Chapter 21 Chapter 21

Poirot sat in his big, square armchair.His hands were clasped on the arms of the chair, and his eyes were fixed on the mantelpiece in front of him, but he didn't see it.On the small coffee table next to him, there were various documents neatly foldered.Reports from Mr. Gorbie, information from his friend Sergeant Neil, and a bunch of zero pages listed as "rumours, gossip, rumours," with sources noted. At this moment, he does not need to refer to these documents.In fact, he had read them all, and just kept them close at hand for reference at any time in case of any special situation.He now wants to gather all the information in his mind and the information he has obtained, because he firmly believes that these things must form a pattern.There must be a pattern in it.He is now thinking about which correct angle to start from.

He's not a guy who relies heavily on some kind of intuition, he's not an intuitive guy—yet he's a sentient guy.And the point is not the perception itself, but the cause that provokes the perception.What makes you curious is the reasons, and often not the reasons you think they are.And those reasons are often drilled out by logic, feeling and knowledge. How did he feel about the case—what kind of case was it?He is better off starting with general facts and then proceeding to specific inquiries.What are the salient aspects of this case? He thinks money is one of them, though he doesn't know why.Although he couldn't tell why, but money... He also thought more and more that there was evil hidden in one aspect.He knew evil, he had met it before, he knew its smell, its taste, its magic.The difficulty is that at this moment he still does not know where the evil is hiding.He has taken certain steps to fight evil, and he hopes they will work.Something has happened, is in progress, but is not yet complete.Someone, somewhere, is in danger.

Annoyingly, these facts point in two directions.If he thought that the person in danger was indeed in danger, and so far he could not see why it should be so.Why was that particular person in danger?No motive at all.If he thinks that the people who are in danger are not dangerous, then the whole way of handling cases will have to be changed... He will have to turn around and judge all situations that point in that direction from the completely opposite point of view. Putting that aside for a moment, he turned to characters—those people.What kind of pattern do they form?What role do they intend to play?

First of all, Andrew Resdrik.So far, he has collected quite a lot of information about Andrew Resderick.I have a general outline of his life before and after going abroad.An impetuous person who never settles in one place or purpose for long, but is generally very popular.Not a slutty, sneaky or sly one, maybe, not a strong character?Seems weak in many ways? Poirot frowned in dissatisfaction.This image did not match the Andrew Resderick he had seen himself.His protruding jaw, steady eyes and resolute demeanor show that he will never be a weak person.Apparently, he was also a successful businessman.He performed well in his early years and completed several excellent transactions in South Africa and South America.His assets also increased, and he brought back successes rather than failures.So, how can his personality be weak?Perhaps he is weak when it comes to women.He made a mistake in marriage - he married the wrong wife... Could it be that he was forced to marry by his family?So later I met another woman.Only that one woman?Or are there other women?So many years have passed, the record in this regard is not easy to check.In any case, he was not a notoriously unfaithful husband.His family was normal, and in every way he loved his little girl.However, he met a woman, and he was so fascinated that he left his family and left his hometown.It can be seen that his relationship is not fake.

But is this perhaps compatible with other motives?Hate office work, city and London life?He thought it was possible.consistent with this pattern.He also seems to belong to the lonely type.People at home and abroad like him, but it seems that he has no close friends.Indeed, it was more difficult for him to make close friends abroad, since he never spent long periods of time in any one place.He once indulged in gambling, played a trick, got a ticket, and then got tired of it, and went to another country.Nomads!tramp. However, it still does not match the memory of this person in his own mind! ...images?The word brought back memories of the portrait that hung on the wall behind Resderick's desk.It was a portrait of the same man fifteen years earlier.How has fifteen years changed the man behind the desk?On the whole, it is surprisingly small!A few strands of gray hair have been added, and the shoulders are wider, but the line of personality on the face remains the same.It was a face of perseverance, a man who knew what he needed and was determined to get it.A man who dares to take risks, and a man who is slightly vicious.

So, he wondered: why did Resderick bring his portrait to London?It was a portrait of the couple.From a purely artistic point of view, those two paintings should be hung together.According to psychologists, does Resderick subconsciously want to sever relations with his ex-wife again and separate from her?Although she is dead, is he still psychologically avoiding her character image?This point is quite intriguing... It is said that these two paintings were taken out together with some other home furnishings stored.In order to add some furniture to the Cross Hedges house, Mary Resderick would no doubt ask Sir Roderick to make room for her choice.He wondered if it was Mary Resderick, the new lady who wanted to hang up the pair of portraits.However, it would be more natural for her to throw the portrait of her former wife in the attic!It occurred to him, however, that perhaps there was no attic for storage in the Cross Hedges house.Perhaps, while the returning couple were looking for a new home in London, Sir Rodrik would make room for them to set things up for the time being.Therefore, it is not too much of a hindrance, not to mention that hanging the two paintings together saves some trouble.Besides, Mary Restarick was a sensible woman, not the jealous, tantrum kind.

"Forget it, it's all the same," Hercule Poirot thought to himself: "There is no woman who is not jealous, especially the kind of woman you thought would be the least jealous!" His thoughts turned to Mary Resderick, and began to think of her as a woman.The strangest thing he felt was that he didn't have any thoughts about her!He had seen her only once, but somehow it had left no impression.He only thought that she had a kind of sharpness and a certain kind—how should he describe it? —Unnatural ("But, boy," added Hercule Poirot himself, "you're thinking of her wig!")

It is indeed quite absurd that a man should know so little about a woman.A woman so sharp, wig-on, good-looking, sensible, and angry.Yes, when she found out that the peacock youth had broken into her home and wandered around, she was quite angry.And her performance was quite sharp and clear, so what happened to that young man——?Not popular anymore?However, when she found out about him, she was indeed very angry.However, this is also a very natural thing.No mother would have chosen such a young man for her daughter—Poirot's thoughts hit the rocks again, and he shook his head violently in exasperation.Mary Restarick was not Norma's mother.Wouldn't she be anxious and worried about an inappropriate and unhappy marriage for her daughter, or the revelation of an illegitimate child by an unseemly young man?How did Mary feel about Norma?On the surface, at least, she was a very annoying girl - picking a boyfriend who was clearly the source of Andrew Resderick's worries and annoyances.But apart from that, how exactly was she feeling and thinking about a stepdaughter who was clearly intent on poisoning her?

From the point of view of attitude, she seems to be a very general person.She wants to move Norma out of the house to avoid danger by herself; she also cooperates with her husband to cover up the family scandals that happened in the past.Although Norma goes home every weekend to show her face, her life will be centered in London from now on.Even if they find a new home and move there in the future, it seems unlikely that they will invite Norma to live with them.These days, most young girls don't live with their parents.Therefore, this problem should have been solved long ago.However, for Poirot, there is no answer at all to the question of who poisoned Mary Resderick.

Resderick himself believed that his daughter had done it--but Poirot suspected that ... he had in mind the possibility of the girl Sunia.What the hell was she doing in that house?Why did she go?Yes, Sir Roderick could not live without her for a moment—perhaps she had no intention of returning to her own country?It was quite possible that her intention was purely marriage--an old man of Sir Rodrik's age married a pretty young woman every week.From a secular point of view, Sunia's doing so is very rewarding.A stable social status, and a considerable income after being widowed—could it be that she had an entirely different purpose?Did she go to the National Arboretum and put Sir Roderick's missing folder in that book?

Did Mary Restarick suspect her—of her actions, of her loyalty, of where and whom she was going to meet on her days off?Could it be that Sunia took the kind of poison that is small and does not arouse suspicion, but when it accumulates, it will cause gastroenteritis at most? He decided to put aside for the time being the situation with the family in the Cross Hedges house.He came to London, like Norma, and began to think about three girls who would share an apartment building. Claudia Rishi Holland, Frances Jali and Norma Resdrik.Claudia Ruixi Helan is the daughter of a famous congressman, a wealthy, capable, well-trained, and charming first-class female secretary.Frances Jali, the daughter of a country secretary, is good at art, went to drama school for a short time, then went to Schroeder College for women, dropped out of school, occasionally worked for the art committee, and was currently employed by a gallery with income Yes, good at art and has many friends who are not slovenly.She knew David Baker, a young man, but on the surface it seemed that the two were not very friendly.Could she possibly fall in love with him?According to Poirot, young people of his type were usually disliked by their parents, the general social class, and the police.How he was so attracted to girls from a good family background was something that Poirot couldn't understand.But we have to admit that this is indeed true.What was his own opinion of David? A good-looking young man with a cheeky and sleazy air, he was first seen upstairs in the Cross Hedges house, presumably doing some errands for Norma (maybe he went to check it out himself or something) , who knows?). The second time I met him was when I gave him a ride.A young man with quite a character, he gives the impression that he is very capable of doing what he wants to do.However, it is clear that he does have an unsatisfactory side.Poirot picked up a piece of information at hand and looked at it.Although it is not a crime, it has some bad records.He cheated small money in the garage, caused trouble and fights, and destroyed things. He was also suspended twice.This sort of thing has become the norm these days.Neither is evil under Poirot's classification.He had been a promising painter, but fell by the wayside.A guy like him never has a regular job.He loves vanity, pride, a peacock in love with his appearance.Besides, what else does he have?Poirot wondered. He stretched out one arm and picked up a piece of paper on which he had scribbled an outline of Norma's conversation with David that day in the dining room--certainly only what Mrs Oliver could remember.How much can she remember?Poirot was thinking.He shook his head suspiciously.There was no way of knowing at what point Mrs. Oliver's imagination would burst forth!Does this young man care about Norma? Really want to marry her?Her affection for him was unquestionable.He had proposed to marry her. Does Norma have any money herself?Her father was rich, of course, but that was another matter.Poirot sighed angrily.He forgot to inquire about the content of the will of the late Mrs. Resderick, and he looked through some documents. Fortunately, Mr. Gaobi did not neglect such indispensable needs.Evidently, Mrs. Restarick had been well supported by her husband, with an income of about a thousand pounds a year of her own.She left everything to her daughter.However, according to Poirot, the amount was not enough to constitute a motive for marriage.As an only child, she may inherit a large fortune when her father dies, but that is still unknown.If her father didn't like who she was marrying, he probably wouldn't have left her much money at all. Then it can be concluded that David really loves her because he is willing to marry her.And yet—Poirot shook his head again.This was about the fifth time he shook his head.All these facts cannot be put together, and there is no way to synthesize a satisfactory model.He remembered the written check on Resderick's desk, which was obviously used to send this young man off, and this young man was very willing to accept bribes!But this is not in line with the reality.The check was indeed made out to David Baker, and it was in a very large denomination, which was simply astonishingly large.This amount can tempt any poor young man of bad character. But he proposed marriage to her the day before the check was drawn.Of course, this may be the first move in the overall plan-an army to raise prices.Poirot recalled the expression on Resderick sitting there with his lips tightly shut.He must love his daughter deeply to be willing to pay such a huge price; he must also be afraid that his daughter may have made up her mind to marry this young man long ago. His thoughts passed from Resderick to Claudia.Claudia and Andrew Resderick, is it a coincidence, purely a coincidence, she became his female secretary?There may be connections between them.He was thinking about Claudia.The three girls shared an apartment. It was Claudia Helan's apartment. She rented it first, and then shared it with a girl she already knew, and then shared it with another girl, the third girl. .The third girl, Poirot thought.Yes, always back to this third girl.In the end, I can't do without her.Nor could he stop coming back to her.When considering the various modes, it always comes back to her, Norma Resderick. The girl who had come to him for advice at breakfast, the girl he had talked to at the table in a dining room after she had eaten a plate of baked beans with the boyfriend she loved. (He noticed that he seemed to be eating every time he met her!) What did he think of her?First of all, it's time to see what other people think of her?Resderick loved her, was extremely anxious and terrified of her.He not only suspected, but apparently confirmed that she wanted to poison his newly married lady.He also consulted a doctor about her daughter's condition.Poirot himself wanted very much to speak to the physician, but he was sure that nothing would come of it.Doctors are very stingy, and are usually reluctant to divulge patient information to others except for extremely trustworthy people such as the patient's parents.However, Poirot could easily imagine what the physician would say.Poirot thought that the doctor must be very cautious, as a doctor should be.He may be oblique and faltering about some treatment.Although he would not directly emphasize the mental and psychological symptoms, he at least hinted at them.In fact, the doctor must have privately confirmed that Norma suffered from such a disorder.But he must also know the hysterical type of girl well, and what these girls often do is not necessarily the result of a psychopathy, but just a fit of temper, jealousy, emotion or frenzy.The doctor himself may not be a psychoanalyst or a psychiatrist, but he may just be a physician. He will not make a diagnosis that he is not sure of, but he may make some cautious suggestions. For example, let her find a job first - a job in London, and then take her to a specialist for treatment? Does anyone else have any thoughts on Norma Resderick?Claudia? Ruixi? Holland?He doesn't know.He didn't even know much about Miss He Lan herself.She is very good at keeping secrets, and never reveals things that she doesn't want to let go.There was no sign that she intended to expose the girl's private affairs.Of course, she might have done that if she was intimidated by her state of mind.He and Frances didn't have much to discuss about it either, because the second girl said it without hesitation: Norma hadn't been back to their apartment since she spent the weekend at home. Claudia listened, a little annoyed.Claudia seemed more part of a pattern than she was, by comparison.She has brains, Poirot thought, and efficiency... His thoughts turned back to Norma, the third girl.What place does she occupy in this pattern?Once she found out her status, the whole case could be put together.Like Ophelia, he thought?But there are generally two opinions about Ophelia, just as there are two opinions about Norma. Is Ophelia really crazy, or pretending to be?Actors often have two divergent interpretations of the character—perhaps, he should say, the producers of "Hamlet" have two opinions.It's the kind of controversy they've created. Is Hamlet crazy or normal?It's up to the audience to decide.So is Ophelia crazy or sober? Even for his own daughter's opinion, Resderick would not use the word "crazy".Most people prefer to use the word "mental disorder".Other words to describe Norma include "weird", "she's kind of weird", "like a trance", "what's wrong with her brain, you know what I mean".So "average women", are their judgments reliable?Poirot thought it possible.Norma is indeed a little weird, but this kind of weirdness is different from her superficial weirdness.He recalled the image of her slouching into his room: a girl of the modern age, the same kind of chic as many girls are.Sticky hair hangs down her shoulders, and she wears knee-length, featureless and shabby clothes. From the eyes of an old-fashioned person like him, she looks like a grown woman trying to pretend to be a little girl. "I'm sorry, but you're too old." This may be true.He looked at her entirely with an old man's eyes, without envy; he thought she was just a girl who obviously had no intention of flattery, and was not coquettish at all.A woman who knows nothing about her femininity—no glamour, mystery, or excitement, and perhaps nothing to offer beyond banal physical sex.In this way, her criticism of him should be justified.He couldn't help her because he didn't know her, because even he couldn't appreciate her.He had done everything he could for her, but what achievements had he made till today?From the moment she asked for help until now, what had he done for her?The answer loomed in his mind at once: he kept her safe, at least he did, that is, if she needed it.The main key is actually here, does she really need safe protection?And that inexplicable confession!Really, it's not so much a confession as a manifesto: "I think I may have killed someone." This is the most important thing, because this sentence is the key to the whole incident.This is also his specialty.Fight murder, find murder, prevent murder!Be a faithful hound that hunts down murderers.The murder had been announced, it must have happened somewhere, and he had looked for it, but could not find it.The mode of poisoning in vegetable soup?The model of young hooligans cutting each other with knives?That absurd but eerie line: blood in the patio, revolver shots.Who was it fired at, and for what? It's not a form of crime that should fit in with what she says: "I might have killed someone." He's groping in the dark, hoping to find a pattern of crime, hoping to figure out this third girl How to fit this pattern; however, in the end it comes back to the most pressing question: what kind of person is this girl? Yet, he thought, a casual remark by Allan Oliver had lighted him in the right direction.It is quite fitting that a woman in the Borrowden flats is rumored to have committed suicide.Even if the apartment is where the third girl lives. By murder she must have meant this "suicide."It would be too much of a coincidence to say that another murder took place at the same time!Besides, there was no indication that any other murders had occurred during that time.After listening to his friend Mrs. Oliver at a party boast of his extraordinary achievements, no other death would have inspired her to come to him with such haste.Therefore, when Mrs. Oliver casually mentioned to him the matter of the woman who committed suicide by jumping off the building, he felt that he had finally found the answer he had been looking for. Here lies the clue, the answer to his confusion.All he needs to find is here: why, when and where. "It scares me," cried Hercule Poirot. He reached out to find a neatly typed biography of a woman.The bold story of Mrs. Chabenti's life.A forty-three-year-old woman of good social status who was said to be living a romantic life—twice married, twice divorced—a woman who liked men.This woman, who drank excessively in her later years, liked to invite her friends to parties.She is said to enjoy the company of men far younger than herself.Poirot could understand the feelings and past of a woman who lived alone in the Bollodon flats, and he could see why such a woman, waking up one morning in the face of all despair, would leap from a high building. Because she has cancer or thinks she has cancer?But an autopsy determined otherwise. What he wanted was a link to Norma Restarick, and he couldn't find it.He read again about the woman. A lawyer provided her identification at the autopsy.Her real name is Louise Carpenter, but she has adopted a French surname - Chapentry.Does it match her name Louise better?Louise?Why is this name so familiar?Someone mentioned it by chance? — in a sentence? —his fingers flipped over the neatly typed pages.what!here!It is this information.The woman with whom Andrew Resderick had eloped was Lois Beryl, who later proved to be of no importance in Resderick's later years.After about a year, the two broke up due to a quarrel.The same pattern, Poirot thought.The same thing happened to the woman in the profile, who fell in love with a man madly, broke up his family, maybe lived with him, then quarreled with him, and finally left him.He was sure, absolutely sure that this Louise Chabenti was the same Louise.Even so, how could it have anything to do with Norma?Did Resderick and Louise Chapentry get back together after returning to England?Poirot expressed doubts.Their lives were separated years ago, and the chances of the two of them reuniting again seem so slim to impossible!Their relationship was nothing more than a brief, insignificant infatuation.His current wife would not have pushed his former mistress out of the window in jealousy anyway.How can there be such a thing!In his opinion, the only woman who could possibly hold a grudge for a long time and take revenge on a woman who had ruined her family was the first Mrs. Restarick.And this is even more impossible, not to mention that the first Mrs. Resderick is dead! The telephone rang, but Poirot did not move.At this moment, he especially does not want others to disturb him.He felt as if he were on a stalk...he was going after him...the phone stopped ringing, well, Miss Lemon would take care of it. The door opened and Miss Li Meng walked in. "Mrs. Oliver wants to speak to you," she said. Poirot shook his hand and said: "Not now, not now, I beg you! I can't talk to her now." "She said she just thought of something--something she forgot to tell you. Said it was a note--an unfinished letter that fell out of a desk drawer in a moving van. , I don't know what she's talking about." Miss Li Meng deliberately added some dissatisfaction in her tone. Poirot shook his hand more violently. "Not now!" he pleaded. "I beg you, not now." "Then I'll tell her you're busy." Miss Lemon withdrew. The room was quiet again.Poirot felt waves of exhaustion sneak up on him.After thinking for too long, I really need to take a break.Yes, take it easy, let the tension go - take it easy and maybe a pattern will emerge.He closed his eyes.All the factors are there.He was now convinced that he could no longer know anything from without, but must come from within. Quite suddenly--while his eyelids were resting in a doze--it came... and it was all there--waiting for him!He had to plan it out, but at least he knew how to proceed.One piece, one piece of fragmentary fragments can be put together.A wig, a portrait, five o'clock in the morning, women and their hairstyles, the peacock youth—all point to the sentence, which begins: The third girl... "I might have killed someone..." Of course! A funny nursery rhyme suddenly appeared in his mind, and he sang it out loud. La la la, three big men soaked in the bathtub. Guess who? A butcher, a baker, and a candle maker... Unfortunately, he forgot the last sentence. A baker, yes; a butcher, too far-fetched—he changed them into women, and imitated a song: Dang, Dang, Dang, there are three girls living in a building, who do you think they are? A secretary, a girl from Schroeder This third girl was—Miss Lemon came into the room, "Ah—I remember the last sentence—'They all grew out of a little potato drilled out.'" Miss Lymon looked at him anxiously. "Dr. Stanley Freed must call you at once. He says it's urgent." "It's all right to tell Dr. Stanley Freed—do you mean Dr. Stanley Freed?" He moved past her and grabbed the receiver. "Here we come. I am Poirot! Has something happened?" "She slipped away." "what?" "I just said it. She slipped away and ran out the gate." "You let her run away?" "What can I do?" "You can stop her." "No." "You are crazy, how can you let her run away?" "It's not." "You really don't understand." "But I have a gentleman's agreement with her, and I can leave freely at any time." "You don't know how big the implications are." "Well, let's say I don't know. But I have my way. If I don't let her go, all the hard work I have spent on her will be wasted. I have spent a lot of hard work. Your work and I'm different, our purpose is different. I can tell you that my work has performance, and because of performance, I think she will not run away." "Oh, didn't I. And then, man, she ran away anyway." "To be honest, I really don't understand how something went wrong." "Something must have happened." "Of course, but what happened?" "She saw someone, someone talked to her, someone found where she was hiding." "I can't see how this is possible...but you seem to have forgotten that she is free to choose. She must have a will of her own." "Someone's got her. Someone must have found out where she is. Did she get a letter, a telegram, or a telephone call?" "No, not at all. I'm sure of that." "Then how--of course! Newspapers. I'm sure you have a subscription there?" "Of course. In my line of work, of course I have to pay attention to people's daily lives." "So, that's how they found her. Normal routine. What paper do you have?" "Five copies." He said the five copies' names. "When did she leave?" "This morning, half past ten." really.After reading the newspaper.At least it's much easier to start with. "What newspaper does she usually read?" "It seems that there is no special choice. Sometimes I read this, sometimes that, sometimes I read all, and sometimes I just browse casually." "Well, I can't waste any more time talking." "You think she saw the ad in the paper? Something like that?" "Is there any other explanation? Let's talk about it. I can't say more now. I have to go find it, find a possible advertisement, and then act immediately." He put the receiver back on the phone. "Miss Lemon, bring our two papers, the Morning Post and the Comet. Tell George to sell the others as well." When he opened the newspaper and carefully looked through the personnel classified advertisements one by one, he also settled down in his mind. He should be in time.There must be time... There has already been a murder case, and there will be another one.But he, Hercule Poirot, was going to stop... He was Hercule Poirot, the avenger of the innocent.Didn't he say it (every time he said it, people laughed at him): "I don't approve of killing people." People think that he is just an understatement, but this is by no means an understatement, it is a fact without any emotion Simple view.He disapproves of killing. George came in with a stack of newspapers. "Here's all the morning papers, sir." Poirot glanced at Miss Limon, who was standing by and waiting to be effective. "Look again at the ads I've looked at, in case I might have missed a thing or two." "Did you mean the personnel advertisement?" "Yes. I think there might be someone named David. A girl's name, nickname or nickname or something. They wouldn't use the name Norma, maybe for help or a meeting or something." Miss Lemon obeyed with a little impatience and took the newspaper.This was not where she could be efficient, but at the moment he had no other errands for her to do.He himself opened the Morning Chronicle, which had the largest ad space for him to search, and leaned closer to it. A Lady Offers Her Mink Coat...Traveler Solicited For A Journey Overseas...Luxury Modern Home For Sale...Misbegging Boarding Housekeepers...Idiot Children...Homemade Chocolate Candies..."Juliet. Never Forgotten" Huai. Your forever love." It's still a bit close.he thought, but still jumped over.Louis XV-style furniture... A middle-aged woman intends to help manage the hotel... "It's urgent, please meet. Come to the apartment on time at 4:30 p.m. Signal Goles." When the doorbell rang, he was shouting: "George, call a taxi." Putting on his coat, he walked into the corridor, and when George opened the door for him, he bumped into Mrs. Oliver.In the narrow corridor, the three struggled to make way for each other.