The ABC Murders
Chapter Twenty-Seven The Doncaster Murder
Coming in hard on Poirot's heels£¬I just caught the fag end of Inspector
Crome's remark.
Both he and the Chief Constable were looking worried and depressed.
Colonel Anderson greeted us with a nod of the head.
"Glad you've come£¬M.Poirot£¬"he said politely.I think he guessed that
Crome's remark might have reached our ears.
"We've got in the neck again£¬you see."
"Another A B C murder?"
"Yes.Damned audacious bit of work.Man leaned over and stabbed the fellow
in the back."
"Stabbed this time?"
"Yes£¬varies his methods a bit£¬doesn't he?
Biff on the head£¬strangled£¬now a knife.Versatile devil-what?Here are
the medical details if you care to see'em."
He shoved a paper towards Poirot."A B C down on the floor between the
dead man's feet£¬"he added.
"Has the dead man been identified?asked Poirot.
"Yes.A B C's slipped up for once-if that's any satisfaction to us.
Deceased's a man called Earlsfield-George Earlsfield.Barber by
profession."
"Curious£¬"commented Poirot.
"May have skipped a letter£¬"suggested the colonel.
My friend shook his head doubtfully.
"Shall we have in the next witness?"asked Crome."He's anxious to get
home."
"Yes£¬yes-let's get on."
A middle-aged gentleman strongly resembling the frog footman in Alice in
Wonderland was led in.He was highly excited and his voice was shrill with
emotion.
"Most shocking experience I have ever known£¬"he squeaked."I have a weak
heart£¬sir-a very weak heart£¬it might have been the death of me."
"Your name£¬please£¬"said the inspector.
"Downes.Roger Emmanuel Downes."
"Profession?"
"I am a master at Highfield School for boys."
"Now£¬Mr Downes£¬will you tell us in your own words what happened."
"I can tell you that very shortly£¬gentlemen.
At the close of the performance I rose from my seat.The seat on my left
was empty but in the one beyond a man was sitting£¬apparently asleep.I was
unable to pass him to get out as his legs were stuck out in front of him.I
asked him to allow me to pass.As he did not move I repeated my request
in-a-er-slightly louder tone.He still made no response.I then took him by
the shoulder to waken him.His body slumped down further and I became
aware-that he was either unconscious or seriously ill.I called out:"This
gentleman is taken ill.Fetch the commissionaire."The commissionaire came.As
I took my hand from the man's shoulder I found it was wet and red......I can
assure you£¬gentlemen£¬the shock was terrific!Anything might have
happened!For years I have suffered from cardiac weakness-"Colonel Anderson
was looking at Mr Downes with a very curious expression.
"You can consider that you're a lucky man£¬Mr Downes."
"I do£¬sir.Not even a palpitation!"
"You don't quite take my meaning£¬Mr Downes.
You were sitting two seats away£¬you say?"
"Actually I was sitting at first in the next seat to the murdered
man-then I moved along so as to be behind an empty seat."
"You're about the same height and build as the dead man£¬aren't you£¬and
you were wearing a wollen scarf round your neck just as he was?"
"I fail to see-"began Mr Downes stiffly.
"I'm telling you£¬man£¬"said Colonel Anderson£¬"just where your luck
came in.Somehow or other£¬when the murderer followed you in£¬he got confused.
He picked on the wrong back.I'll eat my hat£¬Mr Downes£¬if that knife
wasn't meant for you!"
However well Mr Downes's heart had stood former tests£¬it was unable to
stand up to this one.He sank on a chair£¬gasped£¬and turned purple in the
face.
"Water£¬"he gasped."Water......"
A glass was brought him.He sipped it whilst his complexion gradually
returned to the normal.
"Me?"he said."Why me?"
"It looks like it£¬"said Crome."In fact£¬it's the only explanation."
"You mean that this man-this-this fiend incarnate-this bloodthirsty
madman has been following me about waiting for an opportunity?"
"I should say that was the way of it."
"But in heaven's name£¬why me?"demanded the outraged schoolmaster.
Inspector Crome struggled with the temptation to reply:"Why not?"and
said instead:"I'm afraid it's no good expecting a lunatic to have reasons
for what he does."
"God bless my soul£¬"said Mr Downes£¬sobered into whispering.
He got up.He looked suddenly old and shaken.
"If you don't want me any more£¬gentlemen£¬I think I'll go home.I-I
don't feel very well."
"That's quite all right£¬Mr Downes.I'll send a constable with you-just
to see you're all right."
"Oh£¬no-no£¬thank you.That's not necessary."
"Might as well£¬"said Colonel Anderson gruffly.
His eyes slid sideways£¬asking an imperceptible question of the
inspector.The latter gave an equally imperceptible nod.
Mr Downes went out shakily.
"Just as well he didn't tumble to it£¬"said Colonel Anderson."There'll
be a couple of them-eh?"
"Yes£¬sir.Your Inspector Rice has made arrangements.The house will be
watched."
"You think£¬"said Poirot£¬"that when A B C finds out his mistake he
might try again?"
Anderson nodded.
"It's a possibility£¬"he said."Seems a methodical sort of chap£¬A B C.
It will upset him if things don't go according to programme."
Poirot nodded thoughtfully.
"Wish we could get a description of the fellow£¬"said Colonel Anderson
irritably."We're as much in the dark as ever."
"It may come£¬"said Poirot.
"Think so?Well£¬it's possible.Damn it all£¬hasn't anyone got eyes in
their head?"
"Have patience£¬"said Poirot.
"You seem very confident£¬M.Poirot.Got any reason for this optimism?"
"Yes£¬Colonel Anderson.Up to now£¬the murderer has not made a mistake.
He is bound to make one soon."
"If that's all you've got to go on£¬"began the Chief Constable with a
snort£¬but he was interrupted.
"Mr Ball of the Black Swan is here with a young woman£¬sir.He reckons
he's got summat to say might help you."
"Bring them along.Bring them along.We can do with anything helpful."
Mr Ball of the Black Swan was a large£¬slow-thinking£¬heavily moving man.
He exhaled a strong odour of beer.With him was a plump young woman with
round eyes clearly in a state of high excitement.
"Hope I'm not intruding or wasting valuable time£¬"said Mr Ball in a
slow£¬thick voice."But this wench£¬Mary here£¬reckons she's got something to
tell as you ought to know."
Mary giggled in a half-hearted way.
"Well£¬my girl£¬what is it?"said Anderson."What's your name?"
"Mary£¬sir£¬Mary Stroud."
"Well£¬Mary£¬out with it."
Mary turned her round eyes on her naster.
"It's her business to take up hot water to the gents'bedrooms£¬"said Mr
Ball£¬coming to the rescue."About half a dozen gentlemen we'd got staying.
Some for the races and some just commercials."
"Yes£¬yes£¬"said Anderson impatiently.
"Get on£¬lass£¬"said Mr Ball."Tell your tale.Nowt to be afraid of."
Mary gasped£¬groaned and plunged in a breathless voice into her narrative.
"I knocked on door and there wasn't no answer£¬otherwise I wouldn't have
gone in leastways not unless the gentleman had said"Come in£¬"and as he
didn't say nothing I went in and he was there washing his hands."
She paused and breathed deeply.
"Go on£¬my girl£¬"said Anderson.
Mary looked sideways at her master and as though receiving inspiration
from his slow nod£¬plunged on again.
""It's your hot water£¬sir£¬"I said£¬"and I did knock£¬"but "Oh£¬"he
says£¬"I've washed in cold£¬"he said£¬and so£¬naturally£¬I looks in basin£¬
and oh!God help me£¬sir£¬it were all red!"
"Red?"said Anderson sharply.
Ball struck in.
"The lass told me that he had his coat off and that he was holding the
sleeve of it£¬and it was all wet-that's right£¬eh£¬lass?"
"Yes£¬sir£¬that's right£¬sir."
She plunged on:
"And his face£¬sir£¬it looked queer£¬mortal queer it looked.Gave me
quite a turn."
"When was this?"asked Anderson sharply.
"About a quarter after five£¬so near as I can reckon."
"Over three hours ago£¬"snapped Anderson.
"Why didn't you come at once?"
"Didn't hear about it at once£¬"said Ball.
"Not till news came along as there'd been another murder done.And then
the lass she screams out as it might have been blood in the basin£¬and I
asks her what she means£¬and she tells me.Well£¬it doesn't sound right to me
and I went upstairs myself.
Nobody in the room.I asks a few questions and one of the lads in
courtyard says he saw a fellow sneaking out that way and by his description
it was the right one.So I says to the missus as Mary here had best go to
police.
She doesn't like the idea£¬Mary doesn't£¬and I says I'll come along with
her."
Inspector Crome drew a sheet of paper towards him.
"Describe this man£¬"he said."As quick as you can.There's no time to be
lost."
"Medium-sized he were£¬"said Mary.
"And stooped and wore glasses."
"His clothes?"
"A dark suit and a Homburg hat.Rather shabby-looking."
She could add little to this description.
Inspector Crome did nit insist unduly.The telephone wires were soon busy£¬
but neither the inspector nor the Chief Constable were over-optimistic.
Crome elicited the fact that the man£¬when seen sneaking across the yard£¬
had had no bag or suitcase.
"There's a chance there£¬"he said.
Two men were despatched to the Black Swan.
Mr Ball£¬swelling with pride and importance£¬and Mary£¬somewhat tearful£¬
accompanied them.
The sergeant returned about ten minutes later.
"I've brought the register£¬sir£¬"he said.
"Here's the signature."
We crowded round.The writing was small and cramped-not easy to read.
"A B Case-or is it Cash?"said the Chief Constable.
"A B C£¬"said Crome significantly.
"What about luggage?"asked Anderson.
"One good-sized suitcase£¬sir£¬full of small cardboard boxes."
"Boxes?What was in'em?"
"Stockings£¬sir.Silk stockings."
Crome turned to Poirot.
"Congratulations£¬"he said."Your hunch was right."
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