Murder Killing
2. Andovers
At that time I was impressed by Poirot's premonition about the canned letter he received, but I admit that it had disappeared from my memory when the 21st actually arrived. I just remembered that when Chief Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard visited my best friend's house. This inspector was an old acquaintance of ours for many years, and he was very happy to see me again.
”Wah, unexpected,” he exclaimed. ”Not this Captain Hastings, back from the wilds or whatever his name is! Like the past just met you here with Monsieur Poirot. You look healthy anyway. Just a little thin on the head, huh? That's where we all end up. I am so too.”
I cringed at a glance. I guess by neatly styling my hair, covering the top of my head, the hair that Japp said was thin must be almost imperceptible. However, Japp did not think long when commenting on me, therefore, I just agree with his words, while admitting that none of us are getting younger.
”Except this Monsieur Poirot,” says Japp. ”Can be an interesting advertisement for hair oil. It thrives like a mushroom and its face is more radiant. Become the center of attention in old age. Mix with actual events. The mystery of the train, the mystery of the air, the death of the upper class oh, he is here, there, and everywhere. Never been so prominent since he retired.”
”I told Hastings I was like a prima donna who always creates one extra look,” Poirot said with a smile.
”Don't be surprised if you end up smelling your own death,” Japp said while laughing loosely. ”Wah, that's a great idea. Must be logged.”
”If it is, Hastings should do it,” Poirot said as he winked at me.
”Ha, huh! It will really be a joke,” Japp said.
I didn't see where the funny thing was, I even thought the joke was tasteful. Poor Poirot, he keeps on responding to Japp. The joke about his death certainly did not hit his heart.
Maybe my attitude showed my feelings, that's why Japp then deflected the conversation.
”Have you heard about canned letters
Monsieur Poirot?” tanyakanya.
”I showed it to Hastings two days ago,” my friend said.
”Oh yes, true,” seruku. ”I kind of forgot. Try to remember, what date did he say?”
”Date 21,” tukas Japp. ”That's why I stopped by. Yesterday the 21st. I called Andover last night, just curious. It turns out to be true, just a mockery. There's nothing. Only, a shop window broke children throwing stones and two drunken men as well as some lawlessness. So, once this Belgian friend we misdirected.”
”I have to admit that now I am relieved,” said Poirot.
”You're anxious, aren't you?” japp said sympathetically. ”Thank God, we receive dozens of such letters every day! Writers are unemployed and people are crazy. It means nothing! Just seka-dar ideng.”
”What a fool I take it seriously,” Poirot said. ”I have matched my own nose in the stables.”
”You can't tell which ones are idle and which ones are serious,” said Japp.
”Pardon?”
”Ya, that. Well, I gotta go. There's little business elsewhere holding up stolen diamonds. I just stopped by to make you relieved. It's a shame, if the little gray cells are forced to work in vain.”
With that speech and a big laugh, Japp left.
”Japp hasn't changed much, has it?” Poirot.
”He looks older,” I said. ”All bearded weasels,” I added, as if replying to his words earlier.
Poirot coughed, then said, ”Do you, Hastings, have a little trick my hairdresser is very clever. He stuck people's real hair on the scalp and covered it with our hair instead of a wig, you know not but”
”Poirot,” tukasku furious. ”Now and for all eternity, I don't want to deal with the cunning discovery of your bastard hairdresser. What the hell's wrong with my head?”
”Ah, nothing wrong.” ”You think I'll be bald?” ”Ah, certainly not! Certainly not!”
”It is natural not, when summer there makes hair fall a little. I'll bring home a nice hair oil.”
”Precision.”
”Again, this is not the Japp's business. He's like a wild demon. And his sense of humor is low. The kind of person who will laugh seeing a chair pulled, just when someone will be sitting.”
”Many people will laugh seeing such a joke.” ”Same at all does not make sense.”
”For people who will sit does not make sense.”
”Yes,” I said, slightly holding back the anger. (I admit I am easily offended if the thinness of my hair is questioned.) ”Honey, the can letter turned out to be nothing.”
”I have misjudged. I think the letter smells a bit fishy. It turned out to be a joke. Well, I've grown old and easily suspicious like a guard dog who is blind and barking even though there is nothing.”
”If you want my help, we have to find a special crime case,” I said laughing.
”Do you remember your comment a few days ago? If you could order a crime like ordering dinner, what would you choose?”
I was late to get carried away with his jokes.
”Wait. Let's see the menu first. A heist? A forgery? I guess not. Too vegetarian. Must be a bloody murder with beheading, of course.”
”Yes, should. Hors d’oeuvres should be outstanding.” ”Who are the victims male or female? I thought men. A figure. American Millionaire. Prime Minister. Newspaper owner. The place of crime well, what's wrong if an old perpus-daan? There is no more suitable situation. And the weapon can be a suspected dagger stab, or a blunt weapon, a carving” heirloom stone
”Or, could be,” I said, ”with poison but usually it's a technical matter only. Or a gun eruption that echoes at night. Then, there should be one or two beautiful girls”
”Blonde,” murmured my best friend.
”Your joke was-that's it. One of the beautiful girls was of course suspected as a suspect killer there was a misunderstanding between the girl and her male friend. Then, of course there are some other suspects a woman, somewhat older, dark-skinned and creepy and a friend or rival of the victim. Then, there was the secretary who silenced the dark horse and the burly man with a rude attitude, as well as two maids or gardeners or some cam, who had just been fired. And that stupid detective who looks a bit like Japp well, that's roughly the situation.” ”That's your idea of a criminal case
special?”
”You don't agree with me.” Poirot looked at me with pity.
”You make a precise summary that is almost always written in detective stories.”
”So, what do you want to order?”
Poirot closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. The sound coming out of his lips sounded flat.
”A very simple criminal case. An uncomplicated crime. Crimes in a quiet household life..not exploding very intime ordinary household affairs.”.
”How can a crime be intime?” ”If,” murmured Poirot, ”four people sat down
playing bridge and another sitting a little estranged in a chair by the fireplace. As the night wore on, the man sitting by the fireplace was found dead. One of those four, though quite a bit
the fool, had killed him, and being engrossed with the game in hand, the other three people did not notice that. Well, that's the crime you have to solve! Who was the murderer among the four?”
”Wah,” I said. ”It doesn't look interesting!” Poirot looks at me with accusations.
”Not interesting because it is not accompanied by a dagger that is suspicious, no canned letter, no emerald stolen which turns out to be the eye of the statue of the god, there is no poison from the impregnable East. You have a sensational soul, Hastings. You'd rather have a series of murders than a single murder.” ”I admit,” I said, ”that in the book, the second murder often opens the veil for investigation. If a murder occurs in chapter one, and you have to follow everyone's alibi until the last page, except one person well, the problem becomes boring.”
The phone rang and Poirot got up to answer.
”Halo,” said. ”Halo. Right, here's Hercule Poirot.”
He listened for a minute or two, and then I saw a change in his face.
Poirot's answer in the phone call was brief and disjointed.
”Mais oui..”
”Of course..”.
”Alright, we will come..”.
”Sure..”.
”Maybe, as you said..”
”Good, I'll take him. A tout a l’heure until later then.”
He put down the phone, then walked up to me.
”That was Japp speaking, Hastings.” ”Oh yes?”
”He just got back from the Yard. There's news from Andover.”.
”Andover?” I shouted, hoping for anxiety.
Poirot said slowly, ”An old woman named Ascher, who opened a small shop as well as sold tobacco and newspapers, was found murdered.”
I feel a little disappointed. The curious feeling that had been stirring in me when I heard the word Andover, suddenly disappeared. I was expecting something fantastic that was special! The murder of an old woman who opened a small tobacco shop felt rather barbaric and uninteresting. Poirot continued his remarks, slowly and grimly, ”Andover police are sure they can definitely catch on
si perpene”
For the second time I was disappointed.
”For the woman to have a bad relationship with her husband. The man was a ma-buk and treated him harshly. Her husband even threatened to kill her more than once.”
”Nevertheless,” continued Poirot, ”because of this incident, the police there want to re-examine the canned letter
which I accepted. I said that you and I will be going to Andover.” soon
My spirit returned a little. After all, in the course of this crime, it is still a crime, and I have not dealt with crimes and criminals for a long time.
I barely heard Poirot's next words. But those words later reverberated in my mind with a clearer meaning.
”This is just the beginning,” said Hercule Poirot.
