Lord Edgware Dies

‘The theory that the motive for the murder might have nothing to do with Lord Edgware himself. Imagine someone who hated Jane Wilkinson, hated her so much that they would have even had her hanged for murder.C’est une idee, ca!’

He sighed-then rousing himself:

‘Come, Hastings, let us hear what Japp has to say.’

Chapter 20. The Taxi-Driver

We found Japp interrogating an old man with a ragged moustache and spectacles. He had a hoarse self-pitying voice.

‘Ah! there you are,’ said Japp. ‘Well, things are all plain sailing, I think. This man-his name’s Jobson-picked up two people in Long Acre on the night of June 29th.’

‘That’s right,’ assented Jobson hoarsely. ‘Lovely night it were. Moon and all. The young lady and gentleman were by the tube station and hailed me.’

‘They were in evening dress?’

‘Yes, gent in white waistcoat and the young lady all in white with birds embroidered on it. Come out of the Royal Opera, I guess.’

‘What time was this?’

‘Some time afore eleven.’

‘Well, what next?’ 

‘Told me to go to Regent Gate-they’d tell me which house when they got there. And told me to be quick, too. People always says that. As though you wanted to loiter. Sooner you get there and get another fare the better for you. You never think of that. And, mind you, if there’s an accident you’ll get the blame for dangerous driving!’

‘Cut it out,’ said Japp impatiently. ‘There wasn’t an accident this time, was there?’

‘N-no,’ agreed the man as though unwilling to abandon his claim to such an occurrence. ‘No, as a matter of fact there weren’t. Well, I got to Regent Gate-not above seven minutes it didn’t take me, and there the gentleman rapped on the glass, and I stopped. About at No. 8 that were. Well, the gentleman and lady got out. The gentleman stopped where he was and told me to do the same. The lady crossed the road, and began walking back along the houses the other side. The gentleman stayed by the cab-standing on the sidewalk with his back to me, looking after her. Had his hands in his pockets. It was about five minutes when I heard him say something-kind of exclamation under his breath and then off he goes too. I looks after him because I wasn’t going to be bilked. It’s been done afore to me, so I kept my eye on him. He went up the steps of one of the houses on the other side and went in.’

‘Did he push the door open?’ 

‘No, he had a latchkey.’

‘What number was the house?’

‘It would be 17 or 19, I fancy. Well, it seemed odd to me my being told to stay where I was. So I kept watching. About five minutes later him and the young lady came out together. They got back into the cab and told me to drive back to Covent Garden Opera House. They stopped me just before I got there and paid me. Paid me handsome, I will say. Though I expect I’ve got into trouble over it-seems there’s nothing but trouble.’

‘You’re all right,’ said Japp. ‘Just run your eye over these, will you, and tell me if the young lady is among them.’

There were half a dozen photographs all fairly alike as to type. I looked with some interest over his shoulder.

‘That were her,’ said Jobson. He pointed a decisive finger at one of Geraldine Marsh in evening dress.

‘Sure?’

‘Quite sure. Pale she was and dark.’

‘Now the man.’

Another sheaf of photographs was handed to him.

He looked at them attentively and then shook his head.

‘Well, I couldn’t say-not for sure. Either of these two might be him.’

The photographs included one of Ronald Marsh, but Jobson had not selected it. Instead he indicated two other men not unlike Marsh in type.

Jobson then departed and Japp flung the photographs on the table.

‘Good enough. Wish I could have got a clearer identification of his lordship. Of course it’s an old photograph, taken seven or eight years ago. The only one I could get hold of. Yes, I’d like a clearer identification, although the case is clear enough. Bang go a couple of alibis. Clever of you to think of it, M. Poirot.’

Poirot looked modest.

‘When I found that she and her cousin were both at the opera it seemed to me possible that they might have been together during one of the intervals. Naturally the parties they were with would assume that they had not left the Opera House. But a half-hour interval gives plenty of time to get to Regent Gate and back. The moment the new Lord Edgware laid such stress upon his alibi, I was sure something was wrong with it.’

‘You’re a nice suspicious sort of fellow, aren’t you?’ said Japp affectionately. ‘Well, you’re about right. Can’t be too suspicious in a world like this. His lordship is our man all right. Look at this.’

He produced a paper.

‘Cable from New York. They got in touch with Miss Lucie Adams. The letter was in the mail delivered to her this morning. She was not willing to give up the original unless absolutely necessary, but she willingly allowed the officer to take a copy of it and cable it to us. Here it is, and it’s as damning as you could hope for.’

Poirot took the cable with great interest. I read it over his shoulder.