The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah

upon when we
    disagree? Bien, if we were to ask these hundred
    people . . .” Poirot turned back to the crowd. “Ladies
    and gentlemen, we have heard that Richard Negus,
    Harriet Sippel and Ida Gransbury were friends, and
    that their food was delivered to Room 317 at fifteen
    minutes past seven. Yet at half past seven, Mr.
    Brignell saw Richard Negus on this floor of the hotel,
    walking toward the lift. Mr. Negus must have been
    returning, n’est-ce pas, either to his own room, 238,
    or to Room 317 to join his two friends? But returning
    from where? His sandwiches and cakes were
    delivered only fifteen minutes earlier! Did he
    abandon them immediately and set off somewhere? Or
    did he eat his share of the food in only three or four
    minutes before rushing off? And to where did he rush?
    What was the important errand for which he left
    Room 317? Was it to ensure that the food should not
    end up on the bill of Harriet Sippel or Ida Gransbury?
    He could not wait twenty or thirty minutes, or an hour,
    before setting off to attend to this matter?”
    A sturdily built woman with curly brown hair and
    severe eyebrows sprang to her feet at the back of the
    room. “You keep asking all these questions as if I
    might know the answer, as if we all might know the
    answers, and we don’t know nothing!” Her eyes
    darted around the room as she spoke, settling on one
    person after another, though her words were
    addressed to Poirot. “I want to go home, Mr.
    Lazzari,” she wailed. “I want to look in on my kiddies
    and see that they’re safe!”
    A younger woman sitting beside her put a hand on
    her arm and tried to calm her. “Sit down, Tessie,” she
    said. “The gentleman’s only trying to help. Your
    bairns won’t have come to any harm, not if they’ve
    been nowhere near the Bloxham.”
    At this remark, intended as a comfort, both Luca
    Lazzari and Sturdy Tessie made anguished noises.
    “We won’t keep you much longer, madam,” I said.
    “And I’m sure Mr. Lazzari will allow you to pay a
    visit to your children afterward, if that is what you
    feel you need to do.”
    Lazzari indicated that this would be permissible,
    and Tessie sat down, slightly mollified.
    I turned to Poirot and said, “Richard Negus did not
    leave Room 317 in order to clear up the matter of the
    bill. He ran into Thomas Brignell on his way back
    from somewhere, so he had already done whatever it
    was that he set out to do by that point. He then
    happened to spot Mr. Brignell and decided to clear up
    the matter of the bill.” I hoped, with this little speech,
    to demonstrate to all present that we had answers as
    well as questions. Perhaps not all the answers yet, but
    some, and some was better than none.
    “Monsieur Brignell, did you have the impression
    that Mr. Negus happened to see you and take his
    opportunity, as Mr. Catchpool describes? He was not
    looking for you? It was you who attended to him when
    he arrived at the hotel on Wednesday, yes?
    “That’s right, sir. No, he wasn’t looking for me.”
    Brignell seemed happier about speaking while seated.
    “He chanced upon me and thought, ‘Oh, there’s that
    chap again,’ if you know what I mean, sir.”
    “Indeed. Ladies and gentlemen,” Poirot raised his
    voice. “After committing three murders in this hotel
    yesterday evening, the killer, or somebody who
    knows the identity of the killer and conspired with
    him, left a note on the front desk: ‘MAY THEY
    NEVER REST IN PEACE. 121. 238. 317.’ Did
    anybody happen to observe the leaving of this note
    that I show to you now?” Poirot produced the small
    white card from his pocket and held it up in the air. “It
    was found by the clerk, Mr. John Goode, at ten
    minutes past eight. Did any of you, perhaps, notice a
    person or persons near the desk who seemed to be
    conducting themselves in an unusual way? Think hard!
    Someone must have seen something!”
    Stout Tessie had screwed her eyes shut and was
    leaning against her friend.