HP36-Hallowe'enParty

AgathaChristie

Chapter1

MrsAriadneOliverhadgonewiththefriendwithwhomshewasstaying,JudithButler,tohelpwiththe
preparationsforachildren'spartywhichwastotakeplacethatsameevening.

At the moment it was a scene of chaotic activity. Energetic women came in and out of doors moving
chairs,smalltables,flowervases,andcarryinglargequantitiesofyellowpumpkinswhichtheydisposed
strategicallyinselectedspots.

ItwastobeaHallowe'enpartyforinvitedguestsofanagegroupbetweentenandseventeenyearsold.

MrsOliver,removingherselffromthemaingroup,leantagainstavacantbackgroundofwallandheld
upalargeyellowpumpkin,lookingatitcritically.

"ThelasttimeIsawoneofthese,"shesaid,sweepingbackhergreyhairfromherprominentforehead,
"was in the United States last year - hundreds of them. All over the house. I've never seen so many
pumpkins.Asamatteroffact,"sheaddedthoughtfully,"I'veneverreallyknownthedifferencebetween
apumpkinandavegetablemarrow.What'sthisone?"

"Sorry,dear,"saidMrsButler,asshefelloverherfriend'sfeet.MrsOliverpressedherselfcloseragainst
thewall.

"Myfault,"shesaid."I'mstandingaboutandgettingintheway.Butitwasratherremarkable,seeingso
manypumpkinsorvegetablemarrows,whatevertheyare.Theywereeverywhere,intheshops,andin
people's houses, with candles or night lights inside them or strung up. Very interesting really. But it
wasn't for a Hallowe'en party, it was Thanksgiving. Now I've always associated pumpkins with
Hallowe'enandthat'stheendofOctober.Thanksgivingcomesmuchlater,doesn'tit?Isn'titNovember,
aboutthethirdweekinNovember?Anyway,here,Hallowe'enisdefinitelythe31stofOctober,isn'tit?
FirstHallowe'enandthen,whatcomesnext?AllSouls'Day?That'swheninParisyougotocemeteries
andputflowersongraves.Notasadsortoffeast.Imean,allthechildrengotoo,andenjoythemselves.
Yougotoflowermarketsfirstandbuylotsandlotsoflovelyflowers.Flowersneverlooksolovelyas
theydoinParisinthemarketthere."

AlotofbusywomenwerefallingoverMrsOliveroccasionally,buttheywerenotlisteningtoher.They
werealltoobusywithwhattheyweredoing.

They consisted for the most part of mothers, one or two competent spinsters; there were useful
teenagers,boysofsixteenandseventeenclimbingupladdersorstandingonchairstoputdecorations,
pumpkins or vegetable marrows or brightly coloured witch balls at a suitable elevation; girls from
eleventofifteenhungaboutingroupsandgiggled.

"AndafterAllSouls'Dayandcemeteries,"wentonMrsOliver,loweringherbulkontothearmofa
settee,"youhaveAllSaints'Day.IthinkI'mright?"

Nobodyrespondedtothisquestion.

MrsDrake,ahandsomemiddle-agedwomanwhowasgivingtheparty,madeapronouncement.

"I'mnotcallingthisaHallowe'enparty,althoughofcourseitisonereally.I'mcallingittheElevenPlus
party. It's that sort of age group. Mostly people who are leaving The Elms and going on to other
schools."

"Butthat'snotveryaccurate,Rowena,isit?"saidMissWhittaker,resettingherpince-nezonhernose
disapprovingly.

Miss Whittaker as a local schoolteacher was always firm on accuracy. "Because we've abolished the
elevenplussometimeago."MrsOliverrosefromthesetteeapologetically.

"Ihaven'tbeenmakingmyselfuseful.I'vejustbeensittingheresayingsillythingsaboutpumpkinsand
vegetablemarrows-"Andrestingmyfeet,shethought,withaslightpangofconscience,butwithout
sufficientfeelingofguilttosayitaloud.

"NowwhatcanIdonext?"sheasked,andadded,"Whatlovelyapples!"

Someonehadjustbroughtalargebowlofapplesintotheroom.MrsOliverwaspartialtoapples.

"Lovelyredones,"sheadded.

"They're not really very good," said Rowena Drake. "But they look nice and partified. That's for
bobbingforapples.They'rerathersoftapples,sopeoplewillbeabletogettheirteethintothembetter.
Takethemintothelibrary,willyou,Beatrice?Bobbingforapplesalwaysmakesamesswiththewater
sloppingover,butthatdoesn'tmatterwiththelibrarycarpet,it'ssoold.Oh!thankyou,Joyce."

Joyce, a sturdy thirteen-year-old, seized the bowl of apples. Two rolled off it and stopped, as though
arrestedbyawitch'swand,atMrsOliver'sfeet.

"Youlikeapples,don'tyou?"saidJoyce."Ireadyoudid,orperhapsIhearditonthetelly.You'rethe
onewhowritesmurderstories,aren'tyou?"

"Yes,"saidMrsOliver.

"Weoughttohavemadeyoudosomethingconnectedwithmurders.Haveamurderatthepartytonight
andmakepeoplesolveit."

"No,thankyou,"saidMrsOliver."Neveragain."

"Whatdoyoumean,neveragain?"

"Well,Ididonce,anditdidn'tturnoutmuchofasuccess,"saidMrsOliver.

"Butyou'vewrittenlotsofbooks,"saidJoyce,"youmakealotofmoneyoutofthem,don'tyou?"

"In a way," said Mrs Oliver, her thoughts flying to the Inland Revenue. "And you've got a detective
who'saFinn."

MrsOliveradmittedthefact.Asmallstolidboynotyet,MrsOliverwouldhavethought,arrivedatthe
seniorityoftheeleven-plus,saidsternly,"WhyaFinn?"

"I'veoftenwondered,"saidMrsOlivertruthfully.

Mrs Hargreaves, the organist's wife, came into the room breathing heavily, and bearing a large green
plasticpail.

"Whataboutthis,"shesaid,"fortheapplebobbing?Kindofgay,Ithought."

MissLee,thedoctor'sdispenser,said,"Galvanisedbucket'sbetter.Won'ttipoversoeasily.Whereare
yougoingtohaveit,MrsDrake?"

"Ithoughtthebobbingforappleshadbetterbeinthelibrary.Thecarpet'soldthereandalotofwater
alwaysgetsspilt,anyway."

"Allright.We'lltake'emalong.Rowena,here'sanotherbasketofapples."

"Letmehelp,"saidMrsOliver.

Shepickedupthetwoapplesatherfeet.

Almostwithoutnoticingwhatshewasdoing,shesankherteethintooneofthemandbegantocrunchit.
Mrs Drake abstracted the second apple from her firmly and restored it to the basket. A buzz of
conversationbrokeout.

"Yes,butwherearewegoingtohavetheSnapdragon?"

"YououghttohavetheSnapdragoninthelibrary,it'smuchthedarkestroom."

"No,we'regoingtohavethatinthedining-room."

"We'llhavetoputsomethingonthetablefirst."

"There'sagreenbaizeclothtoputonthatandthentherubbersheetoverit."

"Whataboutthelooking-glasses?Shallwereallyseeourhusbandsinthem?"

Surreptitiouslyremovinghershoesandstillquietlychompingatherapple,MrsOliverloweredherself
once more on to the settee and surveyed the room full of people critically. She was thinking in her
authoress's mind: "Now, if I was going to make a book about all these people, how should I do it?

They'renicepeople,Ishouldthink,onthewhole,butwhoknows?"

Inaway,shefelt,itwasratherfascinatingnottoknowanythingaboutthem.

They all lived in Woodleigh Common, some of them had faint tags attached to them in her memory
because of what Judith had told her. Miss Johnson -something to do with the church, not the vicar's
sister. Oh no, it was the organist's sister, of course, Rowena Drake, who seemed to run things in
Woodleigh Common. The puffing woman who had brought in the pail, a particularly hideous plastic
pail.ButthenMrsOliverhadneverbeenfondofplasticthings.Andthenthechildren,theteenagegirls
andboys.

SofartheywerereallyonlynamestoMrsOliver.TherewasaNanandaBeatriceandaCathie,aDiana
andaJoyce,whowasboastfulandaskedquestions.

Idon'tlikeJoycemuch,thoughtMrsOliver.AgirlcalledAnn,wholookedtallandsuperior.Therewere
twoadolescentboyswhoappearedtohavejustgotusedtotryingoutdifferenthairstyles,withrather
unfortunateresults.

Asmallishboyenteredinsomeconditionofshynesss.

"Mummysentthesemirrorstoseeifthey'ddo,"hesaidinaslightlybreathlessvoice.MrsDraketook
themfromhim."Thankyousomuch,Eddy,"shesaid.

"They'rejustordinarylookinghand-mirrors,"saidthegirlcalledAnn."Shallwereallyseeourfuture
husbands'facesinthem?"

"Someofyoumayandsomemaynot,"saidJudithButler.

"Didyoueverseeyourhusband'sfacewhenyouwenttoaparty-1meanthiskindofaparty?"

"Ofcourseshedidn't,"saidJoyce.

"Shemighthave,"saidthesuperiorBeatrice.

"ESP,theycallit.Extrasensoryperception,"sheaddedinthetoneofonepleasedwithbeingthoroughly

conversantwiththetermsofthetimes.

"Ireadoneofyourbooks,"saidAnntoMrsOliver."TheDyingGoldfish.Itwasquitegood,"shesaid
kindly.

"I didn't like that one," said Joyce. "There wasn't enough blood in it. I like murders to have lots of
blood."

"Abitmessy,"saidMrsOliver,"don'tyouthink?"

"Butexciting,"saidJoyce.

"Notnecessarily,"saidMrsOliver.

"Isawamurderonce,"saidJoyce.

"Don'tbesilly,Joyce,"saidMissWhittaker,theschoolteacher.

"Idid,"saidJoyce.

"Didyoureally,"askedCathie,gazingatJoycewithwideeyes,"reallyandtrulyseeamurder?"

"Ofcourseshedidn't,"saidMrsDrake."Don'tsaysillythings,Joyce.""Ididseeamurder,"saidJoyce.
"Idid.Idid.Idid."

A seventeen-year-old boy poised on a ladder looked down interestedly. "What kind of a murder?" he
asked.

"Idon'tbelieveit,"saidBeatrice.

"Ofcoursenot,"saidCathie'smother."She'sjustmakingitup."

"I'mnot.Isawit."

"Whydidn'tyougotothepoliceaboutit?"askedCathie.

"BecauseIdidn'tknowitwasamurderwhenIsawit.Itwasn'treallytillalongtimeafterwards,Imean,
thatIbegantoknowthatitwasamurder.Somethingthatsomebodysaidonlyaboutamonthortwoago
suddenlymademethink:'Ofcourse,thatwasamurderIsaw.'"

"Yousee,"saidAnn,"she'smakingitallup.It'snonsense."

"Whendidithappen?"askedBeatrice.

"Yearsago,"saidJoyce."Iwasquiteyoungatthetime,"sheadded.

"Whomurderedwho?"saidBeatrice.

"Ishan'ttellanyofyou,"saidJoyce."You'reallsohorridaboutit."

Miss Lee came in with another kind of bucket. Conversation shifted to a comparison of buckets or
plasticpailsasmostsuitableforthesportofbobbingforapples.Themajorityofthehelpersrepairedto
thelibraryforanappraisalonthespot.Someoftheyoungermembers,itmaybesaid,wereanxiousto
demonstratebyarehearsalthedifficultiesandtheirownaccomplishmentinthesport.

Hair got wet, water got spilt, towels were sent for to mop it up. In the end it was decided that a
galvanised bucket was preferable to the more meretricious charms of a plastic pail which overturned
rathertooeasily.

MrsOliver,settingdownabowlofappleswhichshehadcarriedintoreplenishthestorerequiredfor
tomorrow,oncemorehelpedherselftoone.

"Ireadinthepaperthatyouwerefondofeatingapples,"theaccusingvoiceofAnnorSusan-shewas
notquitesurewhich-spoketoher."

"It'smybesettingsin,"saidMrsOliver.

"Itwouldbemorefunifitwasmelons,"objectedoneoftheboys.

"They're so juicy. Think of the mess it would make," he said, surveying the carpet with pleasurable
anticipation.

Mrs Oliver, feeling a little guilty at the public arraignment of greediness, left the room in search of a
particularapartment,thegeographyofwhichisusuallyfairlyeasilyidentified.Shewentupthestaircase
and,turningthecorneronthehalflanding,cannonedintoapair,agirlandaboy,claspedineachother's
armsandleaningagainstthedoorwhichMrsOliverfeltfairlycertainwasthedoortotheroomtowhich
she herself was anxious to gain access. The couple paid no attention to her. They sighed and they
snuggled. Mrs Oliver wondered how old they were. The boy was fifteen, perhaps, the girl little more
thantwelve,althoughthedevelopmentofherchestseemedcertainlyonthematureside.

Apple Trees was a house of fair size. It had, she thought, several agreeable nooks and corners. How
selfishpeopleare,thoughtMrsOliver.Noconsiderationforothers.Thatwell-knowntagfromthepast
came into her mind. It had been said to her in succession by a nursemaid, a nanny, a governess, her
grandmother,twogreatauntshermotherandafewothers.

"Excuseme,"saidMrsOliverinaloud,clearvoice.

Theboyandthegirlclungcloserthanever,theirlipsfastenedoneachother's.

"Excuseme,"saidMrsOliveragain,"doyoumindlettingmepass?Iwanttogetinatthisdoor."

Unwillingly the couple fell apart. They looked at her in an aggrieved fashion. Mrs Oliver went in,
bangedthedoorandshotthebolt.

Itwasnotaveryclosefittingdoor.Thefaintsoundofwordscametoherfromoutside.

"Isn'tthatlikepeople?"onevoicesaidinasomewhatuncertaintenor."Theymightseewedidn'twantto
bedisturbed."

"Peoplearesoselfish,"pipedagirl'svoice."Theyneverthinkofanyonebutthemselves."

"Noconsiderationforothers,"saidtheboy'svoice.

Chapter2

Preparationforachildren'spartyusuallygivefarmoretroubletotheorganisersthananentertainment
devised for those of adult years. Food of good quality and suitable alcoholic refreshment - with
lemonadeontheside,that,totherightpeople,isquiteenoughtomakeapartygo.Itmaycostmorebut
thetroubleisinfinitelyless.SoAriadneOliverandherfriendJudithButleragreedtogether.

"Whataboutteenageparties?"saidJudith.

"Idon'tknowmuchaboutthem,"saidMrsOliver.

"Inoneway,"saidJudith,"Ithinkthey'reprobablyleasttroubleofall.Imean,theyjustthrowallofus
adultsout.Andsaythey'lldoitallthemselves."

"Anddothey?"

"Well,notinoursenseoftheword,"saidJudith."Theyforgettoordersomeofthethings,andordera
lotofotherthingsthatnobodylikes.Havingthrownusout,thentheysaytherewerethingsweoughtto
have provided for them to find. They break a lot of glasses, and other things, and there's always
somebodyundesirableorwhobringsanundesirablefriend.Youknowthesortofthing.Peculiardrugs
andwhatdotheycallit?FlowerPotorPurpleHemporLSD,whichIalwayshavethoughtjustmeant
money,butapparentlyitdoesn't."

"Isupposeitcostsit,"suggestedAriadneOliver."It'sveryunpleasant,andHemphasanastysmell.""It
allsoundsverydepressing,"saidMrsOliver.

"Anyway,thispartywillgoallright.TrustRowenaDrakeforthat.She'sawonderfulorganiser.You'll
see."

"Idon'tfeelIevenwanttogotoaparty,"sighedMrsOliver.

"You go up and lie down for an hour or so. You'll see. You'll enjoy it when you get there. I wish
Mirandahadn'tgotatemperature.She'ssodisappointedatnotbeingabletogo,poorchild."

The party came into being at half past seven. Ariadne Oliver had to admit that her friend was right.
Arrivalswerepunctual.

Everythingwentsplendidly.Itwaswellimagined,wellrunandranlikeclockwork.

There were red and blue lights on the stairs and yellow pumpkins in profusion. The girls and boys
arrivedholdingdecoratedbroomsticksforacompetition.Aftergreetings,RowenaDrakeannouncedthe
programmefortheevening.

"First, judging of the broomstick competition," she said, "three prizes, first, second and third. Then
comescuttingtheflourcake.That'llbeinthesmallconservatory.Thenbobbingforapples-there'salist
pinneduponthewalloverthereofthepartnersforthatevent-thenthere'llbedancing.Everytimethe
lights go out you change partners. Then girls to the small study where they'll be given their mirrors.
Afterthat,supper,Snapdragonandthenprize-giving."

Like all parties, it went slightly stickily at first. The brooms were admired, they were very small
miniature brooms, and on the whole the decorating of them had not reached a very high standard of
merit,"whichmakesiteasier,"saidMrsDrakeinanasidetooneofherfriends.

"Andit'saveryusefulthingbecauseImeantherearealwaysoneortwochildrenoneknowsonlytoo
wellwon'twinaprizeatanythingelse,soonecancheatalittleoverthis."

"Sounscrupulous,Rowena."

"I'mnotreally.Ijustarrangesothatthingsshouldbefairandevenlydivided.Thewholepointisthat
everyonewantstowinsomething."

"What'stheFlourGame?"askedAriadneOliver.

"Oh yes, of course, you weren't here when we were doing it. Well, you just fill a tumbler with flour,
pressitinwell,thenyouturnitoutinatrayandplaceasixpenceontopofit.Theneveryoneslicesa
sliceoffitverycarefullysoasnottotumblethesixpenceoff.Assoonassomeonetumblesthesixpence
off,thatpersongoesout.It'sasortofelimination.Thelastoneleftingetsthesixpenceofcourse.Now
then,awaywego."

And away they went. Squeals of excitement were heard coming from the library where bobbing for
appleswenton,andcompetitorsreturnedfromtherewithwetlocksandhavingdisposedagooddealof
waterabouttheirpersons.

Oneofthemostpopularcontests,atanyrateamongthegirls,wasthearrivaloftheHallowe'enwitch
playedbyMrsGoodbody,alocalcleaningwomanwho,notonlyhavingthenecessaryhookednoseand
chinwhichalmostmet,wasadmirablyproficientinproducingasemi-cooingvoicewhichhaddefinitely
sinisterundertonesandalsoproducedmagicaldoggerelrhymes.

"Nowthen,comealong.Beatrice,isit?Ah,Beatrice.Averyinterestingname.Nowyouwanttoknow
whatyourhusbandisgoingtolooklike.Now,mydear,sithere.Yes,yes,underthislighthere.Sithere
and hold this little mirror in your hand, and presently when the lights go out you'll see him appear.
You'll see him looking over your shoulder. Now hold the mirror steady. Abracadabra, who shall see?
The face of the man who will marry me. Beatrice, Beatrice, you shall find, the face of the man who
shallpleaseyourmind."

Asuddenshaftoflightshotacrosstheroomfromastep-ladder,placedbehindascreen.Ithittheright
spotintheroom,whichwasreflectedinthemirrorgraspedinBeatrice'sexcitedhand.

"Oh!"criedBeatrice."I'veseenhim.I'veseenhim!Icanseehiminmymirror!"

The beam was shut off, the lights came on and a coloured photograph pasted on a card floated down
fromtheceiling.

Beatricedancedaboutexcitedly.

"Thatwashim!Thatwashim!Isawhim,"shecried."Oh,he'sgotalovelygingerbeard."

SherushedtoMrsOliver,whowasthenearestperson.

"Dolook,dolook.Don'tyouthinkhe'sratherwonderful?He'slikeEddiePresweight,thepopsinger.
Don'tyouthinkso?"

Mrs Oliver did think he looked like one of the faces she daily deplored having to see in her morning
paper.Thebeard,shethought,hadbeenanafter-thoughtofgenius.

"Wheredoallthesethingscomefrom?"sheasked.

"Oh, Rowena gets Nicky to make them. And his friend Desmond helps. He experiments a good deal
withphotography.Heandacoupleofpalsofhismadethemselvesup,withagreatdealofhairorside-

burnsorbeardsandthings.Andthenwiththelightonhimandeverything,ofcourseitsendsthegirls
wildwithdelight."

"Ican'thelpthinking,"saidAriadneOliver,"thatgirlsarereallyverysillynowadays."

"Don'tyouthinktheyalwayswere?"askedRowenaDrake.

MrsOliverconsidered.

"Isupposeyou'reright,"sheadmitted.

"Nowthen,"criedMrsDrake-"supper."

Supperwentoffwell.Richicedcakes,savouries,prawns,cheeseandnutconfections.

Theeleven-plusesstuffedthemselves.

"Andnow,"saidRowena,"thatlastonefortheevening.Snapdragon.Acrossthere,throughthepantry.
That'sright.Nowthen.Prizesfirst."

Theprizeswerepresented,andthentherewasawailing,bansheecall.Thechildrenrushedacrossthe
hallbacktothedining-room.

The food had been cleared away. A green baize cloth was laid across the table and here was borne a
greatdishofflamingraisins.Everybodyshrieked,rushingforward,snatchingtheblazingraisins,with
criesof"Ow,I'mburned!Isn'titlovely?"LittlebylittletheSnapdragonflickeredanddieddown.The
lightswentup.Thepartywasover.

"It'sbeenagreatsuccess,"saidRowena.

"Soitshouldbewithallthetroubleyou'vetaken."

"Itwaslovely,"saidJudithquietly.

"Lovely."

"Andnow,"sheaddedruefully,"we'llhavetoclearupabit.Wecan'tleaveeverythingforthosepoor
womentomorrowmorning."

Chapter3

InaflatinLondonthetelephonebellrang.Theowneroftheflat,HerculePoirot,stirredinhischair.
Disappointment attacked him. He knew before he answered it what it meant. His friend Solly, with
whomhehadbeengoingtospendtheevening,revivingtheirneverendingcontroversyaboutthereal
culpritintheCanningRoadMunicipalBathsmurder,wasabouttosaythathecouldnotcome.Poirot,
who had collected certain bits of evidence in favour of his own somewhat far-fetched theory, was
deeplydisappointed.HedidnotthinkhisfriendSollywouldaccepthissuggestions,buthehadnodoubt
thatwhenSollyinhisturnproducedhisownfantasticbeliefs,hehimself,HerculePoirot,wouldjustas
easilybeabletodemolishtheminthenameofsanity,logic,orderandmethod.Itwasannoying,tosay
theleastofit,ifSollydidnotcomethisevening.Butitistruethatwhentheyhadmetearlierintheday,
Sollyhadbeenrackedwithachestycoughandwasinastateofhighlyinfectiouscatarrh.

"He had a nasty cold," said Hercule Poirot, "and no doubt, in spite of the remedies that I have handy
here,hewouldprobablyhavegivenittome.Itisbetterthatheshouldnotcome.Toutdememe,"he
added,withasigh,"itwillmeanthatnowIshallpassadullevening."

Manyoftheeveningsweredullnow,HerculePoirotthought.Hismind,magnificentasitwas(forhe
had never doubted that fact) required stimulation from outside sources. He had never been of a
philosophiccastofmind.Thereweretimeswhenhealmostregrettedthathehadnottakentothestudy
of theology instead of going into the police force in his early days. The number of angels who could
dance on the point of a needle; it would be interesting to feel that that mattered and to argue
passionatelyonthepointwithone'scolleagues.

His manservant, George, entered the room. "It was Mr Solomon Levy, sir." "Ah yes," said Hercule
Poirot.

"Heverymuchregretsthathewillnotbeabletojoinyouthisevening.Heisinbedwithaseriousbout
of'flu."

"Hehasnotgot'flu,"saidHerculePoirot."Hehasonlyanastycold.Everyonealwaysthinkstheyhave
'flu.Itsoundsmoreimportant.Onegetsmoresympathy.Thetroublewithacatarrhalcoldisthatitis
hardtogleantheproperamountofsympatheticconsiderationfromone'sfriends."

"Justaswellheisn'tcominghere,sir,really,"saidGeorge."Thosecoldsintheheadareveryinfectious.
Wouldn'tbegoodforyoutogodownwithoneofthose."

"Itwouldbeextremelytedious,"Poirotagreed.

Thetelephonebellrangagain.

"Andnowwhohasacold?"hedemanded."Ihavenotaskedanyoneelse."

Georgecrossedtowardsthetelephone.

"Iwilltakethecallhere,"saidPoirot.

"I have no doubt that it is nothing of interest. But at any rate -" he shrugged his shoulders - "it will
perhapspassthetime.Whoknows?"

Georgesaid,"Verygood,sir,"andlefttheroom.

Poirotstretchedoutahand,raisedthereceiver,thusstillingtheclamourofthebell.

"HerculePoirotspeaks,"hesaid,withacertaingrandeurofmannerdesignedtoimpresswhoeverwasat
theotherendoftheline.

"That'swonderful,"saidaneagervoice.

A female voice, slightly impaired with breathlessness. "I thought you'd be sure to be out, that you
wouldn'tbethere."

"Whyshouldyouthinkthat?"inquiredPoirot.

"BecauseIcan'thelpfeelingthatnowadaysthingsalwayshappentofrustrateone.Youwantsomeonein
a terrible hurry, you feel you can't wait, and you have to wait. I wanted to get hold of you urgently -
absolutelyurgently."

"And who are you?" asked Hercule Poirot. The voice, a female one, seemed surprised. "Don't you
know?"itsaidincredulously.

"Yes, I know," said Hercule Poirot. "You are my friend, Ariadne." "And I'm in a terrible state," said
Ariadne.

"Yes,yes,Icanhearthat.Haveyoualsobeenrunning?Youareverybreathless,areyounot?"

"Ihaven'tbeenexactlyrunning.It'semotion.CanIcomeandseeyouatonce?"

Poirot let a few moments elapse before he answered. His friend, Mrs Oliver, sounded in a highly
excitable condition. Whatever was the matter with her, she would no doubt spend a very long time
pouringouthergrievances,herwoes,herfrustrationsorwhateverwasailingher.

Once having established herself within Poirot's sanctum, it might be hard to induce her to go home
without a certain amount of impoliteness. The things that excited Mrs Oliver were so numerous and
frequentlysounexpectedthatonehadtobecarefulhowoneembarkeduponadiscussionofthem.

"Somethinghasupsetyou?"

"Yes.OfcourseI'mupset.Idon'tknowwhattodo.Idon'tknow-oh,Idon'tknowanything.WhatIfeel
isthatI'vegottocomeandtellyou-tellyoujustwhat'shappened,foryou'retheonlypersonwhomight
knowwhattodo.WhomighttellmewhatIoughttodo.SocanIcome?"

"Butcertainly,butcertainly.Ishallbedelightedtoreceiveyou."

ThereceiverwasthrowndownheavilyattheotherendandPoirotsummonedGeorge,reflectedafew
minutes,thenorderedlemonbarleywater,bitterlemonandaglassofbrandyforhimself.

"MrsOliverwillbehereinabouttenminutes,"hesaid.

George withdrew. He returned with the brandy for Poirot, who accepted it with a nod of satisfaction,
andGeorgethenproceededtoprovidethetee-totalrefreshmentthatwastheonlythinglikelytoappeal
toMrsOliver.Poirottookasipofbrandydelicately,fortifyinghimselffortheordealwhichwasabout

todescenduponhim.

"It is a pity," he murmured to himself, "that she is so scatty. And yet, she has originality of mind. It
couldbethatIamgoingtoenjoywhatsheiscomingtotellme.Itcouldbe-"hereflectedaminute-
"thatitmaytakeagreatdealoftheeveningandthatitwillallbeexcessivelyfoolish.Ehbien,onemust
takeone'srisksinlife."

Abellsounded.Abellontheoutsidedooroftheflatthistime.Itwasnotasinglepressureofthebutton.
Itlastedforalongtimewithakindofsteadyactionthatwasveryeffective,thesheermakingofnoise.

"Assuredly,shehasexcitedherself,"saidPoirot.

He heard George go to the door, open it, and before any decorous announcement could be made the
doorofhissitting-roomopenedandAriadneOliverchargedthroughit,withGeorgeintowbehindher,
hangingontosomethingwhichlookedlikeafisherman'ssou'westerandoilskins.

"Whatonearthareyouwearing?"saidHerculePoirot."LetGeorgetakeitfromyou.It'sverywet."

"Ofcourseit'swet,"saidMrsOliver."It'sverywetout.Ineverthoughtaboutwaterbefore.It'saterrible
thingtothinkof."

Poirotlookedatherwithinterest.

"Willyouhavesomelemonbarleywater,"hesaid,"orcouldIpersuadeyoutoasmallglassofeaude
vie?"

"Ihatewater,"saidMrsOliver.

Poirotlookedsurprised.

"Ihateit.I'veneverthoughtaboutitbefore.Whatitcando,andeverything."

"My dear friend," said Hercule Poirot, as George extricated her from the flapping folds of watery
oilskin.

"Comeandsitdownhere.LetGeorgefinallyrelieveyouofwhatisityouarewearing?"

"IgotitinCornwall,"saidMrsOliver."Oilskins.Areal,properfisherman'soilskin."

"Very useful to him, no doubt," said Poirot, "but not, I think, so suitable for you. Heavy to wear. But
comesitdownandtellme."

"Idon'tknowhow,"saidMrsOliver,sinkingintoachair."Sometimes,youknow,Ican'tfeelit'sreally
true.Butithappened.Itreallyhappened."

"Tellme,"saidPoirot.

"That'swhatI'vecomefor.ButnowI'vegothere,it'ssodifficultbecauseIdon'tknowwheretobegin."

"Atthebeginning?"suggestedPoirot,"oristhattooconventionalawayofacting?"

"Idon'tknowwhenthebeginningwas.Notreally.Itcouldhavebeenalongtimeago,youknow."

"Calmyourself,"saidPoirot."Gathertogetherthevariousthreadsofthismatterinyourmindandtell
me.Whatisitthathassoupsetyou?"

"It would have upset you, too," said Mrs Oliver. "At least, I suppose it would." She looked rather
doubtful."Onedoesn'tknow,really,whatdoesupsetyou.Youtakesomanythingswithalotofcalm."

"Itisoftenthebestway,"saidPoirot.

"Allright,"saidMrsOliver."Itbeganwithaparty."

"Ahyes,"saidPoirot,relievedtohavesomethingasordinaryandsaneasapartypresentedtohim."A
party.Youwenttoapartyandsomethinghappened."

"DoyouknowwhataHallowe'enpartyis?"saidMrsOliver."IknowwhatHallowe'enis,"saidPoirot.

"The31stofOctober."Hetwinkledslightlyashesaid,"Whenwitchesrideonbroomsticks."

"Therewerebroomsticks,"saidMrsOliver."Theygaveprizesforthem."

"Prizes?"

"Yes,forwhobroughtthebestdecoratedones."

Poirotlookedatherratherdoubtfully.Originallyrelievedatthementionofaparty,henowagainfelt
slightlydoubtful.SinceheknewthatMrsOliverdidnotpartakeofspirituousliquor,hecouldnotmake
oneoftheassumptionsthathemighthavemadeinanyothercase.

"Achildren'sparty,"saidMrsOliver."Orrather,aneleven-plusparty.""Eleven-plus?"

"Well,that'swhattheyusedtocallit,youknow,inschools.Imeantheyseehowbrightyouare,andif
you're bright enough to pass your eleven-plus, you go on to a grammar school or something. But if
you'renotbrightenough,yougotosomethingcalledaSecondaryModern.Asillyname.Itdoesn'tseem
tomeananything."

"Idonot,Iconfess,reallyunderstandwhatyouaretalkingabout,"saidPoirot.

Theyseemedtohavegotawayfrompartiesandenteredintotherealmsofeducation.

MrsOlivertookadeepbreathandbeganagain.

"Itstartedreally,"shesaid,"withtheapples."

"Ahyes,"saidPoirot,"itwould.Italwaysmightwithyou,mightn'tit?"

Hewas thinking to himself of a smallcar on a hill and a large womangetting out of it, and a bag of
applesbreaking,andtheapplesrunningandcascadingdownthehill.

"Yes,"hesaidencouragingly,"apples."

"Bobbingforapples,"saidMrsOliver."That'soneofthethingsyoudoataHallowe'enparty."

"Ahyes,IthinkIhaveheardofthat,yes."

"Yousee,allsortsofthingswerebeingdone.Therewasbobbingforapples,andcuttingsixpenceoffa
tumblerfulofflour,andlookinginalooking-glass-"

"To see your true love's face?" suggested Poirot knowledgeably. "Ah," said Mrs Oliver, "you're
beginningtounderstandatlast."

"Alotofoldfolklore,infact,"saidPoirot,"andthisalltookplaceatyourparty."

"Yes, it was all a great success. It finished up with Snapdragon. You know, burning raisins in a great
dish.Isuppose-"hervoicefaltered,"Isupposethatmustbetheactualtimewhenitwasdone."

"Whenwhatwasdone?"

"Amurder.AftertheSnapdragoneveryonewenthome,"saidMrsOliver."That,yousee,waswhenthey
couldn'tfindher."

"Findwhom?"

"Agirl.AgirlcalledJoyce.Everyonecalledhernameandlookedaroundandaskedifshe'dgonehome
withanyoneelse,andhermothergotratherannoyedandsaidthatJoycemusthavefelttiredorillor
somethingandgoneoffbyherself,andthatitwasverythoughtlessofhernottoleaveword.Allthesort
ofthingsthatmotherssaywhenthingslikethathappen.Butanyway,wecouldn'tfindJoyce."

"Andhadshegonehomebyherself?"

"No,"saidMrsOliver,"shehadn'tgonehome..."Hervoicefaltered.

"Wefoundherintheendinthelibrary.That'swhere-wheresomeonedidit,youknow.Bobbingfor
apples.Thebucketwasthere.Abig,galvanisedbucket.Theywouldn'thavetheplasticone.Perhapsif
they'dhadtheplasticoneitwouldn'thavehappened.Itwouldn'thavebeenheavyenough.Itmighthave

tippedover-"

"Whathappened?"saidPoirot.Hisvoicewassharp.

"That's where she was found," said Mrs Oliver. "Someone, you know, someone had shoved her head
down into the water with the apples. Shoved her down and held her there so that she was dead, of
course. Drowned. Drowned. Just in a galvanised iron bucket nearly full of water. Kneeling there,
stickingherheaddowntobobatanapple.Ihateapples,"saidMrsOliver."Ineverwanttoseeanapple
again..."

Poirotlookedather.Hestretchedoutahandandfilledasmallglasswithcognac.

"Drinkthis,"hesaid."Itwilldoyougood."

Chapter4

MrsOliverputdowntheglassandwipedherlips.

"Youwereright,"shesaid."That-thathelped.Iwasgettinghysterical."

"Youhavehadagreatshock,Iseenow.Whendidthishappen?"

"Lastnight.Wasitonlylastnight?Yes,yes,ofcourse."

"Andyoucametome."

Itwasnotquiteaquestion,butitdisplayedadesireformoreinformationthanPoirothadyethad.

"Youcametomewhy?"

"Ithoughtyoucouldhelp,"saidMrsOliver."Yousee,it's-it'snotsimple."

"It could be and it could not," said Poirot. "A lot depends. You must tell me more, you know. The

police,Ipresume,areincharge.Adoctorwas,nodoubt,called.Whatdidhesay?"

"There'stobeaninquest,"saidMrsOliver.

"Naturally."

"Tomorroworthenextday."

"Thisgirl,thisJoyce,howoldwasshe?"

"Idon'tknowexactly.Ishouldthinkperhapstwelveorthirteen."

"Smallforherage?"

"No,no.Ishouldthinkrathermature,perhaps.Lumpy,"saidMrsOliver.

"Welldeveloped?Youmeansexylooking."

"Yes,thatiswhatImean.ButIdon'tthinkthatwasthekindofcrimeitwas-1meanthatwouldhave
beenmoresimple,wouldn'tit?"

"Itisthekindofcrime,"saidPoirot,"ofwhichonereadseverydayinthepaper.Agirlwhoisattacked,
a school child who is assaulted - yes, every day. This happened in a private house which makes it
different,butperhapsnotsodifferentasallthat.Butallthesame,I'mnotsureyetthatyou'vetoldme
everything."

"No, I don't suppose I have," said Mrs Oliver. "I haven't told you the reason, I mean, why I came to
you."

"YouknewthisJoyce,youknewherwell?"

"Ididn'tknowheratall.I'dbetterexplaintoyou,Ithink,justhowIcametobethere."

"Thereiswhere?"

"Oh,aplacecalledWoodleighCommon."

"WoodleighCommon,"saidPoirotthoughtfully."Notwherelately-"hebrokeoff.

"It'snotveryfarfromLondon.About-oh,thirtytofortymiles,Ithink.It'snearMedchester.It'soneof
thoseplaceswherethereareafewnicehouses,butwhereacertainamountofnewbuildinghasbeen
done. Residential. A good school nearby, and people can commute from there to London or into
Medchester. It's quite an ordinary sort of place where people with what you might call everyday
reasonableincomeslive."

"WoodleighCommon,"saidPoirotagain,thoughtfully.

"Iwasstayingwithafriendthere.JudithButler.She'sawidow.IwentonaHelleniccruisethisyearand
Judith was on the cruise and we became friends. She's got a daughter, a girl called Miranda who is
twelveorthirteen.Anyway,sheaskedmetocomeandstayandshesaidfriendsofhersweregivingthis
partyforchildren,anditwastobeaHallowe'enparty.ShesaidperhapsIhadsomeinterestingideas."

"Ah,"saidPoirot,"shedidnotsuggestthistimethatyoushouldarrangeamurderhuntoranythingof
thatkind?"

"Goodgracious,no,"saidMrsOliver."DoyouthinkIshouldeverconsidersuchathingagain?"

"Ishouldthinkitunlikely."

"But it happened, that's what is so awful," said Mrs Oliver. "I mean, it couldn't have happened just
becauseIwasthere,couldit?"

"Idonotthinkso.Atleast-Didanyofthepeopleatthepartyknowwhoyouwere?"

"Yes,"saidMrsOliver."Oneofthechildrensaidsomethingaboutmywritingbooksandthattheyliked
murders.That'showit-wellthat'swhatledtothething...Imeantothethingthatmademecometo
you."

"Whichyoustillhaven'ttoldme."

"Well, you see, at first I didn't think of it. Not straight away. I mean, children do queer things
sometimes.Imeantherearequeerchildrenabout,childrenwho-well,onceIsupposetheywouldhave
beeninmentalhomesandthings,buttheysendthemhomenowandtellthemtoleadordinarylivesor
something,andthentheygoanddosomethinglikethis."

"Thereweresomeyoungadolescentsthere?"

"Thereweretwoboys,oryouthsastheyalwaysseemtocalltheminpolicereports.Aboutsixteento
eighteen."

"Isupposeoneofthemmighthavedoneit.Isthatwhatthepolicethink?"

"Theydon'tsaywhattheythink,"saidMrsOliver,"buttheylookedasthoughtheymightthinkso."

"WasthisJoyceanattractivegirl?"

"Idon'tthinkso,"saidMrsOliver."Youmeanattractivetoboys,doyou?"

"No,"saidPoirot,"IthinkImeant-well,justtheplainsimplemeaningoftheword."

"Idon'tthinkshewasaverynicegirl,"saidMrsOliver,"notoneyou'dwanttotalktomuch.Shewas
thesortofgirlwhoshowsoffandboasts.It'sarathertiresomeage,Ithink.ItsoundsunkindwhatI'm
saying,but-"

"Itisnotunkindinmurdertosaywhatthevictimwaslike,"saidPoirot."Itisvery,verynecessary.The
personalityofthevictimisthecauseofmanyamurder.Howmanypeoplewerethereinthehouseatthe
time?"

"You mean for the party and so on? Well, I suppose there were five or six women, some mothers, a
schoolteacher,adoctor'swife,orsister,Ithink,acoupleofmiddle-agedmarriedpeople,thetwoboysof
sixteen to eighteen, a girl of fifteen, two or three of eleven or twelve well that sort of thing. About
twenty-fiveorthirtyinall,perhaps."

"Anystrangers?"

"Theyallkneweachother,Ithink.Somebetterthanothers.Ithinkthegirlsweremostlyinthesame
school.Therewereacoupleofwomenwhohadcomeintohelpwiththefoodandthesupperandthings
like that. When the party ended, most of the mothers went home with their children. I stayed behind
withJudithandacoupleofotherstohelpRowenaDrake,thewomanwhogavetheparty,toclearupa
bit, so the cleaning women who came in the morning wouldn't have so much mess to deal with. You
know,therewasalotofflourabout,andpapercapsoutofcrackersanddifferentthings.Sowesweptup
abit,andwegottothelibrarylastofall.Andthat'swhen-whenwefoundher.AndthenIremembered
whatshe'dsaid."

"Whatwhohadsaid?""Joyce."

"What did she say? We are coming to it now, are we not? We are coming to the reason why you are
here?"

"Yes.Ithoughtitwouldn'tmeananythingto-oh,toadoctororthepoliceoranyone,butIthoughtit
mightmeansomethingtoyou."

"Ehbien,"saidPoirot,"tellme.WasthissomethingJoycesaidattheparty?"

"No-earlierintheday.Thatafternoonwhenwewerefixingthingsup.Itwasafterthey'dtalkedabout
mywritingmurderstoriesandJoycesaid'Isawamurderonce'andhermotherorsomebodysaid'Don't
besilly,Joyce,sayingthingslikethat'andoneoftheoldergirlssaid'You'rejustmakingitup'andJoyce
said 'I did. I saw it. I tell you. I did. I saw someone do a murder,' but no one believed her. They just
laughedandshegotveryangry."

"Didyoubelieveher?"

"No,ofcoursenot."

"Isee,"saidPoirot,"yes,Isee."

Hewassilentforsomemoments,tappingafingeronthetable.Thenhesaid:"Iwonder-shegaveno
details-nonames?"

"No. She went on boasting and shouting a bit and being angry because most of the other girls were
laughingather.Themothers,Ithink,andtheolderpeople,wererathercrosswithher.Butthegirlsand
theyoungerboysjustlaughedather!Theysaidthingslike'Goon,Joyce,whenwasthis?Whydidyou
nevertellusaboutit?'AndJoycesaid,'I'dforgottenallaboutit,itwassolongago'."

"Aha!Didshesayhowlongago?"

"Yearsago,"shesaid."Youknow,inratherawould-begrown-upway."

'"Whydidn'tyougoandtellthepolicethen?'oneofthegirlssaid.Ann,Ithink,orBeatrice.Rathera
smug,superiorgirl."

"Aha,andwhatdidshesaytothat?"

"Shesaid:'BecauseIdidn'tknowatthetimeitwasamurder.'"

"Averyinterestingremark,"saidPoirot,sittingupratherstraighterinhischair.

"She'dgotabitmixedupbythen,Ithink,"saidMrsOliver."Youknow,tryingtoexplainherselfand
gettingangrybecausetheywereallteasingher.

"Theykeptaskingherwhyshehadn'tgonetothepolice,andshekeptonsaying'BecauseIdidn'tknow
thenthatitwasamurder.Itwasn'tuntilafterwardsthatitcametomequitesuddenlythatthatwaswhat
Ihadseen.'"

"Butnobodyshowedanysignsofbelievingher-andyouyourselfdidnotbelieveher-butwhenyou
cameacrossherdeadyousuddenlyfeltthatshemighthavebeenspeakingthetruth?"

"Yes,justthat.Ididn'tknowwhatIoughttodo,orwhatIcoulddo.Butthen,later,Ithoughtofyou."

Poirotbowedhisheadgravelyinacknowledgment.

He was silent for a moment or two, then he said: "I must pose to you a serious question, and reflect
before you answer it. Do you think that this girl had really seen a murder? Or do you think that she
merelybelievedthatshehadseenamurder?"

"The first, I think," said Mrs Oliver. "I didn't at the time. I just thought that she was vaguely
remembering something she had once seen and was working it up to make it sound important and
exciting.Shebecameveryvehement,saying,'Ididseeit,Itellyou.Ididseeithappen.'"

"Andso."

"AndsoI'vecomealongtoyou,"saidMrsOliver,"becausetheonlywayherdeathmakessenseisthat
therereallywasamurderandthatshewaswitnesstoit."

"That would involve certain things. It would involve that one of the people who were at the party
committed the murder, and that that same person must also have been there earlier that day and have
heardwhatJoycesaid."

"Youdon'tthinkI'mjustimaginingthings,doyou?"saidMrsOliver."Doyouthinkthatitisalljustmy
veryfarfetchedimagination?"

"Agirlwasmurdered,"saidPoirot."Murderedbysomeonewhohadstrengthenoughtoholdherhead
downinabucketofwater.Anuglymurderandamurderthatwascommittedwithwhatwemightcall,
no time to lose. Somebody was threatened, and whoever it was struck as soon as it was humanly
possible."

"Joycecouldnothaveknownwhoitwaswhodidthemurdershesaw,"saidMrsOliver."Imeanshe
wouldn'thavesaidwhatshedidiftherewassomeoneactuallyintheroomwhowasconcerned."

"No,"saidPoirot,"Ithinkyouarerightthere.Shesawamurder,butshedidnotseethemurderer'sface.
Wehavetogobeyondthat."

"Idon'tunderstandexactlywhatyoumean."

"ItcouldbethatsomeonewhowasthereearlierinthedayandheardJoyce'saccusationknewaboutthe
murder,knewwhocommittedthemurder,perhapswascloselyinvolvedwiththatperson.Itmayhave
beenthatthatsomeonethoughthewastheonlypersonwhoknewwhathiswifehaddone,orhismother
orhisdaughterorhisson.Oritmighthavebeenawomanwhoknewwhatherhusbandormotheror
daughter or son had done. Someone who thought that no one else knew. And then Joyce began
talking..."

"Andso-Joycehadtodie?"

"Yes."

"Whatareyougoingtodo?"

"Ihavejustremembered,"saidHerculePoirot,"whythenameofWoodleighCommonwasfamiliarto
me."

Chapter5

HerculePoirotlookedoverthesmallgatewhichgaveadmissiontoPineCrest.Itwasamodern,perky
littlehouse,nicelybuilt.HerculePoirotwasslightlyoutofbreath.Thesmall,neathouseinfrontofhim
wasverysuitablynamed.Itwasonahilltop,andthehilltopwasplantedwithafewsparsepines.Ithad
asmallneatgardenandalargeelderlymanwastrundlingalongapathwithabigtingalvanisedwaterer.

SuperintendentSpence'shairwasnowgreyalloverinsteadofhavinganeattouchofgreyhairatthe
temples.Hehadnotshrunkmuchingirth.Hestoppedtrundlinghiscanandlookingatthevisitoratthe
gate.HerculePoirotstoodtherewithoutmoving.

"God bless my soul," said Superintendent Spence. "It must be. It can't be but it is. Yes, it must be.
HerculePoirot,asIlive."

"Aha," said Hercule Poirot, "you know me. That is gratifying." "May your moustaches never grow
less,"saidSpence.Heabandonedthewateringcanandcamedowntothegate."Diabolicalweeds,"he
said."Andwhatbringsyoudownhere?"

"Whathasbroughtmetomanyplacesinmytime,"saidHerculePoirot,"andwhatonceagoodmany
yearsagobroughtyoutoseeme.Murder."

"I've done with murder," said Spence, "except in the case of weeds. That's what I'm doing now.
Applyingweedkiller.Neversoeasyasyouthink,something'salwayswrong,usuallytheweather.

"Mustn'tbetoowet,mustn'tbetoodryandalltherestofit.Howdidyouknowwheretofindme?"he
askedasheunlatchedthegateandPoirotpassedthrough.

"YousentmeaChristmascard.Ithadyournewaddressnotifiedonit."

"Ahyes,soIdid.I'mold-fashioned,youknow.IliketosendroundcardsatChristmastimetoafewold
friends."

"Iappreciatethat,"saidPoirot.

Spencesaid,"I'manoldmannow."

"Wearebotholdmen."

"Notmuchgreyinyourhair,"saidSpence.

"Iattendtothatwithabottle,"saidHerculePoirot."Thereisnoneedtoappearinpublicwithgreyhair
unlessyouwishtodoso."

"Well,Idon'tthinkjetblackwouldsuitme,"saidSpence.

"Iagree,"saidPoirot."Youlookmostdistinguishedwithgreyhair."

"Ishouldneverthinkofmyselfasadistinguishedman."

"Ithinkofyouassuch.WhyhaveyoucometoliveinWoodleighCommon?"

"Asamatteroffact,Icameheretojoinforceswithasisterofmine.Shelostherhusband,herchildren
are married and living abroad, one in Australia and the other in South Africa. So I moved in here.
Pensionsdon'tgofarnowadays,butwedoprettycomfortablylivingtogether.Comeandsitdown."

He led the way on to the small glazed-in verandah where there were chairs and a table or two. The
autumnsunfellpleasantlyuponthisretreat.

"WhatshallIgetyou?"saidSpence."Nofancystuffhere,I'mafraid.Noblackcurrantorrosehipsyrup
oranyofyourpatentthings.Beer?OrshallIgetElspethtomakeyouacupoftea?OrIcandoyoua

shandyorCoca-Colaorsomecocoaifyoulikeit.Mysister,Elspeth,isacocoadrinker."

"Youareverykind.Forme,Ithinkashandy.Thegingerbeerandthebeer?Thatisright,isitnot?"

"Absolutelyso."

Hewentintothehouseandreturnedshortlyafterwardscarryingtwolargeglassmugs.

"I'mjoiningyou,"hesaid.

Hedrewachairuptothetableandsatdown,placingthetwoglassesinfrontofhimselfandPoirot.

"Whatwasityousaidjustnow?"hesaid,raisinghisglass.

"Wewon'tsay'Here'stocrime.'I'vedonewithcrime,andifyoumeanthecrimeIthinkyoudo,infact
whichIthinkyouhavetodo,becauseIdon'trecallanyothercrimejustlately,Idon'tliketheparticular
formofmurderwe'vejusthad."

"No,Idonotthinkyouwoulddoso."

"Wearetalkingaboutthechildwhohadherheadshovedintoabucket?"

"Yes,"saidPoirot,"thatiswhatIamtalkingabout."

"I don't know why you come to me," said Spence. "I'm nothing to do with the police nowadays. All
that'sovermanyyearsago."

"Onceapoliceman,"saidHerculePoirot,"alwaysapoliceman.Thatistosay,thereisalwaysthepoint
ofviewofthepolicemanbehindthepointofviewoftheordinaryman.Iknow,Iwhotalktoyou.I,too,
startedinthepoliceforceinmycountry."

"Yes,soyoudid.Iremembernowyourtellingme.Well,Isupposeone'soutlookisabitslanted,butit's
alongtimesinceI'vehadanyactiveconnection."

"Butyouhearthegossip,"saidPoirot."Youhavefriendsofyourowntrade.Youwillhearwhatthey
thinkorsuspectorwhattheyknow."

Spencesighed.

"One knows too much," he said, "that is one of the troubles nowadays. There is a crime, a crime of
which the pattern is familiar, and you know, that is to say the active police officers know, pretty well
who'sprobablydonethatcrime.Theydon'ttellthenewspapersbuttheymaketheirinquiries,andthey
know.Butwhetherthey'regoingtogetanyfurtherthanthat-well,thingshavetheirdifficulties."

"Youmeanthewivesandthegirlfriendsandtherestofit?"

"Partlythat,yes.Intheend,perhaps,onegetsone'sman.Sometimesayearortwopasses.I'dsay,you
know,roughly,Poirot,thatmoregirlsnowadaysmarrywrong'unsthantheyeverusedtoinmytime."

HerculePoirotconsidered,pullinghismoustaches.

"Yes,"hesaid,"Icanseethatthatmightbeso.Isuspectthatgirlshavealwaysbeenpartialtothebad
lots,asyousay,butinthepastthereweresafeguards."

"That's right. People were looking after them. Their mothers looked after them. Their aunts and their
older sisters looked after them. Their younger sisters and brothers knew what was going on. Their
fathers were not averse to kicking the wrong young men out of the house. Sometimes, of course, the
girls used to run away with one of the bad lots. Nowadays there's no need even to do that. Mother
doesn'tknowwhothegirl'soutwith,father'snottoldwhothegirlisoutwith,brothersknowwhothe
girl is out with but they think 'more fool her'. If the parents refuse consent, the couple go before a
magistrateandmanagetogetpermissiontomarry,andthenwhentheyoungmanwhoeveryoneknows
isabadlotproceedstoprovetoeverybody,includinghiswife,thatheisabadlot,thefat'sinthefire!
Butlove'slove;thegirldoesn'twanttothinkthatherHenryhastheserevoltinghabits,thesecriminal
tendencies,andalltherestofit.She'lllieforhim,swearblack'swhiteforhimandeverythingelse.Yes,
it'sdifficult.Difficultforus,Imean.Well,there'snogoodgoingonsayingthingswerebetterintheold
days.Perhapsweonlythoughtso.Anyway,Poirot,howdidyougetyourselfmixedupinallthis?This
isn'tyourpartofthecountry,isit?AlwaysthoughtyoulivedinLondon.YouusedtowhenIknewyou."

"IstillliveinLondon.Iinvolvedmyselfhereattherequestofafriend,MrsOliver.YourememberMrs
Oliver?"

Spenceraisedhishead,closedhiseyesandappearedtoreflect."MrsOliver?Can'tsaythatIdo."

"She writes books. Detective stories. You met her, if you will throw your mind back, during the time
that you persuaded me to investigate the murder of Mrs McGinty. You will not have forgotten Mrs
McGinty?"

"GoodLord,no.Butitwasalongtimeago.Youdidmeagoodturnthere,Poirot,averygoodturn.I
wenttoyouforhelpandyoudidn'tletmedown."

"Iwashonoured-flatteredthatyoushouldcometoconsultme,"saidPoirot.

"ImustsaythatIdespairedonceortwice.Themanwehadtosave-tosavehisneckinthosedaysI
believe,itislongagoenoughforthat-wasamanwhowasexcessivelydifficulttodoanythingfor.The
kindofstandardexampleofhownottodoanythingusefulforhimself."

"Marriedthatgirl,didn'the?Thewetone.Notthebrightonewiththeperoxidehair.Wonderhowthey
gotontogether.Haveyoueverheardaboutit?"

"No,"saidPoirot."Ipresumeallgoeswellwiththem.""Can'tseewhatshesawinhim."

"It is difficult," said Poirot, "but it is one of the great consolations in nature that a man, however
unattractive,willfindthatheisattractive-evenwhatappearstobemadlyattractive-tosomewoman.
Onecanonlysayorhopethattheymarriedandlivedhappilyeverafterwards."

"Shouldn'tthinktheylivedhappilyeverafterwardsiftheyhadtohaveMothertolivewiththem."

"No,indeed,"saidPoirot."OrStepfather,"headded.

"Well,"saidSpence,"herewearetalkingofolddaysagain.Allthat'sover.Ialwaysthoughtthatman,
can'trememberhisnamenow,oughttohaverunanundertakingparlour.Hadjustthefaceandmanner
for it. Perhaps he did. The girl had some money, didn't she? Yes, he'd have made a very good
undertaker.Icanseehim,allinblack,callingforordersforthefuneral.Perhapshecanevenhavebeen
enthusiastic over the right kind of elm or teak or whatever they use for coffins. But he'd never have
madegoodsellinginsuranceorrealestate.Anyway,don'tlet'sharpback."

Thenhesaidsuddenly,"MrsOliver.AriadneOliver.Apples.Isthathowshe'sgotherselfmixedupin

this? That poor child got her head shoved under water in a bucket of floating apples, didn't she, at a
party?IsthatwhatinterestedMrsOliver?"

"I don't think she was particularly attracted because of the apples," said Poirot, "but she was at the
party."

"Doyousayshelivedhere?"

"No,shedoesnotlivehere.Shewasstayingwithafriend,aMrsButler."

"Butler? Yes, I know her. Lives down not far from the church. Widow. Husband was an airline pilot.
Hasadaughter.Rathernice-lookinggirl.Prettymanners.MrsButler'sratheranattractivewoman,don't
youthinkso?"

"Ihaveasyetbarelymether,but,yes,Ithoughtshewasveryattractive.""Andhowdoesthisconcern
you,Poirot?Youweren'therewhenithappened?"

"No.MrsOlivercametomeinLondon.Shewasupset,veryupset.Shewantedmetodosomething."

AfaintsmileshowedonSuperintendentSpence'sface.

"Isee.Sameoldstory.Icameuptoyou,too,becauseIwantedyoutodosomething."

"AndIhavecarriedthingsonestepfurther,"saidPoirot."Ihavecometoyou.""Becauseyouwantme
todosomething?Itellyou,there'snothingIcando."

"Ohyesthereis.Youcantellmeallaboutthepeople.Thepeoplewholivehere.Thepeoplewhowent
tothatparty.Thefathersandmothersofthechildrenwhowereattheparty.Theschool,theteachers,the
lawyers,thedoctors.Somebody,duringaparty,inducedachildtokneeldown,andperhaps,laughing,
saying:'I'llshowyouthebestwaytogetholdofanapplewithyourteeth.Iknowthetrickofit.'And
thenheorshe-whoeveritwas-putahandonthatgirl'shead.Therewouldn'thavebeenmuchstruggle
ornoiseoranythingofthatkind."

"Anastybusiness,"saidSpence."IthoughtsowhenIheardaboutit.Whatdoyouwanttoknow?I've
beenhereayear.Mysister'sbeenherelonger-twoorthreeyears.It'snotabigcommunity.It'snota
particularlysettledoneeither.Peoplecomeandgo.ThehusbandhasajobineitherMedchesterorGreat

Canning, or one of the other places round about. Their children go to school here. Then perhaps the
husbandchangeshisjobandtheygosomewhereelse.It'snotafixedcommunity.Someofthepeople
havebeenherealongtime.MissEmlyn,theschoolmistress,has.DrFergusonhas.Butonthewhole,it
fluctuatesabit."

"One supposes," said Hercule Poirot, "that having agreed with you that this was a nasty business, I
mighthopethatyouwouldknowwhoarethenastypeoplehere."

"Yes,"saidSpence."It'sthefirstthingonelooksfor,isn'tit?Andthenextthingonelooksforisanasty
adolescent in a thing of this kind. Who wants to strangle or drown or get rid of a lump of a girl of
thirteen? There doesn't seem to have been any evidence of a sexual assault or anything of that kind,
whichwouldbethefirstthingonelooksfor.Plentyofthatsortofthingineverysmalltownorvillage
nowadays. There again, I think there's more of it than there used to be in my young day. We had our
mentallydisturbed,orwhatevertheycallthem,butnotsomanyaswehavenow.Iexpecttherearemore
of them let out of the place they ought to be kept safe in. All our mental homes are too full;
overcrowded,sodoctor'ssay'Lethimorherleadanormallife.Gobackandlivewithhisrelatives,'etc.
Andthenthenastybitofgoods,orthepoorafflictedfellow,whicheverwayyoulookatit,getstheurge
againandanotheryoungwomangoesoutwalkingandisfoundinagravelpit,orissillyenoughtotake
lifts in a car. Children don't come home from school because they've accepted a lift from a stranger,
althoughthey'vebeenwarnednotto.Yes,there'salotofthatnowadays."

"Doesthatquitefitthepatternwehavehere?"

"Well, it's the first thing one thinks of," said Spence. "Somebody was at the party who had the urge,
shallwesay.Perhapshe'ddoneitbefore,perhapshe'donlywantedtodoit.I'dsayroughlythatthere
mightbesomepasthistoryofassaultingachildsomewhere.AsfarasIknow,nobody'scomeupwith
anythingofthatkind.Notofficially,Imean.Thereweretwointherightagegroupattheparty.Nicholas
Ransom,nice-lookinglad,seventeenoreighteen.He'dbetherightage.ComesfromtheEastCoastor
somewhere like that, I think. Seems all right. Looks normal enough, but who knows? And there's
Desmond,recommendedonceforapsychiatricreport,butIwouldn'tsaytherewasmuchtoit.It'sgotto
besomeoneattheparty,thoughofcourseIsupposeanyonecouldhavecomeinfromoutside.Ahouse
isn'tusuallylockedupduringaparty.There'sasidedooropen,orasidewindow.Oneofourhalf-baked
people,Isuppose,couldhavecomealongtoseewhatwasonandsneakedin.Aprettybigrisktotake.
Wouldachildagree,achildwho'dgonetoaparty,togoplayingapplegameswithanyoneshedidn't
know?Anyway,youhaven'texplainedyet,Poirot,whatbringsyouintoit.YousaiditwasMrsOliver.
Somewildideaofhers?"

"Not exactly a wild idea," said Poirot. "It is true that writers are prone to wild ideas. Ideas, perhaps,
whichareonthefarsideofprobability.Butthiswassimplysomethingthatsheheardthegirlsay."

"What,thechildJoyce?"

"Yes."

SpenceleantforwardandlookedatPoirotinquiringly.

"Iwilltellyou,"saidPoirot.

QuietlyandsuccinctlyherecountedthestoryasMrsOliverhadtoldittohim.

"Isee,"saidSpence.Herubbedhismoustache."Thegirlsaidthat,didshe?Saidshe'dseenamurder
committed.Didshesaywhenorhow?"

"No,"saidPoirot."Whatleduptoit?"

"Someremark,Ithink,aboutthemurdersinMrsOliver'sbooks.Somebodysaidsomethingaboutitto
Mrs Oliver. One of the children, I think, to the effect that there wasn't enough blood in her books or
enoughbodies.AndthenJoycespokeupandsaidshe'dseenamurderonce."

"Boastedofit?That'stheimpressionyou'regivingme.""That'stheimpressionMrsOlivergot.Yes,she
boastedofit.""Itmightn'thavebeentrue.""No,itmightnothavebeentrueatall,"saidPoirot.

"Childrenoftenmaketheseextravagantstatementswhentheywishtocallattentiontothemselvesorto
makeaneffect.Ontheotherhand,itmighthavebeentrue.Isthatwhatyouthink?"

"Idonotknow,"saidPoirot."Achildboastsofhavingwitnessedamurder.Onlyafewhourslater,that
childisdead.Youmustadmitthattherearegroundsforbelievingthatitmight-it'safarfetchedidea
perhaps-butitmighthavebeencauseandeffect.Ifso,somebodylostnotime."

"Definitely,"saidSpence."Howmanywerepresentatthetimethegirlmadeherstatementremurder,
doyouknowexactly?"

"All that Mrs Oliver said was that she thought there were about fourteen or fifteen people, perhaps
more.Fiveorsixchildren,fiveorsixgrown-upswhowererunningtheshow.Butforexactinformation
Imustrelyonyou."

"Well,thatwillbeeasyenough,"saidSpence."Idon'tsayIknowoff-handatthemoment,butit'seasily
obtainedfromthelocals.Astothepartyitself,Iknowprettywellalready.Apreponderanceofwomen,
onthewhole.Fathersdon'tturnupmuchatchildren'sparties.Buttheylookin,sometimes,orcometo
taketheirchildrenhome.DrFergusonwasthere,thevicarwasthere.Otherwise,mothers,aunts,social
workers,twoteachersfromtheschool.Oh,Icangiveyoualistofroughlyaboutfourteenchildren.The
youngestnotmorethantenrunningonintoteenagers."

"AndIsupposeyouwouldknowthelistofprobablesamongstthem?"saidPoirot.

"Well,itwon'tbesoeasynowifwhatyouthinkistrue."

"Youmeanyouarenolongerlookingforasexuallydisturbedpersonality.Youarelookinginsteadfor
somebody who has committed a murder and got away with it, someone who never expected it to be
foundoutandwhosuddenlygotanastyshock."

"BlestifIcanthinkwhoitcouldhavebeen,allthesame,"saidSpence."Ishouldn'thavesaidwehad
anylikelymurderersroundhere.Andcertainlynothingspectacularinthewayofmurders."

"One can have likely murderers anywhere," said Poirot, "or shall I say unlikely murderers, but
neverthelessmurderers.Becauseunlikelymurderersarenotsopronetobesuspected.Thereisprobably
notverymuchevidenceagainstthem,anditwouldbearudeshocktosuchamurderertofindthatthere
hadactuallybeenaneyewitnesstohisorhercrime."

"Whydidn'tJoycesayanythingatthetime?That'swhatI'dliketoknow.Wasshebribedtosilenceby
someone,doyouthink?Tooriskysurely."

"No," said Poirot. "I gather from what Mrs Oliver mentioned that she didn't recognise that it was a
murdershewaslookingatatthetime."

"Oh,surelythat'smostunlikely,"saidSpence.

"Notnecessarily,"saidPoirot."Achildofthirteenwasspeaking.Shewasrememberingsomethingshe'd
seeninthepast.Wedon'tknowexactlywhen.Itmighthavebeenthreeorevenfouryearspreviously.
Shesawsomethingbutshedidn'trealiseitstruesignificance.Thatmightapplytoalotofthingsyou
know, mon cher. Some rather peculiar car accident. A car where it appeared that the driver drove
straightatthepersonwhowasinjuredorperhapskilled.Achildmightnotrealiseitwasdeliberateat
thetime.Butsomethingsomeonesaid,orsomethingshesaworheardayearortwolatermightawaken
hermemoryandshe'dthinkperhaps:'AorÂorXdiditonpurpose.'Perhapsitwasreallyamurder,not

justanaccident."Andthereareplentyofotherpossibilities.SomeofthemIwilladmitsuggestedbymy
friend,MrsOliver,whocaneasilycomeupwithabouttwelvedifferentsolutionstoeverything,mostof
themnotveryprobablebutallofthemfaintlypossible.Tabletsaddedtoacupofteaadministeredto
someone. Roughly that sort of thing. A push perhaps on a dangerous spot. You have no cliffs here,
which is rather a pity from the point of view of likely theories. Yes, I think there could be plenty of
possibilities.Perhapsitissomemurderstorythatthegirlreadswhichrecallstoheranincident.Itmay
havebeenanincidentthatpuzzledheratthetime,andshemight,whenshereadsthestory,say:'Well,
thatmighthavebeenso-and-soandso-and-so.Iwonderifheorshediditonpurpose?'Yes,therearea
lotofpossibilities."

"Andyouhavecomeheretoinquireintothem?"

"Itwouldbeinthepublicinterest,Ithink,don'tyou?"saidPoirot.

"Ah,we'retobepublicspirited,arewe,youandI?"

"Youcanatleastgivemeinformation,"saidPoirot."Youknowthepeoplehere."

"I'lldowhatIcan,"saidSpence."AndI'llropeinElspeth.There'snotmuchaboutpeopleshedoesn't
know."

Chapter6

Satisfiedwithwhathehadachieved,Poirottookleaveofhisfriend.

Theinformationhewantedwouldbeforthcoming-hehadnodoubtastothat.

He had got Spence interested. And Spence, once set upon a trail, was not one to relinquish it. His
reputationasaretiredhigh-rankingofficeroftheCIDwouldhavewonhimfriendsinthelocalpolice
departmentsconcerned.

Andnext-Poirotconsultedhiswatch-hewastomeetMrsOliverinexactlytenminutes'timeoutsidea
housecalledAppleTrees.Really,thenameseemeduncannilyappropriate.

Really,thoughtPoirot,onedidn'tseemabletogetawayfromapples.Nothingcouldbemoreagreeable
thanajuicyEnglishapple-Andyetherewereapplesmixedupwithbroomsticks,andwitches,andold-

fashionedfolklore,andamurderedchild.

Following the route indicated to him, Poirot arrived to the minute outside a red brick Georgian style
housewithaneatbeechhedgeenclosingit,andapleasantgardenshowingbeyond.

He put his hand out, raised the latch and entered through the wrought iron gate which bore a painted
board labelled "Apple Trees". A path led up to the front door. Looking rather like one of those Swiss
clockswherefigurescomeoutautomaticallyofadoorabovetheclockface,thefrontdooropenedand
MrsOliveremergedonthesteps.

"You'reabsolutelypunctual,"shesaidbreathlessly."Iwaswatchingforyoufromthewindow."

Poirotturnedandclosedthegatecarefullybehindhim.Practicallyoneveryoccasionthathehadmet
MrsOliver,whetherbyappointmentorbyaccident,amotifofapplesseemedtobeintroducedalmost
immediately.Shewaseithereatinganappleorhadbeeneatinganapple-witnessanapplecorenestling
onherbroadchest-orwascarryingabagofapples.Buttodaytherewasnoappleinevidenceatall.
Verycorrect,Poirotthoughtapprovingly.Itwouldhavebeeninverybadtastetobegnawinganapple
here, on the scene of what had been not only a crime but a tragedy. For what else can it be but that?
thoughtPoirot.Thesuddendeathofachildofonlythirteenyearsold.Hedidnotliketothinkofit,and
becausehedidnotliketothinkofithewasallthemoredecidedinhismindthatthatwasexactlywhat
he was going to think of until by some means or other, light should shine out of the darkness and he
shouldseeclearlywhathehadcomeheretosee.

"Ican'tthinkwhyyouwouldn'tcomeandstaywithJudithButler,"saidMrsOliver."Insteadofgoingto
afifth-classguesthouse."

"BecauseitisbetterthatIshouldsurveythingswithacertaindegreeofaloofness,"saidPoirot."One
mustnotgetinvolved,youcomprehend."

"Idon'tseehowyoucanavoidgettinginvolved,"saidMrsOliver."You'vegottoseeeveryoneandtalk
tothem,haven'tyou?"

"Thatmostdecidedly,"saidPoirot."Whohaveyouseensofar?""Myfriend,SuperintendentSpence."
"What'shelikenowadays?"saidMrsOliver."Agooddealolderthanhewas,"saidPoirot.

"Naturally,"saidMrsOliver,"whatelsewouldyouexpect?Ishedeaferorblinderorfatterorthinner?"

Poirotconsidered.

"Hehaslostalittleweight.Hewearsspectaclesforreadingthepaper.Idonotthinkheisdeaf,notto
anynoticeableextent."

"Andwhatdoeshethinkaboutitall?"

"Yougotooquickly,"saidPoirot.

"Andwhatexactlyareyouandhegoingtodo?"

"I have planned my programme," said Poirot. "First I have seen and consulted with my old friend. I
askedhimtogetme,perhaps,someinformationthatwouldnotbeeasytogetotherwise."

"Youmeanthepoliceherewillbehisbuddiesandhe'llgetalotofinsidestufffromthem?"

"Well, I should not put it exactly like that, but yes, those are the lines along which I have been
thinking."

"Andafterthat?"

"Icometomeetyouhere,Madame.Ihavetoseejustwherethisthinghappened."

MrsOliverturnedherheadandlookedupatthehouse.

"Itdoesn'tlookthesortofhousethere'dbeamurderin,doesit?"shesaid.

Poirotthoughtagain:Whatanunerringinstinctshehas!

"No,"hesaid,"itdoesnotlookatallthatsortofahouse.AfterIhaveseenwhere,thenIgowithyouto
see the mother of the dead child. I hear what she can tell me. This afternoon my friend Spence is
makinganappointmentformetotalkwiththelocalinspectoratasuitablehour.Ishouldalsolikeatalk
with the doctor here. And possibly the headmistress at the school. At six o'clock I drink tea and eat
sausageswithmyfriendSpenceandhissisteragainintheirhouseandwediscuss."

"Whatmoredoyouthinkhe'llbeabletotellyou?"

"I want to meet his sister. She has lived here longer than he has. He came here to join her when her
husbanddied.Shewillknow,perhaps,thepeopleherefairlywell."

"Do you know what you sound like?" said Mrs Oliver. "A computer. You know. You're programming
yourself.That'swhattheycallit,isn'tit?Imeanyou'refeedingallthesethingsintoyourselfalldayand
thenyou'regoingtoseewhatcomesout."

"Itiscertainlyanideayouhavethere,"saidPoirot,withsomeinterest."Yes,yes,Iplaythepartofthe
computer.Onefeedsintheinformation-"

"Andsupposingyoucomeupwithallthewronganswers?"saidMrsOliver.

"Thatwouldbeimpossible,"saidHerculePoirot."Computersdonotdothatsortofathing."

"They'renotsupposedto,"saidMrsOliver,"butyou'dbesurprisedatthethingsthathappensometimes.
My last electric light bill, for instance. I know there's a proverb which says 'To err is human', but a
humanerrorisnothingtowhatacomputercandoifittries.ComeoninandmeetMrsDrake."

MrsDrakewascertainlysomething,Poirotthought.Shewasatall,handsomewomanofforty-odd,her
goldenhairwaslightlytingedwithgrey,hereyeswerebrilliantlyblue,sheoozedcompetencefromthe
fingertipsdownwards.Anypartyshehadarrangedwouldhavebeenasuccessfulone.Inthedrawing-
roomatrayofmorningcoffeewithtwosugaredbiscuitswasawaitingthem.

AppleTrees,hesaw,wasamostadmirablykepthouse.Itwaswellfurnished,ithadcarpetsofexcellent
quality, everything was scrupulously polished and cleaned, and the fact that it had hardly any
outstanding object of interest in it was not readily noticeable. One would not have expected it. The
coloursofthecurtainsandthecoverswerepleasantbutconventional.

Itcouldhavebeenletfurnishedatanymomentforahighrenttoadesirabletenant,withouthavingto
putawayanytreasuresormakeanyalterationstothearrangementofthefurniture.

Mrs Drake greeted Mrs Oliver and Poirot and concealed almost entirely what Poirot could not help
suspectingwasafeelingofvigorouslysuppressedannoyanceatthepositioninwhichshefoundherself
as the hostess at a social occasion at which something as anti-social as murder had occurred. As a

prominent member of the community of Woodleigh Common, he suspected that she felt an unhappy
senseofhavingherselfinsomewayprovedinadequate.Whathadoccurredshouldnothaveoccurred.
Tosomeoneelseinsomeoneelse'shouse-yes.Butatapartyforchildren,arrangedbyher,givenby
her,organisedbyher,nothinglikethisoughttohavehappened.Somehoworothersheoughttohave
seentoitthatitdidnothappen.AndPoirotalsohadasuspicionthatshewasseekingroundirritablyin
thebackofhermindforareason.

Notsomuchareasonformurderhavingtakenplace,buttofindoutandpindownsomeinadequacyon
thepartofsomeonewhohadbeenhelpingherandwhohadbysomemismanagementorsomelackof
perceptionfailedtorealisethatsomethinglikethiscouldhappen.

"MonsieurPoirot,"saidMrsDrake,inherfinespeakingvoice,whichPoirotthoughtwouldcomeover
excellentlyinasmalllectureroomorthevillagehall,"Iamsopleasedyoucouldcomedownhere.Mrs
Oliverhasbeentellingmehowinvaluableyourhelpwillbetousinthisterriblecrisis."

"Restassured,Madame,IshalldowhatIcan,butasyounodoubtrealisefromyourexperienceoflife,
itisgoingtobeadifficultbusiness."

"Difficult?" said Mrs Drake. "Of course it's going to be difficult. It seems incredible, absolutely
incredible,thatsuchanawfulthingshouldhavehappened.Isuppose,"sheadded,"thepolicemayknow
something?InspectorRaglanhasaverygoodreputationlocally,Ibelieve.Whetherornottheyoughtto
callScotlandYardin,Idon'tknow.Theideaseemstobethatthispoorchild'sdeathmusthavehada
localsignificance.Ineedn'ttellyou,MonsieurPoirotafterall,youreadthepapersasmuchasIdothat
therehavebeenverymanysadfatalitieswithchildrenalloverthecountryside.Theyseemtobegetting
moreandmorefrequent.Mentalinstabilityseemstobeontheincrease,thoughImustsaythatmothers
andfamiliesgenerallyarenotlookingaftertheirchildrenproperly,astheyusedtodo.Childrenaresent
home from school alone, on dark evenings, go alone on dark early mornings. And children, however
much you warn them, are unfortunately very foolish when it comes to being offered a lift in a smart-
lookingcar.Theybelievewhatthey'retold.Isupposeonecannothelpthat."

"Butwhathappenedhere,Madame,wasofanentirelydifferentnature."

"Oh,Iknow-1know.ThatiswhyIusedthetermincredible.Istillcannotquitebelieveit,"saidMrs
Drake."Everythingwasentirelyundercontrol.Allthearrangementsweremade.Everythingwasgoing
perfectly,allaccordingtoplan.Itjustseems-seemsincredible.PersonallyIconsidermyselfthatthere
mustbewhatIcallanoutsidesignificancetothis.Someonewalkedintothehouse-notadifficultthing
to do under the circumstances - someone of highly disturbed mentality, I suppose, the kind of people
who are let out of mental homes simply because there is no room for them there, as far as I can see.
Nowadays,roomhastobemadeforfreshpatientsallthetime.Anyonepeepinginthroughawindow
could see a children's party was going on, and this poor wretch - if one can really feel pity for these
people, which I really must say I find it very hard to do myself sometimes - enticed this child away

somehowandkilledher.Youcan'tthinksuchathingcouldhappen,butitdidhappen."

"Perhapsyouwouldshowmewhere-""Ofcourse.Nomorecoffee?""Ithankyou,no."MrsDrakegot
up.

"ThepoliceseemtothinkittookplacewhiletheSnapdragonwasgoingon.Thatwastakingplaceinthe
dining-room."

Shewalkedacrossthehall,openedthedoorand,ratherinthemannerofsomeonedoingthehonoursof
a stately home to a party of charabanc goers, indicated the large dining-table and the heavy velvet
curtains.

"Itwasdarkhere,ofcourse,exceptfortheblazingdish.Andnow-"

Sheledthemacrossthehallandopenedthedoorofasmallroomwitharmchairs,sportingprintsand
bookshelves.

"Thelibrary,"saidMrsDrake,andshiveredalittle."Thebucketwashere.Onaplasticsheet,ofcourse-
"

MrsOliverhadnotaccompaniedthemintotheroom.Shewasstandingoutsideinthehall.

"Ican'tcomein,"shesaidtoPoirot."Itmakesmethinkofittoomuch."

"There'snothingtoseenow,"saidMrsDrake."Imean,I'mjustshowingyouwhere,asyouasked."

"Isuppose,"saidPoirot,"therewaswater-agooddealofwater."

"Therewaswaterinthebucket,ofcourse,"saidMrsDrake.

ShelookedatPoirotasthoughshethoughtthathewasnotquiteallthere.

"Andtherewaswateronthesheet.Imean,ifthechild'sheadwaspushedunderwater,therewouldbea
lotofwatersplashedabout."

"Ohyes.Evenwhilethebobbingwasgoingon,thebuckethadtobefilleduponceortwice."

"Sothepersonwhodidit?Thatpersonalsowouldhavegotwet,onewouldthink."

"Yes,yes,Isupposeso."

"Thatwasnotspeciallynoticed?"

"No,no,theInspectoraskedmeaboutthat.Yousee,bytheendoftheeveningnearlyeveryonewasabit
dishevelledordamporfloury.Theredoesn'tseemtobeanyusefulcluesthereatall.Imean,thepolice
didn'tthinkso."

"No,"saidPoirot."Isupposetheonlycluewasthechildherself.Ihopeyouwilltellmeallyouknow
abouther."

"AboutJoyce?"

MrsDrakelookedslightlytakenaback.

ItwasasthoughJoyceinhermindhadbynowretreatedsofaroutofthingsthatshewasquitesurprised
toberemindedofher.

"Thevictimisalwaysimportant,"saidPoirot."Thevictim,yousee,issooftenthecauseofthecrime."

"Well,Isuppose,yes,Iseewhatyoumean,"saidMrsDrake,whoquiteplainlydidnot."Shallwecome
backtothedrawing-room?"

"And then you will tell me all about Joyce," said Poirot. They settled themselves once more in the
drawing-room.MrsDrakewaslookinguncomfortable.

"Idon'tknowreallywhatyouexpectmetosay,MonsieurPoirot,"shesaid."Surelyallinformationcan
beobtainedquiteeasilyfromthepoliceorfromJoyce'smother.Poorwoman,itwillbepainfulforher,
nodoubt,but-"

"But what I want," said Poirot, "is not a mother's estimate of a dead daughter. It is a clear, unbiased
opinion from someone who has a good knowledge of human nature. I should say, Madame, that you
yourselfhavebeenanactiveworkerinmanywelfareandsocialfieldshere.Nobody,Iamsure,could
sumupmoreaptlythecharacteranddispositionofsomeonewhomyouknow."

"Wellitisalittledifficult.Imean,childrenofthatage-shewasthirteen,Ithink,twelveorthirteen-are
verymuchalikeatacertainage."

"Ahno,surelynot,"saidPoirot."Thereareverygreatdifferencesincharacter,indisposition.Didyou
likeher?"

MrsDrakeseemedtofindthequestionembarrassing.

"WellofcourseI-1likedher.Imean,well,Ilikeallchildren.Mostpeopledo."

"Ah,thereIdonotagreewithyou,"saidPoirot."SomechildrenIconsideraremostunattractive."

"Well,Iagree,they'renotbroughtupverywellnowadays.Everythingseemslefttotheschool,andof
coursetheyleadverypermissivelives.Havetheirownchoiceoffriendsand-er-oh,really,Monsieur
Poirot."

"Wassheanicechildornotanicechild?"saidPoirotinsistently.

MrsDrakelookedathimandregisteredcensure.

"Youmustrealise,MonsieurPoirot,thatthepoorchildisdead-"

"Deadoralive,itmatters.Perhapsifshewasanicechild,nobodywouldhavewantedtokillher,butif
shewasnotanicechild,somebodymighthavewantedtokillher,anddidso-"

"Well,Isuppose-Surelyitisn'taquestionofniceness,isit?"

"Itcouldbe.Ialsounderstandthatsheclaimedtohaveseenamurdercommitted."

"Ohthat,"saidMrsDrakecontemptuously.

"Youdidnottakethatstatementseriously?"

"Well,ofcourseIdidn't.Itwasaverysillythingtosay."

"Howdidshecometosayit?"

"Well, I think really they were all rather excited about Mrs Oliver being here. You are a very famous
person,youmustremember,dear,"saidMrsDrake,addressingMrsOliver.

Theword"dear"seemedincludedinherspeechwithoutanyacompanyingenthusiasm.

"Idon'tsupposethesubjectwouldeverhavearisenotherwise,butthechildrenwereexcitedbymeeting
afamousauthoress-"

"SoJoycesaidthatshehadseenamurdercommitted,"saidPoirotthoughtfully.

"Yes,shesaidsomethingofthekind.Iwasn'treallylistening."

"Butyoudorememberthatshesaidit?"

"Oh yes, she said it. But I didn't believe it," said Mrs Drake. "Her sister hushed her up at once, very
properly."

"Andshewasannoyedaboutthat,wasshe?"

"Yes,shewentonsayingthatitwastrue."

"Infact,sheboastedaboutit."

"Whenyouputitthatway,yes."

"Itmighthavebeentrue,Isuppose,"saidPoirot.

"Nonsense!Idon'tbelieveitforoneminute,"saidMrsDrake."It'sthesortofstupidthingJoycewould
say."

"Shewasastupidgirl?"

"Well, she was the kind, I think, who liked to show off," said Mrs Drake. "You know, she always
wantedtohaveseenmoreordonemorethanothergirls."

"Notaverylovablecharacter,"saidPoirot.

"Noindeed,"saidMrsDrake."Reallythekindthatyouhavetobeshuttingupallthetime."

"Whatdidtheotherchildrenwhoweretherehavetosayaboutit?Weretheyimpressed?"

"Theylaughedather,"saidMrsDrake."So,ofcourse,thatmadeherworse."

"Well," said Poirot, as he rose, "I am glad to have your positive assurance on that point." He bowed
politelyoverherhand."Good-bye,Madame,thankyousomuchforallowingmetoviewthesceneof
thisveryunpleasantoccurrence.Ihopeithasnotrecalledunpleasantmemoriestoodefinitelytoyou."

"Ofcourse,"saidMrsDrake,"itisverypainfultorecallanythingofthiskind.Ihadsohopedourlittle
partywouldgooffwell.Indeed,itwasgoingoffwellandeveryoneseemedtobeenjoyingitsomuch
tillthisterriblethinghappened.However,theonlythingonecandoistotryandforgetitall.Ofcourse,
it'sveryunfortunatethatJoyceshouldhavemadethissillyremarkaboutseeingamurder."

"Have you ever had a murder in Woodleigh Common?" "Not that I can remember," said Mrs Drake
firmly.

"Inthisageofincreasedcrimethatwelivein,"saidPoirot,"thatreallyseemssomewhatunusual,doesit
not?"

"Well, I think there was a lorry driver who killed a pal of his - something like that - and a little girl
whomtheyfoundburiedinagravelpitaboutfifteenmilesfromhere,butthatwasyearsago.Theywere
bothrathersordidanduninterestingcrimes.Mainlytheresultofdrink,Ithink."

"Infact,thekindofmurderunlikelytohavebeenwitnessedbyagirloftwelveorthirteen."

"Mostunlikely,Ishouldsay.AndIcanassureyou,MonsieurPoirot,thisstatementthatthegirlmade
wassolelyinordertoimpressfriendsandperhapsinterestafamouscharacter."Shelookedrathercoldly
acrossatMrsOliver.

"In fact," said Mrs Oliver, "it's all my fault for being at the party, I suppose." "Oh, of course not, my
dear,ofcourseIdidn'tmeanitthatway."PoirotsighedashedepartedfromthehousewithMrsOliver
byhisside.

"A very unsuitable place for a murder," he said, as they walked down the path to the gate. "No
atmosphere,nohauntingsenseoftragedy,nocharacterworthmurdering,thoughIcouldn'thelpthinking
thatjustoccasionallysomeonemightfeellikemurderingMrsDrake."

"I know what you mean. She can be intensely irritating sometimes. So pleased with herself and so
complacent."

"Whatisherhusbandlike?"

"Oh,she'sawidow.Herhusbanddiedayearortwoago.Hegotpolioandhadbeenacrippleforyears.
Hewasabankeroriginally,Ithink.Hewasverykeenongamesandsportandhatedhavingtogiveall
thatupandbeaninvalid."

"Yes, indeed." He reverted to the subject of the child Joyce. "Just tell me this. Did anyone who was
listeningtakethisassertionofthechildJoyceaboutmurderseriously?"

"Idon'tknow.Ishouldn'thavethoughtanyonedid.""Theotherchildren,forinstance?"

"Well, I was thinking really of them. No, I don't think they believed what Joyce was saying. They
thoughtshewasmakingupthings."

"Didyouthinkthat,too?"

"Well,Ididreally,"saidMrsOliver.

"Of course," she added, "Mrs Drake would like to believe that the murder never really happened, but
shecan'tverywellgoasfarasthat,canshe?"

"Iunderstandthatthismaybepainfulforher."

"Isupposeitisinaway,"saidMrsOliver,"butIthinkthatbynow,youknow,sheisactuallygetting
quitepleasedtotalkaboutit.Idon'tthinkshelikestohavetobottleitupallthetime."

"Doyoulikeher?"askedPoirot."Doyouthinkshe'sanicewoman?"

"Youdoaskthemostdifficultquestions.Embarrassingones,"saidMrsOliver."Itseemstheonlything
youareinterestediniswhetherpeopleareniceornot.RowenaDrakeisthebossytype-likesrunning
thingsandpeople.Sherunsthiswholeplacemoreorless,Ishouldthink.Butrunsitveryefficiently.It
dependsifyoulikebossywomen.Idon'tmuch-"

"WhataboutJoyce'smotherwhomweareonourwaytosee?"

"She'squiteanicewoman.Ratherstupid,IshouldthinkI'msorryforher.It'sprettyawfultohaveyour
daughtermurdered,isn'tit?Andeveryoneherethinksitwasasexcrimewhichmakesitworse."

"Buttherewasnoevidenceofsexualassault,orsoIunderstand?"

"No,butpeopleliketothinkthesethingshappen.Itmakesitmoreexciting.Youknowwhatpeopleare
like."

"Onethinksonedoes-butsometimes-well-wedonotreallyknowatall."

"Wouldn'titbebetterifmyfriendJudithButlerwastotakeyoutoseeMrsReynolds?Sheknowsher
quitewell,andI'mastrangertoher."

"Wewilldoasplanned."

"TheComputerProgrammewillgoon,"murmuredMrsOliverrebelliously.

Chapter7

MrsReynoldswasacompletecontrasttoMrsDrake.Therewasnoairofpoisedcompetenceabouther,
norindeedwasthereeverlikelytobe.

She was wearing conventional black, had a moist handkerchief clasped in her hand and was clearly
preparedtodissolveintotearsatanymoment.

"It'sverykindofyou,I'msure,"shesaidtoMrsOliver,"tobringafriendofyoursdownheretohelp
us."SheputadamphandintoPoirot'sandlookedathimdoubtfully."AndifhecanhelpinanywayI'm
sure I'll be very grateful, though I don't see what anyone can do. Nothing will bring her back, poor
child.It'sawfultothinkof.Howanyonecoulddeliberatelykillanyoneofthatage.Ifshehadonlycried
out-thoughIsupposeherammedherheadunderwaterstraightawayandhelditthere.Oh,Ican'tbear
tothinkofit.Ireallycan't."

"Indeed,Madame,Idonotwanttodistressyou.Pleasedonotthinkofit.Ionlywanttoaskyouafew
questions that might help - help, that is, to find your daughter's murderer. You've no idea yourself, I
suppose,whoitcanpossiblybe?"

"How could I have any idea? I shouldn't have thought there was anyone, anyone living here, I mean.
Thisissuchaniceplace.Andthepeoplelivingherearesuchnicepeople.Isupposeitwasjustsomeone
-someawfulmanwhocameinthroughoneofthewindows.Perhapshe'dtakendrugsorsomething.He
sawthelightandthatitwasaparty,sohegatecrashed-"

"Youarequitesurethattheassailantwasmale?"

"Oh, it must have been." Mrs Reynolds sounded shocked. "I'm sure it was. It couldn't have been a
woman,couldit?"

"Awomanmighthavebeenstrongenough."

"Well,IsupposeinawayIknowwhatyoumean.Youmeanwomenaremuchmoreathleticnowadays
andallthat.Buttheywouldn'tdoathinglikethis,I'msure.Joycewasonlyachild-thirteenyearsold."

"Idon'twanttodistressyoubystayingheretoolong,Madame,ortoaskyoudifficultquestions.That
already,Iamsure,thepolicearedoingelsewhere,andIdon'twanttoupsetyoubydwellingonpainful
facts.Itwasjustconcerningaremarkthatyourdaughtermadeattheparty.Youwerenotthereyourself,
Ithink?"

"Well,no,Iwasn't.Ihaven'tbeenverywelllatelyandchildren'spartiescanbeverytiring.Idrovethem
there,andthenlaterIcamebacktofetchthem.Thethreechildrenwenttogether,youknow.Ann,that's
theolderone,sheissixteen,andLeopoldwhoisnearlyeleven.WhatwasitJoycesaidthatyouwanted
toknowabout?"

"MrsOliver,whowasthere,willtellyouwhatyourdaughter'swordswereexactly.Shesaid,Ibelieve,
thatshehadonceseenamurdercommitted."

"Joyce? Oh, she couldn't have said a thing like that. What murder could she possibly have seen
committed?"

"Well, everyone seems to think it was rather unlikely," said Poirot. "I just wondered if you thought it
likely.Didsheeverspeaktoyouaboutsuchathing?"

"Seeingamurder?Joyce?"

"Youmustremember,"saidPoirot,"thatthetermmurdermighthavebeenusedbysomeoneofJoyce's
ageinaratherlooseway.Itmighthavebeenjustaquestionofsomebodybeingrunoverbyacar,orof
childrenfightingtogetherperhapsandonepushinganotherintoastreamoroverabridge.Something
thatwasnotmeantseriously,butwhichhadanunfortunateresult."

"Well,Ican'tthinkofanythinglikethathappeningherethatJoycecouldhaveseen,andshecertainly
neversaidanythingaboutittome.Shemusthavebeenjoking."

"Shewasverypositive,"saidMrsOliver."Shekeptonsayingthatitwastrueandthatshe'dseenit."

"Didanyonebelieveher?"askedMrsReynolds."Idon'tknow,"saidPoirot.

"I don't think they did," said Mrs Oliver, "or perhaps they didn't want to - er -well, encourage her by
sayingtheybelievedit."

"Theywereinclinedtojeeratherandsayshewasmakingitallup,"saidPoirot,lesskind-heartedthan
MrsOliver.

"Well,thatwasn'tveryniceofthem,"saidMrsReynolds."AsthoughJoycewouldtellalotofliesabout
thingslikethat."Shelookedflushedandindignant.

"Iknow.Itseemsunlikely,"saidPoirot."Itwasmorepossible,wasitnot,thatshemighthavemadea
mistake,thatshemighthaveseensomethingshedidthinkcouldhavebeendescribedasamurder.Some
accident,perhaps."

"She'dhavesaidsomethingaboutittomeifso,wouldn'tshe?"saidMrsReynolds,stillindignant.

"One would think so," said Poirot. "She did not say so at any time in the past? You might have
forgotten.Especiallyifitwasn'treallyimportant."

"Whendoyoumean?"

"Wedon'tknow,"saidPoirot."Thatisoneofthedifficulties.Itmighthavebeenthreeweeksago-or
threeyears.Shesaidshehadbeen'quiteyoung'atthetime.Whatdoesathirteen-year-oldconsiderquite
young?Therewasnosensationalhappeningroundherethatyoucanrecall?"

"Oh,Idon'tthinkso.Imean,youdohearofthings.Orreadabouttheminthepapers.Youknow,Imean
womenbeingattacked,oragirlandheryoungman,orthingslikethat.ButnothingimportantthatIcan
remember,nothingthatJoycetookaninterestinoranythingofthatkind."

"ButifJoycesaidpositivelyshesawamurder,wouldyouthinkshereallythoughtso?"

"Shewouldn'tsaysounlessshereallydidthinkso,wouldshe?"saidMrsReynolds."Ithinkshemust
havegotsomethingmixedupreally."

"Yes,itseemspossible.Iwonder,"heasked,"ifImightspeaktoyourtwochildrenwhowerealsoatthe
party?"

"Well,ofcourse,thoughIdon'tknowwhatyoucanexpectthemtotellyou.Ann'sdoingherworkfor
her'A'levelsupstairsandLeopold'sinthegardenassemblingamodelaeroplane."

Leopoldwasasolid,pudgyfacedboyentirelyabsorbed,itseemed,inmechanicalconstruction.Itwas
somefewmomentsbeforehecouldpayattentiontothequestionshewasbeingasked."Youwerethere,
weren'tyou,Leopold?Youheardwhatyoursistersaid.Whatdidshesay?"

"Oh,youmeanaboutthemurder?"Heseemedbored.

"Yes, that's what I mean," said Poirot. "She said she saw a murder once. Did she really see such a
thing?"

"No,ofcourseshedidn't,"saidLeopold."ItwasjustlikeJoyce,that.""Whatdoyoumean?"

"Itwasjustlikeher,showingoff,"saidLeopold,windingroundapieceofwireandbreathingforceful
throughhisnoseasheconcentrated.

"Shewasanawfullystupidsortofgirl,"hesaid."She'dsayanything,youknow,forpeopletositupand
takenotice."

"Doyoureallythinksheinventedthewholething?"LeopoldshiftedhisgazetoMrsOliver.

"I expect she wanted to impress you all," he said. "You write detective stories, don't you? I think she
wasjustputtingitonsothatyoushouldtakemorenoticeofherthanyoudidoftheothers."

"Thatwouldalsoberatherlikeher,wouldit?"saidPoirot.

"Oh,she'dsayanything,"saidLeopold."Ibetnobodybelievedherthough."

"Wereyoulistening?Doyouthinkanyonebelievedit?"

"Well,Iheardhersayit,butIdidn'treallylisten.BeatricelaughedatherandsodidCathie.Theysaid
'that'satallstory',orsomething."

There seemed little more to be got out of Leopold. They went upstairs to where Ann, looking rather
morethanhersixteenyears,wasbendingoveratablewithvariousstudybooksspreadroundher.

"Yes,Iwasattheparty,"shesaid.

"Youheardyoursistersaysomethingabouthavingseenamurder?"

"Ohyes,Iheardher.Ididn'ttakeanynotice,though."

"Youdidn'tthinkitwastrue?"

"Of course it wasn't true. There haven't been any murders here for ages. I don't think there's been a
propermurderforyears."

"Thenwhydoyouthinkshesaidso?"

"Oh,shelikesshowingoff.Imeansheusedtolikeshowingoff.Shehadawonderfulstoryonceabout
havingtravelledtoIndia.Myunclehadbeenonavoyagethereandshepretendedshewentwithhim.
Lotsofgirlsatschoolactuallybelievedher."

"Soyoudon'trememberany-whatyoucallmurders-takingplacehereinthelastthreeorfouryears?"

"No,onlytheusualkind,"saidAnn."Imean,theonesyoureadeverydayinthenewspaper.Andthey
weren'tactuallyhereinWoodleighCommon.TheyweremostlyinMedchester,Ithink."

"Who do you think killed your sister, Ann? You must have known her friends, you would know any
peoplewhodidn'tlikeher."

"I can't imagine who'd want to kill her. I suppose someone who was just batty. Nobody else would,
wouldthey?"

"Therewasnoonewhohad-quarrelledwithherorwhodidnotgetonwithher?"

"Youmean,didshehaveanenemy?Ithinkthat'ssilly.Peopledon'thaveenemiesreally.Therearejust
peopleyoudon'tlike."

Astheydepartedfromtheroom,Annsaid:"Idon'twanttobenastyaboutJoyce,becauseshe'sdead,

anditwouldn'tbekind,butshereallywasthemostawfulliar,youknow.Imean,I'msorrytosaythings
aboutmysister,butit'squitetrue."

"Arewemakinganyprogress?"saidMrsOliverastheyleftthehouse.

"Nonewhatever,"saidHerculePoirot.

"Thatisinteresting,"hesaidthoughtfully.

MrsOliverlookedasthoughshedidn'tagreewithhim.

Chapter8

Itwassixo'clockatPineCrest.HerculePoirotputapieceofsausageintohismouthandfolloweditup
with a sip of tea. The tea was strong and to Poirot singularly unpalatable. The sausage, on the other
hand,wasdelicious.Cookedtoperfection.HelookedwithappreciationacrossthetabletowhereMrs
McKaypresidedoverthelargebrownteapot.

ElspethMcKaywasasunlikeherbrother,SuperintendentSpence,asshecouldbeineveryway.Where
hewasbroad,shewasangular.Hersharp,thinfacelookedoutontheworldwithshrewdappraisal.She
wasthinasathread,yettherewasacertainlikenessbetweenthem.

Mainlytheeyesandthestronglymarkedlineofthejaw.Eitherofthem,Poirotthought,couldberelied
uponforjudgmentandgoodsense.Theywouldexpressthemselvesdifferently,butthatwasall.

Superintendent Spence would express himself slowly and carefully as the result of due thought and
deliberation.MrsMcKaywouldpounce,quickandsharp,likeacatuponamouse.

"Alotdepends,"saidPoirot,"uponthecharacterofthischild,JoyceReynolds.Thatiswhatpuzzlesme
most."

HelookedinquiringlyatSpence.

"Youcan'tgobyme,"saidSpence,"I'venotlivedherelongenough.BetteraskElspeth."

Poirot looked across the table, his eyebrows raised inquiringly. Mrs McKay was sharp as usual in
response.

"I'dsayshewasaproperlittleliar,"shesaid.

"Notagirlwhomyou'dtrustandbelievewhatshesaid?"

Elspethshookherheaddecidedly."No,indeed.Tellatalltale,shewould,andtellitwell,mindyou.But
I'dneverbelieveher."

"Tellitwiththeobjectofshowingoff?"

"That'sright.TheytoldyoutheIndianstory,didn'tthey?There'smanyasbelievedthat,youknow.Been
away for the holidays, the family had. Gone abroad somewhere. I don't know if it was her father and
motherorheruncleandaunt,buttheywenttoIndiaandshecamebackfromthoseholidayswithtall
talesofhowshe'dbeentakentherewiththem.Madeagoodstoryofit,shedid.AMaharajahandatiger
shootandelephants-ah,itwasfinehearingandalotofthosearoundherherebelievedit.ButIsaid
straight along, she's telling more than ever happened. Could be, I thought at first, she was just
exaggerating.Butthestorygotaddedtoeverytime.Thereweremoretigers,ifyouknowwhatImean.
Farmoretigersthancouldpossiblyhappen.Andelephants,too,forthatmatter.I'dknownherbefore,
too,tellingtallstories."

"Alwaystogetattention?"

"Aye,you'rerightthere.Shewasagreatoneforgettingattention."

"Becauseachildtoldatallstoryaboutatraveltripshenevertook,"saidSuperintendentSpence,"you
can'tsaythateverytalltaleshetoldwasalie."

"Itmightnotbe,"saidElspeth,"butI'dsaythelikelihoodwasthatitusuallywouldbe."

"SoyouthinkthatifJoyceReynoldscameoutwithatalethatshe'dseenamurdercommitted,you'dsay
shewasprobablylyingandyouwouldn'tbelievethestorywastrue?"

"That'swhatI'dthink,"saidMrsMcKay."Youmightbewrong,"saidherbrother.

"Yes," said Mrs McKay. "Anyone may be wrong. It's like the old story of the boy who cried 'Wolf,
wolf,'andhecrieditoncetoooften,whenitwasarealwolf,andnobodybelievedhim,andsothewolf
gothim."

"Soyou'dsumitup-"

"I'dstillsaytheprobabilitiesarethatshewasn'tspeakingthetruth.ButI'mafairwoman.Shemayhave
been.Shemayhaveseensomething.Notquitesomuchasshesaidshesaw,butsomething."

"Andsoshegotherselfkilled,"saidSuperintendentSpence."You'vegottomindthat,Elspeth.Shegot
herselfkilled."

"That'strueenough,"saidMrsMcKay."Andthat'swhyI'msayingmaybeI'vemisjudgedher.Andifso,
I'msorry.Butaskanyonewhoknewherandthey'lltellyouthatliescamenaturaltoher.Itwasaparty
shewasat,remember,andshewasexcited.She'dwanttomakeaneffect."

"Indeed,theydidn'tbelieveher,"saidPoirot.

ElspethMcKayshookherheaddoubtfully.

"Whocouldshehaveseenmurdered?"askedPoirot.

Helookedfrombrothertosister.

"Nobody,"saidMrsMcKaywithdecision.

"Theremusthavebeendeathshere,say,overthelastthreeyears."

"Ohthat,naturally,"saidSpence."Justtheusualoldfolksorinvalidsorwhatyou'dexpectormaybea
hit-and-runmotorist-"

"Nounusualorunexpecteddeaths?""Well!"Elspethhesitated.

"Imean-"Spencetookover."I'vejottedafewnamesdownhere."HepushedthepaperovertoPoirot.
"Saveyouabitoftrouble,askingquestionsaround."

"Arethesesuggestedvictims?"

"Hardlyasmuchasthat.Saywithintherangeofpossibility."

Poirotreadaloud.

"MrsLlewellyn-Smythe.CharlotteBenfield.JanetWhite.LesleyFerrier-"Hebrokeoff,lookedacross
thetableandrepeatedthefirstname.MrsLlewellyn-Smythe.

"Couldbe,"saidMrsMcKay.

"Yes,youmighthavesomethingthere."Sheaddedawordthatsoundedlike"opera".

"Opera?"Poirotlookedpuzzled.Hehadheardofnoopera.

"Wentoffonenight,shedid,"saidElspeth,"wasneverheardofagain.""MrsLlewellyn-Smythe?"

"No, no. The opera girl. She could have put something in the medicine easily enough. And she came
intoallthemoney,didn'tshe-orsoshethoughtatthetime?"

PoirotlookedatSpenceforenlightenment.

"Andneverbeenheardofsince,"saidMrsMcKay."Theseforeigngirlsareallthesame."

Thesignificanceoftheword"opera"cametoPoirot."Anaupairgirl,"hesaid.

"That's right. Lived with the old lady, and a week or two after the old lady died, the au pair girl just
disappeared."

"Wentoffwithsomeman,I'dsay,"saidSpence.

"Well,nobodyknewofhimifso,"saidElspeth."Andthere'susuallyplentyoftalkabouthere.Usually
knowjustwho'sgoingwithwho."

"Did anybody think there had been anything wrong about Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe's death?" asked
Poirot.

"No. She'd got heart trouble. Doctor attended her regularly." "But you headed your list of possible
victimswithher,myfriend?"

"Well,shewasarichwoman,averyrichwoman.Herdeathwasnotunexpectedbutitwassudden.I'd
sayoffhandthatDrFergusonwassurprised,evenifonlyslightlysurprised.Ithinkheexpectedherto
livelonger.Butdoctorsdohavethesesurprises.Shewasn'tonetodoasthedoctorordered.She'dbeen
toldnottooverdothings,butshedidexactlyassheliked.Foronething,shewasapassionategardener,
andthatdoesn'tdoheartcasesanygood."

ElspethMcKaytookupthetale."Shecameherewhenherhealthfailed.Shewaslivingabroadbefore.
Shecameheretobenearhernephewandniece,MrandMrsDrake,andsheboughttheQuarryHouse.
AbigVictorianhousewhichincludedadisusedquarrywhichattractedherashavingpossibilities.She
spentthousandsofpoundsonturningthatquarryintoasunkgardenorwhatevertheycallthething.Had
a landscape gardener down from Wisley or one of these places to design it. Oh, I can tell you, it's
somethingtolookat."

"Ishallgoandlookatit,"saidPoirot."Whoknowsitmightgivemeideas."

"Yes,IwouldgoifIwereyou.It'swellworthseeing."

"Andshewasrich,yousay?"saidPoirot.

"Widowofabigshipbuilder.Shehadpacketsofmoney."

"Herdeathwasnotunexpectedbecauseshehadaheartcondition,butitwassudden,"saidSpence."No
doubtsarosethatitwasduetoanythingbutnaturalcauses.Cardiacfailure,orwhateverthelongername
isthatdoctorsuse.Coronarysomething."

"Noquestionofaninquesteverarose?"Spenceshookhishead.

"It has happened before," said Poirot. "An elderly woman told to be careful, not to run up and down
stairs,nottodoanyintensivegardening,andsoonandsoon.Butifyougetanenergeticwomanwho's
beenanenthusiasticgardenerallherlifeanddoneasshelikedinmostways,thenshedoesn'talways
treattheserecommendationswithduerespect."

"That's true enough. Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe made a wonderful thing of the quarry - or rather, the
landscapeartistdid.Threeorfouryearstheyworkedatit,heandhisemployer.She'dseensomegarden,
inIrelandIthinkitwas,whenshewentonaNationalTrusttourvisitinggardens.Withthatinhermind,
theyfairlytransformedtheplace.Ohyes,ithastobeseentobebelieved."

"Hereisanaturaldeath,then,"saidPoirot,"certifiedassuchbythelocaldoctor.Isthatthesamedoctor
whoisherenow?AndwhomIamshortlygoingtosee?"

"DrFerguson-yes.He'samanofaboutsixty,goodathisjobandwelllikedhere."

"Butyoususpectthatherdeathmighthavebeenmurder?Foranyotherreasonsthanthosethatyou've
alreadygivenme?"

"Theoperagirl,foronething,"saidElspeth.

"Why?"

"Well,shemusthaveforgedtheWill.WhoforgedtheWillifshedidn't?"

"Youmusthavemoretotellme,"saidPoirot."WhatisallthisaboutaforgedWill?"

"Well,therewasabitoffusswhenitcametoprobating,orwhateveryoucallit,theoldlady'sWill."

"WasitanewWill?"

"Itwaswhattheycallsomethingthatsoundslikefish-acod-acodicil."

ElspethlookedatPoirot,whonodded.

"She'dmadeWillsbefore,"saidSpence.

"Allmuchthesame.Bequeststocharities,legaciestooldservants,butthebulkofherfortunealways
wenttohernephewandhiswife,whowerehernearrelatives."

"Andthisparticularcodicil?"

"Lefteverythingtotheoperagirl,"saidElspeth,"becauseofherdevotedcareandkindness.Something
likethat."

"Tellme,then,moreabouttheaupairgirl."

"ShecamefromsomecountryinthemiddleofEurope.Somelongname."

"Howlonghadshebeenwiththeoldlady?"

"Justoverayear."

"Youcallhertheoldladyalways.Howoldwasshe?"

"Wellinthesixties.Sixty-fiveorsix,say."

"Thatisnotsoveryold,"saidPoirotfeelingly.

"MadeseveralWills,shehad,byallaccounts,"saidElspeth."AsBerthastoldyou,allofthemmuch
thesame.Leavingmoneytooneortwocharitiesandthenperhapsshe'dchangethecharitiesandsome
differentsouvenirstooldservantsandallthat.Butthebulkofthemoneyalwayswenttohernephew
andhiswife,andIthinksomeotheroldcousinwhowasdead,though,bythetimeshedied.Sheleftthe
bungalow she'd built to the landscape man, for him to live in as long as he liked, and some kind of
incomeforwhichhewastokeepupthequarrygardenandletitbewalkedinbythepublic.Something
likethat."

"I suppose the family claimed that the balance of her mind had been disturbed, that there had been
undueinfluence?"

"I think probably it might have come to that," said Spence. "But the lawyers, as I say, got on to the
forgerysharply.Itwasnotaveryconvincingforgery,apparently.Theyspotteditalmostatonce."

"Thingscametolighttoshowthattheoperagirlcouldhavedoneitquiteeasily,"saidElspeth.

"You see, she wrote a great many of Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe's letters for her and it seems Mrs
Llewellyn-Smythe had a great dislike of typed letters being sent to friends or anything like that. If it
wasn'tabusinessletter,she'dalwayssay'writeitinhandwritingandmakeitasmuchlikemineasyou
can and sign it with my name'. Mrs Minden, the cleaning woman, heard her say that one day, and I
supposethegirlgotusedtodoingitandcopyingheremployer'shandwriting,andthenitcametoher
suddenlythatshecoulddothisandgetawaywithit.Andthat'showitallcameabout.ButasIsay,the
lawyersweretoosharpandspottedit."

"MrsLlewellyn-Smythe'sownlawyers?"

"Yes.Fullerton,HarrisonandLeadbetter.VeryrespectablefirminMedchester.They'dalwaysdoneall
herlegalbusinessforher.Anyway,theygotexpertsontoitandquestionswereaskedandthegirlwas
askedquestionsandgotthewindup.Justwalkedoutonedayleavinghalfherthingsbehindher.They
werepreparingtotakeproceedingsagainsther,butshedidn'twaitforthat.Shejustgotout.It'snotso
difficult, really, to get out of this country, if you do it in time. Why, you can go on day trips on the
Continent without a passport, and if you've got a little arrangement with someone on the other side,
thingscanbearrangedlongbeforethereisanyrealhueandcry.She'sprobablygonebacktoherown
countryorchangedhernameorgonetofriends."

"ButeveryonethoughtthatMrsLlewellyn-Smythediedanaturaldeath?"askedPoirot.

"Yes,Idon'tthinktherewaseveranyquestionofthat.Ionlysayit'spossiblebecause,asIsay,these
things have happened before where the doctor has no suspicion. Supposing that girl Joyce had heard
something, had heard the au pair girl giving medicines to Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe, and the old lady
saying'thismedicinetastesdifferenttotheusualone'.Or'thishasgotabittertaste'or'it'speculiar'."

"Anyone would think you'd been there listening to things yourself, Elspeth," said Superintendent
Spence."Thisisallyourimagination."

"Whendidshedie?"saidPoirot.

"Morning,evening,indoors,outofdoors,athomeorawayfromhome?"

"Oh,athome.She'dcomeupfromdoingthingsinthegardenoneday,breathingratherheavily.Shesaid
shewasverytiredandshewenttoliedownonherbed.Andtoputitinonesentence,sheneverwoke
up.Whichisallverynatural,itseems,medicallyspeaking."

Poirottookoutalittlenotebook.Thepagewasalreadyheaded"Victims".

Under,hewrote.

"No.1,suggested,MrsLlewellyn-Smythe."

On the next pages of his book he wrote down the other names that Spence had given him. He said,
inquiringly:"CharlotteBenfield?"

Spencerepliedpromptly.

"Sixteen-year old shop assistant. Multiple head injuries. Found on a footpath near the Quarry Wood.
Twoyoungmencameundersuspicion.Bothhadwalkedoutwithherfromtimetotime.Noevidence."

"Theyassistedthepoliceintheirinquiries?"askedPoirot.

"As you say. It's the usual phrase. They didn't assist much. They were frightened. Told a few lies,
contradicted themselves. They didn't carry conviction as likely murderers. But either of them might
havebeen."

"Whatweretheylike?"

"Peter Gordon, twenty-one. Unemployed. Had had one or two jobs but never kept them. Lazy. Quite
good-looking.Hadbeenonprobationonceortwiceforminorpilferings,thingsofthatkind.Norecord
beforeofviolence.Wasinwitharathernastylotoflikelyyoungcriminals,butusuallymanagedtokeep
outofserioustrouble."

"Andtheotherone?"

"Thomas Hudd. Twenty. Stammered. Shy. Neurotic. Wanted to be a teacher, but couldn't make the
grade.Motherawidow.Thedotingmothertype.Didn'tencouragegirlfriends.Kepthimasclosetoher
apron-strings as she could. He had a job in a stationer's. Nothing criminal known against him, but a
possibilitypsychologically,soitseems.Thegirlplayedhimupagooddeal.Jealousyapossiblemotive,
but no evidence that we could prosecute on. Both of them had alibis. Hudd's was his mother's. She
wouldhavesworntokingdomcomethathewasindoorswithherallthatevening,andnobodycansay
hewasn'torhadseenhimelsewhereorintheneighbourhoodofthemurder.YoungGordonwasgiven
analibibysomeofhislessreputablefriends.Notworthmuch,butyoucouldn'tdisproveit."

"Thishappenedwhen?"

"Eighteenmonthsago."

"Andwhere?"

"InafootpathinafieldnotfarfromWoodleighCommon."

"Threequartersofamile,"saidElspeth."

"NearJoyce'shouse-theReynolds'house?"

"No,itwasontheothersideofthevillage."

"ItseemsunlikelytohavebeenthemurderJoycewastalkingabout,"saidPoirotthoughtfully."Ifyou
seeagirlbeingbashedontheheadbyayoungmanyou'dbelikelytothinkofmurderstraightaway.
Nottowaitforayearbeforeyoubegantothinkitwasmurder."

Poirotreadanothername."LesleyFerrier."

Spencespokeagain.

"Lawyer's clerk, twenty-eight, employed by Messrs. Fullerton, Harrison and Leadbetter of Market
Street,Medchester."

"ThosewereMrsLlewellyn-Smythe'ssolicitors,Ithinkyousaid."

"Yes.Sameones."

"AndwhathappenedtoLesleyFerrier?"

"Hewasstabbedintheback.NotfarfromtheGreenSwanPub.Hewassaidtohavebeenhavingan
affair with the wife of the landlord, Harry Griffin. Handsome piece, she was, indeed still is. Getting
perhapsabitlonginthetooth.Fiveorsixyearsolderthanhewas,butshelikedthemyoung."

"Theweapon?"

"Theknifewasn'tfound.Leswassaidtohavebrokenwithherandtakenupwithsomeothergirl,but
whatgirlwasneversatisfactorilydiscovered."

"Ah.Andwhowassuspectedinthiscase?Thelandlordorthewife?"

"Quite right," said Spence. "Might have been either. The wife seemed the more likely. She was half
gypsyandatemperamentalpiece.Buttherewereotherpossibilities.OurLesleyhadn'tledablameless
life. Got into trouble in his early twenties, falsifying his accounts somewhere. With a spot of forgery.
Wassaidtohavecomefromabrokenhomeandalltherestofit.Employersspokeupforhim.Hegota
shortsentenceandwastakenonbyFullerton,HarrisonandLeadbetterwhenhecameoutofprison."

"Andafterthathe'dgonestraight?"

"Well,nothingproved.Heappearedtodosoasfarashisemployerswereconcerned,buthehadbeen
mixedupinafewquestionabletransactionswithhisfriends.He'swhatyoumightcallawrong'unbuta
carefulone."

"Sothealternativewas?"

"Thathemighthavebeenstabbedbyoneofhislessreputableassociates.Whenyou'reinwithanasty
crowdyou'vegotitcomingtoyouwithaknifeifyouletthemdown."

"Anythingelse?"

"Well,hehadagoodlotofmoneyinhisbankaccount.Paidinincash,ithadbeen.Nothingtoshow
whereitcamefrom.Thatwassuspiciousinitself."

"PossiblypinchedfromFullerton,HarrisonandLeadbetter?"suggestedPoirot.

"Theysaynot.Theyhadacharteredaccountanttoworkonitandlookintothings."

"Andthepolicehadnoideawhereelseitmighthavecomefrom?"

"No."

"Again,"saidPoirot,"notJoyce'smurder,Ishouldthink."

Hereadthelastname,"JanetWhite."

"Foundstrangledonafootpathwhichwasashortcutfromtheschoolhousetoherhome.Sheshareda
flat there with another teacher, Nora Ambrose. According to Nora Ambrose, Janet White had
occasionallyspokenofbeingnervousaboutsomemanwithwhomshe'dbrokenoffrelationsayearago,
butwhohadfrequentlysentherthreateningletters.Nothingwaseverfoundoutaboutthisman.Nora
Ambrosedidn'tknowhisname,didn'tknowexactlywherehelived."

"Aha,"saidPoirot,"Ilikethisbetter."

Hemadeagood,thickblacktickagainstJanetWhite'sname.

"Forwhatreason?"askedSpence.

"ItisamorelikelymurderforagirlofJoyce'sagetohavewitnessed.Shecouldhaverecognisedthe
victim, a schoolteacher whom she knew and who perhaps taught her. Possibly she did not know the
attacker.Shemighthaveseenastruggle,heardaquarrelbetweenagirlwhomsheknewandastrange
man.Butthoughtnomoreofitthanthatatthattime.WhenwasJanetWhitekilled?"

"Twoandahalfyearsago."

"Thatagain,"saidPoirot,"isabouttherighttime.Bothfornotrealisingthatthemanshemayhaveseen
withhishandsroundJanetWhite'sneckwasnotmerelyneckingher,butmighthavebeenkillingher.
Butthenasshegrewmoremature,theproperexplanationcametoher."

HelookedatElspeth."Youagreewithmyreasoning?"

"Iseewhatyoumean,"saidElspeth."Butaren'tyougoingatallthisthewrongwayround?Lookingfor
avictimofapastmurderinsteadoflookingforamanwhokilledachildhereinWoodleighCommon
notmorethanthreedaysago?"

"Wegofromthepasttothefuture,"saidPoirot."Wearrive,shallwesay,fromtwoandahalfyearsago
tothreedaysago.And,therefore,wehavetoconsiderwhatyou,nodoubt,havealreadyconsidered-
whowasthereinWoodleighCommonamongstthepeoplewhowereatthepartywhomighthavebeen
connectedwithanoldercrime?"

"Onecannarrowitdownabitmorethanthatnow,"saidSpence."Thatisifwearerightinaccepting
your assumption that Joyce was killed because of what she claimed earlier in the day about seeing
murdercommitted.Shesaidthosewordsduringthetimethepreparationsforthepartyweregoingon.
Mindyou,wemaybewronginbelievingthatthatwasthemotiveforkilling,butIdon'tthinkweare
wrong. So let us say she claimed to have seen murder, and someone who was present during the
preparationsforthepartythatafternooncouldhaveheardherandactedassoonaspossible."

"Whowaspresent?"saidPoirot."Youknow,Ipresume.""Yes,Ihavethelistforyouhere.""Youhave
checkeditcarefully?"

"Yes,I'vecheckedandre-checked,butit'sbeenquiteajob.Herearetheeighteennames."

ListofpeoplepresentduringpreparationforHallowe'enParty

MrsDrake(ownerofhouse)

MrsButler

MrsOliver

MissWhittaker(schoolteacher)

Rev.CharlesCotterell(Vicar)

SimonLampton(Curate)

MissLee(DrFerguson'sdispenser)

AnnReynolds

JoyceReynolds

LeopoldReynolds

NicholasRansom

DesmondHolland

BeatriceArdley

CathieGrant

DianaBrent

MrsGarlton(householdhelp)

MrsMinden(cleaningwoman)

MrsGoodbody(helper)

"Youaresuretheseareall?"

"No,"saidSpence."I'mnotsure.Ican'treallybesure.Nobodycan.Yousee,oddpeoplebroughtthings.
Somebodybroughtsomecolouredlightbulbs.Somebodyelsesuppliedsomemirrors.Thereweresome
extra plates. Someone lent a plastic pail. People brought things, exchanged a word or two and went
awayagain.Theydidn'tremaintohelp.Thereforesuchapersoncouldhavebeenoverlookedandnot
rememberedasbeingpresent.Butthatsomebody,eveniftheyhadonlyjustdepositedabucketinthe
hall,couldhaveoverheardwhatJoycewassayinginthesitting-room.Shewasshouting,youknow.We
can'treallylimitittothislist,butit'sthebestwecando.Hereyouare.Takealookatit.I'vemadea
briefdescriptivenoteagainstthenames."

"I thank you. Just one question. You must have interrogated some of these people, those for instance
who were also at the party. Did anyone, anyone at all, mention what Joyce had said about seeing a
murder?"

"Ithinknot.Thereisnorecordofitofficially.ThefirstIheardofitiswhatyoutoldme."

"Interesting,"saidPoirot."Onemightalsosayremarkable.""Obviouslynoonetookitseriously,"said
Spence.Poirotnoddedthoughtfully.

"ImustgonowtokeepmyappointmentwithDrFerguson,afterhissurgery,"hesaid.

HefoldedupSpence'slistandputitinhispocket.

Chapter9

DrFergusonwasamanofsixty,ofScottishextractionwithabrusquemanner.HelookedPoirotupand
down, with shrewd eyes under bristling eyebrows, and said: "Well, what's all this about? Sit down.
Mindthatchairleg.Thecastor'sloose."

"Ishouldperhapsexplain,"saidPoirot.

"You needn't explain," said Dr Ferguson. "Everybody knows everything in a place like this. That
authoress woman brought you down here as God's greatest detective to puzzle police officers. That's
moreorlessright,isn'tit?"

"Inpart,"saidPoirot."Icameheretovisitanoldfriend,ex-SuperintendentSpence,wholiveswithhis
sisterhere."

"Spence?Hm.Goodtype,Spence.Bull-dogbreed.Goodhonestpoliceofficeroftheoldtype.Nograft.
Noviolence.Notstupideither.Straightasadie."

"Youappraisehimcorrectly."

"Well,"saidFerguson,"whatdidyoutellhimandwhatdidhetellyou?"

"BothheandInspectorRaglanhavebeenexceedinglykindtome.Ihopeyouwilllikewise."

"I've nothing to be kind about," said Ferguson. "I don't know what happened. Child gets her head
shovedinabucketandisdrownedinthemiddleofaparty.Nastybusiness.Mindyou,doinginachild
isn'tanythingtobestartledaboutnowadays.I'vebeencalledouttolookattoomanymurderedchildren
inthelastseventotenyears-fartoomany.Alotofpeoplewhooughttobeundermentalrestraintaren't
under mental restraint. No room in the asylums. They go about, nicely spoken, nicely got up and
lookinglikeeverybodyelse,lookingforsomebodytheycandoin.Andenjoythemselves.Don'tusually
do it at a party, though. Too much chance of getting caught, I suppose, but novelty appeals even to a

mentallydisturbedkiller."

"Haveyouanyideawhokilledher?"

"Do you really suppose that's a question I can answer just like that? I'd have to have some evidence,
wouldn'tI?I'dhavetobesure."

"Youcouldguess,"saidPoirot.

"Anyonecanguess.IfI'mcalledintoacaseIhavetoguesswhetherthechap'sgoingtohavemeaslesor
whether it's a case of an allergy to shell-fish or to feather pillows. I have to ask questions to find out
what they've been eating, or drinking, or sleeping on, or what other children they've been meeting.
Whetherthey'vebeeninacrowdedbuswithMrsSmith'sorMrsRobinson'schildrenwho'veallgotthe
measles, and a few other things. Then I advance a tentative opinion as to which it is of the various
possibilities,andthat,letmetellyou,iswhat'scalleddiagnosis.Youdon'tdoitinahurryandyoumake
sure."

"Didyouknowthischild?"

"Ofcourse.Shewasoneofmypatients.Therearetwoofushere.MyselfandWorrall.Ihappentobe
the Reynolds' doctor. She was quite a healthy child, Joyce. Had the usual small childish ailments.
Nothingpeculiaroroutoftheway.Atetoomuch,talkedtoomuch.Talkingtoomuchhadn'tdoneher
anyharm.Eatingtoomuchgaveherwhatusedtobecalledintheolddaysabiliousattackfromtimeto
time.She'dhadmumpsandchickenpox.Nothingelse."

"Butshehadperhapstalkedtoomuchononeoccasion,asyousuggestshemightbeliabletodo."

"Sothat'sthetackyou'reon?Iheardsomerumourofthat.Onthelinesof'whatthebutlersaw'-only
tragedyinsteadofcomedy.Isthatit?"

"Itcouldformamotive,areason."

"Oh yes. Grant you that. But there are other reasons. Mentally disturbed seems the usual answer
nowadays.Atanyrate,itdoesalwaysintheMagistrates'courts.Nobodygainedbyherdeath,nobody
hatedher.Butitseemstomewithchildrennowadaysyoudon'tneedtolookforthereason.Thereason's
in another place. The reason's in the killer's mind. His disturbed mind or his evil mind or his kinky
mind.Anykindofmindyouliketocallit.I'mnotapsychiatrist.TherearetimeswhenIgettiredof

hearing those words: 'Remanded for a psychiatrist's report,' after a lad has broken in somewhere,
smashedthelooking-glasses,pinchedbottlesofwhisky,stolenthesilverandknockedanoldwomanon
thehead.Doesn'tmuchmatterwhatitisnow.Remandthemforthepsychiatristsreport."

"Andwhowouldyoufavour,inthiscase,toremandforapsychiatrist'sreport?"

"Youmeanofthosethereatthepartytheothernight?"

"Yes."

"Themurdererwouldhavehadtobethere,wouldn'the?Otherwisetherewouldn'thavebeenamurder.
Right?Hewasamongtheguests,hewasamongthehelpersorhewalkedinthroughthewindowwith
maliceaforethought.Probablyheknewthefasteningsofthathouse.Mighthavebeenintherebefore,
lookinground.Takeyourmanorboy.Hewantstokillsomeone.Notatallunusual.OverinMedchester
we had a case of that. Came to light after about six or seven years. Boy of thirteen. Wanted to kill
someone,sohekilledachildofnine,pinchedacar,droveitsevenoreightmilesintoacopse,burned
herthere,wentaway,andasfarasweknowledablamelesslifeuntilhewastwenty-oneortwo.Mind
you,wehaveonlyhiswordforthat,hemayhavegoneondoingit.Probablydid.Foundhelikedkilling
people.Don'tsupposehe'skilledtoomany,orsomepoliceforcewouldhavebeenontohimbeforenow.
But every now and then he felt the urge. Psychiatrist's report. Committed murder while mentally
disturbed.I'mtryingtosaymyselfthatthat'swhathappenedhere.Thatsortofthing,anyway.I'mnota
psychiatristmyself,thankgoodness.Ihaveafewpsychiatristfriends.Someofthemaresensiblechaps.
Some of them - well, I'll go as far as saying they ought to be remanded for a psychiatrist's report
themselves.ThischapwhokilledJoyceprobablyhadniceparents,ordinarymanners,goodappearance.
Nobody'ddreamanythingwaswrongwithhim.Everhadabiteataniceredjuicyappleandthere,down
by the core, something rather nasty rears itself up and wags its head at you? Plenty of human beings
aboutlikethat.MorethanthereusedtobeI'dsaynowadays."

"Andyou'venosuspicionofyourown?"

"Ican'tstickmyneckoutanddiagnoseamurdererwithoutsomeevidence."

"Still, you admit it must have been someone at the party. You cannot have a murder without a
murderer."

"Youcaneasilyinsomedetectivestoriesthatarewritten.Probablyyourpetauthoresswritesthemlike
that.ButinthiscaseIagree.Themurderermusthavebeenthere.Aguest,adomestichelp,someone
whowalkedinthroughthewindow.Easilydoneifhe'dstudiedthecatchofthewindowbeforehand.It
mighthavestrucksomecrazybrainthatitwouldbeanovelideaandabitoffuntohaveamurderata

Hallowe'enparty.That'sallyou'vegottostartoffwith,isn'tit?Justsomeonewhowasattheparty."

UnderbushybrowsapairofeyestwinkledatPoirot.

"Iwastheremyself,"hesaid."Cameinlate,justtoseewhatwasdoing."

Henoddedhisheadvigorously.

"Yes,that'stheproblem,isn'tit?Likeasocialannouncementinthepapers:"Amongstthosepresentwas
'AMurderer'?"

Chapter10

PoirotlookedupatTheElmsandapprovedofit.

Hewasadmittedandtakenpromptlybywhathejudgedtobeasecretarytothehead-mistress'sstudy.

MissEmlynrosefromherdesktogreethim.

"Iamdelightedtomeetyou,MrPoirot.I'veheardaboutyou."

"Youaretookind,"saidPoirot.

"Fromaveryoldfriendofmine,MissBulstrode.Formerhead-mistressofMeadowbank.Youremember
MissBulstrode,perhaps?"

"Onewouldnotbelikelytoforgether.Agreatpersonality."

"Yes,"saidMissEmlyn."ShemadeMeadowbanktheschoolitis."Shesighedslightlyandsaid,"Ithas
changed a little nowadays. Different aims, different methods, but it still holds its own as a school of
distinction,ofprogress,andalsooftradition.Ahwell,wemustnotlivetoomuchinthepast.Youhave
cometoseeme,nodoubt,aboutthedeathofJoyceReynolds.Idon'tknowifyouhaveanyparticular
interest in her case. It's out of your usual run of things, I imagine. You knew her personally, or her
familyperhaps?"

"No,"saidPoirot."Icameattherequestofanoldfriend,MrsAriadneOliver,whowasstayingdown
hereandwaspresentattheparty."

"She writes delightful books," said Miss Emlyn. "I have met her once or twice. Well, that makes the
wholethingeasier,Ithink,todiscuss.Solongasnopersonalfeelingsareinvolved,onecangostraight
ahead. It was a horrifying thing to happen. If I may say so, it was an unlikely thing to happen. The
children involved seem neither old enough nor young enough for it to fall into any special class. A
psychologicalcrimeisindicated.Doyouagree?"

"No,"saidPoirot."Ithinkitwasamurder,likemostmurders,committedforamotive,possiblyasordid
one."

"Indeed.Andthereason?"

"ThereasonwasaremarkmadebyJoyce;notactuallyattheparty,Iunderstand,butearlierintheday
when preparations were being made by some of the older children and other helpers. She announced
thatshehadonceseenamurdercommitted."

"Wasshebelieved?"

"Onthewhole,Ithinkshewasnotbelieved."

"Thatseemsthemostlikelyresponse.Joyce-1speakplainlytoyou,MonsieurPoirot,becausewedo
not want unnecessary sentiment to cloud mental faculties - she was a rather mediocre child, neither
stupidnorparticularlyintellectual.Shewas,quitefrankly,acompulsiveliar.AndbythatIdonotmean
thatshewasspeciallydeceitful.Shewasnottryingtoavoidretributionortoavoidbeingfoundoutin
somepeccadillo.Sheboasted.Sheboastedofthingsthathadnothappened,butthatwouldimpressher
friendswhowerelisteningtoher.Asaresult,ofcourse,theyinclinednottobelievethetallstoriesshe
told."

"Youthinkthatsheboastedofhavingseenamurdercommittedinordertomakeherselfimportant,to
intriguesomeone-?"

"Yes. And I would suggest that Ariadne Oliver was doubtless the person whom she wanted to
impress..."

"Soyoudon'tthinkJoycesawamurdercommittedatall?"

"Ishoulddoubtitverymuch."

"Youareoftheopinionthatshemadethewholethingup?"

"Iwouldnotsaythat.Shedidwitness,perhaps,acaraccident,orsomeoneperhapswhowashitwitha
ballonthegolflinksandinjured-somethingthatshecouldworkupintoanimpressivehappeningthat
might,justconceivably,passasanattemptedmurder."

"So the only assumption we can make with any certainty is that there was a murderer present at the
Hallowe'enparty."

"Certainly,"saidMissEmlyn,withoutturningagreyhair."Certainly.Thatfollowsonlogically,doesit
not?"

"Wouldyouhaveanyideawhothatmurderermightbe?"

"Thatiscertainlyasensiblequestion,"saidMissEmlyn."Afterall,themajorityofthechildrenatthe
partywereagedbetweennineandfifteen,andIsupposenearlyallofthemhadbeenorwerepupilsat
my school. I ought to know something about them. Something, too, about their families and their
backgrounds."

"Ibelievethatoneofyourownteachers,ayearortwoago,wasstrangledbyanunknownkiller."

"You are referring to Janet White? About twenty-four years of age. An emotional girl. As far as is
known,shewasoutwalkingalone.Shemay,ofcourse,havearrangedtomeetsomeyoungman.She
wasagirlwhowasquiteattractivetomeninamodestsortofway.Herkillerhasnotbeendiscovered.
The police questioned various young men or asked them to assist them in their inquiries, as the
technique goes, but they were not able to find sufficient evidence to bring a case against anyone. An
unsatisfactorybusinessfromtheirpointofview.And,Imaysay,frommine."

"YouandIhaveaprincipleincommon.Wedonotapproveofmurder."

MissEmlynlookedathimforamomentortwo.Herexpressiondidnotchange,butPoirothadanidea
thathewasbeingsizedupwithagreatdealofcare.

"I like the way you put it," she said. "From what you read and hear nowadays, it seems that murder
undercertainaspectsisslowlybutsurelybeingmadeacceptabletoalargesectionofthecommunity."

Shewassilentforafewminutes,andPoirotalsodidnotspeak.Shewas,hethought,consideringaplan
ofaction.

Sheroseandtouchedabell.

"Ithink,"shesaid,"thatyouhadbettertalktoMissWhittaker."

SomefiveminutespassedafterMissEmlynhadlefttheroomandthenthedooropenedandawomanof
aboutfortyentered.Shehadrusset-colouredhair,cutshort,andcameinwithabriskstep.

"MonsieurPoirot?"shesaid."CanIhelpyou?MissEmlynseemstothinkthatthatmightbeso."

"IfMissEmlynthinksso,thenitisalmostacertaintythatyoucan.Iwouldtakeherwordforit."

"Youknowher?"

"Ihaveonlymetherthisafternoon.""Butyouhavemadeupyourmindquicklyabouther.""Ihopeyou
aregoingtotellmethatIamright."ElizabethWhittakergaveashort,quicksigh.

"Ohyes,you'reright.IpresumethatthisisaboutthedeathofJoyceReynolds.Idon'tknowexactlyhow
youcomeintoit.Throughthepolice?"Sheshookherheadslightlyinadissatisfiedmanner.

"No,notthroughthepolice.Privately,throughafriend."Shetookachair,pushingitbackalittlesoas
tofacehim."Yes.Whatdoyouwanttoknow?"

"Idon'tthinkthereisanyneedtotellyou.Noneedtowastetimeaskingquestionsthatmaybeofno
importance.SomethinghappenedthateveningatthepartywhichperhapsitiswellthatIshouldknow
about.Isthatit?"

"Yes."

"Youwereattheparty?"

"Iwasattheparty."Shereflectedaminuteortwo."Itwasaverygoodparty.Wellrun.Wellarranged.
Aboutthirty-oddpeoplewerethere,thatis,countinghelpersofdifferentkinds.Children-teenagers-
grownups-andafewcleaninganddomestichelpersinthebackground."

"Did you take part in the arrangements which were made, I believe, earlier that afternoon or that
morning?"

"There was nothing really to do. Mrs Drake was fully competent to deal with all the various
preparations with a small number of people to help her. It was more domestic preparations that were
needed."

"Isee.Butyoucametothepartyasoneoftheguests?""Thatisright."

"Andwhathappened?"

"Theprogressoftheparty,Ihavenodoubt,youalreadyknow.YouwanttoknowifthereisanythingI
cantellyouthatIspeciallynoticedorthatIthoughtmighthaveacertainsignificance?Idon'twantto
wasteyourtimeunduly,youunderstand."

"Iamsureyouwillnotwastemytime.Yes,MissWhittaker,tellmequitesimply."

"Thevariouseventshappenedinthewayalreadyarrangedfor.Thelasteventwaswhatwasreallymore
aChristmasfestivityorassociatedwithChristmas,thanitwouldbewithHallowe'en.TheSnapdragon,
aburningdishofraisinswithbrandypouredoverthem,andthoseroundsnatchattheraisins-thereare
squealsoflaughterandexcitement.Itbecameveryhot,though,intheroom,withtheburningdish,andI
leftit and came out in the hall.It was then, as I stood there, thatI saw Mrs Drake coming out of the
lavatoryonthefirstfloorlanding.Shewascarryingalargevaseofmixedautumnleavesandflowers.
She stood at the angle of the staircase, pausing for a moment before coming downstairs. She was
lookingdownoverthewellofthestaircase.Notinmydirection.Shewaslookingtowardstheotherend
ofthehallwherethereisadoorleadingintothelibrary.Itissetjustacrossthehallfromthedoorinto
the dining-room. As I say, she was looking that way and pausing for a moment before coming
downstairs.Shewasshiftingslightlytheangleofthevaseasitwasaratherawkwardthingtocarry,and
weightyifitwas,asIpresumed,fullofwater.Shewasshiftingthepositionofitrathercarefullysothat
shecouldholdittoherwithonearm,andputouttheotherarmtotherailofthestaircaseasshecame
roundtheslightlyshapedcornerstairway.Shestoodthereforamomentortwo,stillnotlookingatwhat
she was carrying, but towards the hall below. And suddenly she made a sudden movement - a start I

woulddescribeitas-yes,definitelysomethinghadstartledher.Somuchsothatsherelinquishedher
holdofthevaseanditfell,reversingitselfasitdidso-sothatthewaterstreamedoverherandthevase
itselfcrasheddowntothehallbelow,whereitbrokeinsmithereensonthehallfloor."

"Isee,"saidPoirot.Hepausedaminuteortwo,watchingher.Hereyes,henoticed,wereshrewdand
knowledgeable.

Theywereaskingnowhisopinionofwhatshewastellinghim.

"Whatdidyouthinkhadhappenedtostartleher?"

"Onreflection,afterwards,Ithoughtshehadseensomething."

"Youthoughtshehadseensomething,"repeatedPoirot,thoughtfully."Suchas?"

"The direction of her eyes, as I have told you, was towards the door of the library. It seems to me
possible that she may have seen that door open or the handle turn, or indeed she might have seen
something slightly more than that. She might have seen somebody who was opening that door and
preparingtocomeoutofit.Shemayhaveseensomeoneshedidnotexpecttosee."

"Wereyoulookingatthedooryourself?"

"No.IwaslookingintheoppositedirectionupthestairstowardsMrsDrake."

"Andyouthinkdefinitelythatshesawsomethingthatstartledher?"

"Yes.Nomorethanthat,perhaps.Adooropening.Aperson,justpossiblyanunlikelyperson,emerging.
Justsufficienttomakeherrelinquishhergraspontheveryheavyvasefullofwaterandflowers,sothat
shedroppedit."

"Didyouseeanyonecomeoutofthatdoor?"

"No.Iwasnotlookingthatway.Idonotthinkanyoneactuallydidcomeoutintothehall.Presumably
whoeveritwasdrewbackintotheroom."

"WhatdidMrsDrakedonext?"

"Shemadeasharpexclamationofvexation,camedownthestairsandsaidtome,"LookwhatI'vedone
now!Whatamess!"Shekickedsomeofthebrokenglassaway.Ihelpedhersweepitinabrokenpile
intoacorner.Itwasn'tpracticabletoclearitallupatthatmoment.Thechildrenwerebeginningtocome
outoftheSnapdragonroom.Ifetchedaglassclothandmoppedherupabit,andshortlyafterthatthe
partycametoanend."

"Mrs Drake did not say anything about having been startled or make any reference as to what might
havestartledher?"

"No.Nothingofthekind."

"Butyouthinkshewasstartled."

"Possibly,MonsieurPoirot,youthinkthatIammakingaratherunnecessaryfussaboutsomethingofno
importancewhatever?"

"No,"saidPoirot,"Idonotthinkthatatall.IhaveonlymetMrsDrakeonce,"headdedthoughtfully,
"whenIwenttoherhousewithmyfriend,MrsOliver,tovisit-asonemightsay,ifonewishestobe
melodramatic-thesceneofthecrime.ItdidnotstrikemeduringthebriefperiodIhadforobservation
thatMrsDrakecouldbeawomanwhoiseasilystartled.Doyouagreewithmyview?"

"Certainly.ThatiswhyI,myself,sincehavewondered.""Youaskednospecialquestionsatthetime?"

"Ihadnoearthlyreasontodoso.Ifyourhostesshasbeenunfortunateenoughtodroponeofherbest
glassvases,andithassmashedtosmithereens,itishardlythepartofaguesttosay'Whatonearthmade
youdothat?',therebyaccusingherofaclumsinesswhichIcanassureyouisnotoneofMrsDrake's
characteristics."

"Andafterthat,asyouhavesaid,thepartycametoanend.Thechildrenandtheirmothersorfriends
left,andJoycecouldnotbefound.WeknownowthatJoycewasbehindthelibrarydoorandthatJoyce
was dead. So who could it have been who was about to come out of the library door, a little while
earlier,shallwesay,andthenhearingvoicesinthehallshutthedooragainandmadeanexitlaterwhen
therewerepeoplemillingaboutinthehallmakingtheirfarewells,puttingontheircoatsandalltherest
ofit?Itwasnotuntilafterthebodyhadbeenfound,Ipresume,MissWhittaker,thatyouhadtimeto
reflectonwhatyouhadseen?"

"Thatisso."MissWhittakerrosetoherfeet."I'mafraidthere'snothingelsethatIcantellyou.Even
thismaybeaveryfoolishlittlematter."

"But noticeable. Everything noticeable is worth remembering. By the way, there is one question I
shouldliketoaskyou.Two,asamatteroffact."

ElizabethWhittakersatdownagain."Goon,"shesaid,"askanythingyoulike."

"Canyourememberexactlytheorderinwhichthevariouseventsoccurredattheparty?"

"I think so." Elizabeth Whittaker reflected for a moment or two. "It started with a broomstick
competition.Decoratedbroomsticks.Therewerethreeorfourdifferentsmallprizesforthat.Thenthere
wasakindofcontestwithballoons,punchingthemandbattingthemabout.Asortofmildhorse-playto
getthechildrenwarmedup.Therewasalooking-glassbusinesswherethegirlswentintoasmallroom
andheldamirrorwhereaboy'soryoungman'sfacereflectedinit."

"Howwasthatmanaged?"

"Oh,verysimply.Thetransomofthedoorhadbeenremoved,andsodifferentfaceslookedthroughand
werereflectedinthemirroragirlwasholding."

"Didthegirlsknowwhoitwastheysawreflectedintheglass?"

"Ipresumesomeofthemdidandsomeofthemdidn't.Alittlemake-upwasemployedonthemalehalf
ofthearrangement.Youknow,amaskorawig,sideburns,abeard,somegreasepainteffects.Mostof
theboyswereprobablyknowntothegirlsalreadyandoneortwostrangersmighthavebeenincluded.
Anyway,therewasalotofquitehappygiggling,"saidMissWhittaker,showingforamomentortwoa
kindofacademiccontemptforthiskindoffun.

"Afterthattherewasanobstacleraceandthentherewasflourpackedintoaglasstumblerandreversed,
sixpencelaidontopandeveryonetookasliceoff.Whentheflourcollapsedthatpersonwasoutofthe
competition and the others remained until the last one claimed the sixpence. After that there was
dancing,andthentherewassupper.Afterthat,asafinalclimax,cametheSnapdragon."

"WhendidyouyourselfseethegirlJoycelast?"

"I'venoidea,"saidElizabethWhittaker."Idon'tknowherverywell.She'snotinmyclass.Shewasn'ta
very interesting girl so I wouldn't have been watching her. I do remember I saw her cutting the flour
becauseshewassoclumsythatshecapsizeditalmostatonce.So-shewasalivethenbutthatwasquite
earlyon."

"Youdidnotseehergointothelibrarywithanyone?"

"Certainlynot.IshouldhavementioneditbeforeifIhad.Thatatleastmighthavebeensignificantand
important."

"Andnow,"saidPoirot,"formysecondquestionorquestions.Howlonghaveyoubeenattheschool
here?"

"Sixyearsthisnextautumn.""Andyouteach?""MathematicsandLatin."

"DoyourememberagirlwhowasteachingheretwoyearsagoJanetWhitebyname?"

ElizabethWhittakerstiffened.Shehalfrosefromherchair,thensatdownagain.

"Butthatbutthathasnothingtodowithallthis,surely?"

"Itcouldhave,"saidPoirot.

"Buthow?Inwhatway?"

Scholasticcircleswerelesswellinformedthanvillagegossip,Poirotthought.

"Joyceclaimedbeforewitnessestohaveseenamurderdonesomeyearsago.Couldthatpossiblyhave
beenthemurderofJanetWhite,doyouthink?HowdidJanetWhitedie?"

"Shewasstrangled,walkinghomefromtheschoolonenight."

"Alone?"

"Probablynotalone."

"ButnotwithNoraAmbrose?"

"WhatdoyouknowaboutNoraAmbrose?"

"Nothing as yet," said Poirot, "but I should like to. What were they like, Janet White and Nora
Ambrose?"

"Over-sexed,"saidElizabethWhittaker,"butindifferentways.HowcouldJoycehaveseenanythingof
thekindorknowanythingaboutit?IttookplaceinalaneneartheQuarryWood.Shewouldn'thave
beenmorethantenorelevenyearsold."

"Whichonehadtheboyfriend?"askedPoirot."NoraorJanet?""Allthisispasthistory."

"Old sins have long shadows," quoted Poirot. "As we advance through life, we learn the truth of that
saying.WhereisNoraAmbrosenow?"

"ShelefttheschoolandtookanotherpostinthenorthofEngland-shewas,naturally,veryupset.They
weregreatfriends."

"Thepoliceneversolvedthecase?"

MissWhittakershookherhead.Shegotupandlookedatherwatch."Imustgonow."

"Thankyouforwhatyouhavetoldme."

Chapter11

HerculePoirotlookedupatthefacadeofQuarryHouse.Asolid,well-builtexampleofmidVictorian
architecture. He had a vision of its interior - a heavy mahogany sideboard, a central rectangular table
alsoofheavymahogany,abilliardroom,perhaps,alargekitchenwithadjacentscullery,stoneflagson
thefloor,amassivecoalrangenownodoubtreplacedbyelectricityorgas.

He noted that most of the upper windows were still curtained. He rang the front-door bell. It was
answered by a thin, grey-haired woman who told him that Colonel and Mrs Weston were away in
Londonandwouldnotbebackuntilnextweek.

HeaskedabouttheQuarryWoodsandwastoldthattheywereopentothepublicwithoutcharge.The
entrancewasaboutfiveminutes'walkalongtheroad.Hewouldseeanotice-boardonanirongate.

He found his way there easily enough, and passing through the gate began to descend a path that led
downwardsthroughtreesandshrubs.

Presentlyhecametoahaltandstoodtherelostinthought.Hismindwasnotonlyonwhathesaw,on
whatlayaroundhim.Insteadhewascunningoveroneortwosentences,andreflectingoveroneortwo
factsthathadgivenhimatthetime,asheexpressedittohimself,furiouslytothink.AforgedWill,a
forgedWillandagirl.Agirlwhohaddisappeared,thegirlinwhosefavourtheWillhadbeenforged.

Ayoungartistwhohadcomehereprofessionallytomakeoutofanabandonedquarryofroughstonea
garden,asunkgarden.Hereagain,Poirotlookedroundhimandnoddedhisheadwithapprovalofthe
phrase.AQuarryGardenwasanuglyterm.Itsuggestedthenoiseofblastingrock,thecarryingawayby
lorriesofvastmassesofstoneforroadmaking.Ithadbehinditindustrialdemand.ButaSunkGarden-
thatwasdifferent.Itbroughtwithitvagueremembrancesinhisownmind.SoMrsLlewellyn-Smythe
hadgoneonaNationalTrusttourofgardensinIreland.Hehimself,heremembered,hadbeeninIreland
fiveorsixyearsago.Hehadgonetheretoinvestigatearobberyofoldfamilysilver.Therehadbeen
someinterestingpointsaboutthecasewhichhadarousedhiscuriosity,andhaving(asusual)-Poirot
added this bracket to his thoughts -solved his mission with full success, he had put in a few days
travellingaroundandseeingthesights.

Hecouldnotremembernowtheparticulargardenhehadbeentosee.

Somewhere,hethought,notveryfarfromCork.Killarney?No,notKillarney.Somewherenotfarfrom
BantryBay.Andheremembereditbecauseithadbeenagardenquitedifferentfromthegardenswhich
hehadsofaracclaimedasthegreatsuccessesofthisage,thegardensoftheChateauxinFrance,the
formalbeautyofVersailles.Here,heremembered,hehadstartedwithalittlegroupofpeopleinaboat.
Aboatdifficulttogetintoiftwostrongandableboatmenhadnotpracticallyliftedhimin.Theyhad
rowedtowardsasmallisland,notaveryinterestingisland,Poirothadthought,andbegantowishthat
he had not come. His feet were wet and cold and that wind was blowing through the crevices of his
mackintosh.

Whatbeauty,hehadthought,whatformality,whatsymmetricalarrangementofgreatbeautycouldthere
beonthisrockyislandwithitssparsetrees?Amistake-definitelyamistake.

Theyhad landed atthe little wharf.The fishermen had landedhim with thesame adroitness they had
shown before. The remaining members of the party had gone on ahead, talking and laughing. Poirot,
readjusting his mackintosh in position and tying up his shoes again, had followed them up the rather
dull path with shrubs and bushes and a few sparse trees on either side. A most uninteresting park, he
thought.

Andthen,rathersuddenly,theyhadcomeoutfromamongthescrubontoaterracewithstepsleading
downfromit.

Belowithehadlookeddownintowhatstruckhimatonceassomethingentirelymagical.Somethingas
itmighthavebeenifelementalbeingssuchashebelievedwerecommoninIrishpoetry,hadcomeout
oftheirhollowhillsandhadcreatedthere,notsomuchbytoilandhardlabourasbywavingamagic
wand,agarden.Youlookeddownintothegarden.Itsbeauty,theflowersandbushes,theartificialwater
belowinthefountain,thepathroundit,enchanted,beautifulandentirelyunexpected.

He wondered how it had been originally. It seemed too symmetrical to have been a quarry. A deep
hollowhereintheraisedgroundoftheisland,butbeyondityoucouldseethewatersoftheBayandthe
hillsrisingtheotherside,theirmistytopsanenchantingscene.Hethoughtperhapsthatitmighthave
been that particular garden which had stirred Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe to possess such a garden of her
own,tohavethepleasureoftakinganunkemptquarrysetinthissmug,tidy,elementaryandessentially
conventionalcountrysideofthatpartofEngland.

And so she had looked about for the proper kind of well-paid slave to do her bidding. And she had
found the professionally qualified young man called Michael Garfield and had brought him here and
had paid him no doubt a large fee, and had in due course built a house for him. Michael Garfield,
thoughtPoirot,lookingroundhim,hadnotfailedher.

Hewentandsatdownonabench,abenchwhichhadbeenstrategicallyplaced.Hepicturedtohimself
whatthesunkenquarrywouldlooklikeinthespring.

Therewereyoungbeechtreesandbircheswiththeirwhiteshiveringbarks.Bushesofthornandwhite
rose,littlejunipertrees.Butnowitwasautumn,andautumnhadbeencateredforalso.Thegoldandred
ofacers,aparrotortwo,apaththatledalongawindingwaytofreshdelights.

TherewerefloweringbushesofgorseorSpanishbroom-Poirotwasnotfamousforknowingthenames
ofeitherflowersorshrubs-onlyrosesandtulipscouldheapproveandrecognise.

But everything that grew here had the appearance of having grown by its own will. It had not been
arrangedorforcedintosubmission.Andyet,thoughtPoirot,thatisnotreallyso.Allhasbeenarranged,
allhasbeenplannedtothistinylittleplantthatgrowshereandtothatlargetoweringbushthatrisesup
so fiercely with its golden and red leaves. Oh yes. All has been planned here and arranged. What is
more,Iwouldsaythatithadobeyed.

Hewonderedthenwhomithadobeyed.

Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe or Mr Michael Garfield? It makes a difference, said Poirot to himself, yes, it
makes a difference. Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe was knowledgeable, he felt sure. She had gardened for
many years, she was no doubt a Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society, she went to shows, she
consulted catalogues, she visited gardens. She took journeys abroad, no doubt, for botanical reasons.
Shewouldknowwhatshewanted,shewouldsaywhatshewanted.Wasthatenough?Poirotthoughtit
wasnotquiteenough.Shecouldhavegivenorderstogardenersandmadesureherorderswerecarried
out. But did she know - really know - see in her mind's eye exactly what her orders would look like
whentheyhadbeencarriedout?

Notinthefirstyearoftheirplanting,noteventhesecond,butthingsthatshewouldseetwoyearslater,
threeyearslater,perhaps,evensixorsevenyearslater.

Michael Garfield, thought Poirot, Michael Garfield knows what she wants because she has told him
whatshewants,andheknowshowtomakethisbarequarryofstoneandrockblossomasadesertcan
blossom. He planned and he brought it about; he had no doubt the intense pleasure that comes to an
artistwhoiscommissionedbyaclientwithplentyofmoney.Herewashisconceptionofafairy-land
tuckedawayinaconventionalandratherdullhillside,andhereitwouldgrowup.Expensiveshrubsfor
which large cheques would have to be written, and rare plants that perhaps would only be obtainable
throughthegoodwillofafriend,andhere,too,thehumblethingsthatwereneededandwhichcostnext
to nothing at all. In spring on the bank just to his left there would be primroses, their modest green
leavesallbunchedtogetherupthesideofittoldhimthat.

"In England," said Poirot, "people show you their herbaceous borders and they take you to see their
rosesandtheytalkatinordinatelengthabouttheiririsgardens,andtoshowtheyappreciateoneofthe
greatbeautiesofEngland,theytakeyouonadaywhenthesunshinesandthebeechtreesareinleaf,
andunderneaththemareallthebluebells.Yes,itisaverybeautifulsight,butIhavebeenshownit,I
think,oncetoooften.Iprefer-"thethoughtbrokeoffinhismindashethoughtbacktowhathehad
preferred.AdrivethroughDevonlanes.Awindingroadwithgreatbanksgoingupeachsideofit,and
on those banks a great carpet and showing of primroses. So pale, so subtly and timidly yellow, and
comingfromthemthatsweet,faint,elusivesmellthattheprimrosehasinlargequantities,whichisthe
smell of spring almost more than any other smell. And so it would not be all rare shrubs here. There
would be spring and autumn, there would be little wild cyclamen and there would be autumn crocus
heretoo.Itwasabeautifulplace.

HewonderedaboutthepeoplewholivedinQuarryHousenow.Hehadtheirnames,aretiredelderly
Colonelandhiswife,butsurely,hethought,Spencemighthavetoldhimmoreaboutthem.Hehadthe
feeling that whoever owned this now had not got the love of it that dead Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe had
had.Hegotupandwalkedalongthepathalittleway.Itwasaneasypath,carefullylevelled,designed,
hethought,tobeeasyforanelderlypersontowalkwhereshewouldatwill,withoutundueamountof
steepsteps,andataconvenientangleatconvenientintervalsaseatthatlookedrusticbutwasmuchless
rustic than it looked. In fact, the angle for the back and for one's feet was remarkably comfortable.
Poirotthoughttohimself,I'dliketoseethisMichaelGarfield.Hemadeagoodthingofthis.Heknew
hisjob,hewasagoodplannerandhegotexperiencedpeopletocarryhisplansout,andhemanaged,I
think,togethispatron'splanssoarrangedthatshewouldthinkthatthewholeplanninghadbeenhers.
ButIdon'tthinkitwasonlyhers.Itwasmostlyhis.Yes,I'dliketoseehim.Ifhe'sstillinthecottage-
orthebungalow-thatwasbuiltforhim,Isuppose-histhoughtbrokeoff.

Hestared.Staredacrossahollowthatlayathisfeetwherethepathranroundtheothersideofit.Stared
at one particular golden red branching shrub which framed something that Poirot did not know for a
momentwasreallythereorwasamereeffectofshadowandsunshineandleaves.

WhatamIseeing?thoughtPoirot.Isthistheresultofenchantment?

Itcouldbe.Inthisplacehere,itcouldbe.IsitahumanbeingIsee,orisit-whatcoulditbe?Hismind
revertedtosomeadventuresofhismanyyearsagowhichhehadchristened"TheLaboursofHercules".

Somehow,hethought,thiswasnotanEnglishgardeninwhichhewassitting.

There was an atmosphere here. He tried to pin it down. It had qualities of magic, of enchantment,
certainlyofbeauty,bashfulbeauty,yetwild.Here,ifyouwerestagingasceneinthetheatre,youwould
haveyournymphs,yourfauns,youwouldhaveGreekbeauty,youwouldhavefeartoo.

Yes,hethought,inthissunkgardenthereisfear.WhatdidSpence'ssistersay?

Somethingaboutamurderthattookplaceintheoriginalquarryyearsago?Bloodhadstainedtherock
there,andafterwards,deathhadbeenforgotten,allhadbeencoveredover,MichaelGarfieldhadcome,
hadplannedandhadcreatedagardenofgreatbeauty,andanelderlywomanwhohadnotmanymore
yearstolivehadpaidoutmoneyforit.

He saw now it was a young man who stood on the other side of the hollow, framed by golden red
leaves, and a young man, so Poirot now recognised, of an unusual beauty. One didn't think of young
men that way nowadays. You said of a young man that he was sexy or madly attractive, and these

evidencesofpraiseareoftenquitejustlymade.Amanwithacraggyface,amanwithwildgreasyhair
andwhosefeatureswerefarfromregular.

Youdidn'tsayayoungmanwasbeautiful.

Ifyoudidsayit,yousaiditapologeticallyasthoughyouwerepraisingsomequalitythathadbeenlong
dead.Thesexygirlsdidn'twantOrpheuswithhislute,theywantedapopsingerwitharaucousvoice,
expressiveeyesandlargemassesofunrulyhair.

Poirotgotupandwalkedroundthepath.Ashegottotheothersideofthesteepdescent,theyoungman
cameoutfromthetreestomeethim.Hisyouthseemedthemostcharacteristicthingabouthim,yet,as
Poirotsaw,hewasnotreallyyoung.Hewaspastthirty,perhapsnearerforty.Thesmileonhisfacewas
very,veryfaint.Itwasnotquiteawelcomingsmile,itwasjustasmileofquietrecognition.

Hewastall,slender,withfeaturesofgreatperfectionsuchasaclassicalsculptormighthaveproduced.
Hiseyesweredark,hishairwasblackandfittedhimasawovenchainmailhelmetorcapmighthave
done. For a moment Poirot wondered whether he and this young man might not be meeting in the
courseofsomepageantthatwasbeingrehearsed.Ifso,thoughtPoirot,lookingdownathisgaloshes,I,
alas, shall have to go to the wardrobe mistress to get myself better equipped. He said: "I am perhaps
trespassing here. If so, I must apologise. I am a stranger in this part of the world. I only arrived
yesterday."

"Idon'tthinkonecouldcallittrespassing."

Thevoicewasveryquiet;itwaspoliteyetinacuriouswayuninterested,asifthisman'sthoughtswere
reallysomewherequitefaraway.

"It'snotexactlyopentothepublic,butpeopledowalkroundhere.OldColonelWestonandhiswife
don'tmind.Theywouldmindiftherewasanydamagedone,butthat'snotreallyverylikely."

"Novandalism,"saidPoirot,lookingroundhim."Nolitterthatisnoticeable.Notevenalittlebasket.
That is very unusual, is it not? And it seems deserted -strange. Here you would think," he went on,
"therewouldbeloverswalking."

"Loversdon'tcomehere,"saidtheyoungman."It'ssupposedtobeunluckyforsomereason."

"Areyou,Iwonder,thearchitect?ButperhapsI'mguessingwrong.""MynameisMichaelGarfield,"

saidtheyoungman.

"Ithoughtitmightbe,"saidPoirot.Hegesticulatedwithahandaroundhim."Youmadethis?"

"Yes,"saidMichaelGarfield.

"It is very beautiful," said Poirot. "Somehow one feels it is always rather unusual when something
beautifulismadeinwell,frankly,whatisadullpartoftheEnglishlandscape.

"Icongratulateyou,"hesaid."Youmustbesatisfiedwithwhatyouhavedonehere."

"Isoneeversatisfied?Iwonder."

"Youmadeit,Ithink,foraMrsLlewellyn-Smythe.Nolongeralive,Ibelieve.ThereisaColoneland
MrsWeston,Ibelieve?Dotheyownitnow?"

"Yes.Theygotitcheap.It'sabig,ungainlyhouse,noteasytorun,notwhatmostpeoplewant.Sheleft
itinherWilltome."

"Andyousoldit."

"Isoldthehouse."

"AndnottheQuarryGarden?"

"Ohyes.TheQuarryGardenwentwithit,practicallythrownin,asonemightsay."

"Nowwhy?"saidPoirot."Itisinteresting,that.YoudonotmindifIamperhapsalittlecurious?"

"Yourquestionsarenotquitetheusualones,"saidMichaelGarfield.

"Iasknotsomuchforfactsasforreasons.WhydidAdosoandso?WhydidÂdosomethingelse?
WhywasC'sbehaviourquitedifferentfromthatofAandB?"

"You should be talking to a scientist," said Michael. "It is a matter - or so we are told nowadays - of
genesorchromosomes.Thearrangement,thepattern,andsoon."

"Yousaidjustnowyouwerenotentirelysatisfiedbecausenooneeverwas.Wasyouremployer,your
patron,whateveryouliketocallherwasshesatisfied?Withthisthingofbeauty?"

"Uptoapoint,"saidMichael."Isawtothat.Shewaseasytosatisfy."

"Thatseemsmostunlikely,"saidHerculePoirot."Shewas,Ihavelearned,oversixty.Sixty-fiveatleast.
Arepeopleofthatageoftensatisfied?"

"ShewasassuredbymethatwhatIhadcarriedoutwastheexactcarryingoutofherinstructionsand
imaginationandideas."

"Andwasit?"

"Doyouaskmethatseriously?"

"No,"saidPoirot."No.FranklyIdonot."

"Forsuccessinlife,"saidMichaelGarfield,"onehastopursuethecareeronewants,onehastosatisfy
suchartisticleaningsasonehasgot,butonehasaswelltobeatradesman.Youhavetosellyourwares.
Otherwiseyouaretiedtocarryingoutotherpeople'sideasinawaywhichwillnotaccordwithone's
own.IcarriedoutmainlymyownideasandIsoldthem,marketedthemperhapsisabetterword,tothe
clientwhoemployedme,asadirectcarryingoutofherplansandschemes.Itisnotaverydifficultart
tolearn.Thereisnomoretoitthansellingachildbrowneggsratherthanwhiteones.Thecustomerhas
to be assured they are the best ones, the right ones. The essence of the countryside. Shall we say, the
hen's own preference? Brown, farm, country eggs. One does not sell them if one says They are just
eggs.Thereisonlyonedifferenceineggs.Theyarenewlaidortheyarenot!"

"Youareanunusualyoungman,"saidPoirot."Arrogant,"hesaidthoughtfully."Perhaps."

"You have made here something very beautiful. You have added vision and planning to the rough
materialofstonehollowedoutinthepursuitofindustry,withnothoughtofbeautyinthathackingout.
Youhaveaddedimagination,aresultseeninthemind'seye,thatyouhavemanagedtoraisethemoney
tofulfil.Icongratulateyou.Ipaymytribute.Thetributeofanoldmanwhoisapproachingatimewhen

theendofhisownworkiscome."

"Butatthemomentyouarestillcarryingiton?""YouknowwhoIam,then?"

Poirot was pleased indubitably. He liked people to know who he was. Nowadays, he feared, most
peopledidnot.

"Youfollowthetrailofblood...Itisalreadyknownhere.Itisasmallcommunity,newstravels.Another
publicsuccessbroughtyouhere."

"Ah,youmeanMrsOliver."

"Ariadne Oliver. A best-seller. People wish to interview her, to know what she thinks about such
subjects as student unrest, socialism, girls' clothing, should sex be permissive, and many other things
thatarenoconcernofhers."

"Yes, yes," said Poirot, "deplorable, I think They do not learn very much, I have noticed, from Mrs
Oliver.Theylearnonlythatsheisfondofapples.Thathasnowbeenknownfortwentyyearsatleast,I
should think, but she still repeats it with a pleasant smile. Although now, I fear, she no longer likes
apples."

"Itwasapplesthatbroughtyouhere,wasitnot?"

"ApplesataHallowe'enparty,"saidPoirot."Youwereatthatparty?"

"No."

"Youwerefortunate."

"Fortunate?" Michael Garfield repeated the word, something that sounded faintly like surprise in his
voice.

"To have been one of the guests at a party where murder is committed is not a pleasant experience.
Perhapsyouhavenotexperiencedit,butItellyou,youarefortunatebecause-"Poirotbecamealittle
more foreign - "il ya a des ennuis, vous comprenez? People ask you times, dates, impertinent

questions."Hewenton,"Youknewthechild?"

"Ohyes.TheReynoldsarewellknownhere.Iknowmostofthepeoplelivingroundhere.Weallknow
each other in Woodleigh Common, though in varying degrees. There is some intimacy, some
friendships,somepeopleremainmerestacquaintances,andsoon."

"Whatwasshelike,thechildJoyce?"

"Shewas-howcanIputit?-notimportant.Shehadratheranuglyvoice.Shrill.Really,that'saboutall
I remember about her. I'm not particularly fond of children. Mostly they bore me. Joyce bored me.
Whenshetalked,shetalkedaboutherself."

"Shewasnotinteresting?"

MichaelGarfieldlookedslightlysurprised.

"Ishouldn'tthinkso,"hesaid."Doesshehavetobe?"

"Itismyviewthatpeopledevoidofinterestareunlikelytobemurdered.Peoplearemurderedforgain,
for fear or for love. One takes one's choice, but one has to have a starting point -" He broke off and
glancedathiswatch."Imustproceed.Ihaveanengagementtofulfil.Oncemore,myfelicitations."

Hewentondown,followingthepathandpickinghiswaycarefully.Hewasgladthatforoncehewas
notwearinghistightpatentleathershoes.

MichaelGarfieldwasnottheonlypersonhewastomeetinthesunkgardenthatday.Ashereachedthe
bottom he noted that three paths led from there in slightly different directions. At the entrance of the
middlepath,sittingonafallentrunkofatree,achildwasawaitinghim.Shemadethisclearatonce.

"IexpectyouareMrHerculePoirot,aren'tyou?"shesaid.

Hervoicewasclear,almostbell-likeintone.Shewasafragilecreature.Somethingabouthermatched
thesunkgarden.

Adryadorsomeelf-likebeing.

"Thatismyname,"saidPoirot.

"Icametomeetyou,"saidthechild."Youarecomingtoteawithus,aren'tyou?"

"WithMrsButlerandMrsOliver?

"Yes.That'sright.That'sMummyandAuntAriadne."Sheaddedwithanoteofcensure:"You'rerather
late."

"Iamsorry.Istoppedtospeaktosomeone."

"Yes,Isawyou.YouweretalkingtoMichael,weren'tyou?"

"Youknowhim?"

"Ofcourse.We'velivedherequitealongtime.Iknoweverybody."

Poirotwonderedhowoldshewas.Heaskedher.Shesaid,"I'mtwelveyearsold.I'mgoingtoboarding-
schoolnextyear."

"Willyoubesorryorglad?"

"Idon'treallyknowtillIgetthere.Idon'tthinkIlikethisplaceverymuch,notasmuchasIdid."She
added,"Ithinkyou'dbettercomewithme,now,please."

"Butcertainly.Butcertainly.Iapologiseforbeinglate."

"Oh,itdoesn'treallymatter."

"What'syourname?"

"Miranda."

"Ithinkitsuitsyou,"saidPoirot.

"AreyouthinkingofShakespeare?"

"Yes.Doyouhaveitinlessons?"

"Yes.MissEmlynreadussomeofit.IaskedMummytoreadsomemore.Ilikedit.Ithasawonderful
sound.Abravenewworld.Thereisn'tanythingreallylikethat,isthere?"

"Youdon'tbelieveinit?""Doyou?"

"There is always a brave new world," said Poirot, "but only, you know, for very special people. The
luckyones.Theoneswhocarrythemakingofthatworldwithinthemselves."

"Oh,Isee,"saidMiranda,withanairofapparentlyseeingwiththeutmostease,thoughwhatshesaw
Poirotratherwondered.

Sheturned,startedalongthepathandsaid,"Wegothisway.It'snotveryfar.Youcangothroughthe
hedgeofourgarden."

Then she looked back over her shoulder and pointed, saying: "In the middle there, that's where the
fountainwas."

"Afountain?"

"Oh,yearsago.Isupposeit'sstillthere,underneaththeshrubsandtheazaleasandtheotherthings.It
wasallbrokenup,yousee.Peopletookbitsofitawaybutnobodyhasputanewonethere."

"Itseemsapity."

"Idon'tknow.I'mnotsure.Doyoulikefountainsverymuch?""fadepend,"saidPoirot.

"IknowsomeFrench,"saidMiranda."That's'itdepends',isn'tit?""Youarequiteright.Youseemvery
welleducated."

"EveryonesaysMissEmlynisaveryfineteacher.She'sourheadmistress.She'sawfullystrictandabit
stern,butshe'sterriblyinterestingsometimesinthethingsshetellsus."

"Thensheiscertainlyagoodteacher,"saidHerculePoirot."Youknowthisplaceverywellyouseemto
knowallthepaths.Doyoucomehereoften?"

"Ohyes,it'soneofmyfavouritewalks.NobodyknowswhereIam,yousee,whenIcomehere.Isitin
trees-onthebranches,andsuchthings.Ilikethat.Watchingthingshappen."

"Whatsortofthings?"

"Mostlybirdsandsquirrels.Birdsareveryquarrelsome,aren'tthey?Notlikeinthebitofpoetrythat
says'birdsintheirlittlenestsagree'.Theydon'treally,dothey?AndIwatchsquirrels."

"Andyouwatchpeople?"

"Sometimes.Buttherearen'tmanypeoplewhocomehere."

"Whynot,Iwonder?"

"Isupposetheyareafraid."

"Whyshouldtheybeafraid?"

"Becausesomeonewaskilledherelongago.Beforeitwasagarden,Imean.Itwasaquarryonceand
thentherewasagravelpileorasandpileandthat'swheretheyfoundher.Doyouthinktheoldsaying
istrue-Aboutyou'reborntobehangedorborntobedrowned?"

"Nobodyisborntobehangednowadays.Youdonothangpeopleanylongerinthiscountry."

"Buttheyarehangingtheminsomeothercountries.Theyhangtheminthestreets.I'vereaditinthe

papers."

"Ah.Doyouthinkthatisagoodthingorabadthing?"

Miranda'sresponsewasnotstrictlyinanswertothequestion,butPoirotfeltthatitwasperhapsmeantto
be.

"Joycewasdrowned,"shesaid."Mummydidn'twanttotellme,butthatwasrathersilly,Ithink,don't
you?Imean,I'mtwelveyearsold."

"WasJoyceafriendofyours?"

"Yes. She was a great friend in a way. She told me very interesting things sometimes. All about
elephants and rajahs. She'd been to India once. I wish I'd been to India. Joyce and I used to tell each
otheralloursecrets.Ihaven'tsomuchtotellasMummy.Mummy'sbeentoGreece,youknow.That's
whereshemetAuntAriadne,butshedidn'ttakeme."

"WhotoldyouaboutJoyce?"

"MrsPerring.She'sourcook.ShewastalkingtoMrsMindenwhocomesandcleans.Someoneheldher
headdowninabucketofwater."

"Haveyouanyideawhothatsomeonewas?"

"Ishouldn'tthinkso.Theydidn'tseemtoknow,butthenthey'rebothratherstupidreally."

"Doyouknow,Miranda?"

"Iwasn'tthere.IhadasorethroatandatemperaturesoMummywouldn'ttakemetotheparty.ButI
thinkIcouldknow.Becauseshewasdrowned.That'swhyIaskedifyouthoughtpeoplewereborntobe
drowned.Wegothroughthehedgehere.Becarefulofyourclothes."

Poirotfollowedherlead.TheentrancethroughthehedgefromtheQuarryGardenwasmoresuitedto
the build of his childish guide with her elfin slimness it was practically a highway to her. She was
solicitousforPoirot,however,warninghimofadjacentthornbushesandholdingbackthemoreprickly

componentsofthehedge.Theyemergedataspotinthegardenadjacenttoacompostheapandturneda
corner by a derelict cucumber frame to where two dustbins stood. From there on a small neat garden
mostlyplantedwithrosesgaveeasyaccesstothesmallbungalowhouse.Mirandaledthewaythrough
anopenFrenchwindow,announcingwiththemodestprideofacollectorwhohasjustsecuredasample
ofararebeetle:"I'vegothimallright."

"Miranda,youdidn'tbringhimthroughthehedge,didyou?Yououghttohavegoneroundbythepath
atthesidegate."

"Thisisabetterway,"saidMiranda."Quickerandshorter.""Andmuchmorepainful,Isuspect."

"Iforget,"saidMrsOliver"Ididintroduceyou,didn'tI,tomyfriendMrsButler?"

"Ofcourse.Inthepostoffice."

Theintroductioninquestionhadbeenamatterofafewmomentswhiletherehadbeenaqueueinfront
ofthecounter.

PoirotwasbetterablenowtostudyMrsOliver'sfriendatclosequarters.Beforeithadbeenamatterof
aslimwomaninadisguisinghead-scarfandamackintosh.

JudithButlerwasawomanofaboutthirty-five,andwhilstherdaughterresembledadryadorawood-
nymph,Judithhadmoretheattributesofawaterspirit.ShecouldhavebeenaRhinemaiden.Herlong
blondehairhunglimplyonhershoulders,shewasdelicatelymadewitharatherlongfaceandfaintly
hollowcheeks,whilstabovethemwerebigseagreeneyesfringedwithlongeyelashes.

"I'm very glad to thank you properly, Monsieur Poirot," said Mrs Butler. "It was very good of you to
comedownherewhenAriadneaskedyou."

"Whenmyfriend,MrsOliver,asksmetodoanythingIalwayshavetodoit,"saidPoirot.

"Whatnonsense,"saidMrsOliver.

"Shewassure,quitesure,thatyouwouldbeabletofindoutallaboutthisbeastlything.Miranda,dear,
willyougointothekitchen?You'llfindthesconesonthewiretrayabovetheoven."

Mirandadisappeared.Shegave,asshewent,aknowledgeablesmiledirectedathermotherthatsaidas
plainlyasasmilecouldsay,"She'sgettingmeoutofthewayforashorttime."

"Itriednottoletherknow,"saidMiranda'smother,"aboutthisthishorriblethingthathappened.ButI
supposethatwasaforlornchancefromthestart."

"Yesindeed,"saidPoirot."There'snothingthatgoesroundanyresidentialcentrewiththesamerapidity
asnewsofadisaster,andparticularlyanunpleasantdisaster.Andanyway,"headded,"onecannotgo
longthroughlifewithoutknowingwhatgoesonaroundone.Andchildrenseemparticularlyaptatthat
sortofthing."

"Idon'tknowifitwasBurnsorSirWalterScottwhosaid:'There'sachildamongyoutakingnotes',"
saidMrsOliver,"buthecertainlyknewwhathewastalkingabout."

"JoyceReynoldscertainlyseemstohavenoticedsuchathingasamurder,"saidMrsButler."Onecan
hardlybelieveit."

"BelievethatJoycenoticedit?"

"Imeantbelievethatifshesawsuchathingsheneverspokeaboutitearlier.Thatseemsveryunlike
Joyce."

"The first thing that everybody seems to tell me here," said Poirot, in a mild voice, "is that this girl,
JoyceReynolds,wasaliar."

"Isupposeit'spossible,"saidJudithButler,"thatachildmightmakeupathingandthenitmightturn
outtobetrue?"

"Thatiscertainlythefocalpointfromwhichwestart,"saidPoirot."JoyceReynoldswasunquestionably
murdered."

"Andyouhavestarted.Probablyyouknowalreadyallaboutit,"saidMrsOliver."Madame,donotask
impossibilitiesofme.Youarealwaysinsuchahurry."

"Why not?" said Mrs Oliver. "Nobody would ever get anything done nowadays if they weren't in a

hurry."

Mirandareturnedatthismomentwithaplatefulofscones.

"ShallIputthemdownhere?"sheasked."Iexpectyou'vefinishedtalkingbynow,haven'tyou?Oris
thereanythingelseyouwouldlikemetogetfromthekitchen?"Therewasagentlemaliceinhervoice.

Mrs Butler lowered the Georgian silver teapot to the fender, switched on an electric kettle which had
beenturnedoffjustbeforeitcametotheboil,dulyfilledtheteapotandservedthetea.Mirandahanded
hotsconesandcucumbersandwicheswithaseriouseleganceofmanner.

"AriadneandImetinGreece,"saidJudith.

"Ifellintothesea,"saidMrsOliver,"whenwewerecomingbackfromoneoftheislands.Ithadgot
ratherroughandthesailorsalwayssay'jump'and,ofcourse,theysayjumpjustwhenthething'satits
furthestpointwhichmakesitcomerightforyou,butyoudon'tthinkthatcanpossiblyhappenandso
youditherandyouloseyournerveandyoujumpwhenitlookscloseand,ofcourse,that'sthemoment
whenitgoesfaraway."Shepausedforbreath."Judithhelpedfishmeoutanditmadeakindofbond
betweenus,didn'tit?"

"Yes, indeed," said Mrs Butler. "Besides, I liked your Christian name," she added. "It seemed very
appropriate,somehow."

"Yes,IsupposeitisaGreekname,"saidMrsOliver."It'smyown,youknow.Ididn'tjustmakeitupfor
literary purposes. But nothing Ariadne-like has ever happened to me. I've never been deserted on a
Greekislandbymyowntrueloveoranythinglikethat."

Poirotraisedahandtohismoustacheinordertohidetheslightsmilethathecouldnothelpcomingto
hislipsasheenvisagedMrsOliverintheroleofadesertedGreekmaiden.

"Wecan'tallliveuptoournames,"saidMrsButler.

"No,indeed.Ican'tseeyouintheroleofcuttingoffyourlover'shead.Thatisthewayithappened,isn't
it,JudithandHolofernes,Imean?"

"It was her patriotic duty," said Mrs Butler, "for which, if I remember rightly, she was highly

commendedandrewarded."

"I'mnotreallyverywellupinJudithandHolofernes.It'stheApochrypha,isn'tit?Still,ifonecomesto
thinkofit,peopledogiveotherpeople-theirchildren,Imean-someveryqueernames,don'tthey?
Whowastheonewhohammeredsomenailsinsomeone'shead?JaelorSisera.Ineverrememberwhich
isthemanorwhichisthewomanthere.Jael,Ithink.Idon'tthinkIrememberanychildhavingbeen
christenedJael."

"Shelaidbutterbeforehiminalordlydish,"saidMirandaunexpectedly,pausingasshewasaboutto
removethetea-tray.

"Don't look at me," said Judith Butler to her friend, "it wasn't I who introduced Miranda to the
Apochrypha.That'sherschooltraining."

"Ratherunusualforschoolsnowadays,isn'tit?"saidMrsOliver."Theygivethemethicalideasinstead,
don'tthey?"

"NotMissEmlyn,"saidMiranda."Shesaysthatifwegotochurchnowadaysweonlygetthemodern
versionoftheBiblereadtousinthelessonsandthings,andthatithasnoliterarymeritwhatsoever.We
shouldatleastknowthefineproseandblankversesometimesoftheAuthorisedVersion.Ienjoyedthe
storyofJaelandSiseraverymuch,"sheadded."It'snotathing,"shesaidmeditatively,"thatIshould
ever have thought of doing myself. Hammering nails, I mean, into someone's head when they were
asleep."

"Ihopenotindeed,"saidhermother.

"Andhowwouldyoudisposeofyourenemies,Miranda?"askedPoirot.

"Ishouldbeverykind,"saidMirandainagentlycontemplativetone."Itwouldbemoredifficult,butI'd
rather have it that way because I don't like hurting things. I'd use a sort of drug that gives people
euthanasia. They would go to sleep and have beautiful dreams and they just wouldn't wake up." She
liftedsometeacupsandthebreadandbutterplate.

"I'llwashup,Mummy,"shesaid,"ifyou'dliketotakeMonsieurPoirottolookatthegarden.Thereare
stillsomeQueenElizabethrosesatthebackoftheborder."

Shewentoutoftheroomcarefullycarryingthetea-tray."She'sanastonishingchild,Miranda,"saidMrs

Oliver."Youhaveaverybeautifuldaughter,Madame,"saidPoirot.

"Yes,Ithinksheisbeautifulnow.Onedoesn'tknowwhattheywilllooklikebythetimetheygrowup.
Theyacquirepuppyfatandlooklikewell-fattenedpigssometimes.Butnow-nowsheislikeawood-
nymph."

"OnedoesnotwonderthatsheisfondoftheQuarryGardenwhichadjoinsyourhouse."

"Iwishshewasn'tsofondofitsometimes.Onegetsnervousaboutpeoplewanderingaboutinisolated
places,eveniftheyarequitenearpeopleoravillage.One's-oh,one'sfrightenedallthetimenowadays.
That's why - why you've got to find out why this awful thing happened to Joyce, Monsieur Poirot.
Becauseuntilweknowwhothatwas,weshan'tfeelsafeforaminute-aboutourchildren,Imean.Take
MonsieurPoirotoutinthegarden,willyou,Ariadne?I'lljoinyouinaminuteortwo."

Shetooktheremainingtwocupsandaplateandwentintothekitchen.PoirotandMrsOliverwentout
throughtheFrenchwindow.Thesmallgardenwaslikemostautumngardens.Itretainedafewcandles
of golden rod and michaelmas daisies in a border, and some Queen Elizabeth roses held their pink
statuesqueheadsuphigh.

MrsOliverwalkedrapidlydowntowheretherewasastonebench,satdown,andmotionedPoirottosit
downbesideher.

"YousaidyouthoughtMirandawaslikeawood-nymph,"shesaid."WhatdoyouthinkofJudith?"

"IthinkJudith'snameoughttobeUndine,"saidPoirot.

"Awater-spirit,yes.Yes,shedoeslookasthoughshe'djustcomeoutoftheRhineortheseaoraforest
poolorsomething.Herhairlooksasthoughithadbeendippedinwater.Yetthere'snothinguntidyor
scattyabouther,isthere?"

"She,too,isaverylovelywoman,"saidPoirot."Whatdoyouthinkabouther?"

"Ihavenothadtimetothinkasyet.Ijustthinkthatsheisbeautifulandattractiveandthatsomethingis
givingherverygreatconcern."

"Well,ofcourse,wouldn'tit?"

"WhatIwouldlike,Madame,isforyoutotellmewhatyouknoworthinkabouther."

"Well,Igottoknowherverywellonthecruise.Youknow,onedoesmakequiteintimatefriends.Just
oneortwopeople.Therestofthem,Imean,theylikeeachotherandallthat,butyoudon'treallygoto
anytroubletoseethemagain.Butoneortwoyoudo.Well,JudithwasoneoftheonesIdidwanttosee
again."

"Youdidnotknowherbeforethecruise?"

"No."

"Butyouknowsomethingabouther?"

"Well,justordinarythings.She'sawidow,"saidMrsOliver."Herhusbanddiedagoodmanyyearsago
-hewasanairpilot.Hewaskilledinacaraccident.Oneofthosepile-upthings,Ithinkitwas,coming
offthewhat-is-itthatrunsnearhereontotheordinaryroadoneevening,orsomethingofthatkind.He
left her rather badly off, I imagine. She was very broken up about it, I think. She doesn't like talking
abouthim."

"IsMirandaheronlychild?"

"Yes.Judithdoessomepart-timesecretarialworkintheneighbourhood,butshehasn'tgotafixedjob."

"DidsheknowthepeoplewholivedattheQuarryHouse?"

"YoumeanoldColonelandMrsWeston?"

"Imeantheformerowner,MrsLlewellyn-Smythe,wasn'tit?"

"Ithinkso.IthinkI'veheardthatnamementioned.Butshediedtwoorthreeyearsago,soofcourseone
doesn'thearabouthermuch.Aren'tthepeoplewhoarealiveenoughforyou?"demandedMrsOliver
withsomeirritation.

"Certainlynot," said Poirot."I have alsoto inquire into thosewho have diedor disappeared from the

scene."

"Who'sdisappeared?"

"Anaupairgirl,"saidPoirot.

"Ohwell,"saidMrsOliver,"they'realwaysdisappearing,aren'tthey?Imean,theycomeoverhereand
gettheirfarepaidandthentheygostraightintohospitalbecausethey'repregnantandhaveababy,and
callitAuguste,orHansorBoris,orsomenamelikethat.Orthey'vecomeovertomarrysomeone,orto
followupsomeyoungmanthey'reinlovewith.Youwouldn'tbelievethethings

friends tell me! The thing about au pair girls seems to be either they're Heaven's gift to overworked
mothers and you never want to part with them, or they pinch your stockings - or get themselves
murdered-"Shestopped.

"Oh!"shesaid.

"Calmyourself,Madame,"saidPoirot."Thereseemsnoreasontobelievethatanaupairgirlhasbeen
murdered-quitethecontrary."

"Whatdoyoumeanbyquitethecontrary?Itdoesn'tmakesense."

"Probablynot.Allthesame-"Hetookouthisnotebookandmadeanentryinit.

"Whatareyouwritingdownthere?"

"Certainthingsthathaveoccurredinthepast."

"Youseemtobeveryperturbedbythepastaltogether."

"Thepastisthefatherofthepresent,"saidPoirotsententiously.

Heofferedherthenotebook.

"DoyouwishtoseewhatIhavewritten?"

"OfcourseIdo.Idaresayitwon'tmeananythingtome.Thethingsyouthinkimportanttowritedown,I
neverdo."

Heheldoutthesmallblacknotebook.

"Deaths:e.g.MrsLlewellyn-Smythe(Wealthy).JanetWhite(Schoolteacher).Lawyer'sclerk-Knifed,
Formerprosecutionforforgery."

Belowitwaswritten"Operagirldisappears.""Whatoperagirl?"

"ItisthewordmyfriendSpence'ssisterusesforwhatyouandIcallaupairgirl."

"Whyshouldshedisappear?"

"Becauseshewaspossiblyabouttogetintosomeformoflegaltrouble."

Poirot's finger went down to the next entry. The word was simply 'Forgery', with two question marks
afterit.

"Forgery?" said Mrs Oliver. "Why forgery?" "That is what I asked. Why forgery?" "What kind of
forgery?"

"AWillwasforged,orratheracodiciltoaWill.Acodicilintheaupairgirl'sfavour."

"Undueinfluence?"suggestedMrsOliver.

"Forgeryissomethingrathermoreseriousthanundueinfluence,"saidPoirot.

"Idon'tseewhatthat'sgottodowiththemurderofpoorJoyce."

"NordoI,"saidPoirot."But,thereforeitisinteresting."

"Whatisthenextword?Ican'treadit."

"Elephants."

"Idon'tseewhatthat'sgottodowithanything."

"Itmighthave,"saidPoirot,"believeme,itmighthave."

Herose.

"Imustleaveyounow,"hesaid.

"Apologise,please,tomyhostessformynotsayinggood-byetoher.Imuchenjoyedmeetingherand
herlovelyandunusualdaughter.Tellhertotakecareofthatchild."

"MymothersaidInevershould,playwiththechildreninthewood,"quotedMrsOliver."Well,good-
bye.Ifyouliketobemysterious,Isupposeyouwillgoonbeingmysterious.Youdon'tevensaywhat
you'regoingtodonext."

"IhavemadeanappointmentfortomorrowmorningwithMessrs.Fullerton,HarrisonandLeadbetterin
Medchester."

"Why?"

"Totalkaboutforgeryandothermatters."

"Andafterthat?"

"Iwanttotalktocertainpeoplewhowerealsopresent."

"Attheparty?"

"No-atthepreparationsfortheparty."

Chapter12

ThepremisesofFullerton,HarrisonandLeadbetterweretypicalofanold-fashionedfirmoftheutmost
respectability. The hand of time had made itself felt. There were no more Harrisons and no more
Leadbetters.TherewasaMrAtkinsonandayoungMrCole,andtherewasstillMrJeremyFullerton,
seniorpartner.

A lean, elderly man, Mr Fullerton, with an impassive face, a dry, legal voice, and eyes that were
unexpectedlyshrewd.

Beneathhishandrestedasheetofnotepaper,thefewwordsonwhichhehadjustread.Hereadthem
onceagain,assessingtheirmeaningveryexactly.Thenhelookedatthemanwhomthenoteintroduced
tohim.

"Monsieur Hercule Poirot?" He made his own assessment of the visitor. An elderly man, a foreigner,
very dapper in his dress, unsuitably attired as to the feet in patent leather shoes which were, so Mr
Fullertonguessedshrewdly,tootightforhim.Faintlinesofpainwerealreadyetchingthemselvesround
thecornersofhiseyes.Adandy,afop,aforeignerandrecommendedtohimby,ofallpeople,Inspector
Henry Raglan, CID, and also vouched for by Superintendent Spence (retired), formerly of Scotland
Yard.

"SuperintendentSpence,eh?"saidMrFullerton.

FullertonknewSpence.Amanwhohaddonegoodworkinhistime,hadbeenhighlythoughtofbyhis
superiors. Faint memories flashed across his mind. Rather a celebrated case, more celebrated actually
thanithadshowedanysignsofbeing,acasethathadseemedcutanddried.Ofcourse!Itcametohim
thathisnephewRoberthadbeenconnectedwithit,hadbeenJuniorCounsel.Apsychopathickiller,it
hadseemed,amanwhohadhardlybotheredtotryanddefendhimself,amanwhomyoumighthave
thought really wanted to be hanged (because it had meant hanging at that time). No fifteen years, or
indefinitenumberofyearsinprison.No.Youpaidthefullpenaltyandmore'sthepitythey'vegivenit
up,soMrFullertonthoughtinhisdrymind.

The young thugs nowadays thought they didn't risk much by prolonging assault to the point where it
becamemortal.Onceyourmanwasdead,there'dbenowitnesstoidentifyyou.

Spencehadbeeninchargeofthecase,aquiet,doggedmanwhohadinsistedallalongthatthey'dgot
thewrongman.Andtheyhadgotthewrongman,andthepersonwhofoundtheevidencethatthey'dgot
thewrongmanwassomesortofanamateurishforeigner.SomeretireddetectivechapfromtheBelgian
police force. A good age then. And now - senile probably, thought Mr Fullerton, but all the same he
himselfwouldtaketheprudentcourse.

Information,that'swhatwaswantedfromhim.Informationwhich,afterall,couldnotbeamistaketo
give, since he could not see that he was likely to have any information that could be useful in this
particularmatter.Acaseofchildhomicide.

MrFullertonmightthinkhehadafairlyshrewdideaofwhohadcommittedthathomicide,buthewas
notsosureashewouldliketobe,becausetherewereatleastthreeclaimantsinthematter.Anyoneof
three young ne'er-do-wells might have done it. Words floated through his head. Mentally retarded.
Psychiatrist'sreport.That'showthewholematterwouldend,nodoubt.Allthesame,todrownachild
duringapartythatwasratheradifferentcupofteafromoneoftheinnumerableschoolchildrenwho
didnotarrivehomeandwhohadacceptedaliftinacarafterhavingbeenrepeatedlywarnednottodo
so,andwhohadbeenfoundinanearbycopseorgravelpit.Agravelpitnow.Whenwasthat?Many,
manyyearsagonow.

Allthis took aboutfour minutes' timeand Mr Fullerton thencleared his throatin a slightly asthmatic
fashion,andspoke.

"Monsieur Hercule Poirot," he said again. "What can I do for you? I suppose it's the business of this
younggirl,JoyceReynolds.Nastybusiness,verynastybusiness.Ican'tseeactuallywhereIcanassist
you.Iknowverylittleaboutitall."

"Butyouare,Ibelieve,thelegaladvisertotheDrakefamily?"

"Oh yes, yes. Hugo Drake, poor chap. Very nice fellow. I've known them for years, ever since they
boughtAppleTreesandcameheretolive.Sadthing,polio-hecontracteditwhentheywereholidaying
abroadoneyear.Mentally,ofcourse,hishealthwasquiteunimpaired.It'ssadwhenithappenstoaman
who has been a good athlete all his life, a sportsman, good at games and all the rest of it. Yes. Sad
businesstoknowyou'reacrippleforlife."

"Youwerealso,Ibelieve,inchargeofthelegalaffairsofMrsLlewellyn-Smythe?"

"Theaunt,yes.Remarkablewomanreally.Shecameheretoliveafterherhealthbrokedown,soasto
benearhernephewandhiswife.BoughtthatWhiteElephantofaplace.QuarryHouse.Paidfarmore
thanitwasworth-butmoneywasnoobjecttoher.Shewasverywelloff.Shecouldhavefoundamore

attractivehouse,butitwasthequarryitselfthatfascinatedher.Gotalandscapegardenerontoit,fellow
quitehighupinhisprofession,Ibelieve.Oneofthosehandsome,long-hairedchaps,buthehadability
all right. He did well for himself in this quarry garden work. Got himself quite a reputation over it,
illustratedinHomesandGardensandalltherestofit.Yes,MrsLlewellyn-Smytheknewhowtopick
people. It wasn't just a question of a handsome young man as a protege. Some elderly women are
foolishthatway,butthischaphadbrainsandwasatthetopofhisprofession.ButI'mwanderingona
bit.MrsLlewellyn-Smythediednearlytwoyearsago."

"Quitesuddenly."

FullertonlookedatPoirotsharply.

"Well,no,Iwouldn'tsaythat.Shehadaheartconditionanddoctorstriedtokeepherfromdoingtoo
much,butshewasthesortofwomanthatyoucouldn'tdictateto.Shewasn'tahypochondriactype."He
coughedandsaid,"ButIexpectwearegettingawayfromthesubjectaboutwhichyoucametotalkto
me."

"Notreally,"saidPoirot,"althoughIwouldlike,ifImay,toaskyouafewquestionsonacompletely
differentmatter.Someinformationaboutoneofyouremployees,bynameLesleyFerrier."

MrFullertonlookedsomewhatsurprised."LesleyFerrier?"hesaid.

"LesleyFerrier. Let mesee. Really, youknow, I'd nearly forgottenhis name. Yes,yes, of course. Got
himselfknifed,didn'the?"

"ThatisthemanImean."

"Well,Idon'treallyknowthatIcantellyoumuchabouthim.Ittookplacesometimeago.Knifednear
the Green Swan one night. No arrest was ever made. I daresay the police had some idea who was
responsible,butitwasmainly,Ithink,amatterofgettingevidence."

"Themotivewasemotional?"inquiredPoirot.

"Ohyes,Ishouldcertainlythinkso.Jealousy,youknow.He'dbeengoingsteadywithamarriedwoman.
Herhusbandhadapub.TheGreenSwanatWoodleighCommon.Unpretentiousplace.Thenitseems
youngLesleystartedplayingaroundwithanotheryoungwoman-ormorethanone,itwassaid.Quitea
oneforthegirls,hewas.Therewasabitoftroubleonceortwice."

"Youweresatisfiedwithhimasanemployee?"

"I would rather describe it as not dissatisfied. He had his points. He handled clients well and was
studying for his articles, and if only he'd paid more attention to his position and keeping up a good
standard of behaviour, it would have been better instead of mixing himself up with one girl after
another,mostofwhomIamaptinmyold-fashionedwaytoconsiderasconsiderablybeneathhimin
station.TherewasarowonenightattheGreenSwan,andLesleyFerrierwasknifedonhiswayhome."

"Wasoneofthegirlsresponsible,orwoulditbeMrsGreenSwan,doyouthink?"

"Really,itisnotacaseofknowinganythingdefinite.Ibelievethepoliceconsidereditwasacaseof
jealousybut-"Heshruggedhisshoulders.

"Butyouarenotsure?"

"Oh,ithappens,"saidMrsFullerton.'"Hellhathnofurylikeawomanscorned.'Thatisalwaysbeing
quotedinCourt.Sometimesit'strue."

"ButIthinkIdiscernthatyouyourselfarenotatallsurethatthatwasthecasehere."

"Well, I should have preferred rather more evidence, shall we say. The police would have preferred
rathermoreevidence,too.Publicprosecutorthrewitout,Ibelieve."

"Itcouldhavebeensomethingquitedifferent?"

"Ohyes.Onecouldpropoundseveraltheories.Notaverystablecharacter,youngFerrier.Wellbrought
up.Nicemother-awidow.Fathernotsosatisfactory.Gothimselfoutofseveralscrapesbytheskinof
histeeth.Hardluckonhiswife.Ouryoungmaninsomewaysresembledhisfather.Hewasassociated
onceortwicewithratheradoubtfulcrowd.Igavehimthebenefitofthedoubt.Hewasyoungstill.But
I warned him that he was getting himself mixed up with the wrong lot. Too closely connected with
fiddling transactions outside the law. Frankly, but for his mother, I wouldn't have kept him. He was
young,andhehadability;IgavehimawarningortwowhichIhopedmightdothetrick.Butthere'sa
lotofcorruptionaboutthesedays.It'sbeenontheincreaseforthelasttenyears."

"Someonemighthavehaditinforhim,youthink?"

"Quitepossible.Theseassociations-gangsisarathermelodramaticword-butyourunacertaindanger
when you get tangled up with them. Any idea that you may split on them, and a knife between your
shoulderbladesisn'tanuncommonthingtohappen."

"Nobodysawithappen?"

"No. Nobody saw it happen. They wouldn't, of course. Whoever took the job on would have all the
arrangementsnicelymade.Alibiattheproperplaceandtime,andsoonandsoon."

"Yetsomebodymighthaveseenithappen.Somebodyquiteunlikely.Achild,forinstance."

"Lateatnight?IntheneighbourhoodoftheGreenSwan?Hardlyaverycredibleidea,MonsieurPoirot."

"Achild,"persistedPoirot,"whomightremember.Achildcominghomefromafriend'shouse.Atsome
short distance, perhaps, from her own home. She might have been coming by a footpath or seen
somethingfrombehindahedge."

"Really, Monsieur Poirot, what an imagination you have got. What you are saying seems to me most
unlikely."

"Itdoesnotseemsounlikelytome,"saidPoirot."Childrendoseethings.Theyaresooften,yousee,
notexpectedtobewheretheyare."

"Butsurelywhentheygohomeandrelatewhattheyhaveseen?"

"Theymightnot,"saidPoirot."Theymightnot,yousee,besurewhattheyhadseen.Especiallyifwhat
theyhadseenhadbeenfaintlyfrighteningtothem.Childrendonotalwaysgohomeandreportastreet
accidenttheyhaveseen,orsomeunexpectedviolence.Childrenkeeptheirsecretsverywell.Keepthem
and think about them. Sometimes they like to feel that they know a secret, a secret which they are
keepingforthemselves."

"They'dtelltheirmothers,"saidMrFullerton.

"I am not so sure of that," said Poirot. "In my experience the things that children do not tell their
mothersarequitenumerous."

"Whatinterestsyousomuch,mayIknow,aboutthiscaseofLesleyFerrier?Theregrettabledeathofa
youngmanbyaviolencewhichissolamentablyoftenamongstusnowadays?"

"Iknownothingabouthim.ButIwantedtoknowsomethingabouthimbecausehisisaviolentdeath
thatoccurrednotmanyyearsago.Thatmightbeimportanttome."

"You know, Mr Poirot," said Mr Fullerton, with some slight acerbity, "I really cannot quite make out
whyyouhavecometome,andinwhatyouarereallyinterested.Youcannotsurelysuspectanytie-up
between the death of Joyce Reynolds and the death of a young man of promise but slightly criminal
activitieswhohasbeendeadforsomeyears?"

"Onecansuspectanything,"saidPoirot."Onehastofindoutmore."

"Excuseme,whatonehastohaveinallmattersdealingwithcrime,isevidence."

"You have perhaps heard that the dead girl Joyce was heard by several witnesses to say that she had
withherowneyeswitnessedamurder."

"Inaplacelikethis,"saidMrFullerton,"oneusuallyhearsanyrumourthatmaybegoinground.One
usuallyhearsit,too,ifImayaddthesewords,inasingularlyexaggeratedformnotusuallyworthyof
credence."

"That also," said Poirot, "is quite true. Joyce was, I gather, just thirteen years of age. A child of nine
couldremembersomethingshehadseen-ahit-and-runaccident,afightorastrugglewithknivesona
dark evening, or a school-teacher who was strangled, say - all these things might leave a very strong
impressiononachild'smindaboutwhichshewouldnotspeak,beinguncertain,perhaps,oftheactual
factsshehadseen,andmullingthemoverinherownmind.Forgettingaboutthemeven,possibly,until
somethinghappenedtoremindher.Youagreethatthatisapossiblehappening?"

"Ohyes,yes,butIhardly-1thinkitisanextremelyfar-fetchedsupposition."

"Youhad,also,Ibelieve,adisappearancehereofaforeigngirl.Hername,Ibelieve,wasOlgaorSonia
-1amnotsureofthesurname."

"OlgaSeminoff.Yes,indeed."

"Not,Ifear,averyreliablecharacter?"

"No."

"ShewascompanionornurseattendanttoMrsLlewellyn-Smythe,wasshenot,whomyoudescribedto
mejustnow?MrsDrake'saunt-"

"Yes.Shehadhadseveralgirlsinthatposition-twootherforeigngirls,Ithink,oneofthemwithwhom
shequarrelledalmostimmediately,andanotheronewhowasnicebutpainfullystupid.MrsLlewellyn-
Smythewasnotonetosufferfoolsgladly.Olga,herlastventure,seemstohavesuitedherverywell.
Shewasnot,ifIrememberrightly,aparticularlyattractivegirl,"saidMrFullerton.

"Shewasshort,ratherstocky,hadratheradourmanner,andpeopleintheneighbourhooddidnotlike
herverymuch."

"ButMrsLlewellyn-Smythedidlikeher,"suggestedPoirot."Shebecameverymuchattachedtoher-
unwiselyso,itseemedatonemoment."

"Ah,indeed."

"I have no doubt," said Mr Fullerton, "that I am not telling you anything that you have not heard
already.Thesethings,asIsay,goroundtheplacelikewildfire."

"IunderstandthatMrsLlewellyn-Smytheleftalargesumofmoneytothegirl."

"A most surprising thing to happen," said Mr Fullerton. "Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe had not changed her
fundamental testamentary disposition for many years, except for adding new charities or altering
legaciesleftvoidbydeath.PerhapsIamtellingyouwhatyouknowalready,ifyouareinterestedinthis
matter.Hermoneyhadalwaysbeenleftjointlytohernephew,HugoDrake,andhiswife,whowasalso
his first cousin, and so also niece to Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe. If either of them predeceased her the
moneywenttothesurvivor.Agoodmanybequestswerelefttocharitiesandtooldservants.Butwhat
wasallegedtobeherfinaldisposalofherpropertywasmadeaboutthreeweeksbeforeherdeath,and
not,asheretofore,drawnupbyourfirm.Itwasacodicilwritteninherownhandwriting.Itincludedone
ortwocharities-notsomanyasbefore-theoldservantshadnolegaciesatall,andthewholeresidue
ofherconsiderablefortunewaslefttoOlgaSeminoffingratitudeforthedevotedserviceandaffection
she had shown her. A most astonishing disposition, one that seemed totally unlike anything Mrs
Llewellyn-Smythehadeverdonebefore."

"Andthen?"saidPoirot.

"Youhavepresumablyheardmoreorlessthedevelopments.Fromtheevidenceofhandwritingexperts,
itbecameclearthatthecodicilwasacompleteforgery.

It bore only a faint resemblance to Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe's handwriting, no more than that. Mrs
SmythehaddislikedthetypewriterandhadfrequentlygotOlgatowritelettersofapersonalnature,as
far as possible copying her employer's handwriting - sometimes, even, signing the letter with her
employer'ssignature.Shehadhadplentyofpracticeindoingthis.ItseemsthatwhenMrsLlewellyn-
Smythe died the girl went one step further and thought that she was proficient enough to make the
handwritingacceptableasthatofheremployer.Butthatsortofthingwon'tdowithexperts.No,indeed
itwon't."

"Proceedingswereabouttobetakentocontestthedocument?"

"Quite so. There was, of course, the usual legal delay before the proceedings actually came to court.
During that period the young lady lost her nerve and -well, as you said yourself just now, she
disappeared."

Chapter13

WhenHerculePoirothadtakenhisleaveanddeparted,JeremyFullertonsatbeforehisdeskdrumming
gentlywithhisfingertips.Hiseyes,however,werefarawaylostinthought.

He picked up a document in front of him and dropped his eyes down to it, but without focusing his
glance.Thediscreetbuzzofthehousetelephonecausedhimtopickupthereceiveronhisdesk.

"Yes,MissMiles?"

"MrHoldenishere,sir."

"Yes. Yes, his appointment, I believe, was for nearly three quarters of an hour ago. Did he give any
reasonforhavingbeensolate?...Yes,yes,Iquitesee.Ratherthesameexcusehegavelasttime.Will
youtellhimI'veseenanotherclient,andIamnowtooshortoftime.Makeanappointmentwithhimfor
nextweek,willyou?Wecan'thavethissortofthinggoingon."

"Yes,MrFullerton."

Hereplacedthereceiverandsatlookingthoughtfullydownatthedocumentinfrontofhim.Hewasstill
notreadingit.

Hismindwasgoingovereventsofthepast.Twoyears-closeontwoyearsago-andthatstrangelittle
man this morning with his patent leather shoes and his big moustaches, had brought it back to him,
askingallthosequestions.

Nowhewasgoingoverinhisownmindaconversationofnearlytwoyearsago.

Hesawagain,sittinginthechairoppositehim,agirl,ashort,stockyfiguretheolivebrownskin,the
darkredgenerousmouth,theheavycheekbonesandthefiercenessoftheblueeyesthatlookedintohis
beneath the heavy, beetling brows. A passionate face, a face full of vitality, a face that had known
suffering-wouldprobablyalwaysknowsuffering-butwouldneverlearntoacceptsuffering.Thekind
ofwomanwhowouldfightandprotestuntiltheend.Wherewasshenow,hewondered?

Somehow or other she had managed - what had she managed exactly? Who had helped her? Had
anyonehelpedher?Somebodymusthavedoneso.

Shewasbackagain,hesupposed,insometrouble-strickenspotinCentralEuropewhereshehadcome
from,whereshebelonged,whereshehadhadtogobacktobecausetherewasnoothercourseforherto
takeunlessshewascontenttoloseherliberty.

JeremyFullertonwasanupholderofthelaw.Hebelievedinthelaw,hewascontemptuousofmanyof
the magistrates of today with their weak sentences, their acceptance of scholastic needs. The students
who stole books, the young married women who denuded the supermarkets, the girls who filched
moneyfromtheiremployers,theboyswhowreckedtelephoneboxes,noneoftheminrealneed,none
of them desperate, most of them had known nothing but overindulgence in bringing-up and a fervent
beliefthatanythingtheycouldnotaffordtobuywastheirstotake.Yetalongwithhisintrinsicbeliefin
theadministrationofthelawjustly,MrFullertonwasamanwhohadcompassion.Hecouldbesorryfor
people. He could be sorry, and was sorry, for Olga Seminoff though he was quite unaffected by the
passionateargumentssheadvancedforherself.

"I came to you for help. I thought you would help me. You were kind last year. You helped me with
forms so that I could remain another year in England. So they say to me: 'You need not answer any
questionsyoudonotwishto.Youcanberepresentedbyalawyer.'SoIcometoyou."

"Thecircumstancesyouhaveinstanced-"andMrFullertonrememberedhowdrylyandcoldlyhehad
saidthat,allthemoredrylyandcoldlybecauseofthepitythatlaybehindthedrynessofthestatement-
"donotapply.InthiscaseIamnotatlibertytoactforyoulegally.IamrepresentingalreadytheDrake
family.Asyouknow,IwasMrsLlewellyn-Smythe'ssolicitor."

"But she is dead. She does not want a solicitor when she is dead." "She was fond of you," said Mr
Fullerton.

"Yes,shewasfondofme.ThatiswhatIamtellingyou.Thatiswhyshewantedtogivemethemoney."

"Allhermoney?"

"Whynot?Whynot?Shedidnotlikeherrelations."

"Youarewrong.Shewasveryfondofhernieceandnephew."

"Well,then,shemayhavelikedMrDrakebutshedidnotlikeMrsDrake.Shefoundherverytiresome.
MrsDrakeinterfered.ShewouldnotletMrsLlewellyn-Smythedoalwayswhatsheliked.Shewould
notlethereatthefoodsheliked."

"Sheisaveryconscientiouswoman,andshetriedtogetheraunttoobeythedoctor'sordersastodiet
andnottoomuchexerciseandmanyotherthings."

"People do not always want to obey a doctor's orders. They do not want to be interfered with by
relations. They like living their own lives and doing what they want and having what they want. She
had plenty of money. She could have what she wanted! She could have as much as she liked of
everything.Shewasrichrichrich,andshecoulddowhatshelikedwithhermoney.Theyhavealready
quite enough money, Mr and Mrs Drake. They have a fine house and clothes and two cars. They are
verywell-to-do.Whyshouldtheyhaveanymore?"

"Theywereheronlylivingrelations."

"She wanted me to have the money. She was sorry for me. She knew what I had been through. She
knewaboutmyfather,arrestedbythepoliceandtakenaway.Weneversawhimagain,mymotherand
I.Andthenmymotherandhowshedied.Allmyfamilydied.Itisterrible,whatIhaveendured.Youdo
notknowwhatitisliketoliveinapolicestate,asIhavelivedinit.No,no.Youareonthesideofthe

police.Youarenotonmyside."

"No," Mr Fullerton said, "I am not on your side. I am very sorry for what has happened to you, but
you'vebroughtthistroubleaboutyourself."

"Thatisnottrue!ItisnottruethatIhavedoneanythingIshouldnotdo.WhathaveIdone?Iwaskind
toher,Iwasnicetoher.Ibroughtherinlotsofthingsthatshewasnotsupposedtoeat.Chocolatesand
butter.Allthetimenothingbutvegetablefats.Shedidnotlikevegetablefats.Shewantedbutter.She
wantedlotsofbutter."

"It'snotjustaquestionofbutter,"saidMrFullerton.

"Ilookedafterher,Iwasnicetoher!Andsoshewasgrateful.AndthenwhenshediedandIfindthatin
her kindness and her affection she has left a signed paper leaving all her money to me, then those
Drakes come along and say I shall not have it. They say all sorts of things. They say I had a bad
influence. And then they say worse things than that. Much worse. They say I wrote the Will myself.
Thatisnonsense.Shewroteit.Shewroteit.Andthenshesentmeoutoftheroom.Shegotthecleaning
womanandJimthegardener.Shesaidtheyhadtosignthepaper,notme.BecauseIwasgoingtoget
themoney.WhyshouldnotIhavethemoney?WhyshouldInothavesomegoodluckinmylife,some
happiness?Itseemedsowonderful.AllthethingsIplannedtodowhenIknewaboutit."

"Ihavenodoubt,yes,Ihavenodoubt."

"Whyshouldn'tIhaveplans?WhyshouldnotIrejoice?Iamgoingtobehappyandrichandhaveall
thethingsIwant.WhatdidIdowrong?Nothing.Nothing,Itellyou.Nothing"

"Ihavetriedtoexplaintoyou,"saidMrFullerton.

"Thatisalllies.YousayItelllies.YousayIwrotethepapermyself.Ididnotwriteitmyself.Shewrote
it.Nobodycansayanythingdifferent."

"Certainpeoplesayagoodmanythings,"saidMrFullerton."Nowlisten.Stopprotestingandlistento
me.Itistrue,isitnot,thatMrsLlewellyn-Smytheinthelettersyouwroteforher,oftenaskedyouto
copyherhandwritingasnearlyasyoucould?Thatwasbecauseshehadanold-fashionedideathatto
writetypewrittenletterstopeoplewhoarefriendsorwithwhomyouhaveapersonalacquaintance,is
anactofrudeness.ThatisasurvivalfromVictoriandays.Nowadaysnobodycareswhethertheyreceive
handwritten letters or typewritten ones. But to Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe that was discourtesy. You
understandwhatIamsaying?"

"Yes, I understand. And so she asks me. She says 'Now, Olga,' she says. 'These four letters you will
answer as I have told you and that you have taken down in shorthand. But you will write them in
handwriting and you will make the handwriting as close to mine as possible.' And she told me to
practisewritingherhandwriting,tonoticehowshemadehera's,herb'sandherfsandallthedifferent
letters.'Solongasitisreasonablylikemyhandwriting,'shesaid,'thatwilldo,andthenyoucansignmy
name.ButIdonotwantpeopletothinkthatIamnolongerabletowritemyownletters.Although,as
youknow,therheumatisminmywristisgettingworseandIfinditmoredifficult,butIdon'twantmy
personalletterstypewritten.'"

"Youcouldhavewrittentheminyourordinaryhandwriting,"saidMrFullerton,"andputanoteatthe
endsaying'persecretary'orperinitialsifyouliked."

"Shedidnotwantmetodothat.Shewantedittobethoughtthatshewrotethelettersherself."

Andthat,MrFullertonthought,couldbetrueenough.ItwasverylikeLouiseLlewellyn-Smythe.She
wasalwayspassionatelyresentfulofthefactthatshecouldnolongerdothethingssheusedtodo,that
shecouldnolongerwalkfarorgouphillsquicklyorperformcertainactionswithherhands,herright
handespecially.Shewantedtobeabletosay"I'mperfectlywell,perfectlyallright,andthere'snothing
Ican'tdoifIsetmymindtoit."Yes,whatOlgawastellinghimnowwascertainlytrue,andbecauseit
was true it was one of the reasons why the codicil appended to the last Will properly drawn out and
signed by Louise Llewellyn-Smythe had been accepted at first without suspicion. It was in his own
office,MrFullertonreflected,thatsuspicionshadarisenbecausebothheandhisyoungerpartnerknew
Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe's handwriting very well. It was young Cole who had first said, "You know, I
reallycan'tbelievethatLouiseLlewellyn-Smythewrotethatcodicil.Iknowshehadarthritislatelybut
look at these specimens of her own writing that I've brought along from amongst her papers to show
you.There'ssomethingwrongaboutthatcodicil."

MrFullertonhadagreedthattherewassomethingwrongaboutit.Hehadsaidtheywouldtakeexpert
opinion on this handwriting question. The answer had been quite definite. Separate opinions had not
varied.ThehandwritingofthecodicilwasdefinitelynotthatofLouiseLlewellyn-Smythe.IfOlgahad
beenlessgreedy,MrFullertonthought,ifshehadbeencontenttowriteacodicilbeginningasthisone
haddone.'Becauseofhergreatcareandattentiontomeandtheaffectionandkindnessshehasshown
me,Ileave-'Thatwashowithadbegun,thatwashowitcouldhavebegun,andifithadgoneonto
specifyagoodroundsumofmoneylefttothedevotedaupairgirl,therelationsmighthaveconsidered
it over-done, but they would have accepted it without questioning. But to cut out the relations
altogether, the nephew who had been his aunt's residuary legatee in the last four wills she had made
duringaperiodofnearlytwentyyears,toleaveeverythingtothestrangerOlgaSeminoff-thatwasnot
inLouiseLlewellyn-Smythe'scharacter.

Infact,apleaofundueinfluencecouldupsetsuchadocumentanyway.No.Shehadbeengreedy,this
hot,passionatechild.PossiblyMrsLlewellyn-Smythehadtoldherthatsomemoneywouldbelefther

becauseofherkindness,becauseofherattention,becauseofafondnesstheoldladywasbeginningto
feelforthisgirlwhofulfilledallherwhims,whodidwhateversheaskedher.Andthathadopenedupa
vistaforOlga.Shewouldhaveeverything.

Theoldladyshouldleaveeverythingtoher,andshewouldhaveallthemoney.Allthemoneyandthe
house and the clothes and the jewels. Everything. A greedy girl. And now retribution had caught up
withher.

AndMrFullerton,againsthiswill,againsthislegalinstinctsandagainstagooddealmore,feltsorryfor
her. Very sorry for her. She had known suffering since she was a child, had known the rigours of a
police state, had lost her parents, lost a brother and sister and known injustice and fear, and it had
developedinheratraitthatshehadnodoubtbeenbornwithbutwhichshehadneverbeenablesofar
toindulge.Ithaddevelopedachildishpassionategreed.

"Everyoneisagainstme,"saidOlga."Everyone.Youareallagainstme.YouarenotfairbecauseIama
foreigner,becauseIdonotbelongtothiscountry,becauseIdonotknowwhattosay,whattodo.What
canIdo?WhydoyounottellmewhatIcando?"

"BecauseIdonotreallythinkthereisanythingmuchyoucando,"saidMrFullerton."Yourbestchance
istomakeacleanbreastofthings."

"IfIsaywhatyouwantmetosay,itwillbeallliesandnottrue.ShemadethatWill.Shewroteitdown
there.Shetoldmetogooutoftheroomwhiletheotherssignedit."

"Thereisevidenceagainstyou,youknow.TherearepeoplewhowillsaythatMrsLlewellyn-Smythe
oftendidnotknowwhatshewassigning.Shehadseveraldocumentsofdifferentkinds,andshedidnot
alwaysre-readwhatwasputbeforeher."

"Well,thenshedidnotknowwhatshewassaying."

"Mydearchild,"saidMrFullerton,"yourbesthopeisthefactthatyouareafirstoffender,thatyouare
aforeigner,thatyouunderstandtheEnglishlanguageonlyinaratherrudimentaryform.Inthatcaseyou
maygetoffwithaminorsentenceoryoumay,indeed,getputonprobation."

"Oh,words.Nothingbutwords.Ishallbeputinprisonandneverletoutagain.""Nowyouaretalking
nonsense,"MrFullertonsaid.

"ItwouldbebetterifIranaway,ifIranawayandhidmyselfsothatnobodycouldfindme."

"Oncethereisawarrantoutforyourarrest,youwouldbefound."

"NotifIdiditquickly.NotifIwentatonce.Notifsomeonehelpedme.Icouldgetaway.Getaway
fromEngland.Inaboatoraplane.Icouldfindsomeonewhoforgespassportsorvisas,orwhateveryou
havetohave.Someonewhowilldosomethingforme.Ihavefriends.Ihavepeoplewhoarefondof
me.Somebodycouldhelpmetodisappear.Thatiswhatisneeded.Icouldputonawig.Icouldwalk
aboutoncrutches."

"Listen," Mr Fullerton had said, and he had spoken then with authority, "I am sorry for you. I will
recommendyoutoalawyerwhowilldohisbestforyou.Youcan'thopetodisappear.Youaretalking
likeachild."

"I have got enough money. I have saved money." And then she had said, "You have tried to be kind.
Yes,Ibelievethat.Butyouwillnotdoanythingbecauseitisallthelaw-thelaw.Butsomeonewill
helpme.Someonewill.AndIshallgetawaywherenobodywilleverfindme."

Nobody,MrFullertonthought,hadfoundher.Hewonderedyes;hewonderedverymuchwhereshewas
orcouldbenow.

Chapter14

Admitted to Apple Trees, Hercule Poirot was shown into the drawing-room and told that Mrs Drake
wouldnotbelong.

Inpassingthroughthehallheheardahumoffemalevoicesfrombehindwhathetooktobethedining-
roomdoor.

Poirotcrossedtothedrawing-roomwindowandsurveyedtheneatandpleasantgarden.Welllaidout,
keptstudiouslyincontrol.Rampantautumnmichaelmasdaisiesstillsurvived,tiedupseverelytosticks;
chrysanthemums had not yet relinquished life. There were still a persistent rose or two scorning the
approachofwinter.

Poirotcould discern nosign as yetof the preliminary activitiesof a landscapegardener. All was care
andconvention.HewonderedifMrsDrakehadbeenonetoomanyforMichaelGarfield.Hehadspread
hisluresinvain.Itshowedeverysignofremainingasplendidlykeptsuburbangarden.

Thedooropened.

"Iamsorrytohavekeptyouwaiting,MonsieurPoirot,"saidMrsDrake.

Outside in the hall there was a diminishing hum of voices as various people took their leave and
departed.

"It'sourchurchChristmasfete,"explainedMrsDrake."ACommitteeMeetingforarrangementsforit
andalltherestofit.Thesethingsalwaysgoonmuchlongerthantheyoughtto,ofcourse.Somebody
always objects to something, or has a good idea - the good idea usually being a perfectly impossible
one."

Therewasaslightacerbityinhertone.

Poirot could well imagine that Rowena Drake would put things down as quite absurd, firmly and
definitely.HecouldunderstandwellenoughfromremarkshehadheardfromSpence'ssister,fromhints
of what other people had said and from various other sources, that Rowena Drake was that dominant
typeofpersonalitywhomeveryoneexpectstoruntheshow,andwhomnobodyhasmuchaffectionfor
while she is doing it. He could imagine, too, that her conscientiousness had not been the kind to be
appreciated by an elderly relative who was herself of the same type. Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe, he
gathered, had come here to live so as to be near to her nephew and his wife, and that the wife had
readily undertaken the supervision and care of her husband's aunt as far as she could do so without
actuallylivinginthehouse.MrsLlewellyn-Smythehadprobablyacknowledgedinherownmindthat
sheowedagreatdealtoRowena,andhadatthesametimeresentedwhatshehadnodoubtthoughtof
asherbossyways.

"Well,they'veallgonenow,"saidRowenaDrake,hearingthefinalshuttingofthehalldoor."Nowwhat
canIdoforyou?Somethingmoreaboutthatdreadfulparty?IwishI'dneverhadithere.Butnoother
housereallyseemedsuitable.IsMrsOliverstillstayingwithJudithButler?"

"Yes.Sheis,Ibelieve,returningtoLondoninadayortwo.Youhadnotmetherbefore?"

"No.Iloveherbooks."

"Sheis,Ibelieve,consideredaverygoodwriter,"saidPoirot.

"Ohwell,sheisagoodwriter.Nodoubtofthat.She'saveryamusingpersontoo.Hassheanyideas
herself-1meanaboutwhomighthavedonethisawfulthing?"

"Ithinknot.Andyou,Madame?"

"Itoldyoualready.I'venoideawhatever."

"Youwouldperhapssayso,andyet-youmight,mightyounot,have,perhaps,whatamountstoavery
goodidea,butonlyanidea.Ahalf-formedidea.Apossibleidea."

"Whyshouldyouthinkthat?"Shelookedathimcuriously.

"You might have seen something - something quite small and unimportant but which on reflection
mightseemmoresignificanttoyou,perhaps,thanithaddoneatfirst."

"Youmusthavesomethinginyourmind,MonsieurPoirot,somedefiniteincident."

"Well,Iadmitit.Itisbecauseofwhatsomeonesaidtome.""Indeed!Andwhowasthat?"

"AMissWhittaker.Aschoolteacher."

"Ohyes,ofcourse.ElizabethWhittaker.She'sthemathematicsmistress,isn'tshe,atTheElms?Shewas
attheparty,Iremember.Didsheseesomething?"

"Itwasnotsomuchthatshesawsomethingasshehadtheideathatyoumighthaveseensomething."

MrsDrakelookedsurprisedandshookherhead.

"Ican'tthinkofanythingIcanpossiblyhaveseen,"saidRowenaDrake,"butoneneverknows."

"Ithadtodowithavase,"saidPoirot."Avaseofflowers."

"A vase of flowers?" Rowena Drake looked puzzled. Then her brow cleared. "Oh, of course. I know.

Yes,therewasabigvaseofautumnleavesandchrysanthemumsonthetableintheangleofthestairs.A
veryniceglassvase.Oneofmyweddingpresents.Theleavesseemedtobedroopingandsodidoneor
twooftheflowers.IremembernoticingitasIpassedthroughthehall-itwasneartheendoftheparty,
I think, by then, but I'm not sure -1 wondered why it looked like that, and I went up and dipped my
fingersintoitandfoundthatsomeidiotmusthaveforgottentoputanywaterintoitafterarrangingit.It
mademeveryangry.SoItookitintothebathroomandfilleditup.ButwhatcouldIhaveseeninthat
bathroom?Therewasnobodyinit.Iamquitesureofthat.Ithinkoneortwooftheoldergirlsandboys
haddonealittleharmless,whattheAmericanscall'necking'-thereduringthecourseoftheparty,but
therewascertainlynobodywhenIwentintoitwiththevase."

"No,no,Idonotmeanthat,"saidPoirot."ButIunderstoodthattherewasanaccident.Thatthevase
slippedoutofyourhandanditfelltothehallbelowandwasshatteredtopieces."

"Ohyes,"saidRowena."Brokentosmithereens.IwasratherupsetaboutitbecauseasI'vesaid,ithad
been one of our wedding presents, and it was really a perfect flower vase, heavy enough to hold big
autumn bouquets and things like that. It was very stupid of me. One of those things. My fingers just
slipped.Itwentoutofmyhandandcrashedonthehallfloorbelow.ElizabethWhittakerwasstanding
there. She helped me pick up the pieces and sweep some of the broken glass out of the way in case
someonesteppedonit.WejustsweptitintoacornerbytheGrandfatherclocktobecleareduplater."

ShelookedinquiringlyatPoirot.

"Isthattheincidentyoumean?"sheasked.

"Yes,"saidPoirot."MissWhittakerwondered,Ithink,howyouhadcometodropthevase.Shethought
thatsomethingperhapshadstartledyou."

"Startledme?"RowenaDrakelookedathim,thenfrownedasshetriedtothinkagain."No,Idon'tthink
Iwasstartled,anyway.Itwasjustoneofthosewaysthingsdoslipoutofyourhands.Sometimeswhen
you'rewashingup.Ithink,really,it'saresultofbeingtired.Iwasprettytiredbythattime,whatwith
thepreparationsforthepartyandrunningthepartyandalltherestofit.Itwentverywell,Imustsay.I
thinkitwas-oh,justoneofthoseclumsyactionsthatyoucan'thelpwhenyou'retired."

"Therewasnothing-youaresure-thatstartledyou?Somethingunexpectedthatyousaw."

"Saw?Where?Inthehallbelow?Ididn'tseeanythinginthehallbelow.Itwasemptyatthemoment
becauseeveryonewasinattheSnapdragonexcepting,ofcourse,forMissWhittaker.AndIdon'tthinkI
evennoticedheruntilshecameforwardtohelpwhenIrandown."

"Didyouseesomeone,perhaps,leavingthelibrarydoor?"

"Thelibrarydoor...Iseewhatyoumean.Yes,Icouldhaveseenthat."Shepausedforquitealongtime,
thenshelookedatPoirotwithaverystraight,firmglance.

"Ididn'tseeanyoneleavethelibrary,"shesaid."Nobodyatall..."

Hewondered.Thewayinwhichshesaiditwaswhatarousedthebeliefinhismindthatshewasnot
speaking the truth, that instead she had seen someone or something, perhaps the door just opening a
little,amereglanceperhapsofafigureinside.Butshewasquitefirminherdenial.Why,hewondered,
hadshebeensofirm?Becausethepersonshehadseenwasapersonshedidnotwanttobelieveforone
momenthadhadanythingtodowiththecrimecommittedontheothersideofthedoor?Someoneshe
cared about, or someone - which seemed more likely, he thought - someone whom she wished to
protect.Someone,perhaps,whohadnotlongpassedbeyondchildhood,someonewhomshemightfeel
wasnottrulyconsciousoftheawfulthingtheyhadjustdone.

Hethoughtherahardcreaturebutapersonofintegrity.Hethoughtthatshewas,likemanywomenof
the same type, women who were often magistrates, or who ran councils or charities, or interested
themselvesinwhatusedtobecalled"goodworks".Womenwhohadaninordinatebeliefinextenuating
circumstances, who were ready, strangely enough, to make excuses for the young criminal. An
adolescentboy,amentallyretardedgirl.

Someone perhaps who had already been - what is the phrase - "in care". If that had been the type of
person she had seen coming out of the library, then he thought it possible that Rowena Drake's
protective instinct might have come into play. It was not unknown in the present age for children to
commitcrimes,quiteyoungchildren.

Childrenofseven,ofnineandsoon,anditwasoftendifficulttoknowhowtodisposeofthesenatural,
itseemed,youngcriminalswhocamebeforethejuvenilecourts.Excuseshadtobebroughtforthem.
Broken homes. Negligent and unsuitable parents. But the people who spoke the most vehemently for
them, the people who sought to bring forth every excuse for them, were usually the type of Rowena
Drake.Asternandcensoriouswoman,exceptinsuchcases.

Forhimself,Poirotdidnotagree.Hewasamanwhothoughtfirstalwaysofjustice.Hewassuspicious,
had always been suspicious, of mercy - too much mercy, that is to say. Too much mercy, as he knew
fromformerexperiencebothinBelgiumandthiscountry,oftenresultedinfurthercrimeswhichwere
fataltoinnocentvictimswhoneednothavebeenvictimsifjusticehadbeenputfirstandmercysecond.

"Isee,"saidPoirot."Isee."

"You don't think it's possible that Miss Whittaker might have seen someone go into the library?"
suggestedMrsDrake.

Poirotwasinterested.

"Ah,youthinkthatthatmighthavebeenso?"

"It seemed to me merely a possibility. She might have caught sight of someone going in through the
library, say, perhaps five minutes or so earlier, and then, when I dropped the vase it might have
suggestedtoherthatIcouldhavecaughtaglimpseofthesameperson.ThatImighthaveseenwhoit
was.Perhapsshedoesn'tliketosayanythingthatmightsuggest,unfairlyperhaps,somepersonwhom
shehadperhapsonlyhalfglimpsednotenoughtobesureof.Somebackviewperhapsofachild,ora
youngboy."

"Youthink,doyounot,Madame,thatitwasshallwesay,achildaboyorgirl,amerechild,orayoung
adolescent?Youthinkitwasnotanydefiniteoneofthesebut,shallwesay,youthinkthatthatisthe
mostlikelytypetohavecommittedthecrimewearediscussing?"

Sheconsideredthepointthoughtfully,turningitoverinhermind.

"Yes,"shesaidatlast,"IsupposeIdo.Ihaven'tthoughtitout.Itseemstomethatcrimesaresooften
associated nowadays with the young. People who don't really know quite what they are doing, who
wantsillyrevenges,whohaveaninstinctfordestruction.Eventhepeoplewhowrecktelephoneboxes,
or who slash the tyres of cars, do all sorts of things just to hurt people, just because they hate - not
anyone in particular, but the whole world. It's a sort of symptom of this age. So I suppose when one
comesacrosssomethinglikeachilddrownedatapartyfornoreasonreally,onedoesassumethatit's
someonewhoisnotyetfullyresponsiblefortheiractions.Don'tyouagreewithmethat-that-well,
thatthatiscertainlythemostlikelypossibilityhere?"

"Thepolice,Ithink,shareyourpointofview-ordidshareit."

"Well,theyshouldknow.Wehaveaverygoodclassofpolicemaninthisdistrict.They'vedonewellin
several crimes. They are painstaking and they never give up. I think probably they will solve this
murder,thoughIdon'tthinkitwillhappenveryquickly.Thesethingsseemtotakealongtime.Along
timeofpatientgatheringofevidence."

"Theevidenceinthiscasewillnotbeveryeasytogather,Madame."

"No,Isupposeitwon't.Whenmyhusbandwaskilled-Hewasacripple,youknow.Hewascrossing
the road and a car ran over him and knocked him down. They never found the person who was
responsible.Asyouknow,myhusband-orperhapsyoudon'tknow-myhusbandwasapoliovictim.
Hewaspartiallyparalysedasaresultofpolio,sixyearsago.Hisconditionhadimproved,buthewas
still crippled, and it would be difficult for him to get out of the way if a car bore down upon him
quickly.IalmostfeltthatIhadbeentoblame,thoughhealwaysinsistedongoingoutwithoutmeor
withoutanyonewithhim,becausehewouldhaveresentedverymuchbeinginthecareofanurse,ora
wife who took the part of a nurse, and he was always careful before crossing a road. Still, one does
blameoneselfwhenaccidentshappen."

"Thatcameontopofthedeathofyouraunt?"

"No.Shediednotlongafterwards.Everythingseemstocomeatonce,doesn'tit?"

"Thatisverytrue,"saidHerculePoirot.Hewenton:"Thepolicewerenotabletotracethecarthatran
downyourhusband?"

"ItwasaGrasshopperMark7,1believe.EverythirdcaryounoticeontheroadisaGrasshopperMark7
-orwasthen.It'sthemostpopularcaronthemarket,theytellme.Theybelieveitwaspinchedfromthe
MarketPlaceinMedchester.Acarparkthere.ItbelongedtoaMrWaterhouse,anelderlyseedmerchant
in Medchester. Mr Waterhouse was a slow and careful driver. It was certainly not he who caused the
accident.Itwasclearlyoneofthosecaseswhereirresponsibleyoungmenhelpthemselvestocars.Such
careless,orshouldIsaysuchcallousyoungmen,shouldbetreated,onesometimesfeels,moreseverely
thantheyarenow."

"Alonggaolsentence,perhaps.Merelytobefined,andthefinepaidbyindulgentrelatives,makeslittle
impression."

"Onehastoremember,"saidRowenaDrake,"thatthereareyoungpeopleatanagewhenitisvitalthat
theyshouldcontinuewiththeirstudiesiftheyaretohavethechanceofdoingwellinlife."

"Thesacredcowofeducation,"saidHerculePoirot."ThatisaphraseIhavehearduttered,"headded
quickly, "by people - well, should I say - people who ought to know. People who themselves hold
academicpostsofsomeseniority."

"Theydonotperhapsmakeenoughallowancesforyouth,forabadbringingup.Brokenhomes."

"So you think they need something other than gaol sentences?" "Proper remedial treatment," said
RowenaDrakefirmly.

"Andthatwillmake(anotherold-fashionedproverb)asilkpurseoutofasow'sear?Youdonotbelieve
inthemaxim'thefateofeverymanhaveweboundabouthisneck'?"

Mrs Drake looked extremely doubtful and slightly displeased. "An Islamic saying, I believe," said
Poirot.MrsDrakelookedunimpressed.

"I hope," she said, "we do not take our ideas - or perhaps I should say our ideals - from the Middle
East."

"One must accept facts," said Poirot, "and a fact that is expressed by modern biologists - Western
biologists,"hehastenedtoadd,"seemstosuggestverystronglythattherootofaperson'sactionsliesin
hisgeneticmake-up.Thatamurdereroftwenty-fourwasamurdererinpotentialattwoorthreeorfour
yearsold.Orofcourseamathematicianoramusicalgenius."

"We are not discussing murderers," said Mrs Drake. "My husband died as a result of an accident. An
accidentcausedbyacarelessandbadlyadjustedpersonality.Whoevertheboyoryoungmanwas,there
isalwaysthehopeofeventualadjustmenttoabeliefandacceptancethatitisadutytoconsiderothers,
tofeelanabhorrenceifyouhavetakenlifeunawares,simplyoutofwhatmaybedescribedascriminal
carelessnessthatwasnotreallycriminalinintent."

"You are quite sure, therefore, that it was not criminal intent?" "I should doubt it very much." Mrs
Drakelookedslightlysurprised.

"I do not think that the police ever seriously considered that possibility. I certainly did not. It was an
accident.Averytragicaccidentwhichalteredthepatternofmanylives,includingmyown."

"Yousaywe'renotdiscussingmurderers,"saidPoirot."ButinthecaseofJoycethatisjustwhatweare
discussing. There was no accident about that. Deliberate hands pushed that child's head down into
water,holdinghertheretilldeathoccurred.Deliberateintent."

"Iknow.Iknow.It'sterrible.Idon'tliketothinkofit,toberemindedofit."Shegotup,movingabout
restlessly.Poirotpushedonrelentlessly.

"Wearestillpresentedwithachoicethere.Westillhavetofindthemotiveinvolved."

"Itseemstomethatsuchacrimemusthavebeenquitemotiveless."

"You mean committed by someone mentally disturbed to the extent of enjoying killing someone?
Presumablykillingsomeoneyoungandimmature."

"One does hear of such cases. What is the original cause of them is difficult to find out. Even
psychiatristsdonotagree."

"Yourefusetoacceptasimplerexplanation?"

Shelookedpuzzled."Simpler?"

"Someone not mentally disturbed, not a possible case for psychiatrists to disagree over. Somebody
perhapswhojustwantedtobesafe."

"Safe?Oh,youmean-"

"The girl had boasted that same day, some hours previously, that she had seen someone commit a
murder."

"Joyce,"saidMrsDrake,withcalmcertainty,"wasreallyaverysillylittlegirl.Not,Iamafraid,always
verytruthful."

"So everyone has told me," said Hercule Poirot. "I am beginning to believe, you know, that what
everybodyhastoldmemustberight,"headdedwithasigh.

"Itusuallyis."

Herosetohisfeet,adoptingadifferentmanner.

"Imustapologise,Madame.Ihavetalkedofpainfulthingstoyou,thingsthatdonottrulyconcernme

here.ButitseemedfromwhatMissWhittakertoldme-"

"Whydon'tyoufindoutmorefromher?""Youmean-?"

"Sheisateacher.Sheknows,muchbetterthanIcan,whatpotentialities(asyouhavecalledthem)exist
amongstthechildrensheteached."

Shepausedandthensaid:"MissEmlyn,too.""Thehead-mistress?"Poirotlookedsurprised.

"Yes.Sheknowsthings.Imean,sheisanaturalpsychologist.YousaidImighthaveideas-half-formed
ones-astowhokilledJoyce.Ihaven't-butIthinkMissEmlynmight."

"Thisisinteresting..."

"Idon'tmeanshehasevidence.Imeanshejustknows.Shecouldtellyou-butIdon'tthinkshewill."

"Ibegintosee,"saidPoirot,"thatIhavestillalongwaytogo.Peopleknowthings-buttheywillnot
tellthemtome."

HelookedthoughtfullyatRowenaDrake.

"Youraunt,MrsLlewellyn-Smythe,hadanaupairgirlwholookedafterher,aforeigngirl."

"Youseemtohavegotholdofallthelocalgossip."Rowenaspokedryly."Yes,thatisso.Shelefthere
rathersuddenlysoonaftermyaunt'sdeath."

"Forgoodreasons,itwouldseem."

"Idon'tknowwhetherit'slibelorslandertosayso-butthereseemsnodoubtthatsheforgedacodicil
tomyaunt'sWill-orthatsomeonehelpedhertodoso."

"Someone?"

"She was friendly with a young man who worked in a solicitor's office in Medchester. He had been
mixed up in a forgery case before. The case never came to court because the girl disappeared. She
realisedtheWillwouldnotbeadmittedtoprobate,andthattherewasgoingtobeacourtcase.Sheleft
theneighbourhoodandhasneverbeenheardofsince."

"Shetoocame,Ihaveheard,fromabrokenhome,"saidPoirot.RowenaDrakelookedathimsharply
buthewassmilingamiably."Thankyouforallyouhavetoldme,Madame,"hesaid.

WhenPoirothadleftthehouse,hewentforashortwalkalongaturningoffthemainroadwhichwas
labelled"HelpslyCemeteryRoad".Thecemeteryinquestiondidnottakehimlongtoreach.Itwasat
most ten minutes' walk. It was obviously a cemetery that had been made in the last ten years,
presumably to cope with the rising importance of Woodleigh as a residential entity. The church, a
churchofreasonablesizedatingfromsometwoorthreecenturiesback,hadhadaverysmallenclosure
round it already well filled. So the new cemetery had come into being with a footpath connecting it
acrosstwofields.Itwas,Poirot,thought,abusinesslike,moderncemeterywithappropriatesentiments
onmarbleorgraniteslabs;ithadurns,chippings,smallplantationsofbushesorflowers.Nointeresting
old epitaphs or inscriptions. Nothing much for an antiquarian. Cleaned, neat, tidy and with suitable
sentimentsexpressed.

Hecametoahalttoreadatableterectedonagravecontemporarywithseveralothersnearit,alldating
withintwoorthreeyearsback.Itboreasimpleinscription,"SacredtotheMemoryofHugoEdmund
Drake, beloved husband of Rowena Arabella Drake, who departed this life March the 20th 19--" He
givethhisbelovedsleep.

It occurred to Poirot, fresh from the impact of the dynamic Rowena Drake, that perhaps sleep might
havecomeinwelcomeguisetothelateMrDrake.

An alabaster urn had been fixed in position there and contained the remains of flowers. An elderly
gardener,obviouslyemployedtotendthegravesofgoodcitizensdepartedthislife,approachedPoirot
inthepleasurablehopesofafewminutes'conversationwhilehelaidhishoeandhisbroomaside.

"Strangerintheseparts,Ithink,"hesaid,"aren'tyou,sir?"

"Itisverytrue,"saidPoirot."Iamastrangerwithyouasweremyfathersbeforeme."

"Ah,aye.We'vegotthattextsomewhereorsummatverylikeit.Overdowntheothercorner,itis."He
went on, "He was a nice gentleman, he were, Mr Drake. A cripple, you know. He had that infant
paralysis,astheycallit,thoughasoftenasnotitisn'tinfantsassufferfromit.It'sgrown-ups.Menand
womentoo.Mywife,shehadanaunt,whocaughtitinSpain,shedid.Wenttherewithatour,shedid,

andbathedsomewhereinsomeriver.Andtheysaidafterwardsasitwasthewaterinfection,butIdon't
thinktheyknowmuch.Doctorsdon't,ifyouaskme.Still,it'smadealotofdifferencenowadays.All
thisinoculationtheygivethechildren,andthat.Notnearlyasmanycasesastherewere.Yes,hewerea
nicegentlemananddidn'tcomplain,thoughhetookithard,beingacripple,Imean.He'dbeenagood
sportsman, he had, in his time. Used to bat for us here in the village team. Many a six he's hit to the
boundary.Yes,hewereanicegentleman."

"Hediedofanaccident,didhenot?"

"That'sright.Crossingtheroad,towardstwilightthiswas.Oneofthesecarscomealong,acoupleof
these young thugs in it with beards growing up to their ears. That's what they say. Didn't stop either.
Wenton.Neverlookedtosee.Abandonedthecarsomewhereinacarparktwentymilesaway.Wasn't
their own car either. Pinched from a car park somewhere. Ah, it's terrible, a lot of those accidents
nowadays.Andthepoliceoftencan'tdoanythingaboutthem.Verydevotedtohim,hiswifewas.Took
itveryhard,shedid.Shecomeshere,nearlyeveryweek,bringsflowersandputsthemhere.Yes,they
wereaverydevotedcouple.Ifyouaskme,shewon'tstayheremuchlonger."

"Really?Butshehasaverynicehousehere."

"Yes,ohyes.Andshedoesalotinthevillage,youknow.Allthesethings-women'sinstitutesandteas
andvarioussocietiesandalltherestofit.Runsalotofthings,shedoes.Runsabittoomanyforsome
people.Bossy,youknow.Bossyandinterfering,somepeoplesay.Butthevicarreliesonher.Shestarts
things.Women'sactivitiesandalltherestofit.Getsuptoursandoutings.Ahyes.Oftenthoughtmyself,
thoughIwouldn'tliketosayittomywife,thatallthesegoodworksasladiesdoes,doesn'tmakeyou
anyfonderoftheladiesthemselves.Alwaysknowbest,theydo.Alwaystellingyouwhatyoushoulddo
andwhatyoushouldn'tdo.Nofreedom.Notmuchfreedomanywherenowadays."

"YetyouthinkMrsDrakemayleavehere?"

"Ishouldn'twonderifshedidn'tgoawayandlivesomewhereabroad.Theylikedbeingabroad,usedto
gothereforholidays."

"Whydoyouthinkshewantstoleavehere?"

Asuddenratherroguishsmileappearedontheoldman'sface.

"Well, I'd say, you know, that she's done all she can do here. To put it scriptural, she needs another
vineyardtoworkin.Sheneedsmoregoodworks.Aren'tnomoregoodworkstobedoneroundhere.

She'sdoneallthereis,andevenmorethanthereneedbe,sosomethink.Yes."

"Sheneedsanewfieldinwhichtolabour?"suggestedPoirot.

"You've hit it. Better settle somewhere else where she can put a lot of things right and bully a lot of
otherpeople.She'sgotuswhereshewantsushereandthere'snotmuchmoreforhertodo."

"Itmaybe,"saidPoirot.

"Hasn'tevengotherhusbandtolookafter.Shelookedafterhimagoodfewyears.Thatgaveherakind
ofobjectinlife,asyoumightsay.Whatwiththatandalotofoutsideactivities,shecouldbebusyall
thetime.She'sthetypelikesbeingbusyallthetime.Andshe'snochildren,more'sthepity.Soit'smy
viewasshe'llstartalloveragainsomewhereelse."

"Youmayhavesomethingthere.Wherewouldshego?"

"I couldn't say as to that. One of these Riviery places, maybe - or there's them as goes to Spain or
Portugal.OrGreece-I'veheardherspeakofGreece-Islands.MrsButler,she'sbeentoGreeceonone
ofthemtours.Hellenic,theycallthem,whichsoundsmorelikefireandbrimstonetome."

Poirotsmiled.

"TheislesofGreece,"hemurmured.

Thenheasked:"Doyoulikeher?"

"MrsDrake?Iwouldn'tsayIexactlylikeher.She'sagoodwoman.Doesherdutytoherneighbourand
allthat-butshe'llalwaysneedapowerofneighbourstodoherdutyto-andifyouaskme,nobody
reallylikespeoplewhoarealwaysdoingtheirduty.TellsmehowtoprunemyroseswhichIknowwell
enough myself. Always at me to grow some new-fangled kind of vegetable. Cabbage is good enough
forme,andI'mstickingtocabbage."

Poirotsmiled.Hesaid,"Imustbeonmyway.CanyoutellmewhereNicholasRansomeandDesmond
Hollandlive?"

"Past the church, third house on the left. They board with Mrs Brand, go into Medchester Technical
everydaytostudy.They'llbehomebynow."

HegavePoirotaninterestedglance.

"Sothat'sthewayyourmindisworking,isit?There'ssomealreadyasthinksthesame."

"No,Ithinknothingasyet.Buttheywereamongthosepresent-thatisall."

Ashetookleaveandwalkedaway,hemused,"AmongthosepresentIhavecomenearlytotheendof
mylist."

Chapter15

TwopairsofeyeslookedatPoirotuneasily.

"Idon'tseewhatelsewecantellyou.We'vebothbeeninterviewedbythepolice,M.Poirot."

Poirotlookedfromoneboytotheother.

Theywouldnothavedescribedthemselvesasboys;theirmannerwascarefullyadult.

Somuchsothatifoneshutone'seyes,theirconversationcouldhavepassedasthatofelderlyclubmen
-Nicholaswaseighteen.Desmondwassixteen.

"To oblige a friend, I make my inquiries of those present on a certain occasion. Not the Hallowe'en
partyitself-thepreparationsforthatparty.Youwerebothactiveinthese."

"Yes,wewere."

"So far," Poirot said, "I have interviewed cleaning women, I have had the benefit of police views, of
talks to a doctor - the doctor who examined the body first -have talked to a school-teacher who was
present,totheheadmistressoftheschool,todistraughtrelatives,haveheardmuchofthevillagegossip
-Bytheway,Iunderstandyouhavealocalwitchhere?"

Thetwoyoungmenconfrontinghimbothlaughed.

"YoumeanMotherGoodbody.Yes,shecametothepartyandplayedthepartofthewitch."

"Ihavecomenow,"saidPoirot,"totheyoungergeneration,tothoseofacuteeyesightandacutehearing
andwhohaveup-to-datescientificknowledgeandshrewdphilosophy.Iameager-veryeager-tohear
yourviewsonthismatter."

Eighteen and sixteen, he thought to himself, looking at the two boys confronting him. Youths to the
police, boys to him, adolescents to newspaper reporters. Call them what you will. Products of today.
Neitherofthem,hejudged,atallstupid,eveniftheywerenotquiteofthehighmentalitythathehad
justsuggestedtothembywayofaflatteringsoptostarttheconversation.Theyhadbeenattheparty.
TheyhadalsobeenthereearlierinthedaytodohelpfulofficesforMrsDrake.

They had climbed up step-ladders, they had placed yellow pumpkins in strategic positions, they had
donealittleelectricalworkonfairylights,oneorotherofthemhadproducedsomeclevereffectsina
nice batch of phoney photographs of possible husbands as imagined hopefully by teenage girls. They
werealso,incidentally,oftherightagetobeintheforefrontofsuspectsinthemindofInspectorRaglan
and,itseemed,intheviewofanelderlygardener.

Thepercentageofmurderscommittedbythisagegrouphadbeenincreasinginthelastfewyears.Not
thatPoirotinclinedtothatparticularsuspicionhimself,butanythingwaspossible.Itwasevenpossible
thatthekillingwhichhadoccurredtwoorthreeyearsagomighthavebeencommittedbyaboy,youth,
oradolescentoffourteenortwelveyearsofage.Suchcaseshadoccurredinrecentnewspaperreports.

Keepingallthesepossibilitiesinmindhepushedthem,asitwere,behindacurtainforthemoment,and
concentratedinsteadonhisownappraisementofthesetwo,theirlooks,theirclothes,theirmanner,their
voicesandsoonandsoforthintheHerculePoirotmanner,maskedbehindaforeignshieldofnattering
words and much increased foreign mannerisms, so that they themselves should feel agreeably
contemptuous of him, though hiding that under politeness and good manners. For both of them had
excellent manners. Nicholas, the eighteen-year-old, was good-looking, wearing side-burns, hair that
grew fairly far down his neck, and a rather funereal outfit of black. Not as a mourning for the recent
tragedy,butwhatwasobviouslyhispersonaltasteinmodernclothes.Theyoungeronewaswearinga
rose-coloured velvet coat, mauve trousers and a kind of frilled shirting. They both obviously spent a
gooddealofmoneyontheirclotheswhichwerecertainlynotpurchasedlocallyandwereprobablypaid
forbythemselvesandnotbytheirparentsorguardians.

Desmond'shairwasgingercolouredandtherewasagooddealoffluffyprofusionaboutit.

"Youwerethereinthemorningorafternoonoftheparty,Iunderstand,helpingwiththepreparationsfor
it?"

"Earlyafternoon,"correctedNicholas.

"Whatsortofpreparationswereyouhelpingwith?Ihaveheardofpreparationfromseveralpeople,but
Iamnotquiteclear.Theydon'tallagree."

"Agooddealofthelighting,foronething."

"Gettinguponstepsforthingsthathadtobeputhighup."

"Iunderstandthereweresomeverygoodphotographicresultstoo."

Desmond immediately dipped into his pocket and took out a folder from which he proudly brought
certaincards.

"Wefakedupthesebeforehand,"hesaid.

"Husbandsforthegirls,"heexplained."They'reallalike,birdsare.Theyallwantsomethingup-to-date.
Notabadassortment,arethey?"

He handed a few specimens to Poirot who looked with interest at a rather fuzzy reproduction of a
ginger-beardedyoungmanandanotheryoungmanwithanaureoleofhair,athirdonewhosehaircame
tohiskneesalmost,andtherewereafewassortedwhiskers,andotherfacialadornments.

"Made'emprettywellalldifferent.Itwasn'tbad,wasit?""Youhadmodels,Isuppose?"

"Oh,they'reallourselves.Justmake-up,youknow.NickandIgot'emdone.SomeNicktookofmeand
someItookofhim.Justvariedwhatyoumightcallthehairmotif."

"Veryclever,"saidPoirot.

"Wekept'emabitoutoffocus,youknow,sothatthey'dlookmorelikespiritpictures,asyoumight
say."

The other boy said, "Mrs Drake was very pleased with them. She congratulated us. They made her
laughtoo.Itwasmostlyelectricalworkwedidatthehouse.Youknow,fittingupalightortwosothat
whenthegirlssatwiththemirroroneorotherofuscouldtakeupaposition,you'donlytobobupover
a screen and the girl would see a face in the mirror with, mind you, the right kind of hair. Beard or
whiskersorsomethingorother."

"Didtheyknowitwasyouandyourfriend?"

"Oh,Idon'tthinksoforamoment.Notattheparty,theydidn't.Theyknewwehadbeenhelpingatthe
house with some things, but I don't think they recognised us in the mirrors. Weren't smart enough, I
shouldsay.Besides,we'dgotsortofaninstantmake-uptochangetheimage.Firstme,thenNicholas.
Thegirlssqueakedandshrieked.Damnedfunny."

"Andthepeoplewhowerethereintheafternoon?Idonotaskyoutorememberwhowasattheparty."

"Attheparty,theremusthavebeenaboutthirty,Isuppose,knockingabout.Intheafternoontherewas
Mrs Drake, of course, and Mrs Butler. One of the schoolteachers, Whittaker I think her name is. Mrs
Flatterbutorsomenamelikethat.She'stheorganist'ssisterorwife.DrFerguson'sdispenser,MissLee;
it'sherafternoonoffandshecamealongandhelpedtooandsomeofthekidscametomakethemselves
usefuliftheycould.NotthatIthinktheywereveryuseful.Thegirlsjusthungaboutandgiggled."

"Ahyes.Doyourememberwhatgirlstherewerethere?"

"Well,theReynoldswerethere.PooroldJoyce,ofcourse.Theonewhogotdonein,andhereldersister
Ann.Frightfulgirl.Putsnoendofsideon.Thinksshe'sterriblyclever.Quitesureshe'sgoingtopassall
her 'A' levels. And the small kid, Leopold, he's awful," said Desmond. "He's a sneak He eavesdrops.
Tellstales.Realnastybitofgoods.AndtherewasBeatriceArdleyandCathieGrant,whoisdimasthey
makeandacoupleofusefulwomen,ofcourse.Cleaningwomen,Imean.Andtheauthoresswoman-
theonewhobroughtyoudownhere."

"Anymen?"

"Oh,thevicarlookedinifyoucounthim.Niceoldboy,ratherdim.Andthenewcurate.Hestammers
whenhe'snervous.Hasn'tbeenherelong.That'sallIcanthinkofnow."

"And then I understand you heard this girl Joyce Reynolds saying something about having seen a
murdercommitted."

"Ineverheardthat,"saidDesmond."Didshe?"

"Oh,they'resayingso,"saidNicholas."Ididn'thearher.IsupposeIwasn'tintheroomwhenshesaidit.
Wherewasshewhenshesaidthat,Imean?"

"Inthedrawing-room."

"Yes,well,mostofthepeoplewereinthereunlesstheyweredoingsomethingspecial.OfcourseNick
andI,"saidDesmond,"weremostlyintheroomwherethegirlsweregoingtolookfortheirtrueloves
inmirrors.Fixingupwiresandvariousthingslikethat.Orelsewewereoutonthestairsfixingfairy
lights.Wewereinthedrawing-roomonceortwiceputtingthepumpkinsupandhanginguponeortwo
thathadbeenhollowedouttoholdlightsinthem.ButIdidn'thearanythingofthatkindwhenwewere
there.Whataboutyou,Nick?"

"I didn't," said Nick. He added with some interest, "Did Joyce really say that she'd seen a murder
committed?Jollyinteresting,youknow,ifshedid,isn'tit?"

"Whyisitsointeresting?"askedDesmond.

"Well,it'sESP,isn'tit?Imeanthereyouare.Shesawamurdercommittedandwithinanhourortwo
she herself was murdered. I suppose she had a sort of vision of it. Makes you think a bit. You know
theselastexperimentsthey'vebeenhaving-seemsasthoughthereissomethingyoucandotohelpitby
getting an electrode, or something of that kind, fixed up to your jugular vein. I've read about it
somewhere."

"They'venevergotveryfarwiththisESPstuff,"saidNicholas,scornfully."Peoplesitindifferentrooms
lookingatcardsinapackorwordswithsquaresandgeometricalfiguresonthem.Buttheyneversee
therightthings,orhardlyever."

"Well,you'vegottobeprettyyoungtodoit.Adolescentsaremuchbetterthanolderpeople."

HerculePoirot,whohadnowishtolistentothishigh-levelscientificdiscussion,brokein.

"Asfarasyoucanremember,nothingoccurredduringyourpresenceinthehousewhichseemedtoyou
sinister or significant in any way. Something which probably nobody else would have noticed, but
whichmighthavecometoyourattention."

Nicholas and Desmond frowned hard, obviously racking their brains to produce some incident of
importance.

"No,it was justa lot ofclacking and arranging anddoing things." "Haveyou any theories yourself?"
PoirotaddressedhimselftoNicholas."What,theoriesastowhodidJoycein?"

"Yes. I mean something that you might have noticed that could lead you to a suspicion on perhaps
purelypsychologicalgrounds."

"Yes.Icanseewhatyoumean.Theremightbesomethinginthat."

"Whittakerformymoney,"saidDesmond,breakingintoNicholas'sabsorptioninthought.

"Theschool-mistress?"askedPoirot.

"Yes.Realoldspinster,youknow.Sexstarved.Andallthatteaching,bottledupamongalotofwomen.
Youremember,oneoftheteachersgotstrangledayearortwoago.Shewasabitqueer,theysay."

"Lesbian?"askedNicholas,inamanoftheworldvoice.

"Ishouldn'twonder.D'yourememberNoraAmbrose,thegirlshelivedwith?Shewasn'tabadlooker.
Shehadaboyfriendortwo,sotheysaid,andthegirlshelivedwithgotmadwithheraboutit.Someone
saidshewasanunmarriedmother.Shewasawayfortwotermswithsomeillnessandthencameback.
They'dsayanythinginthisnestofgossip."

"Well, anyway, Whittaker was in the drawing-room most of the morning. She probably heard what
Joycesaid.Mighthaveputitintoherhead,mightn'tit?"

"Lookhere,"saidNicholas,"supposingWhittaker-whatageisshe,doyouthink?Fortyodd?Getting
onforfifty.Womendogoabitqueeratthatage."

TheybothlookedatPoirotwiththeairofcontenteddogswhohaveretrievedsomethingusefulwhich
masterhasaskedfor.

"I bet Miss Emlyn knows if it is so. There's not much she doesn't know, about what goes on in her
school."

"Wouldn'tshesay?"

"Perhapsshefeelsshehastobeloyalandshieldher."

"Oh,Idon'tthinkshe'ddothat.IfshethoughtElizabethWhittakerwasgoingoffherhead,wellthen,I
mean,alotofthepupilsattheschoolmightgetdonein."

"Whataboutthecurate?"saidDesmondhopefully."Hemightbeabitoffhisnut.Youknow,originalsin
perhaps,andallthat,andthewaterandtheapplesandthethingsandthen-lookhere,I'vegotagood
idea now. Suppose he is a bit barmy. Not been here very long. Nobody knows much about him.
Supposingit'stheSnapdragonputitintohishead.Hellfire!Allthoseflamesgoingup!Then,yousee,
hetookholdofJoyceandhesaid'comealongwithmeandI'llshowyousomething,'andhetookherto
theappleroomandhesaid'kneeldown'.Hesaid'thisisbaptism,'andpushedherheadin.See?Itwould
allfit.AdamandEveandtheappleandhellfireandtheSnapdragonandbeingbaptisedagaintocure
youofsin."

"Perhapsheexposedhimselftoherfirst,"saidNicholashopefully."Imean,there'salwaysgottobea
sexbackgroundtoallthesethings."

TheybothlookedwithsatisfiedfacestoPoirot.

"Well,"saidPoirot,"you'vecertainlygivenmesomethingtothinkabout."

Chapter16

HerculePoirotlookedwithinterestatMrsGoodbody'sface.

It was indeed perfect as a model for a witch. The fact that it almost undoubtedly went with extreme
amiabilityofcharacterdidnotdispeltheillusion.Shetalkedwithrelishandpleasure.

"Yes,Iwasupthererightenough,Iwas.Ialwaysdoesthewitchesroundhere.Vicar,hecomplimented
melastyearandhesaidasI'ddonesuchagoodjobinthepageantashe'dgivemeanewsteeplehat.A
witch'shatwearsoutjustlikeanythingelsedoes.Yes,Iwasrightuptherethatday.Idoestherhymes,
youknow.Imeantherhymesforthegirls,usingtheirownChristianname.OneforBeatrice,onefor
Annandalltherestofit.AndIgivesthemtowhoeverisdoingthespiritvoiceandtheyreciteitoutto
the girl in the mirror, and the boys. Master Nicholas and young Desmond, they send the phoney
photographsfloatingdown.Makemedieoflaughing,someofitdoes.Seethoseboysstickinghairall
overtheirfacesandphotographingeachother.Andwhattheydressupin!IsawMasterDesmondthe
otherday,andwhathewaswearingyou'dhardlybelieve.Rose-colouredcoatandfawnbreeches.Beat
thegirlshollow,theydo.Allthegirlscanthinkofistopushtheirskirtshigherandhigher,andthat'snot
muchgoodtothembecausethey'vegottoputonmoreunderneath.Imeanwhatwiththethingsthey
callbodystockingsandtights,whichusedtobeforchorusgirlsinmydayandnoneother-theyspend
all their money on that. But the boys - my word, they look like kingfishers and peacocks or birds of
paradise.

Well,IliketoseeabitofcolourandIalwaysthinkitmusthavebeenfuninthoseoldhistoricaldaysas
youseeonthepictures.Youknow,everybodywithlaceandcurlsandcavalierhatsandalltherestofit.
Gave the girls something to look at, they did. And doublet and hose. All the girls could think of in
historicaltimes,asfarasIcansee,wastoputgreatballoonskirtson,crinolinestheycalledthemlater,
andgreatrufflesroundtheirnecks!Mygrandmother,sheusedtotellmethatheryoungladiesshewas
in service, you know, in a good Victorian family and her young ladies (before the time of Victoria I
thinkitwas)itwasthetimetheKingwhathadaheadlikeapearwasonthethroneSillyBilly,wasn'tit,
William IVth, well then, her young ladies, I mean my grandmother's young ladies, they used to have
muslingownsverylongdowntotheirankles,veryprimbuttheyusedtodamptheirmuslinswithwater
sotheystucktothem.Youknow,stucktothemsoitshowedeverythingtherewastoshow.

Wentaboutlookingeversomodest,butittickledupthegentlemen,allright,itdid.

"IlentMrsDrakemywitchballfortheparty.Boughtthatwitchballatajumblesalesomewhere.There
itishanginguptherenowbythechimney,yousee?Nicebrightdarkblue.Ikeepitovermydoor."

"Doyoutellfortunes?"

"Mustn'tsayIdo,mustI?"shechuckled.

"Thepolicedon'tlikethat.NotthattheymindthekindoffortunesItell.Nothingtoit,asyoumightsay.
Placelikethisyoualwaysknowwho'sgoingwithwho,andsothatmakesiteasy."

"Canyoulookinyourwitchball,lookinthere,seewhokilledthatlittlegirl,Joyce?"

"Yougotmixedup,youhave,"saidMrsGoodbody."It'sacrystalballyoulookintoseethings,nota
witchball.IfItoldyouwhoIthoughtitwasdidit,youwouldn'tlikeit.Sayitwasagainstnature,you
would.Butlotsofthingsgoonthatareagainstnature."

"Youmayhavesomethingthere."

"Thisisagoodplacetolive,onthewhole.Imean,peoplearedecent,mostofthem,butwhereveryou
go,thedevil'salwaysgotsomeofhisown.Bornandbredtoit."

"Youmeanblackmagic?"

"No,Idon'tmeanthat."MrsGoodbodywasscornful."That'snonsense,thatis.That'sforpeoplewho
liketodressupanddoalotoftomfoolery.Sexandallthat.No,Imeanthosethatthedevilhastouched
with his hand. They're born that way. The sons of Lucifer. They're born so that killing don't mean
nothingtothem,notiftheyprofitbyit.Whentheywantathing,theywantit.Andthey'reruthlesstoget
it. Beautiful as angels, they can look like. Knew a little girl once. Seven years old. Killed her little
brotherandsister.Twinstheywere.Fiveorsixmonthsold,nomore.Stifledthemintheirprams."

"ThattookplacehereinWoodleighCommon?"

"No,no,itwasn'tinWoodleighCommon.IcameacrossthatupinYorkshire,farasIremember.Nasty
case.Beautifullittlecreatureshewas,too.Youcouldhavefastenedapairofwingsonher,lethergoon
aplatformandsingChristmashymns,andshe'dhavelookedrightforthepart.Butshewasn't.Shewas
rotteninside.You'llknowwhatImean.You'renotayoungman.Youknowwhatwickednessthereis
aboutintheworld."

"Alas!"saidPoirot."Youareright.Idoknowonlytoowell.IfJoycereallysawamurdercommitted-"

"Whosaysshedid?"saidMrsGoodbody."Shesaidsoherself."

"That'snoreasonforbelieving.She'salwaysbeenalittleliar."Shegavehimasharpglance.

"Youwon'tbelievethat,Isuppose?"

"Yes,"saidPoirot,"Idobelieveit.Toomanypeoplehavetoldmeso,formetocontinuedisbelieving

it."

"Oddthingscropsupinfamilies,"saidMrsGoodbody."YoutaketheReynolds,forexample.There's
MrReynolds.Intheestatebusinessheis.Nevercutmuchiceatitandneverwill.Nevergotonmuch,
as you'd say. And Mrs Reynolds, always getting worried and upset about things. None of their three
children take after their parents. There's Ann, now, she's got brains. She's going to do well with her
schooling,sheis.She'llgotocollege,Ishouldn'twonder,maybegetherselftrainedasateacher.Mind
you,she'spleasedwithherself.She'ssopleasedwithherselfthatnobodycanstickher.Noneoftheboys
look at her twice. And then there was Joyce. She wasn't clever like Ann, nor as clever as her little
brotherLeopold,either,butshewantedtobe.Shewantedalwaystoknowmorethanotherpeopleandto
have done better than other people and she'd say anything to make people sit up and take notice. But
don'tyoubelieveanysinglewordsheeversaidwastrue.Becauseninetimesoutoftenitwasn't."

"Andtheboy?"

"Leopold?Well,he'sonlynineorten,Ithink,buthe'scleverallright.Cleverwithhisfingersandother
ways,too.Hewantstostudythingslikephysics.He'sgoodatmathematics,too.Quitesurprisedaboutit
theywere,inschool.Yes,he'sclever.He'llbeoneofthesescientists,Iexpect.Ifyouaskme,thethings
hedoeswhenhe'sascientistandthethingshe'llthinkof-they'llbenasty,likeatombombs!He'soneof
thekindthatstudiesandareeversocleverandthinkupsomethingthat'lldestroyhalftheglobe,andall
us poor folk with it. You beware of Leopold. He plays tricks on people, you know, and eavesdrops.
Findsoutalltheirsecrets.WherehegetsallhispocketmoneyfromI'dliketoknow.Itisn'tfromhis
motherorhisfather.Theycan'taffordtogivehimmuch.He'sgotlotsofmoneyalways.Keepsitina
drawerunderhissocks.Hebuysthings.Quitealotofexpensivegadgets.Wheredoeshegetthemoney
from? That's what I'd like to know. Finds people's secrets out, I'd say, and makes them pay him for
holdinghistongue."

Shepausedforbreath.

"Well,Ican'thelpyou,I'mafraid,inanyway."

"Youhavehelpedmeagreatdeal,"saidPoirot.

"Whathappenedtotheforeigngirlwhoissaidtohaverunaway?"

"Didn't go far, in my opinion. 'Ding dong dell, pussy's in the well.' That's what I've always thought,
anyway."

Chapter17

"Excuseme,Ma'am,IwonderifImightspeaktoyouaminute."

MrsOliver,whowasstandingontheverandahofherfriend'shouselookingouttoseeiftherewereany
signsofHerculePoirotapproaching-hehadnotifiedherbytelephonethathewouldbecominground
toseeheraboutnow-lookedround.

Aneatlyattiredwomanofmiddleagewasstanding,twistingherhandsnervouslyintheirneatcotton
gloves.

"Yes?"saidMrsOliver,addinganinterrogationpointbyherintonation."I'msorrytotroubleyou,I'm
sure,Madam,butIthoughtwell,Ithought..."

MrsOliverlistenedbutdidnotattempttoprompther.Shewonderedwhatwasworryingthewomanso
much.

"I take it rightly as you're the lady who writes stories, don't I? Stories about crimes and murders and
thingsofthatkind."

"Yes,"saidMrsOliver,"I'mtheone."

Her curiosity was now aroused. Was this a preface for a demand for an autograph or even a signed
photograph?Oneneverknew.Themostunlikelythingshappened.

"I thought as you'd be the right one to tell me," said the woman. "You'd better sit down," said Mrs
Oliver.

SheforesawthatMrsWhoever-it-was-shewaswearingaweddingringsoshewasaMrs-wasthetype
whotakessometimeingettingtothepoint.Thewomansatdownandwentontwistingherhandsin
theirgloves.

"Somethingyou'reworriedabout?"saidMrsOliver,doingherbesttostarttheflow.

"Well, I'd like advice, and it's true. It's about something that happened a good while ago and I wasn't

really worried at the time. But you know how it is. You think things over and you wish you knew
someoneyoucouldgoandaskaboutit."

"Isee,"saidMrsOliver,hopingtoinspireconfidencebythisentirelymeretriciousstatement.

"Seeingthethingswhathavehappenedlately,youneverdoknow,doyou?""Youmean-?"

"ImeanwhathappenedattheHallowe'enparty,orwhatevertheycalledit.Imeanitshowsyouthere's
people who aren't dependable here, doesn't it? And it shows you things before that weren't as you
thoughttheywere.Imean,theymightn'thavebeenwhatyouthoughttheywere,ifyouunderstandwhat
Imean."

"Yes?"saidMrsOliver,addinganevengreatertingeofinterrogationtothemonosyllable."Idon'tthink
Iknowyourname,"sheadded.

"Leaman,MrsLeaman.Igooutanddocleaningtoobligeladieshere.Eversincemyhusbanddied,and
thatwasfiveyearsago.IusedtoworkforMrsLlewellyn-Smythe,theladywholivedupattheQuarry
House,beforeColonelandMrsWestoncame.Idon'tknowifyoueverknewher."

"No," said Mrs Oliver, "I never knew her. This is the first time I have been down to Woodleigh
Common."

"Isee.Well,youwouldn'tknowmuchaboutwhatwasgoingonperhapsatthattime,andwhatwassaid
atthattime."

"I'veheardacertainamountaboutitsinceI'vebeendownherethistime,"saidMrsOliver.

"You see, I don't know anything about the law, and I'm worried always when it's a question of law.
Lawyers,Imean.TheymighttangleitupandIwouldn'tliketogotothepolice.Itwouldn'tbeanything
todowiththepolice,beingalegalmatter,wouldit?"

"Perhapsnot,"saidMrsOliver,cautiously.

"Youknowperhapswhattheysaidatthetimeaboutthecodi-1don'tknow,somewordlikecodi.Like
thefishImean."

"AcodiciltotheWill?"suggestedMrsOliver.

"Yes, that's right. That's what I'm meaning. Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe, you see, made one of these cod-
codicilsandsheleftallhermoneytotheforeigngirlwhatlookedafterher.Anditwasasurprise,that,
because she'd got relations living here, and she'd come here anyway to live near them. She was very
devoted to them, Mr Drake, in particular. And it struck people as pretty queer, really. And then the
lawyers, you see, they began saying things. They said as Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe hadn't written that
codicilatall.Thattheforeignpairgirlhaddoneit,seeingasshegotallthemoneylefttoher.Andthey
saidastheyweregoingtolawaboutit.ThatMrsDrakewasgoingtocountersettheWill,ifthatisthe
rightword."

"ThelawyersweregoingtocontesttheWill.Yes,IbelieveIdidhearsomethingaboutthat,"saidMrs
Oliverencouragingly."Andyouknowsomethingaboutit,perhaps?"

"Ididn'tmeannoharm,"saidMrsLeamanAslightwhinecameintohervoice,awhinewithwhichMrs
Oliverhadbeenacquaintedseveraltimesinthepast.

Mrs Leaman she thought, was presumably an unreliable woman in some ways, a snooper perhaps, a
listeneratdoors.

"Ididn'tsaynothingatthetime,"saidMrsLeaman"becauseyouseeIdidn'trightlyknow.ButyouseeI
thoughtitwasqueerandI'lladmittoaladylikeyou,whoknowswhatthesethingsare,thatIdidwant
toknowthetruthaboutit.I'dworkedforMrsLlewellyn-Smytheforsometime,Ihad,andonewantsto
knowhowthingshappened."

"Quite,"saidMrsOliver.

"IfIthoughtI'ddonewhatIoughtn'ttohavedone,well,ofcourse,I'dhaveowneduptoit.ButIdidn't
thinkasI'ddoneanythingreallywrong,yousee.Notatthetime,ifyouunderstand,"sheadded.

"Ohyes,"saidMrsOliver,"I'msureIshallunderstand.Goon.Itwasaboutthiscodicil."

"Yes,youseeonedayMrsLlewellyn-Smythe-shehadn'tfelttoogoodthatdayandsosheaskedusto
come in. Me that was, and young Jim who helps down in the garden and brings the sticks in and the
coals,andthingslikethat.Sowewentintoherroom,whereshewas,andshe'dgotpapersbeforeher
thereonthedesk.Andsheturnstothisforeigngirl-MissOlgaweallcalledher-andsaid'Yougoout
of the room now, dear, because you mustn't be mixed up in this part of it,' or something like that. So

MissOlga,shegoesoutoftheroomandMrsLlewellyn-Smythe,shetellsustocomecloseandshesays
'Thisis my Will, this is.' She's gota bit of blotting paper over the toppart of it but the bottom of it's
quiteclear.Shesaid'I'mwritingsomethinghereonthispieceofpaperandIwantyoutobeawitnessof
whatI'vewrittenandofmysignatureattheendofit'Soshestartswritingalongthepage.Scratchypen
she always used, she wouldn't use Biros or anything like that. And she writes two or three lines of
writing and then she signed her name, and then she says to me, 'Now, Mrs Leaman, you write your
name there. Your name and your address' and then she says to Jim 'And now you write your name
underneath there, and your address too. There. That'll do. Now you've seen me write that and you've
seen my signature and you've written your names, both of you, to say that's that.' And then she says
'That'sall.Thankyouverymuch.'Sowegoesoutoftheroom.Well,Ididn'tthinknothingmoreofitat
thetime,butIwonderedabit.AndithappenedasIturnsmyheadjustasIwasgoingoutoftheroom.
Youseethedoordoesn'talwayslatchproperly.Youhavetogiveitapull,tomakeitclick.AndsoIwas
doingthat-1wasn'treallylooking,ifyouknowwhatImean-"

"Iknowwhatyoumean,"saidMrsOliver,inanon-committalvoice.

"AndsoIseesMrsLlewellyn-Smythepullherselfupfromthechair-she'dgotarthritisandhadpain
moving about sometimes - and go over to the bookcase and she pulled out a book and she puts that
pieceofpapershe'djustsigned-inanenvelopeitwas-inoneofthebooks.Abigtallbookitwasin
thebottomshelf.Andshesticksitbackinthebookcase.Well,Ineverthoughtofitagain,asyoumight
say.No,reallyIdidn't.Butwhenallthisfusscameup,well,ofcourseIfelt-atleast,I-"Shecametoa
stop.

MrsOliverhadoneofherusefulintuitions.

"Butsurely,"shesaid,"youdidn'twaitaslongasallthat-"

"Well,I'lltellyouthetruth,Iwill.I'lladmitIwascurious.Afterall,Imean,youwanttoknowwhen
you'vesignedanything,whatyou'vesigned,don'tyou?Imean,it'sonlyhumannature."

"Yes,"saidMrsOliver,"it'sonlyhumannature."

Curiosity,shethought,wasahighlycomponentpartinMrsLeamanhumannature.

"SoIwilladmitthatnextday,whenMrsLlewellyn-SmythehaddrivenintoMedchesterandIwasdoing
herbedroomasusual-abedsittingroomshehadbecauseshehadtorestalot.AndIthinks"Well,one
oughtreallytoknowwhenyou'vesignedathing,whatitisyou'vesigned."Imeantheyalwayssaywith
thesehirepurchasethings,youshouldreadthesmallprint."

"Orinthiscase,thehandwriting,"suggestedMrsOliver.

"SoIthought,well,there'snoharm-it'snotasthoughIwastakinganything.ImeantosayI'dhadto
sign my name there, and I thought I really ought to know what I'd signed. So I had a look along the
bookshelves.Theyneededdustinganyway.AndIfoundtheone.Itwasonthebottomshelf.Itwasan
oldbook,asortofQueenVictoria'skindofbook.AndIfoundthisenvelopewithafoldedpaperinit
andthetitleofthebooksaidEnquireWithinuponEverything.Anditseemedthenasthoughitwas,sort
ofmeant,ifyouknowwhatImean?"

"Yes,"saidMrsOliver."Itwasclearlymeant.Andsoyoutookoutthepaperandlookedatit."

"That'sright.Madam.AndwhetherIdidwrongornotIdon'tknow.Butanyway,thereitwas.Itwasa
legal document all right. On the last page there was the writing what she'd made the morning before.
Newwritingwithanewscratchypenshewasusing.Itwasclearenoughtoread,though,althoughshe
hadaratherspikyhandwriting."

"Andwhatdiditsay?"saidMrsOliver,hercuriositynowhavingjoineditselftothatpreviouslyfeltby
MrsLeaman.

"Well,itsaidsomethinglike,asfarasIremember-theexactwordsI'mnotquitesureof-something
abouta codicil andthat after thelegacies mentioned in herWill, she bequeathedher entire fortune to
Olga - I'm not sure of the surname, it began with an S. Seminoff, or something like that - in
consideration of her great kindness and attention to her during her illness. And there it was written
downandshe'dsigneditandI'dsignedit,andJimhadsignedit.SoIputitbackwhereitwasbecauseI
shouldn'tlikeMrsLlewellyn-SmythetoknowthatI'dbeenpokingaboutinherthings.

"Butwell,Isaidtomyself,well,thisisasurprise.AndIthought,fancythatforeigngirlgettingallthat
money because we all know as Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe was very rich. Her husband had been in
shipbuilding and he'd left her a big fortune, and I thought, well, some people have all the luck. Mind
you,Iwasn'tparticularlyfondofMissOlgamyself.Shehadasharpwaywithhersometimesandshe
hadquiteabadtemper.ButIwillsayasshewasalwaysveryattentiveandpoliteandallthat,totheold
lady.Lookingoutforherselfallright,shewas,andshegotawaywithit.AndIthought,well,leavingall
that money away from her own family. Then I thought, well, perhaps she's had a tiff with them and
likelyasnotthatwillblowover,somaybeshe'lltearthisupandmakeanotherWillandcodicilafterall.
Butanyway,thatwasthat,andIputitbackandIforgotaboutit,Isuppose.

"ButwhenallthefusscameupabouttheWill,andtherewastalkofhowithadbeenforgedandMrs
Llewellyn-Smythecouldneverhavewrittenthatcodicilherself-forthat'swhattheyweresaying,mind
you,asitwasn'ttheoldladywhohadwrittenthatatall,itwassomebodyelse-"

"Isee,"saidMrsOliver."Andso,whatdidyoudo?"

"Ididn'tdoanything.Andthat'swhat'sworryingme...Ididn'tgetthehangofthingsatonce.Andwhen
I'dthoughtthingsoverabitIdidn'tknowrightlywhatIoughttodoandIthought,well,itwasalltalk
becausetheLawyerswereagainsttheforeigner,likepeoplealwaysare.I'mnotveryfondofforeigners
myself, I'll admit. At any rate, there it was, and the young lady herself was swan king about, giving
herselfairs,lookingaspleasedasPunchandIthought,well,maybeit'sallalegalthingofsomekind
andthey'llsayshe'snorighttothemoneybecauseshewasn'trelatedtotheoldlady.Soeverythingwill
beallright.Anditwasinawaybecause,yousee,theygaveuptheideaofbringingthecase.Itdidn't
come to court at all and as far as anyone knew, Miss Olga ran away. Went off back to the Continent
somewhere, where she came from. So it looks as though there must have been some hocus pocus of
somekindonherpart.Maybeshethreatenedtheoldladyandmadeherdoit.Youneverknow,doyou?
One of my nephews who's going to be a doctor, says you can do wonderful things with hypnotism. I
thoughtperhapsshehypnotisedtheoldlady."

"Thiswashowlongago?"

"MrsLlewellyn-Smythe'sbeendeadfor-letmesee,nearlytwoyears."

"Anditdidn'tworryyou?"

"No, it didn't worry me. Not at the time. Because you see, I didn't rightly see that it mattered.
Everythingwasallright,therewasn'tanyquestionofthatMissOlgagettingawaywiththemoney,soI
didn'tseeasitwasanycallforme-"

"Butnowyoufeeldifferently?"

"It'sthatnastydeath-thatchildthatwaspushedintoabucketofapples.Sayingthingsaboutamurder,
sayingshe'dseensomethingorknownsomethingaboutamurder.AndIthoughtmaybeasMissOlga
had murdered the old lady because she knew all this money was coming to her and then she got the
wind up when there was a fuss and lawyers and the police, maybe, and so she ran away. So then I
thoughtwell,perhapsIoughtto-well,Ioughttotellsomeone,andIthoughtyou'dbealadyashasgot
friends in legal departments. Friends in the police perhaps, and you'd explain to them that I was only
dustingabookshelf,andthispaperwasthereinabookandIputitbackwhereitbelonged.Ididn'ttake
itawayoranything."

"Butthat'swhathappened,wasit,onthatoccasion?YousawMrsLlewellyn-Smythewriteacodicilto
herWill.YousawherwritehernameandyouyourselfandthisJimsomeonewereboththereandyou

bothwroteyourownnamesyourselves.That'sit,isn'tit?"

"That'sright."

"So if you both saw Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe write her name, then that signature couldn't have been a
forgery,couldit?Notifyousawherwriteitherself."

"Isawherwriteitherselfandthat'stheabsolutetruthI'mspeaking.AndJim'dsaysotooonlyhe'sgone
to Australia, he has. Went over a year ago and I don't know his address or anything. He didn't come
fromtheseparts,anyway."

"Andwhatdoyouwantmetodo?"

"Well,Iwantyoutotellmeifthere'sanythingIoughttosay,ordonow.Nobody'saskedme,mindyou.
NobodyeveraskedmeifIknewanythingaboutaWill."

"YournameisLeaman.WhatChristianname?"

"Harriet."

"HarrietLeamanAndJim,whatwashislastname?"

"Well,now,whatwasit?Jenkins.That'sright.JamesJenkins.I'dbemuchobligedifyoucouldhelpme
becauseitworriesme,yousee.AllthistroublecomingalongandifthatMissOlgadidit,murderedMrs
Llewellyn-Smythe,Imean,andyoungJoycesawherdoit...Shewaseversocock-a-hoopaboutitall,
MissOlgawas,Imeanabouthearingfromthelawyersasshe'dcomeintoalotofmoney.Butitwas
differentwhenthepolicecameroundaskingquestions,andshewentoffverysudden,shedid.Nobody
askedmeanything,theydidn't.ButnowIcan'thelpwonderingifIoughttohavesaidsomethingatthe
time."

"Ithink,"saidMrsOliver,"thatyouwillprobablyhavetotellthisstoryofyourstowhoeverrepresented
MrsLlewellyn-Smytheasalawyer.I'msureagoodlawyerwillquiteunderstandyourfeelingsandyour
motive."

"Well, I'm sure if you'd say a word for me and tell them, being a lady as knows what's what, how it
cameabout,andhowInevermeantto-well,nottodoanythingdishonestinanyway.Imean,allIdid-

"

"Allyoudidwastosaynothing,"saidMrsOliver."Itseemsquiteareasonableexplanation."

"And if it could come from you saying a word for me first, you know, to explain, I'd be ever so
grateful."

"I'lldowhatIcan,"saidMrsOliver.

Hereyesstrayedtothegardenpathwhereshesawaneatfigureapproaching.

"Well,thankseversomuch.Theysaidasyouwereaverynicelady,andI'msureI'mmuchobligedto
you."

Sherosetoherfeet,replacedthecottongloveswhichshehadtwistedentirelyoffinheranguish,madea
kindofhalfnodorbob,andtrottedoff.MrsOliverwaiteduntilPoirotapproached.

"Comehere,"shesaid,"andsitdown.What'sthematterwithyou?Youlookupset."

"Myfeetareextremelypainful,"saidHerculePoirot.

"It'sthoseawfultightpatentleathershoesofyours,"saidMrsOliver."Sitdown.Tellmewhatyoucame
totellme,andthenI'lltellyousomethingthatyoumaybesurprisedtohear!"

Chapter18

Poirotsatdown,stretchedouthislegsandsaid:"Ah!thatisbetter."

"Takeyourshoesoff,"saidMrsOliver,"andrestyourfeet."

"No,no.Icouldnotdothat."Poirotsoundedshockedatthepossibility.

"Well, we're old friends together," said Mrs Oliver, "and Judith wouldn't mind if she came out of the

house.Youknow,ifyou'llexcusemesayingso,yououghtn'ttowearpatentleathershoesinthecountry.
Whydon'tyougetyourselfanicepairofsuedeshoes?Orthethingsallthehippy-lookingboyswear
nowadays?Youknow,thesortofshoesthatslipon,andyouneverhavetocleanthem-apparentlythey
cleanthemselvesbysomeextraordinaryprocessorother.Oneoftheselabour-savinggimmicks."

"Iwouldnotcareforthatatall,"saidPoirotseverely."No,indeed!"

"Thetroublewithyouis,"saidMrsOliver,beginningtounwrapapackageonthetablewhichshehad
obviouslyrecentlypurchased,"thetroublewithyouisthatyouinsistonbeingsmart.Youmindmore
about your clothes and your moustaches and how you look and what you wear than comfort. Now
comfortisreallythegreatthing.Onceyou'vepassed,say,fifty,comfortistheonlythingthatmatters."

"Madame,chereMadame,IdonotknowthatIagreewithyou."

"Well,you'dbetter,"saidMrsOliver."Ifnot,youwillsufferagreatdeal,anditwillbeworseyearafter
year."

MrsOliverfishedagailycoveredboxfromitspaperbag.Removingthelidsofthis,shepickedupa
smallportionofitscontentsandtransferredittohermouth.

Shethenlickedherfingers,wipedthemonahandkerchief,andmurmured,ratherindistinctly:"Sticky."

"Doyounolongereatapples?Ihavealwaysseenyouwithabagofapplesinyourhand,oreatingthem,
oronoccasionsthebagbreaksandtheytumbleoutontheroad."

"Itoldyou,"saidMrsOliver,"ItoldyouthatIneverwanttoseeanappleagain.No.Ihateapples.I
supposeIshallgetoveritsomedayandeatthemagain,butwell,Idon'tliketheassociationsofapples."

"Andwhatisitthatyoueatnow?"

Poirotpickedupthegailycolouredliddecoratedwithapictureofapalmtree.

"Tunisdates,"heread.

"Ah,datesnow."

"That'sright,"saidMrsOliver.

"Dates."

She took another date and put it in her mouth, removed a stone which she threw into a bush and
continuedtomunch.

"Dates,"saidPoirot."Itisextraordinary."

"Whatisextraordinaryabouteatingdates?Peopledo."

"No,no,Idonotmeanthat.Noteatingthem.Itisextraordinarythatyoushouldsaytomelikethat-
dates."

"Why?"askedMrsOliver.

"Because,"saidPoirot,"againandagainyouindicatetomethepath,the-howdoyousay,thechemin-
thatIshouldtakeorthatIshouldhavealreadytaken.YoushowmethewaythatIshouldgo.Dates.Till
thismomentIdidnotrealisehowimportantdateswere."

"I can't see that dates have anything to do with what's happened here. I mean, there's no real time
involved.Thewholethingtookplacewhat-onlyfivedaysago."

"Thateventtookplacefourdaysago.Yes,thatisverytrue.Buttoeverythingthathappenstherehasto
beapast.Apastwhichisbynowincorporatedintoday,butwhichexistedyesterdayorlastmonthor
lastyear.Thepresentisnearlyalwaysrootedinthepast.Ayear,twoyears,perhapseventhreeyears
ago,amurderwascommitted.Achildsawthatmurder.Becausethatchildsawthatmurderonacertain
datenowlonggoneby,thatchilddiedfourdaysago.Isnotthatso?"

"Yes. That's so. At least, I suppose it is. It mightn't have been at all. It might be just some mentally
disturbednutwholikeskillingpeopleandwhoseideaofplayingwithwateristopushsomebody'shead
underitandholditthere.Itmighthavebeendescribedasamentaldelinquent'sbitoffunataparty."

"Itwasnotthatbeliefthatbroughtyoutome,Madame."

"No,"saidMrsOliver,"no,itwasn't.Ididn'tlikethefeelofthings.Istilldon'tlikethefeelofthings."

"AndIagreewithyou.Ithinkyouarequiteright.Ifonedoesnotlikethefeelofthings,onemustlearn
why.Iamtryingveryhard,thoughyoumaynotthinkso,tolearnwhy."

"By going around and talking to people, finding out if they are nice or not and then asking them
questions?"

"Exactly."

"Andwhathaveyoulearnt?"

"Facts,"saidPoirot."Factswhichwillhaveinduecoursetobeanchoredintheirplacebydates,shall
wesay."

"Isthatall?Whatelsehaveyoulearnt?"

"ThatnobodybelievesintheveracityofJoyceReynolds."

"Whenshesaidshesawsomeonekilled?ButIheardher."

"Yes,shesaidit.Butnobodybelievesitistrue.Theprobabilityis,therefore,thatitwasnottrue.That
shesawnosuchthing."

"It seems to me," said Mrs Oliver, "as though your facts were leading you backwards instead of
remainingonthespotorgoingforward."

"Thingshavetobemadetoaccord.Takeforgery,forinstance.Thefactofforgery.Everybodysaysthat
a foreign girl, the au pair girl, so endeared herself to an elderly and very rich widow that that rich
widowleftaWill,oracodiciltoaWill,leavingallhermoneytothisgirl.DidthegirlforgethatWillor
didsomebodyelseforgeit?"

"Whoelsecouldhaveforgedit?"

"Therewasanotherforgerinthisvillage.Someone,thatis,whohadoncebeenaccusedofforgerybut
hadgotofflightlyasafirstoffenderandwithextenuatingcircumstances."

"Is that a new character? One I know?" "No, you do not know him. He is dead." "Oh? When did he
die?"

"Abouttwoyearsago.TheexactdateIdonotasyetknow.ButIshallhavetoknow.Heissomeone
whohadpractisedforgeryandwholivedinthisplace.Andbecauseofalittle-whatyoumightcallgirl
trouble-arousingjealousyandvariousemotions,hewasknifedonenightanddied.Ihavetheidea,you
see,thatalotofseparatedincidentsmighttieupmorecloselythananyonehasthought.Notallofthem.
Probablynotallofthem,butseveralofthem."

"Itsoundsinteresting,"saidMrsOliver,"butIcan'tsee"

"NorcanIasyet,"saidPoirot."ButIthinkdatesmighthelp.Datesofcertainhappenings,wherepeople
were,whathappenedtothem,whattheyweredoing.Everybodythinksthattheforeigngirlforgedthe
Willandprobably,"saidPoirot,"everybodywasright.Shewastheonetogainbyit,wasshenot?Wait-
wait-"

"Waitforwhat?"saidMrsOliver.

"Anideathatpassedthroughmyhead,"saidPoirot.

MrsOliversighedandtookanotherdate.

"YoureturntoLondon,Madame?Orareyoumakingalongstayhere?"

"Dayaftertomorrow,"saidMrsOliver.

"Ican'tstayanylonger.I'vegotagoodmanythingscroppingup."

"Tellme,nowinyourflat,yourhouse,Icannotrememberwhichitisnow,youhavemovedsomany
timeslately,thereisroomtheretohaveguests?"

"Ineveradmitthatthereis,"saidMrsOliver."Ifyoueveradmitthatyou'vegotafreeguestroomin
London,you'veaskedforit.Allyourfriends,andnotonlyyourfriends,youracquaintancesorindeed
your acquaintances' third cousins sometimes, write you letters and say would you mind just putting
them up for a night. Well, I do mind. What with sheets and laundry, pillow cases and wanting early
morningteaandveryoftenexpectingmealsservedtothem,peoplecome.SoIdon'tletonthatIhave
gotanavailablespareroom.Myfriendscomeandstaywithme.ThepeopleIreallywanttosee,butthe
others-no,I'mnothelpful.Idon'tlikejustbeingmadeuseof."

"Whodoes?"saidHerculePoirot."Youareverywise."

"Andanyway,what'sallthisabout?"

"Youcouldputuponeortwoguests,ifneedarose?"

"Icould,"saidMrsOliver."Whodoyouwantmetoputup?Notyouyourself.You'vegotasplendid
flatofyourown.Ultramodern,veryabstract,allsquaresandcubes."

"Itisjustthattheremightbeawiseprecautiontotake."

"Forwhom?Somebodyelsegoingtobekilled?"

"Itrustandpraynot,butitmightbewithintheboundsofpossibility."

"Butwho?Who?Ican'tunderstand."

"Howwelldoyouknowyourfriend?"

"Know her? Not well. I mean, we liked each other on a cruise and got in the habit of pairing off
together.Therewassomething-whatshallIsay?-excitingabouther.Different."

"Didyouthinkyoumightputherinabooksomeday?"

"Idohatethatphrasebeingused.Peoplearealwayssayingittomeandit'snottrue.Notreally.Idon't
putpeopleinbooks.PeopleImeet,peopleIknow."

"It is perhaps not true to say, Madame, that you do put people in books sometimes? People that you
meet,butnot,Iagree,peoplethatyouknow.Therewouldbenofuninthat."

"You'requiteright,"saidMrsOliver."You'rereallyrathergoodatguessingthingssometimes.Itdoes
happen that way. I mean, you see a fat woman sitting in a bus eating a currant bun and her lips are
moving as well as eating, and you can see she's either saying something to someone or thinking up a
telephonecallthatshe'sgoingtomake,orperhapsalettershe'sgoingtowrite.Andyoulookatherand
you study her shoes and the skirt she's got on and her hat and guess her age and whether she's got a
weddingringonandafewotherthings.Andthenyougetoutofthebus.Youdon'twantevertoseeher
again,butyou'vegotastoryinyourmindaboutsomebodycalledMrsCarnabywhoisgoinghomeina
bus,havinghadaverystrangeinterview,somewherewhereshesawsomeoneinapastrycook'sandwas
remindedofsomeoneshe'donlymetonceandwhoshehadheardwasdeadandapparentlyisn'tdead.
Dearme,"saidMrsOliver,pausingforbreath.

"Youknow,it'squitetrue.IdidsitacrossfromsomeoneinabusjustbeforeIleftLondon,andhereitis
allworkingoutbeautifullyinsidemyhead.Ishallhavethewholestorysoon.Thewholesequence,what
she'sgoingbacktosay,whetherit'llrunherintodangerorsomebodyelseintodanger.IthinkIeven
knowhername.Hername'sConstance.ConstanceCarnaby.There'sonlyonethingwouldruinit."

"Andwhatisthat?"

"Well,Imean,ifImetheragaininanotherbus,orspoketoherorshetalkedtomeorIbegantoknow
somethingabouther.Thatwouldruineverything,ofcourse."

"Yes,yes.Thestorymustbeyours,thecharacterisyours.Sheisyourchild.Youhavemadeher,you
begin to understand her, you know how she feels, you know where she lives and you know what she
does.Butthatallstartedwithareal,livehumanbeingandifyoufoundoutwhatthereallivehuman
beingwaslike-wellthen,therewouldbenostory,wouldthere?"

"Rightagain,"saidMrsOliver.

"As to what you were saying about Judith, I think that is true. I mean, we were together a lot on the
cruise,andwewenttoseetheplacesbutIdidn'treallygettoknowherparticularlywell.She'sawidow,
andherhusbanddiedandshewasleftbadlyoffwithonechild,Miranda,whomyou'veseen.Andit's
truethatI'vegotratherafunnyfeelingaboutthem.Afeelingasthoughtheymattered,asthoughthey're
mixedupinsomeinterestingdrama.Idon'twanttoknowwhatthedramais.Idon'twantthemtotell
me.IwanttothinkofthesortofdramaIwouldlikethemtobein."

"Yes. Yes, I can see that they are well, candidates for inclusion for another best seller by Ariadne
Oliver."

"Youreallyareabeastsometimes,"saidMrsOliver.

"Youmakeitallsoundsovulgar."

Shepausedthoughtfully."Perhapsitis."

"No,no,itisnotvulgar.Itisjusthuman."

"AndyouwantmetoinviteJudithandMirandatomyflatorhouseinLondon?"

"Notyet,"saidPoirot."NotyetuntilIamsurethatoneofmylittleideasmightberight."

"Youandyourlittleideas!NowI'vegotapieceofnewsforyou.""Madame,youdelightme."

"Don'tbetoosure.Itwillprobablyupsetyourideas.SupposingItellyouthattheforgeryyouhavebeen
sobusytalkingaboutwasn'taforgeryatall."

"Whatisthatyousay?"

"MrsApJonesSmythe,orwhateverhernameis,didmakeacodiciltoherWillleavingallhermoneyto
theaupairgirlandshesignedit,andtwowitnessessawhersignit,andsigneditalsointhepresenceof
eachother.Putthatinyourmoustacheandsmokeit."

Chapter19

"MrsLeaman,"saidPoirot,writingdownthename.

"That'sright.HarrietLeaman.AndtheotherwitnessseemstohavebeenaJamesJenkins.Lastheardof
going to Australia. And Miss Olga Seminoff seems to have been last heard of returning to
Czechoslovakia,orwherevershecamefrom.Everybodyseemstohavegonesomewhereelse."

"HowreliabledoyouthinkthisMrsLeamanis?"

"I don't think she made it all up, if that's what you mean. I think she signed something, that she was
curiousaboutit,andthatshetookthefirstopportunityshehadoffindingoutwhatshe'dsigned."

"Shecanreadandwrite?"

"Isupposeso.ButIagreethatpeoplearen'tverygood,sometimes,atreadingoldladies'handwriting,
whichisveryspikyandveryhardtoread.Iftherewereanyrumoursflyingaboutlater,aboutthisWill
or codicil, she might have thought that that was what she'd read in this rather undecipherable
handwriting."

"Agenuinedocument,"saidPoirot."Buttherewasalsoaforgedcodicil."

"Whosaysso?"

"Lawyers."

"Perhapsitwasn'tforgedatall."

"Lawyers are very particular about these matters. They were prepared to come into court with expert
witnesses."

"Ohwell,"saidMrsOliver,"thenit'seasytoseewhatmusthavehappened,isn'tit?"

"Whatiseasy?Whathappened?"

"Well, of course, the next day or a few days later, or even as much as a week later, Mrs Llewellyn-
Smytheeitherhadabitofatiffwithherdevotedaupairattendant,orshehadadeliciousreconciliation
withhernephew,Hugo,orherniece,Rowena,andshetoreuptheWillorscratchedoutthecodicilor
somethinglikethat,orburntthewholething."

"Andafterthat?"

"Well,afterthat,Isuppose,MrsLlewellyn-Smythedies,andthegirlseizesherchanceandwritesanew
codicilinroughlythesametermsinasneartoMrsLlewellyn-Smythe'shandwritingasshecan,andthe
two witnessing signatures as near as she can. She probably knows Mrs Leaman writing quite well. It
would be on national health cards or something like that, and she produces it, thinking that someone
willagreetohavingwitnessedtheWillandthatallwouldbewell.Butherforgeryisn'tgoodenough
andsotroublestarts."

"Willyoupermitme,chereMadame,touseyourtelephone?""IwillpermityoutouseJudithButler's
telephone,yes.""Whereisyourfriend?"

"Oh,she'sgonetogetherhairdone.AndMirandahasgoneforawalk.Goon,it'sintheroomthrough
thewindowthere."

Poirotwentinandreturnedabouttenminuteslater."Well?Whathaveyoubeendoing?"

"IrangupMrFullerton,thesolicitor.Iwillnowtellyousomething.Thecodicil,theforgedcodicilthat
wasproducedforprobatewasnotwitnessedbyHarrietLeamanItwaswitnessedbyaMaryDoherty,
deceased,whohadbeeninservicewithMrsLlewellyn-Smythebuthadrecentlydied.Theotherwitness
wastheJamesJenkins,who,asyourfriendMrsLeamanhastoldyou,departedforAustralia."

"Sotherewasaforgedcodicil,"saidMrsOliver.

"Andthereseemstohavebeenarealcodicilaswell.Lookhere,Poirot,isn'tthisallgettingalittletoo
complicated?"

"It is getting incredibly complicated," said Hercule Poirot. "There is, if I may mention it, too much
forgeryabout."

"PerhapstherealoneisstillinthelibraryatQuarryHouse,withinthepagesofEnquireWithinupon
Everything."

"Iunderstand all theeffects of thehouse were sold upat Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe'sdeath, except for a
fewpiecesoffamilyfurnitureandsomefamilypictures."

"Whatweneed,"saidMrsOliver,"issomethinglikeEnquireWithinherenow.It'salovelytitle,isn'tit?
Iremembermygrandmotherhadone.Youcould,youknow,inquirewithinabouteverything,too.Legal
informationandcookingrecipesandhowtotakeinkstainsoutoflinen.Howtomakehome-madeface
powder that would not damage the complexion. Oh - and lots more. Yes, wouldn't you like to have a
booklikethatnow?"

"Doubtless,"saidHerculePoirot,"itwouldgivetherecipefortreatmentoftiredfeet."

"Plentyofthem,Ishouldthink.Butwhydon'tyouwearpropercountryshoes?""Madame,Iliketolook
soigneinmyappearance."

"Well,thenyou'llhavetogoonwearingthingsthatarepainful,andgrinandbearit,"saidMrsOliver.
"Allthesame,Idon'tunderstandanythingnow.WasthatLeamanwomantellingmeapackofliesjust
now?"

"Itisalwayspossible."

"Didsomeonetellhertotellapackoflies?"

"Thattooispossible."

"Didsomeonepayhertotellmeapackoflies?"

"Continue,"saidPoirot,"continue.Youaredoingverynicely."

"Isuppose,"saidMrsOliverthoughtfully,"thatMrsLlewellyn-Smythe,likemanyanotherrichwoman,
enjoyedmakingWills.Iexpectshemadeagoodmanyduringherlife.Youknow,benefitingoneperson
andthenanother.Changingabout.TheDrakeswerewelloff,anyway.Iexpectshealwaysleftthemat
leastahandsomelegacy,butIwonderifsheeverleftanyoneelseasmuchassheappears,accordingto
MrsLeamanandaccordingtotheforgedWillaswell,tothatgirlOlga.I'dliketoknowabitmoreabout
thatgirl,Imustsay.Shecertainlyseemsaverysuccessfuldisappearess."

"Ihopetoknowmoreabouthershortly,"saidHerculePoirot.

"How?"

"InformationthatIshallreceiveshortly."

"Iknowyou'vebeenaskingforinformationdownhere."

"Not here only. I have an agent in London who obtains information for me both abroad and in this
country.IshouldhavesomenewspossiblysoonfromHerzogovinia."

"Willyoufindoutifsheeverarrivedbackthere?"

"That might be one thing I should learn, but it seems more likely that I may get information of a
different kind - letters perhaps written during her sojourn in this country, mentioning friends she may
havemadehere,andbecomeintimatewith."

"Whatabouttheschool-teacher?"saidMrsOliver."Whichonedoyoumean?"

"I mean the one who was strangled the one Elizabeth Whittaker told you about?" She added, "I don't
like Elizabeth Whittaker much. Tiresome sort of woman, but clever, I should think." She added
dreamily,"Iwouldn'tputitpasthertohavethoughtupamurder."

"Strangleanotherteacher,doyoumean?"

"Onehastoexhaustallthepossibilities."

"Ishallrely,assooften,onyourintuition,Madame."

MrsOliverateanotherdatethoughtfully.

Chapter20

When he left Mrs Butler's house, Poirot took the same way as had been shown him by Miranda. The
apertureinthehedge,itseemedtohim,hadbeenslightlyenlargedsincelasttime.Somebody,perhaps,
with slightly more bulk than Miranda, had used it also. He ascended the path in the quarry, noticing
oncemorethebeautyofthescene.Alovelyspot,andyetinsomeway,Poirotfeltashehadfeltbefore,

thatitcouldbeahauntedspot.Therewasakindofpaganruthlessnessaboutit.Itcouldbealongthese
windingpathsthatthefairieshuntedtheirvictimsdownoracoldgoddessdecreedthatsacrificeswould
havetobeoffered.

Hecouldunderstandwhyithadnotbecomeapicnicspot.Onewouldnotwantforsomereasontobring
yourhard-boiledeggsandyourlettuceandyourorangesandsitdownhereandcrackjokesandhavea
jollification.Itwasdifferent,quitedifferent.Itwouldhavebeenbetter,perhaps,hethoughtsuddenly,if
MrsLlewellyn-Smythehadnotwantedthisfairy-liketransformation.Quiteamodestsunkgardencould
have been made out of a quarry without the atmosphere, but she had been an ambitious woman,
ambitiousandaveryrichwoman.HethoughtforamomentortwoaboutWills,thekindofWillsmade
byrichwomen,thekindofliestoldaboutWillsmadebyrichwomen,theplacesinwhichtheWillsof
rich widows were sometimes hidden, and he tried to put himself back into the mind of a forger.
UndoubtedlytheWillofferedforprobatehadbeenaforgery.MrFullertonwasacarefulandcompetent
lawyer.Hewassureofthat.Thekindoflawyer,too,whowouldneveradviseaclienttobringacaseor
totakelegalproceedingsunlesstherewasverygoodevidenceandjustificationforsodoing.

Heturnedacornerofthepathwayfeelingforthemomentthathisfeetweremuchmoreimportantthan
hisspeculations.

WashetakingashortcuttoSuperintendentSpence'sdwellingorwashenot?Asthecrowflies,perhaps,
butthemainroadmighthavebeenmoregoodtohisfeet.Thispathwasnotagrassyormossyone,it
hadthequarryhardnessofstone.Thenhepaused.

In front of him were two figures. Sitting on an outcrop of rock was Michael Garfield. He had a
sketchingblockonhiskneesandhewasdrawing,hisattentionfullyonwhathewasdoing.Alittleway
away from him, standing close beside a minute but musical stream that flowed down from above,
MirandaButlerwasstanding.HerculePoirotforgothisfeet,forgotthepainsandillsofthehumanbody,
andconcentratedagainonthebeautythathumanbeingscouldattain.

There was no doubt that Michael Garfield was a very beautiful young man. He found it difficult to
knowwhetherhehimselflikedMichaelGarfieldornot.Itisalwaysdifficulttoknowifyoulikeanyone
beautiful.Youlikebeautytolookat,atthesametimeyoudislikebeautyalmostonprinciple.Women
couldbebeautiful,butHerculePoirotwasnotatallsurethathelikedbeautyinmen.Hewouldnothave
likedtobeabeautifulyoungmanhimself,notthattherehadeverbeentheleastchanceofthat.There
was only one thing about his own appearance which really pleased Hercule Poirot, and that was the
profusion of his moustaches, and the way they responded to grooming and treatment and trimming.
Theyweremagnificent.Heknewofnobodyelsewhohadanymoustachehalfasgood.Hehadnever
beenhandsomeorgood-looking.Certainlyneverbeautiful.

AndMiranda?Hethoughtagain,ashehadthoughtbefore,thatitwashergravitythatwassoattractive.
Hewonderedwhatpassedthroughhermind.Itwasthesortofthingonewouldneverknow.Shewould

notsaywhatshewasthinkingeasily.Hedoubtedifshewouldtellyouwhatshewasthinking,ifyou
askedher.Shehadanoriginalmind,hethought,areflectivemind.Hethoughttooshewasvulnerable.

Very vulnerable. There were other things about her that he knew, or thought he knew. It was only
thinkingsofar,butyethewasalmostsure.

MichaelGarfieldlookedupandsaid.

"Ha!SenorMoustachios.Averygoodafternoontoyou,sir."

"CanIlookatwhatyouaredoingorwoulditincommodeyou?Idonotwanttobeintrusive."

"Youcanlook,"saidMichaelGarfield,"itmakesnodifferencetome."Headdedgently,"I'menjoying
myselfverymuch."

Poirot came to stand behind his shoulder. He nodded. It was a very delicate pencil drawing, the lines
almostinvisible.Themancoulddraw,Poirotthought.Notonlydesigngardens.Hesaid,almostunder
hisbreath:"Exquisite!"

"Ithinksotoo,"saidMichaelGarfield.

Heletitbeleftdoubtfulwhetherhereferredtothedrawinghewasmaking,ortothesitter.

"Why?askedPoirot.

"WhyamIdoingit?DoyouthinkIhaveareason?"

"Youmighthave."

"You'requiteright.IfIgoawayfromhere,thereareoneortwothingsIwanttoremember.Mirandais
oneofthem."

"Wouldyouforgethereasily?"

"Veryeasily.Iamlikethat.Buttohaveforgottensomethingorsomeone,tobeunabletobringaface,a
turnofashoulder,agesture,atree,aflower,acontouroflandscape,toknowwhatitwasliketoseeit
butnottobeabletobringthatimageinfrontofone'seyes,thatsometimescauses-whatshallIsay?-
almostagony.Yousee,yourecord-anditallpassesaway."

"NottheQuarryGardenorpark.Thathasnotpassedaway."

"Don'tyouthinkso?Itsoonwill.Itsoonwillifnooneishere.Naturetakesover,youknow.Itneeds
love and attention and care and skill. If a Council takes it over - and that's what happens very often
nowadays-thenitwillbewhattheycall'keptup'.Thelatestsortofshrubsmaybeputin,extrapaths
will be made, seats will be put at certain distances. Litter bins even may be erected. Oh, they are so
careful, so kind at preserving. You can't preserve this. It's wild. To keep something wild is far more
difficultthantopreserveit."

"Monsieur Poirot." Miranda's voice came across the stream. Poirot moved forward, so that he came
withinearshotofher."SoIfindyouhere.Soyoucametositforyourportrait,didyou?"Sheshookher
head."Ididn'tcomeforthat.Thatjusthappened."

"Yes,"saidMichaelGarfield,"yes,itjusthappened.Apieceoflucksometimescomesone'sway."

"Youwerejustwalkinginyourfavouritegarden?"

"Iwaslookingforthewell,really,"saidMiranda.

"Awell?"

"Therewasawishingwellonceinthiswood."

"Inaformerquarry?Ididn'tknowtheykeptwellsinquarries."

"Therewasalwaysawoodroundthequarry.Welltherewerealwaystreeshere.Michaelknowswhere
thewellisbuthewon'ttellme."

"It will be much more fun for you," said Michael Garfield, "to go on looking for it. Especially when
you'renotatallsureitreallyexists."

"OldMrsGoodbodyknowsallaboutit."Andadded:"She'sawitch."

"Quiteright,"saidMichael."She'sthelocalwitch,MonsieurPoirot.There'salwaysalocalwitch,you
know, in most places. They don't always call themselves witches, but everyone knows. They tell a
fortuneorputaspellonyourbegoniasorshrivelupyourpeoniesorstopafarmer'scowfromgiving
milkandprobablygivelovepotionsaswell."

"It was a wishing well," said Miranda. "People used to come here and wish. They had to go round it
threetimesbackwardsanditwasonthesideofthehill,soitwasn'talwaysveryeasytodo."Shelooked
pastPoirotatMichaelGarfield.

"Ishallfinditoneday,"shesaid,"evenifyouwon'ttellme.It'sheresomewhere,butitwassealedup,
MrsGoodbodysaid.Oh,yearsago.Sealedupbecauseitwassaidtobedangerous.Achildfellintoit
yearsago-KittySomebody.Someoneelsemighthavefallenintoit."

"Well,goonthinkingso,"saidMichaelGarfield.

"It'sagoodlocalstory,butthereisawishingwelloveratLittleBelling."

"Ofcourse,"saidMiranda,"Iknowallaboutthatone.It'saverycommonone,"shesaid.

"Everybodyknowsaboutit,andit'sverysilly.Peoplethrowpenniesintoitandthere'snotanywaterin
itanymoresothere'snotevenasplash."

"Well,I'msorry."

"I'lltellyouwhenIfindit,"saidMiranda.

"Youmustn'talwaysbelieveeverythingawitchsays.Idon'tbelieveanychildeverfellintoit.Iexpecta
catfellintoitonceandgotdrowned."

"Dingdongdell,pussy'sinthewell,"saidMiranda.Shegotup."Imustgonow,"shesaid."Mummy
willbeexpectingme."

Shemovedcarefullyfromtheknobofrock,smiledatboththemenandwentoffdownanevenmore
intransigentpaththatrantheothersideofthewater.

'"Dingdongdell',"saidPoirot,thoughtfully."Onebelieveswhatonewantstobelieve,MichaelGarfield.
Wassherightorwasshenotright?"

MichaelGarfieldlookedathimthoughtfully,thenhesmiled.

"Sheisquiteright,"hesaid."Thereisawell,anditisasshesayssealedup.Isupposeitmayhavebeen
dangerous.Idon'tthinkitwaseverawishingwell.Ithinkthat'sMrsGoodbody'sownbitoffancytalk
There'sawishingtree,ortherewasonce.Abeechtreehalf-wayupthehillsidethatIbelievepeopledid
goroundthreetimesbackwardsandwished."

"What'shappenedtothat?Don'ttheygorounditanymore?"

"No. I believe it was struck by lightning about six years ago. Split in two. So that pretty story's gone
west."

"HaveyoutoldMirandaaboutthat?"

"No.IthoughtI'dratherleaveherwithherwell.Ablastedbeechwouldn'tbemuchfunforher,would
it?"

"Imustgoonmyway,"saidPoirot.

"Goingbacktoyourpolicefriend?"

"Yes."

"Youlooktired."

"Iamtired,"saidHerculePoirot."Iamextremelytired."

"You'dbemorecomfortableincanvasshoesorsandals."

"Ah,fa,non."

"Isee.Youaresartoriallyambitious."

HelookedatPoirot.

"Thetoutensemble,itisverygoodandespecially,ifImaymentionit,yoursuperbmoustache."

"Iamgratified,"saidPoirot,"thatyouhavenoticedit.""Thepointisrather,couldanyonenotnoticeit?"

Poirotputhisheadononeside.Thenhesaid:"Youspokeofthedrawingyouaredoingbecauseyou
wishtoremembertheyoungMiranda.Doesthatmeanyou'regoingawayfromhere?"

"Ihavethoughtofit,yes."

"Yetyouare,itseemstome,bienplaceici."

"Ohyes,eminentlyso.Ihaveahousetolivein,ahousesmallbutdesignedbymyself,andIhavemy
work,butthatislesssatisfactorythanitusedtobe.Sorestlessnessiscomingoverme."

"Whyisyourworklesssatisfactory?"

"Becausepeoplewishmetodothemostatrociousthings.Peoplewhowanttoimprovetheirgardens,
peoplewhoboughtsomelandandthey'rebuildingahouseandwantthegardendesigned."

"AreyounotdoinghergardenforMrsDrake?"

"She wants me to, yes. I made suggestions for it and she see used to agree with them. I don't think,
though,"headdedthoughtfully,"thatIreallytrusther."

"Youmeanthatshewouldnotletyouhavewhatyouwanted?"

"Imeanthatshewouldcertainlyhavewhatshewantedherselfandthatthoughsheisattractedbythe
ideas I have set out, she would suddenly demand something quite different. Something utilitarian,
expensiveandshowy,perhaps.

Shewouldbullyme,Ithink.Shewouldinsistonherideasbeingcarriedout.Iwouldnotagree,andwe
shouldquarrel.SoonthewholeitisbetterIleaveherebeforeIquarrel.AndnotonlywithMrsDrake
butmanyotherneighbours.Iamquitewellknown.Idon'tneedtostayinonespot.Icouldgoandfind
someothercornerofEngland,oritcouldbesomecornerofNormandyorBrittany."

"Somewherewhereyoucanimprove,orhelp,nature?Somewherewhereyoucanexperimentoryoucan
putstrangethingswheretheyhavenevergrownbefore,whereneithersunwillblisternorfrostdestroy?
SomegoodstretchofbarrenlandwhereyoucanhavethefunofplayingatbeingAdamalloveragain?
Haveyoualwaysbeenrestless?"

"Ineverstayedanywhereverylong.""YouhavebeentoGreece?"

"Yes.IshouldliketogotoGreeceagain.Yes,youhavesomethingthere.AgardenonaGreekhillside.
Theremaybecypressesthere,notmuchelse.Abarrenrock.Butifyouwished,whatcouldtherenot
be?"

"Agardenforgodstowalk-"

"Yes.You'requiteamindreader,aren'tyou,MrPoirot?"

"IwishIwere.TherearesomanythingsIwouldliketoknowanddonotknow."

"Youaretalkingnowofsomethingquiteprosaic,areyounot?"

"Unfortunatelyso."

"Arson,murderandsuddendeath?"

"More or less. I do not know that I was considering arson. Tell me, Mr Garfield, you have been here
someconsiderabletime,didyouknowayoungmancalledLesleyFerrier?"

"Yes, I remember him. He was in a Medchester solicitor's office, wasn't he? Fullerton, Harrison and
Leadbetter.Juniorclerk,somethingofthatkind.Good-lookingchap."

"Hecametoasuddenend,didhenot?"

"Yes.Gothimselfknifedoneevening.Womantrouble,Igather.Everyoneseemstothinkthatthepolice
knowquitewellwhodidit,buttheycan'tgettheevidencetheywant.Hewasmoreorlesstiedupwith
a woman called Sandra -can't remember her name for the moment - Sandra Somebody, yes. Her
husbandkeptthelocalpub.SheandyoungLesleywererunninganaffair,andthenLesleytookupwith
anothergirl.Orthatwasthestory."

"AndSandradidnotlikeit?"

"No,shedidnotlikeitatall.Mindyou,hewasagreatoneforthegirls.Thereweretwoorthreethathe
wentaroundwith."

"WeretheyallEnglishgirls?"

"Whydoyouaskthat,Iwonder?No,Idon'tthinkheconfinedhimselftoEnglishgirls,solongasthey
couldspeakenoughEnglishtounderstandmoreorlesswhathesaidtothem,andhecouldunderstand
whattheysaidtohim."

"Therearedoubtlessfromtimetotimeforeigngirlsinthisneighbourhood?"

"Ofcoursethereare.Isthereanyneighbourhoodwheretherearen't?Aupairgirls-they'reapartofdaily
life.Uglyones,prettyones,honestones,dishonestones,onesthatdosomegoodtodistractedmothers
andsomewhoarenouseatallandsomewhowalkoutofthehouse."

"LikethegirlOlgadid."

"Asyousay,likethegirlOlgadid."

"WasLesleyafriendofOlga's?"

"Oh,that'sthewayyourmindisrunning.Yes,hewas.Idon'tthinkMrsLlewellyn-Smytheknewmuch

aboutit.Olgawasrathercareful,IthinkShespokegravelyofsomeoneshehopedtomarrysomedayin
herowncountry.Idon'tknowwhetherthatwastrueorwhethershemadeitup.YoungLesleywasan
attractiveyoungman,asIsaid.Idon'tknowwhathesawinOlga-shewasn'tverybeautiful.Still-"he
consideredaminuteortwo-"shehadakindofintensityabouther.AyoungEnglishmanmighthave
foundthatattractive,Ithink.Anyway,Lesleydidallright,andhisothergirlfriendsweren'tpleased."

"Thatisveryinteresting,"saidPoirot."IthoughtyoumightgivemeinformationthatIwanted."

MichaelGarfieldlookedathimcuriously.

"Why?What'sitallabout?WheredoesLesleycomein?Whythisrakingupofthepast?"

"Well,therearethingsonewantstoknow.Onewantstoknowhowthingscomeintobeing.Iameven
lookingfartherbackstill.Beforethetimethatthosetwo,OlgaSeminoffandLesleyFerrier,metsecretly
withoutMrsLlewellyn-Smytheknowingaboutit."

"Well,I'mnotsureaboutthat.That'sonlymy-well,it'sonlymyidea.Ididcomeacrossthemfairly
frequentlybutOlganeverconfidedinme.AsforLesleyFerrier,Ihardlyknewhim."

"Iwanttogobackbehindthat.Hehad,Igather,certaindisadvantagesinhispast."

"Ibelieveso.Yes,well,anywayit'sbeensaidherelocally.MrFullertontookhimonandhopedtomake
anhonestmanofhim.He'sagoodchap,oldFullerton."

"Hisoffencehadbeen,Ibelieve,forgery?""Yes."

"It was a first offence, and there were said to be extenuating circumstances. He had a sick mother or
drunkenfatherorsomethingofthatkind.Anyway,hegotofflightly."

"Ineverheardanyofthedetails.Itwassomethingthatheseemedtohavegotawaywithtobeginwith,
then accountants came along and found him out. I'm very vague. It's only hearsay. Forgery. Yes, that
wasthecharge.Forgery."

"AndwhereMrsLlewellyn-SmythediedandherWillwastobeadmittedtoprobate,itwasfoundthe
Willwasforged."

"Yes, I see the way your mind's working. You're fitting those two things as having a connection with
eachother."

"A man who was up to a point successful in forging. A man who became friends with the girl, a girl
who,ifaWillhadbeenacceptedwhensubmittedtoprobate,wouldhaveinheritedthelargerpartofa
vastfortune."

"Yes,yes,that'sthewayitgoes."

"Andthisgirlandthemanwhohadcommittedforgeryweregreatfriends.Hehadgivenuphisowngirl
andhe'dtiedupwiththeforeigngirlinstead."

"What you're suggesting is that that forged Will was forged by Lesley Ferrier." "There seems a
likelihoodofit,doestherenot?"

"OlgawassupposedtohavebeenabletocopyMrsLlewellyn-Smythe'shandwritingfairlywell,butit
seemed to me always that that was rather a doubtful point. She wrote handwritten letters for Mrs
Llewellyn-Smythe but I don't suppose that they were really particularly similar. Not enough to pass
muster. But if she and Lesley were in it together, that's different. I daresay he could pass off a good
enoughjobandhewasprobablyquitecocksurethatitwouldgothrough.Butthenhemusthavebeen
sure of that when he committed his original offence, and he was wrong there, and I suppose he was
wrongthistime.Isupposethatwhentheballoonwentup,whenthelawyersbeganmakingtroubleand
difficulties,andexpertswerecalledintoexaminethingsandstartedaskingquestions,itcouldbethat
shelosthernerve,andhadarowwithLesley.Andthensheclearedout,hopinghe'dcarrythecan."

Hegavehisheadasharpshake.

"Whydoyoucomeandtalktomeaboutthingslikethathere,inmybeautifulwood?"

"Iwantedtoknow."

"It'sbetternottoknow.It'sbetternevertoknow.Bettertoleavethingsastheyare.Notpushandpry
andpoke."

"Youwantbeauty,"saidHerculePoirot."Beautyatanyprice.Forme,itistruthIwant.Alwaystruth."

MichaelGarfieldlaughed.

"Go on home to your police friends and leave me here in my local paradise. Get thee beyond me,
Satan."

Chapter21

Poirotwentonupthehill.

Suddenlyhenolongerfeltthepainofhisfeet.Somethinghadcometohim.Thefittingtogetherofthe
things he had thought and felt, had known they were connected, but had not seen how they were
connected. He was conscious now of danger - danger that might come to someone any minute now
unlessstepsweretakentopreventit.Seriousdanger.

ElspethMcKaycameouttothedoortomeethim.

"Youlookfaggedout,"shesaid.

"Comeandsitdown."

"Yourbrotherishere?"

"No.He'sgonedowntothestation.Something'shappened,Ibelieve."

"Somethinghashappened?"Hewasstartled."Sosoon?Notpossible."

"Eh?"saidElspeth."Whatdoyoumean?"

"Nothing.Nothing.Somethinghashappenedtosomebody,doyoumean?"

"Yes,butIdon'tknowwhoexactly.Anyway,TimRaglanrangupandaskedforhimtogodownthere.
I'llgetyouacupoftea,shallI?"

"No," said Poirot, "thank you very much, but I think -1 think I will go home." He could not face the
prospectofblackbittertea.Hethoughtofagoodexcusethatwouldmaskanysignsofbadmanners.

"My feet," he explained. "My feet. I am not very suitably attired as to footwear for the country. A
changeofshoeswouldbedesirable."

ElspethMcKaylookeddownatthem.

"No,"shesaid."Icanseethey'renot.Patentleatherdrawsthefeet.There'saletterforyou,bytheway.
Foreignstampsonit.ComefromabroadtoSuperintendentSpence,PineCrest.I'llbringittoyou."

Shecamebackinaminuteortwo,andhandedittohim.

"Ifyoudon'twanttheenvelope,I'dlikeitforoneofmynephews-hecollectsstamps."

"Ofcourse."Poirotopenedtheletterandhandedhertheenvelope.Shethankedhimandwentbackinto
thehouse.

Poirotunfoldedthesheetandread.

Mr Goby's foreign service was run with the same competence that he showed in his English one. He
sparednoexpenseandgothisresultsquickly.

True,theresultsdidnotamounttomuch-Poirothadnotthoughtthattheywould.

Olga Seminoff had not returned to her home town. She had had no family still living. She had had a
friend, an elderly woman, with whom she had corresponded intermittently, giving news of her life in
England.Shehadbeenongoodtermswithheremployerwhohadbeenoccasionallyexacting,buthas
alsobeengenerous.

ThelastlettersreceivedfromOlgahadbeendatedaboutayearandahalfago.Inthemtherehadbeen
mention of a young man. There were hints that they were considering marriage, but the young man,
whosenameshedidnotmention,had,shesaid,hiswaytomake,sonothingcouldbesettledasyet.In
herlastlettershespokehappilyoftheirprospectsbeinggood.

When no more letters came, the elderly friend assumed that Olga had married her Englishman and
changedheraddress.

SuchthingshappenedfrequentlywhengirlswenttoEngland.Iftheywerehappilymarriedtheyoften
neverwroteagain.

Shehadnotworried.

Itfitted,Poirotthought.Lesleyhadspokenofmarriage,butmightnothavemeantit.MrsLlewellyn-
Smythe had been spoken of as "generous". Lesley had been given money by someone, Olga perhaps
(moneyoriginallygivenherbyheremployers),toinducehimtodoforgeryonherbehalf.

Elspeth McKay came out on the terrace again. Poirot consulted her as to her surmises about a
partnershipbetweenOlgaandLesley.

Sheconsideredamoment.Thentheoraclespoke.

"Keptveryquietaboutit,ifso.Neveranyrumoursaboutthosetwo.Thereusuallyisinaplacelikethis
ifthere'sanythinginit."

"Young Ferrier was tied up to a married woman. He might have warned the girl not to say anything
abouthimtoheremployer."

"Likelyenough.MrsSmythewouldprobablyknowthatLesleyFerrierwasabadcharacter,andwould
warnthegirltohavenothingtodowithhim."

Poirotfoldeduptheletterandputitintohispocket."Iwishyou'dletmegetyouapotoftea."

"No,noImustgobacktomyguesthouseandchangemyshoes.Youdonotknowwhenyourbrother
willbeback?"

"I'venoidea.Theydidn'tsaywhattheywantedhimfor."

Poirotwalkedalongtheroadtohisguesthouse.Itwasonlyafewhundredyards.

Ashewalkeduptothefrontdooritwasopenedandhislandlady,acheerfulladyofthirtyodd,cameout
tohim.

"There'saladyheretoseeyou,"shesaid."Beenwaitingsometime.ItoldherIdidn'tknowwhereyou'd
gone exactly or when you'd be back, but she said she'd wait." She added, "It's Mrs Drake. She's in a
state,I'dsay.She'susuallysocalmabouteverything,butreallyIthinkshe'shadashockofsomekind.
She'sinthesitting-room.ShallIbringyouinsometeaandsomething?"

"No,"saidPoirot,"Ithinkitwillbebetternot.Iwillhearfirstwhatshehastosay."

Heopenedthedoorandwentintothesitting-room.RowenaDrakehadbeenstandingbythewindow.It
wasnotthewindowoverlookingthefrontpathsoshehadnotseenhisapproach.Sheturnedabruptlyas
sheheardthesoundofthedoor.

"MonsieurPoirot.Atlast.Itseemedsolong."

"Iamsorry,Madame.IhavebeenintheQuarryWoodandalsotalkingtomyfriend,MrsOliver.And
thenIhavebeentalkingtotwoboys.ToNicholasandDesmond."

"NicholasandDesmond?Yes,Iknow.Iwonderoh!onethinksallsortsofthings."

"Youareupset,"saidPoirotgently.

Itwasnotathinghethoughthewouldeversee.RowenaDrakeupset,nolongermistressofevents,no
longerarrangingeverything,andenforcingherdecisionsonothers.

"You'veheard,haven'tyou?"sheasked."Ohwell,perhapsyouhaven't."

"WhatshouldIhaveheard?"

"Somethingdreadful.He's-he'sdead.Somebodykilledhim."

"Whoisdead,Madame?"

"Then you haven't really heard. And he's only a child, too, and I thought oh, what a fool I've been. I
should have told you. I should have told you when you asked me. It makes me feel terrible - terribly
guiltyforthinkingIknewbestandthinking-butIdidmeanitforthebest,MonsieurPoirot,indeedI
did."

"Sitdown,Madame,sitdown.Calmyourselfandtellme.Thereisachilddead-anotherchild?"

"Herbrother,"saidMrsDrake.

"Leopold."

"LeopoldReynolds?"

"Yes.Theyfoundhisbodyononeofthefieldpaths.Hemusthavebeencomingbackfromschooland
gone out of his way to play in the brook near there. Somebody held him down in the brook held his
headunderwater."

"ThesamekindofthingastheydidtothechildJoyce?"

"Yes, yes. I can see it must be it must be madness of some kind. And one doesn't know who, that's
what'ssoawful.Onehasn'ttheleastidea.AndIthoughtIknew.IreallythoughtIsuppose,yes,itwasa
verywickedthing."

"Youmusttellme,Madame."

"Yes,Iwanttotellyou.Icameheretotellyou.Because,yousee,youcametomeafteryou'dtalkedto
Elizabeth Whittaker. After she'd told you that something had startled me. That I'd seen something.
Something in the hall of the house, my house. I said that I hadn't seen anything and that nothing had
startledmebecause,yousee,Ithought-"shestopped.

"Whatdidyousee?"

"I ought to have told you then. I saw the door of the library open, open rather carefully and then he
cameout.Atleast,hedidn'tcomerightout.Hejuststoodinthedoorwayandthenpulledthedoorback
quicklyandwentbackinside."

"Whowasthis?"

"Leopold.Leopold,thechildthat'sbeenkillednow.Andyousee,IthoughtI-oh,whatamistake,what
anawfulmistake.IfI'dtoldyou,perhaps-perhapsyou'dhavegotatwhatwasbehindit."

"Youthought?"Poirotsaid."YouthoughtthatLeopoldhadkilledhissister.Isthatwhatyouthought?"

"Yes,that'swhatIthought.Notthen,ofcourse,becauseIdidn'tknowshewasdead.Buthehadaqueer
lookonhisface.He'salwaysbeenaqueerchild.Inawayyou'realittleafraidofhimbecauseyoufeel
he'snot-notquiteright.VerycleverandahighIQ,butallthesamenotallthere.

"AndIthought"WhyisLeopoldcomingoutofthereinsteadofbeingattheSnapdragon?"andIthought
"What'shebeendoing-helookssoqueer?"Andthen,wellthenIdidn'tthinkofitagainafterthat,butI
suppose,thewayhelookedupsetme.Andthat'swhyIdroppedthevase.Elizabethhelpedmetopick
up the glass pieces, and I went back to the Snapdragon and I didn't think of it again. Until we found
Joyce.Andthat'swhenIthought-"

"YouthoughtthatLeopoldhaddoneit."

"Yes.Yes,Ididthinkthat.Ithoughtitexplainedthewayhe'dlooked.IthoughtIknew.Ialwaysthink-
I've thought too much all my life that I know things, that I'm right about things. And I can be very
wrong.Because,yousee,hisbeingkilledmustmeansomethingquitedifferent.Hemusthavegonein
there,andhemusthavefoundhertheredeadanditgavehimaterribleshockandhewasfrightened.
AndsohewantedtocomeoutoftheroomwithoutanyoneseeinghimandIsupposehelookedupand
saw me and he got back into the room and shut the door and waited until the hall was empty before
comingout.Butnotbecausehe'dkilledher.No.Justtheshockoffindingherdead."

"And yet you said nothing? You didn't mention who it was you'd seen, even after the death was
discovered?"

"No.I-oh,Icouldn't.He's-yousee,he'ssoyoung-wassoyoung,IsupposeIoughttosaynow.Ten.
Ten-elevenatmostandImeanIfelthecouldn'thaveknownwhathewasdoing,itcouldn'thavebeen
his fault exactly. He must have been morally not responsible. He's always been rather queer, and I
thoughtonecouldgettreatmentforhim.Notleaveitalltothepolice.Notsendhimtoapprovedplaces.
Ithoughtonecouldgetspecialpsychologicaltreatmentforhim,ifnecessary.I-1meantwell.Youmust
believethat,Imeantwell."

Suchsad words, Poirotthought, some ofthe saddest words inthe world. MrsDrake seemed to know
whathewasthinking.

"Yes,"shesaid,"Ididitforthebest.Imeantwell.Onealwaysthinksoneknowswhatisbesttodofor
other people, but one doesn't. Because, you see, the reason he looked so taken aback must have been
thatheeithersawwhothemurdererwas,orsawsomethingthatwouldgiveacluetowhothemurderer
might be. Something that made the murderer feel that he himself wasn't safe. And so - and so he's
waiteduntilhegottheboyaloneandthendrownedhiminthebrooksothatheshouldn'tspeak,sothat
heshouldn'ttell.IfI'donlyspokenout,ifI'dtoldyou,ortoldthepolice,ortoldsomeone,butIthought
Iknewbest."

"Onlytoday,"saidPoirot,afterhehadsatsilentforamomentortwo,watchingMrsDrakewhereshe
satcontrollinghersobs,"IwastoldthatLeopoldhadbeenveryflushofmoneylately.Somebodymust
havebeenpayinghimtokeepsilent."

"Butwho-who?"

"Weshallfindout,"saidPoirot.

"Itwillnotbelongnow."

Chapter22

It was not very characteristic of Hercule Poirotto ask the opinions of others. He was usually quite
satisfiedwithhisownopinions.Nevertheless,thereweretimeswhenhemadeexceptions.Thiswasone
ofthem.HeandSpencehadhadabriefconversationtogetherandthenPoirothadgotintouchwitha
car hire service, and after another short conversation with his friend and with Inspector Raglan, he
droveoff.HehadarrangedwiththecartodrivehimbacktoLondonbuthehadmadeonehaltonthe
waythere.HedrovetoTheElms.Hetoldthedriverofthecarthathewouldnotbelong-aquarterof
anhouratmost-andthenhesoughtaudiencewithMissEmlyn.

"Iamsorrytodisturbyouatthishour.Itisnodoubtthehourofyoursupperordinner."

"Well,Idoyouatleastthecompliment,MonsieurPoirot,tothinkyouwouldnotdisturbmeateither
supperordinnerunlessyouhaveavalidreasonforsodoing."

"Youareverykind.Tobefrank,Iwantyouradvice."

"Indeed?"

MissEmlynlookedslightlysurprised.

Shelookedmorethansurprised,shelookedsceptical.

"Thatdoesnotseemverycharacteristicofyou,MonsieurPoirot.Areyounotusuallysatisfiedwithyour
ownopinions?"

"Yes,Iamsatisfiedwithmyownopinions,butitwouldgivemesolaceandsupportifsomeonewhose
opinionIrespectedagreedwiththem."

Shedidnotspeak,merelylookedathiminquiringly.

"IknowthekillerofJoyceReynolds,"hesaid."Itismybeliefthatyouknowitalso."

"Ihavenotsaidso,"saidMissEmlyn."

"No.Youhavenotsaidso.Andthatmightleadmetobelievethatitisonyourpartanopiniononly."

"Ahunch?"inquiredMissEmlyn,andhertonewascolderthanever.

"Iwouldprefernottousethatword.Iwouldprefertosaythatyouhadadefiniteopinion."

"Verywellthen.IwilladmitthatIhaveadefiniteopinion.ThatdoesnotmeanthatIshallrepeattoyou
whatmyopinionis."

"WhatIshouldliketodo,Mademoiselle,istowritedownfourwordsonapieceofpaper.Iwillaskyou
ifyouagreewiththefourwordsIhavewritten."

MissEmlynrose.Shecrossedtheroomtoherdesk,tookapieceofwritingpaperandcameacrossto
Poirotwithit.

"Youinterestme,"shesaid."Fourwords."Poirothadtakenapenfromhispocket.

Hewroteonthepaper,foldeditandhandedittoher.Shetookit,straightenedoutthepaperandheldit
inherhand,lookingatit.

"Well?"saidPoirot.

"As to two of the words on that paper, I agree, yes. The other two, that is more difficult. I have no
evidenceand,indeed,theideahadnotenteredmyhead."

"Butinthecaseofthefirsttwowords,youhavedefiniteevidence?""Iconsiderso,yes."

"Water,"saidPoirot,thoughtfully."Assoonasyouheardthat,youknew.AssoonasIheardthatIknew.
You are sure, and I am sure. And now," said Poirot, "a boy has been drowned in a brook. You have
heardthat?"

"Yes.Someonerangmeuponthetelephoneandtoldme.Joyce'sbrother.Howwasheconcerned?"

"He wanted money," said Poirot. "He got it. And so, at a suitable opportunity, he was drowned in a
brook."

Hisvoicedidnotchange.Ithad,ifanything,notasoftened,butaharshernote.

"Thepersonwhotoldme,"hesaid,"wasriddledwithcompassion.Upsetemotionally.ButIamnotlike
that.Hewasyoung,thissecondchildwhodied,buthisdeathwasnotanaccident.Itwas,assomany
thingsareinlife,aresultofhisactions.Hewantedmoneyandhetookarisk.Hewascleverenough,
astuteenoughtoknowhewastakingarisk,buthewantedthemoney.Hewastenyearsoldbutcause
andeffectismuchthesameatthatageasitwouldbeatthirtyorfiftyorninety.DoyouknowwhatI
thinkoffirstinsuchacase?"

"Ishouldsay,"saidMissEmlyn,"thatyouaremoreconcernedwithjusticethanwithcompassion."

"Compassion,"saidPoirot,"onmypartwoulddonothingtohelpLeopold.Heisbeyondhelp.Justice,if
weobtainjustice,youandI,forIthinkyouareofmywayofthinkingoverthisjustice,onecouldsay,
willalsonothelpLeopold.ButitmighthelpsomeotherLeopold,itmighthelptokeepsomeotherchild

alive,ifwecanreachjusticesoonenough.Itisnotasafething,akillerwhohaskilledmorethanonce,
towhomkillinghasappealedasawayofsecurity.IamnowonmywaytoLondonwhereIammeeting
withcertainpeopletodiscussawayofapproach.Toconvertthem,perhaps,tomyowncertaintyinthis
case."

"Youmayfindthatdifficult,"saidMissEmlyn.

"No,Idonotthinkso.ThewaysandmeanstoitmaybedifficultbutIthinkIcanconvertthemtomy
knowledgeofwhathashappened.Becausetheyhavemindsthatunderstandthecriminalmind.Thereis
onethingmoreIwouldaskyou.Iwantyouropinion.Youropiniononlythistime,notevidence.Your
opinion of the character of Nicholas Ransom and Desmond Holland. Would you advise me to trust
them?"

"I should say that both of them were thoroughly trustworthy. That is my opinion. They are in many
waysextremelyfoolish,butthatisonlyintheephemeralthingsoflife.Fundamentally,theyaresound.
Soundasanapplewithoutmaggotsinit."

"One always comes back to apples," said Hercule Poirot sadly. "I must go now. My car is waiting. I
haveonemorecallstilltopay."

Chapter23

"Haveyouheardwhat'sonatQuarryWood?"saidMrsCartwright,puttingapacketofFluffyFlakelets
andWonderWhiteintohershoppingbag.

"Quarry Wood?" said Elspeth McKay, to whom she was talking. "No, I haven't heard anything
particular."Sheselectedapacketofcereal.Thetwowomenwereintherecentlyopenedsupermarket
makingtheirmorningpurchases.

"They'resayingthetreesaredangerousthere.Coupleofforestrymenarrivedthismorning.It'sthereon
thesideofthehillwherethere'sasteepslopeandatreeleaningsideways.Couldbe,Isuppose,thata
treecouldcomedownthere.Oneofthemwasstruckbylightninglastwinterbutthatwasfartherover,I
think.Anyway,they'rediggingroundtherootsofthetreesabit,andabitfartherdowntoo.Pity.They'll
makeanawfulmessoftheplace."

"Ohwell,"saidElspethMcKay,"Isupposetheyknowwhatthey'redoing.Somebody'scalledthemin,I
suppose."

"They've got a couple of the police there, too, seeing that people don't come near. Making sure they
keepawayfromthings.Theysaysomethingaboutfindingoutwhichthediseasedtreesarefirst."

"Isee,"saidElspethMcKay.

Possiblyshedid.NotthatanyonehadtoldherbutthenElspethneverneededtelling.

AriadneOliversmoothedoutatelegramshehadjusttakenasdeliveredtoheratthedoor.Shewasso
usedtogettingtelegramsthroughthetelephone,makingfrenziedhuntsforapenciltotakethemdown,
insistingfirmlythatshewantedaconfirmatorycopysenttoher,thatshewasquitestartledtoreceive
whatshecalledtoherselfa'realtelegram'again.

'Please bring Mrs Butler and Miranda to your flat at once. No time to lose. Important see doctor for
operation.'

ShewentintothekitchenwhereJudithButlerwasmakingquincejelly.

"Judy,"saidMrsOliver,"goandpackafewthings.I'mgoingbacktoLondonandyou'recomingwith
me,andMiranda,too."

"It's very nice of you, Ariadne, but I've got a lot of things on here. Anyway, you needn't rush away
today,needyou?"

"Yes,Ineedto,I'vebeentoldto,"saidMrsOliver."Who'stoldyou-yourhousekeeper?"

"No,"saidMrsOliver."Somebodyelse.OneofthefewpeopleIobey.Comeon.Hurryup."

"Idon'twanttoleavehomejustnow.Ican't."

"You'vegottocome,"saidMrsOliver."Thecarisready.Ibroughtitroundtothefrontdoor.Wecango
atonce."

"I don't think I want to take Miranda. I could leave her here with someone, with the Reynolds or
RowenaDrake."

"Miranda's coming, too," Mrs Oliver interrupted definitely. "Don't make difficulties, Judy. This is
serious. I don't see how you can even consider leaving her with the Reynolds. Two of the Reynolds
childrenhavebeenkilled,haven'tthey?"

"Yes, yes, that's true enough. You think there's something wrong with that house. I mean there's
someonetherewho-oh,whatdoImean?"

"We'retalkingtoomuch,"saidMrsOliver.

"Anyway,"shesaid,"ifanyoneisgoingtobekilled,itseemstomethatprobablythemostlikelyone
wouldbeAnnReynolds."

"What'sthematterwiththefamily?

"Whyshouldtheyallgetkilled,oneafteranother?Oh,Ariadne,it'sfrightening!"

"Yes," said Mrs Oliver, "but there are times when it's quite right to be frightened. I've just had a
telegramandI'mactinguponit."

"Oh,Ididn'thearthetelephone."

"Itdidn'tcomethroughthetelephone.Itcametothedoor."

Shehesitatedamoment,thenshehelditouttoherfriend.

"What'sthismean?Operation?"

"Tonsils,probably,"saidMrsOliver."Mirandahadabadthroatlastweek,hadn'tshe?Well,whatmore
likelythanthatsheshouldbetakentoconsultathroatspecialistinLondon?"

"Areyouquitemad,Ariadne?"

"Probably,"saidMrsOliver,"ravingmad.Comeon.MirandawillenjoybeinginLondon.Youneedn't

worry.She'snotgoingtohaveanyoperation.That'swhat'scalled'cover'inspystories.We'lltakeherto
atheatre,oranoperaortheballet,whicheverwayhertasteslie.OnthewholeIthinkitwouldbebestto
takehertotheballet."

"I'mfrightened,"saidJudith.

AriadneOliverlookedatherfriend.Shewastremblingslightly.Shelookedmorethanever,MrsOliver
thought,likeUndine.Shelookeddivorcedfromreality.

"Comeon,"saidMrsOliver,"IpromisedHerculePoirotI'dbringyouwhenhegavemetheword.Well,
he'sgivenmetheword."

"What'sgoingoninthisplace?"saidJudith."Ican'tthinkwhyIevercamehere."

"Isometimeswonderedwhyyoudid,"saidMrsOliver,"butthere'snoaccountingforwherepeoplego
tolive.AfriendofminewenttoliveinMoreton-in-the-Marshtheotherday.Iaskedhimwhyhewanted
togoandlivethere.Hesaidhe'dalwayswantedtoandthoughtaboutit.Wheneverheretiredhemeant
togothere.IsaidthatIhadn'tbeentoitmyselfbutitsoundedtomeboundtobedamp.Whatwasit
actuallylike?Hesaidhedidn'tknowwhatitwaslikebecausehe'dneverbeentherehimself.Buthehad
alwayswantedtolivethere.Hewasquitesane,too."

"Didhego?"

"Yes."

"Didhelikeitwhenhegotthere?"

"Well,Ihaven'theardthatyet,"saidMrsOliver."Butpeopleareveryodd,aren'tthey?Thethingsthey
wanttodo,thethingstheysimplyhavetodo..."

Shewenttothegardenandcalled,"Miranda,we'regoingtoLondon."

Mirandacameslowlytowardsthem.

"GoingtoLondon?"

"Ariadne'sgoingtodriveusthere,"saidhermother.

"We'llgoandseeatheatrethere.MrsOliverthinksperhapsshecangetticketsfortheballet.Wouldyou
liketogototheballet?"

"I'dloveit,"saidMiranda.Hereyeslightedup."Imustgoandsaygoodbyetooneofmyfriendsfirst."

"We'regoingpracticallyatonce."

"Oh,Ishan'tbeaslongasthat,butImustexplain.TherearethingsIpromisedtodo."

Sherandownthegardenanddisappearedthroughthegate.

"WhoareMiranda'sfriends?"askedMrsOliver,withsomecuriosity.

"I never really know," said Judith. "She never tells one things, you know. Sometimes I think that the
onlythingsthatshereallyfeelsareherfriendsarethebirdsshelooksatinthewoods.Orsquirrelsor
thingslikethat.IthinkeverybodylikesherbutIdon'tknowthatshehasanyparticularfriends.Imean,
shedoesn'tbringbackgirlstoteaandthingslikethat.Notasmuchasothergirlsdo.Ithinkherbest
friendreallywasJoyceReynolds."

She added vaguely: "Joyce used to tell her fantastic things about elephants and tigers." She roused
herself.

"Well,Imustgoupandpack,Isuppose,asyouinsist.ButIdon'twanttoleavehere.Therearelotsof
thingsI'minthemiddleofdoing,likethisjellyand-"

"You'vegottocome,"saidMrsOliver.Shewasquitefirmaboutit.

JudithcamedownstairsagainwithacoupleofsuitcasesjustasMirandaraninthroughthesidedoor,
somewhatoutofbreath.

"Aren'twegoingtohavelunchfirst?"shedemanded.

Inspiteofherelfinwoodlandappearance,shewasahealthychildwholikedherfood.

"We'llstopforlunchontheway,"saidMrsOliver.

"We'llstopatTheBlackBoyatHaversham.Thatwouldbeaboutright.It'saboutthree-quartersofan
hourfromhereandtheygiveyouquiteagoodmeal.Comeon,Miranda,we'regoingtostartnow."

"Ishan'thavetimetotellCathieIcan'tgotothepictureswithhertomorrow.Oh,perhapsIcouldring
herup."

"Well,hurryup,"saidhermother.

Mirandaranintothesitting-roomwherethetelephonewassituated.JudithandMrsOliverputsuitcases
intothecar.

Mirandacameoutofthesitting-room.

"Ileftamessage,"shesaidbreathlessly."That'sallrightnow."

"Ithinkyou'remad,Ariadne,"saidJudith,astheygotintothecar."Quitemad.What'sitallabout?"

"Weshallknowinduecourse,Isuppose,"saidMrsOliver."Idon'tknowifI'mmadorheis."

"He?Who?"

"HerculePoirot,"saidMrsOliver.

In London Hercule Poirot was sitting in a room with four other men. One was Inspector Timothy
Raglan, looking respectful and poker-faced as was his invariable habit when in the presence of his
superiors,thesecondwasSuperintendentSpence.ThethirdwasAlfredRichmond,ChiefConstableof
theCountyandthefourthwasamanwithasharp,legalfacefromthePublicProsecutor'soffice.They
lookedatHerculePoirotwithvaryingexpressions,orwhatonemightdescribeasnon-expressions.

"Youseemquitesure,MonsieurPoirot."

"Iamquitesure,"saidHerculePoirot."Whenathingarrangesitselfso,onerealisesthatitmustbeso,
oneonlylooksforreasonswhyitshouldnotbeso.Ifonedoesnotfindthereasonswhyitshouldnotbe
so,thenoneisstrengthenedinone'sopinion."

"Themotivesseemsomewhatcomplex,ifImaysayso."

"No,"saidPoirot,"notcomplexreally.Butsosimplethattheyareverydifficulttoseeclearly."

Thelegalgentlemanlookedsceptical.

"We shall have one piece of definite evidence very soon now," said Inspector Raglan. "Of course, if
therehasbeenamistakeonthatpoint..."

"Dingdongdell,nopussyinthewell?"saidHerculePoirot."Thatiswhatyoumean?"

"Well,youmustagreeitisonlyasurmiseonyourpart."

"Theevidencepointedtoitallalong.Whenagirldisappears,therearenotmanyreasons.Thefirstis
thatshehasgoneawaywithaman.Thesecondisthatsheisdead.Anythingelseisveryfar-fetchedand
practicallyneverhappens."

"Therearenootherspecialpointsthatyoucanbringtoourattention,MonsieurPoirot?"

"Yes.Ihavebeenintouchwithawellknownfirmofestateagents.Friendsofmine,whospecialisein
real estate in the West Indies, the Aegean, the Adriatic, the Mediterranean and other places. They
specialiseinsunshineandtheirclientsareusuallywealthy.Hereisarecentpurchasethatmightinterest
you."

Hehandedoverafoldedpaper.

"Youthinkthistiesup?"

"I'msureitdoes."

"Ithoughtthesaleofislandswasprohibitedbythatparticulargovernment?"

"Moneycanusuallyfindaway."

"Thereisnothingelsethatyouwouldcaretodwellupon?"

"Itispossiblethatwithintwenty-fourhoursIshallhaveforyousomethingthatwillmoreorlessclinch
matters."

"Andwhatisthat?"

"Aneyewitness."

"Youmean-?"

"Aneyewitnesstoacrime."

ThelegalmanlookedatPoirotwithmountingdisbelief."Whereisthiseyewitnessnow?"

"OnthewaytoLondon,Ihopeandtrust.""Yousounddisturbed."

"Thatistrue.IhavedonewhatIcantotakecareofthings,butIwilladmittoyouthatIamfrightened.
Yes,IamfrightenedinspiteoftheprotectivemeasuresIhavetaken.Because,yousee,weare-how
shallIdescribeit?-weareupagainstruthlessness,quickreactions,greedpushedbeyondanexpectable
humanlimitandperhaps-1amnotsurebutIthinkitpossible-atouch,shallwesay,ofmadness?Not
thereoriginally,butcultivated.Aseedthattookrootandgrowsfast.Andnowperhapshastakencharge,
inspiringaninhumanratherthanahumanattitudetolife."

"We'll have to have a few extra opinions on this," said the legal man. "We can't rush into things. Of
course, a lot depends on the - er - forgery business. If that's positive, we can go ahead, but if it's
negative,we'dhavetothinkagain."

HerculePoirotrosetohisfeet.

"Iwilltakemyleave.IhavetoldyouallthatIknowandallthatIfearandenvisageaspossible.Ishall
remainintouchwithyou."

Heshookhandsallroundwithforeignprecision,andwentout."Theman'sabitofamountebank,"said
thelegalman.

"Youdon'tthinkhe'sabittouched,doyou?Touchedintheheadhimself,Imean?Anyway,he'sapretty
goodage.Idon'tknowthatonecanrelyonthefacultiesofamanofthatage."

"Ithinkyoucanrelyuponhim,"saidtheChiefConstable."Atleast,thatismyimpression.Spence,I've
knownyouagoodmanyyears.You'reafriendofhis.Doyouthinkhe'sbecomealittlesenile?"

"No,Idon't,"saidSuperintendentSpence."What'syouropinion,Raglan?"

"I've only met him recently, sir. At first I thought his - well, his way of talking, his ideas, might be
fantastic.ButonthewholeI'mconverted.Ithinkhe'sgoingtobeprovedright."

Chapter24

MrsOliverhadensconcedherselfatatableinthewindowofTheBlackBoy.Itwasstillfairlyearly,so
the dining-room was not very full. Presently, Judith Butler returned from powdering her nose and sat
downoppositeherandexaminedthemenu.

"WhatdoesMirandalike?"askedMrsOliver."Wemightaswellorderforheraswell.Isupposeshe'll
bebackinaminute."

"Shelikesroastchicken."

"Well,that'seasythen.Whataboutyou?"

"I'llhavethesame."

"Threeroastchickens,"MrsOliverordered.Sheleanedback,studyingherfriend.

"Whyareyoustaringatmeinthatway?"

"Iwasthinking,"saidMrsOliver.

"Thinkingwhat?"

"ThinkingreallyhowverylittleIknewaboutyou."

"Well,that'sthesamewitheverybody,isn'tit?"

"Youmean,oneneverknowsallaboutanyone."

"Ishouldn'tthinkso."

"Perhapsyou'reright,"saidMrsOliver.

Bothwomenweresilentforsometime.

"They'reratherslowservingthingshere."

"It'scomingnow,Ithink,"saidMrsOliver.

Awaitressarrivedwithatrayfullofdishes.

"Miranda'salongtime.Doessheknowwherethedining-roomis?"

"Yes,ofcourseshedoes.Welookedinontheway."Judithgotupimpatiently."I'llhavetogoandfetch
her."

"Iwonderifperhapsshegetscarsick"

"Sheusedtowhenshewasyounger."

Shereturnedsomefourorfiveminuteslater.

"She'snotintheLadies',"shesaid."There'sadooroutsideitintothegarden.Perhapsshewentoutthat
waytolookatabirdorsomething.She'slikethat."

"Notimetolookatbird'stoday,"saidMrsOliver."Goandcallherorsomething.Wewanttogeton."

ElspethMcKayprickedsomesausageswithafork,laidthemonabakingdish,putitintheFrigidaire
andstartedtopeelpotatoes.

Thetelephonerang.

"MrsMcKay?SergeantGoodwinhere.Isyourbrotherthere?"

"No.He'sinLondontoday."

"I'verunghimthere-he'sleft.Whenhegetsback,tellhimwe'vehadapositiveresult."

"Youmeanyou'vefoundabodyinthewell?"

"Notmuchuseclammingupaboutit.Theword'sgotroundalready."

"Whoisit?Theaupairgirl?"

"Seemslikeit."

"Poorgirl,"saidElspeth."Didshethrowherselfin-orwhat?"

"Itwasn'tsuicide-shewasknifed.Itwasmurderallright."

Ill

AfterhermotherhadlefttheLadies'Room,Mirandawaitedforaminuteortwo.Thensheopenedthe
door,cautiouslypeeredout,openedthesidedoortothegardenwhichwascloseathandandrandown
the garden path that led round to the backyard of what had once been a coaching inn and was now a
garage.Shewentoutatasmalldoorthatenabledpedestrianstogetintoalaneoutside.Alittlefarther
downthelaneacarwasparked.Amanwithbeetlinggreyeyebrowsandagreybeardwassittinginit
readinganewspaper.Mirandaopenedthedoorandclimbedinbesidethedriving-seat.Shelaughed.

"Youdolookfunny."

"Haveaheartylaugh,there'snothingtostopyou."

The car started, went down the lane, turned right, turned left, turned right again and came out on a
secondaryroad.

"We'reallrightfortime,"saidthegrey-beardedman."Attherightmomentyou'llseethedoubleaxeas
itoughttobeseen.AndKilterburyDown,too.Wonderfulview."

Acardashedpastthemsocloselythattheywerealmostforcedintothehedge."Youngidiots,"saidthe
grey-beardedman.

Oneoftheyoungmenhadlonghairreachingoverhisshouldersandlarge,owlishspectacles.Theother
oneaffectedamoreSpanishappearancewithsideburns.

"Youdon'tthinkMummywillworryaboutme?"askedMiranda.

"Shewon'thavetimetoworryaboutyou.Bythetimesheworriesaboutyou,you'llhavegotwhereyou
wanttobe."

IV

InLondon,HerculePoirotpickedupthetelephone.MrsOliver'svoicecameover.

"We'velostMiranda."

"Whatdoyoumean,losther?"

"WehadlunchatTheBlackBoy.Shewenttotheloo.Shedidn'tcomeback.Somebodysaidtheysaw
herdrivingawaywithanelderlyman.Butitmightn'thavebeenher.Itmighthavebeensomeoneelse.It
-"

"Someoneshouldhavestayedwithher.Neitherofyououghttohaveletheroutofyoursight.Itoldyou
therewasdanger.IsMrsButlerveryworried?"

"Ofcourseshe'sworried.Whatdoyouthink?She'sfrantic.Sheinsistsonringingthepolice."

"Yes, that would be the natural thing to do. I will ring them also." "But why should Miranda be in
danger?"

"Don'tyouknow?Yououghttobynow."Headded,"Thebody'sbeenfound.I'vejustheard-"

"Whatbody?""Abodyinawell."

Chapter25

"That'sbeautiful,"saidMiranda,lookingroundher.

KilterburyRingwasalocalbeautyspotthoughitsremainswerenotparticularlyfamous.Theyhadbeen
dismantledmanyhundredsofyearsago.Yethereandthereatallmegalithicstonestillstood,upright,
tellingofalongpastritualworship.Mirandaaskedquestions.

"Whydidtheyhaveallthesestoneshere?"

"Forritual.Ritualworship.Ritualsacrifice.Youunderstandaboutsacrifice,don'tyou,Miranda?"

"Ithinkso."

"Ithastobe,yousee.It'simportant."

"Youmean,it'snotasortofpunishment?It'ssomethingelse?"

"Yes,it'ssomethingelse.Youdiesothatothersshouldlive.Youdiesothatbeautyshouldlive.Should
comeintobeing.That'stheimportantthing."

"Ithoughtperhaps-""Yes,Miranda?"

"Ithoughtperhapsyououghttodiebecausewhatyou'vedonehaskilledsomeoneelse."

"Whatputthatintoyourhead?"

"IwasthinkingofJoyce.IfIhadn'ttoldheraboutsomething,shewouldn'thavedied,wouldshe?"

"Perhapsnot."

"I'vefeltworriedsinceJoycedied.Ineedn'thavetoldher,needI?ItoldherbecauseIwantedtohave
somethingworthwhiletellingher.She'dbeentoIndiaandshekepttalkingaboutit-aboutthetigers
andabouttheelephantsandtheirgoldhangingsanddecorationsandtheirtrappings.AndIthink,too-
suddenlyIwantedsomebodyelsetoknow,becauseyouseeIhadn'treallythoughtaboutitbefore."She
added:"Was-wasthatasacrifice,too?"

"Inaway."

Mirandaremainedcontemplative,thenshesaid,"Isn'tittimeyet?"

"Thesunisnotquiterightyet.Anotherfiveminutes,perhaps,andthenitwillfalldirectlyonthestone."

Againtheysatsilent,besidethecar.

"Now,Ithink,"saidMiranda'scompanion,lookingupattheskywherethesunwasdippingtowardsthe
horizon."Nowisawonderfulmoment.Noonehere.Nobodycomesupatthistimeofdayandwalksup

tothetopofKilterburyDowntoseeKilterburyRing.ToocoldinNovemberandtheblackberriesare
over.I'llshowyouthedoubleaxefirst.Thedoubleaxeonthestone.Carvedtherewhentheycamefrom
MycenaeorfromCretehundredsofyearsago.It'swonderful,Miranda,isn'tit?"

"Yes,it'sverywonderful,"saidMiranda."Showittome."Theywalkeduptothetopmoststone.

Besideitlayafallenoneandalittlefartherdowntheslopeaslightlyinclinedoneleantasthoughbent
withthewearinessofyears.

"Are you happy, Miranda?" "Yes, I'm very happy." "There's the sign here." "Is that really the double
axe?"

"Yes,it'swornwithtimebutthat'sit.That'sthesymbol.Putyourhandonit.Andnow-nowwewill
drinktothepastandthefutureandtobeauty."

"Oh,howlovely,"saidMiranda.

Agoldencupwasputintoherhand,andfromaflaskhercompanionpouredagoldenliquidintoit.

"Ittastesoffruit,ofpeaches.Drinkit,Miranda,andyouwillbehappierstill."

Mirandatookthegiltcup.Shesniffedatit.

"Yes.Yes,itdoessmellofpeaches.Ohlook,there'sthesun.Reallyredgoldlookingasthoughitwas
lyingontheedgeoftheworld."

Heturnedhertowardsit."Holdupthecupanddrink."

She turned obediently. One hand was still on the megalithic stone and its semi erased sign. Her
companion now was standing behind her. From below the inclined stone down the hill, two figures
slipped out, bent half double. Those on the summit had their backs to them, and did not even notice
them.Quicklybutstealthilytheyranupthehill.

"Drinktobeauty,Miranda."

"Likehellshedoes!"saidavoicebehindthem.

Arosevelvetcoatshotoverahead,aknifewasknockedfromthehandthatwasslowlyrising.Nicholas
Ransom caught hold of Miranda, clasping her tightly and dragging her away from the other two who
werestruggling.

"Youbloodylittleidiot,"saidNicholasRansom."Comingupherewithabarmymurderer.Youshould
haveknownwhatyouweredoing."

"I did in a way," said Miranda. "I was going to be a sacrifice, I think, because you see it was all my
fault.ItwasbecauseofmethatJoycewaskilled.Soitwasrightformetobeasacrifice,wasn'tit?It
wouldbeakindofritualkilling."

"Don'tstarttalkingnonsenseaboutritualkillings.They'vefoundthatothergirl.Youknow,theaupair
girlwhohasbeenmissingsolong.Acoupleofyearsorsomethinglikethat.Theyallthoughtshe'drun
awaybecauseshe'dforgedaWill.Shehadn'trunaway.Herbodywasfoundinthewell."

"Oh!"Mirandagaveasuddencryofanguish."Notinthewishingwell?NotinthewishingwellthatI
wantedtofindsobadly?Oh,Idon'twanthertobeinthewishingwell.Who-whoputherthere?"

"Thesamepersonwhobroughtyouhere."

Chapter26

Once again four men sat looking at Poirot. Timothy Raglan, Superintendent Spence and the Chief
Constablehadthepleasedexpectantlookofacatwhoiscountingonasaucerofcreamtomaterialiseat
anymoment.Thefourthmanstillhadtheexpressionofonewhosuspendsbelief.

"Well, Monsieur Poirot," said the Chief Constable, taking charge of the proceedings and leaving the
DPPmantoholdawatchingbrief.

"We'reallhere-"Poirotmadeamotionwithhishand.

Inspector Raglan left the room and returned ushering in a woman of thirty odd, a girl, and two
adolescentyoungmen.

HeintroducedthemtotheChiefConstable.

"MrsButler,MissMirandaButler,MrNicholasRansomandMrDesmondHolland."

PoirotgotupandtookMiranda'shand.

"Sitherebyyourmother,Miranda-MrRichmondherewhoiswhatiscalledaChiefConstable,wants
toaskyousomequestions.Hewantsyoutoanswerthem.Itconcernssomethingyousaw-overayear
agonow,nearertwoyears.Youmentionthistooneperson,and,soIunderstand,toonepersononly.Is
thatcorrect?"

"ItoldJoyce."

"AndwhatexactlydidyoutellJoyce?"

"ThatI'dseenamurder."

"Didyoutellanyoneelse?"

"No.ButIthinkLeopoldguessed.Helistens,youknow.Atdoors.Thatsortofthing.Helikesknowing
people'ssecrets."

"You have heard that Joyce Reynolds, on the afternoon before the Hallowe'en party, claimed that she
herselfhadseenamurdercommitted.Wasthattrue?"

"No.ShewasjustrepeatingwhatI'dtoldher-butpretendingthatithadhappenedtoher."

"Willyoutellusnowjustwhatyoudidsee."

"Ididn'tknowatfirstthatitwasamurder.Ithoughttherehadbeenanaccident.Ithoughtshe'dfallen
fromupabovesomewhere."

"Wherewasthis?"

"IntheQuarryGardeninthehollowwherethefountainusedtobe.Iwasupinthebranchesofatree.I'd
beenlookingatasquirrelandonehastokeepveryquiet,ortheyrushaway.Squirrelsareveryquick."

"Telluswhatyousaw."

"Amanandawomanliftedherupandwerecarryingherupthepath.Ithoughttheyweretakinghertoa
hospitalortotheQuarryHouse.Thenthewomanstoppedsuddenlyandsaid,'Someoneiswatchingus,'
andstaredatmytree.Somehowitmademefeelfrightened.Ikeptverystill.Themansaid'Nonsense,'
and they went on. I saw there was blood on a scarf and there was a knife with blood on that and I
thoughtperhapssomeonehadtriedtokillthemselvesandIwentonkeepingverystill."

"Becauseyouwerefrightened?""Yes,butIdon'tknowwhy.""Youdidn'ttellyourmother?"

"No. I thought perhaps I oughtn't to have been there watching. And then the next day nobody said
anything about an accident, so I forgot about it. I never thought about it again until -" She stopped
suddenly.TheChiefConstableopenedhismouth-thenshutit.

HelookedatPoirotandmadeaveryslightgesture."Yes,Miranda,"saidPoirot,"untilwhat?"

"Itwasasthoughitwashappeningalloveragain.Itwasagreenwoodpeckerthistime,andIwasbeing
very still, watching it from behind some bushes. And those two were sitting there talking - about an
island-aGreekisland.Shesaidsomethinglike,'It'sallsignedup.It'sours,wecangotoitwhenever
we like. But we'd better go slow still - not rush things.' And then the woodpecker flew away, and I
moved.Andshesaid'Hush-bequiet-somebody'swatchingus.'Itwasjustthewayshe'dsaiditbefore,
andshehadjustthesamelookonherface,andIwasfrightenedagain,andIremembered.Andthistime
Iknew.IknewithadbeenamurderIhadseenandithadbeenadeadbodytheywerecarryingawayto
hidesomewhere.Yousee,Iwasn'tachildanymore.Iknew-thingsandwhattheymustmeantheblood
andtheknifeandthedeadbodyalllimp-"

"Whenwasthis?"askedtheChiefConstable."Howlongago?"

Mirandathoughtforamoment.

"LastMarchjustafterEaster."

"Canyousaydefinitelywhothesepeoplewere,Miranda?"

"OfcourseIcan."Mirandalookedbewildered.

"Yousawtheirfaces?"

"Ofcourse."

"Whowerethey?"

"MrsDrakeandMichael..."

Itwasnotadramaticdenunciation.Hervoicewasquiet,withsomethinginitlikewonder,butitcarried
conviction.

TheChiefConstablesaid,"Youdidnottellanyone.Whynot?"

"Ithought-1thoughtitmighthavebeenasacrifice."

"Whotoldyouthat?"

"Michaeltoldme.Hesaidsacrificeswerenecessary."

Poirotsaidgently,"YoulovedMichael?"

"Ohyes,"saidMiranda,"Ilovedhimverymuch."

Chapter27

"NowI'vegotyouhereatlast,"saidMrsOliver,"Iwanttoknowallabouteverything."

ShelookedatPoirotwithdeterminationandaskedseverely:"Whyhaven'tyoucomesooner?"

"Myexcuses,Madame,Ihavebeenmuchoccupiedassistingthepolicewiththeirinquiries."

"It's criminals who do that. What on earth made you think of Rowena Drake being mixed up in a
murder?Nobodyelsewouldhavedreamedofit?"

"ItwassimpleassoonasIgotthevitalclue.""Whatdoyoucallthevitalclue?"

"Water.Iwantedsomeonewhowasatthepartyandwhowaswet,andwhoshouldn'thavebeenwet.
WhoeverkilledJoyceReynoldswouldnecessarilyhavegotwet.Youholddownavigorouschildwith
itsheadinafullbucketofwater,andtherewillbestrugglingandsplashingandyouareboundtobe
wet. So something has got to happen to provide an innocent explanation of how you got wet. When
everyone crowded into the dining-room for the Snapdragon, Mrs Drake took Joyce with her to the
library. If your hostess asks you to come with her, naturally you go. And certainly Joyce had no
suspicionofMrsDrake.AllMirandahadtoldherwasthatshehadonceseenamurdercommitted.And
soJoycewaskilledandhermurdererwasfairlywellsoakedwithwater.Theremustbeareasonforthat
andshesetaboutcreatingareason.Shehadtogetawitnessastohowshegotwet.Shewaitedonthe
landing with an enormous vase of flowers filled with water. In due course Miss Whittaker came out
fromtheSnapdragonroom-itwashotinthere.MrsDrakepretendedtostartnervously,andletthevase
go,takingcarethatitfloodedherpersonasitcrasheddowntothehallbelow.Sherandownthestairs
andsheandMissWhittakerpickedupthepiecesandtheflowerswhileMrsDrakecomplainedatthe
loss of her beautiful vase. She managed to give Miss Whittaker the impression that she had seen
something or someone coming out of the room where a murder had been committed. Miss Whittaker
tookthestatementatitsfacevalue,butwhenshementionedittoMissEmlyn,MissEmlynrealisedthe
reallyinterestingthingaboutit.AndsosheurgedMissWhittakertotellmethestory.

"Andso,"saidPoirot,twirlinghismoustaches,"I,too,knewwhothemurdererofJoycewas."

"AndallthetimeJoycehadneverseenanymurdercommittedatall!"

"MrsDrakedidnotknowthat.ButshehadalwayssuspectedthatsomeonehadbeenthereintheQuarry
WoodwhensheandMichaelGarfieldhadkilledOlgaSeminoff,andmighthaveseenithappen."

"WhendidyouknowithadbeenMirandaandnotJoyce?"

"As soon as common sense forced me to accept the universal verdict that Joyce was a liar. Then
Mirandawasclearlyindicated.ShewasfrequentlyintheQuarryWood,observingbirdsandsquirrels.
Joycewas,asMirandatoldme,herbestfriend.Shesaid:'Wetelleachothereverything.'Mirandawas
notattheparty,sothecompulsiveliarJoycecouldusethestoryherfriendhertoldherofhavingonce

seenamurdercommitted-probablyinordertoimpressyou,Madame,thewell-knowncrimewriter."

"That'sright,blameitallonme."

"No,no."

"RowenaDrake,"musedMrsOliver."Istillcan'tbelieveitofher."

"Shehadallthequalitiesnecessary.Ihavealwayswondered,"headded,"exactlywhatsortofawoman
LadyMacbethwas.Whatwouldshebelikeifyoumetherinreallife?Well,IthinkIhavemether."

"AndMichaelGarfield?Theyseemsuchanunlikelypair.""Interesting-LadyMacbethandNarcissus,
anunusualcombination.""LadyMacbeth,"MrsOlivermurmuredthoughtfully.

"Shewasahandsomewoman-efficientandcompetent-abornadministrator-anunexpectedlygood
actress.YoushouldhaveheardherlamentingoverthedeathofthelittleboyLeopoldandweepinglarge
sobsintoadryhandkerchief."

"Disgusting."

"YourememberIaskedyouwho,inyouropinion,wereorwerenotnicepeople."

"WasMichaelGarfieldinlovewithher?"

"I doubt if Michael Garfield has ever loved anyone but himself. He wanted money - a lot of money.
PerhapshebelievedatfirsthecouldinfluenceMrsLlewellyn-Smythetodoteuponhimtotheextentof
makingaWillinhisfavour-butMrsLlewellyn-Smythewasnotthatkindofwoman."

"Whatabouttheforgery?Istilldon'tunderstandthat.Whatwasthepointofitall?"

"Itwasconfusingatfirst.Toomuchforgery,onemightsay.Butifoneconsideredit,thepurposeofit
wasclear.Youhadonlytoconsiderwhatactuallyhappened.

"Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe's fortune all went to Rowena Drake. The codicil produced was so obviously

forgedthatanylawyerwouldspotit.Itwouldbecontested,andtheevidenceofexpertswouldresultin
itsbeingupset,andtheoriginalWillwouldstand.AsRowenaDrake'shusbandhadrecentlydiedshe
wouldinheriteverything."

"Butwhataboutthecodicilthatthecleaningwomanwitnessed?"

"MysurmiseisthatMrsLlewellyn-SmythediscoveredthatMichaelGarfieldandRowenaDrakewere
havinganaffair-probablybeforeherhusbanddied.InherangerMrsLlewellyn-Smythemadeacodicil
to her Will leaving everything to her au pair girl. Probably the girl told Michael about this - she was
hopingtomarryhim."

"IthoughtitwasyoungFerrier?"

"ThatwasaplausibletaletoldmebyMichael.Therewasnoconfirmationofit."

"Then if he knew there was a real codicil why didn't he marry Olga and get hold of the money that
way?"

"Becausehedoubtedwhethershereallywouldgetthemoney.Thereissuchathingasundueinfluence.
MrsLlewellyn-Smythewasanelderlywomanandasickwomanalso.AllherprecedingWillshadbeen
infavourofherownkithandkin-goodsensibleWillssuchaslawcourtsapproveof.Thisgirlfrom
foreignpartshadbeenknowntoheronlyayear-andhadnokindofclaimuponher.Thatcodicileven
thoughgenuinecouldhavebeenupset.Besides,IdoubtifOlgacouldhaveputthroughthepurchaseof
aGreekisland-orwouldevenhavebeenwillingtodoso.Shehadnoinfluentialfriends,orcontactsin
business circles. She was attracted to Michael, but she looked upon him as a good prospect
matrimonially,whowouldenablehertoliveinEngland-whichiswhatshewantedtodo."

"AndRowenaDrake?"

"Shewasinfatuated.Herhusbandhadbeenformanyyearsacrippledinvalid.Shewasmiddle-agedbut
shewasapassionatewoman,andintoherorbitcameayoungmanofunusualbeauty.Womenfellfor
himeasily-buthewanted-notthebeautyofwomen-buttheexerciseofhisowncreativeurgetomake
beauty. For that he wanted money - a lot of money. As for love - he loved only himself. He was
Narcissus.ThereisanoldFrenchsongIheardmanyyearsago-"Hehummedsoftly.

"Regarde, Narcisse Regarde, dans l'eau... Regarde, Narcisse, que tu es beau II n'y au monde Que la
BeauteEtlajeunesse,Helas!Etlajeunesse...Regarde,NarcisseRegardedansl'eau..."

"Ican'tbelieve-1simplycan'tbelievethatanyonewoulddomurderjusttomakeagardenonaGreek
island,"saidMrsOliverunbelievingly.

"Can'tyou?Can'tyouvisualisehowhehelditinhismind?Barerock,perhaps,butsoshapedastohold
possibilities.Earth,cargoesoffertileearthtoclothethebarebonesoftherocks-andthenplants,seeds,
shrubs,trees.Perhapshereadinthepaperofashippingmillionairewhohadcreatedanislandgarden
forthewomanheloved.Andsoitcametohim-hewouldmakeagarden,notforawoman,but-for
himself."

"Itstillseemstomequitemad."

"Yes. That happens. I doubt if he even thought of his motive as sordid. He thought of it only as
necessaryforthecreationofmorebeauty.He'dgonemadoncreation.ThebeautyoftheQuarryWood,
thebeautyofothergardenshe'dlaidoutandmade-andnowheenvisagedevenmore-awholeisland
ofbeauty.AndtherewasRowenaDrake,infatuatedwithhim.Whatdidshemeantohimbutthesource
of money with which he could create beauty. Yes - he had become mad, perhaps. Whom the gods
destroy,theyfirstdrivemad."

"Hereallywantedhisislandsomuch?EvenwithRowenaDraketiedroundhisneckaswell?Bossing
himthewholetime?"

"Accidentscanhappen.IthinkonemightpossiblyhavehappenedtoMrsDrakeinduecourse."

"Onemoremurder?"

"Yes.Itstartedsimply.Olgahadtoberemovedbecausesheknewaboutthecodicil-andshewasalsoto
be the scapegoat, branded as a forger. Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe had hidden the original document, so I
thinkthatyoungFerrierwasgivenmoneytoproduceasimilarforgeddocument.Soobviouslyforged
thatitwouldarousesuspicionatonce.Thatsealedhisdeathwarrant.LesleyFerrier,Isoondecided,had
hadnoarrangementorloveaffairwithOlga.ThatwasasuggestionmadetomebyMichaelGarfield,
butIthinkitwasMichaelwhopaidmoneytoLesley.ItwasMichaelGarfieldwhowaslayingsiegeto
theaupairgirl'saffections,warninghertokeepquietaboutthisandnottellheremployer,speakingof
possible marriage in the future but at the same time marking her down coldbloodedly as the victim
whomheandRowenaDrakewouldneedifthemoneywastocometothem.Itwasnotnecessaryfor
Olga Seminoff to be accused of forgery, or prosecuted. She needed only to be suspected of it. The
forgeryappearedtobenefither.Itcouldhavebeendonebyherveryeasily,therewasevidencetothe
effectthatshedidcopyheremployer'shandwritingandifshewassuddenlytodisappear,itwouldbe
assumedthatshehadbeennotonlyaforger,butquitepossiblymighthaveassistedheremployertodie
suddenly.SoonasuitableoccasionOlgaSeminoffdied.LesleyFerrierwaskilledinwhatispurported

tohavebeenagangknifingoraknifingbyajealouswoman.Buttheknifethatwasfoundinthewell
corresponds very closely with the knife wounds that he suffered. I knew that Olga's body must be
hidden somewhere in this neighbourhood, but I had no idea where until I heard Miranda one day
inquiringaboutawishingwell,urgingMichaelGarfieldtotakeherthere.Andhewasrefusing.Shortly
afterwardswhenIwastalkingtoMrsGoodbody,IsaidIwonderedwherethatgirlhaddisappearedtoo,
andshesaid"Dingdongdell,pussy'sinthewell"andthenIwasquitesurethegirl'sbodywasinthe
wishingwell.Idiscovereditwasinthewood,intheQuarryWood,onaninclinenotfarfromMichael
Garfield'scottageandIthoughtthatMirandacouldhaveseeneithertheactualmurderorthedisposalof
thebodylater.MrsDrakeandMichaelfearedthatsomeonehadbeenawitness-buttheyhadnoidea
whoitwas-andasnothinghappenedtheywerelulledintosecurity.Theymadetheirplans-theywere
innohurry,buttheysetthingsinmotion.Shetalkedaboutbuyinglandabroad-gavepeopletheidea
shewantedtogetawayfromWoodleighCommon.Toomanysadassociations,referringalwaystoher
griefoverherhusband'sdeath.EverythingwasnicelyintrainandthencametheshockofHallowe'en
andJoyce'ssuddenassertionofhavingwitnessedamurder.SonowRowenaknew,orthoughtsheknew,
who it had been in the wood that day. So she acted quickly. But there was more to come. Young
Leopold asked for money - there were things he wanted to buy, he said. What he guessed or knew is
uncertain,buthewasJoyce'sbrother,andsotheyprobablythoughtheknewfarmorethanhereallydid.
Andso-he,too,died."

"Yoususpectedherbecauseofthewaterclue,"saidMrsOliver."HowdidyoucometosuspectMichael
Garfield?"

"Hefitted,"saidPoirotsimply."Andthen-thelasttimeIspoketoMichaelGarfield,Iwassure.Hesaid
tome,laughing-'Gettheebeyondme,Satan.Goandjoinyourpolicefriends.'AndIknewthen,quite
certainly. It was the other way round. I said to myself: 'I am leaving you behind me, Satan,' A Satan
youngandbeautifulasLucifercanappeartomortals..."

Therewasanotherwomanintheroomuntilnowshehadnotspoken,butnowshestirredinherchair.

"Lucifer,"shesaid."Yes,Iseenow.Hewasalwaysthat."

"Hewasverybeautiful,"saidPoirot,"andhelovedbeauty.Thebeautythathemadewithhisbrainand
hisimaginationandhishands.Toithewouldsacrificeeverything.Inhisownway,Ithink,helovedthe
childMirandabuthewasreadytosacrificehertosavehimself.Heplannedherdeathverycarefullyhe
madeofitaritualand,asonemightputit,indoctrinatedherwiththeidea.Shewastolethimknowif
she were leaving Woodleigh Common he instructed her to meet him at the Inn where you and Mrs
Oliver lunched. She was to have been found on Kilterbury Ring there by the sign of the double axe,
withagoldengobletbyhersidearitualsacrifice."

"Mad,"saidJudithButler."Hemusthavebeenmad."

"Madame,yourdaughterissafebutthereissomethingIwouldliketoknowverymuch."

"IthinkyoudeservetoknowanythingIcantellyou,MonsieurPoirot.""Sheisyourdaughter-wasshe
alsoMichaelGarfield'sdaughter?"Judithwassilentforamoment,andthenshesaid:"Yes.""Butshe
doesn'tknowthat?"

"No.Shehasnoidea.Meetinghimherewasapurecoincidence.IknewhimwhenIwasayounggirl.I
fellwildlyinlovewithhimandthen-andthenIgotafraid."

"Afraid?"

"Yes.Idon'tknowwhy.Notofanythinghewoulddoorthatsortofthing,justafraidofhisnature.His
gentleness,butbehindit,acoldnessandaruthlessness.Iwasevenafraidofhispassionforbeautyand
forcreationinhisworkIdidn'ttellhimIwasgoingtohaveachild.Ilefthim-1wentawayandthe
baby was born. I invented the story of a pilot husband who had had a crash. I moved about rather
restlessly. I came to Woodleigh Common more or less by chance. I had got contacts in Medchester
whereIcouldfindsecretarialwork.

"AndthenonedayMichaelGarfieldcameheretoworkintheQuarryWood.Idon'tthinkIminded.Nor
didhe.Allthatwasoverlongago,butlater,althoughIdidn'trealisehowoftenMirandawentthereto
theWood,Ididworry-"

"Yes,"saidPoirot,"therewasabondbetweenthem.Anaturalaffinity.Isawthelikenessbetweenthem
- only Michael Garfield, the follower of Lucifer the beautiful, was evil, and your daughter has
innocenceandwisdom,andthereisnoevilinher."

Hewentovertohisdeskandbroughtbackanenvelope.Outofithedrewadelicatepencildrawing.

"Yourdaughter,"hesaid.

Judithlookedatit.Itwassigned"MichaelGarfield".

"Hewasdrawingherbythestream,"saidPoirot,"intheQuarryWood.Hedrewit,hesaid,sothathe
shouldnotforget.Hewasafraidofforgetting.Itwouldn'thavestoppedhimkillingher,though."

Thenhepointedtobepencilledwordacrossthetoplefthandcorner."Canyoureadthat?"Shespeltit
outslowly."Iphigenia."

"Yes,"saidPoirot,"Iphigenia.Agamemnonsacrificedhisdaughter,sothatheshouldgetawindtotake
hisshipstoTroy.MichaelwouldhavesacrificedhisdaughtersothatheshouldhaveanewGardenof
Eden."

"Heknewwhathewasdoing,"saidJudith."Iwonderifhewouldeverhavehadregrets?"

Poirotdidnotanswer.Apicturewasforminginhismindofayoungmanofsingularbeautylyingbythe
megalithicstonemarkedwithadoubleaxe,andstillclaspinginhisdeadfingersthegoldengoblethe
had seized and drained when retribution had come suddenly to save his victim and to deliver him to
justice.

It was so that Michael Garfield had died a fitting death, Poirot thought but, alas, there would be no
gardenblossomingonanislandintheGrecianSeas...

InsteadtherewouldbeMirandaaliveandyoungandbeautiful.

HeraisedJudith'shandandkissedit.

"Good-bye,Madame,andremembermetoyourdaughter."

"Sheoughtalwaystorememberyouandwhatsheowesyou."

"Betternot-somememoriesarebetterburied."

HewentontoMrsOliver.

"Goodnight,chereMadame.LadyMacbethandNarcissus.Ithasbeenremarkablyinteresting.Ihaveto
thankyouforbringingittomynotice-"

"That'sright,"saidMrsOliverinanexasperatedvoice,"blameitallonmeasusual!"