It was not very characteristic of Hercule Poirot to ask the opinions of others. He was usually quitesatisfied with his own opinions. Nevertheless, there were times when he made exceptions. Thiswas one of them. He and Spence had had a brief conversation together and then Poirot had got intouch with a car hire service and after another short conversation with his friend and withInspector Raglan, he drove off. He had arranged with the car to drive him back to London but hehad made one halt on the way there. He drove to The Elms. He told the driver of the car that hewould not be long—a quarter of an hour at most—and then he sought audience with Miss Emlyn.
“I am sorry to disturb you at this hour. It is no doubt the hour of your supper or dinner.”
“Well, I do you at least the compliment, Monsieur Poirot, to think you would not disturb me ateither supper or dinner unless you have a valid1 reason for so doing.”
“You are very kind. To be frank, I want your advice.”
“Indeed?”
Miss Emlyn looked slightly surprised. She looked more than surprised, she looked sceptical.
“That does not seem very characteristic of you, Monsieur Poirot. Are you not usually satisfiedwith your own opinions?”
“Yes, I am satisfied with my own opinions, but it would give me solace2 and support if someonewhose opinion I respected agreed with them.”
She did not speak, merely looked at him inquiringly.
“I know the killer3 of Joyce Reynolds,” he said. “It is my belief that you know it also.”
“I have not said so,” said Miss Emlyn.
“No. You have not said so. And that might lead me to believe that it is on your part an opiniononly.”
“A hunch4?” inquired Miss Emlyn, and her tone was colder than ever.
“I would prefer not to use that word. I would prefer to say that you had a definite opinion.”
“Very well then. I will admit that I have a definite opinion. That does not mean that I shallrepeat to you what my opinion is.”
“What I should like to do, Mademoiselle, is to write down four words on a piece of paper. I willask you if you agree with the four words I have written.”
Miss Emlyn rose. She crossed the room to her desk, took a piece of writing paper and cameacross to Poirot with it.
“You interest me,” she said. “Four words.”
Poirot had taken a pen from his pocket. He wrote on the paper, folded it and handed it to her.
She took it, straightened out the paper and held it in her hand, looking at it.
“Well?” said Poirot.
“As to two of the words on that paper, I agree, yes. The other two, that is more difficult. I haveno evidence and, indeed, the ideas had not entered my head.”
“But in the case of the first two words, you have definite evidence?”
“I consider so, yes.”
“Water,” said Poirot, thoughtfully. “As soon as you heard that, you knew. As soon as I heardthat I knew. You are sure, and I am sure. And now,” said Poirot, “a boy has been drowned in abrook. You have heard that?”
“Yes. Someone rang me up on the telephone and told me. Joyce’s brother. How was heconcerned?”
“He wanted money,” said Poirot. “He got it. And so, at a suitable opportunity, he was drownedin a brook5.”
His voice did not change. It had, if anything, not a softened6, but a harsher note,“The person who told me,” he said, “was riddled7 with compassion8. Upset emotionally. But I amnot like that. He was young, this second child who died, but his death was not an accident. It was,as so many things in life, a result of his actions. He wanted money and he took a risk. He wasclever enough, astute9 enough to know he was taking a risk, but he wanted the money. He was tenyears old but cause and effect is much the same at that age as it would be at thirty or fifty orninety. Do you know what I think of first in such a case?”
“I should say,” said Miss Emlyn, “that you are more concerned with justice than withcompassion.”
“Compassion,” said Poirot, “on my part would do nothing to help Leopold. He is beyond help.
Justice, if we obtain justice, you and I, for I think you are of my way of thinking over this—justice, one could say, will also not help Leopold. But it might help some other Leopold, it mighthelp to keep some other child alive, if we can reach justice soon enough. It is not a safe thing, akiller who has killed more than once, to whom killing10 has appealed as a way of security. I am nowon my way to London where I am meeting with certain people to discuss a way of approach. Toconvert them, perhaps, to my own certainty in this case.”
“You may find that difficult,” said Miss Emlyn.
“No, I do not think so. The ways and means to it may be difficult but I think I can convert themto my knowledge of what has happened. Because they have minds that understand the criminalmind. There is one thing more I would ask you. I want your opinion. Your opinion only this time,not evidence. Your opinion of the character of Nicholas Ransom11 and Desmond Holland. Wouldyou advise me to trust them?”
“I should say that both of them were thoroughly12 trustworthy. That is my opinion. They are inmany ways extremely foolish, but that is only in the ephemeral things of life. Fundamentally, theyare sound. Sound as an apple without maggots in it.”
“One always comes back to apples,” said Hercule Poirot sadly. “I must go now. My car iswaiting. I have one more call still to pay.”
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1
valid
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| adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的 | |
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2
solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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killer
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| n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者 | |
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hunch
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| n.预感，直觉 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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6
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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7
riddled
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| adj.布满的；充斥的；泛滥的v.解谜，出谜题(riddle的过去分词形式) | |
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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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