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Five Little Pigs :: Christie Agatha
Страница: 146 из 147Meredith did not see very clearly-only his friend sprawled in a familiar position and saw his eyes turn from the picture in what he described as a malevolent glare.
‘How much did Amyas know or guess? How much his conscious mind knew we cannot tell, but his hand and his eye were faithful.’
Hercule Poirot gestured towards the picture on the wall.
‘I should have known when I first saw that picture. For it is a very remarkable picture. It is the picture of a murderess painted by her victim-it is the picture of a girl watching her lover die…’
Chapter 5. Aftermath
In the silence that followed-a horrified, appalled silence, the sunset slowly flickered away, the last gleam left the window where it had rested on the dark head and pale furs of the woman sitting there.
Elsa Dittisham moved and spoke. She said:
‘Take them away, Meredith. Leave me with M. Poirot.’
She sat there motionless until the door shut behind them. Then she said: ‘You are very clever, aren’t you?’
Poirot did not answer.
She said: ‘What do you expect me to do? Confess?’
He shook his head.
Elsa said:
‘Because I shall do nothing of the kind! And I shall admit nothing. But what we say here, together, does not matter. Because it is only a question of your word against mine.’
‘Exactly.’
‘I want to know what you are going to do?’
Hercule Poirot said:
‘I shall do everything I can to induce the authorities to grant a posthumous free pardon to Caroline Crale.’
Elsa laughed. She said: ‘How absurd! To be given a free pardon for something you didn’t do.’ Then she said: ‘What about me?’
‘I shall lay my conclusion before the necessary people. If they decide there is the possibility of making out a case against you then they may act. I will tell you in my opinion there is not sufficient evidence-there are only inferences, not facts. Moreover, they will not be anxious to proceed against any one in your position unless there is ample justification for such a course.’
Elsa said:
‘I shouldn’t care. If I were standing in the dock, fighting for my life-there might be something in that-something alive-exciting. I might-enjoy it.’
‘Your husband would not.’
She stared at him.
‘Do you think I care in the least what my husband would feel?’
‘No, I do not. I do not think you have ever in your life cared about what any other person would feel.
‘How much did Amyas know or guess? How much his conscious mind knew we cannot tell, but his hand and his eye were faithful.’
Hercule Poirot gestured towards the picture on the wall.
‘I should have known when I first saw that picture. For it is a very remarkable picture. It is the picture of a murderess painted by her victim-it is the picture of a girl watching her lover die…’
Chapter 5. Aftermath
In the silence that followed-a horrified, appalled silence, the sunset slowly flickered away, the last gleam left the window where it had rested on the dark head and pale furs of the woman sitting there.
Elsa Dittisham moved and spoke. She said:
‘Take them away, Meredith. Leave me with M. Poirot.’
She sat there motionless until the door shut behind them. Then she said: ‘You are very clever, aren’t you?’
Poirot did not answer.
She said: ‘What do you expect me to do? Confess?’
He shook his head.
Elsa said:
‘Because I shall do nothing of the kind! And I shall admit nothing. But what we say here, together, does not matter. Because it is only a question of your word against mine.’
‘Exactly.’
‘I want to know what you are going to do?’
Hercule Poirot said:
‘I shall do everything I can to induce the authorities to grant a posthumous free pardon to Caroline Crale.’
Elsa laughed. She said: ‘How absurd! To be given a free pardon for something you didn’t do.’ Then she said: ‘What about me?’
‘I shall lay my conclusion before the necessary people. If they decide there is the possibility of making out a case against you then they may act. I will tell you in my opinion there is not sufficient evidence-there are only inferences, not facts. Moreover, they will not be anxious to proceed against any one in your position unless there is ample justification for such a course.’
Elsa said:
‘I shouldn’t care. If I were standing in the dock, fighting for my life-there might be something in that-something alive-exciting. I might-enjoy it.’
‘Your husband would not.’
She stared at him.
‘Do you think I care in the least what my husband would feel?’
‘No, I do not. I do not think you have ever in your life cared about what any other person would feel.