Appointment with Death Page #5

was having trouble waking her for dinner.

You were arriving then yourself.

And you insist that Mrs. Boynton

had been dead for two hours?

I do.

In other words, when Raymond came down,

he said he spoke to his stepmother.

He must have been speaking to a corpse?

I thought, Monsieur Poirot, we were friends.

We were while I was still on holiday...

but now I have been empowered

by His Majesty's representative...

to conduct an inquiry.

All suspects are equal.

And you really believe, monsieur,

that I am a suspect?

Why not? It would be very easy

for you to go to your tent.

On the way back

you stop briefly at Mrs. Boynton...

and you give her fatal dose.

After all, you're a doctor.

And to put the clock back two hours

would protect both you and dear Raymond.

That is the most-

Dr. King, I suspect...

that your butterfly's on upside down.

Hercule Poirot.

Thank you.

It was quite extraordinary really, I-

Enter.

May I present Monsieur Poirot, Lord Peel.

A distinct honor.

I extended my morning break, when I heard

you were coming, Monsieur Poirot.

Lord Peel heads a Royal Commission.

On his judgment alone

rests the fate of Palestine.

A task for Solomon.

The Arabs wouldn't think so.

Excuse me, Monsieur Poirot,

Lady Westholme, Miss Quinton.

Delegations await me.

I hope they're not getting too impatient.

Lady Westholme, I badly need your help.

Fire away.

Miss Quinton and I will do our best.

When it comes to matters of public duty,

one must be punctilious.

As my dear father used to say,

"When the stern call of duty comes"-

What is it you want to know?

Well... No, thank you very much.

I'm particularly interested in the period

yesterday after we finished lunch.

You did not immediately

go for your walk, I believe.

Knowing I was to meet Lord Peel today...

I attempted to study my papers

on the history of Palestine.

I was asked to have a conversation

with Mrs. Boynton.

- And you went?

- Indeed.

Pardon my... What did you talk about?

She started to attack me...

because the British do not want

Mrs. Simpson to marry their King.

It must be the only subject

on which she and I could possibly agree...

but she would not listen to me.

And then?

Having failed to ruffle my feathers...

she picked an argument

with one of the Arabs.

She seemed very annoyed with him.

Having servants about who cannot speak

a word of English is very trying.

Could you identify this man?

I couldn't see his face.

I had returned to my tent...

but I can tell you

he was of more than average height.

He wore the usual native headdress.

In addition, he had on a pair

of torn and patched breeches...

and his puttees were wound most untidily.

And after that you went for your walk?

No, I waited for Miss Quinton to return

and suggested that we ask Mrs. Boynton...

if she wanted anything before we left

the camp. That would've been about...

4:
00.

-4:
00.

-4:
00.

We're going for a walk, Mrs. Boynton.

Is there anything we can do for you?

She grunted like a pig.

Most offensive.

Quite obviously, she drinks.

Come along, Miss Quinton.

She's not the sort of person

we should talk to.

And when you came back?

We didn't talk to Mrs. Boynton again.

I returned to my work.

And I went down to the huts below...

to see if anything significant

had been unearthed that day.

Telephone for you, Lady Westholme.

It is Lord Westholme from England.

- May I?

- Madame.

I hope the line is clearer than it was...

A providential phone call.

Did you actually see

Mrs. Boynton speak to an Arab boy?

I did see someone in white approach her.

The sun was in my eyes,

but I thought it might be-

It might be?

The sheik who brought us back.

But, of course, it wasn't.

No. And then?

I went back to Carol Boynton.

Well, it's been most informative.

Thank you so much. Yes.

- There was something else.

- Oh?

But I can't remember what it was.

Well, when you think of it,

don't hesitate to tell me.

Oh, Mr. Cope and I are to go to Petra.

Petra? The rose-red city

half as old as time.

Roses. That's it.

Something to do with roses?

Roses, greenfly, spray, syringe!

Syringe?

While I was walking back down...

I saw this little box.

I picked it up, and inside

was one of those hypodermic things.

To whom did it belong?

It was Carol Boynton's.

She thanked me for finding it

and took it with her...

when she went to fetch Ginevra.

Colonel Carbury phoned.

He asked us all to stay in Jerusalem.

Only for a day or two, Madame.

For what?

You can't seriously suggest that I murdered

that ludicrous Boynton woman?

I'm terribly sorry, but once my

investigation is under way, it's-

Monsieur Poirot,

I'm deeply disappointed in you.

Come along, Miss Quinton.

I'm so sorry.

The British aristocracy's well-known

for its bad manners.

They call it eccentricity.

Oh, I'm quite used to it.

- Bottoms up.

- Cheers.

He's coming over.

Colonel Carbury said you wanted to see us.

I'm investigating your

mother-in-law's death.

It doesn't need investigating.

She died quite naturally.

I think not. If I might have a few moments

with your husband?

I've a good mind to call our consul.

Oh, that's your right.

I mean, if you object to my-

We don't. I'll wait in the lobby.

Thank you very much.

Well, you have your freedom at last.

Freedom?

Well, at least you've managed

to save your marriage.

You go too far, Monsieur Poirot.

I'll speak of that day.

Tell me about it.

When you returned from your walk

that afternoon, you were alone?

That's right.

And at what time did you reach the tents?

Soon after 4:
00. I looked in on Ginny.

She was asleep.

And what exactly did you say

to your stepmother?

She said I hadn't been gone very long...

and I said how hot it was.

That's all?

No, she...

She asked me what time it was,

since her watch had stopped.

I took it off her, wound it up,

and set it to the correct time.

Which was?

Just a quarter after 4.:00.

And then?

Then I asked her

if there was anything she wanted.

She said no. She was rather tired.

Soon after that I left her

to join Carol and Ginny at the excavations.

And she told you of no annoyance

caused by an Arab boy?

No. No, she didn't.

No, you saw no one of that description then.

An Arab boy?

- Not a soul. Except down below, of course.

- Yes, of course.

Well, thank you very much indeed,

Mr. Boynton.

If I may have a few moments

of your wife's time.

Why do you think Mrs. Boynton

was murdered, Monsieur Poirot?

Well, from all I've heard...

it's difficult to understand

why she wasn't murdered before.

I don't regret her death,

but I do feel responsible.

My married life has not been

particularly happy, Monsieur Poirot.

I came to the Boynton house a poor girl...

hoping to pay for the rest of my nurse's

training by taking care of the old lady.

Then I fell in love with Lennox.

Mrs. Boynton's condition

for letting us marry...

was that we both

continue to stay living with her.

I assumed

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