死亡约会 Part II Chapter 15（1）（在线收听）

Chapter 15

‘My preparations are complete,’ said Hercule Poirot.

With a little sigh he stepped back a pace or two and contemplated his arrangement of one of theunoccupied hotel bedrooms.

Colonel Carbury, leaning inelegantly against the bed which had been pushed against the wall,smiled as he puffed at his pipe. ‘Funny feller, aren’t you, Poirot?’ he said. ‘Like to dramatizethings.’

‘Perhaps—that is true,’ admitted the little detective. ‘But indeed it is not all self-indulgence. Ifone plays a comedy, one must first set the scene.’

‘Is this a comedy?’

‘Even if it is a tragedy—there, too, the décor must be correct.’

Colonel Carbury looked at him curiously.

‘Well,’ he said, ‘it’s up to you! I don’t know what you’re driving at. I gather, though, thatyou’ve got something.’

‘I shall have the honour to present to you what you asked me for—the truth!’

‘Do you think we can get a conviction?’

‘That, my friend, I did not promise you.’

‘True enough. Maybe I’m glad you haven’t. It depends.’

‘My arguments are mainly psychological,’ said Poirot.

Colonel Carbury sighed. ‘I was afraid they might be.’

‘But they will convince you,’ Poirot reassured him. ‘Oh, yes, they will convince you. The truth,I have always thought, is curious and beautiful.’

‘Sometimes,’ said Colonel Carbury, ‘it’s damned unpleasant.’

‘No, no.’ Poirot was earnest. ‘You take there the personal view. Take instead the abstract, thedetached point of vision. Then the absolute logic of events is fascinating and orderly.’

‘I’ll try to look on it that way,’ said the Colonel.

Poirot glanced at his watch, a large grotesque turnip of a watch.

‘But yes, indeed, it belonged to my grandfather.’

‘Thought it might have done.’

‘It is time to commence our proceedings,’ said Poirot. ‘You, mon Colonel, will sit here behindthis table in an official position.’

‘Oh, all right,’ Carbury grunted. ‘You don’t want me to put my uniform on, do you?’

‘No, no. If you would permit that I straightened your tie.’ He suited the action to the word.

Colonel Carbury grinned again, sat down in the chair indicated and a moment later, unconsciously,tweaked his tie round under his left ear again.

‘Here,’ continued Poirot, slightly altering the position of the chairs, ‘we place la familleBoynton.

‘And over here,’ he went on, ‘we will place the three outsiders who have a definite stake in thecase. Dr Gerard, on whose evidence the case for the prosecution depends. Miss Sarah King, whohas two separate interests in the case, a personal one, and that of medical examiner. Also MrJefferson Cope, who was on intimate terms with the Boyntons and so may be definitely describedas an interested party.’

He broke off. ‘Aha—here they come.’

He opened the door to admit the party.

Lennox Boynton and his wife came in first. Raymond and Carol followed. Ginevra walked byherself, a faint, faraway smile on her lips. Dr Gerard and Sarah King brought up the rear. MrJefferson Cope was a few minutes late and came in with an apology.

When he had taken his place Poirot stepped forward.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he said, ‘this is an entirely informal gathering. It has come aboutthrough the accident of my presence in Amman. Colonel Carbury did me the honour to consult me—’

Poirot was interrupted. The interruption came from what was seemingly the most unlikelyquarter. Lennox Boynton said suddenly and pugnaciously:

‘Why? Why the devil should he bring you into this business?’

Poirot waved a hand gracefully.

‘Me, I am often called in in cases of sudden death.’

Lennox Boynton said: ‘Doctors send for you whenever there is a case of heart failure?’

Poirot said gently: ‘Heart failure is such a very loose and unscientific term.’

Colonel Carbury cleared his throat. It was an official noise. He spoke in an official tone.

‘Best to make it quite clear. Circumstance of death reported to me. Very natural occurrence.

Weather unusually hot—journey a very trying one for an elderly lady in bad health. So far allquite clear. But Dr Gerard came to me and volunteered a statement—’

He looked inquiringly at Poirot. Poirot nodded.

‘Dr Gerard is a very eminent physician with a worldwide reputation. Any statement he makes isbound to be received with attention. Dr Gerard’s statement was as follows. On the morning afterMrs Boynton’s death he noted that a certain quantity of a powerful drug acting on the heart wasmissing from his medical supplies. On the previous afternoon he had noticed the disappearance ofa hypodermic syringe. Syringe was returned during the night. Final point—there was a punctureon the dead woman’s wrist corresponding to the mark of a hypodermic syringe.’

Colonel Carbury paused.

‘In these circumstances I considered that it was the duty of those in authority to inquire into thematter. M. Hercule Poirot was my guest and very considerately offered his highly specializedservices. I gave him full authority to make any investigations he pleased. We are assembled herenow to hear his report on the matter.’

There was silence—a silence so acute that you could have heard—as the saying is—a pin drop.

Actually someone did drop what was probably a shoe in the next room. It sounded like a bomb inthe hushed atmosphere.