A pocketful of rye - Agatha Christie

Pat said again: "I'm so sorry."
When they arrived at Heath Row and were waiting to disembark from the plane, an official of the air
company called out in a clear voice:
"Is Mr Lancelot Fortescue aboard?"
"Here," said Lance.
"Would you just step this way, Mr Fortescue."
Lance and Pat followed him out of the plane, preceding the other passengers. As they passed a couple
in the last seat, they heard the man whisper to his wife:
"Well-known smugglers, I expect. Caught in the act."
II
"It's fantastic," said Lance. "Quite fantastic." He stared across the table at Detective-Inspector Neele.
Inspector Neele nodded his head sympathetically.
"Taxine - yewberries - the whole thing seems like some kind of melodrama. I dare say this sort of
thing seems ordinary enough to you, Inspector. All in the day's work. But poisoning, in our family,
seems wildly far-fetched."
"You've no idea then at all," asked Inspector Neele, "who might have poisoned your father?"
"Good lord, no. I expect the old man's made a lot of enemies in business, lots of people who'd like to
skin him alive, do him down financially - all that sort of thing. But poisoning? Anyway I wouldn't be
in the know. I've been abroad for a good many years and have known very little of what's going on at
home."
"That's really what I wanted to ask you about, Mr Fortescue. I understand from your brother that there
was an estrangement between you and your father which had lasted for many years. Would you like to
tell me the circumstances that led to your coming home at this time?"
"Certainly, Inspector. I heard from my father, let me see it must be about - yes, six months ago now. It
was soon after my marriage. My father wrote and hinted that he would like to let bygones be bygones.
He suggested that I should come home and enter the firm. He was rather vague in his terms and I
wasn't really sure that I wanted to do what he asked. Anyway, the upshot was that I came over to
England last - yes, last August, just about three months ago. I went down to see him at Yewtree Lodge
and he made me, I must say, a very advantageous offer. I told him that I'd have to think about it and I'd
have to consult my wife. He quite understood that. I flew back to East Africa, talked it over with Pat.
The upshot was that I decided to accept the old boy's offer. I had to wind up my affairs there, but I
agreed to do so before the end of last month. I told him I would wire to him the date of my actual
arrival in England."
Inspector Neele coughed.