XIV
Pilar came into the room with the wariness of an animal who suspects a trap. Her eyes went
quickly from side to side. She looked not so much afraid as deeply suspicious.
Colonel Johnson rose and put a chair for her. Then he said
You understand English, I suppose, Miss Estravados
Pilar’s eyes opened wide. She said
Of course. My mother was English. I am really very English indeed.
A faint smile came to Colonel Johnson’s lips, as his eyes took in the black gloss of her hair
the proud dark eyes, and the curling red lips. Very English! An incongruous term to apply to Pilar
Estravados.
He said
Mr. Lee was your grandfather. He sent for you to come from Spain. And you arrived a few
days ago. Is that right
Pilar nodded.
That is right. I had—oh! a lot of adventures getting out of Spain—there was a bomb from
the air and the chauffeur he was killed—where his head had been there was all blood. And I could
not drive a car, so for a long way I had to walk—and I do not like walking. I never walk. My feet
were sore—but sore
Colonel Johnson smiled. He said
At any rate you arrived here. Had your mother spoken to you of your grandfather much
Pilar nodded cheerfully.
Oh, yes, she said he was an old devil.
Hercule Poirot smiled. He said
And what did you think of him when you arrived, mademoiselle
Pilar said
Of course he was very, very old. He had to sit in a chair—and his face was all dried up. But
I liked him all the same. I think that when he was a young man, he must have been handsome
very handsome, like you,” said Pilar to Superintendent Sugden. Her eyes dwelt with näive
pleasure on his handsome face, which had turned brick-red at the compliment.
Colonel Johnson stifled a chuckle. It was one of the few occasions when he had seen the
stolid superintendent taken aback.
But of course,” Pilar continued regretfully, “he could never have been so big as you.
Hercule Poirot sighed.
You like, then, big men, señorita?” he inquired.
Pilar agreed enthusiastically.
Oh, yes, I like a man to be very big, tall, and the shoulders broad, and very, very strong.
Colonel Johnson said sharply
Did you see much of your grandfather when you arrived here
Pilar said
Oh, yes. I went to sit with him. He told me things—that he had been a very wicked man, and
all the things he did in South Africa.
Did he ever tell you that he had diamonds in the safe in his room
Yes, he showed them to me. But they were not like diamonds—they were just like pebbles
very ugly—very ugly indeed.
Superintendent Sugden said shortly
So he showed them to you, did he
Yes.
He didn’t give you any of them
Pilar shook her head.
No, he did not. I thought that perhaps one day he would—if I were very nice to him and
came often to sit with him. Because old gentlemen they like very much young girls.
Colonel Johnson said
Do you know that those diamonds have been stolen
Pilar opened her eyes very wide.
Stolen
Yes, have you any idea who might have taken them
Pilar nodded her head.
Oh, yes,” she said. “It would be Horbury.
Horbury? You mean the valet
Yes.
Why do you think that
Because he has the face of a thief. His eyes go so, from side to side, he walks softly and
listens at doors. He is like a cat. And all cats are thieves.
H’m,” said Colonel Johnson. “We’ll leave it at that. Now I understand that all the family
were up in your grandfather’s room this afternoon, and that some—er—angry words passed.
Pilar nodded and smiled.
Yes,” she said. “It was great fun. Grandfather made them oh! so angry
Oh, you enjoyed it, did you
Yes. I like to see people get angry. I like it very much. But here in England they do not get
angry like they do in Spain. In Spain they take out their knives and they curse and shout. In
England they do nothing, just get very red in the face and shut up their mouths tight.
Do you remember what was said
Pilar seemed rather doubtful.
I am not sure. Grandfather said they were no good—that they had not got any children. He
said I was better than any of them. He liked me, very much.
Did he say anything about money or a will
A will—no, I don’t think so. I don’t remember.
What happened
They all went away—except Hilda—the fat one, David’s wife, she stayed behind.
Oh, she did, did she
Yes. David looked very funny. He was all shaking and oh! so white. He looked as though he
might be sick.
And what then
Then I went and found Stephen. We danced to the gramophone.
Stephen Farr
Yes. He is from South Africa—he is the son of Grandfather’s partner. He is very handsome
too. Very brown and big, and he has nice eyes.
Johnson asked
Where were you when the crime occurred
You ask where I was
Yes.
I had gone into the drawing room with Lydia. And then I went up to my room and did my
face. I was going to dance again with Stephen. And then, far away, I heard a scream and everyone
was running, so I went too. And they were trying to break down Grandfather’s door. Harry did it
with Stephen, they are both big strong men.
Yes
And then—crash—down it went—and we all looked in. Oh, such a sight—everything
smashed and knocked over, and Grandfather lying in a lot of blood, and his throat was cut like
this”—she made a vivid dramatic gesture at her own neck—“right up under his ear.
She paused, having obviously enjoyed her narrative.
Johnson said
The blood didn’t make you feel ill
She stared.
No, why should it? There is usually blood when people are killed. There was, oh! so much
blood everywhere
Poirot said: “Did anyone say anything
Pilar said
David said such a funny thing—what was it? Oh, yes. The mills of God—that is what he
said”—she repeated it with emphasis on each word—“The mills—of—God—What does that
mean? Mills are what make flour, are they not
Colonel Johnson said
Well, I don’t think there is anything more just now, Miss Estravados.
Pilar got up obediently. She flashed a quick charming smile at each man in turn.
I will go now, then.” She went out.
Colonel Johnson said
The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small. And David Lee said that
