn’t do badly either. My father always told me that when I came to this country I was to look up Mr Lee. I said once that it was a long time ago and that he’d probably not know who I was, but Dad scoffed at the idea. He said, “When two men have been through what Simeon and I went through, they don’t forget.” Well, my father died a couple of years ago. This year I came over to England for the first time, and I thought I’d act on Dad’s advice and look up Mr Lee.’

With a slight smile he went on:

‘I was just a little nervous when I came along here, but I needn’t have been. Mr Lee gave me a warm welcome and absolutely insisted that I should stay with the family over Christmas. I was afraid I was butting in, but he wouldn’t hear of a refusal.’

He added rather shyly:

‘They were all very nice to me—Mr and Mrs Alfred Lee couldn’t have been nicer. I’m terribly sorry for them that all this should come upon them.’

‘How long have you been here, Mr Farr?’

‘Since yesterday.’

‘Did you see Mr Lee today at all?’

‘Yes, I had a chat with him this morning. He was in good spirits then and anxious to hear about a lot of people and places.’

‘That was the last time you saw him?’