'Exactly. And the body has been cremated. There is now no evidence available. But I decided that I, myself, must be satisfied on the point. That is why, Poirot, I have come to you.'
'Who was in the house at the time of his death?'
'An old butler who has been with him for years, a cook and a housemaid. It would seem, perhaps, as though it must necessarily be one of them -'
'Ah! do not try to pull the wool upon my eyes. This Cora, she knows Richard Abernethie was killed, yet she acquiesces in the hushing up. She says 'I think you are all quite right'. Therefore it must be one of the family who is concerned, someone whom the victim himself might prefer not to have openly accused. Otherwise, since Cora was fond of her brother, she would not agree to let the sleeping murderer lie. You agree to that, yes?'
'It was the way I reasoned – yes,' confessed Mr Entwhistle. 'Though how any of the family could possibly -'
Poirot cut him short.
'Where poison is concerned there are all sorts of possibilities. It must, presumably, have been a narcotic of some sort if he died in his sleep and if there were no suspicious appearances. Possibly he was already having some narcotic administered to him.'
'In any case,' said Mr Entwhistle, 'the how hardly matters. We shall never be able to prove anything.'
'In the case of Richard Abernethie, no. But the murder of Cora Lansquenet is different. Once we know 'who' then evidence ought to be possible to get.' He added with a sharp glance, 'You have, perhaps, already done something.'
'Very little. My purpose was mainly, I think, elimination. It is distasteful to me to think that one of the Abernethie family is a murderer. I still can't quite believe it. I hoped that by a few apparently idle questions I could exonerate certain members of the family beyond question. Perhaps, who knows, all of them? In which case, Cora would have been wrong in her assumption and her own death could be ascribed to some casual prowler who broke in. After all, the issue is very simple. What were the members of the Abernethie family doing on the afternoon that Cora Lansquenet was killed?'
'Eh bien,' said Poirot, 'what were they doing?'
'George Crossfield was at Hurst Park races. Rosamund Shane was out shopping in London. Her husband – for one must include husbands -'
'Assuredly.'
'Her husband was fixing up a deal about an option on a play, Susan and Gregory Banks were at home all day. Timothy Abernethie, who is an invalid, was at his home in Yorkshire, and his wife was driving herself home from Enderby.'
He stopped.
Hercule Poirot looked at him and nodded comprehendingly.
'Yes, that is what they say. And is it all true?'
'I simply don't know, Poirot. Some of the statements are capable of proof or disproof – but it would be difficult to do so without showing one's hand pretty plainly. In fact to do so would be tantamount to an accusation. I will simply tell you certain conclusions of my own. George may have been at Hurst Park races, but I do not think he was. He was rash enough to boast that he had backed a couple of winners. It is my experience that so many offenders against the law ruin their own case by saying too much. I asked him the name of the winners, and he gave the names of two horses without any apparent hesitation. Both of them, I found, had been heavily tipped on the day in question and one had duly won. The other, though an odds on favourite, had unaccountably failed even to get a place.'
'Interesting. Had this George any urgent need for money at the time of his uncle's death?'
'It is my impression that his need was very urgent. I have no evidence for saying so, but I strongly suspect that he has been speculating with his clients' funds and that he was in danger of prosecution. It is only my impression but I have some experience in these matters. Defaulting solicitors, I regret to say, are not entirely uncommon. I can only tell you that I would not have cared to entrust my own funds to George, and I suspect that Richard Abernethie, a very shrewd judge of men, was dissatisfied with his nephew and placed no reliance on him.
'His mother,' the lawyer continued, 'was a good-looking, rather foolish girl and she married a man of what I should call dubious character.' He sighed. 'The Abernethie girls were not good choosers.'
He paused and then went on:
'As for Rosamund, she is a lovely nitwit. I really cannot see her smashing Cora's head in with a hatchet! Her husband, Michael Shane, is something of a dark horse – he's a man with ambition and also a man of overweening vanity I should say. But really I know very little about him. I have no reason to suspect him of a brutal crime or of a carefully planned poisoning, but until I know that he really was doing what he says he was doing I cannot rule him out.'
'But you have no doubts about the wife?'
'No – no – there is a certain rather startling callousness… ut no, I really cannot envisage the hatchet. She is a fragile looking creature.'
'And beautiful!' said Poirot with a faint cynical smile. 'And the other niece?'
'Susan? She is a very different type from Rosamund – a girl of remarkable ability, I should say. She and her husband were at home together that day. I said (falsely) that I had tried to get them on the telephone on the afternoon in question. Greg said very quickly that the telephone had been out of order all day. He had tried to get someone and failed.'
'So again it is not conclusive… You cannot eliminate as you hoped to do… What is the husband like?'
'I find him hard to make out. He has a somewhat unpleasing personality though one cannot say exactly why he makes this impression. As for Susan -'
'Yes?'
'Susan reminds me of her uncle. She has the vigour, the drive, the mental capacity of Richard Abernethie. It may be my fancy that she lacks some of the kindliness and the warmth of my old friend.'
'Women are never kind,' remarked Poirot. 'Though they can sometimes be tender. She loves her husband?'
'Devotedly, I should say. But really, Poirot, I can't believe – I won't believe for one moment that Susan -'
'You prefer George?' said Poirot. 'It is natural! As for me, I am not so sentimental about beautiful young ladies. Now tell me about your visit to the older generation?'
Mr Entwhistle described his visit to Timothy and Maude at some length. Poirot summarised the result.
'So Mrs Abernethie is a good mechanic. She knows all about the inside of a car. And Mr Abernethie is not the invalid he likes to think himself. He goes out for walks and is, according to you, capable of vigorous action. He is also a bit of an ego maniac and he resented his brother's success and superior character.'
'He spoke very affectionately of Cora.'
'And ridiculed her silly remark after the funeral. What of the sixth beneficiary?'
'Helen? Mrs Leo? I do not suspect her for a moment. In any case, her innocence will be easy to prove. She was at Enderby. With three servants in the house.'
'Eh bien, my friend,' said Poirot. 'Let us be practical. What do you want me to do?'
'I want to know the truth, Poirot.'
'Yes. Yes, I should feel the same in your place.'
'And you're the man to find it out for me. I know you don't take cases any more, but I ask you to take this one. This is a matter of business. I will be responsible for your fees. Come now, money is always useful.'
Poirot grinned.
'Not if it all goes in the taxes! But I will admit, your problem interests me! Because it is not easy… It is all so nebulous… One thing, my friend, had better be done by you. After that, I will occupy myself of everything. But I think it will be best if you yourself seek out the doctor who attended Mr Richard Abernethie. You know him?'
'Slightly.'
'What is he like?'
'Middle-aged G.P. Quite competent. On very friendly terms with Richard. A thoroughly good fellow.'
'Then seek him out. He will speak more freely to you than to me. Ask him about Mr Abernethie's illness. Find
