Mystery Blue Train by Agatha Christie

Author:Agatha Christie [Christie, Agatha]
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Detective, Fiction - Mystery, Non-Classifiable, Mystery & Detective - Traditional British
ISBN: 9780671829667
Publisher: Pocket
Published: 2010-01-14T15:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Derek Lunches

derek kettering went straight to the Negresco,

where he ordered a couple of cocktails

and disposed of them rapidly; then he

stared moodily out over the dazzling blue

sea. He noted the passers-by mechanically

--a damned dull crowd, badly dressed, and

painfully uninteresting; one hardly ever saw

anything worth while nowadays. Then he

corrected this last impression rapidly, as a

woman placed herself at a table a little distance

away from him. She was wearing a marvellous

confection of orange and black, with a little hat that shaded her face. He ordered a ^ird cocktail; again he stared out to sea, and ^en suddenly he started. A well-known per-tiune assailed his nostrils, and he looked up

A " ---[0 see the orange-and-black lady standing be-^de him. He saw her face now, and recognized uer-It was Mirelle. She was smiling that in-^lent, seductive smile he knew so well.

"Dereekl" she murmured. "You are

pleased to see me, no?"

She dropped into a seat the other side of

the table.

"But welcome me, then, stupid one," she

mocked.

"This is an unexpected pleasure," said

Derek. "When did you leave London?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"A day or two ago."

"And the Parthenon?"

"I have, how do you say it?--given them

the chuck!"

"Really?"

"You are not very amiable, Dereek."

"Do you expect me to be?"

Mirelle lit a cigarette and puffed at it for

a few minutes before saying:

"You think, perhaps, that it is not prudent

so soon?"

Derek stared at her, then he shrugged his

shoulders, and remarked formally:

"You are lunching here?"

"Mais oui. I am lunching with you."

"I am extremely sorry," said Derek. "I have a very important engagement."

"Mon Dieu! But you men are like children,"

exclaimed the dancer. "But yes, itls the spoilt child that you act to me, ever since that day in London when you flung yourself

out of my flat, you sulk. Ah! mais c'est inoui!"

"My dear girl," said Derek, "I really don't

know what you are talking about. We agreed

in London that rats desert a sinking ship, that is all that there is to be said." In spite of his careless words, his face

looked haggard and strained. Mirelle leaned

forward suddenly.

"You cannot deceive me," she murmured.

"I know--I know what you have done for

me."

He looked up at her sharply. Some undercurrent

in her voice arrested his attention.

She nodded her head at him.

"Ah! have no fear; I am discreet. You are

magnificent! You have a superb courage, but, all the same, it was I who gave you the idea that day, when I said to you in London

that accidents sometimes happened. And

you are not in danger? The police do not

suspect you?"

"What the devil----"

"Hush!"

She held up a slim olive hand with one big herald on the little finger.

"You are right; I should not have spoken s0 ^ a public place. We will not speak of ule matter again, but our troubles are ended;

L . I

our life together will be wonderful--won

derful!"

Derek laughed suddenly--a harsh, disagreeable

laugh.

"So the rats come back, do they? Two

million makes a difference--of course h

does. I ought to have known that." He

laughed again. "You will help me to spend

that two million, won't you, Mirelle? You

know how, no woman better." He laughed

again.

"Hush!" cried the dancer. "What is the

matter with you, Dereek? See--people are

turning to stare at you.

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