Chapter 3

‘Raymond Boynton said that!’

The exclamation¹ broke from the Frenchman.

‘You think it unlikely—psychologically speaking?’ Poirot inquired placidly².

Gerard shook his head.

‘No, I should not say that. I was surprised, yes. If you follow me, I was surprised just becauseRaymond Boynton was so eminently³ fitted to be a suspect.’

Colonel Carbury sighed. ‘These psychological fellers!’ the sigh seemed to say.

‘Question is,’ he murmured, ‘what are we going to do about it?’

Gerard shrugged⁴ his shoulders.

‘I do not see what you can do,’ he confessed. ‘The evidence is bound to be inconclusive. Youmay know that murder has been done but it will be difficult to prove it.’

‘I see,’ said Colonel Carbury. ‘We suspect that murder’s been done and we just sit back andtwiddle our fingers! Don’t like it!’ He added, as if in extenuation⁵, his former odd plea, ‘I’m a tidyman.’

‘I know. I know.’ Poirot nodded his head sympathetically. ‘You would like to clear this up. Youwould like to know definitely, exactly what occurred and how it occurred. And you, Dr Gerard?

You have said that there is nothing to be done—that the evidence is bound to be inconclusive?

That is probably true. But are you satisfied that the matter should rest so?’

‘She was a bad life,’ said Gerard slowly. ‘In any case, she might have died very shortly—aweek—a month—a year.’

‘So you are satisfied?’ persisted Poirot.

Gerard went on:

‘There is no doubt that her death was—how shall we put it?—beneficial to the community. Ithas brought freedom to her family. They will have scope to develop—they are all, I think, peopleof good character and intelligence. They will be—now—useful members of society! The death ofMrs Boynton, as I see it, has resulted in nothing but good.’

Poirot repeated for the third time: ‘So you are satisfied?’

‘No.’ Gerard pounded a fist suddenly on the table. ‘I am not “satisfied”, as you put it! It is myinstinct to preserve life—not to hasten death. Therefore, though my conscious mind may repeatthat this woman’s death was a good thing, my unconscious mind rebels against it! It is not well,gentlemen, that a human being should die before her time has come.’

Poirot smiled. He leaned back contented⁶ with the answer he had probed for so patiently.

Colonel Carbury said unemotionally: ‘He don’t like murder! Quite right! No more do I.’

He rose and poured himself out a stiff whisky and soda⁷. His guests’ glasses were still full.

‘And now,’ he said, returning to the subject, ‘let’s get down to brass⁸ tacks⁹. Is there anything tobe done about it? We don’t like it—no! But we may have to lump it! No good making a fuss ifyou can’t deliver the goods.’

Gerard leaned forward. ‘What is your professional opinion, M. Poirot? You are the expert.’

Poirot took a little time to speak. Methodically he arranged an ash-tray or two and made a littleheap of used matches. Then he said:

‘You desire to know, do you not, Colonel Carbury, who killed Mrs Boynton? (That is if she waskilled and did not die a natural death.) Exactly how and when she was killed—and in fact thewhole truth of the matter?’

‘I should like to know that, yes.’ Carbury spoke¹⁰ unemotionally.

Hercule Poirot said slowly: ‘I see no reason why you should not know it!’

Dr Gerard looked incredulous. Colonel Carbury looked mildly interested.

‘Oh,’ he said. ‘So you don’t, don’t you? That’s interestin’. How d’you propose to set about it?’

‘By methodical sifting¹¹ of the evidence, by a process of reasoning.’

‘Suits me,’ said Colonel Carbury.

‘And by a study of the psychological possibilities.’

‘Suits Dr Gerard, I expect,’ said Carbury. ‘And after that—after you’ve sifted¹² the evidence anddone some reasoning and paddled in psychology—hey presto¹³!—you think you can produce therabbit out of the hat?’

‘I should be extremely surprised if I could not do so,’ said Poirot calmly.

Colonel Carbury stared at him over the rim¹⁴ of his glass. Just for a moment the vague eyes wereno longer vague—they measured—and appraised¹⁵.

He put down his glass with a grunt¹⁶.

‘What do you say to that, Dr Gerard?’

‘I admit that I am skeptical¹⁷ of success…Yes, I know that M. Poirot has great powers.’

‘I am gifted—yes,’ said the little man. He smiled modestly.

Colonel Carbury turned away his head and coughed.

Poirot said: ‘The first thing to decide is whether this is a composite murder—planned andcarried out by the Boynton family as a whole, or whether it is the work of one of them only. If thelatter, which is the most likely member of the family to have attempted it.’

Dr Gerard said: ‘There is your own evidence. One must, I think, consider first RaymondBoynton.’

‘I agree,’ said Poirot. ‘The words I overheard and the discrepancy¹⁸ between his evidence and thatof the young woman doctor puts him definitely in the forefront of the suspects.’

‘He was the last person to see Mrs Boynton alive. That is his own story. Sarah King contradictsthat. Tell me, Dr Gerard, is there—eh?—you know what I mean—a little tendresse, shall we say—there?’

The Frenchman nodded. ‘Emphatically so.’

‘Aha! Is she, this young lady, a brunette with hair that goes back from her forehead—so—andbig hazel eyes and a manner very decided¹⁹?’

Dr Gerard looked rather surprised.

‘Yes, that describes her very well.’

‘I think I have seen her—in the Solomon Hotel. She spoke to this Raymond Boynton andafterwards he remained plantélà—in a dream—blocking the exit from the lift. Three times I had tosay “Pardon” before he heard me and moved.’

He remained in thought for some moments. Then he said: ‘So, to begin with, we will accept themedical evidence of Miss Sarah King with certain mental reservations. She is an interested party.’

He paused — then went on: ‘Tell me, Dr Gerard, do you think Raymond Boynton is of thetemperament that could commit murder easily?’

Gerard said slowly: ‘You mean deliberate planned murder? Yes, I think it is possible—but onlyunder conditions of intense emotional strain.’

‘Those conditions were present?’

‘Definitely. This journey abroad undoubtedly²⁰ heightened the nervous and mental strain underwhich all these people were living. The contrast between their own lives and those of other peoplewas more apparent to them. And in Raymond Boynton’s case—’

‘Yes?’

‘There was the additional complication of being strongly attracted to Sarah King.’

‘That would give him an additional motive²¹? And an additional stimulus²²?’

‘That is so.’

Colonel Carbury coughed.

‘Like to butt²³ in a moment. That sentence of his you overheard, “You do see, don’t you, thatshe’s got to be killed?” Must have been spoken to someone.’

‘A good point,’ said Poirot. ‘I had not forgotten it. Yes, to whom was Raymond Boyntonspeaking? Undoubtedly to a member of his family. But which member? Can you tell ussomething, Doctor, of the mental condition of the other members of the family?’

Gerard replied promptly²⁴:

‘Carol Boynton was, I should say, in very much the same state as Raymond — a state ofrebellion accompanied by a severe nervous excitement, but uncomplicated in her case by theintroduction of a sex factor. Lennox Boynton had passed the stage of revolt. He was sunk inapathy. He was finding it, I think, difficult to concentrate. His method of reaction to hissurroundings was to retire further and further within himself. He was definitely an introvert²⁵.’

‘And his wife?’

‘His wife, though tired and unhappy, showed no signs of mental conflict. She was, I believe,hesitating on the brink²⁶ of a decision.’

‘Such a decision being?’

‘Whether or not to leave her husband.’

He repeated the conversation he had held with Jefferson Cope. Poirot nodded in comprehension.

‘And what of the younger girl—Ginevra her name is, is it not?’

The Frenchman’s face was grave. He said:

‘I should say that mentally she is in an extremely dangerous condition. She has already begun todisplay symptoms of schizophrenia. Unable to bear the suppression of her life, she is escaping intoa realm of fantasy. She has advanced delusions²⁷ of persecution—that is to say, she claims to be aroyal personage—in danger—enemies surrounding her—all the usual things!’

‘And that—is dangerous?’

‘Very dangerous. It is the beginning of what is often homicidal mania²⁸. The sufferer kills—notfor the lust²⁹ of killing—but in self-defence. He or she kills in order not to be killed themselves.

From their point of view it is eminently rational.’

‘So you think that Ginevra Boynton might have killed her mother?’

‘Yes. But I doubt if she would have had the knowledge or the constructiveness³⁰ to do it the wayit was done. The cunning of that class of mania is usually very simple and obvious. And I amalmost certain she would have chosen a more spectacular method.’

‘But she is a possibility?’ Poirot insisted.

‘Yes,’ admitted Gerard.

‘And afterwards—when the deed was done? Do you think the rest of the family knew who haddone it?’

‘They know!’ said Colonel Carbury unexpectedly. ‘If ever I came across a bunch of people whohad something to hide—these are they! They’re putting something over all right.’

‘We will make them tell us what it is,’ said Poirot.

‘Third degree?’ said Colonel Carbury.

‘No.’ Poirot shook his head. ‘Just ordinary conversation. On the whole, you know, people tellyou the truth. Because it is easier! Because it is less strain on the inventive faculties³¹! You can tellone lie—or two lies—or three lies—or even four lies—but you cannot lie all the time. And so—the truth becomes plain.’

‘Something in that,’ agreed Carbury.

Then he said bluntly: ‘You’ll talk to them, you say? That means you’re willing to take this on.’

Poirot bowed his head.

‘Let us be very clear about this,’ he said. ‘What you demand, and what I undertake to supply, isthe truth. But mark this, even when we have got the truth, there may be no proof. That is to say, noproof that would be accepted in a court of law. You comprehend?’

‘Quite,’ said Carbury. ‘You satisfy me of what really happened. Then it’s up to me to decidewhether action is possible or not—having regard to the international aspects. Anyway, it will becleared up—no mess. Don’t like mess.’

Poirot smiled.

‘One thing more,’ said Carbury. ‘I can’t give you much time. Can’t detain these people hereindefinitely.’

Poirot said quietly:

‘You can detain them twenty-four hours. You shall have the truth by tomorrow night.’

Colonel Carbury stared hard at him.

‘Pretty confident, aren’t you?’ he asked.

‘I know my own ability,’ murmured Poirot.

Rendered uncomfortable by this un-British attitude, Colonel Carbury looked away and fingeredhis untidy moustaches.

‘Well,’ he mumbled³², ‘it’s up to you.’

‘And if you succeed, my friend,’ said Dr Gerard, ‘you are indeed a marvel³³!’

 

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