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Chapter VII. Poirot Pays His Debts
”
“Buttheevidenceissoconclusive.”
“Yes,tooconclusive.”
WeturnedinatthegateofLeastwaysCottage,andproceededupthenowfamiliarstairs.
“Yes,yes,tooconclusive,”continuedPoirot,almosttohimself.“Realevidenceisusuallyvagueandunsatisfactory.Ithastobeexamined—sifted.Butherethewholethingiscutanddried.No,myfriend,thisevidencehasbeenverycleverlymanufactured—socleverlythatithasdefeateditsownends.”
“Howdoyoumakethatout?”
“Because,solongastheevidenceagainsthimwasvagueandintangible,itwasveryhardtodisprove.But,inhisanxiety,thecriminalhasdrawnthenetsocloselythatonecutwillsetInglethorpfree.”
Iwassilent.Andinaminuteortwo,Poirotcontinued:
“Letuslookatthematterlikethis.Hereisaman,letussay,whosetsouttopoisonhiswife.Hehaslivedbyhiswitsasthesayinggoes.Presumably,therefore,hehassomewits.Heisnotaltogetherafool.Well,howdoeshesetaboutit?Hegoesboldlytothevillagechemist’sandpurchasesstrychnineunderhisownname,withatrumpedupstoryaboutadogwhichisboundtobeprovedabsurd.Hedoesnotemploythepoisonthatnight.No,hewaitsuntilhehashadaviolentquarrelwithher,ofwhichthewholehouseholdiscognisant,andwhichnaturallydirectstheirsuspicionsuponhim.Hepreparesnodefence—noshadowofanalibi,yetheknowsthechemist’sassistantmustnecessarilycomeforwardwiththefacts.
