First of all - motive.
There's gain. The only person to gain by her death was the lady's husband it seems.
What other motives are there?
First and foremost - jealousy.
It seems to me - just looking at it - that if ever you've got a crime passionnel (he bowed to Poirot) this is one."
Poirot murmured as he looked up at the ceiling:
"There are so many passions."
Inspector Colgate went on:
"Her husband wouldn't allow that she had any enemies - real enemies, that is, but I don't believe for a minute that that's so!
I should say that a lady like her would - well, would make some pretty bad enemies - eh, sir, what do you say?"
Poirot responded. He said:
"Mais oui, that is so. Arlena Marshall would make enemies.
But in my opinion, the enemy theory is not tenable, for you see. Inspector, Arlena Marshall's enemies would, I think, as I said just now, always be women."
Colonel Weston grunted and said: "Something in that.
It's the women who've got their knife into her here all right."
Poirot went on: "It seems to be hardly possible that the crime was committed by a woman.
What does the medical evidence say?"
Weston grunted again.
He said: "Neasdon's pretty confident that she was strangled by a man. Big hands - powerful grip. It's just possible, of course, that an unusually athletic woman might have done it - but it's damned unlikely."
Poirot nodded. "Exactly.
Arsenic in a cup of tea - a box of poisoned chocolates - a knife - even a pistol - but strangulation - no!
It is a man we have to look for. And immediately," he went on, "it becomes more difficult. There are two people here in this hotel who have a motive for wishing Arlena Marshall out of the way - but both of them are women."
Colonel Weston asked: "Redfern's wife is one of them, I suppose?"
"Yes.
Mrs Redfern might have made up her mind to kill Arlena Stuart.
She had, let us say, ample cause. I think, too, that it would be possible for Mrs Redfern to commit a murder.
But not this kind of murder.
For all her unhappiness and jealousy, she is not, I should say, a woman of strong passions.
In love, she would be devoted and loyal - not passionate.
As I said just now - arsenic in the teacup - possibly - strangulation, no.
I am sure, also, that she is physically incapable of committing this crime and her hands and feet are small below the average."
Weston nodded.
He said: "This isn't a woman's crime.
No, a man did this."
Inspector Colgate coughed.
"Let me put forward a solution, sir.
Say that prior to meeting this Mr Redfern the lady had had another affair with some one - call him X.
She turns down X for Mr Redfern.
X is mad with rage and jealousy. He follows her down here, stays somewhere in the neighborhood, comes over to the island and does her in.
It's a possibility!"
Weston said: "It's possible, all right.
And if it's true, it ought to be easy to prove.
Did he come on foot or in a boat?
The latter seems more likely.
If so, he must have hired a boat somewhere.
You'd better make inquiries."
He looked across at Poirot.
"What do you think of Colgate's suggestion?"
Poirot said slowly: "It leaves, somehow, too much to chance.
And besides - somewhere the picture is not true.