阳光下的罪恶25

VThe three men looked at each other.

Weston said:

“Cool customer. Not giving anything away, is he? What do you make of him, Colgate?”

The Inspector shook his head.

“It’s difficult to tell. He’s not the kind that shows anything. That sort makes a bad impression inthe witness-box, and yet it’s a bit unfair on them really. Sometimes they’re as cut up as anythingand yet can’t show it. That kind of manner made the jury bring in a verdict of Guilty againstWallace. It wasn’t the evidence. They just couldn’t believe that a man could lose his wife and talkand act so coolly about it.”

Weston turned to Poirot.

“What do you think, Poirot?”

Hercule Poirot raised his hands.

He said:

“What can one say? He is the closed box—the fastened oyster. He has chosen his r?le. He hasheard nothing, he has seen nothing, he knows nothing!”

“We’ve got a choice of motives,” said Colgate. “There’s jealousy and there’s the money motive.

Of course, in a way, a husband’s the obvious suspect. One naturally thinks of him first. If he knewhis missus was carrying on with the other chap—”

Poirot interrupted.

He said:

“I think he knew that.”

“Why do you say so?”

“Listen, my friend. Last night I had been talking with Mrs. Redfern on Sunny Ledge. I camedown from there to the hotel and on my way I saw those two together—Mrs. Marshall and PatrickRedfern. And a moment or two after I met Captain Marshall. His face was very stiff. It saysnothing—but nothing at all! It is almost too blank, if you understand me. Oh! he knew all right.”

Colgate grunted doubtfully.

He said:

“Oh well, if you think so—”

“I am sure of it! But even then, what does that tell us? What did Kenneth Marshall feel about hiswife?”

Colonel Weston said:

“Takes her death coolly enough.”

Poirot shook his head in a dissatisfied manner.

Inspector Colgate said:

“Sometimes these quiet ones are the most violent underneath, so to speak. It’s all bottled up. Hemay have been madly fond of her—and madly jealous. But he’s not the kind to show it.”

Poirot said slowly:

“That is possible—yes. He is a very interesting character this Captain Marshall. I interest myselfin him greatly. And in his alibi.”

“Alibi by typewriter,” said Weston with a short bark of a laugh. “What have you got to sayabout that, Colgate?”

Inspector Colgate screwed up his eyes. He said:

“Well, you know, sir, I rather fancy that alibi. It’s not too good, if you know what I mean. It’s—well, it’s natural. And if we find the chambermaid was about, and did hear the typewriter going,well then, it seems to me that it’s all right and that we’ll have to look elsewhere.”

“H’m,” said Colonel Weston. “Where are you going to look?”

 

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