the mysterious affair at styles(斯代尔斯的怪事)-第49章
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Did I not； on the contrary； tell you that he would almost certainly be
acquitted？〃
〃Yes； but〃
〃And did I not immediately afterwards speak of the difficulty of
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bringing the murderer to justice？ Was it not plain to you that I was
speaking of two entirely different persons？〃
〃No；〃 I said； 〃it was not plain to me！〃
〃Then again；〃 continued Poirot； 〃at the beginning； did I not repeat to
you several times that I didn't want Mr。 Inglethorp arrested *NOW？ That
should have conveyed something to you。〃
〃Do you mean to say you suspected him as long ago as that？〃
〃Yes。 To begin with； whoever else might benefit by Mrs。 Inglethorp's
death； her husband would benefit the most。 There was no getting away
from that。 When I went up to Styles with you that first day； I had no idea
as to how the crime had been committed； but from what I knew of Mr。
Inglethorp I fancied that it would be very hard to find anything to connect
him with it。 When I arrived at the chateau； I realized at once that it was
Mrs。 Inglethorp who had burnt the will； and there； by the way； you cannot
complain； my friend； for I tried my best to force on you the significance of
that bedroom fire in midsummer。〃
〃Yes； yes；〃 I said impatiently。 〃Go on。〃
〃Well； my friend； as I say； my views as to Mr。 Inglethorp's guilt were
very much shaken。 There was； in fact； so much evidence against him that
I was inclined to believe that he had not done it。〃
〃When did you change your mind？〃
〃When I found that the more efforts I made to clear him； the more
efforts he made to get himself arrested。 Then； when I discovered that
Inglethorp had nothing to do with Mrs。 Raikes and that in fact it was John
Cavendish who was interested in that quarter； I was quite sure。〃
〃But why？〃
〃Simply this。 If it had been Inglethorp who was carrying on an
intrigue with Mrs。 Raikes； his silence was perfectly comprehensible。 But；
when I discovered that it was known all over the village that it was John
who was attracted by the farmer's pretty wife； his silence bore quite a
different interpretation。 It was nonsense to pretend that he was afraid of
the scandal； as no possible scandal could attach to him。 This attitude of
his gave me furiously to think； and I was slowly forced to the conclusion
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that Alfred Inglethorp wanted to be arrested。 Eh bien！ from that moment；
I was equally determined that he should not be arrested。〃
〃Wait a minute。 I don't see why he wished to be arrested？〃
〃Because； mon ami； it is the law of your country that a man once
acquitted can never be tried again for the same offence。 Aha！ but it was
cleverhis idea！ Assuredly； he is a man of method。 See here； he knew
that in his position he was bound to be suspected； so he conceived the
exceedingly clever idea of preparing a lot of manufactured evidence
against himself。 He wished to be arrested。 He would then produce his
irreproachable alibiand； hey presto； he was safe for life！〃
〃But I still don't see how he managed to prove his alibi； and yet go to
the chemist's shop？〃
Poirot stared at me in surprise。
〃Is it possible？ My poor friend！ You have not yet realized that it was
Miss Howard who went to the chemist's shop？〃
〃Miss Howard？〃
〃But； certainly。 Who else？ It was most easy for her。 She is of a
good height； her voice is deep and manly； moreover； remember； she and
Inglethorp are cousins； and there is a distinct resemblance between them；
especially in their gait and bearing。 It was simplicity itself。 They are a
clever pair！〃
〃I am still a little fogged as to how exactly the bromide business was
done；〃 I remarked。
〃Bon！ I will reconstruct for you as far as possible。 I am inclined to
think that Miss Howard was the master mind in that affair。 You
remember her once mentioning that her father was a doctor？ Possibly she
dispensed his medicines for him； or she may have taken the idea from one
of the many books lying about when Mademoiselle Cynthia was studying
for her exam。 Anyway； she was familiar with the fact that the addition of
a bromide to a mixture containing strychnine would cause the precipitation
of the latter。 Probably the idea came to her quite suddenly。 Mrs。
Inglethorp had a box of bromide powders； which she occasionally took at
night。 What could be easier than quietly to dissolve one or more of those
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powders in Mrs。 Inglethorp's large sized bottle of medicine when it came
from Coot's？ The risk is practically nil。 The tragedy will not take place
until nearly a fortnight later。 If anyone has seen either of them touching
the medicine； they will have forgotten it by that time。 Miss Howard will
have engineered her quarrel； and departed from the house。 The lapse of
time； and her absence； will defeat all suspicion。 Yes； it was a clever idea！
If they had left it alone； it is possible the crime might never have been
brought home to them。 But they were not satisfied。 They tried to be too
cleverand that was their undoing。〃
Poirot puffed at his tiny cigarette； his eyes fixed on the ceiling。
〃They arranged a plan to throw suspicion on John Cavendish； by
buying strychnine at the village chemist's； and signing the register in his
hand…writing。
〃On Monday Mrs。 Inglethorp will take the last dose of her medicine。
On Monday； therefore； at six o'clock； Alfred Inglethorp arranges to be seen
by a number of people at a spot far removed from the village。 Miss
Howard has previously made up a cock and bull story about him and Mrs。
Raikes to account for his holding his tongue afterwards。 At six o'clock；
Miss Howard； disguised as Alfred Inglethorp； enters the chemist's shop；
with her story about a dog； obtains the strychnine； and writes the name of
Alfred Inglethorp in John's handwriting； which she had previously studied
carefully。
〃But； as it will never do if John； too； can prove an alibi； she writes him
an anonymous notestill copying his hand…writing which takes him to a
remote spot where it is exceedingly unlikely that anyone will see him。
〃So far； all goes well。 Miss Howard goes back to Middlingham。
Alfred Inglethorp returns to Styles。 There is nothing that can
compromise him in any way； since it is Miss Howard who has the
strychnine； which； after all； is only wanted as a blind to throw suspicion on
John Cavendish。
〃But now a hitch occurs。 Mrs。 Inglethorp does not take her medicine
that night。 The broken bell； Cynthia's absence arranged by Inglethorp
through his wifeall these are wasted。 And thenhe makes his slip。
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