After The Funeral Part 18

bound to make a fool of himself. The human factor is always incalculable. The weak have often unexpected powers of

resistance, the strong sometimes succ.u.mb."

"I understand all that. I am not doubting your diagnosis.

Mr. Abernethie was, shall we say (rather melodramaticallr,

I'm afraid) under sentence of death. All I'm asking you s,

is it quite impossible that a man, knowing or suspecting that

he is doomed, might of his own accord shorten that period

of life ? Or that someone else might do it for him ?"

Dr. Larraby frowned.

"Suicide, you mean ? Abernethie wasn't a suicidal type."

"I see. You can a.s.sure me, medically speaking, that such

a suggestion is impossible."

A.T.S. 65 c

The doctor stirred uneasily.

"I wouldn't use the word impossible. After his son's death life no longer held the interest for Abernethie that it had done.

I certa/nly don't feel that suicide is likely--but I can't say that it's impossible."

"You are speaking from the psychological angle. When I said medically, I really meant; do the circ.u.mstances of his death make such a suggestion impossible ?"

"No, oh no. No, I can't say that. He died in his sleep, as people often do. There was no reason to suspect suicide, no evidence of his state of mind. If one were to demand an autopsy e, yery time a man who is seriously ill died in his sleep

The doctor's face was getting redder and redder. Mr.

Entwhistle hastened to interpose.

"Of course. Of course. But if there had been evidence--evidence of which you yourself were not aware ? If, for instance, he had said something to someone "

"Indicating that he was contemplating suicide ? Did he ?

I must say it surprises me."

"But if it wers so--my case is purely hypothetical-could you rule out the possibility ?"

,D,r. Larraby said slowly:

No--no---I could not do that. But I say again, I should be very much surprised."

,,Mr. Entwhistle hastened to follow up his advantage.

If, then, we a.s.sume that his death was not natural-all this is purely hypothetical--what could have caused it ?

What kind of a drug, I mean ?"

"Several. Some kind of a narcotic would be indicated.

There was no sign of cyanosis, the att.i.tude was quite peaceful."

"He had sleeping draughts or pills ? Something of that kind."

"Yes. I had prescribed Slumberyl--a very safe and dependable hypnotic. He did not take it every night. And he only had a small bottle of tablets at a time. Three or even four times the prescribed dose would not have caused death.

In fact, I remember seeing the bottle on his wash-stand after his death still nearly full."

"What else had you prescribed for him ?"

"Various things--a medicine containing a small quant.i.ty of morphia to be taken when he had an attack of pain. Some vitamin capsules. An indigestion mixture."

Mr. Entwhistle interrupted.

66

"Vitamin capsules ? I think I was once prescribed a course

of those. Small round capsules of gelatine."

"Yes. Containing adexoline."

"Could anything else have been introduced intosay---one

of those capsules ?"

"Something lethal, you mean ?" The doctor was looking

mo, re,a,nd me ,surprised. "But surely no man would ever

--look acre, ncwhistle, what are ,ou getting at ? My G.o.d,

man, are you suggestinmurder ? '

"I don't quite know 'what I'm,suggesting I just want to know what would be possible.

"But what evidence have you for even suggesting such a t]

g ?"

"I haven't any evidence," said Mr. Entwhistle in a tired voice. "Ma-. Abernethie is dead--and the person to whom he spoke is also dead. The whole thing is turnout--vague, un satisfactory rumour, and I want to scotch it if I can.

If you tell me that no one could possibly have poisoned Aber nethie in any way whatsoever, I'll be delighted l It would be a big weight off my mind, I can a.s.sure you."

,D,r. La,?b,y' got up.

and walked up and down. , can t ten you what you want me to tell you, ' he said at last. "I wish I could. Of course it could have been done. Anybody could have extracted the oil from a capsule and replaced it with--say--pure nicotine or half a dozen other things. Or something could have been put in his food or drink ? Isn't that more likely ?"

"Possibly. But you see, there were only the servants in the house when he died--and I don't think it was any of them--in fact I'm quite sure it wasn't. So I'm looking for some delayed action possibility. There's no drug, I suppose, that ,o,u can administer and then the person dies weeks later "A convenient idea--but untenable, I'm afraid," said the doctor dryly. "I know you're a responsible person, Ent-whistle, but who is making this suggestion ? It seems to me wildly far fetched."

- "Abernethie never said anything to you ? Never hinted that .o,n,e of his relations might be wanting him out of the way t The doctor looked at him curiously.

' No, he never said anythh}g to me. Are you sure, Ent~ whistle, that somebody hasn t been--well, playing up the sensational ?

Some hysterical subjects can give an appearance of being quite reasonable and normal, you know."

67

"I hope it was like that. It might well be."