万圣节前夜的谋杀26.

III

In London Hercule Poirot was sitting in a room with four other men.

One was Inspector Timothy Raglan, looking respectful and poker-faced aswas his invariable habit when in the presence of his superiors; the secondwas Superintendent Spence. The third was Alfred Richmond, Chief Con-stable of the County and the fourth was a man with a sharp, legal facefrom the Public Prosecutor’s office. They looked at Hercule Poirot withvarying expressions, or what one might describe as nonexpressions.

“You seem quite sure, Monsieur Poirot.”

“I am quite sure,” said Hercule Poirot. “When a thing arranges itself so,one realizes that it must be so, one only looks for reasons why it shouldnot be so. If one does not find the reasons why it should not be so, thenone is strengthened in one’s opinion.”

“The motives seem somewhat complex, if I may say so.”

“No,” said Poirot, “not complex really. But so simple that they are verydifficult to see clearly.”

The legal gentleman looked sceptical.

“We shall have one piece of definite evidence very soon now,” said In-spector Raglan. “Of course, if there has been a mistake on that point….”

“Ding dong dell, no pussy in the well?” said Hercule Poirot. “That is whatyou mean?”

“Well, you must agree it is only a surmise on your part.”

“The evidence pointed to it all along. When a girl disappears, there arenot many reasons. The first is that she has gone away with a man. Thesecond is that she is dead. Anything else is very far-fetched and practicallynever happens.”

“There are no special points that you can bring to our attention, Mon-sieur Poirot?”

“Yes. I have been in touch with a well- known firm of estate agents.

Friends of mine, who specialize in real estate in the West Indies, the Ae-gean, the Adriatic, the Mediterranean and other places. They specialize insunshine and their clients are usually wealthy. Here is a recent purchasethat might interest you.”

He handed over a folded paper.

“You think this ties up?”

“I’m sure it does.”

“I thought the sale of islands was prohibited by that particular govern-ment?”

“Money can usually find a way.”

“There is nothing else that you would care to dwell upon?”

“It is possible that within twenty-four hours I shall have for you some-thing that will more or less clinch matters.”

“And what is that?”

“An eyewitness.”

“You mean—”

“An eyewitness to a crime.”

The legal man looked at Poirot with mounting disbelief.

“Where is this eyewitness now?”

“On the way to London, I hope and trust.”

“You sound—disturbed.”

“That is true. I have done what I can to take care of things, but I will ad-mit to you that I am frightened. Yes, I am frightened in spite of the protect-ive measure I have taken. Because, you see, we are—how shall I describeit?—we are up against ruthlessness, quick reactions, greed pushed beyondan expectable human limit and perhaps—I am not sure but I think it pos-sible—a touch, shall we say, of madness? Not there originally, but cultiv-ated. A seed that took root and grows fast. And now perhaps has takencharge, inspiring an inhuman rather than a human attitude to life.”

“We’ll have to have a few extra opinions on this,” said the legal man.

“We can’t rush into things. Of course, a lot depends on the—er—forestrybusiness. If that’s positive, we’d have to think again.”

Hercule Poirot rose to his feet.

“I will take my leave. I have told you all that I know and all that I fearand envisage as possible. I shall remain in touch with you.”

He shook hands all round with foreign precision, and went out.

“The man’s a bit of a mountebank,” said the legal man. “You don’t thinkhe’s a bit touched, do you? Touched in the head himself, I mean? Anyway,he’s a pretty good age. I don’t know that one can rely on the faculties of aman of that age.”

“I think you can rely upon him,” said the Chief Constable. “At least, thatis my impression. Spence, I’ve known you a good many years. You’re afriend of his. Do you think he’s become a little senile?”

“No, I don’t,” said Superintendent Spence. “What’s your opinion,Raglan?”

“I’ve only met him recently, sir. At first I thought his—well, his way oftalking, his ideas, might be fantastic. But on the whole I’m converted. Ithink he’s going to be proved right.”

 

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