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Five Little Pigs :: Christie Agatha
Страница: 18 из 147It was put there. And if Mrs Crale didn’t put it there, who did?’
‘That is the question,’ said Poirot. ‘Who did?’
Again those shrewd old eyes searched his face.
‘So that’s your idea?’ said Mr Edmunds.
‘What do you think yourself?’
There was a pause before the officer answered. Then he said:
‘There was nothing that pointed that way-nothing at all.’
Poirot said:
‘You were in court during the hearing of the case?’
‘Every day.’
‘You heard the witnesses give evidence?’
‘I did.’
‘Did anything strike you about them-any abnormality, any insincerity?’
Edmunds said bluntly:
‘Was one of them lying, do you mean? Had one of them a reason to wish Mr Crale dead? If you’ll excuse me, Mr Poirot, that’s a verymelodramatic idea.’
‘At least consider it,’ Poirot urged.
He watched the shrewd face, the screwed-up, thoughtful eyes. Slowly, regretfully, Edmunds shook his head.
‘That Miss Greer,’ he said, ‘she was bitter enough,and vindictive! I’d say she overstepped the mark in a good deal she said, but it was Mr Crale alive she wanted. He was no use to her dead. She wanted Mrs Crale hanged all right-but that was because death had snatched her man away from her. Like a baulked tigress she was! But, as I say, it was Mr Crale alive she’d wanted. Mr Philip Blake,he was against Mrs Crale too. Prejudiced. Got his knife into her whenever he could. But I’d say he was honest according to his lights. He’d been Mr Crale’s great friend. His brother, Mr Meredith Blake-a bad witness he was-vague, hesitating-never seemed sure of his answers. I’ve seen many witnesses like that. Look as though they’re lying when all the time they’re telling the truth. Didn’t want to say anything more than he could help, Mr Meredith Blake didn’t. Counsel got all the more out of him on that account. One of these quiet gentlemen who get easily flustered. The governess now, she stood up well to them. Didn’t waste words and answered pat and to the point. You couldn’t have told, listening to her, which side she was on. Got all her wits about her, she had. The brisk kind.’ He paused. ‘Knew a lot more than she ever let on about the whole thing, I shouldn’t wonder.’
‘I, too, should not wonder,’ said Hercule Poirot.
He looked sharply at the wrinkled, shrewd face of Mr Alfred Edmunds. It was quite bland and impassive. But Hercule Poirot wondered if he had been vouchsafed a hint.
Chapter 4.
‘That is the question,’ said Poirot. ‘Who did?’
Again those shrewd old eyes searched his face.
‘So that’s your idea?’ said Mr Edmunds.
‘What do you think yourself?’
There was a pause before the officer answered. Then he said:
‘There was nothing that pointed that way-nothing at all.’
Poirot said:
‘You were in court during the hearing of the case?’
‘Every day.’
‘You heard the witnesses give evidence?’
‘I did.’
‘Did anything strike you about them-any abnormality, any insincerity?’
Edmunds said bluntly:
‘Was one of them lying, do you mean? Had one of them a reason to wish Mr Crale dead? If you’ll excuse me, Mr Poirot, that’s a verymelodramatic idea.’
‘At least consider it,’ Poirot urged.
He watched the shrewd face, the screwed-up, thoughtful eyes. Slowly, regretfully, Edmunds shook his head.
‘That Miss Greer,’ he said, ‘she was bitter enough,and vindictive! I’d say she overstepped the mark in a good deal she said, but it was Mr Crale alive she wanted. He was no use to her dead. She wanted Mrs Crale hanged all right-but that was because death had snatched her man away from her. Like a baulked tigress she was! But, as I say, it was Mr Crale alive she’d wanted. Mr Philip Blake,he was against Mrs Crale too. Prejudiced. Got his knife into her whenever he could. But I’d say he was honest according to his lights. He’d been Mr Crale’s great friend. His brother, Mr Meredith Blake-a bad witness he was-vague, hesitating-never seemed sure of his answers. I’ve seen many witnesses like that. Look as though they’re lying when all the time they’re telling the truth. Didn’t want to say anything more than he could help, Mr Meredith Blake didn’t. Counsel got all the more out of him on that account. One of these quiet gentlemen who get easily flustered. The governess now, she stood up well to them. Didn’t waste words and answered pat and to the point. You couldn’t have told, listening to her, which side she was on. Got all her wits about her, she had. The brisk kind.’ He paused. ‘Knew a lot more than she ever let on about the whole thing, I shouldn’t wonder.’
‘I, too, should not wonder,’ said Hercule Poirot.
He looked sharply at the wrinkled, shrewd face of Mr Alfred Edmunds. It was quite bland and impassive. But Hercule Poirot wondered if he had been vouchsafed a hint.
Chapter 4.