Murder Is Easy - Agatha Christie [26]
“One might be inclined to say so, I agree.”
“In fact, if somebody had given him a push and sent him into the river instead of his kindly electing to fall in of his own accord, that person would have been acting in the public interest?”
Dr. Thomas said drily:
“These methods that you advocate—did you put them into practice in the—Mayang Straits, I think you said?”
Luke laughed.
“Oh, no, with me it’s theory—not practice.”
“No, I do not think you are the stuff of which murderers are made.”
Luke asked:
“Why not? I’ve been frank enough in my views.”
“Exactly. Too frank.”
“You mean that if I were really the kind of man who takes the law into his own hands I shouldn’t go about airing my views?”
“That was my meaning.”
“But it might be a kind of gospel with me. I might be a fanatic on the subject!”
“Even so, your sense of self-protection would be active.”
“In fact, when looking for a murderer, look out for a nice gentle wouldn’t-hurt-a-fly type of man.”
“Slightly exaggerated perhaps,” said Dr. Thomas, “but not far from the truth.”
Luke said abruptly:
“Tell me—it interests me—have you ever come across a man whom you believed might be a murderer?”
Dr. Thomas said sharply:
“Really—what an extraordinary question!”
“Is it? After all, a doctor must come across so many queer characters. He would be better able to detect—for instance—the signs of homicidal mania—in an early stage—before it’s noticeable.”
Thomas said rather irritably:
“You have the general layman’s idea of a homicidal maniac—a man who runs amok with a knife, a man more or less foaming at the mouth. Let me tell you a homicidal lunatic may be the most difficult thing on this earth to spot. To all seeming he may be exactly like everyone else—a man, perhaps, who is easily frightened—who may tell you, perhaps, that he has enemies. No more than that. A quiet, inoffensive fellow.”
“Is that really so?”
“Of course it’s so. A homicidal lunatic often kills (as he thinks) in self-defence. But of course a lot of killers are ordinary sane fellows like you and me.”
“Doctor, you alarm me! Fancy if you should discover later that I have five or six nice quiet little killings to my credit.”
Dr. Thomas smiled.
“I don’t think it’s very likely, Mr. Fitzwilliam.”
“Don’t you? I’ll return the compliment. I don’t believe you’ve got five or six murders to your credit either.”
Dr. Thomas said cheerfully:
“You’re not counting my professional failures.”
Both men laughed.
Luke got up and said good-bye.
“I’m afraid I’ve taken up a lot of your time,” he said apologetically.
“Oh, I’m not busy. Wychwood is a pretty healthy place. It’s a pleasure to have a talk with someone from the outside world.”
“I was wondering—” said Luke and stopped.
“Yes?”
“Miss Conway told me when she sent me to you what a very—well—what a first-class man you were. I wondered if you didn’t feel rather buried down here? Not much opportunity for talent.”
“Oh, general practice is a good beginning. It’s valuable experience.”
“But you won’t be content to stay in a rut all your life? Your late partner, Dr. Humbleby, was an unambitious fellow, so I’ve heard—quite content with his practice here. He’d been here for a good many years, I believe?”
“Practically a lifetime.”
“He was sound but old-fashioned, so I hear.”
Dr. Thomas said:
“At times he was difficult…Very suspicious of modern innovations, but a good example of the old school of physicians.”
“Left a very pretty daughter, I’m told,” said Luke in jocular fashion.
He had the pleasure of seeing Dr. Thomas’s pale pink countenance go a deep scarlet.
“Oh—er—yes,” he said.
Luke gazed at him kindly. He was pleased at the prospect of erasing Dr. Thomas from his list of suspected persons.
The latter recovered his normal hue and said abruptly:
“Talking about crime just now, I can lend you rather a good book as you are interested in the subject! Translation from the German. Kreuzhammer on Inferiority and Crime.”
“Thank you,” said Luke.
Dr. Thomas ran his finger along a shelf and drew out the book in question.
“Here you are. Some of the theories