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Five Little Pigs :: Christie Agatha
Страница: 101 из 147She stood there perfectly quiet-youmight have said dazed. But she wasn’t dazed. It was her eyes gave her away. They were watchful-fully aware and quietly watchful. She’d begun, I suppose, to be afraid…
I went up to her and spoke to her. I said it quite low. I don’t think either of the two women overheard.
I said:
‘You damned murderess, you’ve killed my best friend.’
She shrank back. She said:
‘No-oh no-he-he did it himself…’
I looked her full in the eyes. I said:
‘You can tell that story-to the police.’
She did-and they didn’t believe her.
End of Philip Blake’s Statement.
Narrative of Meredith Blake
Dear M. Poirot,
As I promised you, I have set down in writing an account of all I can remember relating to the tragic events that happened sixteen years ago. First of all I would like to say that I have thought over carefully all you said to me at our recent meeting. And on reflection I am more convinced than I was before that it is in the highest degree unlikely that Caroline Crale poisoned her husband. It always seemed incongruous, but the absence of any other explanation and her own attitude led me to follow, sheep-like, the opinion of other people and to say with them-that if she didn’t do it, what explanation could there be?
Since seeing you I have reflected very carefully on the alternative solution presented at the time and brought forward by the defence at the trial. That is, that Amyas Crale took his own life. Although from what I knew of him that solution seemed quite fantastic at the time, I now see fit to modify my opinion. To begin with, and highly significant, is the fact that Caroline believed it. If we are now to take it that that charming and gentle lady was unjustly convicted, then her own frequently reiterated belief must carry great weight. She knew Amyas better than anyone else. Ifshe thought suicide possible, then suicidemust have been possible in spite of the scepticism of his friends.
I will advance the theory, therefore, that there was in Amyas Crale some core of conscience, some undercurrent of remorse and even despair at the excesses to which his temperament led him, of which only his wife was aware. This, I think, is a not impossible supposition. He may have shown that side of himself only to her. Though it is inconsistent with anything I ever heard him say, yet it is nevertheless a truth that in most men there is some unsuspected and inconsistent streak which often comes as a surprise to people who have known them intimately.
I went up to her and spoke to her. I said it quite low. I don’t think either of the two women overheard.
I said:
‘You damned murderess, you’ve killed my best friend.’
She shrank back. She said:
‘No-oh no-he-he did it himself…’
I looked her full in the eyes. I said:
‘You can tell that story-to the police.’
She did-and they didn’t believe her.
End of Philip Blake’s Statement.
Narrative of Meredith Blake
Dear M. Poirot,
As I promised you, I have set down in writing an account of all I can remember relating to the tragic events that happened sixteen years ago. First of all I would like to say that I have thought over carefully all you said to me at our recent meeting. And on reflection I am more convinced than I was before that it is in the highest degree unlikely that Caroline Crale poisoned her husband. It always seemed incongruous, but the absence of any other explanation and her own attitude led me to follow, sheep-like, the opinion of other people and to say with them-that if she didn’t do it, what explanation could there be?
Since seeing you I have reflected very carefully on the alternative solution presented at the time and brought forward by the defence at the trial. That is, that Amyas Crale took his own life. Although from what I knew of him that solution seemed quite fantastic at the time, I now see fit to modify my opinion. To begin with, and highly significant, is the fact that Caroline believed it. If we are now to take it that that charming and gentle lady was unjustly convicted, then her own frequently reiterated belief must carry great weight. She knew Amyas better than anyone else. Ifshe thought suicide possible, then suicidemust have been possible in spite of the scepticism of his friends.
I will advance the theory, therefore, that there was in Amyas Crale some core of conscience, some undercurrent of remorse and even despair at the excesses to which his temperament led him, of which only his wife was aware. This, I think, is a not impossible supposition. He may have shown that side of himself only to her. Though it is inconsistent with anything I ever heard him say, yet it is nevertheless a truth that in most men there is some unsuspected and inconsistent streak which often comes as a surprise to people who have known them intimately.