The Murder on the Links Agatha Christie (inspirational books for students .txt) đ
- Author: Agatha Christie
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âWe agree, mon amiâ âat least as to the cause. But what exact motive underlay this procedure of M. Renauldâs?â
I opened my eyes in surprise.
âAnger against his son of course.â
âYet he wrote him affectionate letters to Paris?â
âSo Jack Renauld says, but he cannot produce them.â
âWell, let us pass from that.â
âNow we come to the day of the tragedy. You have placed the events of the morning in a certain order. Have you any justification for that?â
âI have ascertained that the letter to me was posted at the same time as the telegram was despatched. Masters was informed he could take a holiday shortly afterwards. In my opinion the quarrel with the tramp took place anterior to these happenings.â
âI do not see that you can fix that definitelyâ âunless you question Mademoiselle Dabreuil again.â
âThere is no need. I am sure of it. And if you do not see that, you see nothing, Hastings!â
I looked at him for a moment.
âOf course! I am an idiot. If the tramp was Georges Conneau, it was after the stormy interview with him that Mr. Renauld apprehended danger. He sent away the chauffeur, Masters, whom he suspected of being in the otherâs pay, he wired to his son, and sent for you.â
A faint smile crossed Poirotâs lips.
âYou do not think it strange that he should use exactly the same expressions in his letter as Madame Renauld used later in her story? If the mention of Santiago was a blind, why should Renauld speak of it, andâ âwhat is moreâ âsend his son there?â
âIt is puzzling, I admit, but perhaps we shall find some explanation later. We come now to the evening, and the visit of the mysterious lady. I confess that that fairly baffles me, unless it was Madame Daubreuil, as Françoise all along maintained.â
Poirot shook his head.
âMy friend, my friend, where are your wits wandering? Remember the fragment of cheque, and the fact that the name Bella Duveen was faintly familiar to Stonor, and I think we may take it for granted that Bella Duveen is the full name of Jackâs unknown correspondent, and that it was she who came to the Villa GeneviĂšve that night. Whether she intended to see Jack, or whether she meant all along to appeal to his father we cannot be certain, but I think we may assume that this is what occurred. She produced her claim upon Jack, probably showed letters that he had written her, and the older man tried to buy her off by writing a cheque. This she indignantly tore up. The terms of her letter are those of a woman genuinely in love, and she would probably deeply resent being offered money. In the end he got rid of her, and here the words that he used are significant.â
âââYes, yes, but for Godâs sake go now,âââ I repeated. âThey seem to me a little vehement, perhaps, that is all.â
âThat is enough. He was desperately anxious for the girl to go. Why? Not only because the interview was unpleasant. No, it was the time that was slipping by, and for some reason time was precious.â
âWhy should it be?â I asked, bewildered.
âThat is what we ask ourselves. Why should it be? But later we have the incident of the wrist watchâ âwhich again shows us that time plays a very important part in the crime. We are now fast approaching the actual drama. It is half-past ten when Bella Duveen leaves, and by the evidence of the wrist watch we know that the crime was committed, or at any rate that it was staged, before twelve oâclock. We have reviewed all the events anterior to the murder, there remains only one unplaced. By the doctorâs evidence, the tramp, when found, had been dead at least forty-eight hoursâ âwith a possible margin of twenty-four hours more. Now, with no other facts to help me than those we have discussed, I place the death as having occurred on the morning of June 7th.â
I stared at him, stupefied.
âBut how? Why? How can you possibly know?â
âBecause only in that way can the sequence of events be logically explained. Mon ami, I have taken you step by step along the way. Do you not now see what is so glaringly plain?â
âMy dear Poirot, I canât see anything glaring about it. I did think I was beginning to see my way before, but Iâm now hopelessly fogged.â
Poirot looked at me sadly, and shook his head. âMon Dieu! But it is triste! A good intelligenceâ âand so deplorably lacking in method. There is an exercise most excellent for the development of the little grey cells. I will impart it to youâ ââ
âFor Heavenâs sake, not now! You really are the most irritating of fellows, Poirot. For goodnessâ sake, get on and tell me who killed M. Renauld.â
âThat is just what I am not sure of as yet.â
âBut you said it was glaringly clear?â
âWe talk at cross-purposes, my friend. Remember, it is two crimes we are investigatingâ âfor which, as I pointed out to you, we have the necessary two bodies. There, there, ne vous impatientez pas! I explain all. To begin with, we apply our psychology. We find three points at which M. Renauld displays a distinct change of view and actionâ âthree psychological points therefore. The first occurs immediately after arriving in Merlinville, the second after quarrelling with his son on a certain subject, the third on the morning of June 7th. Now for the three causes. We can attribute No. 1 to meeting Madame Daubreuil. No. 2 is indirectly connected with her since it concerns a marriage between M. Renauldâs son and her daughter. But the cause of No. 3 is hidden from us. We have to deduce it. Now, mon ami, let me ask you a question; who do we believe to have planned this crime?â
âGeorges Conneau,â I said doubtfully, eyeing Poirot warily.
âExactly. Now Giraud laid it
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