chapter 5 murder

the following day was the 30th june.

it was just half-past nine when we were told that inspector japp was below and anxious to see us.

it was some years since we had seen anything of the scotland yard inspector.

‘ah! ce bon japp,’ said poirot. ‘what does he want, i wonder?’

‘help,’ i snapped. ‘he’s out of his depth over some case and he’s come to you.’

i had not the indulgence for japp that poirot had. it was not so much that i minded his picking poirot’s brains – after all, poirot enjoyed the process, it was a delicate flattery. what did annoy me was japp’s hypocritical pretence that he was doing nothing of the kind. i liked people to be straightforward. i said so, and poirot laughed.

‘you are the dog of the bulldog breed, eh, hastings? but you must remember that the poor japp he has to save his face. so he makes his little pretence. it is very natural.’

i thought it merely foolish and said so. poirot did not agree.

‘the outward form – it is a bagatelle – but it matters to people. it enables them to keep the amour propre.’

personally i thought a dash of inferiority complex would do japp no harm, but there was no point in arguing the matter. besides, i was anxious to learn what japp had come about.

he greeted us both heartily.

‘just going to have breakfast, i see. not got the hens to lay square eggs for you yet, m. poirot?’

this was an allusion to a complaint from poirot as to the varying sizes of eggs which had offended his sense of symmetry.

‘as yet, no,’ said poirot smiling. ‘and what brings you to see us so early, my good japp?’

‘it’s not early – not for me. i’ve been up and at work for a good two hours. as to what brings me to see you – well, it’s murder.’

‘murder?’

japp nodded.

‘lord edgware was killed at his house in regent gate last night. stabbed in the neck by his wife.’

‘by his wife?’ i cried.

in a flash i remembered bryan martin’s words on the previous morning. had he had a prophetic knowledge of what was going to happen? i remembered, too, jane’s easy reference to ‘bumping him off ’. amoral, bryan martin had called her. she was the type, yes. callous, egotistical and stupid. how right he had been in his judgment.

all this passed through my mind while japp went on:

‘yes. actress, you know. well known. jane wilkinson. married him three years ago. they didn’t get on. she left him.’

poirot was looking puzzled and serious.

‘what makes you believe that it was she who killed him?’

‘no belief about it. she was recognized. not much concealment about it, either. she drove up in a taxi –’

‘a taxi –’ i echoed involuntarily, her words at the savoy that night coming back to me.

‘– rang the bell, asked for lord edgware. it was ten o’clock. butler said he’d see. “oh!” she says cool as a cucumber. “you needn’t. i am lady edgware. i suppose he’s in the library.” and with that she walks along and opens the door and goes in and shuts it behind her.

‘well the butler thought it was queer, but all right. he went downstairs again. about ten minutes later he heard the front door shut. so, anyway, she hadn’t stayed long. he locked up for the night about eleven. he opened the library door, but it was dark, so he thought his master had gone to bed. this morning the body was discovered by a housemaid. stabbed in the back of the neck just at the roots of the hair.’

‘was there no cry? nothing heard?’ ‘they say not. that library’s got pretty well soundproof doors, you know. and there’s traffic passing, too. stabbed in that way, death results amazing quick. straight through the cistern into the medulla, that’s what the doctor said – or something very like it. if you hit on exactly the right spot it kills a man instantaneously.’

‘that implies a knowledge of exactly where to strike. it almost implies medical knowledge.’

‘yes – that’s true. a point in her favour as far as it goes. but ten to one it was a chance. she just struck lucky. some people do have amazing luck, you know.’

‘not so lucky if it results in her being hanged, mon ami,’ observed poirot.

‘no. of course she was a fool – sailing in like that and giving her name and all.’

‘indeed, very curious.’

‘possibly she didn’t intend mischief. they quarrelled and she whipped out a penknife and jabbed him one.’

‘was it a penknife?’

‘something of that kind, the doctor says. whatever it was, she took it away with her. it wasn’t left in the wound.’

poirot shook his head in a dissatisfied manner.

‘no, no, my friend, it was not like that. i know the lady. she would be quite incapable of such a hot-blooded impulsive action. besides, she would be most unlikely to have a penknife with her. few women have – and assuredly not jane wilkinson.’

‘you know her, you say, m. poirot?’

‘yes. i know her.’

he said no more for the moment. japp was looking at him inquisitively.

‘got something up your sleeve, m. poirot?’ he ventured at last.

‘ah!’ said poirot. ‘that reminds me. what has brought you to me? eh? it is not merely to pass the time of day with an old comrade? assuredly not. you have here a nice straightforward murder. you have the criminal. you have the motive – what exactly is the motive, by the way?’

‘wanted to marry another man. she was heard to say so not a week ago. also heard to make threats. said she meant to call round in a taxi and bump him off.’

‘ah!’ said poirot. ‘you are very well informed – very well informed. someone has been very obliging.’

i thought his eyes looked a question, but if so, japp did not respond.

‘we get to hear things, m. poirot,’ he said stolidly.

poirot nodded. he had reached out for the daily paper. it had been opened by japp, doubtless while he was waiting, and had been cast impatiently aside on our entry. in a mechanical manner, poirot folded it back at the middle page, smoothed and arranged it. though his eyes were on the paper, his mind was deep in some kind of puzzle.

‘you have not answered,’ he said presently. ‘since all goes in the swimming fashion, why come to me?’

‘because i heard you were at regent gate yesterday morning.’

‘i see.’

‘now, as soon as i heard that, i said to myself, “something here.” his lordship sent for m. poirot. why? what did he suspect? what did he fear? before doing anything definite, i’d better go round and have a word with him.’

‘what do you mean by “anything definite”? arresting the lady, i suppose?’

‘exactly.’

‘you have not seen her yet?’

‘oh! yes, i have. went round to the savoy first thing. wasn’t going to risk her giving us the slip.’

‘ah!’ said poirot. ‘so you –’

he stopped. his eyes, which had been fixed thoughtfully and up to now unseeingly on the paper in front of him, now took on a different expression. he lifted his head and spoke in a changed tone of voice.

‘and what did she say? eh! my friend. what did she say?’

‘i gave her the usual stuff, of course, about wanting a statement and cautioning her – you can’t say the english police aren’t fair.’

‘in my opinion foolishly so. but proceed. what did milady say?’

‘took hysterics – that’s what she did. rolled herself about, threw up her arms and finally flopped down on the ground. oh! she did it well – i’ll say that for her. a pretty bit of acting.’

‘ah!’ said poirot blandly. ‘you formed, then, the impression that the hysterics were not genuine?’

japp winked vulgarly.

‘what do you think? i’m not to be taken in with those tricks. she hadn’t fainted – not she! just trying it on, she was. i’ll swear she was enjoying it.’

‘yes,’ said poirot thoughtfully. ‘i should say that was perfectly possible. what next?’

‘oh! well, she came to – pretended to, i mean. and moaned – and groaned and carried on and that sour-faced maid of hers doped her with smelling salts and at last she recovered enough to ask for her solicitor. wasn’t going to say anything without her solicitor. hysterics one moment, solicitors the next, now i ask you, is that natural behaviour, sir?’

‘in this case quite natural, i should say,’ said poirot calmly.

‘you mean because she’s guilty and knows it.’

‘not at all, i mean because of her temperament. first she gives you her conception of how the part of a wife suddenly learning of her husband’s death should be played. then, having satisfied her histrionic instinct, her native shrewdness makes her send for a solicitor. that she creates an artificial scene and enjoys it is no proof of her guilt. it merely indicates that she is a born actress.’

‘well, she can’t be innocent. that’s sure.’

‘you are very positive,’ said poirot. ‘i suppose that it must be so. she made no statement, you say? no statement at all?’

japp grinned.

‘wouldn’t say a word without her solicitor. the maid telephoned for him. i left two of my men there and came along to you. i thought it just as well to get put wise to whatever there was going on before i went on with things.’

‘and yet you are sure?’

‘of course i’m sure. but i like as many facts as possible. you see, there’s going to be a big splash made about this. no hole and corner business. all the papers will be full of it. and you know what papers are.’

‘talking of papers,’ said poirot. ‘how do you account for this, my dear friend. you have not read your morning paper very carefully.’

he leant across the table, his finger on a paragraph in the society news. japp read the item aloud.

sir montagu corner gave a very successful dinner-party last night at his house on the river at chiswick. among those present were sir george and lady du fisse, mr james blunt, the well-known dramatic critic, sir oscar hammerfeldt of the overton film studios, miss jane wilkinson (lady edgware) and others.

for a moment japp looked taken aback. then he rallied.

‘what’s that got to do with it? this thing was sent to the press beforehand. you’ll see. you’ll find that our lady wasn’t there, or that she came in late – eleven o’clock or so. bless you sir, you mustn’t believe everything you see in the press to be gospel. you of all people ought to know better than that.’

‘oh! i do, i do. it only struck me as curious, that was all.’

‘these coincidences do happen. now, m. poirot, close as an oyster i know you to be by bitter experience. but you’ll come across with things, won’t you? you’ll tell me why lord edgware sent for you?’

poirot shook his head.

‘lord edgware did not send for me. it was i who requested him to give me an appointment.’

‘really? and for what reason?’

poirot hesitated a minute.

‘i will answer your question,’ he said slowly. ‘but i should like to answer it in my own way.’

japp groaned. i felt a sneaking sympathy with him. poirot can be intensely irritating at times.

‘i will request,’ went on poirot, ‘that you permit me to ring up a certain person and ask him to come here.’

‘what person?’

‘mr bryan martin.’

‘the film star? what’s he got to do with it?’

‘i think,’ said poirot, ‘that you may find what he has got to say interesting – and possibly helpful. hastings, will you be so good?’

i took up the telephone-book. the actor had a flat in a big block of buildings near st james’ park.

‘victoria 49499.’

the somewhat sleepy voice of bryan martin spoke after a few minutes.

‘hello – who’s speaking?’

‘what am i to say?’ i whispered, covering the mouthpiece with my hand.

‘tell him,’ said poirot, ‘that lord edgware has been murdered, and that i should esteem it a favour if he would come round here and see me immediately.’

i repeated this meticulously. there was a startled exclamation at the other end.

‘my god,’ said martin. ‘so she’s done it then! i’ll come at once.’

‘what did he say?’ asked poirot. i told him.

‘ah!’ said poirot. he seemed pleased. ‘so she’s done it then. that was what he said? then it is as i thought, it is as i thought.’

japp looked at him curiously.

‘i can’t make you out, m. poirot. first you sound as though you thought the woman might not have done it after all. and now you make out that you knew it all along.’

poirot only smiled.

第五章 谋杀

第二天是六月三十号。

九点半的时候仆人禀报说贾普警督在楼下焦急地想见我们。

已经有好几年我们没和伦敦警察厅警督打交道了。

“啊！这个可爱的贾普。”波洛说，“不知道他想做什么。”

“寻求帮助的。”我直截了当地说，“他一定遇到了什么棘手的案子，来找你帮忙的。”

我对贾普可不像波洛那样纵容。他一来，波洛就要费脑筋了。我倒不是在意这个。毕竟波洛自己喜欢动脑筋。那是一件很有荣誉和令人高兴的事。我只是讨厌虚伪地装做什么事都没有的样子，我喜欢直爽的人。我对波洛说了自己的想法，他哈哈大笑。

“黑斯廷斯，你是个直爽、勇往直前的人，是吧？但你知道可怜的贾普要保存自己的面子的。所以他就要装装了，这是很自然的。”

我觉得这样很傻，并和波洛说了，他不赞同。

“一个人的外表的东西——都是无关紧要的”对人关系有时又很大。它能让人保持尊严。”

我个人认为，点自卑感，贾普没什么坏处。但争论下去也没什么用处。何况我急于想知道贾普来干什么。

他很热情地与我们打招呼，

“啊！你们正要吃早饭？怎么，波洛先生，母鸡没下方蛋给你吃吧？”

这是一个典故，原来波洛曾抱怨过不同形状的鸡蛋会影响他的匀称感。

“还没有。”波洛笑着说，“我可爱的贾普，一大早来，有何见教？”

“对我来说不早，我已经工作了两个小时了。至于说我为什么来你这一原因吗，是谋杀。”

“谋杀？”

贾普点了点头。

“昨晚埃奇韦尔男爵在他摄政门的府郧被人谋杀。被他的太太用尖刀刺人脖颈致死。”

“被他的太太？”我惊讶地喊道。

我在那一刻突然回忆起布赖恩·马丁前一天早上说的话。他能预见将要发生的事吗？我还记起简曾说过的“把他干掉”的话。超道德的，这是布赖恩·马丁对她的评价。她是那种类型。是的。无情，自私，愚蠢。他的判断是多么正确！

我脑子里面思绪万干。这时。贾普说话了：“是的，那个女演员。你认识的。她很出名的。简·威尔金森。她三年前与他结婚。他们的关系并不好。她离开了他。”

波洛一脸困惑而严肃的样子。

“你为什么认为是她杀的呢？”

“并不是认为。她被认出来了。根本没有任何隐瞒，她是坐一辆出租车去的——”

“一辆出租车？”我不由自主地重复了一下，那晚她在萨伏依饭店的话又在我耳边响起。

“——按门铃，说要见埃奇韦尔男爵。那是在十点的时候。管家说他去看看，她冷静地说，。唤，你不用去了。我是埃奇韦尔夫人。我想他在书房里。，她说着那话就径直走了进去，打开了门，进去后又把门关上了。

“本来管家觉得奇怪，但也没觉得有什么大不了的。他又下了楼。大约十分钟以后，他听见了前门关上的声音。不管怎么说，她是没呆多久。大约夜里十一点的时候他锁上了门。他打开了书房的门，里面黑黑的，他以为主人已经上床睡觉了。今天早上，女仆发现了他的尸体。后颈发根处被刀刺了进去。”

“没有叫喊声吗？什么声音都没听见？”

“他们说没听见。要知道，那间书房的门隔音效果很好。同时外面还有车辆驶过的声音。另外那种刺法，人会很快死去。医生说，是由小脑底部一直到延髓——或类似之处。要是刺准这个部位，人就会立刻死去。”

“这就是说要知道确切的刺入位置，恐怕得懂一些医学知识。”

“是的——是要这样。就这一点而论，她是很得利的。但十有八九是她的运气。她只是偶然地刺中了。要知道，有的人就是很有运气的。”

“我的朋友，要是因此而要被绞死，她可就不运气了。”波洛说道。

“是这样的。她可真是一个傻子——就那么明目张胆地走进去，还自报姓名。”

“这就奇怪了。”

“很可能她不打算杀他的。但他们吵了起来，她就猛然拿出刀子杀了他。”

“是小刀吗？”

“医生说是那类的东西。不管是什么，她是把它拿走了，没有留下任何凶器。”

波洛很不满意地摇了摇头。

“不可能的，不可能的，我的朋友，不会是那样的。我认识那位女士，她不可能做这种一时冲动的事。另外她不可能随身带把刀子。很少有女人带刀子的——简·威尔金森更不会。”

“你说你认识她，波洛先生？”

“是的。我认识她。”

他不再说话了。贾普好奇地望着他。

最后他说：“透漏点消息，如何？”

“啊，”波洛说，“我想起来了。你来此有何贯干？呢？不是来和老朋友叙旧的吧？肯定不是。你是为这件谋杀棠来的。你有罪犯，有犯罪动机。说起犯罪动机，顺便问一下。你认为犯罪动机是什么？”

“想和另一个人结婚。不到一个星期前，有人还听她说过这个。她还威胁说要雇一辆车，去把他干掉。”

“啊1”波洛说道，“你的消息还很灵通嘛——真是消息灵通！一定有人帮忙了。”

我想他眼神里是询问的目光，但尽管如此，贾普没反应。

“我们听说的。波洛先生。”他不动声色地回答道。

波洛点点头。他仲手去拿报纸。毫无疑问那张报纸是贾普在等我们的时候翻开的，我们进来的时候被匆匆地放在了一边。波洛很熟练地将它由中间折回原样，并用手把它抚平。尽管他的眼睛在报纸上，他的思绪却在一个疑问里。

“你还没回答我”，他说道，“既然一切都进展顺利，你为什么还来我这里？”

“因为我听说你昨天去摄政门找过埃奇韦尔男爵。”

“我明白了。”

“我一听说这个，我就对自己说，。这里面有戏。，男爵为什么找波洛先生？他怀疑什么？他恐惧什么？在采取措施之前。我还是和你谈谈。”

“你说。采取措施，是什么意思？是逮捕那位女士？”

“是的。”

“你还没见她吧？”

“啊！己经见过了。离开现场第一件事就是去萨伏依饭店。可不能让她溜了。”

“啊！”波洛说，“那么，你——”

他突然停了下来。他的眼睛一直暗暗地盯着眼前的报纸”在，改变了表情，起头来，一种新的腔调说

“啊！我的朋友，说了些什么？呢！她说了些什么？”

“当然。我像往常一样叫她交代事实，警告她说话要注意。不能让人说伦敦警方做事不公平啊。”

“我觉得这样够傻的。不过继续，位夫人怎么样了？”

“一阵歇斯底里发作——她就是这样的。滚来滚去，开手臂，来索性扑通倒在了地上。唤！她表演得真不错。我得为她说话，场很生动的表演。”

“啊，波洛温和地说，那么，当时的印象是她歇斯底里发作不是真的吗？”

贾普粗俗地眨眨眼。

“你又怎么想呢？我可不会被这种小把戏骗住。她根本没昏倒——根本不会。只是装模作样而已。我敢发誓她还觉得不错呢。”

“是的，波洛若有所思地说道，我以为那是有可能的。后来呢？”

“啊！后来她醒了——假装醒了。然后不住地哼哼，继续演戏。那个面孔呆板的女仆给她闻嗅盐。最后，她清醒过来可以说话了，她叫人去请她的律师。她说没有律师在场，她什么也不会说。先是歇斯底里，然后又是律师。先生，我要问你了。这是自然的吗？”

“就这件事而论，是很自然的。”波洛镇定地说。

“你的意思是因为她是有罪的，并且也知道自己是有罪的。才这样吗？”

“不是的。我认为这是因为她的脾气的缘故。首先她要让你看看一个女人突然听到丈夫死去时该是什么样。表演的本能得到满足后，以她天生精明的头脑。她立刻想到要请一个律师。至于故意造出那个假象，并且自己以为很像，并不足以证明她是有罪的。这只能表明她天生是做演员的料。”

“不过，她绝对不会是无辜的。这一点我敢肯定。”

“你很肯定。”波洛说，“也许是这样吧。你说她什么都不况。一点话也不说吗？”

贾普喇嘴笑了笑。

“律师不在，她拒绝说话。她的仆人给她的律师打了电话。我留了两个手下在那，就到你这来了。载想在继续调查之前还是来和你谈谈，看看还有什么。”

“你很肯定了？”

“当然我很肯定。但我想要尽可能多地知道些事实。你知道。这件案子一定会被大肆宣扬。这不可能是什么秘密的事。所有的报纸都会登满的。你也知道报纸的特点。”

“说到报纸，”波洛说道，“我的朋友，你对这如何解释？你还没仔细看过你的早报吧？”

他俯下身子看桌上的报纸。他的手指指着社会版上的一则消息，贾普大声地读了出来。

“蒙塔古爵士昨晚在齐西克河畔的府邸举办了一场很成功的晚会。出席人士有，乔治爵士、菲斯夫人、著名戏剧评论家詹姆斯·布伦特先生、奥弗赖电影公司的奥斯卡·哈默费尔特先生、简·威尔金森女士（埃奇韦尔夫人）等人。”

贾普惊讶地看了一会，才恢复正常。

“那与案件又有什么关系呢？这种消息是事先送到报馆的。你就会明白的。你会发现她并没在那里，或者她是晚去了——十一点左右。老伙计，你不要以为报纸里登的都是金科玉律。特别是你，应该比谁都明白这一点。”

“啊！我知道，我当然知道，我只是觉得很巧而已。”

“世上巧合的事是不少。波洛先生，我知道你是守口如瓶的，这一点，我早就领教过了。但这件事你会说出来的吧。你会告诉我为什么埃奇韦尔男爵请你去的。”

波洛摇摇头。

“不是埃奇韦尔男爵请我去的。是我要求他见我的。”

“真的吗？那为什么呢？”

波洛犹豫了一下。

“我会回答你这个问题的。”他慢慢地说道，“但是我得按我自己的方式回答你的问题。”

贾普气哼哼地。我暗暗地觉得同情他。波洛有的时候的确会让人想发火。

“我要请求你”，波洛继续说，“让我打电话给一个人叫他来这里。”

“什么人？”

“布赖恩·马丁先生。”

“那个电影明星？他和这有什么关系呢？”

“我想，”波洛说道，“你会发现他说的话很有趣的。很可能。也很有用的。黑斯廷斯，能劳您大驾吗？”

我拿起电话簿。这个明星在圣詹姆斯公园的一大栋高楼里有一套公寓。

“维多利亚49449……”

几分钟以后，布赖恩·马丁略带困意地接了电话。

“喂——哪一位？”

“我说什么？”我捂住话筒，低声问波洛。

“告诉他，”波洛说道，“就说埃奇韦尔男爵昨晚被杀了。如果他能立即来我们这见面，我们将不胜感激。”

我把他的话一字不落地重复了一遍。电话的另一端传来惊讶的叫减。

“我的天！”马丁说道，“她真的那么做了！我立刻来。”

“他说什么？”波洛问我。我告诉了他。

“啊！”波洛看起来很得意地说道，“。她真的那么做了！，他是那么说的？我就是这样想的。正如我所料。”

贾普好奇地望着他。

“我真弄不懂你，波洛先生。你先前说话的口气好像那位女士根本不会杀人的。现在你又说你对这一切都了如指掌。”

波洛只是笑而不答。