Murder Killing
31. Hercule Poirot Throws Out Questions
A beautiful day in November. Dr. Thompson and Chief Inspector Japp stopped by to inform Poirot of the results of the Rex trial. V. Alexander Bonaparte Cust's.
Poirot personally had a disorder of his throat that he was unable to attend. Fortunately, he did not urge me to accompany him.
”Hold with trial period,” Japp said. ”That's.”
”Isn't it a bit strange,” ask, ”to offer defense at this stage? I think the prisoners always choose the defense first.”
”That's the usual procedure,” says Japp. ”I think the young Lucas wants to finish quickly. I think he's a man who likes to try. The only possible defense is a mental disorder.”
Poirot shrugged his shoulders.
”With mental disorders there will be no defense. Prison sentences are almost impossible, usually a direct death sentence unless the Queen wants.”
”I think Lucas feels there is a chance,” said Japp. ”With a strong alibi on Bexhill's murder, the charges against him could be lenient. I don't think he realized how severe the punishment might be. Nevertheless, Lucas advanced based on what there was. She is young, and she wants to attract the general attention.”
Poirot turned to hompson. ”How do you think, Doctor?”
”About Cust? I really don't know what to say. He plays the role of a sane person very well. Of course he has epilepsy.”
”A very surprising conclusion,” I said. ”Do you yourself come to the Andover police station and relapse there? It really is a dramatic ending. ABC always manages its time carefully.”
”Is it possible for people to commit crimes without realizing it?” my many. ”There seems to be truth in his denial.”
Dr. hompson smiled faintly.
”You should not be inedible by the dramatic style ’Oath to God’. I think Cust is well aware he committed the murder.”
”If the case is so convincing, usually it is the reality,” Crome said.
”Will be your question,” hompson continued,
”it is possible for an epileptic who is in a state of sleep to perform actions without being conscious at all of his actions. But in the general opinion the action should be ’not contrary to the wishes of the person if he is in a conscious state’.”
He kept discussing it, bringing up about the already severe disease grand mal and petit mal that was still light and, frankly, making me very confused, he said, as often happens when a knowledgeable person masters the subject.
”However, I reject the theory that Cust committed his crime without realizing it. You can come up with that theory if there are no letters. The letters have dropped the theory and show the existence of preparation and meticulous planning in the crime.”
”And we haven't got an explanation of those letters,” Poirot said.
”You are interested in that matter?”
”Of course because the letters were addressed to me. And about the letters, Cust kept insisting that he didn't understand anything. If I have not found the reason why the letters were addressed to me, I have not considered the problem solved.”
”Yes I understand your viewpoint. There seems to be no reasonable reason why the person is hostile to you.”
”To date no.”
”Yes. Cust has a clear mental burden due to his mother's behavior (i'm sure there is an Odipus Complex in this case!) with two very grandiose baptist names, ’Alexander’ and ’Bonaparte’. You see the impli-cash? Alexander the popularity of an unparalleled figure, who wanted to conquer more parts of the world. Bonaparte the famous French Emperor. He wants an opponent say, a la-wan who is his classmate. Well you are Hercules, the mighty one.”
”Your remarks provide possibilities, Doctor, and also cultivate a lot of thoughts..”.
”Oh, just a possibility. Well, I have to go.”
Dr. hompson is leaving. Japp stayed. ”Does that alibi worry you?” ask
Poirot's.
”Ya, little,” the inspector admitted. ”But remember, I don't believe it because I know it's not true. But to break down this reality would waste a lot of time. This guy named Strange is hard.”
”Explain to me about that person.”
”He's forty years old. A hard-hearted mining engineer is self-confident, and thinks only he is right. In my opinion it is he who urges that his testimony be heard now. He wants to go to Chile and wants to clear things up first.”
”The person most sure of himself I've ever seen,” I said.
”People who never want to admit their mistakes,” Poirot added.
”She keeps sticking to her story and can never be influenced. He swears by whatever means that he met Cust at the White Cross Hotel in Eastbourne on the evening of July 24. He was lonely and looking for a friend. As far as I can see, Cust is a good listener. He never interrupted the conversation! After dinner he and Cust played dominoes. Strange looks a good domino player and with wonder he found that Cust is also a tenacious player. Strange game, domino. People are crazy about this game. They played for hours. That's what Strange and Cust did. Cust wants to sleep, but Strange doesn't want to hear it and he swears that they play at least until midnight. And that's what they do. They split ten minutes after midnight. And if Cust was at the Whitecross Hotel in East-bourne ten minutes after midnight on the 25th, he couldn't have strangled Betty Barnard on Bexhill beach between midnight and one in the morning
”The problem seems insurmountable,” said Poirot seriously. ”What's for sure, makes people think.”
”Making Crome should think,” says Japp.
”Si Strange is sure true?”
”Yes. He's a stone-headed demon. It is very difficult to see the discrepancy. For example Strange is mistaken and it turns out that the guy is not Cust why did he say that his name is Cust? And the one on the hotel registration book is his handwriting. We have no evidence that he had the accomplice of a soul-dwelling killer without the accomplice!
Did the girl not die?
The doctor was very sure of his testimony, and at least Cust needed time to get out of the hotel in Eastbourne without anyone seeing, then went to Bexhill which was fourteen miles away”
”That's the problem” Poirot said.
”Actually we don't have to fuss about it. We got Cust on Doncaster's murder, a blood-stained coat, the knife has no way out of it. You won't be able to sway the jury and have them acquit him of the charges. But the problem is complicated. He was the killer of Doncaster. Also the murders in Churston as well as the murders in Andover. So, of course he was also the perpetrator of Bexhill's murder. Only, I don't know how!”
He nodded and stood up. ”Your chance is now, Mr. Poirot,”. ”Crome
dead-end. Use the cells of your club, which I have heard much of its greatness. Show me how the killer did it.”
Japp is leaving.
