Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Five An Unexpected Ending

We were all there the next morning when Jack Raynor was interrogated.In a short time I was struck by the change in the face of the young prisoner.His cheeks were sunken, his eyes were dark and deep, his face was haggard, and he was in a daze, as if he hadn't slept for several nights.When he sees us, he doesn't look good. "Reynolds," began the prosecutor, "do you deny that you were in Melanville on the night of the crime?" Jack didn't answer right away, then he spoke.The hesitant look is pitiful: "I... I told you I was at Cherbourg." The prosecutor turned around sharply and said:

"Bring in the witnesses from the station." After a minute or two the door opened and a man entered who we recognized as the porter of the Melanville station. "Were you on duty on the night of June 7th?" "Yes, sir." "Did you see the eleven forty train arrive at the station with your own eyes?" "Exactly, sir." "You look at the prisoner. Do you recognize him as one of the disembarking passengers?" "Yes, sir." "You can't be mistaken." "That's right, sir. I know Mr. Jack Raynor well."

"You don't get the date wrong, do you?" "No, sir. Because the next day, the eighth of June, we heard that there had been a murder." Another railroad clerk was brought in, who corroborated the first witness.The prosecutor looked at Jack Raynor. "These men have positively identified you. What have you to say?" Jack shrugged. "No." "Reynolds," continued the prosecutor, "do you recognize this?" He took an object from a nearby table and held it up for the prisoners to see.I shuddered when I recognized the dagger. "Excuse me," cried Mr. Grossier, Jack's attorney, "for I request a few words with my client before he can answer the question."

But Jack Reynolds, ignoring Grossier who felt pain, waved him aside, and replied calmly: "Of course I recognize it. It was a present I gave my mother as a war memento." "As far as you know, is there a copy of this dagger?" cried Monsieur Grossier again, and Jack brushed him aside again. "I don't know. The dagger was of my own design." Even the prosecutor's office almost gasped at Jack's bold answer.Indeed, it looked as though Jack was dying to die sooner.Of course, I realized that he had to hide the fact that he had two daggers for Bella's sake.As long as everyone thinks that there is only one murder weapon, there will be no suspicion of the girl who owns the second chin.He bravely protected the girl he once loved, but what a price he had to pay.I began to realize how difficult a task I had so easily set Poirot to undertake.It's not going to be easy to exonerate Jack unless the truth is told.

Mr. Ayut spoke again, and his tone became extremely sharp: "Madame Reynolds told us that the dagger was on her dresser the night of the accident. But Madame Reynolds was a mother! That will no doubt surprise you, Reynolds, but I think it is very likely that Mrs. Reynolds did it Wrong, but you probably accidentally took it with you to Paris. Needless to say, you will contradict me..." I saw the young man clenched his handcuffed hands.Sweat beaded on his brow.With all his strength, he interrupted Mr. Ayut with a hoarse voice: "I don't want to contradict your words. It's possible."

For a minute, everyone was dumbfounded.Monsieur Grossier rose and protested: "My client was quite emotional. I asked for the record and I don't think he can take responsibility for what he said." The prosecutor angrily pinned him down.At this time, he seemed to have doubts in his heart.Jack Reynor's character seems to have gone too far.He leaned forward and gazed searchingly at the prisoner. "Raynaud, based on the answers you have given me, we have to interrogate you. Do you fully understand?" Jack's pale face flushed, and he stared back at the prosecutor firmly.

"Mr. Ayut, I swear, I did not kill my father." But the prosecutor's brief hesitation vanished, and he gave a short, unpleasant laugh. "There is no doubt, no doubt, that our prisoners are always innocent. By your own mouth, you have been convicted. You have no defense, no evidence, only that even babies If you can't be fooled: You are not guilty. You killed your father, Raynor, in a brutal, despicable murder, for money you thought you'd get after his death. Your mother was an accomplice afterwards . No doubt the Court could have considered her lenient given that she was a mother, but that did not apply to you, and as it should have! You have committed a heinous crime that heaven and earth will not tolerate!"

Much to Ayut's annoyance, he was interrupted and the door pushed open. "Mr. Judge, Mr. Judge," stammered the bailiff, "there's a lady who said . . . she said . . . " "Who said what?" cried the prosecutor, who had reason to get angry. "This is outrageous. I won't allow it...I will never allow it." But a slender figure pushed aside the awkward bailiff. She was dressed in black, with a long veil covering her face, and walked into the court. My heart skipped a beat.Here she is! All my efforts are in vain.Yet I have to admire her courage: she took such a decisive step.

She lifted the veil—and I gasped.Because, although the two look exactly the same, this girl is not Cinderella! On the other hand, after she removed the light-colored wig she wore on stage, I recognized her at a glance as Jack Reynolds found in the room The girl in that photo. "Are you Mr. Ayut, the prosecutor?" she asked. "Yes, but I won't allow..." "My name is Bella Duveen. I surrender to you for the murder of Mr. Raynor."