Free The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie

here,' exclaimed Starkwedder as he came into the room. 'I can't spend all day kicking my heels at the police station. I've given you my fingerprints, and then I insisted that they bring me along here. I've got things to do. I've got two appointments with a house agent today.' He suddenly noticed Laura. 'Oh - good morning, Mrs Warwick,' he greeted her. I'm terribly sorry about what has happened.'
    'Good morning,' Laura replied, distantly.
    The inspector went across to the table by the armchair. 'Last night, Mr Starkwedder,' he asked, 'did you by any chance lay your hand on this table, and subsequently push the window open?'
    Starkwedder joined him at the table. 'I don't know,' he admitted. 'I could have done. Is it important? I can't remember.'
    Sergeant Cadwallader came back into the room, carrying a file. After shutting the door behind him, he walked across to the inspector. 'Here are Mr Starkwedder's prints, sir,' he reported. 'The constable brought them. And the ballistics report.'
    'Ah, let's see,' said the inspector. 'The bullet that killed Richard Warwick definitely came from this gun. As for the fingerprints, well, we'll soon see.' He went to the chair by the desk, sat, and began to study the documents, while the sergeant moved into the alcove.
    After a pause, Jan, who had been staring intently at Starkwedder, asked him, 'You've just come back from Abadan, haven't you? What's Abadan like?'
    'It's hot,' was the only response he got from Starkwedder, who then turned to Laura. 'How are you today, Mrs Warwick?' he asked. 'Are you feeling better?'
    'Oh yes, thank you,' Laura replied. 'I've got over the shock now.'
    'Good,' said Starkwedder.
    The inspector had risen, and now approached Starkwedder on the sofa. 'Your prints,' he announced, 'are on the window, decanter, glass and cigarette lighter. The prints on the table are not yours. They're a completely unidentified set of prints.' He looked around the room. 'That settles it, then,' he continued. 'Since there were no visitors here -' he paused and looked at Laura - 'last night - ?'
    'No,' Laura assured him.
    'Then they must be MacGregor's,' continued the inspector.
    'MacGregor's?' asked Starkwedder, looking at Laura.
    'You sound surprised,' said the inspector.
    'Yes - I am, rather,' Starkwedder admitted. 'I mean, I should have expected him to have worn gloves.'
    The inspector nodded. 'You're right,' he agreed. 'He handled the revolver with gloves.'
    'Was there any quarrel?' Starkwedder asked, addressing his question to Laura Warwick. 'Or was nothing heard but the shot?'
    It was with an effort that Laura replied, 'I - we - Benny and I, that is - we just heard the shot. But then, we wouldn't have heard anything from upstairs.'
    Sergeant Cadwallader had been gazing out at the garden through the small window in the alcove. Now, seeing someone approaching across the lawn, he moved to one side of the french windows. In through the windows there entered a handsome man in his mid-thirties, above medium height, with fair hair, blue eyes and a somewhat military aspect. He paused at the entrance, looking very worried. Jan, the first of the others in the room to notice him, squealed excitedly, 'Julian! Julian!'
    The newcomer looked at Jan and then turned to Laura Warwick. 'Laura!' he exclaimed. I've just heard. I'm - I'm most terribly sorry.'
    'Good morning. Major Farrar,' Inspector Thomas greeted him.
    Julian Farrar turned to the inspector. 'This is an extraordinary business.' he said. 'Poor Richard.' 'He was lying here in his wheelchair,' Jan told Farrar excitedly. 'He was all crumpled up. And there was a piece of paper on his chest. Do you know what it said? It said “Paid in full”.'
    'Yes. There, there, Jan,' Julian Farrar murmured, patting the boy's shoulder.
    'It is exciting, isn't it?' Jan continued, looking eagerly at him.
    Farrar moved past him. 'Yes. Yes, of course it's exciting,' he assured Jan, looking enquiringly towards Starkwedder as he spoke.
    The inspector