He thought for a moment, and then said, “Nothing beyond the fact that all three died precisely at the same time—ten minutes past two in the morning.”
“The time when human vitality is at the lowest, and superphysical phenomena the most common. Were the victims in a normal state of health? Was there any family or hereditary disease?”
“Yes, valvular weakness of the heart.”
“Which would render them more susceptible to the influence of poison?”
“Poison and shock. The inhalation of certain poisons has a particularly deadly effect on people suffering from cardiac defection.”
“Could the poison have been self-inflicted? Are people suffering with such a disease prone to suicide?”
“Only, as a rule, when the disease is in a very advanced state—you then get delirium, hallucinations, and morbid impulses.”
“And none of these symptoms were noticeable in the deceased?”
“Not in a sufficiently marked degree to warrant the suggestion of suicide.”