Chapter 26 Section 14

Pilar entered the room with a vigilance, like an animal anticipating a trap.Her eyes rolled around, and she didn't look very scared, but she looked suspicious. Colonel Johnson stood up and got her a chair, and he said, "I think you understand English, Miss Estelavados?" Pilar's eyes widened, and she said, "Of course, My mother is British and I'm actually very British." An imperceptible smile flickered on Colonel Johnson's lips as his eyes rested on her jet-black shining hair, her proud black eyes, and her crooked red lips.Very British! That description is so inappropriate for Pilar Estelvados.He said, "Mr. Li is your grandfather who brought you from Spain. You just got here a few days ago, right?" Pilar nodded. "Yes, I had- oh! a lot of adventures when I was escaping from Spain--a bomb fell from the sky once and the driver was killed--heads all gone, bloody, and I wouldn't I drove, so I had to walk a long way—I'd never done that before, and my feet were so sore." Colonel Johnson laughed, and he said, "You got here anyway. Your mother often Tell you about your grandfather?"

Pilar nodded happily. "Oh yes, she said he was an old devil." Hercule Poirot laughed too, and said: "What do you think of yourself when you're here, mademoiselle?" Pilar said: "Of course he's very old, he has to sit in a chair - and his face is all shriveled, but I still like him. I think he's a young man. He must have been very handsome--very handsome, like you," Pilar said to Superintendent Sugden.Her eyes rested with innocent pleasure on his handsome face, which was already purple with the compliment. Colonel Johnson suppressed a smile. He had rarely seen the unsmiling superintendent so groggy.

"Of course," continued Pilar lamentingly, "he can't possibly be as large as you are." Hercule Poirot sighed. "So you like big men, miss?" he asked. Pilar agrees. "Oh, yes. I like a man who's tall, big, broad-shouldered, and very, very strong." Colonel Johnson said solemnly: "Have you been with your grandfather often since you came here?" Pilar said, "Oh yes. I used to sit with him. He told me stuff—that he was a very vicious man and all the things he did in South Africa." "Did he tell you there were diamonds in the safe in his room?"

"Yes, he showed them to me, but they're not like diamonds—they're like pebbles—and ugly—really. Ugly." Superintendent Sugden said curtly, "Then he showed it to you, didn't he?" "right." "How many did he give you?" Pilar shook his head. "No, he hasn't. I think maybe someday he will—if I'm nice to him and sit with him a lot, because old gentlemen love young girls." Colonel Johnson said, "Did you know those diamonds were stolen?" Pilar's eyes widened. "Stolen?" "Yeah, do you know who might have taken it?"

Pilar nodded. "Oh, yes," she said, "it must be Holberry." "Hawbury? You mean the nurse?" "right." "Why do you think so?" "Because he has a thief's face, and his eyes are like this, and they turn round and round. He walks lightly, and he listens outside the door. He is like a cat, and all cats are thieves." "Well," said Colonel Johnson, "let's put that aside. I know the whole family was in your grandfather's room this afternoon, and there were some - er - angry remarks." Pilar nodded with a smile.

"Yes," she said, "very fun. Grandpa made them mad like that!" "Oh, you like that, don't you?" "Yeah, I like to see people lose their temper, I like it a lot. But in England they don't get angry like they do in Spain, where they pull out knives and shout and curse. In England they don't do that." , but his face was flushed red, and his mouth was tightly shut." "Do you remember what they said?" Pilar looked hesitant. "I can't tell. My grandfather said they were not very good—they had no children. He said I was better than any of them. He liked me, especially."

"Did he say anything about the money or the will?" "The will—no, I don't think so. I don't remember." "What happened?" "They're all gone—except Hilda—the fat one, Davy's wife, who stays behind." "Oh, is it?" "Yes. Davy looks ridiculous. He's shaking all over. Oh! So pale. He looks like he's going to be sick." "And then what?" "Then I went to Stephen and we danced to the phonograph." "Stephen Farr?" "Yes, he's from South Africa—he's the son of my grandfather's partner, and he's also handsome, brown, big, and he has beautiful eyes."

"Where were you when the incident happened?" Johnson asked. "Where am I?" "right." "I went to the living room with Lydia and then I went up to my room to put on my makeup because I was going to a dance with Steph. That's when I heard a scream in the distance and everyone was screaming. Running, and I ran too. They were trying to break open Grandfather's door, and Harry and Stephen did it together, strong men." "yes?" "And then - there was a bang - the door fell down - we all looked in, oh, it was horrible - everything was knocked over and knocked over, and Grandpa lay in a pool of blood, his throat cut Open, like this," she made a dramatic, dramatic gesture on her own neck—"down to the base of the ear."

She paused for a moment, clearly pleased with the way she was speaking. "Didn't that blood make you sick?" Johnson said. She glared at him. "No, why? There's always blood when people are killed. Oh! There's blood everywhere!" Poirot said: "Has anyone said anything?" Pilar said, "David said something really funny—what was it? Oh, yes. God's mill—that's what he said"—and she repeated it, emphasizing each word— — "God's - mill - what does that mean? Mills are for making flour, aren't they?" Colonel Johnson said: "Ah, I guess there's nothing else to do now, Miss Estelavados."

Pilar stood up obediently, and she gave each of them a quick, charming smile. "Well, I'm going." She went out. Colonel Johnson said, "God's mills grind slowly, but they grind very finely. David Leeking said so."