The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 1 A Fellow Traveller I believe that a well-known anecdote exists the effect that a young writer, determined to make the commencement of his story forcible and original enough to catch and rivet the attention of the most blasé of editors, penned the following sentence: “ ‘Hell!’ said the Duchess.” Strangely enough, this tale of mine opens in much the same fashion. Only the lady who gave utterance to the exclamation was not a Duchess! It was a day in early June. I had been transacting some business in Paris and was ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 2 An Appeal for Help It was five minutes past nine I entered our joint sitting-room for breakfast on the following morning. My friend Poirot, exact to the minute as usual, was just tapping the shell of his second egg. He beamed upon me as I entered. “You have slept well, yes? You have recovered from the crossing so terrible? It is a marvel, almost you are exact this morning. _Pardon___, but your tie is not symmetrical. Permit that I rearrange him.” Elsewhere, I have described Hercule Poirot. An extraordinary little ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 3 At the Villa Geneviève In a moment Poirot had leapt the car, his eyes blazing with excitement. He caught the man by the shoulder. “What is that you say? Murdered? When? How?” The _sergent de ville___ drew himself up. “I cannot answer any questions, monsieur.” “True. I comprehend.” Poirot reflected for a minute. “The Commissary of Police, he is without doubt within?” “Yes, monsieur.” Poirot took out a card, and scribbled a few words on it. “_Voilà!___ Will you have the goodness to see that this card is sent in ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 4 The Letter Signed “Bella” Françoise had left the room. The was drumming thoughtfully on the table. “M. Bex,” he said at length, “here we have directly conflicting testimony. Which are we to believe, Françoise or Denise?” “Denise,” said the commissary decidedly. “It was she who let the visitor in. Françoise is old and obstinate, and has evidently taken a dislike to Madame Daubreuil. Besides, our own knowledge tends to show that Renauld was entangled with another woman.” “_Tiens!___” cried M. Hautet. “We have forgotten to inform M. Poirot of that.” ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 5 Mrs. Renauld’s Story We found M. Hautet awaiting us in hall, and we all proceeded upstairs together, Françoise marching ahead to show us the way. Poirot went up in a zigzag fashion which puzzled me, until he whispered with a grimace: “No wonder the servants heard M. Renauld mounting the stairs; not a board of them but creaks fit to wake the dead!” At the head of the staircase, a small passage branched off. “The servants’ quarters,” explained Bex. We continued along a corridor, and Françoise tapped on the last ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 6 The Scene of the Crime Between them, the doctor and Hautet carried the unconscious woman into the house. The commissary looked after them, shaking his head. “_Pauvre femme___,” he murmured to himself. “The shock was too much for her. Well, well, we can do nothing. Now, M. Poirot, shall we visit the place where the crime was committed?” “If you please, M. Bex.” We passed through the house, and out by the front door. Poirot had looked up at the staircase in passing, and shook his head in a dissatisfied ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 7 The Mysterious Madame Daubreuil As we retraced our steps to house, M. Bex excused himself for leaving us, explaining that he must immediately acquaint the examining magistrate with the fact of Giraud’s arrival. Giraud himself had been obviously delighted when Poirot declared that he had seen all he wanted. The last thing we observed, as we left the spot, was Giraud, crawling about on all fours, with a thoroughness in his search that I could not but admire. Poirot guessed my thoughts, for as soon as we were alone he ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 8 An Unexpected Meeting We were up at the Villa betimes morning. The man on guard at the gate did not bar our way this time. Instead, he respectfully saluted us, and we passed on to the house. The maid Léonie was just coming down the stairs, and seemed not averse to the prospect of a little conversation. Poirot inquired after the health of Mrs. Renauld. Léonie shook her head. “She is terribly upset, _la pauvre dame!___ She will eat nothing—but nothing! And she is as pale as a ghost. It ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 9 M. Giraud Finds Some Clues In the _Salon___ I found examining magistrate busily interrogating the old gardener Auguste. Poirot and the commissary, who were both present, greeted me respectively with a smile and a polite bow. I slipped quietly into a seat. M. Hautet was painstaking and meticulous in the extreme, but did not succeed in eliciting anything of importance. The gardening gloves Auguste admitted to be his. He wore them when handling a certain species of primula plant which was poisonous to some people. He could not say when ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 10 Gabriel Stonor The man who entered the room was a figure. Very tall, with a well knit athletic frame, and a deeply bronzed face and neck, he dominated the assembly. Even Giraud seemed anaemic beside him. When I knew him better I realized that Gabriel Stonor was quite an unusual personality. English by birth, he had knocked about all over the world. He had shot big game in Africa, travelled in Korea, ranched in California, and traded in the South Sea Islands. He had been secretary to a New York ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 11 Jack Renauld What the next development of the conversation would been, I cannot say, for at that moment the door was thrown violently open, and a tall young man strode into the room. Just for a moment I had the uncanny sensation that the dead man had come to life again. Then I realized that this dark head was untouched with grey, and that, in point of fact, it was a mere boy who now burst in among us with so little ceremony. He went straight to Mrs. Renauld with ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 12 Poirot Elucidates Certain Points “Why did you measure that overcoat?” asked, with some curiosity, as we walked down the hot white road at a leisurely pace. “_Parbleu!___ to see how long it was,” replied my friend imperturbably. I was vexed. Poirot’s incurable habit of making a mystery out of nothing never failed to irritate me. I relapsed into silence, and followed a train of thought of my own. Although I had not noticed them specially at the time, certain words Mrs. Renauld had addressed to her son now recurred to ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 13 The Girl with the Anxious Eyes We lunched with an appetite. I understood well enough that Poirot did not wish to discuss the tragedy where we could so easily be overheard. But, as is usual when one topic fills the mind to the exclusion of everything else, no other subject of interest seemed to present itself. For a while we ate in silence, and then Poirot observed maliciously: “_Eh bien!___ And your indiscretions! You recount them not?” I felt myself blushing. “Oh, you mean this morning?” I endeavoured to adopt ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 14 The Second Body Waiting for no more, I turned and up the path to the shed. The two men on guard there stood aside to let me pass and, filled with excitement, I entered. The light was dim, the place was a mere rough wooden erection to keep old pots and tools in. I had entered impetuously, but on the threshold I checked myself, fascinated by the spectacle before me. Giraud was on his hands and knees, a pocket torch in his hand with which he was examining every inch ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 15 A Photograph The doctor’s words were so surprising that we all momentarily taken aback. Here was a man stabbed with a dagger which we knew to have been stolen only twenty-four hours previously, and yet Dr. Durand asserted positively that he had been dead at least forty-eight hours! The whole thing was fantastic to the last extreme. We were still recovering from the surprise of the doctor’s announcement, when a telegram was brought to me. It had been sent up from the hotel to the Villa. I tore it open. ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 16 The Beroldy Case Some twenty years or so before the of the present story, Monsieur Arnold Beroldy, a native of Lyons, arrived in Paris accompanied by his pretty wife and their little daughter, a mere babe. Monsieur Beroldy was a junior partner in a firm of wine merchants, a stout middle-aged man, fond of the good things of life, devoted to his charming wife, and altogether unremarkable in every way. The firm in which Monsieur Beroldy was a partner was a small one, and although doing well, it did not ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 17 We Make Further Investigations I have set down the Beroldy in full. Of course all the details did not present themselves to my memory as I have recounted them here. Nevertheless, I recalled the case fairly accurately. It had attracted a great deal of interest at the time, and had been fully reported by the English papers, so that it did not need much effort of memory on my part to recollect the salient details. Just for the moment, in my excitement, it seemed to clear up the whole matter. ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 18 Giraud Acts “By the way, Poirot,” I said, as we along the hot white road, “I’ve got a bone to pick with you. I dare say you meant well, but really it was no business of yours to go mouching round to the Hôtel du Phare without letting me know.” Poirot shot a quick sidelong glance at me. “And how did you know I had been there?” he inquired. Much to my annoyance I felt the colour rising in my cheeks. “I happened to look in in passing,” I explained ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 19 I Use My Grey Cells I was dumbfounded. Up to last, I had not been able bring myself to believe Jack Renauld guilty. I had expected a ringing proclamation of his innocence when Poirot challenged him. But now, watching him as he stood, white and limp against the wall, and hearing the damning admission fall from his lips, I doubted no longer. But Poirot had turned to Giraud. “What are your grounds for arresting him?” “Do you expect me to give them to you?” “As a matter of courtesy, yes.” ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 20 An Amazing Statement The next moment Poirot embraced me warmly. You have arrived. And all by yourself. It is superb! Continue your reasoning. You are right. Decidedly we have done wrong to forget Georges Conneau.” I was so flattered by the little man’s approval that I could hardly continue. But at last I collected my thoughts and went on. “Georges Conneau disappeared twenty years ago, but we have no reason to believe that he is dead.” “_Aucunement___,” agreed Poirot. “Proceed.” “Therefore we will assume that he is alive.” “Exactly.” “Or ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 21 Hercule Poirot on the Case! In a measured voice, Poirot his exposition. “It seems strange to you, _mon ami___, that a man should plan his own death? So strange, that you prefer to reject the truth as fantastic, and to revert to a story that is in reality ten times more impossible. Yes, M. Renauld planned his own death, but there is one detail that perhaps escapes you—he did not intend to die.” I shook my head, bewildered. “But no, it is all most simple really,” said Poirot kindly. “For ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 22 I Find Love For a moment or two I sat though frozen, the photograph still in my hand. Then, summoning all my courage to appear unmoved, I handed it back. At the same time, I stole a quick glance at Poirot. Had he noticed anything? But to my relief he did not seem to be observing me. Anything unusual in my manner had certainly escaped him. He rose briskly to his feet. “We have no time to lose. We must make our departure with all despatch. All is well—the sea ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 23 Difficulties Ahead After a moment of stress, such as I just described, reaction is bound to set in. I retired to rest that night on a note of triumph, but I awoke to realize that I was by no means out of the wood. True, I could see no flaw in the alibi I had so suddenly conceived. I had but to stick to my story, and I failed to see how Bella could be convicted in face of it. It was not as though there was any old friendship ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 24 “Save Him!” We crossed from England by the evening boat, the following morning saw us in Saint-Omer, whither Jack Renauld had been taken. Poirot lost no time in visiting M. Hautet. As he did not seem disposed to make any objections to my accompanying him, I bore him company. After various formalities and preliminaries, we were conducted to the examining magistrate’s room. He greeted us cordially. “I was told that you had returned to England, M. Poirot. I am glad to find that such is not the case.” “It is ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 25 An Unexpected Dénouement We were present the following morning at examination of Jack Renauld. Short as the time had been, I was shocked at the change that had taken place in the young prisoner. His cheeks had fallen in, there were deep black circles round his eyes, and he looked haggard and distraught, as one who had wooed sleep in vain for several nights. He betrayed no emotion at seeing us. The prisoner and his counsel, Maître Grosíer, were accommodated with chairs. A formidable guard with resplendent sabre stood before ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 26 I Receive a Letter “_My Friend:___ “You will know all you get this. Nothing that I can say will move Bella. She has gone out to give herself up. I am tired out with struggling. “You will know now that I deceived you, that where you gave me trust I repaid you with lies. It will seem, perhaps, indefensible to you, but I should like, before I go out of your life for ever, to show you just how it all came about. If I knew that you forgave me, ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 27 Jack Renauld’s Story “Congratulations, M. Jack,” said Poirot, wringing the warmly by the hand. Young Renauld had come to us as soon as he was liberated—before starting for Merlinville to rejoin Marthe and his mother. Stonor accompanied him. His heartiness was in strong contrast to the lad’s wan looks. It was plain that the boy was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Although delivered from the immediate peril that was hanging over him, the circumstances of his release were too painful to let him feel full relief. He smiled ...Read More

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 28 Journey’s End I have confused memories of the further events that night. Poirot seemed deaf to my repeated questions. He was engaged in overwhelming Françoise with reproaches for not having told him of Mrs. Renauld’s change of sleeping quarters. I caught him by the shoulder, determined to attract his attention, and make myself heard. “But you _must___ have known,” I expostulated. “You were taken up to see her this afternoon.” Poirot deigned to attend to me for a brief moment. “She had been wheeled on a sofa into the middle ...Read More