| 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 |
| 1 | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 |
|
www.freeclassicebooks.com
"
Yet her hatred of Inglethorp seems almost a mania. My idea was--a very
ridiculous one, no doubt--that she had intended to poison him--and that, in
some way, Mrs. Inglethorp got hold of it by mistake. But I don't at all see
how it could have been done. The whole thing is absurd and ridiculous to
the last degree."
"Still you are right in one thing. It is always wise to suspect everybody until
you can prove logically, and to your own satisfaction, that they are innocent.
Now, what reasons are there against Miss Howard's having deliberately
poisoned Mrs. Inglethorp?"
"
"
Why, she was devoted to her!" I exclaimed.
Tcha! Tcha!" cried Poirot irritably. "You argue like a child. If Miss Howard
were capable of poisoning the old lady, she would be quite equally capable of
simulating devotion. No, we must look elsewhere. You are perfectly correct
in your assumption that her vehemence against Alfred Inglethorp is too
violent to be natural; but you are quite wrong in the deduction you draw
from it. I have drawn my own deductions, which I believe to be correct, but I
will not speak of them at present." He paused a minute, then went on. "Now,
to my way of thinking, there is one insuperable objection to Miss Howard's
being the murderess."
"And that is?"
"
That in no possible way could Mrs. Inglethorp's death benefit Miss Howard.
Now there is no murder without a motive."
I reflected.
"Could not Mrs. Inglethorp have made a will in her favour?" Poirot shook his
head.
"
But you yourself suggested that possibility to Mr. Wells?"
Poirot smiled.
That was for a reason. I did not want to mention the name of the person
"
who was actually in my mind. Miss Howard occupied very much the same
position, so I used her name instead."
"Still, Mrs. Inglethorp might have done so. Why, that will, made on the
114
Page
Quick Jump
|