Cards on the Table (Hercule Poirot 15)

“She’s in Palestine. Her husband has some Government appointment out there—I’m not sure what.”

“Ah, well, I can soon find out. And after that you went to Mrs. Deering?”

“I was with her three years,” said Anne quickly. “Her address is Marsh Dene, Little Hembury, Devon.”

“I see,” said Battle. “So you are now twenty-five, Miss Meredith. Now, there’s just one thing more—the name and address of a couple of people in Cheltenham who knew you and your father.”

Anne supplied him with these.

“Now, about this trip to Switzerland—where you met Mr. Shaitana. Did you go alone there—or was Miss Dawes here with you?”

“We went out together. We joined some other people. There was a party of eight.”

“Tell me about your meeting with Mr. Shaitana.”

Anne crinkled her brows.

“There’s really nothing to tell. He was just there. We knew him in the way you know people in a hotel. He got first prize at the fancy dress ball. He went as Mephistopheles.”

Superintendent Battle sighed.

“Yes, that always was his favourite effect.”

“He really was marvellous,” said Rhoda. “He hardly had to make up at all.”

The superintendent looked from one girl to the other.

“Which of you two young ladies knew him best?”

Anne hesitated. It was Rhoda who answered.

“Both the same to begin with. Awfully little, that is. You see, our crowd was the skiing lot, and we were off doing runs most days and dancing together in the evenings. But then Shaitana seemed to take rather a fancy to Anne. You know, went out of his way to pay her compliments, and all that. We ragged her about it, rather.”

“I just think he did it to annoy me,” said Anne. “Because I didn’t like him. I think it amused him to make me feel embarrassed.”

Rhoda said laughing:

“We told Anne it would be a nice rich marriage for her. She got simply wild with us.”

“Perhaps,” said Battle, “you’d give me the names of the other people in your party?”

“You aren’t what I call a trustful man,” said Rhoda. “Do you think that every word we’re telling you is downright lies?”

Superintendent Battle twinkled.

“I’m going to make sure it isn’t, anyway,” he said.

“You are suspicious,” said Rhoda.

She scribbled some names on a piece of paper and gave it to him.

Battle rose.

“Well, thank you very much, Miss Meredith,” he said. “As Miss Dawes says, you seem to have led a particularly blameless life. I don’t think you need worry much. It’s odd the way Mr. Shaitana’s manner changed to you. You’ll excuse my asking, but he didn’t ask you to marry him—or—er—pester you with attentions of another kind?”

“He didn’t try to seduce her,” said Rhoda helpfully. “If that’s what you mean.”

Anne was blushing.