‘Yes.’
‘Did he mention to you that he kept a quantity of uncut diamonds in his safe?’
‘No.’
He added before the other could speak:
‘Do you mean that this business was murder and robbery?’
‘We’re not sure yet,’ said Johnson. ‘Now to come to the events of this evening, will you tell me, in your own words, what you were doing?’
‘Certainly. After the ladies left the dining-room I stayed and had a glass of port. Then I realized that the Lees had family business they wanted to discuss and that my being
there was hampering them so I excused myself and left them.’
‘And what did you do then?’
Stephen Farr leaned back in his chair. His forefinger caressed his jaw. He said rather woodenly:
‘I—er—went along to a big room with a parquet floor—a kind of ballroom, I fancy. There’s a gramophone there and dance records. I put some records on.’
Poirot said:
‘It was possible, perhaps, that someone might join you there?’
A very faint smile curved Stephen Farr’s lips. He answered:
‘It was possible, yes. One always hopes.’
And he grinned outright.
Poirot said:
‘Señorita Estravados is very beautiful.’
Stephen answered:
‘She’s easily the best thing to look at that I’ve seen since I came to England.’
‘Did Miss Estravados join you?’ asked Colonel Johnson.
Stephen shook his head.
‘I was still there when I heard the rumpus. I came out into the hall and ran hell for leather to see what was the matter. I helped Harry Lee to break the door down.’
‘And that’s all you have to tell us?’
‘Absolutely all, I’m afraid.’
Hercule Poirot leaned forward. He said softly:
‘But I think, Monsieur Farr, that you could tell us a good deal if you liked.’
Farr said sharply:
‘What d’you mean?’
‘You can tell us something that is very important in this case—the character of Mr Lee. You say that your father talked much of him to you. What manner of a man was it that he described to you?’