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"No," I said thoughtfully. "Of course an actor----"
But Poirot cut me short ruthlessly.
"And why would it not be easy? I will tell you, my friend: Because they are
both clean-shaven men. To make up successfully as one of these two in
broad daylight, it would need an actor of genius, and a certain initial facial
resemblance. But in the case of Alfred Inglethorp, all that is changed. His
clothes, his beard, the glasses which hide his eyes--those are the salient
points about his personal appearance. Now, what is the first instinct of the
criminal? To divert suspicion from himself, is it not so? And how can he best
do that? By throwing it on some one else. In this instance, there was a man
ready to his hand. Everybody was predisposed to believe in Mr. Inglethorp's
guilt. It was a foregone conclusion that he would be suspected; but, to make
it a sure thing there must be tangible proof--such as the actual buying of
the poison, and that, with a man of the peculiar appearance of Mr.
Inglethorp, was not difficult. Remember, this young Mace had never actually
spoken to Mr. Inglethorp. How should he doubt that the man in his clothes,
with his beard and his glasses, was not Alfred Inglethorp?"
"
It may be so," I said, fascinated by Poirot's eloquence. "But, if that was the
case, why does he not say where he was at six o'clock on Monday evening?"
"Ah, why indeed?" said Poirot, calming down. "If he were arrested, he
probably would speak, but I do not want it to come to that. I must make him
see the gravity of his position. There is, of course, something discreditable
behind his silence. If he did not murder his wife, he is, nevertheless, a
scoundrel, and has something of his own to conceal, quite apart from the
murder."
"What can it be?" I mused, won over to Poirot's views for the moment,
although still retaining a faint conviction that the obvious deduction was the
correct one.
"
"
"
Can you not guess?" asked Poirot, smiling.
No, can you?"
Oh, yes, I had a little idea sometime ago--and it has turned out to be
correct."
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