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

‘I couldn’t say, sir. It was after I had taken coffee to the gentlemen, that is all I can say.’

‘Do you know where any of the ladies were at the time I mentioned?’

‘Mrs Alfred was in the drawing-room, sir, when I went for the coffee tray. That was just a minute or two before I heard the cry upstairs.’

Poirot asked:

‘What was she doing?’

‘She was standing by the far window, sir. She was holding the curtain a little back and looking out.’

‘And none of the other ladies were in the room?’

‘No, sir.’

‘Do you know where they were?’

‘I couldn’t say at all, sir.’

‘You don’t know where anyone else was?’

‘Mr David, I think, was playing in the music-room next door to the drawing-room.’

‘You heard him playing?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Again the old man shivered. ‘It was like a sign, sir, so I felt afterwards. It was the “Dead March” he was playing. Even at the time, I remember, it gave me the creeps.’

‘It is curious, yes,’ said Poirot.

‘Now, about this fellow, Horbury, the valet,’ said the chief constable. ‘Are you definitely prepared to swear that he was out of the house by eight o’clock?’

‘Oh yes, sir. It was just after Mr Sugden here arrived. I remember particular because he broke a coffee-cup.’

Poirot said:

‘Horbury broke a coffee-cup?’

‘Yes, sir—one of the old Worcester ones. Eleven years I’ve washed them up and never one broken till this evening.’

Poirot said:

‘What was Horbury doing with the coffee-cups?’

‘Well, of course, sir, he’d no business to have been handling them at all. He was just holding one up, admiring it like, and I happened to mention that Mr Sugden had called, and he dropped it.’

Poirot said:

‘Did you say “Mr Sugden” or did you mention the word police?’

Tressilian looked a little startled.

‘Now I come to think of it, sir, I mentioned that the police superintendent had called.’

‘And Horbury dropped the coffee-cup,’ said Poirot.

‘Seems suggestive, that,’ said the chief constable. ‘Did Horbury ask any questions about the superintendent’s visit?’

‘Yes, sir, asked what he wanted here. I said he’d come collecting for the Police Orphanage and had gone up to Mr Lee.’