Hercule Poirot's Christmas / Рождество Эркюля Пуаро. Книга для чтения на английском языке

Sugden considered the point. ‘N-o,’ he said hesitatingly. ‘I shouldn’t quite go as far as that. She didn’t look guilty – nothing of that kind – but she did set about it rather – well, quickly and quietly – if you know what I mean. And she didn’t know I’d seen her do it! That I’m sure of. She jumped when I rounded on her[287].’

Poirot said thoughtfully: ‘Then there was a reason? But what conceivable reason could there have been? That little piece of rubber is quite fresh. It has not been used for anything. It can have no meaning whatsoever; and yet – ’

Sugden said impatiently: ‘Well, you can worry about it if you like, Mr Poirot. I’ve got other things to think about.’

Poirot asked: ‘The case stands – where, in your opinion?’

Sugden took out his note-book.

‘Let’s get down to facts. To begin with, there are the people who couldn’t have done it. Let’s get them out of the way first – ’

‘They are – ?’

‘Alfred and Harry Lee. They’ve got a definite alibi. Also Mrs Alfred Lee, since Tressilian saw her in the drawing-room only about a minute before the row started upstairs. Those three are clear.[288] Now for the others. Here’s a list. I’ve put it this way for clearness.’

He handed the book to Poirot.

Poirot said, handing back the list: ‘And therefore?’

‘And therefore,’ said Sugden, ‘George Lee could have killed the old man. Mrs George Lee could have killed him. Pilar Estravados could have killed him; and either Mr or Mrs David Lee could have killed him, but not both.’

‘You do not, then, accept that alibi?’

Superintendent Sugden shook his head emphatically.

‘Not on your life![289] Husband and wife – devoted to each other! They may be in it together, or if one of them did it, the other is ready to swear to an alibi. I look at it this way: Someone was in the music-room playing the piano. It may have been David Lee. It probably was, since he was an acknowledged musician, but there’s nothing to say his wife was there too except her word and his. In the same way, it may have been Hilda who was playing that piano while David Lee crept upstairs and killed his father! No, it’s an absolutely different case from the two brothers in the dining-room. Alfred Lee and Harry Lee don’t love each other. Neither of them would perjure himself for the other’s sake.’

‘What about Stephen Farr?’

‘He’s a possible suspect because that gramophone alibi is a bit thin[290]. On the other hand, it’s the sort of alibi that’s really sounder than a good cast-iron dyed-n-the-wool alibi which, ten to one, has been faked up beforehand!’

Poirot bowed his head thoughtfully. ‘I know what you mean. It is the alibi of a man who did not know that he would be called upon to provide such a thing.’

‘Exactly! And anyway, somehow, I don’t believe a stranger was mixed up in this thing.’

Poirot said quickly: ‘I agree with you. It is here a family affair. It is a poison that works in the blood – it is intimate – it is deep-seated. There is here, I think, hate and knowledge…’ He waved his hands.

‘I do not know – it is difficult!’

Superintendent Sugden had waited respectfully, but without being much impressed. He said: ‘Quite so, Mr Poirot. But we’ll get at it, never fear, with elimination and logic. We’ve got the possibilities now – the people with opportunity. George Lee, Magdalene Lee, David Lee, Hilda Lee, Pilar Estravados, and I’ll add, Stephen Farr. Now we come to motive. Who had a motive for putting old Mr Lee out of the way? There again we can wash out certain people. Miss Estravados, for one. I gather that as the will stands now, she doesn’t get anything at all. If Simeon Lee had died before her mother, her mother’s share would have come down to her (unless her mother willed it otherwise), but as Jennifer Estravados predeceased Simeon Lee, that particular legacy reverts to the other members of the family. So it was definitely to Miss Estravados’ interests to keep the old man alive. He’d taken a fancy to her; it’s pretty certain he’d have left her a good slice of money[291] when he made a new will. She had everything to lose and nothing to gain by his murder. You agree to that?’

‘Perfectly.’

‘There remains, of course, the possibility that she cut his throat in the heat of a quarrel, but that seems extremely unlikely to me. To begin with, they were on the best of terms, and she hadn’t been here long enough to bear him a grudge about anything. It therefore seems highly unlikely that Miss Estravados has anything to do with the crime – except that you might argue that to cut a man’s throat is an unEnglish sort of thing to do, as your friend Mrs George put it?’

‘Do not call her my friend,’ said Poirot hastily. ‘Or I shall speak of your friend Miss Estravados, who finds you such a handsome man!’

He had the pleasure of seeing the superintendent’s official poise upset again. The police officer turned crimson. Poirot looked at him with malicious amusement.