Chapter 2 Chapter 1 Words from the Defendant's Lawyer

"Do I remember the Currel case?" asked Monty.said Sir Dipledge. "Of course I remember, I remember very clearly. She was a very charming woman, but she was not very balanced and lacked self-control." He squinted at Poirot. "Why are you asking this?" "I'm very interested." "You're so immature, old man," said Diplech, with that famous "wolf smile" that intimidates witnesses. "You know, I didn't succeed in that case and not acquit her." .” "I know," said Sir Monty, shrugging his shoulders. "Of course, I didn't have as much experience as I do now, but I did everything I could. But if you don't get cooperation, you can't do anything. We finally only let her judge." She was sentenced to life imprisonment. Many wives and mothers of powerful people sympathized with her and petitioned on her behalf."

He leaned back in his chair, stretched out his long legs, and had a fair, judgmental look on his face. "You know, if she had killed him with a knife or a gun, I'd have done my best to get her charged with manslaughter to lighten the sentence, but poison, it's no trick at all, it's very difficult—very difficult!" "What is the reason for the plea?" asked Poirot. He had already known it from the newspaper archives, but he found that pretending to be ignorant in front of Sir Monty could do no harm. "Oh, suicide. That's the only way to defend it, but it doesn't work. Currel isn't that kind of guy at all! I suppose you've never seen him? No? Oh, he's a very active fellow, Lover, you can drink beer well...Anyway, the enjoyment of the flesh is never left behind. The jury will not believe that this kind of person will sit down and commit suicide without saying a word, so this defense fails. In fact, I think I've been at a disadvantage from the start. And she won't put on a show! As soon as she walks in the dock, I know we're lost, and she doesn't argue for herself. But that's how it is, your client If you don't show up, the jury will have to decide."

Polo said: "You just said that if you don't get cooperation, you can't get things done, and that's what you meant." "Exactly, my dear friend. We are not magicians, you know, and the impression the defendant makes on the jury is very, very important. I know of many times when the jury has come to a verdict quite different from the judge's. But Kay Jolene Correll won't even try!" "Why?" Sir Monty shrugged. "Don't ask me, of course, she liked that guy very much, and when she found out what she had done, she was devastated! I don't think she will ever be able to regain her peace of mind."

"So you think she is indeed the murderer?" Looking surprised, Diplech said, "Wow -- I thought we all took that conclusion for granted." "Has she ever admitted to you that she is a murderer?" Diplech looked surprised. "Of course not--of course not. We have our ways, you know, in our business. We always assume the accused is innocent. If you're really that interested, go to Mayhew. Old Mayhew was The plaintiff's lawyer will surely be able to tell you more. But he's dead, George Jr. Mayhew was just a boy, you know, and it's been a long time ago."

"Yes, I know. It's a good thing you remember so much, your memory is really good." Diplech looked very happy, and murmured: "Oh, you know, big things are always unforgettable, especially a murder like this. Of course, the Currel case was very popular in the papers. Because this kind of sex news is always very attractive. The girl in the case is very beautiful, and I think it is the kind of cruel person." "I'm sorry, you may think I'm too wordy." Poirot said, "But I want to ask again, do you really think that Caroline Currel is guilty?"

Diplech shrugged. "Honestly, I don't think there's anything suspicious about it. Yes, she's the murderer." "Is there any evidence against her?" "The evidence was very bad against her, the main one being motives, and she and Currel had been at loggerheads for years because he couldn't help getting involved with some women, and he was that kind of guy. On the whole, she was quite Endured it. And he, you know, is a first-class painter. He sells for higher and higher prices--very high. I don't like that kind of painting much myself--but it is very good, no doubt."

"Well, like I said, he's a lot of flirts. Mrs. Currell isn't the kind of woman who doesn't say anything. They fight a lot, but he always comes back to her in the end, and the sex stories go away. But the last time it was different, the girl was very young, only twenty years old. Her name was Aisha Gerry, the only daughter of a manufacturer in Yorkshire. , she must get what she wants. This time, she wants to get Anya Coler, and asks him to paint her portrait—he usually doesn't paint portraits, but he paints this girl, and finally falls in love with her wholeheartedly! He is almost forty years old and has been married for many years. He is so stupid to fall in love with a little girl. He is really fascinated by Elsa. Ge Li, and he wants to divorce his wife and marry Elsa. Reason. Caroline couldn't bear it, and two people heard her threaten him that she would kill him if he didn't give up on the girl. And she really meant it! The day before the accident, they went to a neighbor's house Afternoon tea, the neighbor likes to make some herbal medicines by himself. One of them is called toxin, and he also mentioned the toxicity of that medicine. I found the almost empty bottle of poison in a corner of a drawer in Mrs. Ill's room."

Polo moved uneasily, and said, "It might be someone else put it in her drawer." "Well, she herself admitted to the police that she took it. Of course, she was not very smart to say that, but she didn't have a lawyer to advise her, so she confessed." "What did she take that for?" "She said that she wanted to commit suicide, but she couldn't explain why the bottle was empty, and she couldn't explain why there were only her fingerprints on the bottle. This is the most unfavorable evidence against her. She said that Anya committed suicide, but If he had taken the bottle of methamphetamine from her room, it would have had not only her fingerprints on it, but his fingerprints as well."

"It's for him in beer, isn't it?" "Yes, she took it out of the fridge, took it to the place where he was painting, poured him a glass, and watched him drink it. Everyone went to lunch, and he was alone-he often didn't eat with other people Later, she and the governess found him dead there. According to her, there was nothing wrong with the glass of beer she poured him. Some people think that maybe he suddenly became very worried and regretted, so he committed suicide by taking poison. That's bullshit! He's definitely not that kind of guy. And the worst part is the fingerprint problem on the bottle" "Her fingerprints on the bottle?"

"No, it's just his, and it's a forgery. You know, when the body was found, the governess went to call the doctor, and she was left alone with the body. She must have wiped the bottle and the glass, and stamped His fingerprints, trying to pretend he never touched it, but unfortunately failed. Prosecutor old Rudolph demonstrated in court that it is absolutely impossible for a person to hold the bottle in that position! Of course we try our best to prove that he can hold it that way bottle, because he writhed his hands in agony before dying—but, frankly, it's hard to believe that."

Poirot said: "The toxin in the bottle must have been put away before she took the wine to the garden." "There's no methamphetamine in the wine bottle, it's in the glass." He paused, his handsome face suddenly changed, and he turned his head quickly, saying, "Polo, what exactly are you trying to prove?" Polo said: "If Caroline is not the murderer, then how did the toxin in the beer come from. The defendant said at the time that Anya. Currel put it himself, but you think it is very, very unlikely—I agree From your point of view, he is not that kind of person, in other words, if Kai Ruolin did not poison him, the murderer must be someone else." Diplech spit almost immediately, "Fuck it. Don't waste your time, man, it's been years and it's over. Of course she's the murderer. If you'd seen her then, you'd have I will believe that she is really the murderer, you can tell from her face at a glance! I even think that the sentence is a kind of relief for her, she is not afraid at all, not nervous, just want to finish the sentence as soon as possible, what a brave woman ..." "But," said Poirot, "she left a letter to her daughter before she died, solemnly declaring her innocence." "I'm sure she'll do that," Montague said.Sir Dipledge said, "It would be the same with you and me." "Her daughter said she wasn't that kind of woman." "What does her daughter say? Well, what does her daughter know? My dear Poirot, she was only a child at the time of the trial. Four or five? Know what? Remember what?" "Sometimes a child is quite right about people." "Perhaps, but not this time. Of course the child wishes her mother wasn't a murderer. Let her think so, and it won't do any harm. .” "But unfortunately, she wants to prove it." "Prove that Caroline Correll didn't kill her husband?" "That's right." "Oh," said Diplech, "she can't get it." "You think she can't get it?" The famous counselor to the Crown looked thoughtfully at his companion. "I always thought you were an honest person, Polo, but I don't understand what you want to do this time? Want to make money by playing with a girl's simple nature?" "You don't know that girl. She is different from ordinary girls and has a very strong personality." "That's right. I think the daughter of Anya and Kai Ruolin Corell may be like that. What's her purpose?" "She just wants to know the truth of the matter." "Hmph—I think she'll find the truth unflattering. Honestly, Poirot, I don't think there's much doubt about it. She did kill him." "Forgive me, my friend, but I must allow myself to be satisfied." "Oh, by the way, the parties are very important, maybe you remember who they are?" Dipley thought about it. "Let's think about it - it's been such a long time. There were only five involved - and I'm not counting the servants, they're just a couple of loyal, terrified old fellows who don't know anything , no one would doubt them." "You said there were five people in total, tell me who they are." "Well, there's Philip Blake, Currell's best friend, and I've known him since I was a kid. He was there, and he's still alive, and I see him occasionally on the golf course. He lives on St. George's Hill, A stockbroker, quite successful in the stock market, earning a good income." "Well, who else?" "Blake's brother, who is a country gentleman, often stays at home." A ray of inspiration flashed in Polo's mind.He tried his best to suppress it, he thought he shouldn't think of nursery rhymes all the time, he thought about it a lot recently.But he couldn't help but linger on the song in his head. "This little pig went to the market, this little pig stayed at home..." He murmured: "He stayed home—did he?" "He's the guy I told you about—used to play with herbs, make his own medicine, sort of apothecary. What's his name? Quite literary... I remember, Marie Dee Blake. Don't know if he's still alive." "Who else?" "Oh, there's also that disaster, that girl named Elsa Gerry." "This little pig eats roast beef." Polo murmured. Diplech glanced at him. "She is a very aggressive woman. Since then, she has married three husbands in total. She takes going to and from the divorce court as a daily routine. Every time she divorces, it is to marry a husband who is more capable. She is currently Mrs. Di Tishan, Open any "Tedler Journal" and find her name." "Where are the other two?" "One was the governess, I can't remember her name, a good, capable woman called Thomson or Jones or something. And the other was the boy, Caroline Currier's half-sister , She was about thirteen years old at the time, and she is quite famous now. Her surname is Warren, and her name is Angela. Warren, I saw her a few days ago." "Then she isn't that whining little pig?" montage.Sir Dipledge looked at him with strange eyes, and said coldly: "There are things in her life that make her cry, you know, she was injured, and she has an ugly scar on one side of her face. She-- Oh, I think you must have heard it from others." Poirot stood up and said: "Thanks, you are very kind. If Mrs. Currier hadn't killed her husband..." Diplech interrupted him: "But she did kill him, really, take my word for it." Polo ignored his interruption and continued: "---Then, one of these five people should be the murderer." "I suppose one of them might be a murderer," said Diplech, incredulously, "but I see no reason for any of them to be a murderer. To be honest, I don't believe that one of them is a murderer." .Don't be so stubborn, brother!" But Poirot just smiled and shook his head.