It was a very uncomfortable moment for me. Poirot smiled and shook a finger at me. «Haven’t I told you that it is useless to hide things from Hercule Poirot?» he said. «That in such a case he finds out himself?»
He turned to the others. «One day, you remember, we had a little talk around the table. I told you then that I knew that each of you was hiding something from me. Dr. Sheppard also had a secret, which he did not tell me. But I had my suspicions. That night Dr. Sheppard went to the Three Boars hoping to find Ralph. He did not find him there. But supposing, I said to myself, that he met him in the street on his way home? Dr. Sheppard was a friend of Ralph Paton and he had come straight from the scene of the crime. He knew that things looked very black against Ralph. Perhaps he knew more that the others — »
«Yes, I did,» I said. «I suppose now I must tell you everything. I went to see Ralph that afternoon. At first he did not want to tell me anything, but later he told me about his marriage and the difficult situation in which he found himself. It was quite clear to me that as soon as the police discovered all the facts, they would suspect Ralph. I explained it to him and advised him to — »
«To hide,» finished Ralph.
«Yes, to hide,» said Poirot. «Dr. Sheppard did his best and hid Ralph from the police.»
«Where?» said Raymond. «In his own house?» «Ah, no, indeed,» said Poirot. «To understand this, you must ask yourself the question that I asked myself. If the doctor wants to hide the young man, what place will he choose? It must be something near at hand. I thought of Cranchester. Where in Cranchester? A hotel? No, it was not safe: the police could easily find him there. A flat? No. The reason is the same. I thought and thought. Ah! At last I thought that I guessed. A nursing home1. A home where they keep insane patients. I had to test my theory. I invented an insane nephew. I consulted Mademoiselle Sheppard to find out if there were such homes near here. She gave me the name of such a home near Cranchester and said that Dr. Sheppard sometimes sent his patients there. I went there and found out that, really, Dr. Sheppard himself had brought a patient there on Saturday morning. Of course that patient was known by another name, but it was not difficult for me to identify him as Captain Paton. After necessary formalities they allowed me to take him away. He came to my house very early yesterday morning.»
«Dr. Sheppard did his best to help me,» said Ralph. «He thought it was the best thing for me to hide. Now M. Poirot has explained to me that it was not really the best. But you see, in this home we never saw a newspaper. So I knew nothing of what was going on.»
«Now you can tell us your story of what happened that night,» said Raymond.
1A nursing home — Частная лечебница
«You know it already,» said Ralph. «I can add very little. I left the summer-house about nine-forty-five. Then I simply walked about in the streets, trying to decide what to do next. I understand that I have no alibi. But I give you my word that I never went to the study, that I never saw my stepfather alive — or dead.»
«No alibi,» said Raymond. «That’s bad. I believe you, of course, but it’s a bad business.»
«But that’s very simple,» said Poirot in a cheerful voice. «Very simple, indeed.»
We all looked at him in surprise. «Do you see what I mean? No? Just this — in order to save Captain Paton, the real criminal must confess.» With a smile he looked round at all of us. «But yes, indeed! You see, I did not invite Inspector Raglan to our conference. Because I did not want to tell him all that I knew — as least I did not want to tell him tonight.»
Suddenly his voice changed. He suddenly became dangerous. «I, who speak to you — I know that the murderer of Mr. Ackroyd is in this room now. And I am now speaking to the murderer. Tomorrow the truth goes to Inspector Raglan. Do you understand?»
There was a long silence. The door opened, and the maid gave Poirot a telegram. Poirot opened it.
Suddenly Blunt spoke. «You say that the murderer is in this room, among us? Do you know who it is?»
Poirot had read the telegram. «I know — now,» he said pointing to the telegram.
«What is it?» asked Raymond.
«It’s a telegram which was sent from a ship which is now in the open sea on the way to the United States.»
Poirot stood up. «Ladies and gentlemen, this conference is over. Remember — the truth goes to Inspector Raglan in the morning.»
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