Murder Killing
15. Time-keeping
If Crome and his colleagues work tirelessly, I think Poirot is reluctant to move and this is somewhat surprising. Sometimes we argue.
”But what do you want me to do, my friend? Routine checks, the police are more skilled than I am. Always you want me to bounce around like a dog.”
”So you'd rather sit around at home”
”The wise man! My power, Hastings, is in my brain, not in my legs! Every time, when I look like I'm lazing around, I'm actually pondering.”
”Medung?” my yelling. ”Is this the time to reflect?”
”Betul, absolutely right.”
”But what possibilities did you get by contemplating? You have memorized the facts of the three cases in your heart.”
”Not that fact I contemplated but the killer's way of mind.”
”Mind of crazy!”
”Persis. And thus could not be found immediately. If I knew how the killer's mind was going, I'd be able to figure out who he was. Every time I can understand it. After Andover's murder, what do we know about the killer? There's hardly any at all. After the Bexhill murder? Just slightly. After the Churston murders? Somewhat more.
I'm starting to see not what you want to see the skeleton of the face and the shape but the frame of the mind. A brain that moves and works in one definite direction. After the next crime”
”Poirot!”
My friend looked at me calmly.
”Betul, Hastings, I think it's almost certain there will be the next crime, which depends a lot on la chance chance. Until now this mysterious killer is still lucky. This time, it could be that luck turned against him. However, after the next crime, we have countless possibilities. His crimes will be fully exposed. Try to vary your ways, tastes, habits and attitudes, and your heart content will be revealed from your behavior. There are confusing clues sometimes as if two brains are at work but the skeleton will soon be clearly formed, and I definitely know.”
”Who is he?”
”Not so I mean, Hastings. I will not know his name and address, but will know what kind of person he is... ”
”Then?”
”Et alors, je vais a la poche and then, I'll lure him.”
As I looked puzzled, he continued, ”You understand, Hastings, an expert fisherman knows exactly what bait the fish likes. I'll give you the bait he likes the most.”
”Then?”
”Then? Thenwhat? You are the same as the haughty Crome who always commented, ’Oh, yes?’ Eh bien, then he'll grab the bait and hook and we'll pull the hook and roll it..”.
”In the meantime, people are being killed everywhere. ”
”Three people. And remember, how many about 140 road deaths each week?”
”That's another altogether.”
”Maybe the same for those who die. For other people, relationships, friends well, there is a difference, but at least one thing in this case is encouraging.”
”Indeed, we should listen to everything with a happy heart.”
”Inutile there's no point in being so sarcastic. I'm happy because here there is no shadow of sin that troubles innocent people.”
”Is this not worse?”
”In the near future you will start looking for various reasons to forgive that person!” I said fierce.
”Why not? Maybe he himself was sure he was right. Maybe we're finally forced to sympathize with his way of thinking.”
”Jeez, Poirot!”
”Wah! I've taken you in shock.
First my inaction, then my opinion.”
I nodded without giving an answer. ”However,” says Poirot after some
when, ”I have one project that will make you happy because it is active and not passive. And also, it takes a lot of conversation and practically no thought needed.”
I don't really like his tone of speech. ”What is it?” tanyaku carefully.
”Information gleaned from friends, relations, and servants of the victims about what they know.”
”So you suspect they're hiding the facts?”
”Not intentionally. But to tell the known things always concerns selection. Had I told you, tell me about your experience yesterday, maybe you would have replied, ’I woke up at nine, had breakfast at half-ten, I ate eggs, smoked pork and drank coffee, <TAG1>, I went to my club, and so on.’ You won't add, ’My nails are broken and I'm forced to cut them. I rang the bell, asking for water to shave. I spilled a little coffee on the tablecloth. I brush my hat, then wear it.’ Someone can't tell me everything. Therefore, people must make a selection. When there is murder, people choose what they think is important. But often their selection is wrong!”
”Then, how do we get the right choice?”
”As I just said, just by conversation. By talking! By talking about one particular event, or one particular person, or one particular day, over and over again, very detailed things must arise.”
”How much detail?”
”Surely what I don't know or what I don't want to know! But enough time is wasted now to talk about trivial things. In all three of these murders, there was not a single fact or sentence that had anything to do with his own case and this was against all the laws of mathematics. Some trivial occurrences, or trivial statements, that could be clues must exist! Like looking for a needle in a haystack but in a haystack there's a needle I'm sure of this!”
To me, what Poirot is saying is becoming increasingly vague and confusing.
”You don't know what I mean? Your wits are less sharp, unlike the wits of an ordinary servant girl.”
He threw a letter written in very neat italics.
^^^ With respect, ^^^
^^^I hope you will forgive me for writing this letter. I've been thinking a lot since the two heinous murders like my poor aunt. I think we are both faced with a difficult problem. I saw a picture of the young girl in the newspaper, I mean the sister of the girl who was killed in Behill. I ventured to write to him and say that I would come to London to find a job and ask him if I could see him or see his mother, I think two people are better than one. I didn't expect a big paycheck, just to find out who this vile demon was and it's likely that we could find it easier if we could come up with what we knew, to help with the search.^^^
The young lady replied to my letter kindly and said that she worked in an office and lived in a dormitory, but she suggested that I write a letter to you. He said he had thought the same, and that we were facing the same problem and we had to work together. Therefore, I am writing this letter, sir, to inform you that I am coming to London, and this is my address.^^^
^^^ I hope I don't trouble you.^^^
^^^My respect, MARY DROWER^^
”Mary Drower,” says Poirot, ”a very smart girl.”
Poirot took another letter. ”Read this.” A letter from Franklin Clarke, informing him that he would come to London and would contact Poirot the next day, if Poirot did not object.
”Do not despair, monami,” said Poirot. ”Action will be done soon.”
