Why, again? And at once a suspicion dawned in my mind.
You will remember my saying that it was wise to beware of people
who were not telling you the truth."
"And yet," I cried indignantly, "after that, you gave me two
reasons why Miss Howard could not have committed the crime!"
"And very good reasons too," replied Poirot. "For a long time
they were a stumbling-block to me until I remembered a very
significant fact: that she and Alfred Inglethorp were cousins.
She could not have committed the crime single-handed, but the
reasons against that did not debar her from being an accomplice.
And, then, there was that rather over-vehement hatred of hers! It
concealed a very opposite emotion. There was, undoubtedly, a tie
of passion between them long before he came to Styles. They had
already arranged their infamous plot--that he should marry this
rich, but rather foolish old lady, induce her to make a will
leaving her money to him, and then gain their ends by a very
cleverly conceived crime. If all had gone as they planned, they
would probably have left England, and lived together on their
poor victim's money.
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