For Gods sake, Thompson, dont speak so glibly of the next crime, said Sir Lionel irritably. Were going to do all we can to prevent another crime.
Dr Thompson held his peace[162] and blew his nose with some violence.
Have it your own way, the noise seemed to say. If you wont face facts
The Assistant Commissioner turned to Poirot.
I see what youre driving at, but Im not quite clear yet.
I ask myself, said Poirot, what passes exactly in the mind of the murderer? He kills, it would seem from his letters, pour le sport[163]to amuse himself. Can that really be true? And even if it is true, on what principle does he select his victims apart from the merely alphabetical one? If he kills merely to amuse himself he would not advertise the fact, since, otherwise, he could kill with impunity. But no, he seeks, as we all agree, to make the splash in the public eyeto assert his personality. In what way has his personality been suppressed that one can connect with the two victims he has so far selected? A final suggestion: Is his motive direct personal hatred of me, of Hercule Poirot? Does he challenge me in public because I have (unknown to myself) vanquished him somewhere in the course of my career? Or is his animosity impersonaldirected against a foreigner? And if so, what again has led to that? What injury has he suffered at a foreigners hand?
All very suggestive questions, said Dr Thompson.
Inspector Crome cleared his throat.
Oh, yes? A little unanswerable at present, perhaps.
Nevertheless, my friend, said Poirot, looking straight at him, it is there, in those questions, that the solution lies. If we knew the exact reasonfantastic, perhaps, to usbut logical to himof why our madman commits these crimes, we should know, perhaps, who the next victim is likely to be.
Crome shook his head.
He selects them haphazardthats my opinion.
The magnanimous murderer, said Poirot.
Whats that you say?
I saidthe magnanimous murderer! Franz Ascher would have been arrested for the murder of his wifeDonald Fraser might have been arrested for the murder of Betty Barnardif it had not been for the warning letters of А В C. Is he, then, so soft-hearted that he cannot bear others to suffer for something they did not do?
Ive known stranger things happen, said Dr Thompson. Ive known men whove killed half a dozen victims all broken up because one of their victims didnt die instantaneously and suffered pain. All the same, I dont think that that is our fellows reason. He wants the credit of these crimes for his own honour and glory. Thats the explanation that fits best.
Weve come to no decision about the publicity business, said the Assistant Commissioner.
If I may make a suggestion, sir, said Crome. Why not wait till the receipt of the next letter? Make it public thenspecial editions, etc. It will make a bit of a panic in the particular town named, but it will put everyone whose name begins with C on their guard, and itll put A B C on his mettle[164]. Hell be determined to succeed. And thats when well get him.
How little we knew what the future held.
Chapter 14
The Third Letter
I well remember the arrival of A В Cs third letter.
I may say that all precautions had been taken so that when ABC resumed his campaign there should be no unnecessary delays. A young sergeant from Scotland Yard was attached to the house and if Poirot and I were out it was his duty to open anything that came so as to be able to communicate with headquarters without loss of time.
How little we knew what the future held.
Chapter 14
The Third Letter
I well remember the arrival of A В Cs third letter.
I may say that all precautions had been taken so that when ABC resumed his campaign there should be no unnecessary delays. A young sergeant from Scotland Yard was attached to the house and if Poirot and I were out it was his duty to open anything that came so as to be able to communicate with headquarters without loss of time.
As the days succeeded each other we had all grown more and more on edge. Inspector Cromes aloof and superior manner grew more and more aloof and superior as one by one his more hopeful clues petered out. The vague descriptions of men said to have been seen with Betty Barnard proved useless. Various cars noticed in the vicinity of Bexhill and Cooden were either accounted for or could not be traced. The investigation of purchases of А В C railway guides caused inconvenience and trouble to heaps of innocent people.
As for ourselves, each time the postmans familiar rat-tat sounded on the door, our hearts beat faster with apprehension. At least that was true for me, and I cannot but believe that Poirot experienced the same sensation.
He was, I knew, deeply unhappy over the case. He refused to leave London, preferring to be on the spot in case of emergency. In those hot dog days even his moustaches droopedneglected for once by their owner.
It was on a Friday that A В Cs third letter came. The evening post arrived about ten oclock.
When we heard the familiar step and the brisk rat-tat, I rose and went along to the box. There were four or five letters, I remember. The last one I looked at was addressed in printed characters.