Загадочное происшествие в Стайлзе
Chapter XII. The Last Link
Thetragedywillnottakeplaceuntilnearlyafortnightlater.Ifanyonehasseeneitherofthemtouchingthemedicine,theywillhaveforgottenitbythattime.MissHowardwillhaveengineeredherquarrel,anddepartedfromthehouse.Thelapseoftime,andherabsence,willdefeatallsuspicion.Yes,itwasacleveridea!Iftheyhadleftitalone,itispossiblethecrimemightneverhavebeenbroughthometothem.Buttheywerenotsatisfied.Theytriedtobetooclever—andthatwastheirundoing.”
Poirotpuffedathistinycigarette,hiseyesfixedontheceiling.
“TheyarrangedaplantothrowsuspiciononJohnCavendish,bybuyingstrychnineatthevillagechemist’s,andsigningtheregisterinhishand-writing.
“OnMondayMrs.Inglethorpwilltakethelastdoseofhermedicine.OnMonday,therefore,atsixo’clock,AlfredInglethorparrangestobeseenbyanumberofpeopleataspotfarremovedfromthevillage.MissHowardhaspreviouslymadeupacockandbullstoryabouthimandMrs.Raikestoaccountforhisholdinghistongueafterwards.Atsixo’clock,MissHoward,disguisedasAlfredInglethorp,entersthechemist’sshop,withherstoryaboutadog,obtainsthestrychnine,andwritesthenameofAlfredInglethorpinJohn’shandwriting,whichshehadpreviouslystudiedcarefully.
“But,asitwillneverdoifJohn,too,canproveanalibi,shewriteshimananonymousnote—stillcopyinghishand-writing—whichtakeshimtoaremotespotwhereitisexceedinglyunlikelythatanyonewillseehim.
“Sofar,allgoeswell.MissHowardgoesbacktoMiddlingham.
