“My dear man—if she didn’t—”
“Well, if she didn’t?”
“I can’t imagine any alternative solution. Accident? Surely impossible.”
“Quite impossible, I should say.”
“And I can’t believe in the suicide theory. It had to be brought forward, but it was quite unconvincing to anyone who knew Crale.”
“Quite.”
“So what remains?” asked Meredith Blake.
Poirot said coolly: “There remains the possibility of Amyas Crale having been killed by somebody else.”
“But that’s absurd!”
“You think so?”
“I’m sure of it. Who would have wanted to kill him? Who could have killed him?”
“You are more likely to know than I am.”
“But you don’t seriously believe—”
“Perhaps not. It interests me to examine the possibility. Give it your serious consideration. Tell me what you think.”
Meredith stared at him for a minute or two. Then he lowered his eyes. After a minute or two he shook his head. He said:
“I can’t imagine any possible alternative. I should like to do so. If there were any reason for suspecting anybody else I would readily believe Caroline innocent. I don’t want to think she did it. I couldn’t believe it at first. But who else is there? Who else was there. Philip? Crale’s best friend. Elsa? Ridiculous. Myself? Do I look like a murderer? A respectable governess? A couple of old faithful servants? Perhaps you’d suggest that the child Angela did it? No, Mr. Poirot, there’s no alternative. Nobody could have killed Amyas Crale but his wife. But he drove her to it. And so, in a way, it was suicide after all, I suppose.”
“Meaning that he died by the result of his own actions, though not by his own hand?”
“Yes, it’s a fanciful point of view, perhaps. But—well—cause and effect, you know.”
Hercule Poirot said:
“Have you ever reflected, Mr. Blake, that the reason for murder is nearly always to be found by a study of the person murdered?”
“I hadn’t exactly—yes, I suppose I see what you mean.”
Poirot said:
“Until you know exactly what sort of a person the victim was, you cannot begin to see the circumstances of a crime clearly.”
He added:
“That is what I am seeking for—and what you and your brother have helped to give me—a reconstruction of the man Amyas Crale.”
Meredith Blake passed the main point of the remark over. His attention had been attracted by a single word. He said quickly:
“Philip?”
“Yes.”
“You have talked with him also?”
“Certainly.”