The Wilmington morning star., 1947-07-18

IAAoVS lldPRSAICu DIS sic Sd1O.
Inspector Grange shrugged his
shoulders.
1T could have-yes. But it's a
thin story. And they all think she
killed him! They know something
we don't" He looked curiously at
his companion. "You thought
she'd done it all right, didn't you,
when you arrived on the scene"
Poirot hall closed his eyes.
Coming along the path. .Gudgeon
stepping aside j. Gerda Chris.
tow standing over her husband
with the revolver in her hand and
that blank look. on her face. Yes.
as Grange had said, he had
thought, at least, that that was
the impression he was meant to
have.
Yes, but that was not the same
A scene staged-set to deceive.
Had Gerda Christow looked like
a woman who had just shot her
husband? That was what Inspec.
ter Grange wanted to know.
And with a sudden shock Of
surprise, Hercule Poirot realized
that in all his long experience Of
deeds of violence he had never
actually come face to face with a
woman who had just killed her
husband. What would a WON
an look like in such circum'
stances? Triumph. Mortified, salts
fled, dazed, incredulous, empty?
Any one of these things, ne
thought.
Inspector Grange was talking,
Poirot caught the end o. his
speech.
once you get all the facts be-
hind the case, and you can usual
ly get all that from the servants
"Mrs. Christow is going back
to London"
Eyes. There's a couple OF kids
i. there. Have to let her 60. o.
course we keep a sharp eye or
Ter, but she won't know that. She
thinks she's got away with 1t al
right. Looks rather a stupid kline
of woman to me-"
Did Gerda Christow realize, Pol
rot wondered, what the police
thought-and what the Angkatell'
thought? She had looked a!
though she did not realize any
thing at all-she had looked like
a woman whose reactions were
slow and who was completely
dazed and heartbroken by her hus
bands death.
They had come out into thu
lane.
Poirot stopped by his gate
Grange said:
This your little place? Nic'
and snug. Well, goodby for tn
present. M. Poirot. Thanks To-
your cooperation. I'll drop il
sometime and give you the low
down on how we re getting on.
His eye travelled up the lane
who's your neighbor? That
not where our new celebrity hang
out, is it,"
Miss Veronica Cray, the &C
tress, comes there for week-ends
1 believe"
"Of course. Dovecotes, I likae
her in Lady Rides on Tiger" bu
she's a bit highbrow Cor m,
taste"
He turned away.
well, 1 must get back to thu
job. So long, M. Poirot."
You recognize this, Sil
Henry?"
INSPECTOR Grange laid the re
volver on the desk in front Of Sil
Henry and looked at him expec
family.
II can handle it," Sir Henry
hand hesitated over the revolver
as he asked the question.
Orange nodded.
cts been in the pool. Destroyed
whatever fingerprints there were
on, it. A pity, if I amy say so, tina
Miss Savernake let it slip out o
her hand"
Eyes, yes - but, OF course, i
was a very tense moment for al
OF us. Women r apt to ge
clustered and-er-drop things"
Again Inspector Grange nodded
He said:
"Miss Savernake seems a cool
capable young lady On the whole
The words were devoid Of I'm
phasis, yet something in them
made Sir Henry look up sharply
Grange went on:
"Now, do you recognize it, sir?'
Sir Henry picked up the revol
yer and examined it. He noted
the number and compared it with
a list in a small leather-bound book
Then, closing the book with a sigh
he said:
Eyes, Inspector, this come:
from my collection here"
"When did you see it last?"
yesterday afternoon. We were
doing some shooting in the garden
with a target, and this was one
Of the firearms we were using
"Who actually fired this revol
yer on that occasion?"
II think everybody had at leas'
ore shot with it,
"I1cluding Mrs. Christow."
"And after you had finished
shooting?"
IT put the revolver away in it,
usual place. Here"
He pulled out the drawer Of .
big bureau. It was hall full o.
guns.
you've got a big collection Of
firearms, Sir Henry"
"It's been a hobby Of mine fo1
many years."
Inspector Oranges eyes rested
thoughtfully on the ex-governor OF
the Hollowene Islands. A good
looking, distinguished man, the
kind of man he would be quite
p1eased TO erve under himSelf-in