Behold Here's Poison Read online

‘I suppose he couldn’t have taken it by accident, could he?’ suggested Stella hopefully.

  The doctor shrugged. ‘I should say, very unlikely.’

  ‘Well, but when could he have swallowed it if not at dinner?’

  ‘My dear girl, what’s the use of asking me? I don’t know.’

  ‘You needn’t be stuffy about it,’ said Stella mildly. ‘It’s my belief you know more than you pretend about this nicotine stuff.’

  ‘Actually I know extremely little about nicotine,’ answered Fielding. ‘Sorry if that blights your faith in me, but it is not the sort of poison that comes in the way of general practice.’

  ‘Jolly lucky for you,’ remarked Guy. ‘I mean, if it had been an ordinary sort of poison, like arsenic, they might have suspected you.’

  ‘Why should they?’ demanded Stella fiercely. ‘There’s no reason to suspect Deryk!’

  Fielding smiled. ‘Oh yes, there is, Stella! Guy is quite right, and I have no hesitation in freely acknowledging it: it might easily have looked as though I could have done it, had the poison been one you’d find in a doctor’s poison-cupboard. A great many people know that I was not on good terms with your uncle, and I imagine that all the members of your family know that he had threatened to – spread an unpleasant scandal which would in all probability have injured my practice considerably.’

  ‘Yes, but we shan’t say anything about it, you know,’ said Guy, a little awkwardly.

  ‘I don’t wish you to conceal it, I assure you,’ replied Fielding calmly. ‘If I am asked I shall certainly tell the police the entire story.’ He added with a slight smile: ‘Nor do I imagine that Miss Matthews will be as discreet as you and Stella would be!’

  In the library Miss Matthews was proving the justice of this mistrust of her. Having discovered that Superintendent Hannasyde was a sympathetic listener she had soon lost her first dread of him, and had told him any number of things which her family would no doubt have preferred her to have kept hidden. She told him the whole history of the duck; she told him how disagreeable Gregory used to be; and she complained bitterly to him of the wicked unfairness of the Will.

  ‘I did think,’ she said, ‘that after the years I’ve lived with him my brother would have had the common decency to have left the house all to me. But that’s just the kind of man he was. I’m sure it’s no wonder he was poisoned. And if we could only see him I’ve no doubt he’s laughing about it now in that sneering way of his. If you were to ask me, I should have to say that I believe he liked to make people uncomfortable, which he certainly has done, getting himself poisoned in this tiresome way, and leaving a most unfair Will.’

  ‘You had lived with him a long time, Miss Matthews?’

  ‘Oh yes, ever since my mother died, eighteen – or was it only seventeen? no, I’m sure it was eighteen – years ago. Not that I ever wanted to keep house for him; in fact, if it hadn’t been for my sister I would much have preferred to work for my living, because I never did get on with Gregory, even when we were children. He always wanted to be top-dog, which I think very wrong myself, not that my opinion is likely to count with anyone in this family. But when you’ve looked forward for years to having the house to yourself one day, and then find you’ve got to share it with the last person in the world you’d choose –’

  ‘The house is left to you and to someone else as well?’

  ‘Yes, my sister-in-law,’ nodded Miss Matthews. ‘Oh, I’ve no doubt you’ll think she’s very sweet and charming when you see her! People do. But I know better. She’s pleasant enough on the surface, but never in my life have I met anyone, I don’t care who it is, who’s more thoroughly selfish! That woman,’ she said impressively, ‘will go to any lengths to get her own way. My one comfort is that whatever she chooses to say I know she’s just as disappointed in the Will as anyone else. I know very well that she counted on being left the house, and money too, if the truth be told. And if she tells you she’s badly off, don’t you believe it! She’s got quite enough for one person; too much, if you ask me! In fact, I should have thought she could well have given some money to Guy, instead of expecting his uncle to do it!’

  ‘Guy?’ repeated Hannasyde. ‘That is the nephew who came in with you a little while ago, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes,’ answered Miss Matthews. ‘Such a nice boy! And I do hope you won’t listen to any spiteful tales about him from my sister. Gregory was extremely unkind to him, and Guy had every reason to dislike him. The idea of sending a boy like that to South America! I shouldn’t have been in the least surprised if he had poisoned his uncle. Not that he did, of course. I’m quite sure he didn’t, and if you want to know I’d much rather think it was Randall – my other nephew. Only he wasn’t here at the time, so I’m afraid that’s out of the question.’

  Inspector Davis, who had been listening to this illuminating monologue with a slightly dazed but intent expression on his face made a stifled sound, and put up his hand to hide his mouth. But the Superintendent, though there was a twinkle at the back of his eyes, said with perfect gravity: ‘Well, yes, at first glance that does seem to rule him out. And to what part of South America was Mr Matthews proposing to send his nephew?’

  Miss Matthews who had seldom (except for Edward Rumbold) met with so encouraging an audience, answered with the utmost readiness: ‘Some place in Brazil: I forget the name of it. So unsuitable! Guy doesn’t like rubber at all, and besides, he’s doing so well at his work, which is really most original – I mean the way he does it – and you can’t expect a new business to make money right away, can you?’

  ‘No,’ agreed Hannasyde. ‘What is his business, if I may ask?’

  ‘Well, they call it Interior Decoration, and though I myself shouldn’t want a gilded ceiling and black panels I can quite understand that tastes differ. But Gregory never did have any patience with Art, and besides, I don’t think he liked Guy, and I must say that Guy was often needlessly rude to his uncle, though at the same time Gregory gave him plenty of excuse. And then about this South American business! Only there was a good deal of excuse for Guy over that too, because the poor boy felt quite desperate – he told me so himself – and no wonder! Altogether things have been very difficult, and though Gregory’s death hasn’t done as much good as one hoped it would, at least it has put a stop to all the incessant quarrelling and unpleasantness in the house.’

  ‘That sounds as though others beside Mr Guy Matthews have been at variance with your brother,’ said Hannasyde, smiling.

  ‘I should call it being at daggers drawn!’ said Miss Matthews candidly. ‘Most unfortunately my niece, Stella, wants to marry Dr Fielding, and I need hardly say that Gregory had taken one of his unreasonable dislikes to the poor man. As though anyone could be blamed for what his father did! Not that I should mention any of that, and I’m not going to, for I was thoroughly ashamed of my brother’s behaviour, and what is more I told him that to my mind it was nothing less than blackmail! But it’s something I prefer not to talk about, so I beg you won’t ask me any questions about it.’

  ‘I quite understand,’ said Hannasyde. ‘It must have been very trying both for you and for Mrs Matthews. I hope for your niece’s sake she does not also oppose the marriage?’

  Miss Matthews gave a sniff. ‘I’m sure I don’t know what her views are, for I never believe a word she says. Besides, if she cares for anyone but herself it’s for Guy, not for Stella. As a matter of fact, I was agreeably surprised in her over the South American business at first. I didn’t know she had so much feeling and I certainly didn’t expect her to quarrel with my brother about it. At one time I thought it was really going to come to a breach between her and Gregory, but the instant she realised she couldn’t force Gregory an inch she turned completely round, and butter wouldn’t have melted in her mouth. My sister Gertrude was right – not that I’ve any desire to quote Gertrude, because I consider she’s behaved most unkindly to me, calling me a bad housekeeper, and I don’t know what beside! It just serves her r