Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie Page A

characteristic of schoolgirls. Her hands rested helplessly on the table in front of him—pathetic hands, big and red, with large bones and long wrists. Weston thought:
    â€œA kid oughtn’t to be mixed up in this sort of thing.”
    He said reassuringly.
    â€œThere’s nothing very alarming about all this. We just want you to tell us anything you know that might be useful, that’s all.”
    Linda said:
    â€œYou mean—about Arlena?”
    â€œYes. Did you see her this morning at all?”
    The girl shook her head.
    â€œNo. Arlena always gets down rather late. She has breakfast in bed.”
    Hercule Poirot said:
    â€œAnd you, Mademoiselle?”
    â€œOh, I get up. Breakfast in bed’s so stuffy. ”
    Weston said:
    â€œWill you tell us what you did this morning?”
    â€œWell, I had a bathe first and then breakfast, and then I went with Mrs. Redfern to Gull Cove.”
    Weston said:
    â€œWhat time did you and Mrs. Redfern start?”
    â€œShe said she’d be waiting for me in the hall at half-past ten. I was afraid I was going to be late, but it was all right. We started off at about three minutes to the half hour.”
    Poirot said:
    â€œAnd what did you do at Gull Cove?”
    â€œOh, I oiled myself and sunbathed and Mrs. Redfern sketched. Then, later, I went into the sea and Christine went back to the hotel to get changed for tennis.”
    Weston said, keeping his voice quite casual:
    â€œDo you remember what time that was?”
    â€œWhen Mrs. Redfern went back to the hotel? Quarter to twelve.”
    â€œSure of that time—quarter to twelve?”
    Linda, opening her eyes wide, said:
    â€œOh yes. I looked at my watch.”
    â€œThe watch you have on now?”
    Linda glanced down at her wrist.
    â€œYes.”
    Weston said:
    â€œMind if I see?”
    She held our her wrist. He compared the watch with his own and with the hotel clock on the wall.
    He said, smiling:
    â€œCorrect to a second. And after that you had a bathe?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œAnd you got back to the hotel—when?”
    â€œJust about one o’clock. And—and then—I heard—about Arlena….”
    Her voice changed.
    Colonel Weston said:
    â€œDid you—er—get on with your stepmother all right?”
    She looked at him for a minute without replying. Then she said:
    â€œOh yes.”
    Poirot asked:
    â€œDid you like her, Mademoiselle?”
    Linda said again:
    â€œOh yes.” She added: “Arlena was quite kind to me.”
    Weston said with rather uneasy facetiousness.
    â€œNot the cruel stepmother, eh?”
    Linda shook her head without smiling.
    Weston said:
    â€œThat’s good. That’s good. Sometimes, you know, there’s a bit of difficulty in families—jealousy—all that. Girl and her father great pals and then she resents it a bit when he’s all wrapped up in the new wife. You didn’t feel like that, eh?”
    Linda stared at him. She said with obvious sincerity:
    â€œOh no.”
    Weston said:
    â€œI suppose your father was—er—very wrapped up in her?”
    Linda said simply:
    â€œI don’t know.”
    Weston went on:
    â€œAll sorts of difficulties, as I say, arise in families. Quarrels—rows—that sort of thing. If husband and wife get ratty with each other, that’s a bit awkward for a daughter too. Anything of that sort?”
    Linda said clearly:
    â€œDo you mean, did Father and Arlena quarrel?”
    â€œWell—yes.”
    Weston thought to himself:
    â€œRotten business—questioning a child about her father. Why is one a policeman? Damn it all, it’s got to be done, though.”
    Linda said positively:
    â€œOh no.” She added: “Father doesn’t quarrel with people. He’s not like that at all.”
    Weston said:
    â€œNow, Miss Linda, I want you to think very carefully. Have you any idea at all who might have killed