Part 40 (1/2)
476
”At least you have the amiability not to resent the idea.”
”I find it very interesting. So it is your idea that I am the only person who
could successfully have murdered Shaitana?”
Poirot said slowly:
”There is a difficulty there, madame.”
”Really? Do tell me?”
”You may have noticed that I said just now a phrase something like this: 'For'a crime to be successful it is usually necessary to plan every detail of it carefully beforehand.' 'Usually' is the word to which I want to draw your attention. For there/s another type of successful crime. Have you ever said suddenly to any one, 'Throw a stone and see if you can hit that tree,' and the person obeys quickly, without thinking--and surprisingly often he does. .h.i.t the tree? But when he comes to repeat the throw it is not so easy--for he has begun to think. 'So hard--no harder--a little more to the right--to the left.' The first was an almost unconscious action, the body obeying the mind as the body of an animal does. Eh bien, madame, there is a type of crime like that--a crime committed on the spur of the moment--an inspiration--a flash of genius--without time to pause or think. And that, madame, was the kind of crime that killed Mr. Shaitana. A sudden dire
necessity, a flash of inspiration, rapid execution.”
He shook his head.
”And that, madame, is not your type of crime at all. If you killed Mr. Shaitana, it should have been a premeditated crime.';
”I see.” Her hand waved softly to and fro, keeping the heat of the fire from her face. ”And, of course, it wasn't a premeditated crime, so I couldn't have killed
him---eh, M. Poirot?”
Poirot bowed.
”That is right, madame.”
”And yet ”She leaned forward, her waving hand stopped. ”I did kill Shaitana, M. Poirot .... ”
CHAPTER 26
The Truth
There was a pausea very long pause.
The room was growing dark. The firelight leaped and flickered.
Mrs. Lorrimer and Hercule Poirot looked not at each other, but at the fire. It
was as though time was momentarily in abeyance.
Then Hercule Poirot sighed and stirred.
”So it was that--all the time .... Why did you kill him, madame?”
”I think you know why, M. Poirot.”
”Because he knew something about you--something that had happened long ago?”
”Yes.”
”And that something wasanother death, madame?”
She bowed her head.
Poirot said gently:
”Why did you tell me? What made you send for me today?”