The Mysterious Affair at Styles Agatha Christie (romance novel chinese novels txt) đ
- Author: Agatha Christie
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âAh!â said Poirot appreciatively. âHe is a clever man, that Sir Ernest.â
âDo you think he believes Lawrence guilty?â
âI do not think he believes or cares anything! No, what he is trying for is to create such confusion in the minds of the jury that they are divided in their opinion as to which brother did it. He is endeavouring to make out that there is quite as much evidence against Lawrence as against Johnâ âand I am not at all sure that he will not succeed.â
Detective-inspector Japp was the first witness called when the trial was reopened, and gave his evidence succinctly and briefly. After relating the earlier events, he proceeded:
âActing on information received, Superintendent Summerhaye and myself searched the prisonerâs room, during his temporary absence from the house. In his chest of drawers, hidden beneath some underclothing, we found: first, a pair of gold-rimmed pince-nez similar to those worn by Mr. Inglethorpââ âthese were exhibitedâ ââsecondly, this phial.â
The phial was that already recognized by the chemistâs assistant, a tiny bottle of blue glass, containing a few grains of a white crystalline powder, and labelled: âStrychnine Hydrochloride. Poison.â
A fresh piece of evidence discovered by the detectives since the police court proceedings was a long, almost new piece of blotting-paper. It had been found in Mrs. Inglethorpâs cheque book, and on being reversed at a mirror, showed clearly the words: â⊠everything of which I die possessed I leave to my beloved husband Alfred Ingâ ââ âŠâ This placed beyond question the fact that the destroyed will had been in favour of the deceased ladyâs husband. Japp then produced the charred fragment of paper recovered from the grate, and this, with the discovery of the beard in the attic, completed his evidence.
But Sir Ernestâs cross-examination was yet to come.
âWhat day was it when you searched the prisonerâs room?â
âTuesday, the 24th of July.â
âExactly a week after the tragedy?â
âYes.â
âYou found these two objects, you say, in the chest of drawers. Was the drawer unlocked?â
âYes.â
âDoes it not strike you as unlikely that a man who had committed a crime should keep the evidence of it in an unlocked drawer for anyone to find?â
âHe might have stowed them there in a hurry.â
âBut you have just said it was a whole week since the crime. He would have had ample time to remove them and destroy them.â
âPerhaps.â
âThere is no perhaps about it. Would he, or would he not have had plenty of time to remove and destroy them?â
âYes.â
âWas the pile of underclothes under which the things were hidden heavy or light?â
âHeavyish.â
âIn other words, it was winter underclothing. Obviously, the prisoner would not be likely to go to that drawer?â
âPerhaps not.â
âKindly answer my question. Would the prisoner, in the hottest week of a hot summer, be likely to go to a drawer containing winter underclothing. Yes, or no?â
âNo.â
âIn that case, is it not possible that the articles in question might have been put there by a third person, and that the prisoner was quite unaware of their presence?â
âI should not think it likely.â
âBut it is possible?â
âYes.â
âThat is all.â
More evidence followed. Evidence as to the financial difficulties in which the prisoner had found himself at the end of July. Evidence as to his intrigue with Mrs. Raikesâ âpoor Mary, that must have been bitter hearing for a woman of her pride. Evelyn Howard had been right in her facts, though her animosity against Alfred Inglethorp had caused her to jump to the conclusion that he was the person concerned.
Lawrence Cavendish was then put into the box. In a low voice, in answer to Mr. Philipsâ questions, he denied having ordered anything from Parksonâs in June. In fact, on June 29th, he had been staying away, in Wales.
Instantly, Sir Ernestâs chin was shooting pugnaciously forward.
âYou deny having ordered a black beard from Parksonâs on June 29th?â
âI do.â
âAh! In the event of anything happening to your brother, who will inherit Styles Court?â
The brutality of the question called a flush to Lawrenceâs pale face. The judge gave vent to a faint murmur of disapprobation, and the prisoner in the dock leant forward angrily.
Heavywether cared nothing for his clientâs anger.
âAnswer my question, if you please.â
âI suppose,â said Lawrence quietly, âthat I should.â
âWhat do you mean by you âsupposeâ? Your brother has no children. You would inherit it, wouldnât you?â
âYes.â
âAh, thatâs better,â said Heavywether, with ferocious geniality. âAnd youâd inherit a good slice of money too, wouldnât you?â
âReally, Sir Ernest,â protested the judge, âthese questions are not relevant.â
Sir Ernest bowed, and having shot his arrow proceeded.
âOn Tuesday, the 17th July, you went, I believe, with another guest, to visit the dispensary at the Red Cross Hospital in Tadminster?â
âYes.â
âDid youâ âwhile you happened to be alone for a few secondsâ âunlock the poison cupboard, and examine some of the bottles?â
âIâ âIâ âmay have done so.â
âI put it to you that you did do so?â
âYes.â
Sir Ernest fairly shot the next question at him.
âDid you examine one bottle in particular?â
âNo, I do not think so.â
âBe careful, Mr. Cavendish. I am referring to a little bottle of Hydrochloride of Strychnine.â
Lawrence was turning a sickly greenish colour.
âNâ âoâ âI am sure I didnât.â
âThen how do you account for the fact that you left the unmistakable impress of your fingerprints on it?â
The bullying manner was highly efficacious with a nervous disposition.
âIâ âI suppose I must have taken up the bottle.â
âI suppose so too! Did you abstract any of the contents of the bottle?â
âCertainly not.â
âThen why did you take it up?â
âI once studied to be a doctor. Such things naturally interest me.â
âAh! So poisons ânaturally interestâ you, do they? Still, you waited to be alone before gratifying that âinterestâ of yours?â
âThat was pure chance. If the others had been there, I should have done just the same.â
âStill, as it happens, the others were not there?â
âNo, butâ ââ
âIn fact, during the whole afternoon, you were only alone for a couple of minutes, and it happenedâ âI say, it happenedâ âto be during those two minutes that you displayed your ânatural interestâ in Hydrochloride of Strychnine?â
Lawrence
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