Free Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie

JollyRoger Hotel. You identify this lady as a fellow guest of yours at the hotel—the wife of a Captain Marshall?”
    Emily Brewster nodded.
    â€œThen, I think,” said Inspector Colgate, “that we’ll adjourn to the hotel.”
    He beckoned to a constable.
    â€œHawkes, you stay here and don’t allow anyone on to this cove. I’ll be sending Phillips along later.”
    II
    â€œUpon my soul!” said Colonel Weston. “This is a surprise finding you here!”
    Hercule Poirot replied to the Chief Constable’s greeting in a suitable manner. He murmured:
    â€œAh, yes, many years have passed since that affair at St. Loo.”
    â€œI haven’t forgotten it, though,” said Weston. “Biggest surprise of my life. The thing I’ve never got over, though, is the way you got round me about that funeral business. Absolutely unorthodox, the whole thing. Fantastic!”
    â€œTout de même, mon Colonel,” said Poirot. “It produced the goods, did it not?”
    â€œEr—well, possibly. I dare say we should have got there by more orthodox methods.”
    â€œIt is possible,” agreed Poirot diplomatically.
    â€œAnd here you are in the thick of another murder,” said the Chief Constable. “Any ideas about this one?”
    Poirot said slowly:
    â€œNothing definite—but it is interesting.”
    â€œGoing to give us a hand?”
    â€œYou would permit it, yes?”
    â€œMy dear fellow, delighted to have you. Don’t know enough yet to decide whether it’s a case for Scotland Yard or not. Offhand it looks as though our murderer must be pretty well within a limited radius. On the other hand, all these people are strangers down here. To find out about them and their motives you’ve got to go to London.”
    Poirot said:
    â€œYes, that is true.”
    â€œFirst of all,” said Weston, “we’ve got to find out who last saw the dead woman alive. Chambermaid took her her breakfast at nine. Girl in the bureau downstairs saw her pass through the lounge and go out about ten.”
    â€œMy friend,” said Poirot, “I suspect that I am the man you want.”
    â€œYou saw her this morning? What time?”
    â€œAt five minutes past ten. I assisted her to launch her float from the bathing beach.”
    â€œAnd she went off on it?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œAlone?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œDid you see which direction she took?”
    â€œShe paddled round that point there to the right.”
    â€œIn the direction of Pixy’s Cove, that is?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œAnd the time then was—?”
    â€œI should say she actually left the beach at a quarter past ten.”
    Weston considered.
    â€œThat fits in well enough. How long should you say that it would take her to paddle round to the Cove?”
    â€œAh me, I am not an expert. I do not go in boats or expose myself on floats. Perhaps half an hour?”
    â€œThat’s about what I think,” said the Colonel. “She wouldn’t be hurrying, I presume. Well, if she arrived there at a quarter to eleven, that fits in well enough.”
    â€œAt what time does your doctor suggest she died?”
    â€œOh, Neasden doesn’t commit himself. He’s a cautious chap. A quarter to eleven is his earliest outside limit.”
    Poirot nodded. He said:
    â€œThere is one other point that I must mention. As she left, Mrs. Marshall asked me not to say I had seen her.”
    Weston stared.
    He said:
    â€œH’m, that’s rather suggestive, isn’t it?”
    Poirot murmured.
    â€œYes. I thought so myself.”
    Weston tugged at his moustache. He said:
    â€œLook here, Poirot. You’re a man of the world. What sort of a woman was Mrs. Marshall?”
    A faint smile came to Poirot’s lips.
    He asked:
    â€œHave you not already heard?”
    The Chief Constable said dryly:
    â€œI know what the women say