Quiet chap, you know, great reader - mild as milk you'd have said.
Went for his wife one evening in their bungalow. Got her by the throat. She'd been carryin' on with some feller or other and he'd got wise to it.
By Jove, he nearly did for her!
It was touch and go.
Surprised us all! Didn't think he had it in him."
Hercule Poirot murmured: "And you see there an analogy to the death of Mrs Marshall?"
"Well, what I mean to say - strangled, you know. Same idea. Feller suddenly sees red!"
Poirot said: "You think that Captain Marshall felt like that?" "Oh, look here, I never said that."
Major Barry's face went even redder.
"Never said anything about Marshall.
Thoroughly nice chap.
Wouldn't say a word against him for the world."
Poirot murmured: "Ah, pardon, but you did refer to the natural reactions of a husband."
Major Barry said: "Well, I mean to say, I should think she'd been pretty hot stuff. Eh?
Got young Redfern on a string all right.
And there were probably others before him.
But the funny thing is, you know, that husbands are a dense lot.
Amazin'. I've been surprised by it again and again.
They see a fellow sweet on their wife but they don't see that she's sweet on him!
Remember a case like that in Poona.
Very pretty woman. Jove, she led her husband a dance -"
Colonel Weston stirred a little restively. He said:
"Yes, yes. Major Barry. For the moment we've just got to establish the facts.
You don't know of anything personally - that you've seen or noticed that might help us in this case?"
"Well, really, Weston, I can't say I do. Saw her and young Redfern one afternoon on Gull Cove -" Here he winked knowingly and gave a deep hoarse chuckle -
"Very pretty it was, too. But it's not evidence of that kind you're wanting. Ha, ha."
"You did not see Mrs Marshall at all this morning?"
"Didn't see anybody this morning.
Went over to St Loo.
Just my luck.
Sort of place here where nothin' happens for months and when it does you miss it!"
The Major's voice held a ghoulish regret.
Colonel Weston prompted him. "You went to St Loo, you say?"
"Yes, wanted to do some telephonin'.
No telephone here and that post office place at Leathercombe Bay isn't very private."
"Were your telephone calls of a very private nature?"
The Major winked again cheerfully. "Well, they were and they weren't.
Wanted to get through to a pal of mine and get him to put somethin' on a horse.
Couldn't get through to him, worse luck."
"Where did you telephone from?"
"Call box in the G.P.O. at St Loo.
Then on the way back I got lost - these confounded lanes - twistin' and turnin' all over the place. Must have wasted an hour over that at least.
Damned confusing part of the world.
I only got back half an hour ago."
Colonel Weston said: "Speak to any one or meet any one in St Loo?"
Major Barry said with a chuckle: "Wantin' me to prove an alibi?
Can't think of anythin' useful.
Saw about fifty thousand people in St Loo - but that's not to say they'll remember seem' me."
The Chief Constable said:
"We have to ask these things, you know."