"Ah!" said Poirot appreciatively. "He is a clever man, that Sir
Ernest."
"Do you think he believes Lawrence guilty?"
"I do not think he believes or cares anything! No, what he is
trying for is to create such confusion in the minds of the jury
that they are divided in their opinion as to which brother did
it. He is endeavouring to make out that there is quite as much
evidence against Lawrence as against John--and I am not at all
sure that he will not succeed."
Detective-inspector Japp was the first witness called when the
trial was reopened, and gave his evidence succinctly and briefly.
After relating the earlier events, he proceeded:
"Acting on information received, Superintendent Summerhaye and
myself searched the prisoner's room, during his temporary absence
from the house. In his chest of drawers, hidden beneath some
underclothing, we found: first, a pair of gold-rimmed pince-nez
similar to those worn by Mr. Inglethorp"--these were
exhibited--"secondly, this phial."
The phial was that already recognized by the chemist's assistant,
a tiny bottle of blue glass, containing a few grains of a white
crystalline powder, and labelled: "Strychnine Hydrochloride.
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