The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Poirot makes his way to Jimmy Japp and his associate, Superintendent Summerhaye, after the inquest. Japp gushes about Poirot’s brilliant detective work. He then suggests that the case is quite clear: Alfred Inglethorp is obviously the murderer. When Poirot voices his skepticism, though, Japp listens to him. Summerhaye thinks he’s crazy, but Japp knows how good Poirot’s instincts are. He hints that he and Summerhaye have a warrant for Inglethorp’s arrest, but Poirot urges him not to make use of that warrant. Japp is inclined to listen to Poirot, but he needs a good reason to justify his decision not to make the arrest. Poirot, for his part, would rather not reveal his reasoning, but he agrees to show Japp—and everyone else—why Alfred shouldn’t be arrested.

Agreeing to meet Poirot and Hastings at Styles, Japp and Summerhaye take their leave. Poirot then complains about how stupidly Alfred Inglethorp answered questions during the inquest. He insists that the evidence against Alfred is “too conclusive.” In his experience, useful evidence tends to be “vague and unsatisfactory,” consisting of the kinds of details that have to be carefully considered and analyzed before they make sense. To Poirot’s eye, then, the evidence against Alfred Inglethorp has been “cleverly manufactured” to make him look guilty—so cleverly, in fact, that it’s ultimately working against itself.

Poirot doesn’t think Alfred Inglethorp actually bought strychnine from Mr. Mace. After all, Mr. Mace is relatively new in town, having only been in the village for about a month. Plus, Mrs. Inglethorp usually has her medicine made up elsewhere, meaning that Mr. Mace probably doesn’t have a solid idea of what Mr. Inglethorp looks like up close. Poirot reminds Hastings of the point he stressed earlier about Alfred Inglethorp’s distinctive looks and way of dressing. It’s easy, he now explains, to impersonate somebody with unique attributes like a big black beard and noteworthy clothes. It’s harder, though, to impersonate someone who doesn’t stand out.

Changing the subject, Poirot admits that he found Lawrence Cavendish’s behavior at the inquest strange. Lawrence went to medical school, studying to be a doctor even though he didn’t end up pursuing the profession. Still, his suggestion that his stepmother accidentally poisoned herself by taking her prescribed medicine was surprising, since his medical education should have helped him recognize the improbability of such a thing happening. On the whole, Poirot is suspicious of almost everyone’s testimonies: he thinks that Mary Cavendish is withholding information about the argument she overheard, that Evelyn Howard isn’t telling the complete truth, and that it’s especially strange that Cynthia didn’t hear the bedside table fall over.

Hastings and Poirot go to Styles with the Scotland Yard detectives. Poirot gathers everyone in the house. Addressing Alfred Inglethorp, he suggests that the man doesn’t seem to quite comprehend how much trouble he’s in. He tries to get him to see that he’s on the verge of being arrested for murder. Having outlined how serious the charges are, Poirot asks Alfred once more to say where he was on Monday afternoon (when Mr. Mace claims to have sold him strychnine). But Alfred refuses, saying he can’t bring himself to believe that somebody would be “so monstrous” as to accuse him of murdering his wife.

Because Alfred won’t speak about his whereabouts on Monday afternoon, Poirot does so for him. He says that Mr. Inglethorp couldn’t have purchased strychnine that afternoon because he was walking Mrs. Raikes back to her house from a nearby farm. Poirot has found five witnesses who can confirm this alibi.