Hannasyde nodded. “I do myself.”
“Blackmail's one of the most powerful motives for murder I know, Super.”
“Admittedly. But I didn't get the impression that Fielding was so desperately in love with Miss Stella that he'd commit murder on her account.”
The Inspector, who had been listening with knit brows, said: “It wouldn't surprise me if the doctor thought Miss Stella was going to inherit a tidy little fortune. I'd have gone bail myself Matthews would have left the lot to her, or most of it anyway. Very fond of her he was, judging from all I hear. Gave her a Riley Sports car only six months ago, and he wasn't the sort to give anything to someone he didn't like a good bit.”
Hannasyde was silent for a moment. Then he said: “Why nicotine? He's been attending Matthews, and we know that Matthews' wasn't a good life. If he'd wanted to murder him wouldn't he have done it gradually, so that no one would ever have suspected?”
“There's that, of course,” agreed Hemingway. “On the other hand, nicotine looks to me like the very poison you wouldn't expect a doctor to use. How's that, Chief?”
“Yes, I had thought of that,” said Hannasyde.
“That's where psychology comes in,” said the Sergeant briskly. “What's our next move?”
“I've got to see Mrs Lupton, Matthews' elder sister. It transpired that it was she who demanded the P.M.”
“Well, well, well!” said the Sergeant “So it wasn't Plausible Percy after all? Now we are getting somewhere!”