Murder Killing
36. Poirot Explains II
Perhaps the newspaper would not have carried the first letter, but after the second murder occurred, the ABC certainly obtained the largest publication the press could provide. So, why Hercule Poirot?
Is it because of personal reasons?
Judging from the letter, there seems to be a sense of hatred towards foreigners but it does not adequately explain the problem and cannot make me satisfied.
”Then the second letter came and followed with the murder of Betty Barnard in Bexhill. It is quite clear now (as I suspected) that the killings were carried out in alphabetical order, however, the factor that became the kesim-pulan of many people is still a question that is not answered in my mind. Why did ABC feel the need to commit those murders?”
Megan Barnard made a move on her chair. ”Isn't there something called bloodthirsty?” abugn.
Poirot looked at him.
”You're right, Mademoiselle. Something's up. The thirst to kill. But it does not fit the facts in this case. A cold-blooded killer who wants to kill usually has the desire to kill as many victims as possible. Like satisfying a sense of addiction. Such a killer usually hides his tracks not advertising them. When we think about the selection of the four victims or just take the three victims (because I don't really know Mr. Downes or Mr. Earlsfield), we came to the conclusion that if he had an election, the killer could have gotten rid of the victims without arousing suspicion.
Franz Ascher, Donald Fraser, or Megan Barnard, or maybe Mr. Clarke's the ones the police will suspect, even though they're unlikely to get direct evidence. An unknown killer would never have been thought of! Then why did the killer feel the need to draw attention?
Is it necessary to leave an ABC train guide near the bodies of the victims? Is that an impulse of the heart? Are there any mental disorders associated with train guidance?
”For me back then it was unimaginable to be able to
understand the killer's mind. Must not be generosity?
Fear of taking responsibility for the crime, then putting it on innocent people?
”While I cannot answer the main question, I feel I have understood some things about the killer.”
”For example?” ask Fraser.
”First that he has systematic thinking. His crimes committed in alphabetical order were obviously important to him. Instead, he did not conduct a special election on the victims of Mrs. Ascher, Betty Barnard, Sir Carmichael Clarke, they are very different from each other. There are no sexual disorders, no special age disorders, and I think this is a strange thing. If people kill without choosing, it is usually because he wants to get rid of anyone who is a hindrance to him or who irritates him.
But the alphabetical order reveals that this case is not so. Other types of killers usually choose a particular victim almost always an opposite sex. The procedure followed by ABC is rather haphazard so I think it contradicts the alphabetical selection.
”I have come to a temporary conclusion. ABC's picks showed me what I call train lunatics. It is usually more common in men than women. Boys prefer trains to girls. Possibilities are also valuable clues about an undeveloped mind. Childish motives still stand out.
”The death of Betty Barnard and the manner of her murder gave me some clues. His manner of death especially, showed something. (I'm sorry, Mr. Fraser.) First, he was strangled with his own belt therefore, it was almost certain that he was killed by someone he knew well or even a date. By the time I knew something about his nature, there was a picture that came into my mind.
...”Betty Barnard is a flirtatious girl. He likes to get the attention of handsome men. Therefore, to persuade him to want to go with it ABC must have a certain attraction (of le seper appeal)...
sexually! Englishman says he should ’smart seduce’. He must master the technique!
”My impression of the incident on the beach was like this: the man admired his belt and the girl took it off, then the man joked, draping it on the girl's neck maybe saying, ’I'll strangle you.’ Everything seems like a joke. The girl laughed and the man snared her”
Donald Fraser is out. Face is pale.
”Mr. Poirot for God's sake.”
”Completed. I won't talk about it anymore. Done it. We proceed to the next murder, the murder of Sir Carmichael Clarke. Here the killer returns to his original way of hitting the head. The same soul disorder is alphabetical but there are facts that somewhat confuse me. If consequently, the killer must have chosen the city of the scene in a certain order.”
”If Andover is the 155th in the list of names A, then murder B should also be the 155th or 156th, and C the 157th. Again the city of the scene seems to have been chosen haphazardly.”
”Isn't it because you've been prejudiced about it, Poirot?” my tukas. ”You yourself are a systematic and methodical person, even like your disease.”
”Not, not a disease! Quelle ide! Just ideas! But I admit, maybe I put too much emphasis on things
that's. Passon! Enough's enough! That's not what we need to talk about anymore!
”Churston's murder helped me a little. We did not have good fortune at that time because the letter telling us it was the wrong address, so there was no preparation that could be done.
”But after the crime of D was reported, a great martial system was conceived. It is clear that the ABC can no longer hope to escape the crimes it committed.
”Moreover, at the same time the instructions about stocking I have obtained. Clearly, the appearance of someone selling stockings around the scene of each murder cannot be called a coincidence. So, the stocking seller must be the killer. I think the image of her as Miss Grey told me, doesn't quite fit my own image of the man who strangled Betty Barnard.
”I will finish the following explanation quickly. The fourth murder, the murder of a man named George Earlsfield, appeared to be a mistake with a man named Downes, whose appearance was similar and sitting nearby in a movie theater.
”Then, good fortune turned around leaving him. The events that occurred as if against ABC, no longer mastered. He was suspected of being hunted down and eventually arrested.
”As Hastings said, the case is done!
”As far as the general view is concerned, indeed
thats right. That person was already in the cell and inevitably, would eventually be thrown into Broadmoor. There will be no more murders. It's finished! It's finished! RIPS.
”But not for me! I don't know anything!
Why or how next.
”And there is one annoying factor. Cust has an alibi for the night of the murder in Bexhill.”
”That saddled my heart all this time,” said Franklin Clarke.
”Yes. It also saddens my heart. As for the alibi, it seems to be true. But it cannot be original and true unless and now we come to two interesting speculations.
”For example, Friends, let's say Cust committed three of those murders A, C, and D he didn't commit B.”
”Mr. Poirot's. That's not”
”Quiet first, Mademoiselle. I'm looking for the truth! I've been tired of the lies. For example, I said that ABC did not do a second murder. Remember, it happened in the early hours of the morning when it started on the 25th that was the day he came to kill. Could someone have come to prevent it? In such a situation, what would he do? Commit a second murder, or step back and regard the first as a terrible gift?”
