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Five Little Pigs :: Christie Agatha
Страница: 23 из 147‘If there were anobject in it, now…’
‘There is an object.’
‘What is it?’
‘One can enjoy the pursuit of truth for its own sake. I do. And you must not forget the young lady.’
Hale nodded.
‘Yes, I seeher side of it. But-you’ll excuse me, M. Poirot-you’re an ingenious man. You could cook her up a tale.’
Poirot replied:
‘You do not know the young lady.’
‘Oh, come now-a man of your experience!’
Poirot drew himself up.
‘I may be,mon cher, an artistic and competent liar-you seem to think so. But it is not my idea of ethical conduct. I have my standards.’
‘Sorry, M. Poirot. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But it would be all in a good cause, so to speak.’
‘Oh I wonder, would it really?’
Hale said slowly:
‘It’s tough luck on a happy innocent girl who’s just going to get married to find that her mother was a murderess. If I were you I’d go to her and say that, after all, suicide was what it was. Say the case was mishandled by Depleach. Say that there’s no doubt inyour mind that Crale poisoned himself!’
‘But there is every doubt in my mind! I do not believe for one minute that Crale poisoned himself. Do you consider it even reasonably possible yourself?’
Slowly Hale shook his head.
‘You see? No, it is the truth I must have-not a plausible-or not very plausible-lie.’
Hale turned and looked at Poirot. His square rather red face grew a little redder and even appeared to get a little squarer. He said:
‘You talk about thetruth. I’d like to make it plain to you that we think wegot the truth in the Crale case.’
Poirot said quickly:
‘That pronouncement from you means a great deal. I know you for what you are, an honest and capable man. Now tell me this, was there no doubt at any time in your mind as to the guilt of Mrs Crale?’
The Superintendent’s answer came promptly.
‘No doubt at all, M. Poirot. The circumstances pointed to her straight away, and every single fact that we uncovered supported that view.’
‘You can give me an outline of the evidence against her?’
‘I can. When I received your letter I looked up the case.’ He picked up a small notebook. ‘I’ve jotted down all the salient facts here.’
‘Thank you, my friend. I am all eagerness to hear.’
Hale cleared his throat. A slight official intonation made itself heard in his voice.
‘There is an object.’
‘What is it?’
‘One can enjoy the pursuit of truth for its own sake. I do. And you must not forget the young lady.’
Hale nodded.
‘Yes, I seeher side of it. But-you’ll excuse me, M. Poirot-you’re an ingenious man. You could cook her up a tale.’
Poirot replied:
‘You do not know the young lady.’
‘Oh, come now-a man of your experience!’
Poirot drew himself up.
‘I may be,mon cher, an artistic and competent liar-you seem to think so. But it is not my idea of ethical conduct. I have my standards.’
‘Sorry, M. Poirot. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But it would be all in a good cause, so to speak.’
‘Oh I wonder, would it really?’
Hale said slowly:
‘It’s tough luck on a happy innocent girl who’s just going to get married to find that her mother was a murderess. If I were you I’d go to her and say that, after all, suicide was what it was. Say the case was mishandled by Depleach. Say that there’s no doubt inyour mind that Crale poisoned himself!’
‘But there is every doubt in my mind! I do not believe for one minute that Crale poisoned himself. Do you consider it even reasonably possible yourself?’
Slowly Hale shook his head.
‘You see? No, it is the truth I must have-not a plausible-or not very plausible-lie.’
Hale turned and looked at Poirot. His square rather red face grew a little redder and even appeared to get a little squarer. He said:
‘You talk about thetruth. I’d like to make it plain to you that we think wegot the truth in the Crale case.’
Poirot said quickly:
‘That pronouncement from you means a great deal. I know you for what you are, an honest and capable man. Now tell me this, was there no doubt at any time in your mind as to the guilt of Mrs Crale?’
The Superintendent’s answer came promptly.
‘No doubt at all, M. Poirot. The circumstances pointed to her straight away, and every single fact that we uncovered supported that view.’
‘You can give me an outline of the evidence against her?’
‘I can. When I received your letter I looked up the case.’ He picked up a small notebook. ‘I’ve jotted down all the salient facts here.’
‘Thank you, my friend. I am all eagerness to hear.’
Hale cleared his throat. A slight official intonation made itself heard in his voice.