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Chapter VIII. Fresh Suspicions
Myideawas—averyridiculousone,nodoubt—thatshehadintendedtopoisonhim—andthat,insomeway,Mrs.Inglethorpgotholdofitbymistake.ButIdon’tatallseehowitcouldhavebeendone.Thewholethingisabsurdandridiculoustothelastdegree.”
“Stillyouarerightinonething.Itisalwayswisetosuspecteverybodyuntilyoucanprovelogically,andtoyourownsatisfaction,thattheyareinnocent.Now,whatreasonsarethereagainstMissHoward’shavingdeliberatelypoisonedMrs.Inglethorp?”
“Why,shewasdevotedtoher!”Iexclaimed.
“Tcha!Tcha!”criedPoirotirritably.“Youarguelikeachild.IfMissHowardwerecapableofpoisoningtheoldlady,shewouldbequiteequallycapableofsimulatingdevotion.No,wemustlookelsewhere.YouareperfectlycorrectinyourassumptionthathervehemenceagainstAlfredInglethorpistooviolenttobenatural;butyouarequitewronginthedeductionyoudrawfromit.Ihavedrawnmyowndeductions,whichIbelievetobecorrect,butIwillnotspeakofthematpresent.”Hepausedaminute,thenwenton.“Now,tomywayofthinking,thereisoneinsuperableobjectiontoMissHoward’sbeingthemurderess.”
“Andthatis?”
“ThatinnopossiblewaycouldMrs.Inglethorp’sdeathbenefitMissHoward.Nowthereisnomurderwithoutamotive.”
Ireflected.
“CouldnotMrs.Inglethorphavemadeawillinherfavour?”
Poirotshookhishead.
“ButyouyourselfsuggestedthatpossibilitytoMr.Wells?”
Poirotsmiled.
“Thatwasforareason.
