Evil Under the Sun

‘Possibly. But I gather that Mr Redfern and your wife gave some grounds for the gossip.’

‘What grounds?’

‘They were constantly in each other’s company.’

‘Is that all?’

‘You do not deny that that was so?’

‘May have been. I really didn’t notice.’

‘You did not-excuse me, Captain Marshall-object to your wife’s friendship with Mr Redfern?’

‘I wasn’t in the habit of criticizing my wife’s conduct.’

‘You did not protest or object in any way?’

‘Certainly not.’

‘Not even though it was becoming a subject of scandal and an estrangement was growing up between Mr Redfern and his wife?’

Kenneth Marshall said coldly:

‘I mind my own business and I expect other people to mind theirs. I don’t listen to gossip and tittle tattle.’

‘You won’t deny that Mr Redfern admired your wife?’ 

‘He probably did. Most men did. She was a very beautiful woman.’

‘But you yourself were persuaded that there was nothing serious in the affair?’

‘I never thought about it, I tell you.’

‘And suppose we have a witness who can testify that they were on terms of the greatest intimacy?’

Again those blue eyes went to Hercule Poirot. Again an expression of dislike showed on that usually impassive face.

Marshall said:

‘If you want to listen to these tales, listen to ’em. My wife’s dead and can’t defend herself.’

‘You mean that you, personally, don’t believe them?’

For the first time a faint dew of sweat was observable on Marshall’s brow. He said:

‘I don’t propose to believe anything of the kind.’

He went on:

‘Aren’t you getting a good way from the essentials of this business? What I believe or don’t believe is surely not relevant to the plain fact of murder?’

Hercule Poirot answered before either of the others could speak. He said:

‘You do not comprehend, Captain Marshall. There is no such thing as a plain fact of murder. Murder springs, nine times out of ten, out of the character and circumstances of the murdered person.Because the victim was the kind of person he or she was,therefore was he or she murdered! Until we can understand fully and completelyexactly what kind of a person Arlena Marshall was, we shall not be able to see clearly exactlythe kind of person who murdered her. From that springs the necessity of our questions.’

Marshall turned to the Chief Constable. He said:

‘That your view, too?’

Weston boggled a little. He said:

‘Well, up to a point-that is to say-’

Marshall gave a short laugh. He said:

‘Thought you wouldn’t agree. This character stuff is M. Poirot’s speciality, I believe.’

Poirot said, smiling:

‘You can at least congratulate yourself on having done nothing to assist me!’

‘What do you mean?’

‘What have you told us about your wife? Exactly nothing at all. You have told us only what everyone could see for themselves. That she was beautiful and admired. Nothing more.’

Kenneth Marshall shrugged his shoulders. He said simply:

‘You’re crazy.’

He looked towards the Chief Constable and said with emphasis:

‘Anything else, sir, thatyou’d like me to tell you?’ 

‘Yes, Captain Marshall, your own movements this morning, please.’

Kenneth Marshall nodded. He had clearly expected this.

He said:

‘I breakfasted downstairs about nine o’clock as usual and read the paper. As I told you I went up to my wife’s room afterwards and found she had gone out. I came down to the beach, saw M. Poirot and asked if he had seen her. Then I had a quick bathe and went up to the hotel again. It was then, let me see, about twenty to eleven-yes, just about that. I saw the clock in the lounge. It was just after twenty minutes to. I went up to my room, but the chambermaid hadn’t quite finished it. I asked her to finish as quickly as she could. I had some letters to type which I wanted to get off by the post. I went downstairs again and had a word or two with Henry in the bar. I went up again to my room at ten minutes to eleven. There I typed my letters. I typed until ten minutes to twelve. I then changed into tennis kit as I had a date to play tennis at twelve. We’d booked the court the day before.’

‘Who was we?’

‘Mrs Redfern, Miss Darnley, Mr Gardener and myself. I came down at twelve o’clock and went up to the court. Miss Darnley was there and Mr Gardener. Mrs Redfern arrived a few minutes later. We played tennis for an hour. Just as we came into the hotel afterwards I-I-got the news.’

‘Thank you, Captain Marshall. Just as a matter of form, is there anyone who can corroborate the fact that you were typing in your room between-er-ten minutes to eleven and ten minutes to twelve?’

Kenneth Marshall said with a faint smile:

‘Have you got some idea that I killed my own wife? Let me see now. The chambermaid was about doing the rooms. She must have heard the typewriter going. And then there are the letters themselves. With all this upset I haven’t posted them. I should imagine they are as good evidence as anything.’

He took three letters from his pocket. They were addressed, but not stamped. He said: