Mr Clancy was planning a book on the subject by which he hoped to make money Mr Gale was fast losing his practice. Nothing very helpful there. "And yet, at that time I was convinced that Mr Gale was the murderer - there was the empty match box, the contents of his attache case.
Apparently he lost, not gained, by the death of Giselle.
But those appearances might be false appearances.
"I determined to cultivate his acquaintance.
It is my experience that no one, in the course of conversation, can fail to give themselves away sooner or later.
Everyone has an irresistible urge to talk about themselves. "I tried to gain Mr Gale's confidence. I pretended to confide in him, and I even enlisted his help. I persuaded him to aid me in the fake blackmailing of Lady Horbury.
And it was then that he made his first mistake.
"I had suggested a slight disguise.
He arrived to play his part with a ridiculous and impossible outfit!
The whole thing was a farce.
No one, I felt sure, could play a part as badly as he was proposing to play one.
What, then, was the reason for this?
Because his knowledge of his own guilt made him chary of showing himself to be a good actor.
When, however, I had adjusted his ridiculous make-up, his artistic skill showed itself.
He played his part perfectly and Lady Horbury did not recognize him.
I was convinced then that he could have disguised himself as an American in Paris and could also have played the necessary part in the
'Prometheus.'
"By this time I was getting seriously worried about Mademoiselle Jane.
Either she was in this business with him, or else she was entirely innocent; and in the latter case she was a victim.
She might wake up one day to find herself married to a murderer.
"With the object of preventing a precipitate marriage, I took Mademoiselle Jane to Paris as my secretary.
"It was whilst we were there that the missing heiress appeared to claim her fortune.
I was haunted by a resemblance that I could not place.
I did place it in the end, but too late. "At first, the discovery that she had actually been in the plane and had lied about it seemed to overthrow all my theories.
Here, overwhelmingly, was the guilty person.
"But if she were guilty, she had an accomplice - the man who bought the blowpipe and bribed Jules Perrot.
"Who was that man?
Was it conceivably her husband?
"And then, suddenly, I saw the true solution.
True, that is, if one point could be verified.
"For my solution to be correct, Anne Morisot ought not to have been on the plane.
"I rang up Lady Horbury and got my answer.
The maid Madeleine, traveled in the plane by a last-minute whim of her mistress." He stopped.
Mr Clancy said: "Ahem - but I'm afraid I'm not quite clear."
"When did you stop pitching on me as the murderer?" asked Norman.
Poirot wheeled round on him.
"I never stopped.
You are the murderer... Wait. I will tell you everything.
For the last week Japp and I have been busy.
It is true that you became a dentist to please your uncle, John Gale.
You took his name when you came into partnership with him, but you were his sister's son, not his brother's. Your real name is Richards.
It was as Richards that you met the girl Anne Morisot at Nice last winter when she was there with her mistress.
The story she told us was true as the facts of her childhood, but the later part was edited carefully by you.
She did know her mother's maiden name.
Giselle was at Monte Carlo; she was pointed out and her real name was mentioned.
You realized that there might be a large fortune to be got. It appealed to your gambler's nature.
It was from Anne Morisot that you learned of Lady Horbury's connection with Giselle.
The plan of the crime formed itself in your head.
Giselle was to be murdered in such a way that suspicion would fall on Lady Horbury. Your plans matured and finally fructified.
You bribed the clerk in Universal Air Lines so that Giselle should travel on the same plane as Lady Horbury.