牙医谋杀案12

VI

When Alfred had gone out of the room, Japp said sharply:

“D’you think it wise to suggest murder to that lad?”

Poirot shrugged¹ his shoulders.

“I think so—yes. Anything suggestive that he may have seen or heard will come back to himunder the stimulus², and he will be keenly alert to everything that goes on here.”

“All the same, we don’t want it to get about too soon.”

“Mon cher, it will not. Alfred reads detective stories—Alfred is enamoured of crime. WhateverAlfred lets slip will be put down to Alfred’s morbid³ criminal imagination.”

“Well, perhaps you are right, Poirot. Now we’ve got to hear what Reilly has to say.”

Mr. Reilly’s surgery and office were on the first floor. They were as spacious⁴ as the ones abovebut had less light in them, and were not quite so richly appointed.

Mr. Morley’s partner was a tall, dark young man, with a plume⁵ of hair that fell untidily over hisforehead. He had an attractive voice and a very shrewd eye.

“We’re hoping, Mr. Reilly,” said Japp, after introducing himself, “that you can throw some lighton this matter.”

“You’re wrong then, because I can’t,” replied the other. “I’d say this—that Henry Morley wasthe last person to go taking his own life. I might have done it—but he wouldn’t.”

“Why might you have done it?” asked Poirot.

“Because I’ve oceans of worries,” replied the other. “Money troubles, for one! I’ve never yetbeen able to suit my expenditure⁶ to my income. But Morley was a careful man. You’ll find nodebts, nor money troubles, I’m sure of that.”

“Love affairs?” suggested Japp.

“Is it Morley you mean? He had no joy of living at all! Right under his sister’s thumb he was,poor man.”

Japp went on to ask Reilly details about the patients he had seen that morning.

“Oh, I fancy they’re all square and aboveboard. Little Betty Heath, she’s a nice child—I’ve hadthe whole family one after another. Colonel Abercrombie’s an old patient, too.”

“What about Mr. Howard Raikes?” asked Japp.

Reilly grinned broadly.

“The one who walked out on me? He’s never been to me before. I know nothing about him. Herang up and particularly asked for an appointment this morning.”

“Where did he ring up from?”

“Holborn Palace Hotel. He’s an American, I fancy.”

“So Alfred said.”

“Alfred should know,” said Mr. Reilly. “He’s a film fan, our Alfred.”

“And your other patient?”

“Barnes? A funny precise little man. Retired⁷ Civil Servant. Lives out Ealing way.”

Japp paused a minute and then said:

“What can you tell us about Miss Nevill?”

Mr. Reilly raised his eyebrows⁸.

“The bee-yewtiful blonde secretary? Nothing doing, old boy! Her relations with old Morleywere perfectly⁹ pewer—I’m sure of it.”

“I never suggested they weren’t,” said Japp, reddening slightly.

“My fault,” said Reilly. “Excuse my filthy¹⁰ mind, won’t you? I thought it might be an attempt onyour part to cherchez la femme.

“Excuse me for speaking your language,” he added parenthetically to Poirot. “Beautiful accent,haven’t I? It comes of being educated by nuns¹¹.”

Japp disapproved¹² of this flippancy¹³. He asked:

“Do you know anything about the young man she is engaged to? His name is Carter, Iunderstand. Frank Carter.”

“Morley didn’t think much of him,” said Reilly. “He tried to get la Nevill to turn him down.”

“That might have annoyed Carter?”

“Probably annoyed him frightfully,” agreed Mr. Reilly cheerfully.

He paused and then added:

“Excuse me, this is a suicide you are investigating, not a murder?”

Japp said sharply:

“If it were a murder, would you have anything to suggest?”

“Not I! I’d like it to be Georgina! One of those grim females with temperance on the brain. ButI’m afraid Georgina is full of moral rectitude. Of course I could easily have nipped upstairs andshot the old boy myself, but I didn’t. In fact, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to kill Morley. Butthen I can’t conceive of his killing¹⁴ himself.”

He added—in a different voice:

“As a matter of fact, I’m very sorry about it … You mustn’t judge by my manner. That’s justnervousness, you know. I was fond of old Morley and I shall miss him.”

 

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