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"If you please."
John rang the bell, and ordered round the car. In another ten minutes, we
were racing down the park and along the high road to Tadminster.
"Now, Poirot," I remarked resignedly, "perhaps you will tell me what all this
is about?"
"
Well, mon ami, a good deal you can guess for yourself. Of course you realize
that, now Mr. Inglethorp is out of it, the whole position is greatly changed.
We are face to face with an entirely new problem. We know now that there is
one person who did not buy the poison. We have cleared away the
manufactured clues. Now for the real ones. I have ascertained that anyone
in the household, with the exception of Mrs. Cavendish, who was playing
tennis with you, could have personated Mr. Inglethorp on Monday evening.
In the same way, we have his statement that he put the coffee down in the
hall. No one took much notice of that at the inquest--but now it has a very
different significance. We must find out who did take that coffee to Mrs.
Inglethorp eventually, or who passed through the hall whilst it was standing
there. From your account, there are only two people whom we can positively
say did not go near the coffee--Mrs. Cavendish, and Mademoiselle Cynthia."
"Yes, that is so." I felt an inexpressible lightening of the heart. Mary
Cavendish could certainly not rest under suspicion.
"In clearing Alfred Inglethorp," continued Poirot, "I have been obliged to
show my hand sooner than I intended. As long as I might be thought to be
pursuing him, the criminal would be off his guard. Now, he will be doubly
careful. Yes--doubly careful." He turned to me abruptly. "Tell me, Hastings,
you yourself--have you no suspicions of anybody?"
I hesitated. To tell the truth, an idea, wild and extravagant in itself, had
once or twice that morning flashed through my brain. I had rejected it as
absurd, nevertheless it persisted.
"
You couldn't call it a suspicion," I murmured. "It's so utterly foolish."
"Come now," urged Poirot encouragingly. "Do not fear. Speak your mind.
You should always pay attention to your instincts."
Well then," I blurted out, "it's absurd--but I suspect Miss Howard of not
"
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