Chapter 12 Chapter One: The Words of Philip Blake

Dear Monsieur Poirot: In fulfillment of my promise, I enclose herewith a report on the death of Anya Currer, as time has passed so long that I must confess that my memory is not entirely correct, but I have Do your best.Sincerely, Philip Blake The following are the events connected with the murder of Anya Collier in September 1919: My friendship with the deceased goes back a long way.His house and mine are next to each other, and the two families were originally friends. Anya Currel is more than two years older than me.We used to play together during the holidays as children, but we didn't go to the same school.

From my long acquaintance with him, I find myself particularly well suited to give an overview of his personality and life, and I can frankly say that the idea that Anya Currel committed suicide is so absurd that anyone who knows him For most people, there is no doubt that Currel will "absolutely" not commit suicide.He loves life so much!The defendant said in court that Currell committed suicide by taking poison because he was condemned by his conscience and felt remorse for a while. I believe anyone who knows him will find it extremely ridiculous.I can say that Currel has no conscience, nor is he a moral man.Also, he doesn't get on very well with his wife, and I'm sure it's not a big deal for him to ditch a less-than-perfect marriage.He is ready to take care of her and the child.

I believe he will not be stingy.He was very generous, but also kind and lovely. He is not only a great painter, but also has many loyal friends.As far as I know, he doesn't have any enemies. I've also known Caroline Collier for many years, because she used to come to Oldbury often before she got married.She is a slightly nervous girl who can't help being angry. She is attractive, but difficult to live with.She expressed her affection for Anya almost without hesitation.He didn't really love her, I think, but because they spent a lot of time together and she was attractive, they ended up getting engaged.

Anya Coler's friends were apprehensive about the marriage, because they all felt that Caroline was not suitable for him. Thus, during the first few years of their marriage, there was some tension between Currell's wife and friends.But Anya Currell is very loyal to her friends and will not abandon her friends for his wife.After a few years he and I were on good terms again, and I went to Audbury often.Another thing to note is that I am the godfather of their youngest daughter Carla, so it can be seen that Anja regards me as a close friend, and I also have the right to speak for a person who can no longer speak for herself.

Without further ado, let's talk about the things you asked me to write about.I found out from an old diary that I had arrived at Oldbury five days before the murder, that is, on the thirteenth of September.Once there, I found the atmosphere very tense.There was also a Miss Elsa Gurley who was also living in Audbury at the time, and Anja was painting for her. That was the first time I saw Miss Gray in person, though I had known there was such a person because Anya had mentioned her to me about a month before.When he talked about her, he seemed very excited, so I joked, "Be careful, old man, don't lose your head again." He told me not to be stupid, he was just doing a portrait of her, and he was not interested in her personally .I said: "Forget it! You have said this sentence many times." He said: "This time is different." I was a little cold and he said: "It is different every time."

Anya seemed worried and said: "You don't understand, she's just a girl, not much older than a little girl." She also said that her views were radical and free from old-fashioned prejudices."She's honest, natural, and not afraid of anything!" he said. Although I didn't say anything, I thought in my heart, Anya really made a mess this time.A few weeks later, I heard gossip that the Gerry girl had really knocked him out.Some people also said that Anya didn't even think about how old that girl was, he was really not smart.Everyone else just snickered and said Aisha Gurley knew what to do.

It was even said that the girl had a lot of money, got what she wanted, and "she was always taking the initiative."Some people doubt what Corell's wife thinks about this matter. Some people think that she has been used to it for a long time, but some people say that she is too jealous. Ask for comfort. I mention all this because I feel it necessary to give an account of my situation before my arrival at Audbury. I was very interested in meeting the girl - she was very pretty and charming - and I, I must admit, took pleasure in seeing Caroline hurt. Anya Currel herself was not as relaxed as usual. Although outsiders saw nothing wrong with his attitude, I knew him well, and I immediately found that he was a little nervous, his temper was unstable, and he would be stingy from time to time.

Although he was always moody when he was painting, the painting he was painting at the time was not entirely the cause of his nervousness. That's very nice, Philip. Any man living with four women is bound to be unbearable and will end up in a mental hospital one day." It was an uncomfortable atmosphere indeed. As I said, Caroline was clearly angry.Although she seems to be very polite and well-bred, she is more rude to Aisha than anyone can imagine-but she didn't say a single offensive word, and Aisha was extremely arrogant and rude to Kai Ruolin openly . She is the proud daughter of heaven, and she herself knows this, so there is no code of ethics that can restrain her from being too blatant and rude.

As a result, when Anya Corell was not painting, she spent most of her time arguing with that girl, Angela. Although they often laughed at and quarreled with each other, they generally got along very well. But this time, Anya Every word he said and everything he did had thorns in it, so the two of them really fought.The fourth woman in the family is the governess.Anya said she was a "bitter-faced old woman who hated me to the core and sat on the side with her mouth tightly shut, disapproving of what I did, but she didn't stop me."He added: "Women are all to be damned! If a man wants to be at peace, he must stay away from women!"

"You shouldn't be married," I said. "You're not the kind of man to let housework bother you." He said it was too late now, and that Caroline would be glad to get rid of him.That's when I was sure that something was wrong. I said, "What's going on? So it's real about you and that lovely Elsa?" He said bitterly, "She's really cute, isn't she? Sometimes I wish I'd never met her .” I said: "Brother, listen to me, you must control yourself and stop being entangled with any woman." He looked at me, smiled, and said, "It's easy for you to say, I can't stop messing with women—really can't—even if I could, women can't stop messing with me!" said After that, he shrugged his broad shoulders and said, "Okay, the boat will be straight when it reaches the bridge. You have to admit that this painting is very good, right?" He was referring to the painting he was painting for Aisha. Although the technique is very amateurish, it can be seen that it is indeed a painting with special power.

"When Anya paints, it's completely different from usual. Although he growls, groans, frowns, curses, and sometimes even throws away the brush, he is actually very happy. Only when he goes back to the house for dinner, the woman It was the hostile atmosphere between them that made him feel depressed. On September 16th, that hostile atmosphere finally reached its peak, and we had a very awkward lunch. Aisha's attitude was very... I think only 'arrogant' Words can describe it! She deliberately ignored Caroline and kept talking to Anya as if they were the only two of them in the room. Caroline talked to the rest of us lightheartedly and subtly in some There is a sting in what sounds harmless. She is not as unscrupulous and nonsense as Elsa Gerry—Caroline is indirect in everything, she only hints, not directly. After lunch , we had just finished our coffee in the living room when things came to a head. I was criticizing a human head carved on a piece of extremely brightly painted beech wood—that was a very strange thing.” Caroline said: "It's the work of a young Norwegian sculptor. Anja and I like his work very much. We plan to see him next summer." This tone of ownership was too much for Elsa, she never let go of any challenge, and after a minute or two she said in a clear, slightly overemphasized voice: "This room would be lovely if it was organized properly .There is a lot of furniture now. After I move in, I will take out all the waste, and keep one or two good ones. I want to change the bronze curtains, I think-so that the sunset will come from the big window on the west Come in." She turned to look at me again and said, "Don't you think that's cute?" Before I could answer, Kai Ruolin spoke.Her voice was soft and thin, but very dangerous.She says: "You want to buy this place? Elsa." Elsa says: "I don't need to." Kai Ruolin said: "What do you mean?" At this time, her voice was not soft at all, it was harsh and cold. Aisha smiled and said, "Why pretend? Well, Caroline, you know exactly what I mean!" Kai Ruolin said: "I don't understand." Aisha said: "Don't be like an ostrich, it's useless to pretend that you don't see it. Anya and I love each other, this is not your home, it's his home. We get married After that, I will live here with him!" Kai Ruolin said: "I think you are crazy." Elsa says: "Oh no, I'm not crazy, honey, you know that too. It would be so much easier if we were honest with each other. Anya and I love each other, you can see that already. The only thing you can do is let him go beautifully." Kai Ruolin said, "I don't believe a word you said." But her voice was unbelievable, and Aisha had obviously put her on guard. At this time, Anya Kleer just walked into the room, and Aisha smiled and said, "If you don't believe me, just ask him." Kai Ruolin said: "I will ask." After a pause, she said, "Anya, is it true that Aisha said you want to marry her?" Poor Anya, I'm so sorry for him, any man would feel like a fool in such a situation.He blushed and asked Elsa snarlingly, why couldn't she keep it a secret? Kai Ruolin said: "So, is it true?" He didn't answer, just stood there with his fingers in the collar of his shirt.He does this every time he is confronted with a problem. In the end, he said, as commandingly as he could—and in fact couldn't—say, "I don't want to talk about this." Caroline said, "But we're already talking!" Elsa interrupted: "I think it's only fair to tell Caroline." Kai Ruolin said calmly: "Is it true? Anya." He looked a little ashamed, which is what happens when a man is cornered by a woman. She said, "Please answer me, I must know." Then he raised his head and said in a growling voice like a bull in a bullring, "It's true—but I don't want to talk about it now." After speaking, he strode out of the room.I went out too, so as not to be with the women, I caught up with him on the balcony, and he was swearing, I've never seen anyone so angry and swearing. Then he growled: "Why can't she shut up? Why can't she shut up her dog's mouth? Now that the raw rice is cooked, I still have to finish that painting—you hear that, Philip. It's the best picture I've ever painted, the best picture I've ever painted in my life. But those two damned stupid women are trying to ruin it!" Then he calmed down a little, saying that women don't understand the priority of things at all. I couldn't help smiling and said, "Okay, even if they deserve to die, it's all your fault." "Don't I know?" he said with a groan, and then he went on: "But you must admit, Philip, that you can't help being dizzy with her man, and even Caroline should know. " I asked him what he would do if Kai Ruolin insisted on refusing to divorce. But he was out of his mind at this time, and I repeated the question again, and he said absently: "Caroline will never hold a grudge, you don't understand, brother.". "And the kids?" He took my arm. "My brother Philip, I know you mean well—but don't yell like a crow. I can take care of my own affairs, and there will be no problem. Just wait and see." This is Anya -- an unreasonable optimist.He said cheerfully, "Let them all go to hell!" We were silent for a while. A few minutes later, Kai Ruolin passed the balcony like a gust of wind. She was wearing a strange dark brown hat, which was very beautiful. She said in a completely nonchalant tone: "Your clothes are covered in paint, take them off, Anya, we're going to Meredith's for afternoon tea, don't you forget?" "Oh, I really forgot. Yeah, I...of course we're going." "Then go and dress yourself up," she said. Although her voice was natural, her eyes did not look at him.She went to a dahlia bush and plucked some of the dying flowers. Anya turned around and walked into the room slowly. Caroline started chatting with me, and she talked a lot about how long this weather was going to last, wondering if there were any mackerel around, and whether Anya, Angela and I would like to go fishing. She is really amazing, I really admire her. But I think that's enough to say what kind of woman she is.Her willpower is very strong and she is very self-controlled. I don't know if she has made up her mind to kill him at this time-if it is true, I will not be surprised.She is able to arrange her plans very calmly and ruthlessly. Caroline Currier was a dangerous woman, and I should have thought she wouldn't just let it go.But I acted like a fool, thinking that she had resigned to her fate, or that she thought that Anya might change her mind as long as she pretended to be nonchalant. After a while, the others also came out.Aisha had a victorious expression, and Kai Ruolin ignored her.It was Angela who broke the ice, arguing with Miss William as she came out that she would never change a dress for anyone else, saying the one she had on was good enough--to dear old Merry It was good enough for Dee, he never paid attention to anything anyway. Finally we were off.Kai Ruolin walked with Angela, I walked with Anya, and Aisha walked alone with a happy face. I didn't admire her per se--she was too intense of a kind--but I must admit, she was unbelievably beautiful that afternoon.Women are beautiful when they get what they want. I can't remember exactly what happened that afternoon, except that Meredith came out to meet us.I think we walked around the garden first, and I had a long talk with Angela about training (geng) mice.She ate a lot of apples and advised me to eat more too. Later, we drank tea under the big cedar tree.I remember Meredith looking upset, maybe Caroline or Anya had said something to him.He looked at Kai Ruolin suspiciously for a while, and then stared at Aisha again, as if he was extremely worried.Caroline certainly wanted Meredith to help her, for he was a platonic, loyal old friend who could never, never go too far. She is that kind of woman.After tea, Meredy had a quick chat with me, and he said: "Listen, Philip, Anya must never do that!" I said, "Forget it, he's already decided." "He can't leave his wife and children and go with that girl. He's older than her, and she's only eighteen years old at most." I told him that Miss Gray was a very worldly girl of twenty. "Anyway, it's still a size. There's no way she knew what she was doing," he said. Poor old Meredy, always a true gentleman with a chivalrous spirit. I said, "Don't worry bro. She knows what she's doing and loves doing it!" We only have the chance to talk so much.I think Meredith may be very worried that Caroline will become an abandoned wife. Once divorced, she may want him to marry her.This kind of thing has more wishful love for him, which I think is quite interesting. Strangely enough, I don't remember much about our visit to Meredy's smelly room. He loves to show off his hobbies, and I'm always bored.I think I was probably with other people when he gave his tirade about methazine, but I don't remember.I didn't see Caroline stealing that.As I said, she was a very bright and quick woman.But I remember Meredy reading that passage about Socrates' death to everybody.I'm so bored, the classics bore me. I don't remember anything else about that day.I knew that Anya and Angela had been arguing very badly, and the rest of us kind of welcomed them, and avoided other difficulties, and Angela ended up going to bed amidst a flurry of abuse.She said first, she would take revenge on him; second, she wanted him dead; third, she wanted him to die of leprosy; fourth.She hoped he would have a sausage stuck to his nose forever, like in a fairy tale.After she left, we couldn't help laughing. After a while, Kai Ruolin also went to sleep.Miss William walked after her pupils, Anya and Elsa went into the garden together, so I went for a walk alone, it was a lovely evening. The next morning, I came downstairs very late, no one was in the living room, and I remember eating the kidneys and bonito which were delicious.The kidneys were good and roasted with mustard. Afterwards I was walking around to see where people were going, and I went out the door, saw no one, smoked a cigarette, and met Miss William looking around for Angela.Angela should be a female celebrity at this time, but she slipped away.When I returned to the hall, I found Anya and Kai Ruolin were arguing in the study.They were arguing very loudly, and I heard her say, "You and your women! I want to kill you, someday I will." Anya said, "Don't be stupid, Kai Ruolin." She said, "I mean it, Anya." I didn't want to hear any more, so I walked out.I walked towards the other side of the balcony and ran into Elsa head-on. She was sitting on a bench just under the study window, which was open, and I thought she could hear what was being said in the study.She saw me, stood up very calmly and walked towards me. She smiled and took my arm and said, "What a lovely morning, isn't it?" It was certainly a lovely morning for her, quite a brutal girl! No, I think she might just be outspoken, unimaginative, and only see what she wants. We stood on the balcony talking for about five minutes when I heard the door of the study flung open and Anya Currel came out.His face was very red. He grabbed Aisha's shoulder very rudely and said, "Okay, it's time for you to sit down, I want to draw." She said, "Okay, I'm going up to get some clothes, it's a bit cold." She goes into the house. I thought Anya would say something to me, but all he said was: "These women!" I said, "Be happy, old man." Then we didn't say anything more, and when Elsa came out of the house again, they went to Batley Park together, and I went back into the house. Caroline was standing in the hall, and I don't think she noticed me at all.She is like that sometimes.I only heard her muttering to herself: "It's so cruel..." After she finished speaking, she walked past me and went upstairs, but she still didn't seem to see me—as if she was preoccupied and imagining something.I now think she may have gone upstairs to get that thing.That's when she decided to do what she decided to do. (But of course I have no right to say that, you know.) At this moment, the phone rang.As I was a frequent visitor to Oldbury, I was like a part of the family, so I picked up the receiver myself without waiting for the servant to pick it up. It was my brother Meredy, and in a disturbed voice, he said he had found a half-empty bottle of methamphetamine in the lab. It was such a surprise that I was foolishly terrified.Meredith was shaking again on the phone.I heard someone coming downstairs, and I simply told him to come right away. I went to meet him too.Let me explain that the shortest passage between the two houses is across a small river. I planned to walk to the place where the boat was parked, so I passed Batley Park and heard Elsa and Anya talking and drawing.They seem very happy.No worries.Anya says it's really hot, and Elsa says there's a cool sea breeze blowing through the battlements where she's posing.Then she said: "I'm almost numb from posing, can I take a break? My dear." Anya said loudly: "Absolutely not, sit down, you are a capable girl, I can draw very smoothly now." Love Sarah said, "Damn it." smiled again.Then I walked away and heard nothing more. Meredith happened to be rowing over there, and I waited for him to tie up the boat and go up the stairs.He was pale and looked worried. He said to me: "You have a better head than I do, Philip. What shall I do? That thing is too dangerous." I said, "Are you sure you're not mistaken?" You know, Meredith's always been a little fuzzy, and maybe that's why I didn't take it seriously.He replied that he was quite sure that the bottle was still full yesterday afternoon. I said, "Do you have any idea who could have stolen it?" He replied yes and asked me what I thought.Could it have been stolen by a servant? I said maybe, but I thought it was very unlikely.Didn't he always lock the door?He said it was always locked, but he found that the bottom of the window was open a few inches, and someone might have slipped in through it to steal it. "Is it just stealing the sheep?" I asked in disbelief: "Merrady, I think there are several very despicable possibilities." He asked me what I think?I said that if he was not mistaken, maybe Kai Ruolin stole it and wanted to murder Aisha, or Aisha took it and wanted to get rid of Kai Ruolin. Meredith shuddered and said that was too ridiculous and dramatic to be true.I said, "Okay, so it's clearly missing. How do you explain that?" Of course he had no reason.In fact, he thought exactly the same as me, but he didn't dare to face the facts. He added, "What shall we do?" I said—I'm such a goddamn fool—"We've got to think about it. If you don't come out in front of everyone and say you lost the poison, you'd better talk to Caroline alone and ask her to give it back." You. If you're sure she had nothing to do with it, do the same with Elsa." He said, "She's not the type of girl to steal," and I said I wasn't so sure. We walked towards the house as we talked, and then we were silent for a while.When I got to Batley Park, I heard Caroline's voice. I thought it was the three of them arguing, but instead they were talking about Angela. "That was cruel to that girl," said Catherine, to which Anya responded impatiently. When we walked to the garden gate, the door just opened, Anya seemed a little surprised to see us, Caroline was about to come out, she said: "Hi, Meredith, we are talking about Angela's school, I don't know Is it good for her?" Anya said, "Don't worry about her, she'll be fine. It's good that she's gone." At this time, Aisha came running from the other side of the room, holding a scarlet blouse in her hand.Anya said loudly, "Come here, sit down, I don't want to waste time," and when he came back to the easel, I found him staggering a bit, wondering if he had been drinking.In such an embarrassing environment, men will inevitably drink some wine.He murmured, "The beer is hot as hell, why don't we put some ice in here?" Caroline Correll said, "I'll bring you some cold beer." Anya said, "Thank you." So Caroline shut the gate of Batley Park and went back in with us. We sat on the balcony and she came into the room.About five minutes later Angela came over with two beers and some glasses, it was hot and we were happy to have some iced drinks.While we were drinking, Kai Ruolin walked by us. She took another bottle of beer and said she wanted to take it to Anya. Meredith volunteered to take it for her, but she insisted on going by herself.I thought—what a fool I was—that it was just because she was too jealous to have them left there alone.She had already gone there just once with the far-fetched reason that she didn't want Angela to leave home to go to school. Meredith and I watched her go down the winding path, and before we could decide what to do, Angela clamored for me to sunbathe with her.Meredith didn't seem willing to come along, so I simply said to him, "We'll talk after lunch," and he nodded. So I went to sunbath with Angela, we swam up and down the creek first, and then lay on the rocks to bask in the sun.Angela was a little reluctant to talk, which just matched my mood.I resolved to take Caroline aside as soon as lunch was over and accuse her of stealing the poison.It's no use asking Meridy to do it, he's too cowardly, no, I must tell her myself, and ask her to give it back to Meridy.Even if she refuses, she must not dare to use it. I believe she stole it. Aisha is too sensitive and cold to take the risk of stealing the poison.She has a shrewd mind and takes good care of herself, but Kai Ruolin is not—she is very unbalanced, impulsive, and neurotic.But you know, there's still a feeling in my head that maybe Meredy's got it wrong.Or maybe the servants got into the lab and knocked some over by accident and couldn't admit, you know, the poison was so dramatic that it was hard to believe it was real--until it happened. I looked at my watch and found that it was very late, so I ran back to lunch with Angela, and everyone was seated just now—but Anya didn't come, he stayed in Batley Park.For him, this is the order of the day.In private, I also think it's right for him to do so today, otherwise everyone will have another embarrassing lunch. After dinner, we drank coffee on the balcony.I wish I could remember what Caroline looked like and what she did.She didn't look agitated at all, in my impression, she was calm and a bit sad, that woman was like a devil! Only the devil would have the heart to poison his own husband.It would have been forgiven her if she had shot him dead with a pistol.But she was cruel, deliberate, and poisoned in a vengeful way...and so calm and calm. She stood up; and said in the most natural manner that she would bring him the coffee.In fact, she knew very well—she must have known—that he must be dead by this time.Miss William went with her.I don't remember if Caroline suggested it, but I think it was. They both left together.After a while, Meredith also walked away.As soon as I made an excuse to follow him, he came running back from the trail.His face was pale, and he gasped and said, "Hurry up and find a doctor:...quick... Anya──" I jumped up. "He's sick - dead?" said Meredy, "I'm afraid he's dead..." We forgot about Elsa for a moment, but then she gave a shriek like a goblin crying.She yelled "Dead? Dead?..." and ran out, I've never seen anyone act like that - like a deer - like someone whipping her from behind - also like angry revenge God. Meridy gasped, "Stay with her, I'll call. Stay with her, there's no telling what she'll do." I immediately followed her out—fortunately I did, otherwise she would have killed Kai Ruolin.I have never seen such deep grief and fierce hatred. All upbringing aside, you could tell her father and her grandparents had been laborers.Having lost her lover, she becomes a savage woman.She grabbed Caroline's face, pulled her hair, and would have thrown her over the railing if she could.She thought it was Caroline who had killed him with a knife, but she was totally mistaken—no wonder. I pulled her away hard, and Miss William took over.I have to admit, she is very good, and within a minute, she controlled Aisha and told her to be quiet and not to make such a fuss.That woman is fierce enough, but she succeeds, and Elsa is quiet and just stands there panting and shaking. As for Caroline, her mask was immediately exposed, and she stood there very calmly-perhaps dazed.But her eyes showed her flaws—she was observing her surroundings, she knew everything, and she was observing quietly.I think she's probably starting to get scared... I went over to talk to her, my voice was so low I don't think the other two women heard it. I said, "You bloody murderer, you killed my best friend." She took a step back abruptly and said, "No—no—it's him—he committed suicide..." I looked closely into her eyes and said, "Tell that story to the police." She did that - but they didn't believe it.