There was a pause.Then clearing his throat with a slightly affected
sound,Poirot went on:
"We have now solved the mystery of what I might term the second
hypodermic.That belonged to Mrs Lennox Boynton,was taken by Raymond Boynton
before leaving Jerusalem,was taken from Raymond by Carol after the discovery of
Mrs Boynton's dead body,was thrown away by her,found by Miss Pierce,and claimed
by Miss King as hers.I presume Miss King has it now."
"I have,"said Sarah.
"So that when you said it was yours just now,you were doing what you told us
you do not do -you told a lie."
Sarah said calmly: "That's a different kind of lie.It isn't -it isn't a
professional lie."
Gerard nodded appreciation.
"Yes,it is a point that.I understand you perfectly,mademoiselle."
"Thanks,"said Sarah.
Again Poirot cleared his throat.
"Let us now review our time-table.Thus:
Boyntons and Jefferson Cope leave the camp 3.5(approx.)
Dr Gerard and Sarah King leave the camp 3.15(approx.)
Lady Westholme and Miss Pierce leave the camp 4.15(approx.)
Dr Gerard returns to camp 4.20(approx.)
Lennox Boynton returns to camp 4.35
Nadine Boynton returns to camp and talks to Mrs Boynton 4.40
Nadine Boynton leaves her mother-in-law and goes to marquee 4.50(approx.)
Carol Boynton returns to camp 5.10
Lady Westholme,Miss Pierce and Mr Jefferson Cope return to camp 5.40
Raymond Boynton returns to camp 5.50
Sarah King returns to camp 6.0
Body discovered 6.30
"There is,you will notice,a gap of twenty minutes between four-fifty when
Nadine Boynton left her mother-in-law and five-ten when Carol
returned.Therefore,if Carol is speaking the truth,Mrs Boynton must have been
killed in that twenty minutes.
"Now who could have killed her?At that time Miss King and Raymond Boynton
were together.Mr Cope (not that he had any perceivable motive for killing
her)has an alibi.He was with Lady Westholme and Miss Pierce.Lennox Boynton was
with his wife in the marquee.Dr Gerard was groaning with fever in his tent.The
camp is deserted,the boys are asleep.It is a suitable moment for a crime!Was
there a person who could have committed it?"
His eyes went thoughtfully to Ginevra Boynton.
"There was one person.Ginevra Boynton was in her tent all the afternoon.That
is what we have been told -but actually there is evidence that she was not in
her tent all the time.Ginevra Boynton made a very significant remark.She said
that Dr Gerard spoke her name in his fever.And Dr Gerard had also told us that
he dreamt in his fever of Ginevra Boynton's face.But it was not a dream!It was
actually her face he saw,standing there by his bed.He thought it an effect of
fever -but it was the truth.Ginevra was in Dr Gerard's tent.Is it not possible
that she had come to put back the hypodermic syringe after using it?"
Ginevra Boynton raised her head with its crown of red-gold hair.Her wide
beautiful eyes stared at Poirot.They were singularly expressionless.She looked
like a vague saint.
"Ah,ca non!"cried Dr Gerard.
"Is it,then,so psychologically impossible?"inquired Poirot.
The Frenchman's eyes dropped.
Nadine Boynton said sharply: "It's quite impossible!"
Poirot's eyes came quickly round to her.
"Impossible,madame?"
"Yes."She paused,bit her lip,then went on,"I will not hear of such a
disgraceful accusation against my young sister-in-law.We -all of us -know it to
be impossible."
Ginevra moved a little on her chair.The lines of her mouth relaxed into a
smile -the touching,innocent half-unconscious smile of a very young girl.
Nadine said again: "Impossible."
Her gentle face had hardened into lines of determination.The eyes that met
Poirot's were hard and unflinching.
Poirot leaned forward in what was half a bow.
"Madame is very intelligent,"he said.
Nadine said quietly: "What do you mean by that,M.Poirot?"
"I mean,madame,that all along I have realized that you have what I believe
is called an "excellent headpiece"."
"You flatter me."
"I think not.All along you have envisaged the situation calmly and
collectively.You have remained on outwardly good terms with your husband's
mother,deeming that the best thing to be done,but inwardly you have judged and
condemned her.I think that some time ago you realized that the only chance for
your husband's happiness was for him to make an effort to leave home -strike out
on his own no matter how difficult and penurious such a life might be.You were
willing to take all risks and you endeavoured to influence him to exactly that
course of action.But you failed,madame.Lennox Boynton had no longer the will to
freedom.He was content to sink into a condition of apathy and melancholy.
"Now I have no doubt at all,madame,but that you love your husband.Your
decision to leave him was not actuated by a greater love for another man.It
was,I think,a desperate venture undertaken as a last hope.A woman in your
position could only try three things.She could try appeal.That,as I have
said,failed.She could threaten to leave herself.But it is possible that even
that threat would not have moved Lennox Boynton.It would plunge him deeper in
misery,but it would not cause him to rebel.There was one last desperate
throw.You could go away with another man.Jealousy and the instinct of possession
is one of the most deeply rooted fundamental instincts in man.You showed your
wisdom in trying to reach that deep underground savage instince.If Lennox
Boynton would let you go without an effort to another man -then he must indeed
be beyond human aid,and you might as well then try to make a new life for
yourself elsewhere.
"But let us suppose that even that last desperate remedy failed.Your husband
was terrible upset at your decision,but in spite of that he did not,as you had
hoped,react as a primitive man might have done with an uprush of the possessive
instinct.Was there anything at all that could save your husband from his own
rapidly failing mental condition?Only one thing.If his stepmother were to die,it
might not be too late.He might be able to start life anew as a free man,building
up in himself independence and manliness once more."
Poirot paused,then repeated gently: "If your mother-in-law were to
die......"
Nadine's eyes were still fixed on him.In an unmoved gentle voice she said:
"You are suggesting that I helped to bring that event about,are you not?But you
cannot do so,M.Poirot.After I had broken the news of my impending departure to
Mrs Boynton,I went straight to the marquee and joined Lennox.I did not leave it
again until my mother-in-law was found dead.Guilty of her death I may be,in the
sense that I gave her s shock -that,of cause,presupposes a natural death.But
if,as you say (though so far you have no direct evidence of it and cannot have
until an autopsy has taken place)she was deliberately killed,then I had no
opportunity of doing so."
Poirot said: "You did not leave the marquee again until your mother-in-law
was found dead.That is what you have just said.That,Mrs Boynton,was one of the
points I found curious about this case."
"What do you mean?"
"It is here on my list.Point nine.At half-past six,when dinner was ready,a
servant was despatched to announce the fact to Mrs Boynton."
Raymond said: "I don't understand."
Carol said: "No more do I."
Poirot looked from one to the other of them.
"You do not,eh?"A servant was sent"-why a servant?Were you not,all of
you,most assiduous in your attendance on the old lady as a general rule?Did not
one or other of you always escort her to meals?She was infirm.It was difficult
for her to rise from a chair without assistance.Always one or other of you was
at her elbow.I suggest then,that on dinner being announced the natural thing
would have been for one or other of her family to go out and help her.But not
one of you offered to do so.You all sat there,paralysed,watching each
other,wondering,perhaps,why no one went."
Nadine said sharply: "All this is absurd,M.Poirot!We were all tired that
evening.We ought to have gone,I admit,but -on that evening -we just didn't!"
"Precisely -precisely -on that particular evening!You,madame,did perhaps
more waiting on her than anyone else.It was one of the duties that you accepted
mechanically.But that evening you did not offer to go out to help her
in.Why?That is what I asked myself -why?And I tell you my answer.Because you
knew quite well that she was dead......
"No,no,do not interrupt me,madame."He raised an impassioned hand."You will
now listen to me -Hercule Poirot!There were witnessed to your conversation with
your mother-in-law.Witnesses who could see but could not hear!Lady Westholme and
Miss Pierce were a long way away.They saw you apparently having a conversation
with your mother-in-law,but what actual evidence is there of what occurred?I
will propound to you instead a little theory.You have brains,madame.If in your
quiet unhurried fashion you have decided on -shall we say the elimination of
your husband's mother -you will carry it out with intelligence and with due
preparation.You have access to Dr Gerard's tent during his absence on the
morning excursion.You are fairly sure that you will find a suitable drug.Your
nursing training helps you there.You choose digitoxin -the same kind of drug
that the old lady is taking -you also take his hypodermic syringe since,to your
annoyance,your own has disappeared.You hope to replace the syringe before the
doctor notices its absence."
"Before proceeding to carry out your plan,you make one last attempt to stir
your husband into action.You tell him of your intention to marry Jefferson
Cope.Though your husband is terribly upset he does not react as you had hoped -
so you are forced to put your plan of murder into action.You return to the camp
exchanging a pleasant natural word with Lady Westholme and Miss Piece as you
pass.You go up to where your mother-in-law is sitting.You have the syringe with
the drug in it ready.It is easy to seize her wrist and -proficient as you are
with your nurse's training -force home the plunger.It is done before your
mother-in-law realizes what you are doing.From far down the valley the others
only see you talking to her,bending over her.Then deliberately you go and fetch
a chair and sit there apparently engaged in an amicable conversation for some
minutes.Death must have been almost instantaneous.It is a dead woman to whom you
sit talking,but who shall guess that?Then you put away the chair and go down to
the marquee,where you find your husband reading a book.And you are careful not
to leave that marquee!Mrs Boynton's death,you are sure,will be put down to heart
trouble.(It will,indeed,be due to heart trouble.)In only one thing have your
plans gone astray.You cannot return the syringe to Dr Gerard's tent because the
doctor is in there shivering with malaria -and although you do not know it,he
has already missed the syringe.That,madame,was the flaw in an otherwise perfect
crime."
There was silence -a moment's dead silence -then Lennox Boynton sprang to
his feet.
"No,"he shouted."That's a damned lie.Nadine did nothing.She couldn't have
done anything.My mother -my mother was already dead."
"Ah?"Poirot's eyes came gently round to him."So,after all,it was you who
killed her,Mr Boynton."
Again a moment's pause -then Lennox dropped back into his chair and raised
trembling hands to his face.
"Yes -that's right -I killed her."
"You took the digitoxin from Dr Gerard's tent?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"As -as -you said -in the morning."
"And the syringe?"
"The syringe?Yes."
"Why did you kill her?"
"Can you ask?"
"I am asking,Mr Boynton!"
"But you know -my wife was leaving me -with Cope -"
"Yes,but you only learnt that in the afternoon."
Lennox stared at him."Of course.When we were out -"
"But you took the poison and the syringe in the morning -before you knew?"
"Why the hell do you badger me with questions?"He paused and passed a
shaking hand across his forehead."What does it matter,anyway?"
"It matters a great deal.I advise you,Mr Lennox Boynton,to tell me the
truth."
"The truth?"Lennox stared at him.
"That is what I said -the truth."
"By God,I will,"said Lennox suddenly."But I don't know whether you will
believe me."He drew a deep breath."That afternoon,when I left Nadine,I was
absolutely all to pieces.I'd never dreamed she'd go from me to someone else.I
was -I was nearly mad!I felt as though I was drunk or recovering from a bad
illness."
Poirot nodded.He said: "I noted Lady Westholme's description of your gait
when you passed her.That is why I knew your wife was not speaking the truth when
she said she told you after you were both back at the camp.Continue,Mr Boynton."
"I hardly knew what I was doing......But as I got near,my brain seemed to
clear.It flashed over me that I had only myself to blame!I'd been a miserable
worm!I ought to have defied my stepmother and cleared out years ago.And it came
to me that it mightn't be too late even now.There she was,the old devil,sitting
up like an obscene idol against the red cliffs.I went right up to have it out
with her.I meant to tell her just what I thought and to announce that I was
clearing out.I had a wild idea I might get away at once that evening -clear out
with Nadine and get as far as Ma"an,anyway,that night."
"Oh,Lennox -my dear -"
It was a long,soft sigh.
He went on: "And then,my God -you could have struck me down with a touch!She
was dead.Sitting there -dead......I -I didn't know what to do -I was dumb -dazed
-everything I was going to shout out at her bottled up inside me -turning to
lead -I can't explain......Stone -that's what it felt like -being turned to
stone.I did something mechanically -I picked up her wristwatch -it was lying in
her lap -and put it round her wrist -her horrid limp dead wrist......"
He shuddered."God -it was awful ......Then I stumbled down,went into the
marquee.I ought to have called someone,I suppose -but I couldn't .I just sat
there,turning the pages -waiting......"
He stopped.
"You won't believe that -you can't.Why didn't I call someone?Tell Nadine?I
don't know."
Dr Gerard cleared his throat.
"Your statement is perfectly plausible,Mr Boynton,"he said."You were in a
bad nervous condition.Two severe shocks administered in rapid succession would
be quite enough to put you in the condition you have described.It is the
Weissenhalter reaction -best exemplified in the case of a bird that has dashed
its head against a window.Even after its recovery it refrains instinctively from
all action -giving itself time to readjust the nerve centres -I do not express
myself well in English,but what I mean is this:You could not have acted any
other way.Any decisive action of any kind would have been quite impossible for
you!You passed through a period of mental paralysis."
He turned to Poirot.
"I assure you,my friend,that is so!"
"Oh,I do not doubt it,"said Poirot."There was a little fact I had already
noted -the fact that Mr Boynton had replaced his mother's wrist-watch -that was
capable of two explanations -it might have been a cover for the actual deed,or
it might have been observed and misinterpreted by Mrs Boynton.She returned only
five minutes after her husband.She must therefore have seen that action.When she
got up to her mother-in-law and found her dead with a mark of a hypodermic
syringe on her wrist she would naturally jump to the conclusion that her husband
had committed the deed -that her announcement of her decision to leave him had
produced a reaction in him different from that for which she had
hoped.Briefly,Nadine Boynton believed that she had inspired her husband to
commit murder."
He looked at Nadine."That is so,madame?"
She bowed her head.Then she asked:
"Did you really suspect me,M.Poirot?"
"I thought you were a possibility,madame."
She leaned forward.
"And now?What really happened,M.Poirot?"
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