Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie Page A

absorbed and interested in what I am doing.”
    Captain Maitland looked at Dr. Reilly. The latter nodded. “We'd better get down to it,” he said.
    Captain Maitland took out a small notebook and opened it.
    “Look here, Leidner, I'm going to read to you exactly what every member of your expedition was doing between one and two this afternoon.”
    “But surely -”
    “Wait. You'll see what I'm driving at in a minute. First Mr. and Mrs. Mercado. Mr. Mercado says he was working in his laboratory. Mrs. Mercado says she was in her bedroom shampooing her hair. Miss Johnson says she was in the living-room taking impressions of cylinder seals. Mr. Reiter says he was in the dark-room developing plates. Father Lavigny says he was working in his bedroom. As to the two remaining members of the expedition, Carey and Coleman, the former was up on the dig and Coleman was in Hassanieh. So much for the members of the expedition. Now for the servants. The cook - your Indian chap - was sitting immediately outside the archway chatting to the guard and plucking a couple of fowls. Ibrahim and Mansur, the house-boys, joined him there at about 1.15. They both remained there laughing and talking until 2.30 - by which time your wife was already dead.”
    Dr. Leidner leaned forward.
    “I don't understand - you puzzle me. What are you hinting at?”
    “Is there any means of access to your wife's room except by the door into the courtyard?”
    “No. There are two windows, but they are heavily barred - and besides, I think they were shut.”
    He looked at me questioningly.
    “They were closed and latched on the inside,” I said promptly.
    “In any case,” said Captain Maitland, “even if they had been open, no one could have entered or left the room that way. My fellows and I have assured ourselves of that. It is the same with all the other windows giving on the open country. They all have iron bars and all the bars are in good condition. To have got into your wife's room, a stranger must have come through the arched doorway into the courtyard. But we have the united assurances of the guard, the cook and the house-boy that nobody did so.”
    Dr. Leidner sprang up.
    “What do you mean? What do you mean?”
    “Pull yourself together, man,” said Dr. Reilly quietly. “I know it's a shock, but it's got to be faced. The murderer didn't come from outside - so he must have come from inside. It looks as though Mrs. Leidner must have been murdered by a member of your own expedition.”

Murder in Mesopotamia

Chapter 12
    “I DIDN'T BELIEVE...”
    “No! No!”
    Dr. Leidner sprang up and walked up and down in an agitated manner.
    “It's impossible what you say, Reilly. Absolutely impossible. One of us? Why, every single member of the expedition was devoted to Louise!”
    A queer little expression pulled down the corners of Dr. Reilly's mouth. Under the circumstances it was difficult for him to say anything, but if ever a man's silence was eloquent his was at that minute.
    “Quite impossible,” reiterated Dr. Leidner. “They were all devoted to her. Louise had such wonderful charm. Every one felt it.”
    Dr. Reilly coughed.
    “Excuse me, Leidner, but after all that's only your opinion. If any member of the expedition had disliked your wife they would naturally not advertise the fact to you.”
    Dr. Leidner looked distressed.
    “True - quite true. But all the same, Reilly, I think you are wrong. I'm sure every one was fond of Louise.”
    He was silent for a moment or two and then burst out.
    “This idea of yours is infamous. It's - it's frankly incredible.”
    “You can't get away from - er - the facts,” said Captain Maitland.
    “Facts? Facts? Lies told by an Indian cook and a couple of Arab house-boys. You know these fellows as well as I do, Reilly; so do you, Maitland. Truth as truth means nothing to them. They say what you want them to say as a mere matter of politeness.”
    “In this case,” said Dr. Reilly dryly, “they are saying