I did not quite like the tone of his voice, but at that moment a smart knock reached our ears, and looking out
of the window we perceived the two detectives waiting for us below.
Poirot seized his hat, gave a ferocious twist to his moustache, and, carefully brushing an imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve, motioned me to precede him down the stairs; there we joined the detectives and set out for Styles.
I think the appearance of the two Scotland Yard men was rather a shock.especially to John, though of course after the verdict, he had realized that it was only a matter of time. Still, the presence of the detectives brought the truth home to him more than anything else could have done.
Poirot had conferred with j.a.pp in a low tone on the way up, and it was the latter functionary who requested that the household, with the exception of the servants, should be a.s.sembled together in the drawing-room. I realized the significance of this. It was up to Poirot to make his boast good.
Personally, I was not sanguine. Poirot might have excellent reasons for his belief in Inglethorp"s innocence, but a man of the type of Summerhaye would require tangible proofs, and these I doubted if Poirot could supply.
Before very long we had all trooped into the drawing-room, the door of which j.a.pp closed. Poirot politely set chairs for every one. The Scotland Yard men were the cynosure of all eyes. I think that for the first time we realized that the thing was not a bad dream, but a tangible reality. We had read of such things.now we ourselves were actors in the drama. To-morrow the daily papers, all over England, would blazon out the news in staring headlines: "MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDY IN ESs.e.x"
"WEALTHY LADY POISONED"
There would be pictures of Styles, snap-shots of "The family leaving the Inquest".the village photographer had not been idle! All the things that one had read a hundred times.things that happen to other people, not to oneself. And now, in this house, a murder had been committed. In front of us were "the detectives in charge of the case." The well-known glib phraseology pa.s.sed rapidly through my mind in the interval before Poirot opened the proceedings.
I think every one was a little surprised that it should be he and not one of the official detectives who took the initiative.
"Mesdames and messieurs," said Poirot, bowing as though he were a celebrity about to deliver a lecture, "I have asked you to come here all together, for a certain object. That object, it concerns Mr. Alfred Inglethorp."
Inglethorp was sitting a little by himself.I think, unconsciously, every one had drawn his chair slightly away from him.and he gave a faint start as Poirot p.r.o.nounced his name.
"Mr. Inglethorp," said Poirot, addressing him directly, "a very dark shadow is resting on this house.the shadow of murder."
Inglethorp shook his head sadly.
"My poor wife," he murmured. "Poor Emily! It is terrible."
"I do not think, monsieur," said Poirot pointedly, "that you quite realize how terrible it may be.for you." And as Inglethorp did not appear to understand, he added: "Mr. Inglethorp, you are standing in very grave danger."
The two detectives fidgeted. I saw the official caution "Anything you say will be used in evidence against you," actually hovering on Summerhaye"s lips. Poirot went on.
"Do you understand now, monsieur?""No; What do you mean?""I mean," said Poirot deliberately, "that you are suspected of poisoning your wife."A little gasp ran round the circle at this plain speaking."Good heavens!" cried Inglethorp, starting up. "What a monstrous idea! I.poison my dearest Emily!""I do not think".Poirot watched him narrowly."that you quite realize the unfavourable nature of your evidence at the inquest. Mr. Inglethorp, knowing what I have now told you, do you still refuse to say where
you were at six o"clock on Monday afternoon?"
With a groan, Alfred Inglethorp sank down again and buried his face in his hands. Poirot approached and stood over him.
"Speak!" he cried menacingly.
With an effort, Inglethorp raised his face from his hands. Then, slowly and deliberately, he shook his head.
"You will not speak?"
"No. I do not believe that anyone could be so monstrous as to accuse me of what you say."
Poirot nodded thoughtfully, like a man whose mind is made up.
"Soit!" he said. "Then I must speak for you."
Alfred Inglethorp sprang up again.
"You? How can you speak? You do not know.." he broke off abruptly.
Poirot turned to face us. "Mesdames and messieurs! I speak! Listen! I, Hercule Poirot, affirm that the man
who entered the chemist"s shop, and purchased strychnine at six o"clock on Monday last was not Mr. Inglethorp, for at six o"clock on that day Mr. Inglethorp was escorting Mrs. Raikes back to her home from a neighbouring farm. I can produce no less than five witnesses to swear to having seen them together, either at six or just after and, as you may know, the Abbey Farm, Mrs. Raikes"s home, is at least two and a half miles distant from the village. There is absolutely no question as to the alibi!"
CHAPTER VIII.
FRESH SUSPICIONS
There was a moment"s stupefied silence. j.a.pp, who was the least surprised of any of us, was the first to speak.
"My word," he cried, "you"re the goods! And no mistake, Mr. Poirot! These witnesses of yours are all right, I suppose?" "Voila! I have prepared a list of them.names and addresses. You must see them, of course. But you will find it all right."
"I"m sure of that." j.a.pp lowered his voice. "I"m much obliged to you. A pretty mare"s nest arresting him would
have been." He turned to Inglethorp. "But, if you"ll excuse me, sir, why couldn"t you say all this at the inquest?"
"I will tell you why," interrupted Poirot. "There was a certain rumour.."
"A most malicious and utterly untrue one," interrupted Alfred Inglethorp in an agitated voice.
"And Mr. Inglethorp was anxious to have no scandal revived just at present. Am I right?"
"Quite right." Inglethorp nodded. "With my poor Emily not yet buried, can you wonder I was anxious that no more lying rumours should be started."
"Between you and me, sir," remarked j.a.pp, "I"d sooner have any amount of rumours than be arrested for murder. And I venture to think your poor lady would have felt the same. And, if it hadn"t been for Mr. Poirot here, arrested you would have been, as sure as eggs is eggs!"
"I was foolish, no doubt," murmured Inglethorp. "But you do not know, inspector, how I have been
persecuted and maligned." And he shot a baleful glance at Evelyn Howard.
"Now, sir," said j.a.pp, turning briskly to John, "I should like to see the lady"s bedroom, please, and after that I"ll have a little chat with the servants. Don"t you bother about anything. Mr. Poirot, here, will show me the way."
As they all went out of the room, Poirot turned and made me a sign to follow him upstairs. There he caught
me by the arm, and drew me aside.
"Quick, go to the other wing. Stand there.just this side of the baize door. Do not move till I come." Then, turning rapidly, he rejoined the two detectives.
I followed his instructions, taking up my position by the baize door, and wondering what on earth lay behind the request. Why was I to stand in this particular spot on guard? I looked thoughtfully down the corridor in front of me. An idea struck me. With the exception of Cynthia Murdoch"s, every one"s room was in this left wing. Had that anything to do with it? Was I to report who came or went? I stood faithfully at my post. The minutes pa.s.sed. n.o.body came. Nothing happened.
It must have been quite twenty minutes before Poirot rejoined me.
"You have not stirred?"
"No, I"ve stuck here like a rock. Nothing"s happened."
"Ah!" Was he pleased, or disappointed? "You"ve seen nothing at all?"
"No."
"But you have probably heard something? A big b.u.mp.eh, mon ami?"
"No."
"Is it possible? Ah, but I am vexed with myself! I am not usually clumsy. I made but a slight gesture".I know
Poirot"s gestures."with the left hand, and over went the table by the bed!"
He looked so childishly vexed and crest-fallen that I hastened to console him.
"Never mind, old chap. What does it matter? Your triumph downstairs excited you. I can tell you, that was a surprise to us all. There must be more in this affair of Inglethorp"s with Mrs. Raikes than we thought, to make him hold his tongue so persistently. What are you going to do now? Where are the Scotland Yard fellows?"
"Gone down to interview the servants. I showed them all our exhibits. I am disappointed in j.a.pp. He has no method!"
"Hullo!" I said, looking out of the window. "Here"s Dr. Bauerstein. I believe you"re right about that man, Poirot. I don"t like him."
"He is clever," observed Poirot meditatively.
"Oh, clever as the devil! I must say I was overjoyed to see him in the plight he was in on Tuesday. You never
saw such a spectacle!" And I described the doctor"s adventure. "He looked a regular scarecrow! Plastered with mud from head to foot."
"You saw him, then?"
"Yes. Of course, he didn"t want to come in.it was just after dinner.but Mr. Inglethorp insisted."
"What?" Poirot caught me violently by the shoulders. "Was Dr. Bauerstein here on Tuesday evening? Here?
And you never told me? Why did you not tell me? Why? Why?"
He appeared to be in an absolute frenzy.
"My dear Poirot," I expostulated, "I never thought it would interest you. I didn"t know it was of any
importance."
"Importance? It is of the first importance! So Dr. Bauerstein was here on Tuesday night.the night of the murder. Hastings, do you not see? That alters everything.everything!"
I had never seen him so upset. Loosening his hold of me, he mechanically straightened a pair of candlesticks,