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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2016 14:08:35 GMT -5
"Hey, this rope, do you see... Paint, on it?" Poirot asked.
"You're right... It could narrow down the source" someone suggested.
"I know that color... It's the gray they use to paint warships. I see them docked in port all the time."
"Wait, so this rope was stolen from a Navy vessel?" Battle asked.
"Possibly. It's too thin to be mooring line, but it could be for other utility purposes" the detective explained.
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Post by Eyes on Jun 28, 2016 14:15:10 GMT -5
"Interesting..." said Battle.
Meanwhile, Gunnarson was...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2016 14:28:28 GMT -5
Contemplating in his apartment
"I've got a fighting chance here... But damn, Taylor was right- there's no way to find physical evidence to prove anything Everly said. So it's his word against Taylor's. Not to mention, just about all the evidence presented against him was discredited."
All he knew was- there was no way of knowing which way the trial would go now- given that the jury did not look entirely swayed by either case.
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Post by Eyes on Jun 28, 2016 14:39:28 GMT -5
Meanwhile, Poirot was discussing the hanging with Battle.
"But why would he do such a thing?" Battle said, "It's beyond me."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2016 15:02:38 GMT -5
"Depression, perhaps? If we take a moment to assume what he said was correct- in his mind his friend of many years just flat out rejected and denied him." Poirot theorized.
"but the evidence points to no connection" Battle reminded Poirot
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Post by Diesel 11 on Jun 28, 2016 15:28:44 GMT -5
"I know, which makes this a very tough case to crack..."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2016 15:36:47 GMT -5
"I think I will go home for now Battle; I am not sure that there is much more I can do here" Poirot explained as he went to take his leave.
"May as well. You know the procedure Poirot; we don't investigate suicides, there's no point" Battle reminded him
"Indeed" Poirot said as he left. As he did, he asked some of the guards an important question.
"No, Crown Prosecutor Taylor was not here at all last night or yesterday; why do you ask?" one guard said.
"Just curious" Poirot said as he left.
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Post by Eyes on Jun 28, 2016 15:47:25 GMT -5
The next morning was Monday, and time for the court case to start again. Gunnarson got out of bed and ate his breakfast. He looked at the newspaper...
"OH MY...."
There on the front page:
CROWN PROSECUTOR HENRY TAYLOR WAS FOUND EARLY THIS MORNING POISONED. THE POLICE BELIEVE IT TO BE ATTEMPTED MURDER, THE POISON ADMINISTERED BY SOME BRANDY HE DRANK.
"This is just..." Gunnarson was at a loss for words.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2016 16:10:34 GMT -5
"the poison administered has baffled doctors; though Taylor is not yet dead; he has entered a deep coma and they are yet to find an antidote to wake him. The motive remains unclear, but the Crown Prosecutor that many hail as a champion of justice will be out of commission for the foreseeable future."
Gunnarson thought it over, then realized... "Dr. Drugg!"
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Post by Eyes on Jun 28, 2016 17:23:37 GMT -5
Gunnarson rushed away to the crime scene. He had to know what was going on. Outside the crime scene, he was stopped by officers.
"I'm sorry Mr. Gunnarson, but you are not allowed to investigate any cases while you are under investigation" the officer said.
"Please, I'm not here to investigate anything, I just need to see Gent- if what I suspect is true- there is something he has to be warned about, now" Gunnarson said.
"You've got two minutes" the officer said, letting him in.
When he got there, he saw Gent inside.
"Hullo, Gunnarson, I'm rather glad to see you."
"What on earth has happened?" said Gunnarson.
"There was poison, possibly strychnine, in his brandy, but we have no clue who did it - or why."
"I see. Is there any chance...?"
"I'm going out on a limb here, but I'd like you to look around." Gent said
"But I can't, I'm under investigation" Gunnarson pointed out.
"In light of unusual circumstances, I'll let you have a quick look" Gent offered.
Taylor was slumped over in his chair. He looked dead alright.
Gunnarson looked around. There was nothing really to see...
And then he spotted it. With a cry he sprang forward. He looked at the object, and then, turning to Gent, cried, "But I have been blind! I now know our missing link."
He rushed off, Gent following him. Gunnarson went to the secretary's office. The secretary was sitting in the chair looking at the floor.
Gunnarson put a hand on her shoulder. "Madame," he said.
"Yes?"
"I know."
She looked at Gunnarson, and realized there was no point in keeping anything back. "Yes, I killed him."
Gent was amazed. "What? Why?"
The secretary looked at him. "It all started when I first came to work for Mr. Taylor. He was such a handsome man, and I started to fall for him. We made love one night, and then he started to trust me more and more. I know that he went to Mr. Edwards on the 21st, for he told me. I know that he tried to frame Mr. Gunnarson. I know that he killed Dr. Manning. I know - I know it all!
"What he didn't realize was that I was not in love with him anymore. He was a monster, and I didn't want anyone else to die at his hands. Mr. Everly's death was the last straw - he told me that he had killed him by using hypnotism. I decided that he shouldn't be allowed to roam free - so I put strychnine in his brandy.
"And now," she finished, "I suppose I shall have to be arrested, won't I?"
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2016 17:59:14 GMT -5
"But it makes no sense" Gunnarson pointed out. "Dr. Poirier killed Manning and has confessed. Since he could not have been a student of Manning's, surely he must have lied to you about that" Gunnarson pointed out.
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Post by Eyes on Jun 28, 2016 18:06:51 GMT -5
"Yes..." said the secretary.
"Wait," said Gent, "perhaps it was Dr. Drugg at work again."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2016 18:23:54 GMT -5
"That is not what I am getting at" Gunnarson explained. "You remember the meal, you remember the merlot and escargot- Manning's murderer was someone he trusted; his inner circle; he never would have sat down to a meal with a stranger like Taylor."
"Dr. Drugg... who the hell gave you a medical license..." Gent grumbled.
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Post by Eyes on Jun 28, 2016 18:27:16 GMT -5
Then Gent had another idea, "What if Taylor really WAS Dr. Manning's pupil? I seem to recall - yes, it's coming back to me now - Dr. Manning was a lawyer before he became a doctor, and had taught in a law school."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2016 18:44:39 GMT -5
"How old was Manning?" A confused Gunnarson asked.
"Late 70s I think" Gent said.
"Well... I suppose it was possible for him to start a career, be unsatisfied with it, go back to school, then start a new one" Gunnarson said, trying to think of something plausible. But then he recalled.
"Wait! The stab- only someone with anatomical knowledge could have made it... knowledge Taylor lacked" Gunnarson informed.
"Oh... right. Bother, just who was Henry Taylor?" Gent said, as he looked over at the body.
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Post by Eyes on Jun 28, 2016 18:49:52 GMT -5
"Crown prosecuter and criminal," the secretary quipped.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2016 19:27:48 GMT -5
But then, Gunnarson noticed something about the secretary... there was something off with her. He looked at her eyes and then Gunnarson realized.
"Wait a minute... this woman has been drugged!" Gunnarson realized in shock.
"Drugged? Hey Hodges, get over here!" Gent called to one of the medical examiners who also happened to be a doctor.
"No doubt about it... she's under the influence of some sort of drug; she's not in her right state of mind right now. You'd best get her to the hospital Gent" he said.
"He's alive!" a voice screamed. It was a senior medical examiner, looking over Taylor.
"He's alive! The signs are faint, but he is alive!" He said. Gunnarson was shocked; just a moment ago he had looked over Taylor and could have sworn he was dead.
"Wait a minute, why would I even think that Dr. Manning was... Good Lord! How could I be so blind!" Gunnarson declared.
"What?" Gent asked, confused.
"Taylor was but a red herring... and the real puppetmaster has been pulling our strings the whole time!" Gunnarson realized.
"You don't mean..." Gent asked.
"Yes... Dr. Drugg has been manipulating us from the beginning. And somehow Taylor was a distraction to keep my attention while he operated without interruption" Gunnarson surmised.
"So what now?" Gent asked
"There's something I just have to do. Am I done here Gent? I think I would like to go talk to Dr. Poirier" Gunnarson said.
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Post by Eyes on Jun 28, 2016 19:30:04 GMT -5
"I suppose so, just tell them I sent you."
So Gunnarson went off, just as Taylor and the secretary were being taken to the hospital.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2016 19:36:30 GMT -5
One he arrived at the prison, Gunnarson told them that it was a "special circumstance" and he had been given clearance.
Several minutes later, Dr. Calvin Poirier was brought into a room where the two could have a chat. Gunnarson asked about what happened that night.
"...and we suddenly got into an argument over some research that had been interrupted due to the war. I suddenly felt this anger boiling in me, because he said I deserved nothing... I devoted 6 years of my life to that research. The next thing I knew, it was as if this red haze fell over me and... and... the next thing I knew, my knife was in his neck. Guess the doctor in me still was in control- stabbed the airway, not the artery." He explained.
"I see." Gunnarson replied. "And your cane."
"I have a bad knee. But I was so afraid of what I had done, I fled the room before anything else happened. Next thing I knew, I was running down the street... well, somewhere in between running and limping, actually"
"Oh my" a shocked Gunnarson replied.
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Post by Eyes on Jun 28, 2016 19:44:41 GMT -5
"Yes... if I could turn back time, I would not have done what I did."
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