Part 29 (1/2)

”Thanks,” said David.

”And then,” said Poirot, ”you came to me. It was a pretty little comedy that you played there, was it not, asking me to produce some witness that you played there, was it not, asking me to produce some witness that knew Underhay? It was already clear to me that Jeremy Cloade that knew Underhay? It was already clear to me that Jeremy Cloade had repeated to his family the story that Major Porter had told. For had repeated to his family the story that Major Porter had told. For nearly two years all the family had cherished a secret hope that nearly two years all the family had cherished a secret hope that Underhay might turn up. That wish influenced Mrs Lionel Cloade in her Underhay might turn up. That wish influenced Mrs Lionel Cloade in her manipulation of the Ouija board - unconsciously, but it was a very manipulation of the Ouija board - unconsciously, but it was a very revealing incident. revealing incident.

”Eh bien, I perform my conjuring trick.” I flatter myself that I impress you and really it is I who am the complete mug. Yes and there in Major you and really it is I who am the complete mug. Yes and there in Major Porter's room, he says, after he offers me a cigarette, he says to you, Porter's room, he says, after he offers me a cigarette, he says to you, 'You don't, do you?'

”How did he know that you did not smoke? He is supposed only that moment to have met you. Imbecile that I am, I should have seen the moment to have met you. Imbecile that I am, I should have seen the truth then - that already you and Major Porter, you had made your little truth then - that already you and Major Porter, you had made your little arrangement together! No wonder he was nervous that morning. Yes, I arrangement together! No wonder he was nervous that morning. Yes, I am to be the mug, I am to bring Major Porter down to identify the body. am to be the mug, I am to bring Major Porter down to identify the body. But I do not go on being the mug for ever - no, I am not the mug now, But I do not go on being the mug for ever - no, I am not the mug now, am I?” am I?”

He looked round angrily and then went on: ”But then. Major Porter went back on that arrangement. He does not care to be a witness upon oath in a murder trial, and the strength of care to be a witness upon oath in a murder trial, and the strength of the case against David Hunter depends very largely upon the ident.i.ty the case against David Hunter depends very largely upon the ident.i.ty of the dead man. So Major Porter backs out.” of the dead man. So Major Porter backs out.”

”He wrote to me he wouldn't go through with it,” said Rowley thickly.

”The d.a.m.ned fool. Didn't he see we'd gone too far to stop? I came up to try to drive some sense into him. I was too late. He'd said he'd rather to try to drive some sense into him. I was too late. He'd said he'd rather shoot himself than perjure himself when it was a question of murder. shoot himself than perjure himself when it was a question of murder. The front door wasn't locked - I went up and found him. The front door wasn't locked - I went up and found him.

”I can't tell you what I felt like. It was as though I was a murderer twice over. If only he'd waited - if he'd only let me talk to him.” over. If only he'd waited - if he'd only let me talk to him.”

”There was a note there?” Poirot asked. ”You took it away?”

”Yes - I was in for things now. Might as well go the whole hog. The note was to the coroner. It simply said that he'd given perjured evidence at was to the coroner. It simply said that he'd given perjured evidence at the inquest. The dead man was not Robert Underhay. I took the note the inquest. The dead man was not Robert Underhay. I took the note away and destroyed it.” away and destroyed it.”

Rowley struck his fist on the table.

”It was like a bad dream - a horrible nightmare! I'd begun this thing and I'd got to go on with it. I wanted the money to get Lynn - and I wanted I'd got to go on with it. I wanted the money to get Lynn - and I wanted Hunter to hang. And then - I couldn't understand it - the case against Hunter to hang. And then - I couldn't understand it - the case against him broke down. Some story about a woman - a woman who was with him broke down. Some story about a woman - a woman who was with Arden later. I couldn't understand, I still can't understand. What Arden later. I couldn't understand, I still can't understand. What woman? How could a woman be in there talking to Arden after he was woman? How could a woman be in there talking to Arden after he was dead?” dead?”

”There was no woman,” said Poirot.

”But, M. Poirot,” Lynn croaked. ”That old lady. She saw her. She heard her.” her.”

”Aha,” said Poirot. ”But what did she see? And what did she hear? She saw someone in trousers, with a light tweed coat. She saw a head saw someone in trousers, with a light tweed coat. She saw a head completely enveloped in an orange scarf arranged turbanwise and a completely enveloped in an orange scarf arranged turbanwise and a face covered with make-up and a lipsticked mouth. She saw that in a face covered with make-up and a lipsticked mouth. She saw that in a dim light. And what did she hear? She saw the 'hussy' draw back into dim light. And what did she hear? She saw the 'hussy' draw back into No. 5 and from within the room she heard a man's voice saying, 'Get No. 5 and from within the room she heard a man's voice saying, 'Get out of here, my girl.' Eh bien, it was a man she saw and a man she out of here, my girl.' Eh bien, it was a man she saw and a man she heard! But it was a very ingenious idea, Mr Hunter,” Poirot added, heard! But it was a very ingenious idea, Mr Hunter,” Poirot added, turning placidly to David. turning placidly to David.

”What do you mean?” David asked sharply.

”It is now to you that I will tell a story. You come along to the Stag at nine o'clock or thereabouts. You come not to murder, but to pay. What nine o'clock or thereabouts. You come not to murder, but to pay. What do you find? You find the man who had been blackmailing you lying on do you find? You find the man who had been blackmailing you lying on the floor, murdered in a particularly brutal manner. You can think fast, the floor, murdered in a particularly brutal manner. You can think fast, Mr Hunter, and you realise at once that you are in imminent danger. Mr Hunter, and you realise at once that you are in imminent danger. You have not been seen entering the Stag by any one as far as you You have not been seen entering the Stag by any one as far as you know and your first idea is to clear out as soon as possible, catch the know and your first idea is to clear out as soon as possible, catch the 9.20 train back to London and swear hard that you have not been near 9.20 train back to London and swear hard that you have not been near Warmsley Vale. To catch the train your only chance is to run across Warmsley Vale. To catch the train your only chance is to run across country. In doing so you run unexpectedly into Miss Marchmont and country. In doing so you run unexpectedly into Miss Marchmont and you also realise that you cannot catch the train. You see the smoke of you also realise that you cannot catch the train. You see the smoke of it in the valley. She too, although you do not know it, has seen the it in the valley. She too, although you do not know it, has seen the smoke, but she has not consciously realised that it indicates that you smoke, but she has not consciously realised that it indicates that you cannot catch the train, and when you tell her that the time is nine- cannot catch the train, and when you tell her that the time is nine- fifteen she accepts your statement without any doubt. fifteen she accepts your statement without any doubt.

”To impress on her mind that you do catch the train, you invent a very ingenious scheme. In fact, you now have to plan an entirely new ingenious scheme. In fact, you now have to plan an entirely new scheme to divert suspicion from yourself. scheme to divert suspicion from yourself.

”You go back to Furrowbank, letting yourself in quietly with your key and you help yourself to a scarf of your sister's, you take one of her and you help yourself to a scarf of your sister's, you take one of her lipsticks, and you also proceed to make up your face in a highly lipsticks, and you also proceed to make up your face in a highly theatrical manner. theatrical manner.

”You return to the Stag at a suitable time, impress your personality on the old lady who sits in the Residents Only room and whose the old lady who sits in the Residents Only room and whose peculiarities are common gossip at the Stag. Then you go up to No. 5. peculiarities are common gossip at the Stag. Then you go up to No. 5. When you hear her coming to bed, you come out into the pa.s.sage, then When you hear her coming to bed, you come out into the pa.s.sage, then withdraw hurriedly inside again, and proceed to say loudly, 'You'd withdraw hurriedly inside again, and proceed to say loudly, 'You'd better get out of here, my girl.'” better get out of here, my girl.'”

Poirot paused.

”A very ingenious performance,” he observed.

”Is that true, David?” cried Lynn. ”Is it true?”

David was grinning broadly.

”I think a good deal of myself as a female impersonator. Lord, you should have seen that old gorgon's face!” should have seen that old gorgon's face!”

”But how could you be here at ten o'clock and yet telephone to me from London at eleven?” demanded Lynn perplexedly. from London at eleven?” demanded Lynn perplexedly.

David Hunter bowed to Poirot.

”All explanations by Hercule Poirot,” he remarked. ”The man who knows everything. How did I do it?” knows everything. How did I do it?”

”Very simply,” said Poirot. ”You rang up your sister at the flat from the public call-box and gave her certain precise instructions. At eleven- public call-box and gave her certain precise instructions. At eleven- four exactly she put through a toll call to Warmsley Vale 34. When Miss four exactly she put through a toll call to Warmsley Vale 34. When Miss Marchmont came to the phone the operator verified the number, then Marchmont came to the phone the operator verified the number, then saying no doubt 'A call from London,' or 'Go ahead London,' something saying no doubt 'A call from London,' or 'Go ahead London,' something of that kind?” of that kind?”

Lynn nodded.

”Rosaleen Cloade then replaced the receiver. You,” Poirot turned to David, ”carefully noting the time, dialled 34, got it, pressed b.u.t.ton A, David, ”carefully noting the time, dialled 34, got it, pressed b.u.t.ton A, said 'London wants you' in a slightly disguised voice and then spoke. said 'London wants you' in a slightly disguised voice and then spoke. The lapse of a minute or two would be nothing strange in a telephone The lapse of a minute or two would be nothing strange in a telephone call these days, and would only strike Miss Marchmont as a call these days, and would only strike Miss Marchmont as a reconnection.” reconnection.”

Lynn said quietly: ”So that's why you rang me up, David?”

Something in her tone, quiet as it was, made David look at her sharply.

He turned to Poirot and made a gesture of surrender.

”No doubt about it. You do know everything! To tell the truth I was scared stiff. I had to think up something. After I'd rung Lynn, I walked scared stiff. I had to think up something. After I'd rung Lynn, I walked five miles to Dasleby and went up to London by the early milk train. five miles to Dasleby and went up to London by the early milk train. Slipped into the flat in time to rumple the bed and have breakfast with Slipped into the flat in time to rumple the bed and have breakfast with Rosaleen. It never entered my head that the police would think she'd Rosaleen. It never entered my head that the police would think she'd done it. done it.

”And of course I hadn't the remotest idea who had killed him! I simply couldn't imagine who could have wanted to kill him. Absolutely n.o.body couldn't imagine who could have wanted to kill him. Absolutely n.o.body had a motive as far as I could see, except for myself and Rosaleen.” had a motive as far as I could see, except for myself and Rosaleen.”

”That,” said Poirot,” has been the great difficulty. Motive. You and your sister had a motive for killing Arden. Every member of the Cloade sister had a motive for killing Arden. Every member of the Cloade family had a motive for killing Rosaleen.” family had a motive for killing Rosaleen.”

David said sharply: ”She was killed, then? It wasn't suicide?”

”No. It was a carefully-premeditated well-thought-out crime. Morphia was subst.i.tuted for bromide in one of her sleeping-powders - one was subst.i.tuted for bromide in one of her sleeping-powders - one towards the bottom of the box.” towards the bottom of the box.”

”In the powders.” David frowned. ”You don't mean - you can't mean Lionel Cloade?” Lionel Cloade?”

”Oh, no,” said Poirot. ”You see, practically any of the Cloades could have subst.i.tuted the morphia. Aunt Kathie could have tampered with have subst.i.tuted the morphia. Aunt Kathie could have tampered with the powders before they left the surgery. Rowley here came up to the powders before they left the surgery. Rowley here came up to Furrowbank with b.u.t.ter and eggs for Rosaleen. Mrs Marchmont came Furrowbank with b.u.t.ter and eggs for Rosaleen. Mrs Marchmont came there. So did Mrs Jeremy Cloade. Even Lynn Marchmont came. And there. So did Mrs Jeremy Cloade. Even Lynn Marchmont came. And one and all they had a motive.” one and all they had a motive.”

”Lynn didn't have a motive,” cried David.

”We all had motives,” said Lynn. ”That's what you mean?”

”Yes,” said Poirot. ”That is what has made the case difficult. David Hunter and Rosaleen Cloade had a motive for killing Arden - but they Hunter and Rosaleen Cloade had a motive for killing Arden - but they did not kill him. All of you Cloades had a motive for killing Rosaleen did not kill him. All of you Cloades had a motive for killing Rosaleen Cloade and yet none of you killed her. This case is, always has been, Cloade and yet none of you killed her. This case is, always has been, the wrong way round. Rosaleen Cloade was killed by the person who the wrong way round. Rosaleen Cloade was killed by the person who had most to lose by her death.” He turned his head slightly, ”You killed had most to lose by her death.” He turned his head slightly, ”You killed her, Mr Hunter her, Mr Hunter ”I?” David cried. ”Why on earth should I kill my own sister?”

”You killed her because she wasn't your sister. Rosaleen Cloade died by enemy action in London nearly two years ago. The woman you killed by enemy action in London nearly two years ago. The woman you killed was a young Irish housemaid, Eileen Corrigan, whose photograph I was a young Irish housemaid, Eileen Corrigan, whose photograph I received from Ireland today.” received from Ireland today.”

He drew it from his pocket as he spoke. With lightning swiftness David s.n.a.t.c.hed it from him, leapt to the door, jumped through it, and banging s.n.a.t.c.hed it from him, leapt to the door, jumped through it, and banging it behind him, was gone. With a roar of anger Rowley charged it behind him, was gone. With a roar of anger Rowley charged headlong after him. headlong after him.

Poirot and Lynn were left alone.

Lynn cried out, ”It's not true. It can't be true.”