Chapter 27 Chapter Twenty Seven

"I've got you at last," said Mrs. Oliver, "and I want to find out what happened." She looked at Poirot with great determination, and said gravely: "Why didn't you come over sooner?" "I'm sorry, ma'am, I've been helping the police investigate." "As long as the criminal answers the questions? How did you think Rowena Drake would be the murderer? No one else would even dream of it?" "As soon as I got the key clue, it was clear at a glance." "What's the key clue?" "Water, what I'm looking for is who was wet at the party, and he shouldn't have wet his clothes, killed Joyce, and Reynolds's people are bound to be soaked, think about it, put a alive the child in the bucket, she must have struggled, the water splashed everywhere, the murderer must have gotten wet, so he had to find a way to justify being soaked. When everyone crowded into the dining room to play chestnuts from the fire, Drake Madam brought Joyce into the study. The hostess let her go, she would naturally follow, and Joyce would naturally not be suspicious of Mrs. Drake. Miranda only told her that she had witnessed a murder, only That's all, so Joyce was rich, needless to say the murderer was drenched, there had to be a reason, she started to make an excuse, she had to have a witness who saw her getting wet, she was standing on the stairs holding a huge vase The vase was filled with water. Miss Whitaker just came out of the chestnut-in-the-fire house—it was too hot. Mrs. Drake pretended to be nervous and let the vase fall, making sure that the water would catch it when it fell. Sprinkled on herself, she ran down the stairs, Miss Whittaker picked up the pieces, and Mrs. Drake kept complaining that she had broken such a beautiful vase, trying to impress on Miss Whittaker that She saw someone come out of the crime scene because of something she saw. Miss Whitaker took it seriously, and when she told Miss Emlin, Miss Emlyn understood that there was something in it, so she asked Miss Whitaker to tell me."

"So," said Poirot, stroking his beard, "I also know who the murderer of Joyce is." "But Joyce never saw any murder!" "Mrs. Drake doesn't know. She has always suspected that she and Mitchell were seen in the Stone Garden when she and Mitchell killed Olga Seminova." "When did you realize it was Miranda and not Joyce?" "When I heard all the people saying that Joyce was lying, I had to accept the fact that it was obviously Miranda, she used to go to the stone field garden to observe the birds, squirrels, etc. Miranda told me that Joy 'We talk about everything,' she said, 'and Miranda didn't come to the party, so Joyce, the little liar, could use stories her friends told her to brag about witnessing a murder— —probably to impress you, ma'am, writer of great detective stories."

"Yes, it's all my fault." "No, don't say that." "Rowena Drake," mused Mrs. Oliver, "I still can't believe she would do such a thing." "She fits all the boxes, and I never understood," he added. "What is Lady Macbeth like? What would she be like if I could meet her in life? Well, I think I'm Met her." "What about Mitchell and Garfield? They really don't match up." "Interesting—Lady Macbeth and Narcissus, what an unusual couple." "She's a pretty woman--smart and capable--naturally good material to run a business--and a surprisingly good actress. If you'd heard her mourn the death of little Leopold, she'd take her handkerchief and cry You have to be like a tearful person."

"Disgusting." "Do you remember when I asked you which people are good and which are not?" "Mitchell, Garfield is in love with her?" "I doubt Garfield ever loved anyone but himself, Mitchell. He wanted money—a lot of money. Perhaps he hoped at first to impress Mrs. Llewellyn Smythe, so that she would leave him her fortune in her will—but Mrs. Llewellyn Smythe won't be fooled so easily." "What about the forged documents? I still don't know what's going on?" "It was very confusing at the beginning. It should be said that there were too many fakes, but as long as you think about it, the purpose is very clear. You just need to think about what happened."

"The entire estate of Mrs. Llewellyn Smythe is owned by Rowena Drake. Riders are clearly forged, any lawyer can see, Riders will first be tested and experts will give evidence to disprove this. clause, then the original will will take effect, and now that Rowena Drake's husband is dead, she will inherit the entire property." "Then what about the proviso of the cleaning lady witness?" "My hypothesis is that Mrs. Llewellyn Smythe found out that Mitchell, Garfield, and Rowena were not on the right track-perhaps before her husband died. Llewellyn Smythe in a rage Madam added a clause in the will to leave all the property to her foreign maid, and this girl must have told Mitchell that she wanted to marry him."

"I thought it was Ferrier." "That was made up by Mitchell. It's quite deceptive. It's not confirmed." "Why didn't he marry Olga to get the money, if he knew there was such a thing as a rider?" "Because he doubted whether she would really get an inheritance, and there was a section in the law about undue influence, Mrs. Llewellyn Smythe was old and sick. Her previous wills had left property to relatives--Court I find these wills to be convincing. She has only known this foreign girl for a year - and has no relatives. Even if the rider is true, it is easy to overthrow. Besides, I doubt Olga's ability to buy the Greek Island—wouldn't even agree to do it, she doesn't have powerful friends, and doesn't understand contracts in business or anything like that. She's infatuated with Mitchell, but she only thinks of marrying him so that she To be able to stay in England - that's what she wants."

"And Rowena Drake?" "She's smitten with him. Her husband has been disabled for years. She's middle-aged and bubbly, and just so happens to be accompanied by a young man who's surprisingly handsome. It's easy for a woman to succumb to him—but he doesn't want a woman beauty—but to fulfill his urge to create beauty. That is why he needs money—lots of money, and as for love—he only loves himself, he is Narcissus, and I heard a French poem many years ago Oldies-" He hummed softly: Behold, Nasocas, look in the water, Nasocas, how beautiful you are In this world there is only beauty and youth!and youth...

Behold, Nasocas... look in the water... "Unbelievable—I just can't believe that someone would kill someone just to build a garden on some Greek island." Mrs. Oliver refused to believe it. "You don't believe it? Can't you imagine what is going on in his head? The exposed rocks may be molded into various shapes, and the exposed rocks are covered with soil and a thick layer of fertile soil—— Then he planted plants, bushes, trees, and maybe he saw in the newspaper that some shipbuilding millionaire had built a garden on the island for the woman he loved, and he thought—he's going to make a garden, Not for any woman—but for himself."

"I still find it ridiculous." "Yes, a little bit, and I doubt he felt his motives were base. The only thing he could think of was to create more beauty, and that was the only way he could do it. He was crazy to create. He created Stone Field Gardens And the beauties of other gardens—more beauties loomed before his eyes now—the whole island was full of beauties, and Rowena Drake was infatuated with him, for him she was nothing more than a way for him to create It’s just a source of income for the United States. Yes—he may really be crazy, and whoever God wants to destroy, he will first drive him crazy.”

"Does he really want his island so much? Even being held by the neck by a woman like Rowena Drake? Is she always in control?" "Accidents can still happen. I thought it might happen to Rowena Drake at some point." "Another murder?" "Yes. It was simple at first. Olga had to be removed because she knew something about the riders - and she had to be made the scapegoat for the forged documents. Mrs. Llewellyn Smythe hid the originals." arose, and I guessed he gave young Ferrier a sum of money to forge a similar document. It was so obviously a forgery that it was immediately suspected, and it was doomed to be silenced by his death, I soon learned I see, Leslie, Ferrier has nothing to do with Olga, it's just Mitchell, Garfield has hinted to me that they're close, and I think it's Mitchell who pays Ferrier to get foreign girls It was Mitchell, Garfield, who warned the girl not to speak out, especially not to tell her employer, on the one hand promising to marry her in the future, on the other hand, in order to get a huge inheritance with Mrs. Drake, he would not hesitate to be cruel It is not necessary for Olga Seminova to be accused of forgery, it is enough to put her under suspicion. The forged documents are clearly in her favour, and she can do so easily, because there is evidence It shows that she often wrote letters on behalf of her employer and was good at imitating its font. If she suddenly disappeared, people would think that she not only forged documents, but might be responsible for the sudden death of her employer. In this way, at an appropriate time, Olga, Semino The husband died. Leslie, Ferrier was killed, giving the impression that he was killed by gang infighting, or was hacked to death by some jealous woman, but the knife found in it was very similar to the knife wound he suffered. Match. I knew that Olga's body must be hidden nearby, but I couldn't find it, until one day I heard Miranda ask about a wishing well, and urged Mitchell and Garfield to take her to see, but was rejected , that's when I got a clue. Talking to Mrs. Goodbody shortly after, I said I didn't know where the missing girl had gone, and she replied that the spring ding dong ding, the cat fell into the well, so I dared Sure the girl's body was in the wishing well, I found the well in the woods at Stone Field Gardens, on a slope not far from Mitchell, Garfield's cottage. I think either Miranda witnessed the murder The course of the incident, either she saw the corpse being disposed of, Mrs. Drake and Mitchell were afraid that someone saw it—but they didn’t know who it was—they were gradually relieved that everything was safe, and they made a plan— Not flustered, but already on the move, she talks about buying land abroad - giving the impression that she wants to leave Woodley New Village, because the place is too sad for her, and of course the source of her grief is the untimely death of her husband , everything was proceeding with carelessness, and suddenly Joyce claimed to have witnessed a murder just before Halloween. It was Joyce, and she set about it right away, but it didn't end there. Little Leopold came to ask for money—he said he wanted to buy something. How much he guessed or knew, I don't know, But he was Joyce's brother after all, so they probably thought he knew a lot more than he actually did. So—he died too."

"You suspect her because of the important clue of water," Mrs. Oliver said. "Then how do you suspect Mitchell, Garfield?" "He was in all respects the most suitable man," said Poirot simply. "And then—in the last conversation with Mitchell Garfield, when I confirmed my judgment, he said to me with a smile— - Get away from me, Satan. Go find your police friends, and then I get it all. The other way around, I said to myself, I'm getting farther and farther from you, Satan, so The young and handsome devil is simply the Satan of the world..." There was also a woman sitting in the room. She had not spoken all this time, and she couldn't hold herself back in her chair. "The devil," she said, "yes, I see now, he's always been like this." "He is very handsome," said Poirot. "He also loves beauty, the beauty which he creates with his head, his imagination, and his hands. He would give everything to it. In his own way, I think, he Loved the child Miranda--and he was going to sacrifice her--to save himself. He arranged the plan carefully--carried it out as a ritual, and instilled in Miranda, so to speak, the Notion, she will tell him when she leaves Woodley New Village - He teaches her how to meet at the restaurant where you and Mrs Oliver lunch, and she will be found at the Kiltbury Arena - with the double-edged axe Beside his imprint, a golden goblet was placed by his side—a sacrificial ritual.” "Crazy," said Judith Butler. "He must be crazy." "Ma'am, your daughter is saved, but I want to know something." "Monsieur Poirot, I will tell you anything you want to know." "She's your daughter—is she also Mitchell, Garfield's daughter?" Judith was silent for a moment, then she said; "Yes." "And she doesn't know it herself?" "Yes, she didn't know at all. It was pure coincidence to meet him here again, I knew him very young, I was madly in love with him, and then—then I was terrified." "fear?" "Yes, I don't know why, it's not that he has done anything to scare me, it's just that I'm afraid of his nature. He's gentle on the surface, but under the veil, he's cold and dissolute. I What scares me more is his passion for beauty and creation. I didn't tell him that I was pregnant. I left him—I changed places, the baby was born, and I made up a lie that my husband was a pilot, unfortunately Killed. I kept moving and came to Woodley Village by chance. I got a contract in Manchester as a secretary." "Then one day Mitchell, Garfield came, and he was working in Stone Fields Forest, and I didn't think I cared, and neither did he, it's been too long, but then, although I didn't know that Miranda used to play in the forest , but I'm really worried" "Yes," said Poirot, "there is a connection between them, a natural kinship, and I see a resemblance—except that Mitchell, Garfield, the follower of the beautiful Satan, is full of evil. , and your daughter is pure, wise, and innocent." He went to the table and took out an envelope, from which he pulled out a beautiful pencil drawing. "It's your daughter," he said. Judith took a look.Signed "Mitchell, Garfield." "He painted it by the brook in the Stone Field Forest," said Poirot. "He said he painted it in order not to forget it. He was afraid he might forget it. However, this did not stop him from raising the picture." Pick up the butcher knife." He pointed to the pencil writing in the upper left corner. "Can you see clearly?" She spelled it out slowly. "Iphigenia." "That's right," said Poirot. "It's Iphigenia. Ajamen is willing to sacrifice his own daughter in exchange for the sea breeze that will send him to Troy. Mitchell is willing to sacrifice his own daughter in order to get a new one." Garden of Eden." "He knows what he's doing," Judith said. "I don't know—has he ever had any remorse?" Poirot made no answer.A picture unfolded in his mind, a young man of unbelievable beauty lying on the edge of the granite engraved with a double-edged axe, his stiff fingers still clutching a golden wine glass, and just as he reached for it suddenly Retribution was met, his victim was saved, and he got what he deserved. Mitchell, that's how Garfield died, and he deserved it, Poirot thought, but there won't be an island in the Greek Sea where flowers are blooming... There would be Miranda—young, beautiful, and fresh. He raised Judith's hand and kissed it. "Goodbye, ma'am, and please give my regards to your daughter." "She should always remember you and thank you." "Better not—some memories are better buried." He went to Mrs. Oliver. "Good night, my dear lady. Lady Macbeth and Nassaucus, it was very interesting, and I must thank you for having me--" "By the way," said Mrs. Oliver angrily, "blame me every time!" end of text