At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie Page A

it all to you when I get back... Yes, this afternoon. No, I shall just wait and see the nurse who's coming to look after old Maddy - well, not really a nurse. You know one of those - er - practical aid nurses or something like that. No, she would hate to go to hospital... But I am sorry, Cousin Mildred, I really am very, very sorry.” She put down the receiver and sighed in an exasperated manner. “If only,” she murmured to herself, “one didn't have to tell so many lies to everybody.”
    She came out of the telephone box, noting as she did so the big newspaper placards: BIG TRAIN ROBBERY. IRISH MAIL ATTACKED BY BANDITS.

At Bertram's Hotel
    II
    Mr Bollard was serving a customer when the shop door opened. He looked up to see the Honourable Elvira Blake entering.
    “No,” she said to an assistant who came forward to her. “I'd rather wait until Mr Bollard is free.”
    Presently Mr Bollard's customer's business was concluded and Elvira moved into the vacant place.
    “Good morning, Mr Bollard,” she said.
    “I'm afraid your watch isn't done quite as soon as this, Miss Elvira,” said Mr Bollard.
    “Oh, it's not the watch,” said Elvira. “I've come to apologize. A dreadful thing happened.” She opened her bag and took out a small box. From it she extracted the sapphire and diamond bracelet. “You will remember when I came in with my watch to be repaired that I was looking at things for a Christmas present and there was an accident outside in the street. Somebody was run over I think, or nearly run over. I suppose I must have had the bracelet in my hand and put it into the pocket of my suit without thinking, although I only found it this morning. So I rushed along at once to bring it back. I'm so terribly sorry, Mr Bollard, I don't know how I came to do such an idiotic thing.”
    “Why, that's quite all right, Miss Elvira,” said Mr Bollard slowly.
    “I suppose you thought someone had stolen it,” said Elvira.
    Her limpid blue eyes met his.
    “We had discovered its loss,” said Mr Bollard. “Thank you very much, Miss Elvira, for bringing it back so promptly.”
    “I felt simply awful about it when I found it,” said Elvira. “Well, thank you very much, Mr Bollard, for being so nice about it.”
    “A lot of strange mistakes do occur,” said Mr Bollard. He smiled at her in an avuncular manner. “We won't think of it any more. But don't do it again, though.” He laughed with the air of one making a genial little joke.
    “Oh no,” said Elvira, “I shall be terribly careful in future.”
    She smiled at him, turned and left the shop.
    “Now I wonder,” said Mr Bollard to himself, “I really do wonder.”
    One of his partners, who had been standing near, moved nearer to him. “So she did take it?” he said.
    “Yes. She took it all right,” said Mr Bollard.
    “But she brought it back,” his partner pointed out.
    “She brought it back,” agreed Mr Bollard. “I didn't actually expect that.”
    “You mean you didn't expect her to bring it back?”
    “No, not if it was she who'd taken it.”
    “Do you think her story is true?” his partner inquired curiously. “I mean, that she slipped it into her pocket by accident?”
    “I suppose it's possible,” said Bollard thoughtfully.
    “Or it could be kleptomania, I suppose.”
    “Or it could be kleptomania,” agreed Bollard. “It's more likely that she took it on purpose... But if so, why did she bring it back so soon? It's curious -”
    “Just as well we didn't notify the police. I admit I wanted to.”
    “I know, I know. You haven't got as much experience as I have. In this case, it was definitely better not.” He added softly to himself, “The thing's interesting, though. Quite interesting. I wonder how old she is? Seventeen or eighteen, I suppose. She might have got herself in a jam of some kind.”
    “I thought you said she was rolling in money.”
    “You may be an heiress and rolling in money,” said Bollard, “but at seventeen