Oh, yes, fond of posing as a modern Mephistopheles.
It went down rather well on the whole.
What else did Battle ask you?"
"Really nothing very much.
Except - oh, yes, somebody had been telling him some absolute nonsense about Mrs. Graves - you know the way she used to go on."
"Graves?
Graves?
Oh, yes, old Mrs. Graves!
That's rather funny!" The doctor laughed with considerable amusement. "That's really very funny indeed."
And in high good humor he went in to lunch.
Chapter 10 DOCTOR ROBERTS (CONTINUED)
Superintendent Battle was lunching with Hercule Poirot.
The former looked downcast, the latter sympathetic.
"Your morning, then, has not been entirely successful," said Poirot thoughtfully.
Battle shook his head.
"It's going to be uphill work, Monsieur Poirot."
"What do you think of him?"
"Of the doctor?
Well, frankly, I think Shaitana was right.
He's a killer.
Reminds me of Westaway.
And of that lawyer chap in Norfolk.
Same hearty self-confident manner.
Same popularity.
Both of them were clever devils - so's Roberts.
All the same it doesn't follow that Roberts killed Shaitana, and as a matter of fact I don't think he did.
He'd know the risk too well - better than a layman would - that Shaitana might wake and cry out.
No, I don't think Roberts murdered him."
"But you think he has murdered someone?"
"Possibly quite a lot of people.
Westaway had.
But it's going to be hard to get at.
I've looked over his bank account - nothing suspicious there - no large sums suddenly paid in.
At any rate in the last seven years he's not had any legacy from a patient.
That wipes out murder for direct gain.
He's never married - that's a pity - so ideally simple for a doctor to kill his own wife.
He's well to do, but then he's got a thriving practice among well-to-do people."
"In fact he appears to lead a thoroughly blameless life - and perhaps does do so."
"Maybe. But I prefer to believe the worst."
He went on. "There's the hint of a scandal over a woman - one of his patients - name of Craddock.
That's worth looking up, I think. I'll get someone on to that straightaway.
Woman actually died out in Egypt at some local disease, so I don't think there's anything in that - but it might throw a light on his general character and morals."
"Was there a husband?"
"Yes. Husband died of anthrax."
"Anthrax?"
"Yes, there were a lot of cheap shaving brushes on the market just then - some of them infected.
There was a regular scandal about it."
"Convenient," suggested Poirot.
"That's what I thought.
If her husband were threatening to kick up a row - But there, it's all conjecture.