Chapter 9 Chapter Nine Seventeen, Eighteen, there is a girl waiting for him

The next day Poirot spent several hours with an agent of the theater he knew well.In the afternoon he went to Oxford.After that, I drove to the country again-it was very late when I came back. Before going out, he called Mr. Alistair Blunt and made an appointment to meet in the evening. It was half past nine when we arrived at Gothic House. Poirot was led into the study, where Alistair Blunt was alone. He looked at the visitor with eager inquiry as he shook hands. He said, "How is it?" Hercule Poirot nodded slowly. Brent looked at him suspiciously and appreciatively. "Have you found her?"

"Yes, yes, I found her." He sat down and sighed. Alistair Brent asked: "Are you tired?" "Yes, I'm exhausted. And it's not very nice—that's what I have to tell you." Brent asked, "Is she dead?" "It depends," said Hercule Poirot slowly, "how you wish to see it." Brent frowned. He said: "My dear sir, a man must be either dead or alive. Wasn't Miss Sainsbury Seale one of the others?" "Ah, but who is Miss Sainsbury Seale?" Alistair Brent said: "Didn't you say - there is no such person at all?"

"Oh, no, that's not true. There was such a person. She lived in Calcutta. She taught oratory, and worked for charity. She came back to England on the 'Maharana' - the Amber Mr. Rioz was on the same boat. Although they were not in the same class, he did her a little favor--helped her with her little trouble with carrying luggage. It seems, it should be said, in a few In some ways he is a kind man. And sometimes, Mr. Blunt, kindness pays off unexpectedly. You know Mr. Amberiozzi is just like that. He happened to be in the streets of London again Met this lady. He had a good nature and kindly invited her to lunch in Savoy. It was a courtesy that she never dreamed of. For Mr. Amberiozzi, it was out of the blue. A windfall! His act of kindness was not premeditated—it never occurred to him that this beautiful, middle-aged woman was about to give him a gold mine. And, even though she did, she herself was I don't know what to do in a daze.

"You know, she's never been one of those first-rate intellects. She's got a good, pure heart, but she's got, I should say, a hen's brain." Brent said, "So it wasn't she who killed that woman named Chapman?" Poirot said slowly: "I really don't know what to say. I think I should start with my first contact with this matter. It started with a shoe!" Brent said blankly, "From a shoe?" Hercule Poirot nodded. "Yes, a shoe with a buckle. I was standing on the steps of 58 Queen Charlotte Street after a nervous experience at the dentist when a taxi pulled up outside. The door opened , a woman's foot is about to come down. I love to notice women's feet and ankles. This foot is in good shape, with a good ankle, and is wearing expensive stockings, but I don't like that one. Shoes. These are a new pair of shiny leather shoes, with a large, artificial buckle. Not smart--not smart!

"While I was watching, the rest of the lady was revealed - frankly disappointing - a middle-aged woman who wasn't beautiful and was poorly dressed." "Is that Miss Sainsbury Seale?" "It was her. There was a little accident when she got out of the car—the shoe buckle got caught in the door and fell off. I picked it up and handed it back to her. And that's the end of the episode. "On the same day, a little later, Inspector Japp and I went to visit the lady. By the way, she still hadn't got the buckles on. "That same night, Miss Sainsbury Seale came out of the hotel and disappeared. We said, this is the first act.

"The second act begins when Detective Inspector Japp summons me to King Leopold's apartment, where in one of the flats there is a fur chest, and a dead body is found in the fur chest. I go Into the room, to the box—the first thing I saw was an old buckled shoe!" "So what?" "You don't realize the problem. It's a worn shoe—a shoe that's been worn for a long time. But you see, that was the very night Miss Sainsbury Seale came to King Leopold's flats." Ah—the same day Molly was killed. The shoes were new in the morning—they were old in the evening. You know you can't wear out a pair of shoes in a day."

Alistair Brent said dryly: "I suppose she has two pairs of shoes?" "Ah, that's not the case. Because Inspector Japp and I went to her room at Glengowell Court Hotel and checked all her things - and there were no buckled shoes. Yes, she There might be an old pair of shoes. She might put them on after a tiring day and go out at night, no? But if so, the other pair should be in the hotel. That's odd, you admit?" Brent smiled."I don't see why it matters," he said. "Yeah, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter at all. But people don't like things they can't explain. I'm standing by the fur box, looking at the shoes—the buckles were recently put on by hand. I have to Admit that I had a moment of doubt at the time - doubt myself. Yes, I said to myself, 'Hercule Poirot, perhaps you've been a little dizzy this morning. You're looking through rose-colored spectacles The world. Even old shoes are new to you!'”

"Maybe that's why?" "But no, it's not. My eyes didn't lie to me! Next, I inspected the female corpse carefully, and the results I got were hardly satisfactory. Why deliberately ruin this face so that it can't Identify it?" Alistair Brent moved impatiently. "Do we have to start over? We all know—" Hercule Poirot said firmly: "It is necessary. I must explain to you from the beginning to the end the whole process that finally led me to discover the truth. At that time I said to myself, 'There is something wrong here. Miss Sainsbury Seale's clothes - except, perhaps, the shoes? - the dead woman - Miss Sainsbury Seale's handbag is also put together - but why is the face unrecognizable? Perhaps, is it because Isn’t this face Miss Sainsbury Seale’s in the first place?’ Then I immediately thought of the appearance of another woman I had heard about—that is, the owner of this apartment—and I asked myself—is there any Maybe this other woman is lying here dead? Later I went to see this other woman's bedroom. I tried to picture in my mind what kind of woman she was. Outwardly, she was very different from the other woman. Big. Beautiful, richly dressed, good at make-up. But in essence, not without similarities. Hair, build, age--but, there is a difference. Mrs. Albert Chapman wears size five shoes. And I know that Miss Sainsbury Seale wears size nine stockings - which means she must wear at least a size six shoes. Thus Mrs Chapman's feet are smaller than Miss Sainsbury Seale's. I went back to the body. If my immature thinking was correct and the body was Mrs. Chapman in Miss Sainsbury Seale's dress, the shoes would be too big. I took one off It was not loose. It was tight. It appeared to be exactly Miss Sainsbury Seale's body! But if so, why disfigure it? Her identity had been confirmed by the bag, which Packages are easy to dispose of, but are not disposed of.

"It was inexplicable—very disorganized, very complicated. In desperation, I resorted to Mrs. Chapman's address book—only a dentist could tell who the dead person was—or who wasn't. As it happened, Mrs. Chapman Morley's dentist was also Mr. Morley. Morley died, but identification was still possible. You know the result. Morley's successors identified the body in the jury court as Mrs. Albert Chapman." Brent was restless, but Poirot paid no attention to it.He went on. "This also leaves a psychological question. What kind of woman is Maybelle Sainsbury Seale? There are two answers to this question. The first is obvious, with all her experiences in India. Life experience and the descriptions of her friends are evidence. In this answer, she is described as a passionate, pious, and a bit silly woman. Is there another Miss Sainsbury Seale? Obviously Yes. There is also a woman who had lunch with a famous foreign spy who accosted you in the street and claimed to be your wife's best friend - which is certainly untrue - the woman A man who had just come out of a man's clinic shortly before a murder, probably visited another woman on the night she was also murdered, and who has since disappeared, although she must have been aware of the British police force would look for her everywhere. Do all these behaviors match the character traits her friends have given her? A good person, which means that she is likely to be a brutal murderer, or at least must have been an accomplice to the murder.

"But I have another criterion by which to judge - my own personal impression. I have spoken to Maybelle Sainsbury Seale myself. What impression has she made on me? This, Mr. Brent, is the most difficult question. Everything she said, the way she spoke, her manners, her gestures, were exactly as described for her character. But they were also very similar to those of a wise man. The same is true of actors in acting, and, after all, Maybelle Sainsbury Seale began her life as an actor. "I was also impressed by a conversation I had with Mr Barnes of Ealing, who was also a patient at 58 Queen Charlotte Street that day. Oz's death was incidental, so to speak—you were the intended victim."

Alistair Brent said: "Oh, here we go again - it's a bit of a stretch." "Is that so, Mr. Blunt? Don't there be a number of factions at this time who think it extremely important to get rid of you? May we say so? To keep you out of influence, isn't it?" Brent said, "Well, yes, that's true. But why connect Molly's death with that?" Poirot replied: "Because in this case, there is a bit—how shall I put it?—too much indiscriminate—at any cost—at any cost. Yes, indifference, indiscriminate killing—that Represents a great crime!" "So you don't think Molly committed suicide because of an operation error?" "It never crossed my mind - not for a minute. No, Molly was murdered, Amberiozzi was murdered, an unidentified woman was murdered - why? For a huge The stakes are high. Barnes' view is that someone is trying to bribe Molly or his partner to kill you." Alistair Brent said seriously: "It's ridiculous!" "Oh, but is that absurd? Let's say someone wants to kill someone. But the person has been forewarned, prepared in advance, and difficult to approach. To kill this person at this time must not arouse his suspicions." —and where else can a man be freed from suspicion more than in the dental chair?" "Oh, that's true. I never thought about it like that." "It was indeed true. Once I realized it, I felt for the first time a faint gleam of the truth of the matter." "So you accept Barnes' theory? By the way, who is this Barnes?" "Barnes was Riley's twelve o'clock patient. He retired from the Home Office and lived in Ealing. A small, nondescript man. But you'd be wrong to accept his theory. I didn't." Accept it, I just absorbed the main spirit of it." "What do you mean by that?" Hercule Poirot said: "All the time, from beginning to end, I have been led astray—sometimes unintentionally, sometimes deliberately, with a purpose. I have been offered such My impressions compel me to think that this crime is of the kind that might be called a social crime. That is, you, Mr. Blunt, are the focus of it because of the social role you play. Your Banker, you manipulator of finances, you defender of conservative traditions! "But every social character also has his private life. That's where I was wrong, I forgot the private life. There were personal reasons for killing Molly - say, from Frank Carter. "Similarly, there are personal reasons for murdering you - you have relatives who will inherit money when you die. There are people who love you and people who hate you - as a person - not as a social figure. "So I researched a wonderful example of what I call 'the card of coercion'. That alleged attack on you by Frank Carter. If the attack was worthy of its name - then it was indeed a political crime ...But, is there another explanation? There may be. There was a second person in the bushes at the time, the one who rushed up to grab Carter. He probably fired first and then threw it at Carter's feet. Then the latter will almost certainly pick it up, and then he will be found with the gun still in his hand. "I then looked into the issue of Howard Rex. Rex had been in Queen Charlotte Street the morning of Morley's death. Rex was the sworn enemy of everything you stood for and stood for. That's what he was, But Rex is more than that. Rex may marry your grand-nephew, who will inherit a handsome income on your death, though you have far-sighted arrangements so that she cannot moving principal. "Is this whole thing ultimately a private crime—for personal gain, personal gratification? Why did I think it was a social crime in the first place? Because, not once, but many This time, such thoughts are always suggested to me, forcing me like a compulsive card—— "It was then, when I had this idea, that I saw the dawn of truth clearly. I was in church, and I was singing a hymn. It talked about traps with ropes. "Trap? For me? Yes, it is possible--but in that case, who set it? It could only be one person who set the trap. But it doesn't make sense--in case Does it make sense? Have I been looking at this case upside down? Money is not spared? Exactly! Life is not spared? Yes, it is still true. Because the stakes of the sinner are extremely strong. "However, if this strange new idea of ​​mine is right, it must explain everything. For example, it must explain the mystery of Miss Sainsbury Seale's duality. It must solve the mystery of the shoe. ...and it must answer the question: where is Miss Sainsbury Seale now? "Eh bien (French: hey) - it does all this and more. It tells me that Miss Sainsbury Seale is the beginning, the course and the end of this case. No wonder I would have Felt as if there were two Miss Mabel Sainsbury Seales. Because there were indeed two Miss Mabel Sainsbury Seales. There was a silly, kindly good woman vouched for by friends with the greatest confidence. , there was another woman - she was linked to two murders, lied and lied, and mysteriously disappeared. "Remember, the porter at King Leopold's flat said that Miss Sainsbury Seale had been there once before. "This first time was the only one in my new conception of the case. She never left King Leopold's flats again. Another Miss Sainsbury Seale took her place. The other Maybelle Sainsbury Seale, wearing the same dress and a new pair of shoes with buckles (because the other pair was too big for her), arrived at the Russell Square Hotel at the busy hour of the day, Packed the dead woman's clothes, paid her room, and left. She went to the Glengowell Court Hotel. Remember, since then, the friends of the real Miss Sainsbury Seale No one ever saw her again. She played Maybelle Sainsbury Seale there for over a week. She wore Maybel Sainsbury Seale clothes and used Maybelle Sainsbury Seale but she still had to buy a pair of smaller evening shoes. After that—she disappeared, and was last seen on the night Molly was killed, and was seen walking into Leo again. King Pod Apartments.” Alistair Brent asked: "Are you trying to say that the dead body in the flat really belonged to Maybelle Sainsbury Seale?" "Of course it's hers! It's a pretty shrewd double-disguise - the destruction of the face is intended to cast doubt on the woman's identity!" "But what about the dentist's evidence?" "Ah! Now we come to the matter. It is not the dentist himself who gave the evidence. Molly is dead. There is no way he will come out and testify in person. Perhaps he will know who the dead woman is. It is the records which have been submitted as evidence— And those records are falsified. Remember, both women are his patients. All it takes is to relabel the records and swap names." Hercule Poirot went on: "Now you see what I meant when you asked me if the woman was dead and I said 'it depends'? Because when you said 'Sainsbury Seale Miss'—which woman do you mean? The woman who disappeared from Glengowell Court Hotel, or the real Maybelle Sainsbury Seale?" Alistair Blunt said: "I know, M. Poirot, that you are quite famous. I admit, therefore, that there must be some basis for your extraordinary supposition—but it is only a supposition. What I can see Just a whimsical conjecture. Are you saying that Maybelle Sainsbury Seale was murdered on purpose and killed him to prevent Molly from identifying her? But why? I want That's what is known. This woman—a middle-aged woman who is completely indifferent—has many friends and apparently no enemies. Why are there so many elaborate plots to get rid of her?" "Why? Yes, that's the question. Why? Maybel Sainsbury Seale, as you say, is an aloof creature who wouldn't hurt a fly! Why, then, was she deliberately and cruelly murdered?" Killed? Well, I'll tell you what I think." "yes?" Hercule Poirot leaned forward and said, "I believe Maybelle Sainsbury Seale died because she had such a good memory for faces." "What do you mean?" Hercule Poirot said: "We've separated the dual personalities. There's a woman who's aloof who comes back from India, and there's a smart actor who plays that aloof who comes back from India. There is, however, a slight conflict between the two characters. Which woman was that speaking to you on the steps of Mr. Morley's clinic? You will recall that she calls herself 'your wife's friend'. From From the testimony of her friend and the usual odds, this statement is untrue. We can therefore say 'This is a lie. The real Miss Sainsbury Seale does not lie'. So, this A lie concocted by the liar for her own purposes." Alistair Brent nodded yes. "Yes, that makes sense. But I still don't understand the purpose." Poirot said: "Ah, wait—let us look at the matter from a different angle. That woman is the real Miss Sainsbury Seale. She can't lie. So the story must be true." "I think you might as well see it that way--but it seems improbable--" "Of course it's unlikely! But let's take this second supposition as fact - the story is true. So Miss Sainsbury Seale does know your wife. She's very close to her." So - your wife must be someone of the sort that Miss Sainsbury Seale is likely to know. Someone with whom she has had a life experience in common. A British Indian - a missionary - oh , a little further - an actor - obviously - not Rebecca Arnholt! "Now, Mr. Blunt, do you understand what I mean by my private and public life? You are a great banker. But you are also a man who married a rich girl. Before marrying her, You were just a junior partner in the syndicate - you had just arrived from Oxford then. "You see—I'm starting to look at the case in the right direction. At any cost? Of course it doesn't matter—to you. At any cost—as well, because you've been a A dictator, for a dictator, his own life becomes inordinately important, and everyone else's is worthless." Alistair Blunt said: "What do you want to say, M. Poirot?" Poirot said softly: "I would like to say, Mr. Blunt, that you were married when you married Rebecca Arnholt. I would like to say that, seduced by the glamorous prospect, not only Because of money, but also because of power, you concealed the facts and committed bigamy on purpose. I want to say that your real wife has adopted a tacit attitude towards this." "And who is this real wife?" "She was named Mrs. Albert Chapman at King Leopold's Flats - a place not far from your house on the Thames Embankment in five minutes' walk. You have borrowed a real Agent's name to support her insinuation that her husband was doing intelligence work. Your plan was perfectly executed. No suspicion was ever raised. However, the fact remains that you have never legally communicated with Rebecca Arnejo You are guilty of bigamy by marrying Walter. After so many years, you have never felt that there is any danger. But it suddenly appeared-this danger appeared in the form of a nasty woman. After almost twenty years , she remembers you as her friend's husband. Chance brought her back to the country, chance brought her to meet you in Queen Charlotte Street - and chance, your niece and granddaughter with you, listen What she said to you. Otherwise, I might never have guessed." "I told you that myself, my dear Poirot." "No, it was your grand-niece who insisted on telling me, and you must not protest too strongly as you wish, lest it arouse suspicion. After that encounter, there is another ominous possibility--according to your eyes. Come—appeared. Maybelle Sainsbury Seale met Amberiozzi, had lunch with him, and confided in him the encounter with her friend's husband—'How many years had passed! Looks older, of course, but hardly changed!', I admit this is purely my own speculation, but I believe that's how it is. I don't think Mabel Sainsbury Seale was ever aware of her Mr. Brent, married to a friend of yours, turned out to be the mastermind behind the world's finances. But anyway, the name is extraordinary. As for Amberiozzi, remember, he was also a racketeer as well as espionage. Making a living. Blackmailers have an uncanny sense of secrecy. Amberiozzi was overjoyed. It was easy to figure out who this Mr. Brent was. And after that, I'm sure he wrote you—or It was a phone call. Ah, yes, it's a gold mine for Amberiozzi." Poirot paused for a moment, then went on. "There's only one effective way to deal with a really shrewd and experienced blackmailer. That's to keep his mouth shut. "The truth is not 'Brent must be removed', as I once mistakenly thought in my mind. Rather, it is 'Amberiozzi must be eliminated.' But the answer is the same! To attack a man , the easiest way is while he's off guard, and when can a man be more off guard than in the dental chair?" Poirot stopped again.A smile floated on his lips, and he said: "The truth of the case was actually brought up a long time ago. The footman, Alfred, was reading a book called "The Death Occurred at 11:45" crime novel. We should have accepted it as a teaser because, well, that's about the time Molly was killed. Just as you were about to leave, you shot him. Then you rang the buzzer , turned on the sink tap, and left the operating room. You timed yourself so that when you came downstairs, Alfred was taking the fake Miss Maybel Sainsbury Seale to the elevator. You You did open the front door, maybe you walked out, but when the elevator door closed and went up, you slipped in again and went upstairs. "From my own visits to the doctor, I know how Alfred took patients upstairs. He knocked on the door of the consulting room, opened it, and stood back to let the patient in. The water was running And - presumably, Molly was washing his hands as usual. But Alfred couldn't really see him. "As soon as Alfred got off the elevator, you slipped into the operating room. You and your accomplices lifted the body and carried it into an adjoining office. Then a quick search through the piles of papers cleverly forged Chapp's Records of Mrs Mann and Miss Sainsbury Seale. You put on a white linen coat and maybe your wife puts on you a little makeup. It doesn't really take much. This is the first time for Amberiooz To see Molly. He's never seen you. Your picture rarely appears in the papers. Besides, how could he be suspicious? Blackmailers don't look out for his dentist. Sainsbury Seale The lady went downstairs and Alfred saw her out. The buzzer rang and Amberioz was brought up. He found the doctor washing his hands behind the door with a satisfied expression. He was ushered to the operating chair. He indicated the diseased tooth. You spoke your usual lingo. You explained that it would be best to numb the gums. The procaine and epinephrine were there. You injected him enough to kill him. On top of that, it has the added benefit of making him less aware of your lack of dental skills! "Without any suspicion, Amberiozzi left. You carried Molly's body out and laid it on the floor. You had to drag it lightly on the carpet as you were the only one doing it. You wiped Wipe the pistol, and stuff it in his hand—and the doorknob, so your fingerprints won't be the last. All the instruments you've used are put in the sterilizer. You leave the operation When the time is right, slip out the front door. This is the only time you're in danger. "This is how it should have gone! Two men who threatened your safety--both dead. A third--but, in your opinion, it was inevitable. Everything was easy Explanation. Morley's suicide was explained by his mistakes with Amberiotz. Both deaths could have been covered up. Just an unfortunate accident. "But you didn't realize that I interfered. I had doubts. I raised objections. Everything did not go as you wished. Therefore, it was necessary to establish a second line of defense. If necessary, there must be a Just a scapegoat. You've had a detailed look at Molly's family. The man, Frank Carter, is just the right guy. So your associates arranged for him to be hired as a gardener in a mysterious way. He's going to tell this absurd story in the future. experience, no one would believe it. At a certain point the body in the fur box will be revealed. At first it will be thought to be Miss Sainsbury Seale's and then a dental examination will be done. The results are truly great Sensation! This may seem like unnecessary confusion, but it is necessary. You don't want the British police agencies to search for the missing Mrs. Albert Chapman. No, let Mrs. Chapman die - let The police went after Maybelle Sainsbury Seale - because they couldn't find her. Besides, you can use your influence to stop the case. "You did, but because you needed to know what I was up to, you called me in and asked me to find the missing woman for you. And you continued to play the 'compulsion card' at me steadily. You My accomplices called me up with bluff warnings - old fashioned - spies - social problems. Your wife is a smart actress, but it's the most natural thing to do to change your voice There is nothing better than to imitate another's voice. Your wife imitated Lady Olivia's accent. It must be said that it puzzled me for a while. "Then I was taken to the Hacienda--the final act. How it was to arrange for a loaded pistol to be placed among the laurel bushes, so that a man who was pruning a tree would inadvertently strike it. Easy thing. The pistol dropped at his feet. He picked it up with a start. What more could you hope for? He was caught red-handed—a ridiculous story out of his mouth, with a It was the same pistol as the one that had killed Molly. "And all of this is a trap for Hercule Poirot's feet." Alistair Brent moved in his chair.His face was gloomy and slightly sad.He said: "Don't get me wrong, M. Poirot. How much guesswork do you have? How much do you actually know?" Poirot said: "I have found a marriage certificate - at a marriage registry near Oxford - belonging to Martin Alistair Blunt and Jada Grant. Also, Frank Carter at just past twelve twenty I saw two people come out of Morley's operating room at five. The first was a fat man—Amber Riozz. The second, of course, was you. Frank Carter didn't actually recognize you. He just saw you from above." "How fair you are to mention that specifically!" "He went into the operating room and found Molly's body. His hands were cold and there was dried blood around the bullet hole. This meant that Molly had been dead for some time. Therefore, the doctor who treated Amberioz did not It could be Molly, and it must be Molly's murderer." "Is there any more?" "Yes. Helen Monteresor was arrested this afternoon." Alistair Brent was shocked.Then he sat up straight again.He said, "So—it's really over." Hercule Poirot said: "Yes. The real Helen Monteresor, your distant cousin, died in Canada seven years ago. You concealed this fact and took advantage of it." A smile came to Alistair Brent's mouth, and he spoke with the ease of a child's content. "Jada took great pleasure in all this. I hope you understand that. You're a smart man. My marriage to her was kept secret from those around me. Played in a theater where I was acting. People around me were stuffy and I was getting into a syndicate. We decided to keep it secret. She continued acting. Maybelle Sainsbury Seale was in that troupe too. She knew us. Later She went overseas with a traveling troupe. Jada got a letter or two from her in India. She didn't hear from her again. Maybelle got mixed up with an Indian. She was always a silly, gullible girl . "I wish I could make you understand my meeting with Rebecca and my marriage. Jada understands. I can only describe it as royal life. I had a chance to marry a queen, played The Queen's husband, even the role of the King. I think the marriage to Jada is very disparate. I love her. I don't want to abandon her. Everything is going so wonderfully. I like Rebecca very much. She is a first-class Economically minded, me too. We got along pretty well. It was exciting. She was a great partner and I felt like I made her happy too. I was genuinely sad when she died. Oddly enough杰达和我都开始沉迷于我们秘密幽会的刺激。我们发明了各种别出心裁的把戏。她是个天生的演员。一共扮演了七八个角色——阿尔伯特查普曼只是其中的一个。她曾经是客居巴黎的美国寡妇。我出差的时候就去那里会她。她还经常带着画具装扮成画家去挪威。我则去那里钓鱼。后来，我最终让她成了我的表妹，海伦蒙特雷索。这使我们俩都很开心，而且我认为，这让我们之间始终保持着浪漫的气氛。吕蓓卡死后，我们本来可以正式结婚的——但我们都不想这么做。杰达说不定会觉得很难公开地和我生活在一起，而且，当然啦，有些旧帐说不定会因此被翻出来。但我认为我们之所以这样继续下去，多多少少是因为我们都喜欢保持它的神秘感，我们也许会发现公开的家庭生活是单调乏味的。” 布伦特停了下来。再开口时，他的声音变得冷酷了。“后来，那该死的傻瓜女人把一切都弄糟了。居然认出了我——都这么多年了！而且她还告诉了安伯里奥兹。您明白——您肯定明白——我得采取措施！这不仅仅是为了我自己——不仅仅是出于自私。如果我被毁了，丢了脸——国家，我的国家也就同样地遭受了打击。因为我为英格兰干了一些工作，波洛先生。我支撑着它的强大，保持了它的偿付能力。它没有遭到独裁者的践踏——不论是法西斯主义还是共产主义的独裁。我并不真正在乎金钱。我着实喜欢权势——我喜欢统治人——但我不想搞极权。在英国我们确实是讲民主的——真正的民主。我们可以发牢骚，可以嘲笑我们的政治家们。我们是自由的。而我就照看着这一切——这是我一辈子的工作。但是我一旦倒台——噢，您知道会发生些什么。我是不可缺少的，波洛先生。而一个该死的、成天搞欺骗、搞敲诈的希腊无赖想要摧毁我毕生致力的事业。必须采取措施。杰达也看出来了。我们对塞恩斯伯里西尔那个女人感到很难过——但这于事无补。我们不得不让她闭上嘴。不能相信她会守住秘密。杰达去看她，请她喝茶，要她去找查普曼夫人，说是自己正住在查普曼夫人的房子里。梅贝尔塞恩斯伯里西尔来了，根本没有怀疑。她完全一无所知——茶里放了药——一点也不痛苦。就当是睡下去，不再醒过来罢了。她的脸是后来处理的——真令人作呕，但我们感到这是必要的。查普曼夫人将一劳永逸地退场了。我已经给了我的'表妹'海伦一所农舍供她居住。我们决定不久就结婚。但首先我们必须除掉安伯里奥兹。干得真是太漂亮了。他根本就不曾怀疑过我是个假医生。我使用探针的水平实在出色。我没有冒险去用牙钻。当然，注射了针药之后，他根本感觉不出我在做什么了。可能还以为一切正常呢！” 波洛问道：“那两把手枪呢？”“实际上它们是我在美国时聘用的一位秘书的。他是在国外什么地方买来的。他走的时候忘带了。” 沉默片刻。阿里斯泰尔布伦特问道：“您还想知道什么吗？” 赫克尔波洛说：“您对莫利有何感想？” 阿里斯泰尔布伦特简单地说：“我对莫利感到很抱歉。” 赫克尔波洛说道：“啊，我知道了——” 又是一段长时间的沉默。布伦特说：“好了，波洛先生。这事怎么办呢？” 波洛答道：“海伦蒙特雷索已经被捕了。” “现在轮到我了？” “是的，我就是这个意思。” 布伦特温和地说：“但您对此并不高兴，是吗？” “是的，我一点儿也不高兴。” 阿里斯泰尔布伦特道：“我杀了三个人。估计应该够上绞刑架了。但您已经听到了我的辩词。” “您的辩词究竟是什么呢——准确地说？” “我相信，全身心地相信，我对于持久的和平与这个国家的幸福是必不可少的。” 赫克尔波洛承认：“那有可能——是的。” “您同意，不是吗？” “是的，我同意。您代表了我心中所有最重要的东西。明智、平衡、稳定和忠诚。” 阿里斯泰尔布伦特轻声说道：“谢谢。” 他又说：“既然如此，怎么样？” “您是建议我——搁下这件案子吗？” "yes." “那您妻子怎么办？” “我有的是办法。弄错了人罢，只需这么一句话就行了。” “要是我拒绝呢？” “那么”，阿里斯泰尔布伦特干脆地回答，“我甘愿受罚。” 他继续说下去：“这掌握在您的手里，波洛先生。这由您来决定。但我要告诉您——这绝不仅仅是自我保护——这个世界需要我。您知道为什么吗？因为我是个忠实的人。因为我懂得常识——而且我没有什么个人的企图。” Poirot nodded.很奇怪，他居然相信这一切。 他说：“是的，这是一方面。您是一个在重要位子上的重要的人。您有理智、会决断、懂平衡。但还有另外一方面。那死去的三条人命。” “不错，可想想他们吧！梅贝尔塞恩斯伯里西尔——您自己也说过——是个头脑简单象母鸡似的女人！安伯里奥兹——一个骗子加敲诈犯！” “莫利呢？” “我刚才就跟您说了。我对莫利感到很抱歉。但毕竟——虽然他是一个正派人、一位好牙医——但牙医还有的是。” “是的”，波洛说，“牙医有的是。那么弗兰克卡特呢？您也想让他去死，难道您就毫无悔意吗？” 布伦特说：“我才不会在他身上浪费任何怜悯。他根本算不得好人。十足的无赖。” 波洛说：“但也是一个人——” “啊，我们都是人。” “对了，我们都是人。您就忘了这一点。您说梅贝尔塞恩斯伯里西尔是个傻瓜，安伯里奥兹是个罪人，弗兰克卡特是个废物——而莫利——莫利只是个牙医而且还有的是别的牙医。布伦特先生，这就是您跟我不一致的地方。因为在我看来，这四个人的生命正跟您的生命一样宝贵。” “您错了。” “不，我没错。您天性忠诚而正直。您走歪了一步路——表面上看来这并没有影响到您什么。在公众眼里您依然如故——正直、诚实、值得信赖。但在您的内心，对权力的嗜好已经膨胀到了压倒一切的地步。所以您不惜伤害四条人命，还觉得他们无足轻重。” “波洛，难道您不相信整个国家的安全和幸福有赖于我吗？” “先生，我不考虑国家。我考虑的是一个个有权不被人夺走生命的人。” He stood up. “这么说这就是您的回答了？”阿里斯泰尔布伦特问道。 赫克尔波洛用疲惫已极的声音说道：“是的——这就是我的回答。” 他朝门口走去，把门打开。两个人走了进来。 赫克尔波洛下得楼来，走向一位正等待着他的姑娘。 珍妮奥莉维亚紧张地靠着壁炉站着，脸色苍白。她的身旁是霍华德雷克斯。 她问：“怎么样？” 波洛亲切地说：“一切都过去了。” 雷克斯尖声喝道：“你什么意思？” 波洛说：“阿里斯泰尔布伦特先生因谋杀罪被捕了。” 雷克斯说：“我还以为他把你给收买过去了呢。” 珍妮却说：“才不会呢，我可从来没这么想过。” 波洛长叹一声：“世界是你们的。新的天空，新的大地。在你们的新世界里，我的孩子们，让那里有自由，让那里有同情吧。我所要求的只有这个。”