死亡约会 Part II Chapter 15（2）（在线收听）

Poirot cast a quick glance at the little group of three people on his right, then turned his gaze tothe five people huddled together on his left—a group of people with frightened eyes.

Poirot said quietly: ‘When Colonel Carbury mentioned this business to me, I gave him myopinion as an expert. I told him that it might not be possible to bring proof—such proof as wouldbe admissible in a court of law—but I told him very definitely that I was sure I could arrive at thetruth — simply by questioning the people concerned. For let me tell you this, my friends, toinvestigate a crime it is only necessary to let the guilty party or parties talk—always, in the end,they tell you what you want to know!’ He paused.

‘So, in this case, although you have lied to me, you have also, unwittingly, told me the truth.’

He heard a faint sigh, the scrape of a chair on the floor to his right, but he did not look round.

He continued to look at the Boyntons.

‘First, I examined the possibility of Mrs Boynton having died a natural death—and I decidedagainst it. The missing drug—the hypodermic syringe—and above all, the attitude of the deadlady’s family all convinced me that that supposition could not be entertained.

‘Not only was Mrs Boynton killed in cold blood—but every member of her family was aware ofthe fact! Collectively they reacted as guilty parties.

‘But there are degrees in guilt. I examined the evidence carefully with a view to ascertainingwhether the murder—yes, it was murder—had been committed by the old lady’s family acting ona concerted plan.

‘There was, I may say, overwhelming motive. One and all stood to gain by her death—both inthe financial sense—for they would at once attain financial independence and indeed enjoy veryconsiderable wealth—and also in the sense of being freed from what had become an almostinsupportable tyranny.

‘To continue: I decided, almost immediately, that the concerted theory would not hold water.

The stories of the Boynton family did not dovetail neatly into each other, and no system ofworkable alibis had been arranged. The facts seemed more to suggest that one—or possibly two—members of the family had acted in collusion and that the others were accessories after the fact. Inext considered which particular member or members—were indicated. Here, I may say, I wasinclined to be biased by a certain piece of evidence known only to myself.’

Here Poirot recounted his experience in Jerusalem.

‘Naturally, that pointed very strongly to Mr Raymond Boynton as the prime mover in the affair.

Studying the family, I came to the conclusion that the most likely recipient of his confidences thatnight would be his sister Carol. They strongly resembled each other in appearance andtemperament, and so would have a keen bond of sympathy and they also possessed the nervousrebellious temperament necessary for the conception of such an act. That their motive was partlyunselfish—to free the whole family and particularly their younger sister—only made the planningof the deed more plausible.’ Poirot paused a minute.

Raymond Boynton half opened his lips, then shut them again. His eyes looked steadily at Poirotwith a kind of dumb agony in them.

‘Before I go into the case against Raymond Boynton, I would like to read to you a list ofsignificant points which I drew up and submitted to Colonel Carbury this afternoon.

Significant points

1. Mrs Boynton was taking a mixture containing digitalin.

2. Dr Gerard missed a hypodermic syringe.

3. Mrs Boynton took definite pleasure in keeping her family from enjoying themselves with otherpeople.

4. Mrs Boynton, on the afternoon in question, encouraged her family to go away and leave her.

5. Mrs Boynton is a mental sadist.

6. The distance from the marquee to the place where Mrs Boynton was sitting is (roughly) twohundred yards.

7. Mr Lennox Boynton said at first he did not know what time he returned to the camp, but later headmitted having set his mother’s wrist-watch to the right time.

8. Dr Gerard and Miss Genevra Boynton occupied tents next door to each other.

9. At half-past six, when dinner was ready, a servant was dispatched to announce the fact to MrsBoynton.

10. Mrs Boynton, in Jerusalem, used these words: “I never forget. Remember that. I’ve neverforgotten anything.”

‘Although I have numbered the points separately, occasionally they can be bracketed in pairs.

That is the case, for instance, with the first two. Mrs Boynton taking a mixture containing digitalis.

Dr Gerard had missed a hypodermic syringe. Those two points were the first thing that struck meabout the case, and I may say to you that I found them most extraordinary — and quiteirreconcilable. You do not see what I mean? No matter. I will return to the point presently. Let itsuffice that I noticed those two points as something that had definitely got to be explainedsatisfactorily.