HP09-LordEdgwareDies

AgathaChristie

Chapter1

ATHEATRICALPARTY

Thememoryofthepublicisshort.Alreadytheintenseinterestandexcitementarousedbythemurderof
George Alfred St. Vincent Marsh, fourth Baron Edgware, is a thing past and forgotten. Newer
sensationshavetakenitsplace.

Myfriend,HerculePoirot,wasneveropenlymentionedinconnectionwiththecase.This,Imaysay,
was entirely in accordance with his own wishes. He did not choose to appear in it. The credit went
elsewhere and that is how he wished it to be. Moreover, from Poirot's own peculiar private point of
view,thecasewasoneofhisfailures.Healwaysswearsthatitwasthechanceremarkofastrangerin
thestreetthatputhimontherighttrack.

Howeverthatmaybe,itwashisgeniusthatdiscoveredthetruthoftheaffair.ButforHerculePoirotI
doubtifthecrimewouldhavebeenbroughthometoitsperpetrator.

IfeelthereforethatthetimehascomeformetosetdownallIknowoftheaffairinblackandwhite.I
knowtheinsandoutsofthecasethoroughlyandImayalsomentionthatIshallbefulfillingthewishes
ofaveryfascinatingladyinsodoing.

I have often recalled that day in Poirot's prim neat little sitting-room when, striding up and down a
particularstripofcarpet,mylittlefriendgaveushismasterlyandastoundingresuméofthecase.Iam
goingtobeginmynarrativewherehedidonthatoccasion-ataLondontheatreinJuneoflastyear.

CarlottaAdamswasquitetherageinLondonatthatmoment.Theyearbeforeshehadgivenacoupleof
matineeswhichhadbeenawildsuccess.Thisyearshehadathreeweeks'seasonofwhichthiswasthe
lastnightbutone.

Carlotta Adams was an American girl with the most amazing talent for single-handed sketches
unhamperedbymake-uporscenery.Sheseemedtospeakeverylanguagewithease.Hersketchofan
evening in a foreign hotel was really wonderful. In turn, American tourists, German tourists, middle-
classEnglishfamilies,questionableladies,impoverishedRussianaristocratsandwearydiscreetwaiters
allflittedacrossthescene.

Hersketcheswentfromgravetogayandbackagain.HerdyingCzecho-Slovakianwomaninhospital
broughtalumptothethroat.Aminutelaterwewererockingwithlaughterasadentistpliedhistrade
andchattedamiablywithhisvictims.

Herprogrammeclosedwithwhatsheannouncedas"SomeImitations."

Here again, she was amazingly clever. Without make-up of any kind, her features seemed to dissolve
suddenlyandre-formthemselvesintothoseofafamouspolitician,orawell-knownactress,orasociety
beauty.Ineachcharactershegaveashorttypicalspeech.Thesespeeches,bytheway,wereremarkably
clever.Theyseemedtohitoffeveryweaknessofthesubjectselected.

OneofherlastimpersonationswasJaneWilkinson-atalentedyoungAmericanactresswellknownin
London. It was really very clever. Inanities slipped off her tongue charged with some powerful
emotionalappealsothatinspiteofyourselfyoufeltthateachwordwasutteredwithsomepotentand
fundamentalmeaning.Hervoice,exquisitelytoned,withadeephuskynoteinit,wasintoxicating.The
restrainedgestures,eachstrangelysignificant,theslightlyswayingbody,theimpressioneven,ofstrong
physicalbeauty-howshedidit,Icannotthink!

I had always been an admirer of the beautiful Jane Wilkinson. She had thrilled me in her emotional
parts,andIhadalwaysmaintainedinfaceofthosewhoadmittedherbeautybutdeclaredshewasno
actress,thatshehadconsiderablehistrionicpowers.

Itwasalittleuncannytohearthatwell-known,slightlyhuskyvoicewiththefatalisticdropinitthathad
stirredmesooften,andtowatchthatseeminglypoignantgestureoftheslowlyclosingandunclosing
hand,andthesuddenthrowbackoftheheadwiththehairshakenbackfromthefacethatIrealisedshe
alwaysgaveatthecloseofadramaticscene.

JaneWilkinsonwasoneofthoseactresseswhohadleftthestageonhermarriageonlytoreturntoita
coupleofyearslater.

Three years ago she had married the wealthy but slightly eccentric Lord Edgware. Rumour went that
shelefthimshortlyafterwards.Atanyrateeighteenmonthsafterthemarriage,shewasactingforthe
filmsinAmerica,andhadthisseasonappearedinasuccessfulplayinLondon.

WatchingCarlottaAdams'cleverbutperhapsslightlymaliciousimitation,itoccurredtometowonder
howsuchimitationswereregardedbythesubjectselected.Weretheypleasedatthenotoriety-atthe
advertisement it afforded? Or were they annoyed at what was, after all, a deliberate exposing of the
tricksoftheirtrade?WasnotCarlottaAdamsinthepositionoftherivalconjurerwhosays:"Oh!thisis

anoldtrick!Verysimple.I'llshowyouhowthisone'sdone!"

I decided that if I were the subject in question, I should be very much annoyed. I should, of course,
concealmyvexation,butdecidedlyIshouldnotlikeit.Onewouldneedgreatbroad-mindednessanda
distinctsenseofhumourtoappreciatesuchamercilessexpose.

Ihadjustarrivedattheseconclusionswhenthedelightfulhuskylaughfromthestagewasechoedfrom
behindme.

Iturnedmyheadsharply.Intheseatimmediatelybehindmine,leaningforwardwithherlipsslightly
parted,wasthesubjectofthepresentimitation-LadyEdgware,betterknownasJaneWilkinson.

Irealisedimmediatelythatmydeductionshadbeenallwrong.Shewasleaningforward,herlipsparted,
withanexpressionofdelightandexcitementinhereyes.

As the "imitation" finished, she applauded loudly, laughing and turning to her companion, a tall
extremelygood-lookingman,oftheGreekgodtype,whosefaceIrecognisedasonebetterknownon
thescreenthanonthestage.ItwasBryanMartin,theheroofthescreenmostpopularatthemoment.
HeandJaneWilkinsonhadbeenstarredtogetherinseveralscreenproductions.

"Marvellous,isn'tshe?"LadyEdgwarewassaying.

Helaughed.

"Jane-youlookallexcited."

"Well,shereallyistoowonderful!HeapsbetterthanIthoughtshe'dbe."

IdidnotcatchBryanMartin'samusedrejoinder.CarlottaAdamshadstartedonafreshimprovisation.

Whathappenedlateris,Ishallalwaysthink,averycuriouscoincidence.

Afterthetheatre,PoirotandIwentontosupperattheSavoy.AttheverynexttabletoourswereLady
Edgware,BryanMartin.andtwootherpeoplewhomIdidnotknow.IpointedthemouttoPoirotand,as
Iwasdoingso,anothercouplecameandtooktheirplacesatthetablebeyondthatagain.

Thewoman'sfacewasfamiliarandyetstrangelyenough,forthemomentIcouldnotplaceit.

ThensuddenlyIrealisedthatitwasCarlottaAdamsatwhomIwasstaring!ThemanIdidnotknow.He
waswell-groomed,withacheerful,somewhatvacuousface.NotatypethatIadmire.

Carlotta Adams was dressed very inconspicuously in black. Hers was not a face to command instant
attentionorrecognition.Itwasoneofthosemobilesensitivefacesthatpre-eminentlylendthemselves
totheartofmimicry.Itcouldtakeonanaliencharactereasily,butithadnoveryrecognisablecharacter
ofitsown.

I imparted these reflections of mine to Poirot. He listened attentively, his egg-shaped head cocked
slightlytoonesidewhilsthedartedasharpglanceatthetwotablesinquestion.

"SothatisLadyEdgware?Yes,Iremember-Ihaveseenheract.Sheisbellefemme."

"Andafineactresstoo."

"Possibly."

"Youdon'tseemconvinced."

"Ithinkitwoulddependonthesetting,myfriend.Ifsheisthecentreoftheplay,ifallrevolvesround
her-yes,thenshecouldplayherpart.Idoubtifshecouldplayasmallpartadequatelyorevenwhatis
calledacharacterpart.Theplaymustbewrittenaboutherandforher.Sheappearstomeofthetypeof
womenwhoareinterestedonlyinthemselves."

Hepausedandthenaddedratherunexpectedly:

"Suchpeoplegothroughlifeingreatdanger."

"Danger?"Isaid,surprised.

"Ihaveusedawordthatsurprisesyou,Isee,monai.Yes,danger.Because,yousee,awomanlikethat
seesonlyonething-herself.Suchwomenseenothingofthedangersandhazardsthatsurroundthem-

themillionconflictinginterestsandrelationshipsoflife.No,theyseeonlytheirownforwardpath.And
so-soonerorlater-disaster."

Iwasinterested.Iconfessedtomyselfthatsuchapointofviewwouldnothavestruckme.

"Andtheother?"Iasked.

"MissAdams?"

Hisgazeswepttohertable.

"Well?"hesaid,smiling."Whatdoyouwantmetosayabouther?"

"Onlyhowshestrikesyou."

"Moncher,amItonightthefortune-tellerwhoreadsthepalmandtellsthecharacter?"

"Youcoulddoitbetterthanmost,"Irejoined.

"Itisaveryprettyfaiththatyouhaveinme,Hastings.Ittouchesme.Doyounotknow,myfriend,that
each one of us is a dark mystery, a maze of conflicting passions and desires and aptitudes? Mais oui,
c'estvrai.Onemakesone'slittlejudgments-butninetimesoutoftenoneiswrong."

"NotHerculePoirot,"Isaidsmiling.

"EvenHerculePoirot!Oh!IknowverywellthatyouhavealwaysalittleideathatIamconceited,but,
indeed,Iassureyou,Iamreallyaveryhumbleperson."

Ilaughed.

"You-humble!"

"Itisso.Except-Iconfessit-thatIamalittleproudofmymoustaches.NowhereinLondonhaveI

observedanythingtocomparewiththem."

"You'requitesafe,"Isaiddryly."Youwon't.SoyouarenotgoingtoriskjudgmentonCarlottaAdams?"

"Elleestartiste!"saidPoirotsimply."Thatcoversnearlyall,doesitnot?"

"Anyway,youdon'tconsiderthatshewalksthroughlifeinperil?"

"Wealldothat,myfriend,"saidPoirotgravely."Misfortunemayalwaysbewaitingtorushoutuponus.
Butastoyourquestion,MissAdams,Ithink,willsucceed.Sheisshrewdandsheissomethingmore.
YouobservedwithoutdoubtthatsheisaJewess?"

Ihadnot,Butnowthathementionedit,IsawthefainttracesofSemiticancestry.Poirotnodded.

"It makes for success - that. Though there is still one avenue of danger - since it is of danger we are
talking."

"Youmean?"

"Loveofmoney.Loveofmoneymightleadsuchaonefromtheprudentandcautiouspath."

"Itmightdothattoallofus,"Isaid.

"Thatistrue,butatanyrateyouorIwouldseethedangerinvolved.Wecouldweightheprosandcons.
Ifyoucareformoneytoomuch,itisonlythemoneyyousee,everythingelseisinshadow."

Ilaughedathisseriousmanner.

"Esmeralda,thegypsyqueen,isingoodform,"Iremarkedteasingly.

"The psychology of character is interesting," returned Poirot, unmoved. "One cannot be interested in
crimewithoutbeinginterestedinpsychology.Itisnotthemereactofkilling,itiswhatliesbehindit
thatappealstotheexpert.Youfollowme,Hastings?"

IsaidthatIfollowedhimperfectly.

"Ihavenoticedthatwhenweworkonacasetogether,youarealwaysurgingmeontophysicalaction,
Hastings. You wish me to measure footprints, to analyse cigarette-ash, to prostrate myself on my
stomachfortheexaminationofdetail.Youneverrealisethatbylyingbackinanarmchairwiththeeyes
closedonecancomenearertothesolutionofanyproblem.Oneseesthenwiththeeyesofthemind."

"Idon't,"Isaid."WhenIliebackinanarmchairwithmyeyesclosedonethinghappenstomeandone
thingonly!"

"Ihavenoticedit!"saidPoirot."Itisstrange.Atsuchmomentsthebrainshouldbeworkingfeverishly,
not sinking into sluggish repose. The mental activity, it is so interesting, so stimulating! The
employmentofthelittlegreycellsisamentalpleasure.Theyandtheyonlycanbetrustedtoleadone
throughfogtothetruth..."

I am afraid that I have got into the habit of averting my attention whenever Poirot mentions his little
greycells.Ihavehearditallsooftenbefore.

In this instance my attention wandered to the four people sitting at the next table, When Poirot's
monologuedrewtoacloseIremarkedwithachuckle:

"Youhavemadeahit,Poirot.ThefairLadyEdgwarecanhardlytakehereyesoffyou."

"Doubtlessshehasbeeninformedofmyidentity,"saidPoirot,tryingtolookmodestandfailing.

"Ithinkitisthefamousmoustaches,"Isaid."Sheiscarriedawaybytheirbeauty."

Poirotcaressedthemsurreptitiously.

"It is true that they are unique," he admitted. "Oh, my friend, the 'toothbrush' as you call it, that you
wear-itisahorror-anatrocity-awilfulstuntingofthebountiesofnature.Abandonit,myfriend,I
prayofyou."

"ByJove,"Isaid,disregardingPoirot'sappeal."Thelady'sgettingup.Ibelieveshe'scomingtospeakto
us.BryanMartinisprotesting,butshewon'tlistentohim."

Sureenough,JaneWilkinsonsweptimpetuouslyfromherseatandcameovertoourtable.Poirotroseto
hisfeet,bowing,andIrosealso.

"M.HerculePoirot,isn'tit?"saidthesofthuskyvoice.

"Atyourservice."

"M.Poirot,Iwanttotalktoyou.Imusttalktoyou."

"Butcertainly,Madame,willyounotsitdown?"

"No,no,nothere.Iwanttotalktoyouprivately.We'llgorightupstairstomysuite."

BryanMartinhadjoinedher.Hespokenowwithadeprecatinglaugh.

"Youmustwaitalittle,Jane.We'reinthemiddleofsupper.SoisM.Poirot."

ButJaneWilkinsonwasnotsoeasilyturnedfromherpurpose.

"Why,Bryan,whatdoesthatmatter?We'llhavesuppersentuptothesuite.Speaktothemaboutit,will
you?And,Bryan-"

Shewentafterhimashewasturningawayandappearedtourgesomecourseuponhim.Hestoodout
aboutit,Igathered,shakinghisheadandfrowning.Butshespokeevenmoreemphaticallyandfinally
withashrugoftheshouldershegaveway.

OnceortwiceduringherspeechtohimshehadglancedatthetablewhereCarlottaAdamssat,andI
wonderedifwhatsheweresuggestinghadanythingtodowiththeAmericangirl.

Herpointgained,Janecameback,radiant.

"We'llgorightupnow,"shesaid,andincludedmeinadazzlingsmile.

Thequestionofouragreeingornotagreeingtoherplandidnotseemtooccurtohermind.Sheswept
usoffwithoutashadeofapology.

"It'sthegreatestluckjustseeingyouherethisevening,M.Poirot,"shesaidassheledthewaytothe
lift."It'swonderfulhoweverythingseemstoturnoutrightforme.I'djustbeenthinkingandwondering
what on earth I was going to do and I looked up and there you were at the next table, and I said to
myself:'M.Poirotwilltellmewhattodo.'"

Shebrokeofftosay"SecondFloor"tothelift-boy.

"IfIcanbeofaidtoyou-"beganPoirot.

"I'msureyoucan.I'veheardyou'rejustthemostmarvellousmanthateverexisted.Somebody'sgotto
getmeoutofthetangleI'minandIfeelyou'rejustthemantodoit."

Wegotoutatthesecondfloorandsheledthewayalongthecorridor,pausedatadooradenteredoneof
themostopulentoftheSavoysuites.

Castingherwhitefurwrapononechair,andhersmalljewelledbagonthetable,theactresssankontoa
chairandexclaimed:

"M.Poirot,somehoworotherI'vejustgottogetridofmyhusband!"

Chapter2

ASUPPERPARTY

Afteramoment'sastonishmentPoirotrecoveredhimself.

"ButMadame,"hesaid,hiseyestwinkling."Gettingridofhusbandsisnotmyspecialty."

"Well,ofcourse,Iknowthat."

"Itisalawyeryourequire."

"That'sjustwhereyou'rewrong.I'mjustaboutsickandtiredoflawyers.I'vehadstraightlawyersand
crookedlawyers,andnotoneofthem'sdonemeanygood.Lawyersjustknowthelaw,theydon'tseem
tohaveanykindofnaturalsense."

"AndyouthinkIhave?"

Shelaughed.

"I'veheardthatyou'rethecat'swhiskers,M.Poirot."

"Comment?Thecat'swhiskers?Idonotunderstand."

"Wellthatyou'reIt."

"Madame,Imayormaynothavebrains-asamatteroffactIhave-whypretend?Butyourlittleaffair,
itisnotmygenre."

"Idon'tseewhynot.It'saproblem."

"Oh!aproblem!"

"Andit'sdifficult,"wentonJaneWilkinson."Ishouldsayyouweren'tthemantoshyatdifficulties."

"Let me compliment you on your insight, Madame. But all the same, me, I do not make the
investigationsfordivorce.Itisnotpretty-cemétierla.'

"Mydearman,I'mnotaskingyoutodospyingwork.Itwouldn'tbeanygood.ButI'vejustgottoget
ridoftheman,andI'msureyoucouldtellmehowtodoit."

Poirotpausedawhilebeforereplying.Whenhedid,therewasanewnoteinhisvoice.

"Firsttellme,Madame,whyyouaresoanxiousto'getrid'ofLordEdgware?"

Therewasnodelayorhesitationaboutheranswer.Itcameswiftandpat.

"Why,ofcourse.Iwanttogetmarriedagain.Whatotherreasoncouldtherebe?"

Hergreatblueeyesopenedingenuously.

"Butsurelyadivorceshouldbeeasytoobtain?"

"Youdon'tknowmyhusband,M.Poirot.He's-he's-"sheshivered."Idon'tknowhowtoexplainit.
He'saqueermanhe'snotlikeotherpeople."

Shepausedandthenwenton.

"Heshouldneverhavemarriedanyone.IknowwhatI'mtalkingabout.Ijustcan'tdescribehim,buthe's
queer. His first wife, you know, ran away from him. Left a baby of three months behind. He never
divorcedherandshediedmiserablyabroadsomewhere.Thenhemarriedme.Well-Icouldn'tstickit.I
wasfrightened.IlefthimandwenttotheStates.I'venogroundsforadivorce,andifI'vegivenhim
groundsforonehewon'ttakeanynoticeofthem.He's-he'sakindoffanatic."

"IncertainAmericanstatesyoucouldobtainadivorce,Madame."

"That'snogoodtome-notifI'mgoingtoliveinEngland."

"YouwanttoliveinEngland?"

"Yes."

"Whoisthemanyouwanttomarry?"

"That'sjustit.TheDukeofMerton."

Idrewinmybreathsharply.TheDukeofMertonhadsofarbeenthedespairofmatchmakingmammas.
Ayoungmanofmonkishtendencies,aviolentAnglo-Catholic,hewasreportedtobecompletelyunder
the thumb of his mother, the redoubtable dowager duchess. His life was austere in the extreme. He

collectedChineseporcelainandwasreputedtobeofaesthetictastes.Hewassupposedtocarenothing
forwomen.

"I'mjustcrazyabouthim,"saidJanesentimentally."He'sunlikeanyoneIevermet,andMertonCastle
is too wonderful. The whole thing is the most romantic business that ever happened. He's so good-
lookingtoo-likeadreamykindofmonk."

Shepaused.

"I'mgoingtogiveupthestagewhenImarry.Ijustdon'tseemtocareaboutitanymore."

"Inthemeantime,"saidPoirotdryly,"LordEdgwarestandsinthewayoftheseromanticdreams."

"Yes-andit'sdrivingmetodistraction."Sheleanedbackthoughtfully."Ofcourse,ifwewereonlyin
ChicagoIcouldgethimbumpedoffquiteeasily,butyoudon'tseemtoruntogunmenoverhere."

"Overhere,"saidPoirot,smiling,"weconsiderthateveryhumanbeinghastherighttolive."

"Well,Idon'tknowaboutthat.Iguessyou'dbebetteroffwithoutsomeofyourpoliticians,andknowing
whatIdoofEdgwareIthinkhe'dbenoloss-ratherthecontrary."

There was a knock at the door, and a waiter entered with supper dishes. Jane Wilkinson continued to
discussherproblemswithnoappreciationofhispresence.

"ButIdon'twantyoutokillhimforme,M.Poirot."

"Merci,Madame."

"I thought perhaps you might argue with him in some clever way. Get him to give in to the idea of
divorce.I'msureyoucould."

"Ithinkyouoverratemypersuasivepowers,Madame."

"Oh!butyoucansurelythinkofsomething,M.Poirot."Sheleanedforward.Herblueeyesopenedwide

again."You'dlikemetobehappy,wouldn'tyou?"

Hervoicewassoft,lowanddeliciouslyseductive.

"Ishouldlikeeverybodytobehappy,"saidPoirotcautiously.

"Yes,butIwasn'tthinkingofeverybody.Iwasthinkingofjustme."

"Ishouldsayyoualwaysdothat,Madame."

Hesmiled.

"YouthinkI'mselfish?"

"Oh!Ididnotsayso,Madame."

"IdaresayIam.But,yousee,Idosohatebeingunhappy.Itaffectsmyacting,even.AndI'mgoingto
beeversounhappyunlessheagreestoadivorceordies."

"Onthewhole,"shecontinuedthoughtfully."Itwouldbemuchbetterifhedied.Imean,I'dfeelmore
finallyquitofhim."

ShelookedatPoirotforsympathy.

"You will help me, won't you, M. Poirot?" She rose, picking up the white wrap, and stood looking
appealinglyintohisface.Iheardthenoiseofvoicesoutsideinthecorridor.Thedoorwasajar.

"Ifyoudon't-"shewenton.

"IfIdon't,Madame?"

Shelaughed.

"I'llhavetocallataxiandgoroundandbumphimoffmyself."

Laughing,shedisappearedthroughadoortoanadjoiningroomjustasBryanMartincameinwiththe
Americangirl,CarlottaAdams,andherescort,andthetwopeoplewhohadbeensuppingwithhimand
JaneWilkinson.TheywereintroducedtomeasMr.andMrs.Widburn.

"Hello!"saidBryan."Where'sJane?IwanttotellherI'vesucceededinthecommissionshegaveme."

Janeappearedinthedoorwayofthebedroom.Sheheldalipstickinonehand.

"Haveyougother?Howmarvellous.MissAdams,Idoadmireyourperformanceso.IfeltIjusthadto
knowyou.ComeinhereandtalktomewhileIfixmyface.It'slookingtooperfectlyfrightful."

CarlottaAdamsacceptedtheinvitation.BryanMartinflunghimselfdowninachair.

"Well,M.Poirot,"hesaid."Youweredulycaptured.HasourJanepersuadedyoutofightherbattles?
Youmightaswellgiveinsooneraslater.Shedoesn'tunderstandtheword'no.'"

"Shehasnotcomeacrossit,perhaps."

"A very interesting character, Jane," said Bryan Martin. He lay back in his chair and puffed cigarette
smoke idly towards the ceiling. "Taboos have no meaning for her. No morals whatever. I don't mean
she'sexactlyimmoral-sheisn't.Amoralistheword,Ibelieve.Justseesonethingonlyinlife-what
Janewants."

Helaughed.

"Ibelieveshe'dkillsomebodyquitecheerfully-andfeelinjurediftheycaughtherandwantedtohang
herforit.Thetroubleisthatshewouldbecaught.Shehasn'tanybrains.Herideaofamurderwouldbe
todriveupinataxi,sailinunderherownnameandshoot."

"Now,Iwonderwhatmakesyousaythat?"murmuredPoirot.

"Eh?"

"Youknowherwell,Monsieur?"

"IshouldsayIdid."

Helaughedagain,anditstruckmethathislaughwasunusuallybitter.

"Youagree,don'tyou?"heflungouttotheothers.

"Oh!Jane'sanegoist,"agreedMrs.Widburn."Anactresshasgottobe,though.Thatis,ifshewantsto
expressherpersonality."

Poirot did not speak. His eyes were resting on Bryan Martin's face, dwelling there with a curious
speculativeexpressionthatIcouldnotquiteunderstand.

AtthatmomentJanesailedinfromthenextroom,CarlottaAdamsbehindher.IpresumethatJanehad
now"fixedherface,"whateverthattermdenoted,toherownsatisfaction.Itlookedtomeexactlythe
sameasbeforeandquiteincapableofimprovement.

Thesupperpartythatfollowedwasquiteamerryone,yetIsometimeshadthefeelingthattherewere
undercurrentswhichIwasincapableofappreciating.

Jane Wilkinson I acquitted of any subtleties. She was obviously a young woman who saw only one
thing at a time. She had desired an interview with Poirot, and had carried her point and obtained her
desire without delay. Now she was obviously in high good humour. Her desire to include Carlotta
Adamsinthepartyhadbeen,Idecided,amerewhim.Shehadbeenhighlyamused,asachildmightbe
amused,bytheclevercounterfeitofherself.

No,theundercurrentsthatIsensedwerenothingtodowithJaneWilkinson.Inwhatdirectiondidthey
lie?

Istudiedtheguestsinturn.BryanMartin?Hewascertainlynotbehavingquitenaturally.Butthat,Itold
myself,mightbemerelycharacteristicofafilmstar.Theexaggeratedself-consciousnessofavainman
tooaccustomedtoplayingaparttolayitasideeasily.

CarlottaAdams,atanyrate,wasbehavingnaturallyenough.Shewasaquietgirlwithapleasantlow

voice.IstudiedherwithsomeattentionnowthatIhadachancetodosoatclosequarters.Shehad,I
thought, distinct charm, but charm of a somewhat negative order. It consisted in an absence of any
jarring or strident note. She was a kind of personified soft agreement. Her very appearance was
negative.Softdarkhair,eyesarathercolourlesspaleblue,palefaceandamobilesensitivemouth.A
face that you liked but that you would find it hard to know again if you were to meet her, say, in
differentclothes.

SheseemedpleasedatJane'sgraciousnessandcomplimentarysayings.Anygirlwouldbe,Ithought-
and then - just at that moment - something occurred that caused me to revise that rather too hasty
opinion.

CarlottaAdamslookedacrossthetableatherhostesswhowasatthatmomentturningherheadtotalk
toPoirot.Therewasacuriousscrutinisingqualityinthegirl'sgaze-itseemedadeliberatesummingup,
andatthesametimeitstruckmethattherewasaverydefinitehostilityinthosepaleblueeyes.

Fancy, perhaps. Or possibly professional jealousy. Jane was a successful actress who had definitely
arrived.Carlottawasmerelyclimbingtheladder.Ilookedatthethreeothermembersoftheparty.Mr.
and Mrs. Widburn, what about them? He was a tall cadaverous man, she a plump, fair, gushing soul.
Theyappearedtobewealthypeoplewithapassionforeverythingconnectedwiththestage.Theywere,
infact,unwillingtotalkonanyothersubject.OwingtomyrecentabsencefromEnglandtheyfoundme
sadly ill-informed, and finally Mrs. Widburn turned a plump shoulder on me and remembered my
existencenomore.Thelastmemberofthepartywasthedarkyoungmanwiththeroundcheerfulface
who was Carlotta Adams' escort. I had had my suspicions from the first that the young man was not
quite so sober as he might have been. As he drank more champagne this became even more clearly
apparent.

He appeared to be suffering from a profound sense of injury. For the first half of the meal he sat in
gloomy silence. Towards the latter half he unbosomed himself to me apparently under the impression
thatIwasoneofhisoldestfriends.

"WhatImeantosay,"hesaid."Itisn't.No,dearoldchap,itisn't-"

Iomittheslightslurringtogetherofthewords.

"Imeantosay,"hewenton,"Iaskyou?Imeanifyoutakeagirlwell,Imean-buttingin.Goinground
upsettingthings.NotasthoughI'deversaidawordtoherIshouldn'thavedone.She'snotthesort.You
know-Puritanfathers-theMayflower-allthat.Dashit-thegirl'sstraight.WhatImeanis-whatwas
Isaying?"

"Thatitwashardluck,"Isaidsoothingly.

"Well,dashitall,itis.Dashit,Ihadtoborrowthemoneyforthisbeanofrommytailor.Veryobliging
chap,mytailor.I'veowedhimmoneyforyears.Makesasortofbondbetweenus.Nothinglikeabond,
isthere,dearoldfellow.YouandI.YouandI.Whothedevilareyou,bytheway?"

"MynameisHastings."

"You don't say so. Now I could have sworn you were a chap called Spencer Jones. Dear old Spencer
Jones.MethimattheEtonandHarrowandborrowedafiverfromhim.WhatIsayisonefaceisvery
likeanotherface-that'swhatIsay.IfwewerealotofChinkswewouldn'tknoweachotherapart."

Heshookhisheadsadly,thencheeredupsuddenlyanddrankoffsomemorechampagne.

"Anyway,"hesaid,"I'mnotadamnednigger."

Thisreflectionseemedtocausehimsuchelationthathepresentlymadeseveralremarksofahopeful
character.

"Lookonthebrightside,myboy,"headjuredme."WhatIsayis,lookonthebrightside.Oneofthese
dayswhenI'mseventy-fiveorso,I'mgoingtobearichman.Whenmyuncledies.ThenIcanpaymy
tailor."

Hesatsmilinghappilyatthethought.

There was something strangely likeable about the young man. He had a round face and an absurdly
smallblackmoustachethatgaveonetheimpressionofbeingmaroonedinthemiddleofadesert.

CarlottaAdams,Inoticed,hadaneyeonhim,anditwasafteraglanceinhisdirectionthatsheroseand
brokeuptheparty.

"It was just sweet of you to come up here," said Jane. "I do so love doing things on the spur of the
moment,don'tyou?"

"No," said Miss Adams. "I'm afraid I always plan a thing out very carefully before I do it. It saves -

worry."

Therewassomethingfaintlydisagreeableinhermanner.

"Well,atanyratetheresultsjustifyyou,"laughedJane."Idon'tknowwhenIenjoyedanythingsomuch
asIdidyourshowtonight."

TheAmericangirl'sfacerelaxed.

"Well,that'sverysweetofyou,"shesaidwarmly."AndIguessIappreciateyourtellingmeso.Ineed
encouragement.Wealldo."

"Carlotta,"saidtheyoungmanwiththeblackmoustache."Shakehandsandsaythankyoufortheparty
toAuntJaneandcomealong."

The way he walked straight through the door was a miracle of concentration. Carlotta followed him
quickly.

"Well,"saidJane,"whatwasthatthatblewinandcalledmeAuntJane?Ihadn'tnoticedhimbefore."

"My dear," said Mrs. Widburn. "You mustn't take any notice of him. Most brilliant as a boy in the
O.U.D.S. You'd hardly think so now, would you? I hate to see early promise come to nothing. But
CharlesandIpositivelymusttoddle."

TheWidburnsdulytoddledandBryanMartinwentwiththem.

"Well,M.Poirot?"

Hesmiledather.

"Ehbien,LadyEdgware?"

"Forgoodness'sake,don'tcallmethat.Letmeforgetit!Ifyouaren'tthehardest-heartedlittlemanin
Europe!"

"Butno,butno,Iamnothard-hearted."

Poirot,Ithought,hadhadquiteenoughchampagne,possiblyaglasstoomuch.

"Thenyou'llgoandseemyhusband?AndmakehimdowhatIwant?"

"Iwillgoandseehim,"Poirotpromisedcautiously.

"Andifheturnsyoudown-ashewill-you'llthinkofacleverplan.Theysayyou'rethecleverestman
inEngland,M.Poirot."

"Madame,whenIamhard-hearted,itisEuropeyoumention.ButforclevernessyousayonlyEngland."

"Ifyouputthisthrough,I'llsaytheuniverse."

Poirotraisedadeprecatinghand.

"Madame,Ipromisenothing.IntheinterestsofthepsychologyIwillendeavourtoarrangeameeting
withyourhusband."

"Psycho-analysehimasmuchasyoulike.Maybeitwoulddohimgood.Butyou'vegottopullitoff-
formysake.I'vegottohavemyromance,Mr.Poirot."

Sheaddeddreamily:"Justthinkofthesensationitwillmake."

Chapter3

THEMANWITHTHEGOLDTOOTH

Itwasafewdayslater,whenweweresittingatbreakfast,thatPoirotflungacrosstomealetterthathe
hadjustopened.

"Well,monami,"hesaid."Whatdoyouthinkofthat?"

ThenotewasfromLordEdgwareandinstiffformallanguageitmadeanappointmentforthefollowing
dayateleven.

ImustsaythatIwasverymuchsurprised.IhadtakenPoirot'swordsasutteredlightlyinaconvivial
moment,andIhadhadnoideathathehadactuallytakenstepstocarryouthispromise.

Poirot,whowasveryquick-witted,readmymindandhiseyestwinkledalittle.

"Butyes,monami,itwasnotsolelythechampagne."

"Ididn'tmeanthat."

"Butyes-butyes-youthoughttoyourself,thepooroldone,hehasthespiritoftheparty,hepromises
thingsthathewillnotperform-thathehasnointentionofperforming.But,myfriend,thepromisesof
HerculePoirotaresacred."

Hedrewhimselfupinastatelymannerashesaidthelastwords."Ofcourse.Ofcourse.Iknewthat,"I
saidhastily."ButIthoughtthatperhapsyourjudgmentwasslightly-whatshallIsay-influenced."

"Iamnotinthehabitoflettingmyjudgmentbe'influenced'asyoucallit,Hastings.Thebestanddriest
of champagne, the most golden-haired and seductive of women - nothing influences the judgment of
HerculePoirot.No,monami,Iaminterested-thatisall."

"InJaneWilkinson'sloveaffair?"

"Not exactly that. Her love affair, as you call it, is a very commonplace business. It is a step in the
successful career of a very beautiful woman. If the Duke of Merton had neither a title nor wealth his
romanticlikenesstoadreamymonkwouldnolongerinterestthelady.No,Hastings,whatintriguesme
is the psychology of the matter. The interplay of character. I welcome the chance of studying Lord
Edgwareatclosequarters."

"Youdonotexpecttobesuccessfulinyourmission?"

"Pourquoipas?Everymanhashisweakspot.Donotimagine,Hastings,thatbecauseIamstudyingthe
casefromapsychologicalstandpoint,Ishallnottrymybesttosucceedinthecommissionentrustedto
me.Ialwaysenjoyexercisingmyingenuity."

I had feared an allusion to the little grey cells and was thankful to be spared it. "So we go to Regent
Gateateleventomorrow?"Isaid.

"We?"Poirotraisedhiseyebrowsquizzically.

"Poirot!"Icried."Youarenotgoingtoleavemebehind.Ialwaysgowithyou."

"If it were a crime, a mysterious poisoning ease, an assassination - ah! these are the things your soul
delightsin.Butamerematterofsocialadjustment?"

"Notanotherword,"Isaiddeterminedly."I'mcoming."

Poirotlaughedgently,andatthatmomentweweretoldthatagentlemanhadcalled.

ToourgreatsurpriseourvisitorprovedtobeBryanMartin.

Theactorlookedolderbydaylight.Hewasstillhandsome,butitwasakindofravagedhandsomeness.
Itflashedacrossmymindthathemightconceivablytakedrugs.Therewasakindofnervoustension
abouthimthatsuggestedthepossibility.

"Good-morning, M. Poirot," he said in a cheerful manner. "You and Captain Hastings breakfast at a
reasonablehour,Iamgladtosee.Bytheway,Isupposeyouareverybusyjustnow?"

Poirotsmiledathimamiably.

"No,"hesaid."AtthemomentIhavepracticallynobusinessofimportanceonhand."

"Come now," laughed Bryan. "Not called in by Scotland Yard? No delicate matters to investigate for
Royalty?Icanhardlybelieveit."

"Youconfoundfictionwithreality,myfriend,"saidPoirot,smiling."Iam,Iassureyou,atthemoment
completelyoutofwork,thoughnotyetonthedole,Dieumerci."

"Well,that'sluckforme,"saidBryanwithanotherlaugh."Perhapsyou'lltakeonsomethingforme."

Poirotconsideredtheyoungmanthoughtfully.

"Youhaveaproblemformeyes?"hesaidinaminuteortwo.

"Well-it'slikethis.IhaveandIhaven't."

Thistimehislaughwasrathernervous.Stillconsideringhimthoughtfully,Poirotindicatedachair.The
youngmantookit.Hesatfacingus,forIhadtakenaseatbyPoirot'sside.

"Andnow,"saidPoirot,"letushearallaboutit."

BryanMartinstillseemedtohavealittledifficultyingettingunderway.

"ThetroubleisthatIcan'ttellyouquiteasmuchasI'dliketo."Hehesitated."It'sdifficult.Yousee,the
wholebusinessstartedinAmerica."

"InAmerica?Yes?"

"Amereincidentfirstdrewmyattentiontoit.Asamatteroffact,IwastravellingbytrainandInoticed
acertainfellow.Uglylittlechap,clean-shaven,glasses,andagoldtooth."

"Ah!agoldtooth."

"Exactly.That'sreallythecruxofthematter."

Poirotnoddedhisheadseveraltimes."Ibegintocomprehend.Goon."

"Well,asIsay.Ijustnoticedthefellow.Iwastravelling,bytheway,toNewYork.SixmonthslaterI
was in Los Angeles, and I noticed the fellow again. Don't know why I should have - but I did. Still,
nothinginthat."

"Continue."

"AmonthafterwardsIhadoccasiontogotoSeattle,andshortlyafterIgottherewhoshouldIseebut
myfriendagain,onlythistimeheworeabeard."

"Distinctlycurious."

"Wasn'tit?OfcourseIdidn'tfancyithadanythingtodowithmeatthattime,butwhenIsawtheman
againinLosAngeles,beardless,inChicagowithamoustacheanddifferenteyebrowsandinamountain
villagedisguisedasahobowell,Ibegantowonder."

"Naturally."

"Andatlast-well,itseemedodd-butnotadoubtaboutit.Iwasbeingwhatyoucallshadowed."

"Mostremarkable."

"Wasn'tit?AfterthatImadesureofit.WhereverIwas,there,somewherenearathand,wasmyshadow
madeupindifferentdisguises.Fortunately,owingtothegoldtooth,Icouldalwaysspothim."

"Ah!thatgoldtoothitwasaveryfortunateoccurrence."

"Itwas."

"Pardon me, M. Martin, but did you never speak to the man? Question him as to the reason of his
persistentshadowing?"

"No,Ididn't."Theactorhesitated."Ithoughtofdoingsoonceortwice,butIalwaysdecidedagainstit.
ItseemedtomethatIshouldmerelyputthefellowonhisguardandlearnnothing.Possiblyoncethey
haddiscoveredthatIhadspottedhim,theywouldhaveputsomeoneelseonmytrack-someonewhom
Imightnotrecognise."

"Eneffet-someonewithoutthatusefulgoldtooth."

"Exactly.Imayhavebeenwrong-butthat'showIfigureditout."

"Now,M.Martin,youreferredto'they'justnow.Whomdidyoumeanby'they'?"

"Itwasamerefigureofspeechusedforconvenience.Iassumed-Idon'tknowwhy-anebulous'they'
inthebackground."

"Haveyouanyreasonforthatbelief?"

"None."

"Youmeanyouhavenoconceptionofwhocouldwantyoushadowedorforwhatpurpose?"

"Nottheslightest.Atleast-"

"Continuez,"saidPoirotencouragingly.

"Ihaveanidea,"saidBryanMartinslowly."It'samereguessonmypart,mind."

"Aguessmaybeverysuccessfulsometimes,Monsieur."

"ItconcernsacertainincidentthattookplaceinLondonabouttwoyearsago.Itwasaslightincident,
but an inexplicable and an unforgettable one. I've often wondered and puzzled over it. Just because I
couldfindnoexplanationofitatthetime,Iaminclinedtowonderifthisshadowingbusinessmightnot
beconnectedinsomewaywithitbutforthelifeofmeIcan'tseewhyorhow."

"PerhapsIcan."

"Yes,butyousee"BryanMartin'sembarrassmentreturned."TheawkwardthingisthatIcan'ttellyou
aboutit-notnow,thatis.InadayorsoImightbeableto."

StungintofurtherspeechbyPoirot'sinquiringglancehecontinueddesperately.

"Yousee-agirlwasconcernedinit."

"Ah!parfaitement!AnEnglishgirl?"

"Yes.Atleast-why?"

"Verysimple.Youcannottellmenow,butyouhopetodosoinadayortwo.Thatmeansthatyouwant
to obtain the consent of the young lady. Therefore she is in England. Also, she must have been in
Englandduringthetimeyouwereshadowed,forifshehadbeeninAmericayouwouldhavesoughther
out then and there. Therefore, since she has been in England for the last eighteen months she is
probably,thoughnotcertainly,English.Itisgoodreasoningthat,eh?"

"Rather.Nowtellme,M.Poirot,ifIgetherpermission,willyoulookintothematterforme?"

Therewasapause.Poirotseemedtobedebatingthematterinhismind.Finallyhesaid:

"Whyhaveyoucometomebeforegoingtoher?"

"Well,Ithought-"hehesitated."Iwantedtopersuadeherto-toclearthingsup-Imeantoletthingsbe
clearedupbyyou.WhatImeanis,ifyouinvestigatetheaffair,nothingneedbemadepublic,needit?"

"Thatdepends,"saidPoirotcalmly.

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"Ifthereisanyquestionofcrime-"

"Oh!there'snocrimeconcerned."

"Youdonotknow.Theremaybe."

"Butyouwoulddoyourbestforher-forus?"

"That,naturally."

Hewassilentforamomentandthensaid:

"Tellme,thisfollowerofyours-thisshadow-ofwhatagewashe?"

"Oh!quiteyoungish.Aboutthirty."

"Ah!" said Poirot. "That is indeed remarkable. Yes, that makes the whole thing very much more
interesting."

Istaredathim.SodidBryanMartin.Thisremarkofhiswas,Iamsure,equallyinexplicabletousboth.
Bryanquestionedmewithaliftofhiseyebrows.Ishookmyhead.

"Yes,"murmuredPoirot."Itmakesthewholestoryveryinteresting."

"Hemayhavebeenolder,"saidBryandoubtfully,"butIdon'tthinkso."

"No, no, I am sure your observation is quite accurate, M. Martin. Very interesting - extraordinarily
interesting."

RathertakenabackbyPoirot'senigmaticalwords,BryanMartinseemedatalosswhattosayordonext.
Hestartedmakingdesultoryconversation.

"Anamusingpartytheothernight,"hesaid."JaneWilkinsonisthemosthigh-handedwomanthatever
existed."

"Shehasthesinglevision,"saidPoirot,smiling."Onethingatatime."

"Shegetsawaywithit,too,"saidMartin."Howpeoplestandit,Idon'tknow!"

"Onewillstandagooddealfromabeautifulwoman,myfriend,"saidPoirotwithatwinkle."Ifshehad
thepugnose,thesallowskin,thegreasyhair,thenah!thenshewouldnot'getawaywithit'asyouput
it."

"Isupposenot,"concededBryan."Butitmakesmemadsometimes.Allthesame,I'mdevotedtoJane,
thoughinsomeways,mindyou,Idon'tthinkshe'squiteallthere."

"Onthecontrary,Ishouldsayshewasverymuchonthespot."

"I don't mean that, exactly. She can look after her interests all right. She's got plenty of business
shrewdness.No,Imeantmorally."

"Ah!morally."

"She'swhattheycallamoral.Rightandwrongdon'texistforher."

"Ah!Irememberyousaidsomethingofthekindtheotherevening."

"Weweretalkingofcrimejustnow-"

"Yes,myfriend?"

"Well,itwouldneversurprisemeifJanecommittedacrime."

"Andyoushouldknowherwell,"murmuredPoirotthoughtfully."Youhaveactedmuchwithher,have
younot?"

"Yes.IsupposeIknowherthroughandthrough,andupanddown.Icanseeherkillinganybodyquite
easily."

"Ah!shehasthehottemper,yes?"

"No, no, not at all. Cool as a cucumber. I mean if anyone were in her way she'd just remove them -
withoutathought.Andonecouldn'treallyblameher-morally,Imean.She'djustthinkthatanyonewho
interferedwithJaneWilkinsonhadgottogo."

Therewasabitternessinhislastwordsthathadbeenlackingheretofore.Iwonderedwhatmemoryhe

wasrecalling.

"Youthinkshewoulddo-murder?"

Poirotwatchedhimintently.

Bryandrewadeepbreath.

"Upon my soul, I do. Perhaps, one of these days, you'll remember my words... I know her, you see.
She'dkillaseasilyasshe'ddrinkhermorningtea.Imeanit,M.Poirot."

Hehadrisentohisfeet.

"Yes,"saidPoirotquietly."Icanseeyoumeanit."

"Iknowher,"saidBryanMartinagain,"throughandthrough."

Hestoodfrowningforaminute,thenwithachangeoftone,hesaid:

"As to this business we've been talking about, I'll let you know, M. Poirot, in a few days. You will
undertakeit,won'tyou?"

Poirotlookedathimforamomentortwowithoutreplying.

"Yes,"hesaidatlast."Iwillundertakeit.Ifindit-interesting."

Therewassomethingqueerinthewayhesaidthelastword.IwentdownstairswithBryanMartin.At
thedoorhesaidtome:

"Didyougetthehangofwhathemeantaboutthatfellow'sage?Imean,whywasitinterestingthathe
shouldbeaboutthirty.Ididn'tgetthehangofthatatall."

"NomoredidI,"Iadmitted.

"Itdoesn'tseemtomakesense.Perhapshewasjusthavingagamewithme."

"No,"Isaid."Poirotisnotlikethat.Dependuponit,thepointhassignificancesincehesaysso."

"Well,blessedifIcanseeit.Gladyoucan'teither.I'dhatetofeelIwasacompletemutt."

Hestrodeaway.Irejoinedmyfriend.

"Poirot,"Isaid."Whatwasthepointabouttheageoftheshadower?"

"You do not see? My poor Hastings!" He smiled and shook his head. Then he asked: "What did you
thinkofourinterviewonthewhole?"

"There'ssolittletogoupon.Itseemsdifficulttosay.Ifweknewmore-"

"Evenwithoutknowingmore,donotcertainideassuggestthemselvestoyou,monami?"

Thetelephoneringingatthatmomentsavedmefromtheignominyofadmittingthatnoideaswhatever
suggestedthemselvestome.Itookupthereceiver.

Awoman'svoicespoke,acrisp,clearefficientvoice.

"ThisisLordEdgware'ssecretaryspeaking.LordEdgwareregretsthathemustcanceltheappointment
withM.Poirotfortomorrowmorning.HehastogoovertoParistomorrowunexpectedly.Hecouldsee
M.Poirotforafewminutesataquarter-pasttwelvethismorningifthatwouldbeconvenient."

IconsultedPoirot.

"Certainly,myfriendwewillgotherethismorning."

Irepeatedthisintothemouthpiece.

"Verygood,"saidthecrispbusiness-likevoice."Aquarter-pasttwelvethismorning."

Sherangoff.

Chapter4

ANINTERVIEW

I arrived with Poirot at Lord Edgware's house in Regent Gate in a very pleasant state of anticipation.
ThoughIhadnotPoirot'sdevotionto"thepsychology,"yetthefewwordsinwhichLadyEdgwarehad
referredtoherhusbandhadarousedmycuriosity.Iwasanxioustoseewhatmyownjudgmentwould
be.

The house was an imposing one - well-built, handsome and slightly gloomy. There were no window-
boxesorsuchfrivolities.

Thedoorwasopenedtouspromptly,andbynoagedwhite-hairedbutlersuchaswouldhavebeenin
keepingwiththeexteriorofthehouse.Onthecontrary,itwasopenedbyoneofthehandsomestyoung
menIhaveeverseen.Tall,fair,hemighthaveposedtoasculptorforHermesorApollo.Despitehis
goodlookstherewassomethingvaguelyeffeminatethatIdislikedaboutthesoftnessofhisvoice.Also,
inacuriousway,heremindedmeofsomeone-someone,too,whomIhadmetquitelately-butwhoit
wasIcouldnotforthelifeofmeremember.WeaskedforLordEdgware.

"Thisway,sir."

Heledusalongthehall,pastthestaircase,toadoorattherearofthehall.

Openingit,heannouncedusinthatsamesoftvoicewhichIinstinctivelydistrusted.

The room into which we were shown was a kind of library. The walls were lined with books, the
furnishingsweredarkandsombrebuthandsome,thechairswereformalandnottoocomfortable.

Lord Edgware, who rose to receive us, was a tall man of about fifty. He had dark hair streaked with
grey, a thin face and a sneering mouth. He looked bad-tempered and bitter. His eyes had a queer
secretivelookaboutthem.Therewassomething,Ithought,distinctlyoddaboutthoseeyes.

Hismannerwasstiffandformal.

"M.HerculePoirot?CaptainHastings?Pleasebeseated."

We sat down. The room felt chilly. There was little light coming in from the one window and the
dimnesscontributedtothecoldatmosphere.

LordEdgwarehadtakenupaletterwhichIsawtobeinmyfriend'shandwriting.

"I am familiar, of course, with your name, M. Poirot. Who is not?" Poirot bowed at the compliment.
"ButIcannotquiteunderstandyourpositioninthismatter.Yousaythatyouwishtoseemeonbehalfof
-"hepaused-"mywife."

Hesaidthelasttwowordsinapeculiarway-asthoughitwereanefforttogetthemout.

"Thatisso,"saidmyfriend.

"Iunderstoodthatyouwereaninvestigatorof-crime,M.Poirot?"

"Ofproblems,LordEdgware.Thereareproblemsofcrime,certainly.Thereareotherproblems."

"Indeed.Andwhatmaythisonebe?"

Thesneerinhiswordswaspalpablebynow.Poirottooknonoticeofit.

"IhavethehonourtoapproachyouonbehalfofLadyEdgware,"hesaid."LadyEdgware,asyoumay
know,desiresadivorce."

"Iamquiteawareofthat,"saidLordEdgwarecoldly.

"HersuggestionwasthatyouandIshoulddiscussthematter."

"Thereisnothingtodiscuss."

"Yourefuse,then?"

"Refuse?Certainlynot."

Whatever else Poirot had expected, he had not expected this. It is seldom that I have seen my friend
utterlytakenaback,butIdidonthisoccasion.Hisappearancewasludicrous.Hismouthfellopen,his
handsflewout,hiseyebrowsrose.Helookedlikeacartooninacomicpaper.

"Comment?"hecried."Whatisthis?Youdonotrefuse?"

"Iamatalosstounderstandyourastonishment,M.Poirot."

"Ecoutez,youarewillingtodivorceyourwife?"

"CertainlyIamwilling.Sheknowsthatperfectlywell,Iwroteandtoldherso."

"Youwroteandtoldherso?"

"Yes.Sixmonthsago."

"ButIdonotunderstand.Idonotunderstandatall."

LordEdgwaresaidnothing.

"Iunderstoodthatyouwereopposedtotheprincipleofdivorce!"

"Idonotseethatmyprinciplesareyourbusiness,M.Poirot.ItistruethatIdidnotdivorcemyfirst
wife. My conscience would not allow me to do so. My second marriage, I will admit frankly, was a
mistake. When my wife suggested a divorce, I refused point blank. Six months ago she wrote to me
againurgingthepoint.Ihaveanideashewantedtomarryagain-somefilmactororfellowofthatkind.
Myviewshad,bythistime,undergonemodification.IwrotetoheratHollywoodtellingherso.Why
shehassentyoutomeIcannotimagine.Isupposeitisaquestionofmoney."

Hislipssneeredashesaidthelastwords.

"Extremely curious," murmured Poirot. "Extremely curious. There is something here I do not
understandatall."

"Asregardsmoney,"wentonLordEdgware."Ihavenointentionofmakinganyfinancialarrangement.
Mywifedesertedmeofherownaccord.Ifshewishestomarryanotherman,Icansetherfreetodoso,
butthereisnoreasonwhysheshouldreceiveapennyfrommeandshewillnotdoso."

"Thereisnoquestionofanyfinancialarrangement."

LordEdgwareraisedhiseyebrows.

"Janemustbemarryingarichman,"hemurmuredcynically.

"There is something here that I do not understand," said Poirot. His face was perplexed and wrinkled
with the effort of thought. "I understand from Lady Edgware that she had approached you repeatedly
throughlawyers?"

"She did," replied Lord Edgware dryly. "English lawyers, American lawyers, every kind of lawyer,
downtothelowestkindofscallywag.Finally,asIsay,shewrotetomeherself."

"Youhavingpreviouslyrefused?"

"Thatisso."

"Butonreceivingherletter,youchangedyourmind.Whydidyouchangeyourmind,LordEdgware?"

"Notonaccountofanythinginthatletter,"hesaidsharply."Myviewshappenedtohavechanged,that
isall."

"Thechangewassomewhatsudden."

LordEdgwaredidnotreply.

"Whatspecialcircumstancesbroughtaboutyourchangeofmind,LordEdgware?"

"That,really,ismyownbusiness,M.Poirot.Icannotenterintothatsubject.Shallwesaythatgradually
Ihadperceivedtheadvantagesofseveringwhat-youwillforgivemyplainspeaking-Iconsidereda
degradingassociation.Mysecondmarriagewasamistake."

"Yourwifesaysthesame,"saidPoirotsoftly.

"Doesshe?"

Therewasaqueerflickerforamomentinhiseyes,butitwasgonealmostatonce.

Herosewithanairoffinalityandaswesaidgood-byehismannerbecamelessunbending.

"Youmustforgivemyalteringtheappointment.IhavetogoovertoParistomorrow.

"Perfectly-perfectly."

"Asaleofworksofartasamatteroffact.Ihavemyeyeonalittlestatuette-aperfectthinginitsway-
amacabreway,perhaps.ButIenjoythemacabre.Ialwayshave.Mytasteispeculiar."

Againthatqueersmile.Ihadbeenlookingatthebooksintheshelvesnear.ThereweretheMemoirsof
Casanova,alsoavolumeontheComtedeSade,anotheronmedievaltortures.

I remembered Jane Wilkinson's little shudder as she spoke of her husband. That had not been acting.
Thathadbeenrealenough.IwonderedexactlywhatkindofamanGeorgeAlfredSt.VincentMarsh,
fourthBaronEdgware,was.Verysuavelyhebidusfarewell,touchingthebellashedidso.Wewentout
ofthedoor.TheGreekgodofabutlerwaswaitinginthehall.AsIclosedthelibrarydoorbehindme,I
glancedbackintotheroom.IalmostutteredanexclamationasIdidso.

Thatsuavesmilingfacewastransformed.Thelipsweredrawnbackfromtheteethinasnarl,theeyes
were alive with fury and an almost insane rage. I wondered no longer that two wives had left Lord
Edgware. What I did marvel at was the iron self-control of the man. To have gone through that
interviewwithsuchfrozenself-control,suchaloofpoliteness!

Justaswereachedthefrontdoor,adoorontherightopened.Agirlstoodatthedoorwayoftheroom,
shrinkingbackalittleasshesawus.

Shewasatallslendergirl,withdarkandhairandawhiteface.Hereyes,darkandstartled,lookedfora
momentintomine.Then,likeashadow,sheshrankbackintotheroomagain,closingthedoor.

Amomentlaterwewereoutinthestreet.Poirothailedataxi.Wegotinandhetoldthemantodriveto
theSavoy.

"Well, Hastings," he said with a twinkle, "that interview did not go at all as I figured to myself it
would."

"No,indeed.WhatanextraordinarymanLordEdgwareis."

I related to him how I had looked back before closing the door of the study and what I had seen. He
noddedhisheadslowlyandthoughtfully.

"Ifancythatheisveryneartheborderlineofmadness,Hastings.Ishouldimaginehepractisesmany
curiousvices,andthatbeneathhisfrigidexteriorhehidesadeep-rootedinstinctofcruelty."

"Itisnowonderbothhiswiveslefthim."

"Asyousay."

"Poirot,didyounoticeagirlaswewerecomingout?Adarkgirlwithawhiteface."

"Yes,Inoticedher,monami.Ayoungladywhowasfrightenedandnothappy."

Hisvoicewasgrave.

"Whodoyouthinkshewas?"

"Probablyhisdaughter.Hehasone."

"Shedidlookfrightened,"Isaidslowly."Thathousemustbeagloomyplaceforayounggirl."

"Yes,indeed.Ah!hereweare,monami.Nowtoacquaintherladyshipwiththegoodnews."

Janewasin,andaftertelephoning,theclerkinformedusthatweweretogoup.Apage-boytookusto
thedoor.

It was opened by a neat middle-aged woman with glasses and primly arranged grey hair. From the
bedroomJane'svoice,withitshuskynote,calledtoher.

"IsthatM.Poirot,Ellis?Makehimsitrightdown.I'llfindaragtoputonandbethereinamoment."

JaneWilkinson'sideaofaragwasagossamernegligéewhichrevealedmorethanithid.Shecamein
eagerly,saying:"Well?"

Poirotroseandbowedoverherhand.

"Exactlythewords,Madame,itiswell."

"Why-howdoyoumean?"

"LordEdgwareisperfectlywillingtoagreetoadivorce."

"What?"

Eitherthestupefactiononherfacewasgenuine,orelseshewasindeedamostmarvellousactress.

"M.Poirot!You'vemanagedit!Atonce!Likethat!Why,you'reagenius.Howinmercy'snamedidyou
setaboutit?"

"Madame,Icannottakecomplimentswheretheyarenotearned.Sixmonthsagoyourhusbandwroteto
youwithdrawinghisopposition."

"What'sthatyousay?Wrotetome?Where?"

"ItwaswhenyouwereatHollywood,Iunderstand."

"I never got it. Must have gone astray, I suppose. And to think I've been thinking and planning and
frettingandgoingnearlycrazyallthesemonths."

"LordEdgwareseemedtobeundertheimpressionthatyouwishedtomarryanactor."

"Naturally.That'swhatItoldhim."Shegaveapleasedchild'ssmile.Suddenlyitchangedtoalookof
alarm."Why,M.Poirot,youdidn'tgoandtellhimaboutmeandtheduke?"

"No,no,reassureyourself.Iamdiscreet.Thatwouldnotdoatall."

"Well,yousee,he'sgotaqueermeannature.MarryingMerton,he'dfeel,wasperhapsakindoflegup
for me so then naturally he'd queer the pitch. But a film actor's different. Though, all the same, I'm
surprised.Yes,Iam.Aren'tyousurprised,Ellis?"

I had noticed that the maid had come to and fro from the bedroom tidying away various outdoor
garments which were lying flung over the backs of chairs. It had been my opinion that she had been
listeningtotheconversation.NowitseemedthatshewascompletelyinJane'sconfidence.

"Yes,indeed,m'lady.Hislordshipmusthavechangedagooddealsinceweknewhim,"saidthemaid
spitefully.

"Yes,hemust."

"Youcannotunderstandhisattitude.Itpuzzlesyou?"suggestedPoirot.

"Oh,itdoes.Butanyway,weneedn'tworryaboutthat.Whatdoesitmatterwhatmadehimchangehis
mindsolongashehaschangedit?"

"Itmaynotinterestyou,butitinterestsme,Madame."

Janepaidnoattentiontohim.

"ThethingisthatI'mfreeatlast."

"Notyet,Madame."

Shelookedathimimpatiently.

"Well,goingtobefree.It'sthesamething."

Poirotlookedasthoughhedidnotthinkitwas.

"ThedukeisinParis,"saidJane."Imustcablehimrightaway.My-won'thisoldmotherbewild!"

Poirotrose.

"Iamglad,Madame,thatallisturningoutasyouwish."

"Good-bye,M.Poirot,andthanksawfully."

"Ididnothing."

"Youbroughtmethegoodnews,anyway,M.Poirot,andI'meversograteful.Ireallyam."

"And that is that," said Poirot to me, as we left the suite. "The single idea - herself! She has no
speculation,nocuriosityastowhythatletterneverreachedher.Youobserve,Hastings,sheisshrewd
beyondbeliefinthebusinesssense,butshehasabsolutelynointellect.Well,well,thegoodGodcannot
giveeverything."

"ExcepttoHerculePoirot,"Isaidslyly.

"You mock yourself at me, my friend," he replied serenely. "But come, let us walk along the
Embankment.Iwishtoarrangemyideaswithorderandmethod."

Imaintainedadiscreetsilenceuntilsuchtimeastheoracleshouldspeak.

"That letter," he resumed when we were pacing along by the river. "It intrigues me. There are four
solutionsofthatproblem,myfriend."

"Four?"

"Yes.First,itwaslostinthepost.Thatdoeshappen,youknow.Butnotveryoften.No,notveryoften.
Incorrectlyaddressed,itwouldhavebeenreturnedtoLordEdgwarelongbeforethis.No,Iaminclined
toruleoutthatsolution-though,ofcourse,itmaybethetrueone.

"Solutiontwo,ourbeautifulladyislyingwhenshesayssheneverreceivedit.That,ofcourse,isquite
possible. That charming lady is capable of telling any lie to her advantage with the most childlike
candour.ButIcannotsee,Hastings,howitcouldbetoheradvantage.Ifsheknowsthathewilldivorce
her,whysendmetoaskhimtodoso?Itdoesnotmakesense.

"Solutionthree.LordEdgwareislying.Andifanyoneislyingitseemsmorelikelythatitishethanhis
wife.ButIdonotseemuchpointinsuchalie.Whyinventafictitiouslettersentsixmonthsago?Why
notsimplyagreetomyproposition?No,Iaminclinedtothinkthathedidsendthatletter-thoughwhat
themotivewasforhissuddenchangeofattitudeIcannotguess.

"Sowecometothefourthsolution-thatsomeonesuppressedthatletter.Andthere,Hastings,weenter
onaveryinterestingfieldofspeculation,becausethatlettercouldhavebeensuppressedateitherend-
inAmericaorEngland.

"Whoeversuppresseditwassomeonewhodidnotwantthatmarriagedissolved.Hastings,Iwouldgive
agreatdealtoknowwhatisbehindthisaffair.Thereissomething-Iswearthereissomething."

Hepausedandthenaddedslowly:

"SomethingofwhichasyetIhaveonlybeenabletogetaglimpse."

Chapter5

MURDER

Thefollowingdaywasthe30thofJune.

Itwasjusthalf-pastninewhenweweretoldthatInspectorJappwasbelowandanxioustoseeus.

ItwassomeyearssincewehadseenanythingoftheScotlandYardinspector.

"Ah!CebonJapp,"saidPoirot."Whatdoeshewant,Iwonder?"

"Help,"Isnapped."He'soutofhisdepthoversomecaseandhe'scometoyou."

IhadnottheindulgenceforJappthatPoirothad.ItwasnotsomuchthatImindedhispickingPoirot's
brains - after all, Poirot enjoyed the process, it was delicate flattery. What did annoy me was Japp's
hypocriticalpretencethathewasdoingnothingofthekind.Ilikedpeopletobestraightforward.Isaid
so,andPoirotlaughed.

"Youarethedogofthebulldogbreed,eh,Hastings?ButyoumustrememberthatthepoorJapphehas
tosavehisface.Sohemakeshislittlepretence.Itisverynatural."

Ithoughtitmerelyfoolishandsaidso.Poirotdidnotagree.

"The outward form - it is a bagatelle - but it matters to people. It enables them to keep the amour
propre."

Personally I thought a dash of inferiority complex would do Japp no harm, but there was no point in
arguingthematter.Besides,IwasanxioustolearnwhatJapphadcomeabout.

Hegreetedusbothheartily.

"Justgoingtohavebreakfast,Isee.Notgotthehenstolaysquareeggsforyouyet,M.Poirot?"

ThiswasanallusiontoacomplaintfromPoirotastothevaryingsizesofeggswhichhadoffendedhis
senseofsymmetry.

"Asyet,no,"saidPoirot,smiling."Andwhatbringsyoutoseeussoearly,mygoodJapp?"

"It'snotearly-notforme.I'vebeenupandatworkforagoodtwohours.Astowhatbringsmetosee

you-well,it'smurder."

"Murder?"

Jappnodded.

"LordEdgwarewaskilledathishouseinRegentGatelastnight.Stabbedintheneckbyhiswife."

"Byhiswife?"Icried.

In a flash I remembered Bryan Martin's words on the previous morning. Had he had a prophetic
knowledge of what was going to happen? I remembered, too, Jane's easy reference to "bumping him
off."Amoral,BryanMartinhadcalledher.Shewasthetype,yes.Callous,egoisticalandstupid.How
righthehadbeeninhisjudgment.

AllthispassedthroughmymindwhileJappwenton:

"Yes.Actress,youknow.Wellknown.JaneWilkinson.Marriedhimthreeyearsago.Theydidn'tgeton.
Shelefthim."

Poirotwaslookingpuzzledandserious.

"Whatmakesyoubelievethatitwasshewhokilledhim?"

"Nobeliefaboutit.Shewasrecognised.Notmuchconcealmentaboutit,either,Shedroveupinataxi-
"

"Ataxi,"Iechoedinvoluntarily,herwordsattheSavoythatnightcomingbacktome.

"-rangthebell,askedforLordEdgware.Itwasteno'clock.Butlersaidhe'dsee.'Oh!'shesays,coolas
a cucumber. 'You needn't. I am Lady Edgware. I suppose he's in the library.' And with that she walks
alongandopensthedoorandgoesinandshutsitbehindher.

"Well,thebutlerthoughtitwasqueer,butallright.Hewentdownstairsagain.Abouttenminuteslater

he heard the front door shut. So, anyway, she hadn't stayed long. He locked up for the night about
eleven. He opened the library door, but it was dark, so he thought his master had gone to bed. This
morningthebodywasdiscoveredbyahousemaid.Stabbedinthebackoftheneckjustattherootsof
thehair."

"Wastherenocry?Nothingheard?"

"Theysaynot.Thatlibrary'sgotprettywellsound-proofdoors,youknow.Andthere'strafficpassing,
too. Stabbed in that way, death results amazing quick. Straight through the cistern into the medulla,
that'swhatthedoctorsaid-orsomethingverylikeit.Ifyouhitonexactlytherightspotitkillsaman
instantaneously."

"Thatimpliesaknowledgeofexactlywheretostrike.Italmostimpliesmedicalknowledge."

"Yes-that'strue.Apointinherfavorasfarasitgoes.Buttentooneitwasachance.Shejuststruck
lucky.Somepeopledohaveamazingluck,youknow."

"Notsoluckyifitresultsinherbeinghanged,monami,"observedPoirot.

"No.Ofcourseshewasafool-sailinginlikethatandgivinghernameandall."

"Indeed,verycurious."

"Possiblyshedidn'tintendmischief.Theyquarrelledandshewhippedoutapenknifeandjabbedhim
one."

"Wasitapenknife?"

"Somethingofthatkind,thedoctorsays.Whateveritwas,shetookitawaywithher.Itwasn'tleftinthe
wound."

Poirotshookhisheadinadissatisfiedmanner.

"No,no,myfriend,itwasnotlikethat.Iknowthelady.Shewouldbequiteincapableofsuchahot-
bloodedimpulsiveaction.Besides,shewouldbemostunlikelytohaveapenknifewithher.Fewwomen

have-andassuredlynotJaneWilkinson."

"Youknowher,yousay,M.Poirot?"

"Yes.Iknowher."

Hesaidnomoreforthemoment.Jappwaslookingathiminquisitively.

"Gotsomethingupyoursleeve,M.Poirot?"heventuredatlast.

"Ah!"saidPoirot."Thatremindsme.Whathasbroughtyoutome?Eh?Itisnotmerelytopassthetime
ofdaywithanoldcomrade?Assuredlynot.Youhavehereanicestraightforwardmurder.Youhavethe
criminal.Youhavethemotive-whatexactlyisthemotive,bytheway?"

"Wantedtomarryanotherman.Shewasheardtosaysonotaweekago.Alsoheardtomakethreats.
Saidshemeanttocallroundinataxiandbumphimoff."

"Ah!"saidPoirot."Youareverywellinformed-verywellinformed.Someonehasbeenveryobliging."

Ithoughthiseyeslookedaquestion,butifso,Jappdidnotrespond.

"Wegettohearthings,M.Poirot,"hesaidstolidly.

Poirotnodded.Hehadreachedoutforthedailypaper.IthadbeenopenedbyJapp,doubtlesswhilehe
waswaiting,andhadbeencastimpatientlyasideonourentry.Inamechanicalmanner,Poirotfoldedit
backatthemiddlepage,smoothedandarrangedit.Thoughhiseyeswereonthepaper,hismindwas
deepinsomekindofpuzzle.

"You have not answered," he said presently. "Since all goes in the swimming fashion, why come to
me?"

"BecauseIheardyouwereatRegentGateyesterdaymorning."

"Isee."

"Now,assoonasIheardthat,Isaidtomyself,'Somethinghere.'HislordshipsentforM.Poirot.Why?
Whatdidhesuspect?Whatdidhefear?Beforedoinganythingdefinite,I'dbettergoroundandhavea
wordwithhim."

"Whatdoyoumeanby'anythingdefinite?'Arrestingthelady,Isuppose."

"Exactly."

"Youhavenotseenheryet?"

"Oh!yes,Ihave.WentroundtotheSavoyfirstthing.Wasn'tgoingtoriskhergivingustheslip."

"Ah!"saidPoirot."Soyou-"

Hestopped.Hiseyes,whichhadbeenfixedthoughtfullyanduptonowunseeinglyonthepaperinfront
ofhim,nowtookonadifferentexpression.Heliftedhisheadandspokeinachangedtoneofvoice.

"Andwhatdidshesay?Eh!myfriend.Whatdidshesay?"

"Igavehertheusualstuff,ofcourse,aboutwantingastatementandcautioningher-youcan'tsaythe
Englishpolicearen'tfair."

"Inmyopinionfoolishlyso.Butproceed.Whatdidmiladysay?"

"Tookhysterics-that'swhatshedid.Rolledherselfabout,threwupherarmsandfinallyfloppeddown
ontheground.Oh!shediditwell-I'llsaythatforher.Aprettybitofacting."

"Ah!"saidPoirotblandly."Youformed,then,theimpressionthatthehystericswerenotgenuine?"

Jappwinkedvulgarly.

"Whatdoyouthink?I'mnottobetakeninwiththosetricks.Shehadn'tfainted-notshe!Justtryingit
on,shewas.I'llswearshewasenjoyingit."

"Yes,"saidPoirotthoughtfully."Ishouldsaythatwasperfectlypossible.Whatnext?"

"Oh!well,shecameto-pretendedto,Imean.Andmoaned-andgroanedandcarriedonandthatsour-
faced maid of hers doped her with smelling salts and at last she recovered enough to ask for her
solicitor.Wasn'tgoingtosayanythingwithouthersolicitor.Hystericsonemoment,solicitorthenext,
nowIaskyou,isthatnaturalbehaviour,sir?"

"Inthiscasequitenatural,Ishouldsay,"saidPoirotcalmly.

"Youmeanbecauseshe'sguiltyandknowsit."

"Notatall,Imeanbecauseofhertemperament.Firstshegivesyouherconceptionofhowthepartofa
wife suddenly learning of her husband's death should be played. Then, having satisfied her histrionic
instinct, her native shrewdness makes her send for a solicitor. That she creates an artificial scene and
enjoysitisnoproofofherguilt.Itmerelyindicatesthatsheisabornactress."

"Well,shecan'tbeinnocent.That'ssure."

"Youareverypositive,"saidPoirot."Isupposethatitmustbeso.Shemadenostatement,yousay?No
statementatall?"

Jappgrinned.

"Wouldn'tsayawordwithouthersolicitor.Themaidtelephonedforhim.Ilefttwoofmymenthereand
camealongtoyou.IthoughtitjustaswelltogetputwisetowhatevertherewasgoingonbeforeIwent
onwiththings."

"Andyetyouaresure?"

"OfcourseI'msure.ButIlikeasmanyfactsaspossible.Yousee,there'sgoingtobeabigsplashmade
about this. No hole and corner business. All the papers will be full of it. And you know what papers
are."

"Talkingofpapers,"saidPoirot."Howdoyouaccountforthis,mydearfriend.Youhavenotreadyour

morningpaperverycarefully."

Heleantacrossthetable,hisfingeronaparagraphinthesocietynews.Jappreadtheitemaloud.

SirMontaguCornergaveaverysuccessfuldinner-partylastnightathishouseontheriveratChiswick.
AmongthosepresentwereSirGeorgeandLadyduFisse,Mr.JamesBlunt,thewell-knowndramatic
critic, Sir Oscar Hammerfelt of the Overton Film Studios, Miss Jane Wilkinson (Lady Edgware) and
others.

ForamomentJapplookedtakenaback.Thenherallied.

"What'sthatgottodowithit?ThisthingwassenttothePressbeforehand.You'llsee.You'llfindthat
ourladywasn'tthere,orthatshecameinlate-eleveno'clockorso.Blessyou,sir,youmustn'tbelieve
everythingyouseeinthePresstobegospel.Youofallpeopleoughttoknowbetterthanthat."

"Oh!Ido,Ido.Itonlystruckmeascurious,thatwasall."

"These coincidences do happen. Now, M. Poirot, close as an oyster I know you to be by bitter
experience.Butyou'llcomeacrosswiththings,won'tyou?You'lltellmewhyLordEdgwaresentfor
you?"

Poirotshookhishead.

"LordEdgwaredidnotsendforme.ItwasIwhorequestedhimtogivemeanappointment."

"Really?Andforwhatreason?"

Poirothesitatedaminute.

"Iwillansweryourquestion,"hesaidslowly."ButIshouldliketoansweritinmyownway."

Jappgroaned.Ifeltasneakingsympathywithhim.Poirotcanbeintenselyirritatingattimes.

"Iwillrequest,"wentonPoirot,"thatyoupermitmetoringupacertainpersonandaskhimtocome

here."

"Whatperson?"

"Mr.BryanMartin."

"Thefilmstar?What'shegottodowithit?"

"I think," said Poirot, "that you may find what he has got to say interesting - and possibly helpful.
Hastings,willyoubesogood?"

Itookupthetelephone-book.TheactorhadaflatinabigblockofbuildingsnearSt.James'sPark.

"Victoria49499"

ThesomewhatsleepyvoiceofBryanMartinspokeafterafewminutes.

"Hello-who'sspeaking?"

"WhatamItosay?"Iwhispered,coveringthemouthpiecewithmyhand.

"Tellhim,"saidPoirot,"thatLordEdgwarehasbeenmurdered,andthatIshouldesteemitafavourifhe
wouldcomeroundhereandseemeimmediately."

Irepeatedthismeticulously.Therewasastartledexclamationattheotherend.

"MyGod,"saidMartin."Soshe'sdoneitthen!I'llcomeatonce."

"Whatdidhesay?"askedPoirot.Itoldhim.

"Ah!" said Poirot. He seemed pleased. "So she's done it then. That is what he said? Then it is as I
thought,itisasIthought."

Japplookedathimcuriously.

"I can't make you out, M. Poirot. First you sound as though you thought the woman might not have
doneitafterall.Andnowyoumakeoutthatyouknewitallalong."

Poirotonlysmiled.

Chapter6

THEWIDOW

BryanMartinwasasgoodashisword.Inlessthantenminuteshehadjoinedus.Duringthetimethat
we awaited his arrival, Poirot would only talk of extraneous subjects and refused to satisfy Japp's
curiosityinthesmallestdegree.

Evidentlyournewshadupsettheyoungactorterribly.Hisfacewaswhiteanddrawn.

"Goodheavens,M.Poirot,"hesaidasheshookhands."Thisisaterriblebusiness.I'mshockedtothe
core - and yet I can't say I'm surprised. I've always half-suspected that something of this kind might
happen.YoumayrememberIwassayingsoyesterday."

"Mais oui, mais oui," said Poirot. "I remember perfectly what you said to me yesterday. Let me
introduceyoutoInspectorJappwhoisinchargeofthecase."

BryanMartinshotaglanceofreproachatPoirot.

"Ihadnoidea,"hemurmured."Youshouldhavewarnedme."

Henoddedcoldlytotheinspector.

Hesatdown,hislipspressedtightlytogether.

"Idon'tsee,"heobjected,"whyyouaskedmetocomeround.Allthishasnothingtodowithme."

"Ithinkithas,"saidPoirotgently."Inacaseofmurderonemustputone'sprivaterepugnancesbehind

one."

"No,no.I'veactedwithJane.Iknowherwell.Dashitall,she'safriendofmine."

"AndyetthemomentthatyouhearLordEdgwareismurdered,youjumptotheconclusionthatitisshe
whohasmurderedhim,"remarkedPoirotdryly.

Theactorstarted.

"Doyoumeantosay-?"Hiseyesseemedstartingoutofhishead."DoyoumeantosaythatI'mwrong?
Thatshehadnothingtodowithit?"

Jappbrokein.

"No,no,Mr.Martin.Shediditrightenough."

Theyoungmansankbackagaininhischair.

"Foramoment,"hemurmured."IthoughtI'dmadethemostghastlymistake."

"Inamatterofthiskindfriendshipmustnotbeallowedtoinfluenceyou,"saidPoirotdecisively.

"That'sallverywell,but-"

"Myfriend,doyouseriouslywishtorangeyourselfonthesideofawomanwhohasmurdered?Murder
-themostrepugnantofhumancrimes."

BryanMartinsighed.

"You don't understand. Jane is not an ordinary murderess. She - she has no sense of right or wrong.
Honestlyshe'snotresponsible."

"That'llbeaquestionforthejury,"saidJapp.

"Come,come,"saidPoirotkindly."Itisnotasthoughyouwereaccusingher.Sheisalreadyaccused.
Youcannotrefusetotelluswhatyouknow.Youhaveadutytosociety,youngman."

BryanMartinsighed.

"Isupposeyou'reright,"hesaid."Whatdoyouwantmetotellyou?"

PoirotlookedatJapp.

"HaveyoueverheardLadyEdgwareorperhapsI'dbettercallherMissWilkinson-utterthreatsagainst
herhusband?"askedJapp.

"Yes,severaltimes."

"Whatdidshesay?"

"Shesaidthatifhedidn'tgiveherherfreedomshe'dhaveto'bumphimoff.'"

"Andthatwasnotajoke,eh?"

"No.Ithinkshemeantitseriously.Onceshesaidshe'dtakeataxiandgoroundandkillhim-youheard
that,M.Poirot?"

Heappealedpatheticallytomyfriend.

Poirotnodded.

Jappwentonwithhisquestions.

"Now,Mr.Martin,we'vebeeninformedthatshewantedherfreedominordertomarryanotherman.Do
youknowwhothatmanwas?"

Bryannodded.

"Who?"

"Itwas-theDukeofMerton."

"TheDukeofMerton!Whew!"Thedetectivewhistled."Flyingathighgame,eh?Why,he'ssaidtobe
oneoftherichestmeninEngland."

Bryannoddedmoredejectedlythanever.

IcouldnotquiteunderstandPoirot'sattitude.Hewaslyingbackinhischair,hisfingerspressedtogether
andtherhythmicmotionofhisheadsuggestedthecompleteapprovalofamanwhohasputachosen
recordonthegramophoneandisenjoyingtheresult.

"Wouldn'therhusbanddivorceher?"

"No,herefusedabsolutely."

"Youknowthatforafact?"

"Yes."

"Andnow,"saidPoirot,suddenlytakingpartoncemoreintheproceedings."YouseewhereIcomein,
my good Japp. I was asked by Lady Edgware to see her husband and try and get him to agree to a
divorce.Ihadanappointmentforthismorning."

BryanMartinshookhishead.

"Itwouldhavebeenofnouse,"hedeclaredconfidently."Edgwarewouldneverhaveagreed."

"Youthinknot?"saidPoirot,turninganamiableglanceonhim.

"Sure of it. Jane knew that in her heart of hearts. She'd no real confidence that you'd succeed. She'd
givenuphope.Themanwasamonomaniaconthesubjectofdivorce."

Poirotsmiled.Hiseyesgrewsuddenlyverygreen.

"Youarewrong,mydearyoungman,"hesaidgently."IsawLordEdgwareyesterday,andheagreedto
adivorce."

TherewasnodoubtthatBryanMartinwascompletelydumbfoundedbythispieceofnews.Hestaredat
Poirotwithhiseyesalmoststartingoutofhishead.

"You-yousawhimyesterday?"hespluttered.

"Ataquarter-pasttwelve,"saidPoirotinhismethodicalmanner.

"Andheagreedtoadivorce?"

"Heagreedtoadivorce."

"YoushouldhavetoldJaneatonce,"criedtheyoungmanreproachfully.

"Idid,M.Martin."

"Youdid?"criedMartinandJapptogether.

Poirotsmiled.

"It impairs the motive a little, does it not?" he murmured. "And now, M. Martin, let me call your
attentiontothis."

Heshowedhimthenewspaperparagraph.

Bryanreadit,butwithoutmuchinterest.

"Youmeanthismakesanalibi?"hesaid."IsupposeEdgwarewasshotsometimeyesterdayevening?"

"Hewasstabbed,notshot,"saidPoirot.

Martinlaidthepaperdownslowly.

"I'mafraidthisdoesnogood,"hesaidregretfully."Janedidn'tgotothatdinner."

"Howdoyouknow?"

"Iforget.Somebodytoldme."

"Thatisapity,"saidPoirotthoughtfully.

Japplookedathimcuriously.

"Ican'tmakeyouout,Monsieur.Seemsnowasthoughyoudon'twanttheyoungwomantobeguilty."

"No,no,mygoodJapp.Iamnotthepartisanyouthink.Butfrankly,thecaseasyoupresentit,revolts
theintelligence."

"Whatdoyoumean,revoltstheintelligence?Itdoesn'trevoltmine."

IcouldseewordstremblingonPoirot'slips.Herestrainedthem.

"Hereisayoungwomanwhowishes,yousay,togetridofherhusband.ThatpointIdonotdispute.She
toldmesofrankly.Ehbien,howdoesshesetaboutit?Sherepeatsseveraltimesintheloudclearvoice
beforewitnessesthatsheisthinkingofkillinghim.Shethengoesoutoneevening,callsathishouse,
hasherselfannounced,stabshimandgoesaway.Whatdoyoucallthat,mygoodfriend?Hasiteventhe
commonsense?"

"Itwasabitfoolish,ofcourse."

"Foolish?Itistheimbecility!"

"Well,"saidJapp,rising."It'salltotheadvantageofthepolicewhencriminalslosetheirheads.Imust
gobacktotheSavoynow."

"YoupermitthatIaccompanyyou?"

Jappmadenodemurandwesetout.BryanMartintookareluctantleaveofus.Heseemedtobeina
greatstateofnervousexcitement.Hebeggedearnestlythatanyfurtherdevelopmentmightbereported
tohim.

"Nervysortofchap,"wasJapp'scommentonhim.

Poirotagreed.

AttheSavoywefoundanextremelylegal-lookinggentlemanwhohadjustarrived,andweproceeded
alltogethertoJane'ssuite.Jappspoketooneofhismen.

"Anything?"heinquiredlaconically.

"Shewantedtousethetelephone!"

"Whodidshetelephoneto?"inquiredJappeagerly.

"Jay's.Formourning."

Jappsworeunderhisbreath.Weenteredthesuite.

The widowed Lady Edgware was trying on hats in front of the glass. She was dressed in a filmy
creationofblackandwhite.Shegreeteduswithadazzlingsmile.

"Why,M.Poirot,howgoodofyoutocomealong.Mr.Moxon."(thiswastothesolicitor)"I'msoglad
you'vecome.JustsitrightbymeandtellmewhatquestionsIoughttoanswer.Thismanhereseemsto

thinkthatIwentoutandkilledGeorgethismorning."

"Lastnight,madam,"saidJapp.

"Yousaidthismorning.Teno'clock."

"Isaidtenp.m."

"Well,Icannevertellwhichiswhicha.m.'sandp.m.'s."

"It'sonlyjustaboutteno'clocknow,"addedtheinspectorseverely.

Jane'seyesopenedverywide.

"Mercy,"shemurmured."It'syearssinceI'vebeenawakeasearlyasthis.Why,itmusthavebeenEarly
Dawnwhenyoucamealong."

"Onemoment,Inspector,"saidMr.Moxoninhisponderouslegalvoice."WhenamItounderstandthat
this-er-regrettable-mostshocking-occurrencetookplace?"

"Roundaboutteno'clocklastnight,sir."

"Why,that'sallright,"saidJaneshortly."Iwasataparty-Oh!"Shecoveredhermouthupsuddenly.
"PerhapsIoughtn'ttohavesaidthat."

Hereyessoughtthesolicitor'sintimidappeal.

"If,atteno'clocklastnight,youwereer-ataparty,LadyEdgware,I-er-Icanseenoobjectionto
yourinformingtheinspectorofthefact-noobjectionwhatever."

"That'sright,"saidJapp."Ionlyaskedyouforastatementofyourmovementsyesterdayevening."

"Youdidn't.Yousaidtensomething.Andanywayyougavemethemostterribleshock.Ifainteddead

away,Mr.Moxon."

"Aboutthisparty,LadyEdgware?"

"ItwasatSirMontaguCorner's-atChiswick."

"Whattimedidyougothere?"

"Thedinnerwasforeight-thirty."

"Youlefthere-when?"

"Istartedabouteighto'clock.IdroppedinatthePiccadillyPalaceforamomenttosaygood-byetoan
American friend who was leaving for the States - Mrs. Van Dusen. I got to Chiswick at a quarter to
nine."

"Whattimedidyouleave?"

"Abouthalf-pasteleven."

"Youcamestraightbackhere?"

"Yes."

"Inataxi?"

"No.Inmyowncar.IhireitfromtheDaimlerpeople."

"Andwhilstyouwereatthedinnerpartyyoudidn'tleaveit."

"Well-I-"

"Soyoudidleaveit?"

Itwaslikeaterrierpouncingonarat.

"Idon'tknowwhatyoumean.Iwascalledtothetelephonewhenwewereatdinner."

"Whocalledyou?"

"Iguessitwassomekindofhoax.Avoicesaid'IsthatLadyEdgware?'AndIsaid'Yes,that'sright,'and
thentheyjustlaughedandrangoff."

"Didyougooutsidethehousetotelephone?"

Jane'seyesopenedwideinamazement."Ofcoursenot."

"Howlongwereyouawayfromthedinnertable?"

"Aboutaminuteandahalf."

Japp collapsed after that. I was fully convinced that he did not believe a word she was saying, but
havingheardherstoryhecoulddonomoreuntilhehadconfirmedordisprovedit.

Havingthankedhercoldly,hewithdrew.

WealsotookourleavebutshecalledPoirotback."M.Poirot.Willyoudosomethingforme?"

"Certainly,Madame."

"SendacableformetotheDukeinParis.He'sattheCrillon.Heoughttoknowaboutthis.Idon'tlike
tosenditmyself.IguessI'vegottolookthebereavedwidowforaweekortwo."

"Itisquiteunnecessarytocable,Madame,"saidPoirotgently."Itwillbeinthepapersoverthere."

"Why,whataheadpieceyou'vegot!Ofcourseitwill.Muchbetternottocable.Ifeelit'suptometo
keep up my position now everything's gone right. I want to act the way a widow should. Sort of
dignified,youknow.Ithoughtofsendingawreathoforchids.They'reaboutthemostexpensivethings
going.IsupposeIshallhavetogotothefuneral.Whatdoyouthink?"

"Youwillhavetogototheinquestfirst,Madame."

"Why, I suppose that's true." She considered for a moment or two. "I don't like that Scotland Yard
inspectoratall.Hejustscaredmetodeath.M.Poirot?"

"Yes?"

"Seemsit'skindofluckyIchangedmymindandwenttothatpartyafterall."

Poirothadbeengoingtowardsthedoor.Suddenly,atthesewords,hewheeledround.

"Whatisthatyousay,Madame?Youchangedyourmind?"

"Yes.Imeanttogiveitamiss.Ihadafrightfulheadacheyesterdayafternoon."

Poirotswallowedonceortwice.Heseemedtohaveadifficultyinspeaking.

"Didyou-saysotoanyone?"heaskedatlast.

"CertainlyIdid.Therewasquiteacrowdofushavingteaandtheywantedmetogoontoacocktail
partyandIsaid'No.'IsaidmyheadwasachingfittosplitandthatIwasgoingrighthomeandthatI
wasgoingtocutthedinnertoo."

"Andwhatmadeyouchangeyourmind,Madame?"

"Elliswentonatme.SaidIcouldn'taffordtoturnitdown.OldSirMontagupullsalotofstrings,you
know,andhe'sacrochettycreature-takesoffenceeasily.Well,Ididn'tcare.OnceImarryMertonI'm
throughwithallthis.ButEllisisalwaysonthecautiousside.Shesaidthere'smanyaslip,etc.,andafter
allIguessshe'sright.Anyway,offIwent."

"YouoweEllisadebtofgratitude,Madame,"saidPoirotseriously.

"IsupposeIdo.Thatinspectorhadgotitalltapedout,hadn'the?"

Shelaughed.Poirotdidnot.Hesaidinalowvoice:

"Allthesamethisgivesonefuriouslytothink.Yes,furiouslytothink."

"Ellis,"calledJane.

Themaidcameinfromthenextroom.

"M.Poirotsaysit'sveryluckyyoumademegotothatpartylastnight."

EllisbarelycastaglanceatPoirot.Shewaslookinggrimanddisapproving.

"It doesn't do to break engagements, m'lady. You're much too fond of doing it. People don't always
forgiveit.Theyturnnasty."

Janepickedupthehatsheladbeentryingonwhenwecamein.Shetrieditagain.

"Ihateblack,"shesaiddisconsolately."Ineverwearit.But,Isuppose,asacorrectwidowI'vejustgot
to.Allthosehatsaretoofrightful.Ringuptheotherhatplace,Ellis.I'vegottobefittobeseen."

PoirotandIslippedquietlyfromtheroom.

Chapter7

THESECRETARY

WehadnotseenthelastofJapp.Hereappearedaboutanhourlater,flungdownhishatonthetableand
saidhewaseternallyblasted.

"Youhavemadetheinquiries?"askedPoirotsympathetically.

Jappnoddedgloomily.

"Andunlessfourteenpeoplearelying,shedidn'tdoit,"hegrowled.

Hewenton:

"Idon'tmindtellingyou,M.Poirot,thatIexpectedtofindaput-upjob.Onthefaceofit,itdidn'tseem
likelythatanyoneelsecouldhavekilledLordEdgware.She'stheonlypersonwho'sgottheghostofa
motive."

"Iwouldnotsaythat.Maiscontinuez."

"Well,asIsay,Iexpectedtofindaput-upjob.Youknowwhatthesetheatricalcrowdsare-they'dall
hangtogethertoscreenapal.Butthisisratheradifferentproposition.Thepeopletherelastnightwere
all big guns, they were none of them close friends of hers and some of them didn't know each other.
Theirtestimonyisindependentandreliable.Ihopedthentofindthatshe'dslippedawayforhalfanhour
orso.Shecouldeasilyhavedonethat-powderinghernoseorsomeexcuse.Butno,shedidleavethe
dinnertableasshetoldustoansweratelephonecall,butthebutlerwaswithher-and,bytheway,it
wasjustasshetoldus.Heheardwhatshesaid.'Yes,quiteright.ThisisLadyEdgware.'Andthenthe
othersiderangoff.It'scurious,that,youknow.Notthatit'sgotanythingtodowithit."

"Perhapsnot-butitisinteresting.Wasitamanorawomanwhorangup?"

"Awoman,Ithinkshesaid."

"Curious,"saidPoirotthoughtfully.

"Nevermindthat,"saidJappimpatiently."Let'sgetbacktotheimportantpart.Thewholeeveningwent
exactly as she said. She got there at a quarter to nine, left at half-past eleven and got back here at a
quartertotwelve.I'veseenthechauffeurwhodroveherhe'soneofDaimler'sregularpeople.Andthe
peopleattheSavoysawhercomeinandconfirmthetime."

"Ehbien,thatseemsveryconclusive."

"ThenwhataboutthosetwoinRegentGate?Itisn'tonlythebutler.LordEdgware'ssecretarysawher
too.Theybothswearbyallthat'sholythatitwasLadyEdgwarewhocamethereatteno'clock."

"Howlonghasthebutlerbeenthere?"

"Sixmonths.Handsomechap,bytheway."

"Yes,indeed.Ehbien,myfriend,ifhehasonlybeentheresixmonthshecannothaverecognisedLady
Edgwaresincehehadnotseenherbefore."

"Well,heknewherfromherpicturesinthepapers.Andanywaythesecretaryknewher.She'sbeenwith
LordEdgwarefiveorsixyears,andshe'stheonlyonewho'sabsolutelypositive."

"Ah!"saidPoirot."Ishouldliketoseethesecretary."

"Well,whynotcomealongwithmenow?"

"Thankyou,monami,Ishouldbedelightedtodoso.YouincludeHastingsinyourinvitation,Ihope?"

Jappgrinned.

"Whatdoyouthink?Wherethemastergoes,therethedogfollows,"headdedinwhatIcouldnotthink
wasthebestoftaste.

"Reminds me of the Elizabeth Canning Case," said Japp. "You remember? How at least a score of
witnessesoneithersidesworetheyhadseenthegipsy,MarySquires,intwodifferentpartsofEngland.
Good reputable witnesses, too. And she with such a hideous face there couldn't be two like it. That
mysterywasneverclearedup.It'sverymuchthesamehere.Here'saseparatelotofpeoplepreparedto
swearawomanwasintwodifferentplacesatthesametime.Whichof'emisspeakingthetruth?"

"Thatoughtnottobedifficulttofindout?"

"Soyousay-butthiswoman-MissCarroll,reallyknewLadyEdgware.Imeanshe'dlivedinthehouse
withherdayafterday.Shewouldn'tbelikelytomakeamistake."

"Weshallsoonsee."

"Whocomesintothetitle?"Iasked.

"Anephew,CaptainRonaldMarsh.Bitofawaster,Iunderstand."

"Whatdoesthedoctorsayastothetimeofdeath?"askedPoirot.

"We'llhavetowaitfortheautopsytobeexact,youknow.Seewherethedinnerhadgotto."Japp'sway
ofputtingthingswas,I'msorrytosay,farfromrefined."Butteno'clockfitsinwellenough.Hewaslast
seenaliveatafewminutespastninewhenheleftthedinnertableandthebutlertookwhiskeyandsoda
intothelibrary.Ateleveno'clockwhenthebutlerwentuptobedthelightwasout-sohemusthave
beendeadthen.Hewouldn'thavebeensittinginthedark."

Poirotnoddedthoughtfully.Amomentortwolaterwedrewuptothehouse,theblindsofwhichwere
nowdown.

Thedoorwasopenedtousbythehandsomebutler.

Japptooktheleadandwentinfirst.PoirotandIfollowed.Thedooropenedtotheleft,sothatthebutler
stoodagainstthewallonthatside.Poirotwasonmyrightand,beingsmallerthanIwas,itwasonlyjust
aswesteppedintothehallthatthebutlersawhim.Beingclosetohim,Iheardthesuddenintakeofhis
breathandlookedsharplyatthemantofindhimstaringatPoirotwithakindofstartledfearvisibleon
hisface.Iputthefactawayinmymindforwhatitmightbeworth.Jappmarchedintothedining-room,
whichlayonourright,andcalledthebutlerinafterhim.

"Nowthen,Alton,Iwanttogointothisagainverycarefully.Itwasteno'clockwhenthisladycame?"

"Herladyship?Yes,sir."

"Howdidyourecogniseher?"askedPoirot.

"Shetoldhername,sir,andbesidesI'veseenherportraitinthepapers.I'veseenheract,too."

Poirotnodded.

"Howwasshedressed?"

"Inblacksir.Blackwalkingdress,andasmallblackhat.Astringofpearlsandgreygloves."

PoirotlookedaquestionatJapp.

"Whitetaffetaeveningdressanderminewrap,"saidthelattersuccinctly.

Thebutlerproceeded.HistaletalliedexactlywiththatwhichJapphadalreadypassedontous.

"Didanybodyelsecometoseeyourmasterthatevening?"askedPoirot.

"No,sir."

"Howwasthefrontdoorfastened?"

"IthasaYalelock,sir.IusuallydrawtheboltswhenIgotobed,sir.Ateleven,thatis.Butlastnight
MissGeraldinewasattheOperasoitwasleftunbolted."

"Howwasitfastenedthismorning?"

"Itwasbolted,sir.MissGeraldinehadbolteditwhenshecamein."

"Whendidshecomein?Doyouknow?"

"Ithinkitwasaboutaquartertotwelve,sir."

"Then during the evening until a quarter to twelve, the door could not be opened from the outside
withoutakey?Fromtheinsideitcouldbeopenedbysimplydrawingbackthehandle."

"Yes,sir."

"Howmanylatchkeyswerethere?"

"Hislordshiphadhis,sir,andtherewasanotherkeyinthehalldrawerwhichMissGeraldinetooklast
night.Idon'tknowiftherewereanyothers."

"Doesnobodyelseinthehousehaveakey?"

"No,sir.MissCarrollalwaysrings."

Poirotintimatedthatthatwasallhewishedtoask,andwewentinsearchofthesecretary.

Wefoundherbusilywritingatalargedesk.

MissCarrollwasapleasantefficient-lookingwomanofaboutforty-five.Herfairhairwasturninggrey
andsheworepince-nezthroughwhichapairofshrewdblueeyesgleamedoutonus.WhenshespokeI
recognisedtheclearbusinesslikevoicethathadspokentomethroughthetelephone.

"Ah!M.Poirot,"shesaidassheacknowledgedJapp'sintroduction."Yes.ItwaswithyouImadethat
appointmentforyesterdaymorning."

"Precisely,Mademoiselle."

I thought that Poirot was favourably impressed by her. Certainly she was neatness and precision
personified.

"Well,InspectorJapp?"saidMissCarroll."WhatmorecanIdoforyou?"

"Justthis.AreyouabsolutelycertainthatitwasLadyEdgwarewhocameherelastnight?"

"That'sthethirdtimeyou'veaskedme.OfcourseI'msure.Isawher."

"Wheredidyouseeher,Mademoiselle?"

"Inthehall.Shespoketothebutlerforaminute,thenshewentalongthehallandinatthelibrarydoor."

"Andwherewereyou?"

"Onthefirstfloorlookingdown."

"Andyouwerepositiveyouwerenotmistaken?"

"Absolutely.Isawherfacedistinctly."

"Youcouldnothavebeenmisledbyaresemblance?"

"Certainlynot.JaneWilkinson'sfeaturesarequiteunique.Itwasher."

JappthrewaglanceatPoirotasmuchastosay:"Yousee."

"HadLordEdgwareanyenemies?"askedPoirotsuddenly.

"Nonsense,"saidMissCarroll.

"Howdoyoumean-nonsense,Mademoiselle?"

"Enemies!Peopleinthesedaysdon'thaveenemies.NotEnglishpeople!"

"YetLordEdgwarewasmurdered."

"Thatwashiswife,"saidMissCarroll."Awifeisnotanenemy-no?"

"I'm sure it was a most extraordinary thing to happen. I've never heard of such a thing happening - I
meantoanyoneinourclassoflife."

ItwasclearlyMissCarroll'sideathatmurderswereonlycommittedbydrunkenmembersofthelower
classes.

"Howmanykeysaretheretothefrontdoor?"

"Two," replied Miss Carroll promptly. "Lord Edgware always carried one. The other was kept in the
drawerinthehall,sothatanybodywhowasgoingtobelateincouldtakeit.Therewasathirdone,but
CaptainMarshlostit.Verycareless."

"DidCaptainMarshcomemuchtothehouse?"

"Heusedtolivehereuntilthreeyearsago."

"Whydidheleave?"askedJapp.

"Idon'tknow.Hecouldn'tgetonwithhisuncle,Isuppose."

"Ithinkyouknowalittlemorethanthat,Mademoiselle,"saidPoirotgently.

Shedartedaquickglanceathim.

"Iamnotonetogossip,M.Poirot."

"ButyoucantellusthetruthconcerningtherumoursofaseriousdisagreementbetweenLordEdgware
andhisnephew."

"Itwasn'tsoseriousasallthat.LordEdgwarewasadifficultmantogetonwith."

"Evenyoufoundthat?"

"I'mnotspeakingofmyself.IneverhadanydisagreementswithLordEdgware.Healwaysfoundme
perfectlyreliable."

"ButasregardsCaptainMarsh-"

Poirotstucktoit,gentlycontinuingtogoadherintofurtherrevelations.

MissCarrollshruggedhershoulders.

"He was extravagant. Got into debt. There was some other trouble - I don't know exactly what. They
quarrelled.LordEdgwareforbadehimthehouse.That'sall."

Hermouthclosedfirmly.Evidentlysheintendedtosaynomore.

Theroomwehadinterviewedherinwasonthefirstfloor.Asweleftit,Poirottookmebythearm.

"Alittleminute.Remainhereifyouwill,Hastings.IamgoingdownwithJapp.Watchtillwehavegone

intothelibrary,thenjoinusthere."

IhavelongagogivenupaskingPoirotquestionsbeginning"Why?"LiketheLightBrigade"Minenot
toreasonwhy,minebuttodoordie,"thoughfortunatelyithasnotyetcometodying!Ithoughtthat
possiblyhesuspectedthebutlerofspyingonhimandwantedtoknowifsuchwerereallythecase.

Itookupmystandlookingoverthebanister.PoirotandJappwentfirsttothefrontdooroutofmysight.
Thentheyreappearedwalkingslowlyalongthehall,Ifollowedtheirbackswithmyeyeuntiltheyhad
gone into the library. I waited a minute or two in case the butler appeared, but there was no sign of
anyone,soIrandownthestairsandjoinedthem.

Thebodyhad,ofcourse,beenremoved.Thecurtainsweredrawnandtheelectriclightwason.Poirot
andJappwerestandinginthemiddleoftheroomlookingroundthem.

"Nothinghere,"Jappwassaying.

AndPoirotrepliedwithasmile:

"Alas! not the cigarette ash - nor the footprint - nor a lady's glove - nor even a lingering perfume!
Nothingthatthedetectiveoffictionsoconvenientlyfinds."

"Thepolicearealwaysmadeouttobeasblindasbatsindetectivestories,"saidJappwithagrin.

"Ifoundaclueonce,"saidPoirotdreamily."Butsinceitwasfourfeetlonginsteadoffourcentimetres
noonewouldbelieveinit."

Irememberedthecircumstancesandlaughed.ThenIrememberedmymission.

"It'sallright,Poirot,"Isaid."Iwatched,butnoonewasspyinguponyouasfarasIcouldsee."

"TheeyesofmyfriendHastings,"saidPoirotinakindofgentlemockery."Tellme,myfriend,didyou
noticetherosebetweenmylips?"

"Therosebetweenyourlips?"Iaskedinastonishment.Jappturnedasidesplutteringwithlaughter.

"You'llbethedeathofme,M.Poirot,"hesaid."Thedeathofme.Arose.Whatnext?"

"IhadthefancytopretendIwasCarmen,"saidPoirotquiteundisturbed.Iwonderediftheyweregoing
madorifIwas.

"Youdidnotobserveit,Hastings?"TherewasreproachinPoirot'svoice.

"No,"Isaid,staring."ButthenIcouldn'tseeyourface."

"Nomatter."Heshookhisheadgently.

Weretheymakingfunofme?

"Well,"saidJapp."Nomoretodohere,Ifancy.I'dliketoseethedaughteragainifIcould.Shewastoo
upsetbeforeformetogetanythingoutofher."

Herangthebellforthebutler.

"AskMissMarshifIcanseeherforafewmoment."

Themandeparted.Itwasnothe,however,butMissCarrollwhoenteredtheroomafewminuteslater.

"Geraldine is asleep," she said. "She's had a terrible shock, poor child. After you left I gave her
somethingtomakehersleepandshe'sfastasleepnow.Inanhourortwo,perhaps."

Jappagreed.

"Inanycase,there'snothingshecantellyouthatIcan't,"saidMissCarrollfirmly.

"Whatisyouropinionofthebutler?"askedPoirot.

"Idon'tlikehimmuchandthat'safact,"repliedMissCarroll."ButIcan'ttellyouwhy."

Wehadreachedthefrontdoor.

"It was up there that you stood, was it not, last night, Mademoiselle?" said Poirot suddenly, pointing
withhishandupthestairs.

"Yes.Why?"

"AndyousawLadyEdgwaregoalongthehallintothestudy?"

"Yes."

"Andyousawherfacedistinctly?"

"Certainly."

"But you could not have seen her face, Mademoiselle. You can only have seen the back of her head
fromwhereyouwerestanding."

MissCarrollflushedangrily.Sheseemedtakenaback.

"Back of her head, her voice, her walk! It's all the same thing. Absolutely unmistakable! I tell you I
knowitwasJaneWilkinson-athoroughlybadwomanifthereeverwasone."

Andturningawaysheflouncedupstairs.

Chapter8

POSSIBILITIES

Japphadtoleaveus.PoirotandIturnedintoRegent'sParkandfoundaquietseat.

"Iseethepointofyourrosebetweenthelipsnow,"Isaidlaughing."AtthemomentIthoughtyouhad
gonemad."

Henoddedwithoutsmiling.

"Youobserve,Hastings,thatthesecretaryisadangerouswitness.Dangerousbecauseinaccurate.You
notice that she stated positively that she saw the visitor's face? At the time I thought that impossible.
Comingfromthestudy-yes,butnotgoingtothestudy.SoImademylittleexperimentwhichresulted
asIthought,andthensprungmytrapuponher.Sheimmediatelychangedherground."

"Her belief was quite unaltered, though," I argued. "And after all, a voice and a walk are just as
unmistakable."

"No,no."

"Why, Poirot, I think a voice and the general gait are about the most characteristic things about a
person."

"Iagree.Andthereforetheyarethemosteasilycounterfeited."

"Youthink-"

"Castyourmindbackafewdays.Doyourememberoneeveningaswesatinthestallsofatheatre-"

"CarlottaAdams?Ah!butthensheisagenius."

"Awell-knownpersonisnotsodifficulttomimic.ButIagreeshehasunusualgifts.Ibelieveshecould
carryathingthroughwithouttheaidoffootlightsanddistance."

Asuddenthoughtflashedintomymind.

"Poirot,"Icried."Youdon'tthinkthatpossibly-no,thatwouldbetoomuchofacoincidence."

"Itdependshowyoulookatit,Hastings.Regardedfromoneangleitwouldbenocoincidenceatall."

"ButwhyshouldCarlottaAdamswishtokillLordEdgware,Poirot?Shedidnotevenknowhim."

"Howdoyouknowshedidnotknowhim?Donotassumethings,Hastings.Theremayhavebeensome
linkbetweenthemofwhichweknownothing.Notthatthatispreciselymytheory."

"Thenyouhaveatheory?"

"Yes.ThepossibilityofCarlottaAdamsbeinginvolvedstruckmefromthebeginning."

"But,Poirot-"

"Wait, Hastings. Let me put together few facts for you. Lady Edgware, with a complete lack of
reticence,discussestherelationsbetweenherandherhusband,andevengoessofarastotalkofkilling
him.NotonlyyouandIhearthis.Awaiterhearsit,hermaidprobablyhashearditmanytimes,Bryan
Martinhearsit,andIimagineCarlottaAdamsherselfhearsit.Andtherearethepeopletowhomthese
people repeat it. Then, on that same evening, the excellence of Carlotta Adams' imitation of Jane is
commentedupon.WhohadamotiveforkillingLordEdgware?Hiswife.

"NowsupposingthatsomeoneelsewishestodoawaywithLordEdgware.Hereisascapegoatreadyto
hishand.OnthedaywhenJaneWilkinsonannouncesthatshehasaheadacheandisgoingtohavea
quietevening-theplanisputintooperation.

"LadyEdgwaremustbeseentoenterthehouseinRegentGate.Well,sheisseen.Sheevengoessofar
astoannounceheridentity.Ah!c'estunpeutrop,ça!Itwouldawakensuspicioninanoyster.

"Andanotherpoint-asmallpoint,Iadmit.Thewomanwhocametothehouselastnightworeblack.
JaneWilkinsonneverwearsblack.Weheardhersayso.Letusassume,then,thatthewomanwhocame
tothehouselastnightwasnotJaneWilkinson-thatitwasawomanimpersonatingJaneWilkinson.Did
thatwomankillLordEdgware?

"DidathirdpersonenterthathouseandkillLordEdgware?Ifso,didthepersonenterbeforeorafter
thesupposedvisitofLadyEdgware?Ifafter,whatdidthewomansaytoLordEdgware?Howdidshe
explainherpresence?Shemightdeceivethebutlerwhodidnotknowher,andthesecretarywhodidnot
seeheratclosequarters,butshecouldnothopetodeceiveahusband.Orwasthereonlyadeadbodyin
theroom?WasLordEdgwarekilledbeforesheenteredthehousesometimebetweennineandten?"

"Stop,Poirot!"Icried."Youaremakingmyheadspin."

"No,no,myfriend.Weareonlyconsideringpossibilities.Itisliketryingontheclothes.Doesthisfit?
No,itwrinklesontheshoulder?Thisone?Yes,thatisbetter-butnotquitelargeenough.Thisotherone
istoosmall.Soonandsoon-untilwereachtheperfectfit-thetruth."

"Whodoyoususpectofsuchafiendishplot?"Iasked.

"Ah! that is too early to say. One must go into the question of who has a motive for wishing Lord
Edgwaredead.Thereis,ofcourse,thenephewwhoinherits.Alittleobviousthat,perhaps.Andthen,in
spiteofMissCarroll'sdogmaticpronouncement,thereisthequestionofenemies.LordEdgwarestruck
measamanwhoveryeasilymightmakeenemies."

"Yes,"Iagreed."Thatisso."

"Whoever it was must have fancied himself pretty safe. Remember, Hastings, but for her change of
mindatthelastminute,JaneWilkinsonwouldhavehadnoalibi.Shemighthavebeeninherroomat
theSavoy,anditwouldhavebeendifficulttoproveit.Shewouldhavebeenarrested,tried-probably
hanged."

Ishivered.

"Butthereisonethingpuzzlesme,"wentonPoirot."Thedesiretoincriminateherisclearbutwhatthen
of the telephone call? Why did someone ring her up at Chiswick and, once satisfied of her presence
there,immediatelyringoff?Itlooks,doesitnot,asifsomeonewantedtobesureofherpresencethere
beforeproceedingto-what?Thatwasatnine-thirty,almostcertainlybeforethemurder.Theintention
then seems - there is no other word for it - beneficent. It cannot be the murderer who rings up - the
murdererhaslaidallhisplanstoincriminateJane.Who,then,wasit?Itlooksasthoughwehavehere
twoentirelydifferentsetsofcircumstances."

Ishookmyhead,utterlyfogged.

"Itmightbejustacoincidence,"Isuggested.

"No,no,everythingcannotbeacoincidence.Sixmonthsago,aletterwassuppressed.Why?Thereare
toomanythingshereunexplained.Theremustbesomereasonlinkingthemtogether."

Hesighed.Presentlyhewenton:

"ThatstorythatBryanMartincametotell."

"Surely,Poirot,thathasgotnoconnectionwiththisbusiness."

"You are blind, Hastings, blind and willfully obtuse. Do you not see that the whole thing makes a
pattern?Apatternconfusedatpresentbutwhichwillgraduallybecomeclear..."

IfeltPoirotwasbeingover-optimistic.Ididnotfeelthatanythingwouldeverbecomeclear.Mybrain
wasfranklyreeling.

"It'snogood,"Isaidsuddenly."Ican'tbelieveitofCarlottaAdams.Sheseemedsucha-well,sucha
thoroughlynicegirl."

Yet,evenasIspoke,IrememberedPoirot'swordsaboutloveofmoney.Loveofmoney-wasthatatthe
rootoftheseeminglyincomprehensible?IfeltthatPoirothadbeeninspiredthatnight.HehadseenJane
indanger-theresultofherstrangeegoisticaltemperament.HehadseenCarlottaledastraybyavarice.

"Idonotthinkshecommittedthemurder,Hastings.Sheistoocoolandlevel-headedforthat.Possibly
shewasnoteventoldthatmurderwouldbedone.Shemayhavebeenusedinnocently.Butthen-"

Hebrokeoff,frowning.

"Evenso,she'sanaccessoryafterthefactnow.Imean,shewillseethenewstoday.Shewillrealise-"

AhoarsesoundbrokefromPoirot.

"Quick,Hastings.Quick!Ihavebeenblind-imbecile.Ataxi.Atonce."

Istaredathim.

Hewavedhisarms.

"Ataxi-atonce."

Onewaspassing.Hehaileditandwejumpedin.

"Doyouknowheraddress?"

"CarlottaAdams,doyoumean?"

"Maisoui,maisoui.Quickly,Hastings,quickly.Everyminuteisofvalue.Doyounotsee?"

"No,"Isaid."Idon't."

Poirotsworeunderhisbreath.

"Thetelephonebook?No,shewouldnotbeinit.Thetheatre."

AtthetheatretheywerenotdisposedtogiveCarlotta'saddress,butPoirotmanagedit.Itwasaflatina
blockofmansionsnearSloaneSquare.Wedrovethere,Poirotinafeverofimpatience.

"IfIamnottoolate,Hastings.IfIamnottoolate."

"Whatisallthishaste?Idon'tunderstand.Whatdoesitmean?"

"ItmeansthatIhavebeenslow.Terriblyslowtorealisetheobvious.Ah!monDieu,ifonlywemaybe
intime."

Chapter9

THESECONDDEATH

ThoughIdidnotunderstandthereasonforPoirot'sagitation,Iknewhimwellenoughtobesurethathe
hadareasonforit.

WearrivedatRosedewMansions,Poirotsprangout,paidthedriverandhurriedintothebuilding.Miss
Adams'flatwasonthefirstfloor,asavisiting-cardstuckonaboardinformedus.

Poirothurriedupthestairs,notwaitingtosummontheliftwhichwasatoneoftheupperfloors.

Heknockedandrang.Therewasashortdelay,thenthedoorwasopenedbyaneatmiddle-agedwoman
withhairdrawntightlybackfromherface.Hereyelidswerereddenedasthoughwithweeping.

"MissAdams?"demandedPoiroteagerly.

Thewomanlookedathim.

"Haven'tyouheard?"

"Heard?Heardwhat?"

Hisfacehadgonedeadlypale,andIrealisedthatthis,whateveritwas,waswhathehadfeared.

Thewomancontinuedslowlytoshakeherhead.

"She'sdead.Passedawayinhersleep.It'sterrible."

Poirotleanedagainstthedoorpost.

"Toolate,"hemurmured.

Hisagitationwassoapparentthatthewomanlookedathimwithmoreattention.

"Excuseme,sir,butareyouafriendofhers?Idonotrememberseeingyoucomeherebefore."

Poirotdidnotreplytothisdirectly.Insteadhesaid:

"Youhavehadadoctor?Whatdidhesay?"

"Tookanoverdoseofasleepingdraught.Oh!thepityofit!Suchaniceyounglady.Nastydangerous

things-thesedrugs.Veronal,hesaiditwas."

Poirotsuddenlystoodupright.Hismannertookonanewauthority.

"Imustcomein,"hesaid.

Thewomanwasclearlydoubtfulandsuspicious.

"Idon'tthink-"shebegan.

But Poirot meant to have his way. He took probably the only course that would have obtained the
desiredresult.

"Youmustletmein,"hesaid."IamadetectiveandIhavegottoinquireintothecircumstancesofyour
mistress'sdeath."

Thewomangasped.ShestoodasideandwepassedintotheflatFromthereonPoirottookcommandof
thesituation.

"What I have told you," he said authoritatively, "is strictly confidential. It must not be repeated.
EveryonemustcontinuetothinkthatMissAdams'deathwasaccidental.Pleasegivemethenameand
addressofthedoctoryousummoned."

"Dr.Heath,17CarlisleStreet."

"Andyourownname?"

"Bennett-AliceBennett."

"YouwereattachedtoMissAdams,Icansee,MissBennett."

"Oh!yes,sir.Shewereaniceyounglady.Iworkedforherlastyearwhenshewereoverhere.Itwasn't
asthoughshewereoneofthoseactresses.Shewerearealyounglady.Daintywaysshehadandliked
everythingjustso."Poirotlistenedwithattentionandsympathy.Hehadnownosignsofimpatience.I

realisedthattoproceedgentlywasthebestwayofextractingtheinformationhewanted.

"Itmusthavebeenagreatshocktoyou,"heobservedgently.

"Oh! it was, sir. I took her in her tea - at half-past nine as usual and there she was lying - asleep I
thought.AndIputthetraydown.AndIpulledthecurtains-oneoftheringscaught,sir,andIhadto
jerkithard.Suchanoiseitmade.IwassurprisedwhenIlookedroundtoseeshehadn'twoken.And
thenallofasuddensomethingseemedtotakeholdofme.Somethingnotquitenaturalabouttheway
shelay.AndIwenttothesideofthebed,andItouchedherhand.Icycolditwas,sir,andIcriedout."

Shestopped,tearscomingintohereyes.

"Yes,yes,"saidPoirotsympathetically."Itmusthavebeenterribleforyou.DidMissAdamsoftentake
stufftomakehersleep?"

"She'dtakensomethingforaheadachenowandagain,sir.Somelittletabletsinabottle,butitwassome
otherstuffshetooklastnight,orsothedoctorsaid."

"Didanyonecometoseeherlastnight?Avisitor?"

"No,sir.Shewasoutyesterdayevening,sir."

"Didshetellyouwhereshewasgoing?"

"No,sir.Shewentoutaboutseveno'clock."

"Ah!Howwasshedressed?"

"Shehadonablackdress,sir.Ablackdressandablackhat."

Poirotlookedatme.

"Didshewearanyjewellery?"

"Justthestringofpearlsshealwayswore,sir."

"Andgloves-greygloves?"

"Yes,sir.Herglovesweregrey."

"Ah!Nowdescribetome,ifyouwill,whathermannerwas.Wasshegay?Excited?Sad?Nervous?"

"It seemed to me she was pleased about something, sir. She kept smiling to herself. As though there
weresomekindofjokeon."

"Whattimedidshereturn?"

"Alittleaftertwelveo'clock,sir."

"Andwhatwashermannerthen?Thesame?"

"Shewasterriblytired,sir."

"Butnotupset?Ordistressed?"

"Oh!no,sir.Ithinkshewaspleasedaboutsomething,butjustdoneup,ifyouknowwhatImean.She
startedtoringsomeoneuponthetelephone,andthenshesaidshecouldn'tbother.She'ddoittomorrow
morning."

"Ah!" Poirot's eyes gleamed with excitement. He leaned forward and spoke in a would-be indifferent
voice.

"Didyouhearthenameofthepersonsherangup?"

"No,sir.ShejustaskedforthenumberandwaitedandthentheExchangemusthavesaid:'I'mtryingto
get them' as they do, sir, and she said 'All right,' and then suddenly she yawned and said 'Oh! I can't
bother.I'mtootired.'andsheputthereceiverbackandstartedundressing."

"Andthenumbershecalled?Doyourecollectthat?Think.Itmaybeimportant."

"I'msorryIcan'tsay,sir.ItwasaVictorianumberandthat'sallIcanremember.Iwasn'tpayingspecial
heed,yousee."

"Didshehaveanythingtoeatordrinkbeforeshewenttobed?"

"Aglassofhotmilk,sir,likeshealwaysdid."

"Whopreparedit?"

"Idid,sir."

"Andnobodycametotheflatthatevening?"

"Nobody,sir."

"Andearlierintheday?"

"Nobody came that I can remember, sir. Miss Adams was out to lunch and tea. She came in at six
o'clock."

"Whendidthemilkcome?Themilkshedranklastnight?"

"It was the new milk she had, sir. The afternoon delivery. The boy leaves it outside the door at four
o'clock. But, oh! sir, I'm sure there wasn't nothing wrong with the milk. I had it myself for tea this
morning.Andthedoctorhesaidpositiveasshe'dtakenthenastystuffherself."

"ItispossiblethatIamwrong,"saidPoirot."Yes,itispossiblethatIamentirelywrong.Iwillseethe
doctor.But,yousee,MissAdamshadenemies.ThingsareverydifferentinAmerica-"

Hehesitated,butthegoodAliceleaptatthebait.

"Oh!Iknow,sir.I'vereadaboutChicagoandthemgunmenandallthat.Itmustbeawickedcountry
andwhatthepolicecanbeabout,Ican'tthink.Notlikeourpolicemen."

Poirot left it thankfully at that, realising that Alice Bennett's insular proclivities would save him the
troubleofexplanations.

Hiseyefellonasmallsuitcases-moreofanattachécase,thatwaslyingonachair.

"DidMissAdamstakethatwithherwhenshewentoutlastnight?"

"In the morning she took it, sir. She didn't have it when she came back at teatime, but she brought it
backlastthing."

"Ah!YoupermitthatIopenit?"

Alice Bennett would have permitted anything. Like most canny and suspicious women, once she had
overcomeherdistrustshewaschild'splaytomanipulate.ShewouldhaveassentedtoanythingPoirot
suggested.

Thecasewasnotlocked.Poirotopenedit.Icameforwardandlookedoverhisshoulder.

"Yousee,Hastings,yousee?"hemurmuredexcitedly.

Thecontentswerecertainlysuggestive.

Therewasaboxofmake-upmaterials,twoobjectswhichIrecognisedaselevatorstoplaceinshoesand
raisetheheightaninchorso,therewasapairofgreyglovesand,foldedintissuepaper,anexquisitely-
madewigofgoldenhair,theexactshadeofgoldofJaneWilkinson'sanddressedlikeherswithacentre
partingandcurlsinthebackoftheneck.

"Doyoudoubtnow,Hastings?"askedPoirot.

IbelieveIhaduptothatmoment.ButnowIdoubtednolonger.

Poirotclosedthecaseagainandturnedtothemaid.

"YoudonotknowwithwhomMissAdamsdinedyesterdayevening?"

"No,sir."

"Doyouknowwithwhomshehadlunchortea?"

"Iknownothingabouttea,sir.IbelieveshelunchedwithMissDriver."

"MissDriver?"

"Yes,hergreatfriend.Shehasahat-shopinMoffattStreet,justoffBondStreet.Genevieve,it'scalled."

Poirotnotedtheaddressinhisnotebookjustbelowthatofthedoctor.

"Onethingmore,Madame.Canyourememberanything-anythingatall-thatMademoiselleAdams
saidordidaftershecameinatsixo'clockthatstrikesyouasatallunusualorsignificant?"

Themaidthoughtforamomentortwo.

"Ireallycan'tsaythatIdo,sir,"shesaidatlast."Iaskedherifshewouldhaveteaandshesaidshe'd
hadsome."

"Oh!shesaidshehadhadit,"interruptedPoirot.

"Pardon.Continue."

"Andafterthatshewaswritingletterstilljustonthetimeshewentout."

"Letters,eh?Youdonotknowtowhom?"

"Yes,sir.Itwasjustoneletter-tohersisterinWashington.Shewrotehersistertwiceaweekregular.
Shetooktheletteroutwithhertopostbecauseofcatchingthemail.Butsheforgotit."

"Thenitisherestill?"

"No,sir.Ipostedit.Sherememberedlastnightjustasshewasgettingintobed.AndIsaidI'drunout
withit.Byputtinganextrastamponitandputtingitinthelatefeeboxitwouldgoallright."

"Ah!-andisthatfar?"

"No,sir,thepostofficeisjustroundthecorner."

"Didyoushutthedooroftheflatbehindyou?"

Bennettstared.

"No,sir.Ijustleftitto-asIalwaysdowhenIgoouttopost."

Poirotseemedabouttospeak-thencheckedhimself.

"Wouldyouliketolookather,sir?"askedthemaidtearfully."Looksbeautifulshedoes."

Wefollowedherintothebedroom.

Carlotta Adams looked strangely peaceful and much younger than she had appeared that night at the
Savoy.Shelookedlikeatiredchildasleep.

TherewasastrangeexpressiononPoirot'sfaceashestoodlookingdownonher.Isawhimmakethe
signoftheCross.

"J'aifaitunserment,Hastings,"hesaidaswewentdownthestairs.

Ididnotaskhimwhathisvowwas.Icouldguess.

Aminuteortwolaterhesaid:

"There is one thing off my mind at least. I could not have saved her. By the time I heard of Lord
Edgware'sdeathshewasalreadydead.Thatcomfortsme.Yes,thatcomfortsmeverymuch."

Chapter10

JENNYDRIVER

Ournextproceedingwastocalluponthedoctorwhoseaddressthemaidhadgivenus.

He turned out to be a fussy elderly man somewhat vague in manner. He knew Poirot by repute and
expressedalivelypleasureatmeetinghimintheflesh.

"AndwhatcanIdoforyou,M.Poirot?"heaskedafterthisopeningpreamble.

"Youwerecalledthismorning,M.ledocteur,tothebedsideofaMissCarlottaAdams."

"Ah!yes,poorgirl.Cleveractresstoo.I'vebeentwicetohershow.Athousandpitiesit'sendedthisway.
WhythesegirlsmusthavedrugsIcan'tthink."

"Youthinkshewasaddictedtodrugs,then?"

"Well,professionally,Ishouldhardlyhavesaidso.Atalleventsshedidn'ttakethemhypodermically.
Nomarksoftheneedle.Evidentlyalwaystookitbythemouth.Maidsaidshesleptwellnaturally,but
then maids never know. I don't suppose she took veronal every night, but she'd evidently taken it for
sometime."

"Whatmakesyouthinkso?"

"This.Dashit-wheredidIputthething?"Hewaspeeringintoasmallcase."Ah!hereitis."

Hedrewoutasmallblackmoroccohandbag.

"There'sgottobeaninquest,ofcourse.Ibroughtthisawaysothatthemaidshouldn'tmeddlewithit."

Opening the pochette he took out a small gold box. On it were the initials C.A. in rubies. It was a
valuableandexpensivetrinket.Thedoctoropenedit.Itwasnearlyfullofawhitepowder.

"Veronal,"heexplainedbriefly."Nowlookwhat'swritteninside."

Ontheinsideofthelidoftheboxwasengraved:

C.A.fromD.Paris,Nov.10th.

SweetDreams

"November10th,"saidPoirotthoughtfully.

"Exactly,andwe'renowinJune.Thatseemstoshowthatshe'sbeeninthehabitoftakingthestuffforat
leastsixmonths,andastheyearisn'tgiven,itmightbeeighteenmonthsortwoyearsandahalf-orany
time."

"Paris.D.,"saidPoirot,frowning.

"Yes. Convey anything to you? By the way, I haven't asked you what your interest is in the case. I'm
assuming you've got good grounds. I suppose you want to know if it's suicide? Well, I can't tell you.
Nobody can. According to the maid's account she was perfectly cheerful yesterday. That looks like
accident,andinmyopinionaccidentitis.Veronal'sveryuncertainstuff.Youcantakeadevilofalot
anditwon'tkillyou,andyoucantakeverylittleandoffyougo.It'sadangerousdrugforthatreason.

"I'venodoubtthey'llbringitinAccidentalDeathattheinquest.I'mafraidIcan'tbeofanymorehelpto
you."

"MayIexaminethelittlebagofMademoiselle?"

"Certainly.Certainly."

Poirotturnedoutthecontentsofthepochette.TherewasafinehandkerchiefwithC.M.A.inthecorner,
apowderpuff,alipstick,apoundnoteandalittlechange,andapairofpince-nez.

These last Poirot examined with interest. They were gold-rimmed and rather severe and academic in
type.

"Curious," said Poirot. "I did not know that Miss Adams wore glasses. But perhaps they are for
reading?"

Thedoctorpickedthemup.

"No, these are outdoor glasses," he affirmed. "Pretty powerful too. The person who wore these must
havebeenveryshortsighted."

"YoudonotknowifMissAdams-"

"I never attended her before. I was called in once to see a poisoned finger of the maid's. Otherwise I
haveneverbeenintheflatMissAdams,whomIsawforamomentonthatoccasion,wascertainlynot
wearingglassesthen."

Poirotthankedthedoctorandwetookourleave.

Poirotworeapuzzledexpression.

"ItcanbethatIammistaken,"headmitted.

"Abouttheimpersonation?"

"No, no. That seems to me proved. No, I mean as to her death. Obviously she had veronal in her
possession.Itispossiblethatshewastiredandstrunguplastnightanddeterminedtoensureherselfa
goodnight'srest."

Thenhesuddenlystoppeddead-tothegreatsurpriseofthepassers-byandbeatonehandemphatically
ontheother.

"No,no,no,no!"hedeclaredemphatically."Whyshouldthataccidenthappensoconveniently?Itwas
noaccident.Itwasnotsuicide.No,sheplayedherpartandindoingsoshesignedherdeathwarrant.
Veronalmayhavebeenchosensimplybecauseitwasknownthatsheoccasionallytookitandthatshe

had that box in her possession. But if so, the murderer must have been someone who knew her well.
WhoisD.?Hastings?IwouldgiveagooddealtoknowwhoD.was."

"Poirot,"Isaid,asheremainedwraptinthought."Hadn'twebettergoon.Everyoneisstaringatus."

"Eh?Well,perhapsyouareright.Thoughitdoesnotincommodemethatpeopleshouldstare.Itdoes
notinterfereintheleastwithmytrainofthought."

"Peoplewerebeginningtolaugh,"Imurmured.

"Thathasnoimportance."

Ididnotquiteagree.Ihaveahorrorofdoinganythingconspicuous.TheonlythingthataffectsPoirotis
thepossibilityofthedamportheheataffectingthesetofhisfamousmoustache.

"Wewilltakeataxi,"saidPoirot,wavinghisstick.

Onedrewupbyus,andPoirotdirectedittogotoGenevieveinMoffattStreet.

Genevieveturnedouttobeoneofthoseestablishmentswhereonenondescripthatandascarfdisplay
themselvesinaglassboxdownstairsandwheretherealcentreofoperationsisonefloorupaflightof
musty-smellingstairs.

Havingclimbedthestairswecametoadoorwith"Genevieve.PleaseWalkIn"onit,andhavingobeyed
thiscommandwefoundourselvesinasmallroomfullofhatswhileanimposingblondecreaturecame
forwardwithasuspiciousglanceatPoirot.

"MissDriver?"askedPoirot.

"IdonotknowifModomcanseeyou.Whatisyourbusiness,please?"

"PleasetellMissDriverthatafriendofMissAdamswouldliketoseeher."

Theblondebeautyhadnoneedtogoonthiserrand.Ablackvelvetcurtainwasviolentlyagitatedanda

smallvivaciouscreaturewithflamingredhairemerged.

"What'sthat?"shedemanded.

"AreyouMissDriver?"

"Yes.What'sthataboutCarlotta?"

"Youhaveheardthesadnews?"

"Whatsadnews?"

"MissAdamsdiedinhersleeplastnight.Anoverdoseofveronal."

Thegirl'seyesopenedwide.

"How awful!" she exclaimed. "Poor Carlotta. I can hardly believe it. Why, she was full of life
yesterday."

"Neverthelessitistrue.Mademoiselle,"saidPoirot."Nowsee-itisjustononeo'clock.Iwantyouto
domethehonourofcomingouttolunchwithmeandmyfriend.Iwanttoaskyouseveralquestions."

Thegirllookedhimupanddown.Shewasapugilisticlittlecreature.Sheremindedmeinsomewaysof
afoxterrier.

"Whoareyou?"shedemandedbluntly.

"MynameisHerculePoirot.ThisismyfriendCaptainHastings."

Ibowed.

Herglancetravelledfromonetotheotherofus.

"I'veheardofyou,"shesaidabruptly."I'llcome."

Shecalledtotheblonde:

"Dorothy?"

"Yes,Jenny."

"Mrs. Lester's coming in about that Rose Descartes model we're making for her. Try the different
feathers.Bye-bye,shan'tbelong,Iexpect."

Shepickedupasmallblackhat,affixedittooneear,powderedhernosefuriously,andthenlookedat
Poirot.

"Ready,"shesaidabruptly.

FiveminutesafterwardsweweresittinginasmallrestaurantinDoverStreet.Poirothadgivenanorder
tothewaiterandcocktailswereinfrontofus.

"Now," said Jenny Driver. "I want to know the meaning of all this. What has Carlotta been getting
herselfmixedupin?"

"Shehadbeengettingherselfmixedupinsomething,then,Mademoiselle?"

"Nowthen,whoisgoingtoaskthequestions,youorme?"

"MyideawasthatIshould,"saidPoirot,smiling."IhavebeengiventounderstandthatyouandMiss
Adamsweregreatfriends."

"Right."

"Ehbien,thenIaskyou,Mademoiselle,toacceptmysolemnassurancethatwhatIdo,Iamdoinginthe
interestsofyourdeadfriend.Iassureyouthatthatisso."

There was a moment's silence while Jenny Driver considered this question. Finally she gave a quick
assentingnodofthehead.

"Ibelieveyou.Carryon.Whatdoyouwanttoknow?"

"Iunderstand,Mademoiselle,thatyourfriendlunchedwithyouyesterday."

"Shedid."

"Didshetellyouwhatherplanswereforlastnight?"

"Shedidn'texactlymentionlastnight."

"Butshesaidsomething?"

"Well, she mentioned something that maybe is what you're driving at. Mind you, she spoke in
confidence."

"Thatisunderstood."

"Well,letmeseenow.IthinkI'dbetterexplainthingsinmyownwords."

"Ifyouplease,Mademoiselle."

"Well, then. Carlotta was excited. She isn't often excited. She's not that kind. She wouldn't tell me
anythingdefinite,saidshe'dpromisednotto,butshe'dgotsomethingon.Something,Igathered,inthe
natureofagigantichoax."

"Ahoax?"

"That'swhatshesaid.Shedidn'tsayhoworwhenorwhere.Only-"Shepaused,frowning."Well-you
see-Carlotta'snotthekindofpersonwhoenjoyspracticaljokesorhoaxesorthingsofthatkind.She's
oneofthoseserious,nice-minded,hard-workinggirls.WhatImeanis,somebodyhadobviouslyputher

uptothisstunt.AndIthink-shedidn'tsayso,mind-"

"No,no,Iquiteunderstand.Whatwasitthatyouthought?"

"Ithought-Iwassure-thatinsomewaymoneywasconcerned.NothingreallyeverexcitedCarlotta
exceptmoney.Shewasmadethatway.She'dgotoneofthebestheadsforbusinessI'veevermet.She
wouldn'thavebeensoexcitedandsopleasedunlessmoney-quitealotofmoney-hadbeenconcerned.
Myimpressionwasthatshe'dtakenonsomethingforabet-andthatshewasprettysureofwinning.
And yet that isn't quite true. I mean, Carlotta didn't bet. I've never known her to make a bet. But
anyway,somehoworother,I'msuremoneywasconcerned."

"Shedidnotactuallysayso?"

"N-no.Justsaidthatshe'dbeabletodothis,thatandtheotherinthenearfuture.Shewasgoingtoget
hersisteroverfromAmericatomeetherinParis.Shewascrazyaboutherlittlesister.Verydelicate,I
believe,andmusical.Well,that'sallIknow.Isthatwhatyouwant?"

Poirotnoddedhishead.

"Yes.Itconfirmsmytheory.Ihadhoped,Iadmit,formore.IhadanticipatedthatMissAdamswould
havebeenboundtosecrecy.ButIhopedthat,beingawoman,shewouldnothavecountedrevealingthe
secrettoherbestfriend."

"Itriedtomakehertellme,"admittedJenny."Butsheonlylaughedandsaidshe'dtellmeallaboutit
someday."

Poirotwassilentforamoment.Thenhesaid:

"YouknowthenameofLordEdgware?"

"What?Themanwhowasmurdered?Onaposterhalfanhourago."

"Yes.DoyouknowifMissAdamswasacquaintedwithhim?"

"Idon'tthinkso.I'msureshewasn't.Oh!waitaminute."

"Yes,Mademoiselle?"saidPoiroteagerly.

"Whatwasitnow?"shefrowned,knittingherbrowasshetriedtoremember."Yes,I'vegotitnow.She
mentionedhimonce.Verybitterly."

"Bitterly?"

"Yes. She said - what was it? - that men like that shouldn't be allowed to ruin other people's lives by
theircrueltyandlackofunderstanding.Shesaidwhy,soshedid-thathewasthekindofmanwhose
deathwouldprobablybeagoodthingforeverybody."

"Whenwasitshesaidthis,Mademoiselle?"

"Oh!aboutamonthago,Ithinkitwas."

"Howdidthesubjectcomeup?"

JennyDriverrackedherbrainsforsomeminutesandfinallyshookherhead.

"I can't remember," she confessed. "His name cropped up or something. It might have been in the
newspaper. Anyway, I remember thinking it odd that Carlotta should be so vehement all of a sudden
whenshedidn'tevenknowtheman."

"Certainlyitisodd,"agreedPoirotthoughtfully.Thenheasked:

"DoyouknowifMissAdamswasinthehabitoftakingveronal?"

"NotthatIknew.Ineversawhertakeitormentiontakingit."

"DidyoueverseeinherbagasmallgoldboxwiththeinitialsC.A.onitinrubies?"

"Asmallgoldbox-no,IamsureIdidn't."

"DoyouhappentoknowwhereMissAdamswaslastNovember?"

"Letmesee.ShewentbacktotheStatesinNovember,Ithink-towardstheendofthemonth.Before
thatshewasinParis."

"Alone?"

"Alone,ofcourse!Sorry-perhapsyoudidn'tmeanthat!Idon'tknowwhyanymentionofParisalways
suggests the worst. And it's such a nice respectable place really. But Carlotta wasn't the week-ending
sort,ifthat'swhatyou'redrivingat."

"Now,Mademoiselle,Iamgoingtoaskyouaveryimportantquestion.WasthereanymanMissAdams
wasspeciallyinterestedin?"

"Theanswertothatis'No,'"saidJennyslowly."Carlotta,sinceI'veknownher,hasbeenwrappedupin
her work and in her delicate sister. She's had the 'head of the family all depends on me' attitude very
strongly.Sotheanswer'sno,strictlyspeaking."

"Ah!andnotspeakingsostrictly?"

"Ishouldn'twonderiflately-Carlottahadn'tbeengettinginterestedinsomeman."

"Ah!"

"Mindyou,that'sentirelyguessworkonmypart.I'vegonesimplybyhermanner.She'sbeendifferent-
notexactlydreamy,butabstracted.Andshe'slookeddifferent,somehow.Oh!Ican'texplain.It'sthesort
ofthingthatanotherwomanjustfeels-and,ofcourse,maybequitewrongabout."

Poirotnodded.

"Thankyou,Mademoiselle.Onethingmore.IsthereanyfriendofMissAdamswhoseinitialisD?"

"D,"saidJennyDriverthoughtfully."D?No,I'msorry.Ican'tthinkofanyone.

Chapter11

THEEGOIST

I do not think Poirot had expected any other answer to his question. All the same, he shook his head
sadly.Heremainedlostinthought.JennyDriverleantforward,herelbowsonthetable.

"Andnow,"shesaid,"amIgoingtobetoldanything?"

"Mademoiselle,"saidPoirot."Firstofallletmecomplimentyou.Youranswerstomyquestionshave
beensingularlyintelligent.Clearlyyouhavebrains,Mademoiselle.YouaskwhetherIamgoingtotell
youanything.Ianswer-notverymuch.Iwilltellyoujustafewbarefacts,Mademoiselle."

Hepaused,andthensaidquietly:

"LastnightLordEdgwarewasmurderedinhislibrary.Atteno'clockyesterdayeveningaladywhomI
believe to have been your friend Miss Adams came to the house, asked to see Lord Edgware, and
announcedherselfasLadyEdgware.SheworeagoldenwigandwasmadeuptoresembletherealLady
Edgwarewho,asyouprobablyknow,isMissJaneWilkinson,theactress.MissAdams(ifitwereshe)
onlyremainedafewmoments.Sheleftthehouseatfiveminutespasttenbutshedidnotreturnhome
tillaftermidnight.Shewenttobed,havingtakenanoverdoseofveronal.Now,Mademoiselle,yousee
thepoint,perhaps,ofsomeofthequestionsIhavebeenaskingyou."

Jennydrewadeepbreath.

"Yes," she said. "I see now. I believe you're right, M. Poirot. Right about its having been Carlotta, I
mean.Foronething,sheboughtanewhatoffmeyesterday."

"Anewhat?"

"Yes.Shesaidshewantedonetoshadetheleftsideofherface."

HereImustinsertafewwordsofexplanationasIdonotknowwhenthesewordswillberead.Ihave
seenmanyfashionsofhatsinmytime-theclochethatshadedthefacesocompletelythatonegaveup
indespairthetaskofrecognisingone'sfriends.Thetiltedforwardhat,thehatattachedairilytotheback
ofthehead,theberet,andmanyotherstyles.InthisparticularJunethehatofthemomentwasshaped
likeaninvertedsoupplateandwaswornattached(asifbysuction)overoneear,leavingtheotherside

ofthefaceandhairopentoinspection.

"Thesehatsareusuallywornontherightsideofthehead?"askedPoirot.

Thelittlemodistenodded.

"But we keep a few to be worn on the opposite side," she explained. "Because there are people who
muchprefertheirprofiletotheleftorwhohaveahabitofpartinghairononesideonly.Now,would
therebeanyspecialreasonforCarlotta'swantingthatsideofherfacetobeinshadow?"

I remembered that the door of the house in Regent Gate opened to the left, so that anyone entering
wouldbeinfullviewofthebutlerthatside.IrememberalsothatJaneWilkinson(soIhadnoticedthe
othernight)hadatinymoleatthecornerofthelefteye.

Isaidasmuchexcitedly.Poirotagreed,noddinghisheadvigorously.

"Itisso.Itisso.Vousavezparfaitementraison,Hastings.Yes,thatexplainsthepurchaseofthehat."

"M.Poirot?"Jennysatsuddenlyboltupright."Youdon'tthink-youdon'tforonemomentthink-that
Carlottadidit?Killedhim,Imean.Youcan'tthinkthat?Notjustbecauseshespokesobitterlyabout
him."

"Idonotthinkso.Butitiscurious,allthesame-thatsheshouldhavespokenso,Imean.Iwouldlike
toknowthereasonforit.Whathadhedone-whatdidsheknowofhimtomakeherspeakinsucha
fashion?"

"Idon'tknowbutshedidn'tkillhim.She's-oh!shewas-well-toorefined."

Poirotnoddedapprovingly.

"Yes,yes.Youputthatverywell.Itisapointpsychological.Iagree.Thiswasascientificcrime-but
notarefinedone."

"Scientific?"

"Themurdererknewexactlywheretostrikesoastoreachthevitalnervecentresatthebaseoftheskull
whereitjoinsthecord."

"Lookslikeadoctor,"saidJennythoughtfully.

"DidMissAdamsknowanydoctors?Imean,wasanyparticulardoctorafriendofhers?"

Jennyshookherhead.

"Neverheardofone.Notoverhere,anyway."

"Anotherquestion.DidMissAdamswearpince-nez?"

"Glasses?Never."

"Ah!"Poirotfrowned.

A vision rose in my mind. A doctor, smelling of carbolic, short-sighted eyes magnified by powerful
lenses.Absurd!

"Bytheway,didMissAdamsknowBryanMartin,thefilmactor?"

"Why,yes.Sheusedtoknowhimasachild,shetoldme.Idon'tthinkshesawmuchofhim,though.
Justonceinawhile.Shetoldmeshethoughthe'dgotveryswollen-headed."

Shelookedatherwatchandutteredanexclamation.

"Goodness,Imustfly.HaveIhelpedyouatall,M.Poirot?"

"Youhave.Ishallaskyouforfurtherhelpbyandby."

"It'syours.Someonestagedthisdevilry.We'vegottofindoutwhoitis."

She gave us a quick shake of the hand, flashed her white teeth in a sudden smile and left us with
characteristicabruptness.

"Aninterestingpersonality,"saidPoirotashepaidthebill.

"Ilikeher,"Isaid.

"Itisalwaysapleasuretomeetaquickmind."

"A little hard, perhaps," I reflected. "The shock of her friend's death did not upset her as much as I
shouldhavethoughtitwouldhavedone."

"Sheisnotthesortthatweeps,certainly,"agreedPoirotdryly.

"Didyougetwhatyouhopedfromtheinterview?"

Heshookhishead.

"No-Ihoped-verymuchIhoped-togetacluetothepersonalityofD,thepersonwhogaveherthe
littlegoldbox.ThereIhavefailed.UnfortunatelyCarlottaAdamswasareservedgirl.Shewasnotone
togossipaboutherfriendsorherpossibleloveaffairs.Onetheotherhand,thepersonwhosuggested
the hoax may not have been a friend at all. It may have been a mere acquaintance who proposed it -
doubtlessforsome'sporting'reason-onamoneybasis.Thispersonmayhaveseenthegoldboxshe
carriedaboutwithherandmadesomeopportunitytodiscoverwhatitcontained."

"Buthowonearthdidtheygethertotakeit?Andwhen?"

"Well,therewasthetimeduringwhichtheflatdoorwasopenwhenthemaidwasoutpostingaletter.
Notthatthatsatisfiesme.Itleavestoomuchtochance.Butnow-towork.Wehavestilltwopossible
clues."

"Whichare?"

"The first is the telephone call to a Victoria number. It seems to me quite a probability that Carlotta

Adamswouldringuponherreturntoannouncehersuccess.Ontheotherhand,wherewasshebetween
fiveminutespasttenandmidnight?Shemayhavehadanappointmentwiththeinstigatorofthehoax.
Inthatcasethetelephonecallmayhavebeenmerelyonetoafriend."

"Whatisthesecondclue?"

"Ah! that I do have hopes for. The letter, Hastings. The letter to the sister. It is possible - I only say
possible-thatinthatshemayhavedescribedthewholebusiness.Shewouldnotregarditasabreachof
faith,sincetheletterwouldnotbereadtillaweeklaterandinanothercountryatthat."

"Amazing,ifthatisso!"

"Wemustnotbuildtoomuchuponit,Hastings.Itisachance,thatisall.No,wemustworknowfrom
theotherend."

"Whatdoyoucalltheotherend?"

"AcarefulstudyofthosewhoprofitinanydegreebyLordEdgware'sdeath."

Ishruggedmyshoulders.

"Apartfromhisnephewandhiswife-"

"Andthemanthewifewantedtomarry,"addedPoirot.

"TheDuke?HeisinParis."

"Quiteso.Butyoucannotdenythatheisaninterestedparty.Thentherearethepeopleinthehouse-the
butler-theservants.Whoknowswhatgrudgestheymayhavehad?ButIthinkmyselfourfirstpointof
attackshouldbeafurtherinterviewwithMademoiselleJaneWilkinson.Sheisshrewd.Shemaybeable
tosuggestsomething."

OncemorewemadeourwaytotheSavoy.Wefoundtheladysurroundedbyboxesandtissuepaper,
whilstexquisiteblackdraperieswerestrewnoverthebackofeverychair.Janehadaraptandserious
expressionandwasjusttryingonyetanothersmallblackhatbeforetheglass.

"Why,M.Poirot.Sitdown.Thatis,ifthere'sanythingtositon.Ellis,clearsomething,willyou?"

"Madame,youlookcharming."

Janelookedserious.

"I don't want exactly to play the hypocrite, M. Poirot. But one must observe appearances, don't you
think? I mean, I think I ought to be careful. Oh! by the way, I've had the sweetest telegram from the
Duke."

"FromParis?"

"Yes, from Paris. Guarded, of course, and supposed to be condolences, but put so that I can read
betweenthelines."

"Myfelicitations,Madame."

"M. Poirot." She clasped her hands, her husky voice dropped. She looked like an angel about to give
venttothoughtsofexquisiteholiness."I'vebeenthinking.Itallseemssomiraculous,ifyouknowwhat
I mean. Here I am - all my troubles over. No tiresome business of divorce. No bothers. Just my path
clearedandallplainsailing.Itmakesmefeelalmostreligious-ifyouknowwhatImean."

Iheldmybreath.Poirotlookedather,hisheadalittleononeside.Shewasquiteserious.

"Thatishowitstrikesyou,Madame,eh?"

"Thingshappenrightforme,"saidJaneinasortofawedwhisper."I'vethoughtandI'vethoughtlately-
ifEdgwarewastodie.Andthere-he'sdead!It's-it'salmostlikeananswertoprayer."

Poirotclearedhisthroat.

"IcannotsayIlookatitquitelikethat,Madame.Somebodykilledyourhusband."

Shenodded.

"Why,ofcourse."

"Hasitnotoccurredtoyoutowonderwhothatsomeonewas?"

Shestaredathim."Doesitmatter?Imeanwhat'sthattodowithit?TheDukeandIcanbemarriedin
aboutfourorfivemonths..."

WithdifficultyPoirotcontrolledhimself.

"Yes,Madame,Iknowthat.Butapartfromthathasitnotoccurredtoyoutoaskyourselfwhokilled
yourhusband?"

"No."Sheseemedquitesurprisedbytheidea.Wecouldseeherthinkingaboutit.

"Doesitnotinterestyoutoknow?"askedPoirot.

"Notverymuch,I'mafraid,"sheadmitted."Isupposethepolicewillfindout.They'reveryclever,aren't
they?"

"Soitissaid.I,too,amgoingtomakeitmybusinesstofindout."

"Areyou?Howfunny."

"Whyfunny?"

"Well, I don't know." Her eyes strayed back to the clothes. She slipped on a satin coat and studied
herselfintheglass.

"Youdonotobject,eh?"saidPoirot,hiseyestwinkling.

"Why, of course not, M. Poirot. I should just love you to be clever about it all. I wish you every

success."

"Madame-Iwantmorethanyourwishes.Iwantyouropinion."

"Opinion?"saidJaneabsently,asshetwistedherheadoverhershoulder."Whaton?"

"WhodoyouthinklikelytohavekilledLordEdgware?"

Janeshookherhead."Ihaven'tanyidea!"

Shewriggledhershouldersexperimentallyandtookupthehand-glass.

"Madame!"saidPoirotinaloud,emphaticvoice."Whodoyouthinkkilledyourhusband?"

Thistimeitgotthrough.Janethrewhimastartledglance."Geraldine,Iexpect,"shesaid.

"WhoisGeraldine?"

ButJane'sattentionwasgoneagain.

"Ellis,takethisupalittleontherightshoulder.So.What,M.Poirot?Geraldine'shisdaughter.No,Ellis,
the right shoulder. That's better. Oh! must you go, M. Poirot? I'm terribly grateful for everything. I
mean,forthedivorce,eventhoughitisn'tnecessaryafterall.Ishallalwaysthinkyouwerewonderful."

IonlysawJaneWilkinsontwiceagain.Onceonthestage,oncewhenIsatoppositeherataluncheon
party. I always think of her as I saw her then, absorbed heart and soul in clothes, her lips carelessly
throwingoutthewordsthatweretoinfluencePoirot'sfurtheractions,hermindconcentratedfirmlyand
beatificallyonherself,

"Épatant,"saidPoirotwithreverenceasweemergedintotheStrand.

Chapter12

THEDAUGHTER

Therewasalettersentbyhandlyingonthetablewhenwegotbacktoourrooms.Poirotpickeditup,
slititopenwithhisusualneatness,andthenlaughed.

"Whatisityousay-'Talkofthedevil'?Seehere,Hastings."

Itookthenotefromhim.

The paper was stamped 17 Regent Gate and was written in very upright characteristic handwriting
whichlookedeasytoreadand,curiouslyenough,wasnot.

"DearSir,(itran)

Ihearyouwereatthehousethismorningwiththeinspector.Iamsorrynottohavehadtheopportunity
of speaking to you. If convenient to yourself I should be much obliged if you could spare me a few
minutesanytimethisafternoon.

Yourstruly,

GeraldineMarsh."

"Curious,"Isaid."Iwonderwhyshewantstoseeyou?"

"Isitcuriousthatsheshouldwanttoseeme?Youarenotpolite,myfriend."

Poirothasthemostirritatinghabitofjokingatthewrongmoment.

"Wewillgoroundatonce,myfriend,"hesaid,andlovinglybrushinganimaginedspeckofdustfrom
hishat,heputitonhishead.

Jane Wilkinson's careless suggestion that Geraldine might have killed her father seemed to me
particularly absurd. Only a particularly brainless person could have suggested it. I said as much to
Poirot.

"Brains.Brains.Whatdowereallymeanbytheterm?InyouridiomyouwouldsaythatJaneWilkinson
has the brains of a rabbit. That is a term of disparagement. But consider the rabbit for a moment. He
exists and multiplies, does he not? That, in Nature, is a sign of mental superiority. The lovely Lady
Edgware she does not know history, or geography, nor the classics sans doute. The name of Lao Tse

would suggest to her a prize Pekingese dog, the name of Molière a maison de couture. But when it
comestochoosingclothes,tomakingrichandadvantageousmarriages,andtogettingherownway-
hersuccessisphenomenal.TheopinionofaphilosopherastowhomurderedLordEdgwarewouldbe
nogoodtome-themotiveformurderfromaphilosopher'spointofviewwouldbethegreatestgoodof
the greatest number, and as that is difficult to decide, few philosophers are murderers. But a careless
opinionfromLadyEdgwaremightbeusefultomebecauseherpointofviewwouldbematerialisticand
basedonaknowledgeoftheworstsideofhumannature."

"Perhapsthere'ssomethinginthat,"Iconceded.

"Nousvoici,"saidPoirot."Iamcurioustoknowwhytheyoungladywishessourgentlytoseeme."

"Itisanaturaldesire"Isaid,gettingmyownback."Yousaidsoaquarterofanhourago.Thenatural
desiretoseesomethinguniqueatclosequarters."

"Perhapsitisyou,myfriend,whomadeanimpressiononherhearttheotherday,"repliedPoirotashe
rangthebell.

Irecalledthestartledfaceofthegirlwhohadstoodinthedoorway.Icouldstillseethoseburningdark
eyesinthewhiteface.Thatmomentaryglimpsehadmadeagreatimpressiononme.

We were shown upstairs to a big drawing-room and in a minute or two Geraldine Marsh came to us
there.

TheimpressionofintensitywhichIhadnoticedbeforewasheightenedonthisoccasion.Thistall,thin,
white-facedgirlwithherbighauntingblackeyeswasastrikingfigure.

Shewasextremelycomposed-inviewofheryouth,remarkablyso.

"Itisverygoodofyoutocomesopromptly,M.Poirot,"shesaid."Iamsorrytohavemissedyouthis
morning."

"Youwerelyingdown?"

"Yes,MissCarroll-myfather'ssecretary,youknow-insisted.Shehasbeenverykind."

Therewasaqueergrudgingnoteinthegirl'svoicethatpuzzledme.

"InwhatwaycanIbeofservicetoyou,Mademoiselle?"askedPoirot.

Shehesitatedaminuteandthensaid:

"Onthedaybeforemyfatherwaskilledyoucametoseehim?"

"Yes,Mademoiselle."

"Why?Didhe-sendforyou?"

Poirotdidnotreplyforamoment.Heseemedtobedeliberating.Ibelieve,now,thatitwasacleverly
calculated move on his part. He wanted to goad her into further speech. She was, he realised, of the
impatienttype.Shewantedthingsinahurry.

"Washeafraidofsomething?Tellme.Tellme.Imustknow.Whowasheafraidof?Why?Whatdidhe
saytoyou?Oh!whycan'tyouspeak?"

I had thought that that forced composure was not natural. It had soon broken down. She was leaning
forwardnow,herhandstwistingthemselvesnervouslyonherlap.

"WhatpassedbetweenLordEdgwareandmyselfwasinconfidence,"saidPoirotslowly.

Hiseyesneverleftherface.

"Thenitwasabout-Imean,itmusthavebeensomethingtodowith-thefamily.Oh!yousitthereand
tortureme.Whywon'tyoutellme?It'snecessaryformetoknow.It'snecessary,Itellyou."

Again,veryslowly,Poirotshookhishead,apparentlyapreytodeepperplexity.

"M.Poirot."Shedrewherselfup."I'mhisdaughter.Itismyrighttoknow-whatmyfatherdreadedon
thelastdaybutoneofhislife.Itisn'tfairtoleavemeinthedark.Itisn'tfairtohim-nottotellme."

"Wereyousodevotedtoyourfather,then,Mademoiselle?"askedPoirotgently.

Shedrewbackasthoughstung.

"Fondofhim?"shewhispered."Fondofhim.I-I-"

Andsuddenlyherself-controlsnapped.Pealsoflaughterbrokefromher.Shelaybackinherchairand
laughedandlaughed.

"It'ssofunny,"shegasped."It'ssofunny-tobeaskedthat."

Thathystericallaughterhadnotpassedunheard.ThedooropenedandMissCarrollcamein.Shewas
firmandefficient.

"Now,now,Geraldine,mydear,thatwon'tdo.No,no.Hush,now.Iinsist.No.Stopit.Imeanit.Stopit
atonce."

Herdeterminedmannerhaditseffect.Geraldine'slaughtergrewfainter.Shewipedhereyesandsatup.

"I'msorry,"shesaidinalowvoice."I'veneverdonethatbefore."

MissCarrollwasstilllookingatheranxiously.

"I'mallrightnow,MissCarroll.Itwasidiotic."

Shesmiledsuddenly.Aqueerbittersmilethattwistedherlips.Shesatupverystraightinherchairand
lookedatnoone.

"Heaskedme,"shesaidinacoldclearvoice,"ifIhadbeenveryfondofmyfather."

MissCarrollmadeasortofindeterminatecluck.Itdenotedirresolutiononherpart.Geraldinewenton,
hervoicehighandscornful.

"I wonder if it is better to tell lies or the truth? The truth, I think. I wasn't fond of my father. I hated
him!"

"Geraldinedear."

"Whypretend?Youdidn'thatehimbecausehecouldn'ttouchyou!Youwereoneofthefewpeoplein
theworldthathecouldn'tgetat.Yousawhimastheemployerwhopaidyousomuchayear.Hisrages
andhisqueernessesdidn'tinterestyou-youignoredthem.Iknowwhatyou'dsay.'Everyonehasgotto
put up with something.' You were cheerful and uninterested. You're a very strong woman. You're not
reallyhuman.Butthenyoucouldhavewalkedoutofthehouseanyminute.Icouldn't.Ibelonged."

"Really,Geraldine,Idon'tthinkit'snecessarygoingintoallthis.Fathersanddaughtersoftendon'tget
on.Butthelesssaidinlifethebetter,I'vefound."

Geraldineturnedherbackonher.SheaddressedherselftoPoirot.

"M. Poirot, I hated my father! I am glad he is dead! It means freedom for me - freedom and
independence.Iamnotintheleastanxioustofindhismurderer.Forallweknowthepersonwhokilled
himmayhavehadreasons-amplereasons-justifyingthataction."

Poirotlookedatherthoughtfully.

"Thatisadangerousprincipletoadopt,Mademoiselle."

"WillhangingsomeoneelsebringFatherbacktolife?"

"No,"saidPoirotdryly."Butitmaysaveotherinnocentpeoplefrombeingmurdered."

"Idon'tunderstand."

"Apersonwhohasoncekilled,Mademoiselle,nearlyalwayskillsagain-sometimesagainandagain."

"Idon'tbelieveit.Not-notarealperson."

"Youmean-notahomicidalmaniac?Butyes,itistrue.Onelifeisremoved-perhapsafteraterrific
strugglewiththemurderer'sconscience.Then-dangerthreatens-thesecondmurderismorallyeasier.
Attheslightestthreateningofsuspicionathirdfollows.Andlittlebylittleanartisticpridearises-itisa
métier-tokill.Itisdoneatlastalmostforpleasure."

Thegirlhadhiddenherfaceinherhands.

"Horrible.Horrible.Itisn'ttrue."

"AndsupposingItoldyouthatithadalreadyhappened?Thatalready-tosavehimself-themurderer
haskilledasecondtime?"

"What'sthat,M.Poirot?"criedMissCarroll."Anothermurder?Where?Who?"

Poirotgentlyshookhishead.

"Itwasanillustrationonly.Iaskpardon."

"Oh!Isee.ForamomentIreallythought-Now,Geraldine,ifyou'vefinishedtalkingallthatnonsense."

"Youareonmyside,Isee,"saidPoirotwithalittlebow.

"I don't believe in capital punishment," said Miss Carroll briskly. "Otherwise I am certainly on your
side.Societymustbeprotected."

Geraldinegotup.Shesmoothedbackherhair.

"Iamsorry,"shesaid."IamafraidIhavebeenmakingratherafoolofmyself.Youstillrefusetotellme
whymyfathercalledyouin?"

"Calledhimin?"saidMissCarrollinlivelyastonishment.

"Youmisunderstand,MissMarsh.Ihavenotrefusedtotellyou."

Poirotwasforcedtocomeoutintotheopen.

"Iwasonlyconsideringhowfarthatinterviewmighthavebeensaidtobeconfidential.Yourfatherdid
notcallmein.Isoughtaninterviewwithhimonbehalfofaclient.ThatclientwasLadyEdgware."

"Oh!Isee."

Anextraordinaryexpressioncameoverthegirl'sface.Ithoughtatfirstitwasdisappointment.ThenI
sawitwasrelief.

"Ihavebeenveryfoolish,"shesaidslowly."Ithoughtmyfatherhadperhapsthoughthimselfmenaced
bysomedanger.Itwasstupid."

"Youknow,M.Poirot,yougavemequiteaturnjustnow,"saidMissCarroll."Whenyousuggestedthat
womanhaddoneasecondmurder."

Poirotdidnotanswerher.Hespoketothegirl.

"DoyoubelieveLadyEdgwarecommittedthemurder,Mademoiselle?"

Sheshookherhead.

"No,Idon't.Ican'tseeherdoingathinglikethat.She'smuchtoo-well,artificial."

"Idon'tseewhoelsecanhavedoneit,"saidMissCarroll."AndIdon'tthinkwomenofthatkindhave
gotanymoralsense."

"Itneedn'thavebeenher,"arguedGeraldine."Shemayhavecomehereandjusthadaninterviewwith
himandgoneaway,andtherealmurderermayhavebeensomelunaticwhogotinafterwards."

"All murderers are mentally deficient - of that I am assured," said Miss Carroll. "Internal gland
secretion."

Atthatmomentthedooropenedandamancamein-thenstoppedawkwardly.

"Sorry,"hesaid."Ididn'tknowanyonewasinhere."

Geraldinemadeamechanicalintroduction.

"Mycousin,LordEdgware.M.Poirot.It'sallright,Ronald.You'renotinterrupting."

"Sure, Dina? How do you do, M. Poirot? Are your grey cells functioning over our particular family
mystery?"

I cast my mind back trying to remember. That round, pleasant, vacuous face, the eyes with slight
pouchesunderneaththem,thelittlemoustachemaroonedlikeanislandinthemiddleoftheexpanseof
face.

Ofcourse!ItwasCarlottaAdams'escortonthenightofthesupperpartyinJaneWilkinson'ssuite.

CaptainRonaldMarsh.NowLordEdgware.

Chapter13

THENEPHEW

ThenewLordEdgware'seyewasaquickone.HenoticedtheslightstartIgave.

"Ah!you'vegotit,"hesaidamiably."AuntJane'slittlesupperparty.Justashadebottled,wasn'tI?ButI
fancieditpassedquiteunperceived."

Poirotwassayinggood-byetoGeraldineMarshandMissCarroll.

"I'llcomedownwithyou,"saidRonaldgenially.Heledthewaydownthestairstalkingashewent.

"Rumthing-life.Kickedoutoneday,lordofthemanorthenext.Mylateunlamentedunclekickedme
out,youknow,threeyearsago.ButIexpectyouknowallaboutthat,M.Poirot?"

"Ihadheardthefactmentioned-yes,"repliedPoirotcomposedly.

"Naturally.Athingofthatkindissuretobedugup.Theearnestsleuthcan'taffordtomissit."

Hegrinned.Thenhethrewopenthedining-roomdoor.

"Haveaspotbeforeyougo."

Poirotrefused.SodidI.Buttheyoungmanmixedhimselfadrinkandcontinuedtotalk.

"Here's to murder," he said cheerfully. "In the space of one short night I am converted from the
creditor'sdespairtothetradesman'shope.Yesterdayruinstaredmeintheface,todayallisaffluence.
GodblessAuntJane."

Hedrainedhisglass.Then,withaslightchangeofmanner,hespoketoPoirot.

"Seriously, though, M. Poirot, what are you doing here? Four days ago Aunt Jane was dramatically
declaiming. 'Who will rid me of this insolent tyrant?' and lo and behold she is ridded! Not by your
agency,Ihope?Theperfectcrime,byHerculePoirot,ex-sleuth-hound."

Poirotsmiled.

"IamherethisafternooninanswertoanotefromMissGeraldineMarsh."

"Adiscreetanswer,eh?No,M.Poirot,whatareyoureallydoinghere?Forsomereasonorotheryouare
interestingyourselfinmyuncle'sdeath."

"Iamalwaysinterestedinmurder,LordEdgware."

"Butyoudon'tcommitit.Verycautious.YoushouldteachAuntJanecaution.Cautionandashademore
camouflage.You'llexcusemecallingherAuntJane.Itamusesme.DidyouseeherblankfacewhenI
didittheothernight?Hadn'tthefoggiestnotionwhoIwas."

"Enverité?"

"No.Iwaskickedoutofherethreemonthsbeforeshecamealong."

Thefatuousexpressionofgood-natureonhisfacefailedforamoment.Thenhewentonlightly.

"Beautifulwoman.Butnosubtlety.Methodsarerathercrude,eh?"

Poirotshruggedhisshoulders.

"Itispossible."

Ronaldlookedathimcuriously.

"Ibelieveyouthinkshedidn'tdoit.Soshe'sgotroundyoutoo,hasshe?"

"Ihaveagreatadmirationforbeauty,"saidPoirotevenly."Butalsofor-evidence."

Hebroughtthelastwordoutveryquietly.

"Evidence?"saidtheothersharply.

"Perhapsyoudonotknow,LordEdgware,thatLadyEdgwarewasatapartyatChiswicklastnightat
thetimeshewassupposedtohavebeenseenhere."

Ronaldswore.

"Soshewentafterall!Howlikeawoman!Atsixo'clockshewasthrowingherweightabout,declaring
thatnothingonearthwouldmakehergo,andIsupposeabouttenminutesaftershe'dchangedhermind!
Whenplanningamurderneverdependuponawomandoingwhatshesaysshe'lldo.That'showthebest
laidplansofmurdergoagley.No,M.Poirot,I'mnotincriminatingmyself.Oh,yes,don'tthinkIcan't
readwhat'spassingthroughyourmind.WhoistheNaturalSuspect?Thewell-knownWickedNe'er-do-
WellNephew."

Heleanedbackinhischairchuckling.

"I'msavingyourlittlegreycellsforyou,M.Poirot.Noneedforyoutohuntroundforsomeonewho
sawmeintheoffingwhenAuntJanewasdeclaringshenever,never,neverwouldgooutthatnight,etc.
Iwasthere.Soyouaskyourselfdidthewickednephewinverytruthcomeherelastnightdisguisedina
fairwigandaParishat?"

Seemingly enjoying the situation, he surveyed us both. Poirot, his head a little on one side, was
regardinghimwithcloseattention.Ifeltratheruncomfortable.

"Ihadamotive-oh!yes,motiveadmitted.AndI'mgoingtogiveyouapresentofaveryvaluableand
significantpieceofinformation.Icalledtoseemyuncleyesterdaymorning.Why?Toaskformoney.
Yes, lick your lips over that. To As for money. And I went away without getting any. And that same
evening-thatverysameevening-LordEdgwaredies.Goodtitlethat,bytheway.LordEdgwareDies.
Lookwellonabookstall."

Hepaused.StillPoirotsaidnothing.

"I'mreallyflatteredbyyourattention,M.Poirot.CaptainHastingslooksasthoughhehadseenaghost-
orweregoingtoseeoneanyminute.Don'tgetsostrungup,mydearfellow.Waitfortheanti-climax.
Well, where were we? Oh! yes, case against the Wicked Nephew. Guilt is to be thrown on the hated
AuntbyMarriage.Nephew,celebratedatonetimeforactingfemaleparts,doeshissupremehistrionic
effort.InagirlishvoiceheannounceshimselfasLadyEdgwareandsidlespastthebutlerwithmincing
steps.Nosuspicionsarearoused.'Jane,'criesmyfonduncle.'George,'Isqueak.Iflingmyarmsabout
hisneckandneatlyinsertthepenknife.Thenextdetailsarepurelymedicalandcanbeomitted.Exitthe
spuriouslady.Andsotobedattheendofagoodday'swork."

Helaughedandrising,pouredhimselfoutanotherwhiskyandsoda.Hereturnedslowlytohischair.

"Worksoutwell,doesn'tit?Butyousee,herecomesthecruxofthematter.Thedisappointment!The
annoyingsensationofhavingbeenledupthegardenpath.Fornow,M.Poirot,wecometothealibi!"

Hefinishedoffhisglass.

"Ialwaysfindalibisveryenjoyable,"heremarked."WheneverIhappentobereadingadetectivestoryI
situpandtakenoticewhenthealibicomesalong.Thisisaremarkablygoodalibi.Threestrong,and
Jewish at that. In plainer language, Mr., Mrs. and Miss Dortheimer. Extremely rich and extremely
musical. They have a box at Covent Garden. Into that box they invite young men with prospects - as
good a one, shall we say, as they can hope to get. Do I like the opera? Frankly, no. But I enjoy the

excellent dinner in Grosvenor Square first, and I also enjoy an excellent supper somewhere else
afterwards, even if I do have to dance with Rachel Dortheimer and have a stiff arm for two days
afterwards. So you see, M. Poirot, there you are. When uncle's lifeblood is flowing, I am whispering
cheerfulnothingsintothediamondencrustedearsofthefair(Ibegyourpardon,dark)Rachelinabox
atCoventGarden.HerlongJewishnoseisquiveringwithemotion.Andsoyousee,M.Poirot,whyI
canaffordtobesofrank."

Heleanedbackinhischair.

"IhopeIhavenotboredyou.Anyquestionstoask?"

"I can assure you that I have not been bored," said Poirot. "Since you are so kind, there is one little
questionthatIwouldliketoask."

"Delighted."

"Howlong,LordEdgware,haveyouknownMissCarlottaAdams?"

Whatevertheyoungmanhadexpected,itcertainlyhadnotbeenthis.Hesatupsharplywithanentirely
newexpressiononhisface.

"Whyonearthdoyouwanttoknowthat?What'sthatgottodowithwhatwe'vebeentalkingabout?"

"Iwascurious,thatwasall.Fortheother,youhaveexplainedsofullyeverythingthereistoexplainthat
thereisnoneedformetoaskquestions."

Ronald shot a quick glance at him. It was almost as though he did not care for Poirot's amiable
acquiescence.Hewould,Ithought,havepreferredhimtobemoresuspicious.

"CarlottaAdams?Letmesee.Aboutayear.Alittlemore.Igottoknowherlastyearwhenshegaveher
firstshow."

"Youknewherwell?"

"Prettywell.She'snotthesortofgirlyouevergottoknowfrightfullywell.Reservedandallthat."

"Butyoulikedher?"

Ronaldstaredathim.

"IwishIknewwhyyouweresointerestedinthelady.WasitbecauseIwaswithhertheothernight?
Yes,Ilikeherverymuch.She'ssympathetic-listenstoachapandmakeshimfeelhe'ssomethingofa
fellowafterall."

Poirotnodded.

"Icomprehend.Thenyouwillbesorry."

"Sorry?Whatabout?"

"Thatsheisdead!"

"What?"Ronaldsprangupinastonishment."Carlottadead?"

Helookedabsolutelydumbfoundedbythenews.

"You'repullingmyleg,M.Poirot.CarlottawasperfectlywellthelasttimeIsawher."

"Whenwasthat?"askedPoirotquickly.

"Daybeforeyesterday,Ithink.Ican'tremember."

"Toutdemême,sheisdead."

"Itmusthavebeenfrightfullysudden.Whatwasit?Astreetaccident?"

Poirotlookedattheceiling.

"No.Shetookanoverdoseofveronal."

"Oh!Isay.Poorkid.Howfrightfullysad.""N'est-cepas?"

"Iamsorry.Andshewasgettingonsowell.Shewasgoingtogetherkidsisteroverandhadallsortsof
plans.Dashit,I'mmoresorrythanIcansay."

"Yes,"saidPoirot."Itissadtodiewhenyouareyoung-whenyoudonotwanttodie-whenalllifeis
openbeforeyouandyouhaveeverythingtolivefor."

Ronaldlookedathimcuriously.

"Idon'tthinkIquitegetyou,M.Poirot?"

"No?"

Poirotroseandheldouthishand.

"Iexpressmythoughts-alittlestronglyperhaps.ForIdonotliketoseeyouthdeprivedofitsrightto
live,LordEdgware.Ifeel-verystronglyaboutit.Iwishyougood-day."

"Oh-er-good-bye."

AsIopenedthedoorIalmostcollidedwithMissCarroll.

"Ah! M. Poirot, they told me you hadn't gone yet. I'd like a word with you if I may. Perhaps you
wouldn'tmindcominguptomyroom.

"It's about that child, Geraldine," she said when we had entered her sanctum and she had closed the
door.

"Yes,Mademoiselle?"

"Shetalkedalotofnonsensethisafternoon.Nowdon'tprotest.Nonsense!That'swhatIcallitandthat's
whatitwas.Shebroods."

"Icouldseethatshewassufferingfromover-strain,"saidPoirotgently.

"Well - to tell the truth - she hasn't had a very happy life. No, one can't pretend she has. Frankly, M.
Poirot,LordEdgwarewasapeculiarman-notthesortofmanwhooughttohavehadanythingtodo
withtheupbringingofchildren.Quitefrankly,heterrorisedGeraldine."

Poirotnodded.

"Yes,Ishouldimaginesomethingofthekind."

"Hewasapeculiarman.He-Idon'tquiteknowhowtoputit-butheenjoyedseeinganyoneafraidof
him.Itseemedtogivehimamorbidkindofpleasure."

"Quiteso."

"Hewasanextremelywell-readman,andamanofconsiderableintellect.Butinsomeways-well,I
didn'tcomeacrossthatsideofhimmyself,butitwasthere.I'mnotreallysurprisedhiswifelefthim.
This wife, I mean. I didn't approve of her, mind. I've no opinion of that young woman at all. But in
marrying Lord Edgware she got all and more than she deserved. Well, she left him - and no bones
broken, as they say. But Geraldine couldn't leave him. For a long time he'd forget all about her, and
then,suddenly,he'dremember.Isometimesthink-thoughperhapsIshouldn'tsayit-"

"Yes,yes,Mademoiselle,sayit."

"Well, I sometimes thought he revenged himself on the mother - his first wife - that way. She was a
gentlecreature,Ibelieve,withaverysweetdisposition.I'vealwaysbeensorryforher.Ishouldn'thave
mentioned all this, M. Poirot, if it hadn't been for that very foolish outburst of Geraldine's just now.
Thingsshesaid-abouthatingherfather-theymightsoundpeculiartoanyonewhodidn'tknow."

"Thankyouverymuch,Mademoiselle.LordEdgware,Ifancy,wasamanwhowouldhavedonemuch
betternottomarry."

"Muchbetter."

"Heneverthoughtofmarryingforathirdtime?"

"Howcouldhe?Hiswifewasalive."

"Bygivingherherfreedom,hewouldhavebeenfreehimself."

"Ishouldthinkhehadhadenoughtroublewithtwowivesasitwas,"saidMissCarrollgrimly.

"So you think there would have been no question of a third marriage. There was no one? Think,
Mademoiselle.Noone?"

MissCarroll'scolourrose.

"Icannotunderstandthewayyoukeepharpingonthepoint.Ofcoursetherewasnoone."

Chapter14

FIVEQUESTIONS

"Why did you ask Miss Carroll about the possibility of Lord Edgware's wanting to marry again?" I
askedwithsomecuriosityasweweredrivinghome.

"Itjustoccurredtomethattherewasthepossibilityofsuchathing,monami."

"Why?"

"I have been searching in my mind for something to explain Lord Edgware's sudden volte face
regardingthematterofdivorce.Thereissomethingcuriousthere,myfriend."

"Yes,"Isaidthoughtfully."Itisratherodd."

"Yousee,Hastings,LordEdgwareconfirmedwhatMadamehadtoldus.Shehademployedthelawyers

ofallkinds,butherefusedtobudgetheinch.No,hewouldnotagreetothedivorce.Andthen,allofa
sudden,heyields!"

"Orsohesays,"Iremindedhim.

"Very true, Hastings. It is very just, the observation you make there. So he says. We have no proof,
whatever, that that letter was written. Eh bien, on one part, ce Monsieur is lying. For some reason he
tellsusthefabrication,theembroidery.Isitnotso?Why,wedonotknow.But,onthehypothesisthat
hedidwritethatletter,theremusthavebeenareasonforsodoing.Nowthereasonthatpresentsitself
mostnaturallytotheimaginationisthathehassuddenlymetsomeonewhomhedesirestomarry.That
explainsperfectlyhissuddenchangeofface.Andso,naturally,Imaketheinquiries."

"MissCarrollturnedtheideadownverydecisively,"Isaid.

"Yes.MissCarroll..."saidPoirotinameditativevoice.

"Nowwhatareyoudrivingat?"Iaskedinexasperation.

Poirotisanadeptatsuggestingdoubtsbythetoneofhisvoice.

"Whatreasonshouldshehaveforlyingaboutit?"Iasked.

"Aucune-aucune.But,yousee,Hastings,itisdifficulttotrustherevidence."

"Youthinkshe'slying?Butwhy?Shelooksamostuprightperson."

"That is just it. Between the deliberate falsehood and the disinterested inaccuracy it is very hard to
distinguishsomething."

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"Todeceivedeliberately-thatisonething.Buttobesosureofyourfacts,ofyourideasandoftheir
essentialtruththatthedetailsdonotmatter-that,myfriend,isaspecialcharacteristicofparticularly
honestpersons.Already,markyou,shehastoldusonelie.ShesaidshesawJaneWilkinson'sfacewhen
she could not possibly have done so. Now how did that come about? Look at it this way. She looks

downandseesJaneWilkinsoninthehall.NodoubtentersherheadthatitisJaneWilkinson.Sheknows
it is. She says she saw her face distinctly because - being so sure of her facts - exact details do not
matter!Itispointedouttoherthatshecouldnothaveseenherface.Isthatso?Well,whatdoesitmatter
ifshesawherfaceornot-itwasJaneWilkinson.Andsowithanyotherquestion.Sheknows.Andso
sheanswersquestionsinthelightofherknowledge,notbyreasonofrememberedfacts.Thepositive
witness should always be treated with suspicion, my friend. The uncertain witness who doesn't
remember,isn'tsure,willthinkaminute-ah!yes,that'showitwas-isinfinitelymoretobedepended
upon!"

"Dearme,Poirot,"Isaid."Youupsetallmypreconceivedideasaboutwitnesses."

"InreplytomyquestionastoLordPoirot'smarryingagainsheridiculestheidea-simplybecauseithas
neveroccurredtoher.Shewillnottakethetroubletorememberwhetheranyinfinitesimalsignsmay
havepointedthatway.Thereforeweareexactlywherewewerebefore."

"She certainly did not seem at all taken aback when you pointed out she could not have seen Jane
Wilkinson'sface,"Iremarkedthoughtfully.

"No. That is why I decided that she was one of those honestly inaccurate persons, rather than a
deliberateliar.Icanseenomotivefordeliberatelyingunless-true,thatisanidea!"

"Whatis?"Iaskedeagerly.

ButPoirotshookhishead.

"Anideasuggesteditselftome.Butitistooimpossible-yes,muchtooimpossible."

Andherefusedtosaymore.

"Sheseemsveryfondofthegirl,"Isaid.

"Yes. She certainly was determined to assist at our interview. What was your impression of the
HonourableGeraldineMarsh,Hastings?"

"Iwassorryforher-deeplysorryforher."

"Youhavealwaysthetenderheart,Hastings.Beautyindistressupsetsyoueverytime."

"Didn'tyoufeelthesame?"

Henoddedgravely.

"Yes-shehasnothadahappylife.Thatiswrittenveryclearlyonherface."

"Atanyrate,"Isaidwarmly,"yourealisehowpreposterousJaneWilkinson'ssuggestionwas-thatshe
shouldhavehadanythingtodowiththecrime,Imean."

"Doubtlessheralibiissatisfactory,butJapphasnotcommunicatedittomeasyet."

"My dear Poirot - do you mean to say that even after seeing her and talking to her, you are still not
satisfiedandwantanalibi?"

"Eh bien, my friend, what is the result of seeing and talking to her? We perceive that she has passed
throughgreatunhappiness,sheadmitsthatshehatedherfatherandisgladthatheisdead,andsheis
deeplyuneasyaboutwhathemayhavesaidtousyesterdaymorning.Andafterthatyousay-noalibiis
necessary!"

"Hermerefranknessprovesherinnocence,"Isaidwarmly.

"Frankness is a characteristic of the family. The new Lord Edgware - with what a gesture he laid his
cardsonthetable."

"Hedidindeed,"Isaid,smilingattheremembrance."Ratheranoriginalmethod."

Poirotnodded.

"He-whatdoyousay?-cutsthegroundbeforeourfeet."

"Fromunder,"Icorrected."Yes-itmadeuslookratherfoolish."

"Whatacuriousidea.Youmayhavelookedfoolish.IdidnotfeelfoolishintheleastandIdonotthinkI
lookedit.Onthecontrary,myfriend,Iputhimoutofcountenance."

"Didyou?"Isaiddoubtfully,notrememberinghavingseensignsofanythingofthekind.

"Si,si.Ilisten-andlisten.AndatlastIaskaquestionaboutsomethingquitedifferent,andthat,you
mayhavenoticed,disconcertsourbraveMonsieurverymuch.Youdonotobserve,Hastings."

"I thought his horror and astonishment at hearing of Carlotta Adams' death was genuine," I said. "I
supposeyouwillsayitwasapieceofcleveracting."

"Impossibletotell,Iagreeitseemedgenuine."

"Whydoyouthinkheflungallthosefactsatourheadinthatcynicalway?Justforamusement?"

"Thatisalwayspossible.YouEnglish,youhavethemostextraordinarynotionsofhumour.Butitmay
have been policy. Facts that are concealed acquire a suspicious importance. Facts that are frankly
revealedtendtoberegardedaslessimportantthantheyreallyare."

"Thequarrelwithhisunclethatmorning,forinstance?"

"Exactly.Heknowsthatthefactisboundtoleakout.Ehbien,hewillparadeit."

"Heisnotsofoolishashelooks."

"Oh!heisnotfoolishatall.Hehasplentyofbrainswhenhecarestousethem.Heseesexactlywhere
hestandsand,asIsaid,helayshiscardsonthetable.Youplaythebridge,Hastings.Tellme,whendoes
onedothat?"

"Youplaybridgeyourself,"Isaid,laughing."Youknowwellenoughwhenalltherestofthetricksare
yoursandyouwanttosavetimeandgetontoanewhand."

"Yes,monami,thatisallverytrue.Butoccasionallythereisanotherreason.Ihaveremarkeditonceor
twicewhenplayingwithlesdames.Thereisperhapsalittledoubt.Ehbien,ladame,shethrowsdown

thecards,says'andalltherestaremine,'andgathersupthecardsandcutsthenewpack.Andpossibly
theotherplayersagree-especiallyiftheyarealittleinexperienced.Thethingisnotobvious,markyou.
Itrequirestobefollowedout.Half-waythroughdealingthenexthand,oneoftheplayersthinks:'Yes,
butshewouldhavetohavetakenoverthatfourthdiamondindummywhethershewantedtoornot,and
thenshewouldhavehadtoleadalittleclubandmyninewouldhavemade.'"

"Soyouthink?"

"Ithink,Hastings,thattoomuchbravadoisaveryinterestingthing.AndIalsothinkthatitistimewe
dined.Unepetiteomelette,n'estcepas?Andafterthat,aboutnineo'clock,IhaveonemorevisitIwish
tomake."

"Whereisthat?"

"Wewilldinefirst,Hastings.Anduntilwedrinkourcoffee,wewillnotdiscussthecasefurther.When
engagedineating,thebrainshouldbetheservantofthestomach."

Poirotwasasgoodashisword.WewenttoalittlerestaurantinSohowherehewaswellknown,and
there we had a delicious omelette, a sole, a chicken and a Baba au Rhum of which Poirot was
inordinatelyfond.

Then,aswesippedourcoffee,Poirotsmiledaffectionatelyacrossthetableatme.

"Mygoodfriend,"hesaid."Idependuponyoumorethanyouknow."

Iwasconfusedanddelightedbytheseunexpectedwords.Hehadneversaidanythingofthekindtome
before.Sometimes,secretly,Ihadfeltslightlyhurt.Heseemedalmosttogooutofhiswaytodisparage
mymentalpowers.

AlthoughIdidnothinkhisownpowerswereflagging,Ididrealisesuddenlythatperhapshehadcome
todependonmyaidmorethanheknew.

"Yes,"hesaiddreamily."Youmaynotalwayscomprehendjusthowitisso-butyoudooftenandoften
pointtheway."

Icouldhardlybelievemyears.

"Really,Poirot,"Istammered."I'mawfullyglad.IsupposeI'velearntagooddealfromyouonewayor
another-"

Heshookhishead.

"Maisnon,cen'estpasça.Youhavelearntnothing."

"Oh!"Isaid,rathertakenaback.

"Thatisasitshouldbe.Nohumanbeingshouldlearnfromanother.Eachindividualshoulddevelophis
ownpowerstotheuttermost,nottrytoimitatethoseofsomeoneelse.Idonotwishyoutobeasecond
andinferiorPoirot.IwishyoutobethesupremeHastings.AndyouarethesupremeHastings.Inyou,
Hastings,Ifindthenormalmindalmostperfectlyillustrated."

"I'mnotabnormal,Ihope,"Isaid.

"No,no.Youarebeautifullyandperfectlybalanced.Inyousanityispersonified.Doyourealisewhat
thatmeanstome?Whenthecriminalsetsouttodoacrimehisfirsteffortistodeceive.Whodoeshe
seek to deceive? The image in his mind is that of the normal man. There is probably no such thing
actually-itisamathematicalabstraction.Butyoucomeasneartorealisingitasispossible.Thereare
momentswhenyouhaveflashesofbrilliancewhenyouriseaboveaverage,moments(Ihopeyouwill
pardonme)whenyoudescendtocuriousdepthsofobtuseness,buttakeitallforall,youareamazingly
normal. Eh bien, how does this profit me? Simply in this way. As in a mirror I see reflected in your
mindexactlywhatthecriminalwishesmetobelieve.Thatisterrificallyhelpfulandsuggestive."

I did not quite understand. It seemed to me that what Poirot was saying was hardly complimentary.
However,hequicklydisabusedmeofthatimpression.

"Ihaveexpressedmyselfbadly,"hesaidquickly."Youhaveaninsightintothecriminalmind,whichI
myselflack.Youshowmewhatthecriminalwishesmetobelieve.Itisagreatgift."

"Insight,"Isaidthoughtfully."Yes,perhapsIhavegotinsight."

I looked across the table at him. He was smoking his tiny cigarettes and regarding me with great
kindliness.

"CecherHastings,"hemurmured."Ihaveindeedmuchaffectionforyou."

Iwaspleasedbutembarrassedandhastenedtochangethesubject.

"Come,"Isaidinabusiness-likemanner."Letusdiscussthecase."

"Ehbien."Poirotthrewhisheadback,hiseyesnarrowed.Heslowlypuffedoutsmoke.

"Jemeposedesquestions,"hesaid.

"Yes?"Isaideagerly.

"You,too,doubtless?"

"Certainly,"Isaid.AndalsoleaningbackandnarrowingmyowneyesIthrewout:

"WhokilledLordEdgware?"

Poirotimmediatelysatupandshookhisheadvigorously.

"No,no.Notatall.Isitaquestion,that?Youarelikesomeonewhoreadsthedetectivestoryandwho
startsguessingeachofthecharactersinturnwithoutrhymeorreason.Once,Iagree,Ihadtodothat
myself.Itwasaveryexceptionalcase.Iwilltellyouaboutitoneofthesedays.Itwasafeatherinmy
cap.Butofwhatwerewespeaking?"

"Of the questions you were 'posing' to yourself," I replied dryly. It was on the tip of my tongue to
suggestthatmyrealusetoPoirotwastoprovidehimwithacompaniontowhomhecouldboast,butI
controlledmyself.Ifhewishedtoinstructthenlethim.

"Comeon,"Isaid."Let'shearthem."

Thatwasallthatthevanityofthemanwanted.Heleanedbackagainandresumedhisformerattitude.

"Thefirstquestionwehavealreadydiscussed.WhydidLordEdgwarechangehismindonthesubject
ofdivorce?Oneortwoideassuggestthemselvestomeonthatsubject.Oneofthemyouknow.

"ThesecondquestionIaskmyselfiswhathappenedtothatletter?TowhoseinterestwasitthatLord
Edgwareandhiswifeshouldcontinuetobetiedtogether?

"Three. What was the meaning of the expression on his face that you saw when you looked back
yesterdaymorningonleavingthelibrary?Haveyouanyanswertothat,Hastings?"

Ishookmyhead.

"Ican'tunderstandit."

"Youaresurethatyoudidn'timagineit?Sometimes,Hastings,youhavetheimaginationunpeuvif."

"No,no."Ishookmyheadvigorously."I'mquitesureIwasn'tmistaken."

"Bien. Then it is a fact to be explained. My fourth question concerns those pince-nez. Neither Jane
WilkinsonnorCarlottaAdamsworeglasses.What,then,aretheglassesdoinginCarlottaAdams'bag?

"Andformyfifthquestion.WhydidsomeonetelephonetofindoutifJaneWilkinsonwereatChiswick
andwhowasit?

"Those, my friend, are the questions with which I am tormenting myself. If I could answer those, I
shouldfeelhappierinmymind.IfIcouldevenevolveatheorythatexplainedthemsatisfactorilymy
amourproprewouldnotsuffersomuch."

"Thereareseveralotherquestions,"Isaid.

"Suchas?"

"Who incited Carlotta Adams to this hoax? Where was she that evening before and after ten o'clock?
WhoisDwhogaveherthegoldenbox?"

"Thosequestionsareself-evident,"saidPoirot."Thereisnosubtletyaboutthem.Theyaresimplythings
wedonotknow.Theyarequestionsoffact.Wemaygettoknowthemanyminute.Myquestions,mon
ami,arepsychological.Thelittlegreycellsofthebrain-"

"Poirot," I said desperately. I felt that I must stop him at all costs. I could not bear to hear it all over
again."Youspokeofmakingavisittonight?"

Poirotlookedathiswatch.

"True,"hesaid."Iwilltelephoneandfindoutifitisconvenient."

Hewentawayandreturnedafewminuteslater.

"Come,"hesaid."Alliswell."

"Wherearewegoing?"Iasked.

"To the house of Sir Montagu Corner at Chiswick. I would like to know a little more about that
telephonecall."

Chapter15

SIRMONTAGUCORNER

Itwasaboutteno'clockwhenwereachedSirMontaguCorner'shouseontheriveratChiswick.Itwasa
bighousestandingbackinitsowngrounds.Wewereadmittedintoabeautifully-panelledhall.Onour
right,throughanopendoor,wesawthedining-roomwithitslongpolishedtablelitwithcandles.

"Willyoucomethisway,please?"

Thebutlerledthewayupabroadstaircaseandintoalongroomonthefirstflooroverlookingtheriver.

"M.HerculePoirot,"announcedthebutler.

Itwasabeautifully-proportionedroom,andhadanold-worldairwithitscarefully-shadeddimlamps.In

onecorneroftheroomwasabridgetable,setneartheopenwindow,androunditsatfourpeople.As
weenteredtheroomoneofthefourroseandcametowardsus.

"Itisagreatpleasuretomakeyouracquaintance,M.Poirot."

IlookedwithsomeinterestatSirMontaguCorner.HehadadistinctlyJewishcastofcountenance,very
small intelligent black eyes and a carefully-arranged toupee. He was a short man - five foot eight at
most,Ishouldsay.Hismannerwasaffectedtothelastdegree.

"Letmeintroduceyou.Mr.andMrs.Widburn."

"We'vemetbefore,"saidMrs.Widburnbrightly.

"AndMr.Ross."

Rosswasayoungfellowofabouttwenty-twowithapleasantfaceandfairhair.

"Idisturbyourgame.Amillionapologies,"saidPoirot.

"Notatall.Wehavenotstarted.Wewerecommencingtodealthecardsonly.Somecoffee,M.Poirot?"

Poirotdeclinedbutacceptedanofferofoldbrandy.Itwasbroughtusinimmensegoblets.

Aswesippedit,SirMontagudiscoursed.

He spoke of Japanese prints, of Chinese lacquer, of Persian carpets, of the French impressionists, of
modernmusicandofthetheoriesofEinstein.Thenhesatbackandsmiledatusbeneficently.Hehad
evidently thoroughly enjoyed his performance, In the dim light he looked like some genie of the
mediaevalage.Allroundtheroomwereexquisiteexamplesofartandculture.

"Andnow,SirMontagu,"saidPoirot."Iwilltrespassonyourkindnessnolongerbutwillcometothe
objectofmyvisit."

SirMontaguwavedacuriousclaw-likehand.

"Thereisnohurry.Timeisinfinite."

"Onealwaysfeelsthatinthishouse,"sighedMrs.Widburn."Sowonderful."

"I would not live in London for a million pounds," said Sir Montagu. "Here one is in the old-world
atmosphereofpeacethat-alas!wehaveputbehindusinthesejarringdays."

A sudden impish fancy flashed over me that if someone were really to offer Sir Montagu a million
pounds,old-worldpeacemightgotothewall,butItroddownsuchhereticalsentiments.

"Whatismoney,afterall?"murmuredMrs.Widburn.

"Ah!"saidMr.Widburnthoughtfully,andrattledsomecoinsabsentmindedlyinhistrouserspocket.

"Archie,"saidMrs.Widburnreproachfully.

"Sorry,"saidMr.Widburnandstopped.

"Tospeakofcrimeinsuchanatmosphereis,Ifeel,unpardonable,"beganPoirotapologetically.

"Notatall."SirMontaguwavedagracioushand."Acrimecanbeaworkofart.Adetectivecanbean
artist.Idonotrefer,ofcourse,tothepolice.Aninspectorhasbeenheretoday.Acuriousperson.Hehad
neverheardofBenvenutoCellini,forinstance."

"HecameaboutJaneWilkinson,Isuppose,"saidMrs.Widburnwithinstantcuriosity.

"So it seems," said Sir Montagu. "I asked her here knowing that she was beautiful and talented and
hopingthatImightbeabletobeofusetoher.Shewasthinkingofgoingintomanagement.Butitseems
thatIwasfatedtobeofusetoherinaverydifferentway."

"Jane's got luck," said Mrs. Widburn. "She's been dying to get rid of Edgware and here's somebody
gone and saved her the trouble. She'll marry the young Duke of Merton now. Everyone says so. His
mother'swildaboutit."

"Iwasfavourablyimpressedbyher,"saidSirMontagugraciously."Shemadeseveralmostintelligent
remarksaboutGreekart."

IsmiledtomyselfpicturingJanesaying"Yes"and"No,""Reallyhowwonderful,"inhermagicalhusky
voice.SirMontaguwasthetypeofmantowhomintelligenceconsistedofthefacultyoflisteningtohis
ownremarkswithsuitableattention.

"Edgwarewasaqueerfish,byallaccounts,"saidWidburn."Idaresayhe'sgotagoodfewenemies."

"Isittrue,M.Poirot,"askedMrs.Widburn,"thatsomebodyranapenknifeintothebackofhisbrain?"

"Perfectlytrue,Madame.Itwasveryneatlyandefficientlydone-scientific,infact."

"Inoteyourartisticpleasure,M.Poirot,"saidSirMontagu.

"And now," said Poirot, "let me come to the object of my visit. Lady Edgware was called to the
telephonewhenshewashereatdinner.ItisaboutthattelephonecallthatIseekinformation.Perhaps
youwillallowmetoquestionyourdomesticsonthesubject?"

"Certainly.Certainly.Justpressthatbell,willyou,Ross?"

Thebutleransweredthebell.Hewasatallmiddle-agedmanofecclesiasticalappearance.

SirMontaguexplainedwhatwaswanted.ThebutlerturnedtoPoirotwithpoliteattention.

"Whoansweredthetelephonewhenitrang?"beganPoirot.

"Ianswereditmyself,sir.Thetelephoneisinarecessleadingoutofthehall."

"DidthepersonasktospeaktoLadyEdgwareortoMissJaneWilkinson?"

"ToLadyEdgware,sir."

"Whatdidtheysayexactly?"

Thebutlerreflectedforamoment.

"AsfarasIremember,sir,Isaid'Hello.'AvoicethenaskedifIwasChiswick43434.Irepliedthatthat
wasso.Itthenaskedmetoholdtheline.AnothervoicethenaskedifthatwasChiswick43434andon
myreplying'yes'itsaid'IsLadyEdgwarediningthere?'Isaidherladyshipwasdininghere.Thevoice
said,'Iwouldliketospeaktoher,please.'Iwentandinformedherladyshipwhowasatthedinnertable.
Herladyshiprose,andIshowedherwherethe'phonewas."

"Andthen?"

"Herladyshippickedupthereceiverandsaid:'Hello-who'sspeaking?'Thenshesaid:'Yes-that'sall
right.LadyEdgwarespeaking.'Iwasjustabouttoleaveherladyshipwhenshecalledtomeandsaid
theyhadcutheroff.Shesaidsomeonehadlaughedandevidentlyhungupthereceiver.Sheaskedmeif
thepersonringinguphadgivenanyname.Theyhadnotdoneso.Thatwasallthatoccurred,sir."

Poirotfrownedtohimself.

"Do you really think the telephone call has something to do with the murder, M. Poirot?" asked Mrs.
Widburn.

"Impossibletosay,Madame.Itisjustacuriouscircumstance."

"Peopledoringupforajokesometimes.It'sbeendonetome."

"C'esttoujourspossible,Madame."

Hespoketothebutleragain.

"Wasitaman'svoiceorawoman'swhorangup?"

"Alady's,Ithink,sir."

"Whatkindofavoice,highorlow?"

"Low,sir.Carefulandratherdistinct."Hepaused."Itmaybemyfancy,sir,butitsoundedlikeaforeign
voice.TheR'swereverynoticeable."

"AsfarasthatgoesitmighthavebeenaScotchvoice,Donald,"saidMrs.Widburn,smilingatRoss.

Rosslaughed.

"Notguilty,"hesaid."Iwasatthedinnertable."

Poirotspokeonceagaintothebutler.

"Doyouthink,"heasked,"thatyouwouldrecognisethatvoiceifyouweretohearitanytime?"

Thebutlerhesitated.

"Icouldn'tquitesay,sir.Imightdoso.IthinkitispossiblethatIshoulddoso."

"Ithankyou,myfriend."

"Thankyou,sir."

Thebutlerinclinedhisheadandwithdrew,pontificaltothelast.

SirMontaguCartercontinuedtobeveryfriendlyandtoplayhisrôleofold-worldcharm.Hepersuaded
ustoremainandplaybridge.Iexcusedmyself-thestakeswerebiggerthanIcaredabout.YoungRoss
seemedrelievedalsoattheprospectofsomeonetakinghishand.HeandIsatlookingonwhiletheother
fourplayed.TheeveningendedinaheavyfinancialgaintoPoirotandSirMontagu.Thenwethanked
ourhostandtookourdeparture.Rosscamewithus.

"Astrangelittleman,"saidPoirotaswesteppedoutintothenight.

The night was fine and we had decided to walk until we picked up a taxi instead of having one
telephonedfor.

"Yes,astrangelittleman,"saidPoirotagain.

"Averyrichlittleman,"saidRosswithfeeling.

"Isupposeso."

"Heseemstohavetakenafancytome,"saidRoss."Hopeitwilllast.Amanlikethatbehindyoumeans
alot."

"Youareanactor,Mr.Ross?"

Rosssaidthathewas.Heseemedsadthathisnamehadnotbroughtinstantrecognition.Apparentlyhe
hadrecentlywonmarvellousnoticesinsomegloomyplaytranslatedfromtheRussian.

WhenPoirotandIbetweenushadsoothedhimdownagain,Poirotaskedcasually:

"YouknewCarlottaAdams,didyounot?"

"No.Isawherdeathannouncedinthepapertonight.Overdoseofsomedrugorother.Idioticthewayall
thesegirlsdope."

"Itissad,yes.Shewasclever,too."

"Isupposeso."

Hedisplayedacharacteristiclackofinterestinanyoneelse'sperformancebuthisown.

"Didyouseehershowatall?"Iasked.

"No. That sort of thing's not much in my line. Kind of craze for it at present, but I don't think it will
last."

"Ah!"saidPoirot."Hereisataxi."

Hewavedastick.

"ThinkI'llwalk,"saidRoss."IgetatubestraighthomefromHammersmith."

Suddenlyhegaveanervouslaugh.

"Oddthing,"hesaid."Thatdinnerlastnight."

"Yes?"

"Wewerethirteen.Somefellowfailedatthelastminute.Wenevernoticedittilljusttheendofdinner."

"Andwhogotupfirst?"Iasked.

Hegaveaqueerlittlenervouscackleoflaughter.

"Idid,"hesaid.

Chapter16

MAINLYDISCUSSION

WhenwegothomewefoundJappwaitingforus:

"ThoughtI'djustcallroundandhaveachatwithyoubeforeturningin,M.Poirot,"hesaidcheerfully.

"Ehbien,mygoodfriend,howgoesit?"

"Well,itdoesn'tgoanytoowell.Andthat'safact."

Helookeddepressed.

"Gotanyhelpforme,M.Poirot?'

"IhaveoneortwolittleideasthatIshouldliketopresenttoyou,"saidPoirot."Youandyourideas!In
someways,youknow,you'reacaution.NotthatIdon'twanttohearthem.Ido.There'ssomegoodstuff
inthatfunny-shapedheadofyours."

Poirotacknowledgedthecomplimentsomewhatcoldly.

"Haveyouanyideaaboutthedoubleladyproblem-that'swhatIwanttoknow?Eh,M.Poirot?What
aboutit?Whowasshe?"

"ThatisexactlywhatIwishtotalktoyouabout."

HeaskedJappifhehadeverheardofCarlottaAdams.

"I'veheardthename.ForthemomentIcan'tjustplaceit."

Poirotexplained.

"Her!Doesimitations,doesshe?Nowwhatmadeyoufixonher?Whathaveyougottogoon?"

Poirotrelatedthestepswehadtakenandtheconclusionwehaddrawn.

"BytheLord,itlooksasthoughyouwereright.Clothes,hat,gloves,etc.,andthefairwig.Yes,itmust
be.Iwillsay-you'rethegoods,M.Poirot.Smartwork,that!NotthatIthinkthere'sanythingtoshow
shewasputoutoftheway.Thatseemsabitfarfetched.Idon'tquiteseeeyetoeyewithyouthere.Your
theory is a bit fantastical for me. I've more experience than you have. I don't believe in this villain-
behind-the-scenesmotif.CarlottaAdamswasthewomanallright,butIshouldputitoneoftwoways.
She went there for purposes of her own - blackmail, maybe, since she hinted she was going to get
money.Theyhadabitofadispute.Heturnednasty,sheturnednasty,andshefinishedhimoff.AndI
shouldsaythatwhenshegothomeshewentalltopieces.Shehadn'tmeantmurder.It'smybeliefshe
tookanoverdoseonpurposeastheeasiestwayout."

"Youthinkthatcoversallthefacts?"

"Well, naturally there are a lot of things we don't know yet. It's a good working hypothesis to go on
with.Theotherexplanationisthatthehoaxandthemurderhadnothingtodowitheachother.It'sjusta
damnedqueercoincidence."

Poirotdidnotagree,Iknew.Buthemerelysaidnoncommittally:"Maisoui,c'estpossible."

"Or,lookhere,how'sthis?Thehoaxisinnocentenough.Someonegetstohearofitandthinksitwill
suittheirpurposejollywell.That'snotabadidea?"Hepaused,andwenton:"ButpersonallyIprefer
ideaNo.1.Whatthelinkwasbetweenhislordshipandthegirlwe'llfindoutsomehoworother."

PoirottoldhimofthelettertoAmericapostedbythemaid,andJappagreedthatthatmightpossiblybe
ofgreatassistance.

"I'llgetontothatatonce,"hesaid,makinganoteofitinhislittlebook."I'mthemoreinfavourofthe
ladybeingthekillerbecauseIcan'tfindanyoneelse,"hesaid,asheputthebookaway."CaptainMarsh
now,hislordshipasnowis.He'sgotamotivestickingoutayard.Abadrecordtoo.Hardupandnone
tooscrupulous over money.What's more hehad a row withhis uncle yesterdaymorning. He told me
thathimselfasamatteroffact-whichrathertakesthetasteoutofit.Yes,he'dbealikelycustomer.But
he'sgotanalibiforyesterdayevening.HewasattheoperawiththeDortheimers.RichJews.Grosvenor
Square.I'velookedintothatandit'sallright.Hedinedwiththem,wenttotheoperaandtheywentonto
supperatSobranis.Sothat'sthat."

"AndMademoiselle?"

"Thedaughter,youmean?Shewasoutofthehousetoo.DinedwithsomepeoplecalledCarthewWest.
Theytookhertotheoperaandsawherhomeafterwards.Quartertotwelveshegotin.Thatdisposesof
her.Thesecretarywomanseemsallright-veryefficientdecentwoman.Thenthere'sthebutler.Ican't
sayItaketohimmuch.Itisn'tnaturalforamantohavegoodlookslikethat.There'ssomethingfishy
about him - and something odd about the way he came to enter Lord Edgware's service. Yes, I'm
checkinguponhimallright.Ican'tseeanymotiveformurder,though."

"Nofreshfactshavecometolight?"

"Yes, one or two. It's hard to say whether they mean anything or not. For one thing, Lord Edgware's
key'smissing."

"Thekeytothefrontdoor?"

"Yes."

"Thatisinteresting,certainly."

"AsIsay,itmaymeanagooddealornothingatall.Depends.What'sabitmoresignificanttomymind
isthis.LordEdgwarecashedachequeyesterday-notaparticularlylargeone-ahundredpoundsasa
matter of fact. He took the money in French notes - that's why he cashed the cheque, because of his
journeytoParistoday.Well,thatmoneyhasdisappeared."

"Whotoldyouofthis?"

"MissCarroll.Shecashedthechequeandobtainedthemoney.Shementionedittome,andthenIfound
thatithadgone."

"Wherewasityesterdayevening?"

"Miss Carroll doesn't know. She gave it to Lord Edgware about half-past three. It was in a Bank
envelope.Hewasinthelibraryatthetime.Hetookitandlaiditdownbesidehimonatable."

"Thatcertainlygivesonetothink.Itisacomplication."

"Orasimplification.Bytheway-thewound."

"Yes?"

"Thedoctorsaysitwasn'tmadebyanordinarypenknife.Somethingofthatkindbutadifferentshaped
blade.Anditwasamazinglysharp."

"Notarazor?"

"No,no.Muchsmaller."

Poirotfrownedthoughtfully.

"ThenewLordEdgwareseemstobefondofhisjoke,"remarkedJapp."Heseemstothinkitamusingto
besuspectedofmurder.Hemadesurewedidsuspecthimofmurder,too.Looksabitqueer,that."

"Itmightbemerelyintelligence."

"Morelikelyguiltyconscience.Hisuncle'sdeathcameverypatforhim.He'smovedintothehouse,by
theway."

"Wherewashelivingbefore?"

"MartinStreet,St.George'sRoad.Notaveryswellneighbourhood."

"Youmightmakeanoteofthat,Hastings."

Ididso,thoughIwonderedalittle.IfRonaldhadmovedtoRegentGate,hisformeraddresswashardly
likelytobeneeded.

"IthinktheAdamsgirldidit,"saidJapp,rising."Afinebitofworkonyourpart,M.Poirot,totumble
tothat.Butthere,ofcourse,yougoabouttotheatresandamusingyourself.Thingsstrikeyouthatdon't
getthechanceofstrikingme.Pitythere'snoapparentmotive,butalittlespadeworkwillsoonbringit
tolight,Iexpect."

"Thereisonepersonwithamotivetowhomyouhavegivennoattention,"remarkedPoirot.

"Who'sthatsir?"

"The gentleman who is reputed to have wanted to marry Lord Edgware's wife. I mean the Duke of
Merton."

"Yes,Isupposethereisamotive."Japplaughed."Butagentlemaninhispositionisn'tlikelytomurder.

Andanyway,he'soverinParis."

"Youdonotregardhimasaserioussuspect,then?"

"Well,M.Poirot,doyou?"

Andlaughingattheabsurdityoftheidea,Jappleftus.

Chapter17

THEBUTLER

The following day was one of inactivity for us, and activity for Japp. He came round to see us about
teatime.

Hewasredandwrathful.

"I'vemadeabloomer."

"Impossible,myfriend,"saidPoirotsoothingly.

"Yes,Ihave.I'veletthat(herehegavewaytoprofanity)ofabutlerslipthroughmyfingers."

"Hehasdisappeared?"

"Yes.Hookedit.Whatmakesmekickmyselfforadouble-dyedidiotisthatIdidn'tparticularlysuspect
him."

"Calmyourself-butcalmyourselfthen."

"Allverywelltotalk.Youwouldn'tbecalmifyou'dbeenhauledoverthecoalsatheadquarters.Oh!
he'saslipperycustomer.Itisn'tthefirsttimehe'sgivenanyonetheslip.He'sanoldhand."

Jappwipedhisforeheadandlookedthepictureofmisery.Poirotmadesympatheticnoises-somewhat
suggestive of a hen laying an egg. With more insight into the English character, I poured out a stiff

whiskyandsodaandplaceditinfrontofthegloomyinspector.Hebrightenedalittle.

"Well,"hesaid."Idon'tmindifIdo."

Presentlyhebegantotalkmorecheerfully.

"I'mnotsosureevennowthathe'sthemurderer!Ofcourseitlooksbadhisboltingthisway,butthere
mightbeotherreasonsforthat.I'dbeguntogetontohim,yousee.Seemshe'smixedupwithacouple
ofratherdisreputablenightclubs.Nottheusualthing.Somethingagreatdealmorerecherchéandnasty.
Infact,he'sarealbadhat."

"Toutdemême,thatdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatheisamurderer."

"Exactly!He may havebeen up tosome funny business orother, but notnecessarily murder. No, I'm
morethaneverconvinceditwastheAdamsgirl.I'vegotnothingtoproveitasyet,though.I'vehadmen
goingallthroughherflattoday,butwe'vefoundnothingthat'shelpful.Shewasacannyone.Keptno
letters except a few business ones about financial contracts. They're all neatly docketed and labelled.
Couple of letters from her sister in Washington. Quite straight and aboveboard. One or two pieces of
good old-fashioned jewellery - nothing new or expensive. She didn't keep a diary. Her pass-book and
cheque-bookdon'tshowanythinghelpful.Dashitall,thegirldoesn'tseemtohavehadanyprivatelife
atall!"

"Shewasofareservedcharacter,"saidPoirotthoughtfully."Fromourpointofviewthatisapity."

"I'vetalkedtothewomanwhodidforher.Nothingthere.I'vebeenandseenthatgirlwhokeepsahat
shopandwho,itseems,wasafriendofhers."

"Ah!andwhatdoyouthinkofMissDriver?"

"Shewasasmartwide-awakebitofgoods.Shecouldn'thelpme,though.Notthatthatsurprisedme.
The amount of missing girls I've had to trace and their family and their friends always say the same
things. 'She was a bright and affectionate disposition and had no men friends.' That's never true. It's
unnatural.Girlsoughttohavemenfriends.Ifnotthere'ssomethingwrongaboutthem.It'sthemuddle-
headedloyaltyoffriendsandrelationsthatmakesadetective'slifesodifficult."

Hepausedforwantofbreath,andIreplenishedhisglass.

"Thank you, Captain Hastings, I don't mind if I do. Well, there you are. You've got to hunt and hunt
about.There'saboutadozenyoungmenshewentouttosupperanddancedwith,butnothingtoshow
thatoneofthemmeantmorethananother.There'sthepresentLordEdgware,there'sMr.BryanMartin,
thefilmstar,there'shalfadozenothers-butnothingspecialandparticular.Yourmanbehindideaisall
wrong. I think you'll find that she played a lone hand, M. Poirot. I'm looking now for the connection
betweenherandthemurderedman.Thatmustexist.IthinkI'llhavetogoovertoParis.TherewasParis
writteninthatlittlegoldbox,andthelateLordEdgwareranovertoParisseveraltimeslastAutumn,so
MissCarrolltellsme,attendingsalesandbuyingcurios.Yes,IthinkImustgoovertoParis.Inquest's
tomorrow.It'llbeadjourned,ofcourse.AfterthatI'lltaketheafternoonboat."

"Youhaveafuriousenergy,Japp.Itamazesme."

"Yes,you'regettinglazy.Youjustsithereandthink!Whatyoucallemployingthelittlegreycells.No
good,you'vegottogoouttothings.Theywon'tcometoyou."

Thelittlemaidservantopenedthedoor.

"Mr.BryanMartin,sir.Areyoubusyorwillyouseehim?"

"I'moff,M.Poirot."Japphoistedhimselfup."Allthestarsofthetheatricalworldseemtoconsultyou."

Poirotshruggedamodestshoulder,andJapplaughed.

"Youmustbeamillionairebynow,M.Poirot.Whatdoyoudowiththemoney?Saveit?"

"AssuredlyIpractisethethrift.Andtalkingofthedisposalofmoney,howdidLordEdgwaredisposeof
his?"

"Such property as wasn't entailed he left to his daughter. Five hundred to Miss Carroll. No other
bequests.Verysimplewill."

"Anditwasmade-when?"

"Afterhiswifelefthim-justovertwoyearsago.Heexpresslyexcludesherfromparticipation,bythe
way."

"Avindictiveman,"murmuredPoirottohimself.

Withacheerful"Solong,"Jappdeparted.

BryanMartinentered.Hewasfaultlesslyattiredandlookedextremelyhandsome.YetIthoughtthathe
lookedhaggardandnottoohappy.

"IamafraidIhavebeenalongtimecoming,M.Poirot,"hesaidapologetically."And,afterall,Ihave
beenguiltyoftakingupyourtimefornothing."

"Enverité?"

"Yes.Ihaveseentheladyinquestion.I'vearguedwithher,pleadedwithher,butalltonopurpose.She
won'thearofmyinterestingyouinthematter.SoI'mafraidwe'llhavetoletthethingdrop.I'mvery
sorry-verysorrytohavebotheredyou-"

"Dutout-dutout,"saidPoirotgenially."Iexpectedthis."

"Eh?"Theyoungmanseemedtakenaback.

"Youexpectedthis?"heaskedinapuzzledway.

"Mais oui. When you spoke of consulting your friend - I could have predicted that all would have
arrivedasithasdone."

"Youhaveatheory,then?"

"Adetective,M.Martin,alwayshasatheory.Itisexpectedofhim.Idonotcallitatheorymyself.Isay
thatIhavealittleidea.Thatisthefirststage."

"Andthesecondstage?"

"Ifthelittleideaturnsouttoberight-thenIknow!Itisquitesimple,yousee."

"Iwishyou'dtellmewhatyourtheory-yourlittleidea-is?"

Poirotshookhisheadgently.

"Thatisanotherrule.Thedetectivenevertells."

"Can'tyousuggestiteven?"

"No.IwillonlysaythatIformedmytheoryassoonasyoumentionedagoldtooth."

BryanMartinstaredathim.

"I'mabsolutelybewildered,"hedeclared."Ican'tmakeoutwhatyouaredrivingat.Ifyou'djustgiveme
ahint."

Poirotsmiledandshookhishead.

"Letuschangethesubject."

"Yes,butfirst-yourfee-youmustletme."

Poirotwavedanimperioushand.

"Pasunsou!Ihavedonenothingtoaidyou."

"Itookupyourtime"

"Whenacaseinterestsme,Idonottouchmoney.Yourcaseinterestedmeverymuch."

"I'mglad,"saidtheactoruneasily.

Helookedsupremelyunhappy.

"Come,"saidPoirotkindly."Letustalkofsomethingelse."

"Wasn'tthattheScotlandYardmanwhomImetonthestairs?"

"Yes,InspectorJapp."

"Thelightwassodim,Iwasn'tsure.Bytheway,hecameroundandaskedmesomequestionsabout
thatpoorgirl,CarlottaAdams,whodiedofanoverdoseofveronal."

"Youknewherwell-MissAdams?"

"Notverywell.IknewherasachildinAmerica.IcameacrossherhereonceortwicebutIneversaw
verymuchofher.Iwasverysorrytohearofherdeath."

"Youlikedher?"

"Yes.Shewasextraordinarilyeasytotalkto."

"Apersonalityverysympathetic-yes,Ifoundthesame."

"I suppose they think it might be suicide? I knew nothing that could help the inspector. Carlotta was
alwaysveryreservedaboutherself."

"Idonotthinkitwassuicide,"saidPoirot.

"Farmorelikelytobeanaccident,Iagree."

Therewasapause.

ThenPoirotsaidwithasmile:

"TheaffairofLordEdgware'sdeathbecomesintriguing,doesitnot?"

"Absolutelyamazing.Doyouknowhavetheyanyideawhodidit-nowthatJaneisdefinitelyoutof
it?"

"Maisoui-theyhaveaverystrongsuspicion."

BryanMartinlookedexcited.

"Really?Who?"

"Thebutlerhasdisappeared.Youcomprehendflightisasgoodasaconfession."

"Thebutler!Really,yousurpriseme."

"Asingularlygood-lookingman.Ilvousressembleunpeu,"hebowedinacomplimentaryfashion.

Ofcourse!Irealisednowwhythebutler'sfacehadstruckmeasbeingfaintlyfamiliarwhenIfirstsaw
it.

"Youflatterme,"saidBryanMartinwithalaugh.

"No,no,no.Donotalltheyounggirls,theservantgirls,theflappers,thetypists,thegirlsofsociety,do
theynotalladoreM.BryanMartin?Isthereonewhocanresistyou?"

"Alot,Ishouldthink,"saidMartin.Hegotupabruptly.

"Well,thankyouverymuch,M.Poirot.Letmeapologiseagainforhavingtroubledyou."

Heshookhandswithusboth.Suddenly,Inoticed,helookedmucholder.Thehaggardlookwasmore
apparent.

Iwasdevouredwithcuriosity,andassoonasthedoorclosedbehindhim,IburstoutwithwhatIwanted
toknow.

"Poirot, did you really expect him to come back and relinquish all idea of investigating those queer
thingsthathappenedtohiminAmerica?"

"Youheardmesayso,Hastings."

"Butthen-"Ifollowedthethingoutlogically.

"Thenyoumustknowwhothismysteriousgirlisthathehadtoconsult?"Hesmiled.

"Ihavealittleidea,myfriend.AsItoldyou,itstartedfromthementionofthegoldtooth,andifmy
littleideaiscorrect,Iknowwhothegirlis,IknowwhyshewillnotletM.Martinconsultme,Iknow
thetruthofthewholeaffair.AndsocouldyouknowitifyouwouldonlyusethebrainsthegoodGod
hasgivenyou.SometimesIreallyamtemptedtobelievethatbyinadvertenceHepassedyouby."

Chapter18

THEOTHERMAN

IdonotproposetodescribeeithertheinquestonLordEdgwareorthatonCarlottaAdams.InCarlotta's
casetheverdictwasDeathbyMisadventure.InthecaseofLordEdgwaretheinquestwasadjourned,
afterevidenceofidentificationandthemedicalevidencehadbeengiven.Asaresultoftheanalysisof
thestomach,thetimeofdeathwasfixedashavingoccurrednotlessthananhourafterthecompletion
ofdinner,withpossibleextensiontoanhourafterthat.Thisputitasbetweentenandeleveno'clock,
withtheprobabilityinfavouroftheearliertime.

None of the facts concerning Carlotta's impersonation of Jane Wilkinson were allowed to leak out. A
description of the wanted butler was published in the Press, and the general impression seemed to be
thatthebutlerwasthemanwanted.HisstoryofJaneWilkinson'svisitwaslookeduponasanimpudent
fabrication. Nothing was said of the secretary's corroborating testimony. There were columns
concerningthemurderinallthepapers,butlittlerealinformation.

Meanwhile Japp was actively at work, I knew. It vexed me a little that Poirot adopted such an inert
attitude.Thesuspicionthatapproachingoldagehadsomethingtodowithitflashedacrossme-notfor
thefirsttime.Hemadeexcusestomewhichdidnotringveryconvincingly.

"Atmytimeoflifeonesavesoneselfthetrouble,"heexplained.

"But,Poirot,mydearfellow,youmustn'tthinkofyourselfasold,"Iprotested.

Ifeltthatheneededbracing.Treatmentbysuggestion-that,Iknow,isthemodernidea.

"Youareasfullofvigouraseveryouwere,"Isaidearnestly."You'reintheprimeoflife,Poirot.Atthe
heightofyourpowers.Youcouldgooutandsolvethiscasemagnificentlyifyouonlywould."

Poirotrepliedthathepreferredtosolveitsittingathome.

"Butyoucan'tdothat,Poirot."

"Notentirely,itistrue."

"WhatImeanis,wearedoingnothing!Jappisdoingeverything."

"Whichsuitsmeadmirably."

"Itdoesn'tsuitmeatall.Iwantyoutobedoingthings."

"SoIam."

"Whatareyoudoing?"

"Waiting."

"Waitingforwhat?"

"Pourquemonchiendechassemerapportelegibier,"repliedPoirotwithatwinkle.

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"I mean the good Japp. Why keep a dog and bark yourself?. Japp brings us here the result of the
physicalenergyyouadmiresomuch.HehasvariousmeansathisdisposalwhichIhavenot.Hewill
havenewsforusverysoon,Idonotdoubt."

Bydintofpersistentinquiry,itwastruethatJappwasslowlygettingtogethermaterial.Hehaddrawna
blankinParis,butacoupleofdayslaterhecameinlookingpleasedwithhimself.

"It'sslowwork,"hesaid."Butwe'regettingsomewhereatlast."

"Icongratulateyou,myfriend.Whathashappened?"

"I've discovered that a fair-haired lady deposited an attaché-case in the cloakroom at Euston at nine
o'clock that night. They've been shown Miss Adams' case and identify it positively. It's of American
makeandsojustalittledifferent."

"Ah!Euston.Yes,thenearestofthebigstationstoRegentGate.Shewenttheredoubtless,madeherself
upinthelavatory,andthenleftthecase.Whenwasittakenoutagain?"

"Athalf-pastten.Theclerksaysbythesamelady."

Poirotnodded.

"AndI'vecomeonsomethingelsetoo.I'vereasontobelievethatCarlottaAdamswasinLyonsCorner
HouseintheStrandateleveno'clock."

"Ah!C'esttrèsbiença!Howdidyoucomeacrossthat?"

"Well,reallymoreorlessbychance.Yousee,there'sbeenamentioninthepapersofthelittlegoldbox
with the ruby initials. Some reporter wrote it up - he was doing an article on the prevalence of dope-
taking among young actresses. Sunday paper romantic stuff. The fatal little gold box with its deadly
contents-patheticfigureofayounggirlwithalltheworldbeforeher!Andjustawonderexpressedas
towhereshepassedherlasteveningandhowshefeltandsoonandsoon.

"Well,itseemsawaitressattheCornerHousereadthisandsherememberedthataladyshehadserved
thateveninghadhadsuchaboxinherhand.SherememberedtheC.A.onit.Andshegotexcitedand
begantalkingtoallherfriends-perhapsapaperwouldgivehersomething?

"Ayoungnewspapermansoongotontoitandthere'sgoingtobeagoodsobstuffarticleintonight's
EveningShriek.Thelasthoursofthetalentedactress.Waiting-forthemanwhonevercame-anda
goodbitaboutthewaitress'ssympatheticintuitionthatsomethingwasnotwellwithhersisterwoman.
Youknowthekindofbilge,M.Poirot?"

"Andhowhasitcometoyourearssoquickly?"

"Oh! well, we're on very good terms with the Evening Shriek. It got passed on to me while their
particularbrightyoungmantriedtogetsomenewsoutofmeaboutsomethingelse.SoIrushedalongto
theCornerHousestraightaway-"

Yes,thatwasthewaythingsoughttobedone.IfeltapangofpityforPoirot.HerewasJappgettingall
this news at first hand - quite possibly missing valuable details, and here was Poirot placidly content
withstalenews.

"I saw the girl - and I don't think there's much doubt about it. She couldn't pick out Carlotta Adams'
photograph,butthenshesaidshedidn'tnoticethelady'sfaceparticularly.Shewasyounganddarkand
slim,andverywelldressed,thegirlsaid.Hadgotononeofthenewhats.Iwishwomenlookedatfaces
abitmoreandhatsabitless."

"The face of Miss Adams is not an easy one to observe," said Poirot. "It had the mobility, the
sensitiveness-thefluidquality."

"Idaresayyou'reright.Idon'tgoinforanalysingthesethings.Dressedinblacktheladywas,sothegirl
said, and she had an attaché-case with her. The girl noticed that particularly,, because it struck her as
oddthataladysowelldressedshouldbecarryingacaseabout.Sheorderedsomescrambledeggsand
somecoffee,butthegirlthinksshewasputtingintimeandwaitingforsomeone.Itwaswhenthegirl
cametogiveherthebillthatshenoticedthebox.Theladytookitoutofherhandbagandhaditonthe
tablelookingatit.Sheopenedthelidandshutitdownagain.Shewassmilinginapleaseddreamysort
ofway.Thegirlnoticedtheboxparticularbecauseitwassuchalovelything.'I'dliketohaveagoldbox
withmyinitialsinrubiesonit!'"shesaid.

"Apparently Miss Adams sat there some time after paying her bill. Then, finally, she looked at her
watchoncemore,seemedtogiveitupandwentout."

Poirotwasfrowning.

"Itwasarendez-vous,"hemurmured."Arendez-vouswithsomeonewhodidnotturnup.DidCarlotta
Adamsmeetthatpersonafterwards?Ordidshefailtomeethimandgohomeandtrytoringhimup?I
wishIknew-oh!howIwishIknew."

"That's your theory, M. Poirot. Mysterious Man-in-the-Background. That Man-in-the-Background's a
myth. I don't say she mayn't have been waiting for someone - that's possible. She may have made an
appointmenttomeetsomeonethereafterherbusinesswithhislordshipwassettledsatisfactorily.Well,
weknowwhathappened.Shelostherheadandstabbedhim.Butshe'snotonetoloseherheadforlong.
Shechangesherappearanceatthestation,getsouthercase,goestotherendezvous,andthenwhatthey
callthe'reaction'getsher.Horrorofwhatshe'sdone.Andwhenherfrienddoesn'tturnup,thatfinishes
her.HemaybesomeonewhoknewshewasgoingtoRegentGatethatevening.Shefeelsthegame'sup.
Soshetakesoutherlittleboxofdope.Anoverdoseofthatandit'llbeallover.Atanyrateshewon'tbe
hanged.Why,it'sasplainasthenoseonyourface."

Poirot's hand strayed doubtfully to his nose, then his fingers dropped to his moustaches. He caressed
themtenderlywithaproudexpression.

"There was no evidence at all of a mysterious Man-in-the-Background," said Japp, pursuing his
advantagedoggedly."Ihaven'tgotevidenceyetofaconnectionbetweenherandhislordship,butIshall
do-it'sonlyaquestionoftime.ImustsayI'mdisappointedaboutParis,butninemonthsagoisalong
time.I'vestillgotsomeonemakinginquiriesoverthere.Somethingmaycometolightyet.Iknowyou
don'tthinkso.You'reapig-headedoldboy,youknow."

"Youinsultfirstmynoseandthenmyhead!"

"Figureofspeech,that'sall,"saidJappsoothingly."Nooffencemeant."

"Theanswertothat,"Isaid,"is'Nortaken.'"

Poirotlookedfromonetotheotherofuscompletelypuzzled.

"Anyorders?"inquiredJappfacetiouslyfromthedoor.

Poirotsmiledforgivinglyathim."Anorder,no.Asuggestion-yes."

"Well,whatisit?Outwithit."

"Asuggestionthatyoucircularisethetaxi-cabs.Findonethattookafare-ormoreprobablytwofares-
yes,twofares-fromtheneighbourhoodofCoventGardentoRegentGateonthenightofthemurder.
Astotimeitwouldprobablybeabouttwentyminutestoeleven."

Jappcockedaneyealertly.Hehadthelookofasmartterrierdog.

"Sothat'stheidea,isit?"hesaid."Well,I'lldoit.Can'tdoanyharm-andyousometimesknowwhat
you'retalkingabout."

NosoonerhadheleftthanPoirotaroseandwithgreatenergybegantobrushhishat.

"Ask me no questions, my friend. Instead bring me the benzine. A morsel of omelette this morning
descendedonmywaistcoat."

Ibroughtittohim.

"Foronce,"Isaid."IdonotthinkIneedtoaskquestions.Itseemsfairlyobvious.Butdoyouthinkit
reallyisso?"

"Monami,atthemomentIconcernmyselfsolelywiththetoilet.Ifyouwillpardonmesayingso,your
tiedoesnotpleaseme."

"It'sajollygoodtie,"Isaid.

"Possibly-once.ItfeelstheoldageasyouhavebeenkindenoughtosayIdo.Changeit,Ibeseechyou,
andalsobrushtherightsleeve."

"AreweproposingtocallonKingGeorge?"Iinquiredsarcastically.

"No.ButIsawinthenewspaperthismorningthattheDukeofMertonhadreturnedtoMertonHouse.I
understandheisapremiermemberoftheEnglisharistocracy.Iwishtodohimallhonour."

ThereisnothingoftheSocialistaboutPoirot.

"WhyarewegoingtocallontheDukeofMerton?"

"Iwishtoseehim."

That was all I could get out of him. When my attire was at last handsome enough to please Poirot's
criticaleye,westartedout.

At Merton House, Poirot was asked by a footman if he had an appointment. Poirot replied in the
negative.ThefootmanboreawaythecardandreturnedshortlytosaythatHisGracewasverysorrybut
hewasextremelybusythismorning.Poirotimmediatelysatdowninachair.

"Trèsbien,"hesaid."Iwait.Iwillwaitseveralhoursifneedbe."

This,however,wasnotnecessary.Probablyastheshortestwayofgettingridoftheimportunatecaller,
Poirotwasbiddentothepresenceofthegentlemanhedesiredtosee.

TheDukewasabouttwenty-sevenyearsofage.Hewashardlyprepossessinginappearance,beingthin
and weakly. He had nondescript thin hair going bald at the temples, a small bitter mouth and vague
dreamyeyes.Therewereseveralcrucifixesintheroomandvariousreligiousworksofart.Awideshelf
of books seemed to contain nothing but theological works. He looked far more like a weedy young
haberdasherthan like aduke. He had,I knew, been educatedat home, havingbeen a terribly delicate
child.ThiswasthemanwhohadfallenanimmediatepreytoJaneWilkinson!Itwasreallyludicrousin
theextreme.Hismannerwaspriggishandhisreceptionofusjustshortofcourteous.

"Youmay,perhaps,knowmyname,"beganPoirot.

"Ihavenoacquaintancewithit."

"Istudythepsychologyofcrime."

The Duke was silent. He was sitting at a writing-table, an unfinished letter before him. He tapped
impatientlyonthedeskwithhispen.

"Forwhatreasondidyouwishtoseeme?"heinquiredcoldly.

Poirotwassittingoppositehim.Hisbackwastothewindow.TheDukewasfacingit.

"IamatpresentengagedoninvestigatingthecircumstancesconnectedwithLordEdgware'sdeath."

Notamuscleoftheweakyetobstinatefacemoved.

"Indeed?Iwasnotacquaintedwithhim."

"Butyouare,Ithink,acquaintedwithhiswife-withMissJaneWilkinson?"

"Thatisso."

"Youareawarethatsheissupposedtohavehadastrongmotivefordesiringthedeathofherhusband?"

"Iamreallynotawareofanythingofthekind."

"Ishouldliketoaskyououtright,yourGrace,AreyoushortlygoingtomarryMissJaneWilkinson?"

"When I am engaged to marry anyone the fact will be announced in the newspapers. I consider your
questionanimpertinence."Hestoodup."Good-morning."

Poirotstoodupalso.Helookedawkward.Hehunghishead.Hestammered.

"Ididnotmean...I...Jevousdemandepardon..."

"Good-morning,"repeatedtheDuke,alittlelouder.

This time Poirot gave it up. He made a characteristic gesture of hopelessness, and we left. It was an
ignominiousdismissal.

I felt rather sorry for Poirot. His usual bombast had not gone well. To the Duke of Merton a great
detectivewasevidentlylowerthanablackbeetle.

"Thatdidn'tgotoowell,"Isaidsympathetically."Whatastiff-neckedtartarthemanis.Whatdidyou
reallywanttoseehimfor?"

"IwantedtoknowwhetherheandJaneWilkinsonarereallygoingtomarry."

"Shesaidso."

"Ah!shesaidso.But,yourealise,sheisofthosewhosayanythingthatsuitstheirpurpose.Shemight
havedecidedtomarryhimandhe-poorman-mightnotyetbeawareofthefact."

"Well,hecertainlysentyouawaywithafleaintheear."

"Hegavemethereplyhewouldgivetoareporter-yes."Poirotchuckled."ButIknow!Iknowexactly
howthecasestands."

"Howdoyouknow?Byhismanner?"

"Notatall.Yousawhewaswritingaletter?"

"Yes."

"Eh bien, in my early days in the police force in Belgium I learned that it was very useful to read
handwritingupsidedown.ShallItellyouwhathewassayinginthatletter?'Mydearest,Icanhardly
beartowaitthroughthelongmonths.Jane,myadored,mybeautifulangel,howcanItellyouwhatyou
aretome?Youwhohavesufferedsomuch!Yourbeautifulnature-'"

"Poirot!"Icried,scandalised,stoppinghim.

"Thiswasasfarashehadgot.'Yourbeautifulnature-onlyIknowit.'"

Ifeltveryupset.Hewassonaivelypleasedwithhisperformance.

"Poirot,"Icried."Youcan'tdoathinglikethat.Overlookaprivateletter."

"Yousaytheimbecilities,Hastings.AbsurdtosayI'cannotdo'athingwhichIhavejustdone!"

"It'snot-notplayingthegame."

"Idonotplaygames.Youknowthat.Murderisnotagame.Itisserious.Andanyway,Hastings,you
shouldnotusethatphrase-playingthegame.Itisnotsaidanymore.Ihavediscoveredthat.Itisdead.
Young people laugh when they hear it. Mais oui, young beautiful girls will laugh at you if you say
'playingthegame'and'notcricket.'"

Iwassilent.IcouldnotbearthisthingthatPoirothaddonesolightheartedly.

"Itwassounnecessary,"Isaid."IfyouhadonlytoldhimthatyouhadgonetoLordEdgwareatJane
Wilkinson'srequest,thenhewouldhavetreatedyouverydifferently."

"Ah! but I could not do that. Jane Wilkinson was my client. I cannot speak of my client's affairs to
another.Iundertakeamissioninconfidence.Tospeakofitwouldnotbehonourable."

"Honourable!"

"Precisely."

"Butshe'sgoingtomarryhim?"

"That does not mean that she has no secrets from him. Your ideas about marriage are very old-
fashioned.No,whatyousuggest,Icouldn'tpossiblyhavedone.Ihavemyhonourasadetectivetothink
of.Thehonour,itisaveryseriousthing."

"Well,Isupposeittakesallkindsofhonourtomakeaworld."

Chapter19

AGREATLADY

Thevisitthatwereceivedonthefollowingmorningwastomymindoneofthemostsurprisingthings
aboutthewholeaffair.

IwasinmyroomwhenPoirotslippedinwithhiseyesshining.

"Monami,wehaveavisitor."

"Whoisit?"

"TheDowagerDuchessofMerton."

"Howextraordinary!Whatdoesshewant?"

"Ifyouaccompanymedownstairs,monami,youwillknow."

Ihastenedtocomply.Weenteredtheroomtogether.

TheDuchesswasasmallwomanwithahigh-bridgednoseandautocraticeyes.Althoughshewasshort
onewouldnothavedaredtocallherdumpy.Dressedthoughshewasinunfashionableblack,shewas
yeteveryinchagrandedame.Shealsoimpressedmeashavinganalmostruthlesspersonality.Where
hersonwasnegative,shewaspositive.Herwill-powerwasterrific.Icouldalmostfeelwavesofforce
emanating from her. No wonder this woman had always dominated all those with whom she came in
contact!

Sheputupalorgnetteandstudiedfirstmeandthenmycompanion.Thenshespoketohim.Hervoice
wasclearandcompelling,avoiceaccustomedtocommandandtobeobeyed.

"YouareM.HerculePoirot?"

Myfriendbowed.

"Atyourservice,MadamelaDuchesse."

Shelookedatme.

"Thisismyfriend,CaptainHastings.Heassistsmeinmycases."

Hereyeslookedmomentarilydoubtful.Thenshebentherheadinacquiescence.Shetookthechairthat
Poirotoffered.

"I have come to consult you on a very delicate matter, M. Poirot, and I must ask that what I tell you
shallbeunderstoodtobeentirelyconfidential."

"ThatgoeswithoutsayingMadame."

"ItwasLadyYardlywhotoldmeaboutyou.Fromthewayinwhichshespokeofyouandthegratitude
sheexpressed,Ifeltthatyouweretheonlypersonlikelytohelpme."

"Restassured,Iwilldomybest,Madame."

Stillshehesitated.Then,atlast,withaneffort,shecametothepoint,cametoitwithasimplicitythat
remindedmeinanoddwayofJaneWilkinsononthatmemorablenightattheSavoy.

"M.Poirot,Iwanttoensurethatmysondoesnotmarrytheactress,JaneWilkinson."

IfPoirotfeltastonishment,herefrainedfromshowingit.Heregardedherthoughtfullyandtookhistime
aboutreplying.

"Canyoubealittlemoredefinite,Madame,astowhatyouwantmetodo?"

"Thatisnoteasy.Ifeelthatsuchamarriagewouldbeagreatdisaster.Itwouldruinmyson'slife."

"Doyouthinkso,Madame?"

"I am sure of it. My son has very high ideals. He knows really very little of the world. He has never
caredfortheyounggirlsofhisownclass.Theyhavestruckhimasempty-headedandfrivolous.Butas
regardsthiswoman-well,sheisverybeautiful,Iadmitthat.Andshehasthepowerofenslavingmen.
Shehasbewitchedmyson.Ihavehopedthattheinfatuationwouldrunitscourse.Mercifullyshewas
notfree.Butnowthatherhusbandisdead"

Shebrokeoff.

"Theyintendtobemarriedinafewmonths'time.Thewholehappinessofmyson'slifeisatstake."She
spokemoreperemptorily."Itmustbestopped,M.Poirot."

Poirotshruggedhisshoulders.

"Idonotsaythatyouarenotright,Madame.Iagreethatthemarriageisnotasuitableone.Butwhat
canonedo?"

"Itisforyoutodosomething."

Poirotslowlyshookhishead.

"Yes,yes,youmusthelpme."

"I doubt if anything would avail, Madame. Your son, I should say, would refuse to listen to anything
againstthelady!Andalso,Idonotthinkthereisverymuchagainsthertosay!Idoubtifthereareany
discreditableincidentstoberakedupinherpast.Shehasbeen-shallwesay-careful?"

"Iknow,"saidtheDuchessgrimly.

"Ah!Soyouhavealreadymadetheinquiriesinthatdirection."

Sheflushedalittleunderhiskeenglance.

"There is nothing I would not do, M. Poirot, to save my son from this marriage." She reiterated that
wordemphatically,"Nothing!"

Shepaused,thenwenton:

"Moneyisnothinginthismatter.Nameanyfeeyoulike.Butthemarriagemustbestopped.Youarethe
mantodoit."

Poirotslowlyshookhishead.

"Itisnotaquestionofmoney.Icandonothing-forareasonwhichIwillexplaintoyoupresently.But
also,Imaysay,Idonotseethereisanythingtobedone.Icannotgiveyouhelp,MadamelaDuchesse.
WillyouthinkmeimpertinentifIgiveyouadvice?"

"Whatadvice?"

"Do not antagonise your son! He is of an age to choose for himself. Because his choice is not your
choice,donotassumethatyoumustberight.Ifitisamisfortune-thenacceptmisfortune.Beathandto
aidhimwhenheneedsaid.Butdonotturnhimagainstyou."

"Youhardlyunderstand."

Sherosetoherfeet.Herlipsweretrembling.

"But yes, Madame la Duchesse, I understand very well. I comprehend the mother's heart. No one
comprehendsitbetterthanI,HerculePoirot.AndIsaytoyouwithauthority-bepatient.Bepatientand
calm,anddisguiseyourfeelings.Thereisyetachancethatthemattermaybreakitself.Oppositionwill
merelyincreaseyourson'sobstinacy."

"Good-bye,M.Poirot,"shesaidcoldly."Iamdisappointed."

"I regret infinitely, Madame, that I cannot be of service to you. I am in a difficult position. Lady
Edgware,yousee,hasalreadydonemethehonourtoconsultmeherself."

"Oh! I see." Her voice cut like a knife. "You are in the opposite camp. That explains, no doubt, why
LadyEdgwarehasnotyetbeenarrestedforherhusband'smurder."

"Comment,MadamelaDuchesse?"

"IthinkyouheardwhatIsaid.Whyisshenotarrested?Shewastherethatevening.Shewasseento
enterthehouse-toenterhisstudy.Nooneelsewentnearhimandhewasfounddead?Andyetsheis
notarrested!Ourpoliceforcemustbecorruptthroughandthrough."

Withshakinghandsshearrangedthescarfroundherneck,thenwiththeslightestofbows,sheswept
outoftheroom.

"Whew!"Isaid."Whatatartar!Iadmireher,though,don'tyou?"

"Becauseshewishestoarrangetheuniversetohermannerofthinking?"

"Well,she'sonlygotherson'swelfareatheart."

Poirotnoddedhishead.

"Thatistrueenough,andyet,Hastings,willitreallybesuchabadthingforM.leDuctomarryJane
Wilkinson?"

"Why,youdon'tthinksheisreallyinlovewithhim?"

"Probablynot.Almostcertainlynot.Butsheisverymuchinlovewithhisposition.Shewillplayher
partcarefully.Sheisanextremelybeautifulwomanandveryambitious.Itisnotsuchacatastrophe.The
Dukemightveryeasilyhavemarriedayounggirlofhisownclasswhowouldhaveacceptedhimfrom
thesamereasons-butnoonewouldhavemadethesongandthedanceaboutthat."

"Thatisquitetrue,but-"

"And suppose he marries a girl who loves him passionately, is there such a great advantage in that?
OftenIhaveobservedthatitisagreatmisfortuneforamantohaveawifewholoveshim.Shecreates
thescenesofjealousy,shemakeshimlookridiculous,sheinsistsonhavingallhistimeandattention.
Ah!non,itisnotthebedofroses."

"Poirot,"Isaid."You'reanincurableoldcynic."

"Maisnon,maisnon,Ionlymakethereflections.Seeyou,really,Iamonthesideofthegoodmamma."

IcouldnotrefrainfromlaughingathearingthehaughtyDuchessdescribedinthisway.

Poirotremainedquiteserious.

"Youshouldnotlaugh.Itisofgreatimportance-allthis.Imustreflect.Imustreflectagreatdeal."

"Idon'tseewhatyoucandointhematter,"Isaid.

Poirotpaidnoattention.

"Youobserved,Hastings,howwell-informedtheDuchesswas?Andhowvindictive.Sheknewallthe
evidencetherewasagainstJaneWilkinson."

"Thecasefortheprosecution,butnotthecaseforthedefence,"Isaid,smiling.

"Howdidshecometoknowofit?"

"JanetoldtheDuke.TheDuketoldher,"Isuggested.

"Yes,thatispossible.YetIhave-"

Mytelephonerangsharply.Iansweredit.

My part consisted of saying Yes at varying intervals. Finally I put down the receiver and turned
excitedlytoPoirot.

"ThatwasJapp.Firstly,you're'thegoods'asusual.Secondly,he'shadacablefromAmerica.Thirdly,
he's got the taxi-driver. Fourthly, would you like to come round and hear what the taxi-driver says.
Fifthly, you're 'the goods' again, and all along he's been convinced that you'd hit the nail on the head
whenyousuggestedthattherewassomemanbehindallthis!Iomittedtotellhimthatwe'djusthada
visitorwhosaysthepoliceforceiscorrupt."

"So Japp is convinced at last," murmured Poirot. "Curious that the Man-in-the-Background theory
shouldbeprovedjustatthemomentwhenIwasinclinedtoanotherpossibletheory."

"Whattheory?"

"The theory that the motive for the murder might have nothing to do with Lord Edgware himself.
Imagine someone who hated Jane Wilkinson, hated her so much that they would have even had her
hangedformurder.C'estuneidée,ça!"

Hesighed-thenrousinghimself:

"Come,Hastings,letushearwhatJapphastosay."

Chapter20

THETAXI-DRIVER

WefoundJappinterrogatinganoldmanwitharaggedmoustacheandspectacles.Hehadahoarseself-
pityingvoice.

"Ah!thereyouare,"saidJapp."Well,thingsareallplainsailing,Ithink.Thismanhisname'sJobson-
pickeduptwopeopleinLongAcreonthenightofJune29th."

"That's right," assented Jobson hoarsely. "Lovely night it were. Moon and all. The young lady and
gentlemanwerebythetubestationandhailedme."

"Theywereineveningdress?"

"Yes,gentinwhitewaistcoatandtheyoungladyallinwhitewithbirdsembroideredonit.Comeoutof
theRoyalOpera,Iguess."

"Whattimewasthis?"

"Sometimeaforeeleven."

"Well,whatnext?"

"Told me to go to Regent Gate - they'd tell me which house when they got there. And told me to be
quick,too.Peoplealwayssaythat.Asthoughyouwantedtoloiter.Sooneryougetthereandgetanother
fare the better for you. They never think of that. And, mind you, if there's an accident you'll get the
blamefordangerousdriving!"

"Cutitout,"saidJappimpatiently."Therewasn'tanaccidentthistime,wasthere?"

"N-no," agreed the man as though unwilling to abandon his claim to such an occurrence. "No, as a
matteroffact,thereweren't.Well,IgottoRegentGate-notabovesevenminutesitdidn'ttakeme,and
therethegentlemanrappedontheglass,andIstopped.Aboutnumber8thatwere.Well,thegentleman
andladygotout.Thegentlemanstoppedwherehewasandtoldmetodothesame.Theladycrossedthe
road, and began walking back along the houses the other side. The gentleman stayed by the cab -
standing on the sidewalk with his back to me, looking after her. Had his hands in his pockets. It was
aboutfiveminuteswhenIheardhimsaysomething-kindofexclamationunderhisbreathandthenoff
hegoestoo.IlooksafterhimbecauseIwasn'tgoingtobebilked.It'dbeendoneaforetome,soIkept
myeyeonhim.Hewentupthestepsofoneofthehousesontheothersideandwentin."

"Didhepushthedooropen?"

"No,hehadalatchkey."

"Whatnumberwasthehouse?"

"Itwouldbe17or19,Ifancy.Well,itseemedoddtomemybeingtoldtostaywhereIwas.SoIkept
watching.Aboutfiveminuteslaterhimandtheyoungladycameouttogether.Theygotbackintothe
cabandtoldmetodrivebacktoCoventGardenOperaHouse.TheystoppedmejustbeforeIgotthere
andpaidme.Paidmehandsome,Iwillsay.ThoughIexpectI'vegotintotroubleoverit-seemsthere's
nothingbuttrouble."

"You're all right," said Japp. "Just run your eye over these, will you, and tell me if the young lady is
amongthem."

There were half a dozen photographs all truely alike as to type. I looked with some interest over his
shoulder.

"Thatwereher,"saidJobson.HepointedadecisivefingeratoneofGeraldineMarshineveningdress.

"Sure?"

"Quitesure.Paleshewasanddark."

"Nowtheman."

Anothersheafofphotographswashandedtohim.

Helookedatthemattentivelyandthenshookhishead.

"Well,Icouldn'tsay-notforsure.Eitherofthesetwomightbehim."

ThephotographsincludedoneofRonaldMarsh,butJobsonhadnotselectedit.Insteadheindicatedtwo
othermennotunlikeMarshintype.

JobsonthendepartedandJappflungthephotographsonthetable.

"Good enough. Wish I could have got a clearer identification of his lordship. Of course it's an old
photograph, taken seven or eight years ago. The only one I could get hold of. Yes, I'd like a clearer
identification,althoughthecaseisclearenough.Banggoacoupleofalibis.Cleverofyoutothinkofit,
M.Poirot."

Poirotlookedmodest.

"WhenIfoundthatsheandhercousinwerebothattheoperaitseemedtomepossiblethattheymight
havebeentogetherduringoneoftheintervals.Naturallythepartiestheywerewithwouldassumethat
theyhadnotlefttheOperaHouse.Butahalf-hourintervalgivesplentyoftimetogettoRegentGate
andback.ThemomentthenewLordEdgwarelaidsuchstressuponhisalibi,Iwassuresomethingwas
wrongwithit."

"You'reanicesuspicioussortoffellow,aren'tyou?"saidJappaffectionately."Well,you'reaboutright.
Can'tbetoosuspiciousinaworldlikethis.Hislordshipisourmanallright.Lookatthis."

Heproducedapaper.

"Cable from New York. They got into touch with Miss Lucie Adams. The letter was in the mail
deliveredtoherthismorning.Shewasnotwillingtogiveuptheoriginalunlessabsolutelynecessary,
butshewillinglyallowedtheofficertotakeacopyofitandcableittous.Hereitis,andit'sasdamning
asyoucouldhope."

Poirottookthecablewithgreatinterest.Ireaditoverhisshoulder.

FollowingistextlettertoLucieAdams,datedJune29th,8RosedewMansions,London,S.W.3.Begins,

"DearestlittleSister,

I'msorryIwrotesuchascrappybitlastweekbutthingswereratherbusyandtherewasalottoseeto.
Well, darling, it's been ever such a success! Notices splendid, box office good, and everybody most
kind.I'vegotsomerealgoodfriendsoverhereandnextyearI'mthinkingoftakingatheatrefortwo
months. The Russian dancer sketch went very well and the American woman in Paris, too, but the
Scenes at a Foreign Hotel are still the favourites, I think. I'm so excited that I hardly know what I'm
writing,andyou'llseewhyinaminute,butfirstImusttellyouwhatpeoplehavesaid.Mr.Hergsheimer
waseversokindandhe'sgoingtoaskmetolunchtomeetSirMontaguCorner,whomightdogreat
thingsforme.TheothernightImetJaneWilkinsonandshewaseversosweetaboutmyshowandmy
takeoffofher,whichbringsmeroundtowhatIamgoingtotellyou.Idon'treallylikeherverymuch
becauseI'vebeenhearingalotaboutherlatelyfromsomeoneIknowandshe'sbehavedcruelly,Ithink,
andinaveryunderhandway-butIwon'tgointothatnow.YouknowthatshereallyisLadyEdgware?
I've heard a lot about him too lately, and he's no beauty, I can tell you. He treated his nephew, the
Captain Marsh I have mentioned to you, in the moat shameful way - literally turned him out of the
house and discontinued his allowance. He told me all about it and I felt awfully sorry for him. He
enjoyedmyshowverymuch,hesaid'IbelieveitwouldtakeinLordEdgwarehimself.Lookhere,will
youtakesomethingonforabet?'Ilaughedandsaid'Howmuch?'Luciedarling,theanswerfairlytook
my breath away. Ten thousand dollars. Ten thousand dollars, think of it - just to help someone win a
sillybet.'Why,'Isaid,'I'dplayajokeontheKinginBuckinghamPalaceandrisklésemajestéforthat.'
Wellthen,welaidourheadstogetherandgotdowntodetails.

I'll tell you all about it next week whether I'm spotted or not. But anyway, Lucie darling, whether I
succeedorfail,I'mtohavethetenthousanddollars.Oh!Lucie,littlesister,whatthat'sgoingtomeanto
us.Notimeformore-justgoingofftodomy'hoax.'Lotsandlotsandlotsoflove,littlesistermine.

Yours,

Carlotta."

Poirotlaiddowntheletter.Ithadtouchedhim,Icouldsee.Japp,however,reactedinquiteadifferent
way.

"We'vegothim,"saidJappexultantly.

"Yes,"saidPoirot.

Hisvoicesoundedstrangelyflat

Japplookedathimcuriously.

"Whatisit,M.Poirot?"

"Nothing,"saidPoirot."Itisnot,somehow,justasIthought.Thatisall."

Helookedacutelyunhappy.

"Butstillitmustbeso,"hesaidasthoughtohimself."Yes,itmustbeso."

"Ofcourseitisso.Why,you'vesaidsoallalong!"

"Nono.Youmisunderstandme."

"Didn'tyousaytherewassomeonebackofallthiswhogotthegirlintodoingitinnocently?"

"Yes,yes."

"Well,whatmoredoyouwant?"

Poirotsighedandsaidnothing.

"Youareanoddsortofcove.Nothingeversatisfiesyou.Isay,itwasapieceofluckthegirlwrotethis
letter."

Poirotagreedwithmorevigourthanhehadyetshown.

"Mais oui, that is what the murderer did not expect. When Miss Adams accepted that ten thousand
dollars she signed her death warrant. The murderer thought he had taken all precautions - and yet in
sheerinnocencesheoutwittedhim.Thedeadspeak.Yes,sometimesthedeadspeak."

"Ineverthoughtshe'ddoneitoffherownbat,"saidJappunblushingly.

"No,no,"saidPoirotabsently.

"Well,Imustgetonwiththings."

"YouaregoingtoarrestCaptainMarsh-LordEdgware,Imean?"

"Whynot?Thecaseagainsthimseemsproveduptothehilt."

"True."

"Youseemverydespondentaboutit,M.Poirot.Thetruthis,youlikethingstobedifficult.Here'syour
owntheoryprovedandeventhatdoesnotsatisfyyou.Canyouseeanyflawintheevidencewe'vegot?"

Poirotshookhishead.

"WhetherMissMarshwasaccessoryornot,Idon'tknow,"saidJapp."Seemsasthoughshemusthave
known about it, going there with him from the opera. If she wasn't, why did he take her? Well, we'll
hearwhatthey'vebothgottosay."

"MayIbepresent?"

Poirotspokealmosthumbly.

"Certainlyyoucan.Iowetheideatoyou!"

Hepickedupthetelegramonthetable.

IdrewPoirotaside.

"Whatisthematter,Poirot?"

"Iamveryunhappy,Hastings.Thisseemstheplainsailingandtheaboveboard.Butthereissomething
wrong. Somewhere or other, Hastings, there is a fact that escapes us. It all fits together, it is as I
imaginedit,andyet,myfriend,thereissomethingwrong."

Helookedatmepiteously.

Iwasatalosswhattosay.

Chapter21

RONALD'SSTORY

IfoundithardtounderstandPoirot'sattitude.Surelythiswaswhathehadpredictedallalong?

All the way to Regent Gate, he sat perplexed and frowning, paying no attention to Japp's self-
congratulations.

Hecameoutofhisreveriesatlastwithasigh.

"Atallevents,"hemurmured,"wecanseewhathehastosay."

"Nexttonothingifhe'swise,"saidJapp."There'sanyamountofmenthathavehangedthemselvesby
being too eager to make a statement. Well, no one can say as we don't warn them! It's all fair and
aboveboard. And the more guilty they are, the more anxious they are to pipe up and tell you the lies
they've thought out to meet the case. They don't know that you should always submit your lies to a
solicitorfirst."

Helaughedandsaid:

"Solicitorsandcoronersaretheworstenemiesofthepolice.AgainandagainI'vehadaperfectlyclear
casemessedupbytheCoronerfoolingaboutandlettingtheguiltypartygetawaywithit.Lawyersyou
can't object to so much, I suppose. They're paid for their artfulness and twisting things this way and
that."

OnarrivalatRegentGatewefoundthatourquarrywasathome.Thefamilywerestillattheluncheon

table.JappproferredarequesttospeaktoLordEdgwareprivately.Wewereshownintothelibrary.

Inaminuteortwotheyoungmancametous.Therewasaneasysmileonhisfacewhichchangeda
littleashecastaquickglanceoverus.Hislipstightened.

"Hello,Inspector,"hesaid."What'sallthisabout?"

Jappsaidhislittlepieceintheclassicfashion.

"Sothat'sit,isit?"saidRonald.

Hedrewachairtowardshimandsatdown.Hepulledoutacigarettecase.

"Ithink,Inspector,I'dliketomakeastatement."

"That'sasyouplease,mylord."

"Meaningthatit'sdamnedfoolishonmypart.Allthesame,IthinkIwill.'Havingnoreasontofearthe
truth,'astheheroesinbooksalwayssay."

Jappsaidnothing.Hisfaceremainedexpressionless.

"There'sanicehandytableandchair,"wentontheyoungman."Yourminioncansitdownandtakeit
alldowninshorthand."

I don't think that Japp was used to having his arrangements made for him so thoughtfully. Lord
Edgware'ssuggestionwasadopted.

"Tobeginwith,"saidtheyoungman."Havingsomegrainsofintelligence,Istronglysuspectthatmy
beautifulalibihasbust.Goneupinsmoke.ExittheusefulDortheimers.Taxi-driver,Isuppose?"

"Weknowallaboutyourmovementsonthatnight,"saidJappwoodenly.

"IhavethegreatestadmirationforScotlandYard.Allthesame,youknow,ifIhadreallybeenplanning
a deed of violence I shouldn't have hired a taxi and driven straight to the place and kept the fellow
waiting.Haveyouthoughtofthat?Ah!IseeM.Poirothas."

"Ithadoccurredtome,yes,"saidPoirot.

"Suchisnotthemannerofpremeditatedcrime,"saidRonald."Putonaredmoustacheandhorn-rimmed
glassesanddrivetothenextstreetandpaythemanoff.Takethetube-wellwell,Iwon'tgointoitall.
My Counsel, at a fee of several thousand guineas, will do it better than I can. Of course, I see the
answer.Crimewasasuddenimpulse.TherewasI,waitinginthecab,etc.,etc.Itoccurstome,'Now,
myboy,upanddoing.'

"Well,I'mgoingtotellyouthetruth.Iwasinaholeformoney.That'sbeenprettyclear,Ithink.Itwas
ratheradesperatebusiness.Ihadtogetitbythenextdayordropoutofthings.Itriedmyuncle.He'd
noloveforme,butIthoughthemightcareforthehonourofhisname.Middle-agedmensometimesdo.
Myuncleprovedtobelamentablymoderninhiscynicalindifference.

"Well-it lookedlikejust havingtogrin andbearit. Iwas goingtotry andhavea shotatborrowing
from Dortheimer, but I knew there wasn't a hope. And marry his daughter I couldn't. She's much too
sensibleagirltotakeme,anyway.Then,bychance,Imetmycousinattheopera.Idon'toftencome
across her, but she was always a decent kid when I lived in the house. I found myself telling her all
aboutit.She'dheardsomethingfromherfatheranyway.Thensheshowedhermettle.ShesuggestedI
shouldtakeherpearls.They'dbelongedtohermother."

Hepaused.Therewassomethinglikerealemotion,Ithink,inhisvoice.Orelsehesuggesteditbetter
thanIcouldhavebelievedpossible.

"Well-Iacceptedtheblessedchild'soffer.IcouldraisethemoneyIwantedonthem,andIsworeI'd
turntoandredeemthemevenifitmeantworkingtomanageit.ButthepearlswereathomeinRegent
Gate.Wedecidedthatthebestthingtodowouldbetogoandfetchthematonce.Wejumpedinataxi
andoffwewent.

"Wemadethefellowstopontheoppositesideofthestreetincaseanyoneshouldhearthetaxidrawup
atthedoor.Geraldinegotoutandwentacrosstheroad.Shehadherlatchkeywithher.Shewouldgoin
quietly, get the pearls and bring them out to me. She didn't expect to meet anyone except, possibly, a
servant. Miss Carroll, my uncle's secretary, usually went to bed at half-past nine. He, himself would
probablybeinthelibrary."

"So off Dina went. I stood on the pavement smoking a cigarette. Every now and then I looked over

towards the house to see if she was coming. And now I come to the part of the story that you may
believeornotasyoulike.Amanpassedmeonthesidewalk.Iturnedtolookafterhim.Tomysurprise
hewentupthestepsandlethimselfintoNo.17.AtleastIthoughtitwasNo.17,but,ofcourse,Iwas
some distance away. That surprised me very much for two reasons. One was that the man had let
himselfinwithakey,andthesecondwasthatIthoughtIrecognisedinhimacertainwell-knownactor.

"IwassosurprisedthatIdeterminedtolookintomatters.IhappenedtohavemyownkeyofNo.17in
mypocket.I'dlostitorthoughtI'dlostitthreeyearsago,hadcomeacrossitunexpectedlyadayortwo
ago and had been meaning to give it back to my uncle this morning. However, in the heat of our
discussion,ithadslippedmymemory.IhadtransferreditwiththeothercontentsofmypocketswhenI
changed.

"Tellingthetaximantowait,Istrodehurriedlyalongthepavement,crossedtheroad,wentupthesteps
of No. 17, and opened the door with my key. The hall was empty. There was no sign of any visitor
having just entered. I stood for a minute looking about me. Then I went towards the library door.
Perhapsthemanwasinwithmyuncle.Ifso,Ishouldhearthemurmurofhisvoice.Istoodoutsidethe
librarydoor,butIheardnothing.

"IsuddenlyfeltIhadmadethemostabjectfoolofmyself.Ofcoursethemanmusthavegoneintosome
other house - the house beyond, probably Regent Gate is rather poorly illuminated at night. I felt an
absoluteidiot.Whatonearthhadpossessedmetofollowthefellow,Icouldnotthink.Ithadlandedme
here,andaprettyfoolIshouldlookifmyuncleweretocomesuddenlyoutofthelibraryandfindme.I
shouldgetGeraldineintotroubleandaltogetherthefatwouldbeinthefire.Allbecausesomethingin
the man's manner had made me imagine that he was doing something that he didn't want known.
Luckilynoonecaughtme.ImustgetoutofitassoonasIcould.

"ItiptoedbacktowardsthefrontdoorandatthesamemomentGeraldinecamedownthestairswiththe
pearlsinherhand.

"Shewasverystartledatseeingme,ofcourse.Igotheroutofthehouse,andthenexplained."

Hepaused.

"Wehurriedbacktotheopera.Gottherejustasthecurtainwasgoingup.Noonesuspectedthatwe'd
leftit.Itwasahotnightandseveralpeoplewentoutsidetogetabreathofair."

Hepaused.

"Iknowwhatyou'llsay:Whydidn'tItellyouthisrightaway?AndnowIputittoyou:Wouldyou,with
amotiveformurderstickingoutayard,admitlightheartedlythatyou'dactuallybeenattheplacethe
murderwascommittedonthenightinquestion?

"Frankly, I funked it! Even if we were believed, it was going to be a lot of worry for me and for
Geraldine,We'dhadnothingtodowitchthemurder,we'dseennothing,we'dheardnothing.Obviously,
Ithought,AuntJanehaddoneit.Well,whybringmyselfin?Itoldyouaboutthequarrelandmylackof
money because I knew you'd ferret it out, and if I'd tried to conceal all that you'd be much more
suspicious and you'd probably examine that alibi much more closely. As it was, I thought that if I
buckedenoughaboutititwouldalmosthypnotiseyouintothinkingitallright.TheDortheimerswere,I
know,honestlyconvincedthatI'dbeenatCoventGardenallthetime.ThatIspentoneintervalwithmy
cousinwouldn'tstrikethemassuspicious.Andshecouldalwayssayshe'dbeenwithmethereandthat
wehadn'tlefttheplace."

"MissMarshagreedtothis-concealment?"

"Yes.SoonasIgotthenews,Igotontoherandcautionedherforherlifenottosayanythingabouther
excursionherethatnight.She'dbeenwithmeandI'dbeenwithherduringthelastintervalatCovent
Garden.We'dwalkedinthestreetalittle,thatwasall.Sheunderstoodandshequiteagreed."

Hepaused.

"Iknowitlooksbad-comingoutwiththisafterwards.Butthestory'strueenough.Icangiveyouthe
nameandaddressofthemanwholetmehavethecashonGeraldine'spearlsnextmorning.Andifyou
askher,she'llconfirmeverywordI'vetoldyou."

HesatbackinhischairandlookedatJapp.

Jappcontinuedtolookexpressionless.

"YousayyouthoughtJaneWilkinsonhadcommittedthemurder,LordEdgware?"hesaid.

"Well,wouldn'tyouhavethoughtso?Afterthebutler'sstory?"

"WhataboutyourwagerwithMissAdams?"

"WagerwithMissAdams?WithCarlottaAdams,doyoumean?Whathasshegottodowithit?"

"DoyoudenythatyouofferedherthesumoftenthousanddollarstoimpersonateMissJaneWilkinson
atthehousethatnight?"

Ronaldstared.

"Offered her ten thousand dollars? Nonsense. Someone's been pulling your leg. I haven't got ten
thousanddollarstooffer.You'vegotholdofamare'snest.Doesshesayso?Oh!dashitall-Iforgot,
she'sdead,isn'tshe?"

"Yes,"saidPoirotquietly."Sheisdead."

Ronald turned his eyes from one to the other of us. He had been debonair before. Now his face had
whitened.Hiseyeslookedfrightened.

"I don't understand all this," he said. "It's true what I told you. I suppose you don't believe m any of
you."

Andthen,tomyamazement,Poirotsteppedforward.

"Yes,"hesaid,"Ibelieveyou."

Chapter22

STRANGEBEHAVIOUROFHERCULEPOIROT

Wewereinourrooms.

"Whatonearth-"Ibegan.

Poirot stopped me with a gesture more extravagant than any gesture I had ever seen him make. Both
armswhirledintheair.

"Iimploreofyou,Hastings!Notnow.Notnow."

And upon that he seized his hat, clapped it on his head as though he had never heard of order and
method, and rushed headlong from the room. He had not returned when, about an hour later, Japp
appeared.

"Littlemangoneout?"heinquired.

Inodded.

Jappsankintoaseat.Hedabbedhisforeheadwithahandkerchief.Thedaywaswarm.

"Whatthedeviltookhim?"heinquired."Icantellyou,CaptainHastings,youcouldhaveknockedme
downwithafeatherwhenhesteppeduptothemanandsaid:'Ibelieveyou.'Foralltheworldasthough
hewereactinginaromanticmelodrama.Itbeatsme."

Itbeatmealso,andIsaidso.

"Andthenhemarchesoutofthehouse,"saidJapp."Whatdidhesayaboutittoyou?"

"Nothing,"Ireplied.

"Nothingatall?"

"Absolutelynothing.WhenIwasgoingtospeaktohimhewavedmeaside.Ithoughtitbesttoleave
him alone. When we got back here I started to question him. He waved his arms, seized his hat and
rushedoutagain."

Welookedateachother.Japptappedhisforeheadsignificantly.

"Mustbe,"hesaid.

For once I was disposed to agree. Japp had often suggested before that Poirot was what he called
"touched."InthosecaseshehadsimplynotunderstoodwhatPoirotwasdrivingat.Here,Iwasforced
to confess, I could not understand Poirot's attitude. If not touched, he was, at any rate, suspiciously
changeable.Herewashisownprivatetheorytriumphantlyconfirmedandstraightawayhewentback
onit.

Itwasenoughtodismayanddistresshiswarmestsupporters.Ishookmyheadinadiscouragedfashion.

"He'salwaysbeenwhatIcallpeculiar,"saidJapp."Gothisownparticularangleoflookingatthings-
andaveryqueeroneitis.He'sakindofgenius,Iadmitthat.Buttheyalwayssaythatgeniusesarevery
neartheborderlineandliabletoslipoveranyminute.He'salwaysbeenfondofhavingthingsdifficult.
Astraightforwardcaseisnevergoodenoughforhim.No,it'sgottobetortuous.He'sgotawayfromreal
life. He plays a game of his own. It's like an old lady playing at patience. If it doesn't come out, she
cheats.Wellit'stheotherwayroundwithhim.Ifit'scomingouttooeasily,hecheatstomakeitmore
difficult!That'sthewayIlookatit."

Ifounditdifficulttoanswerhim.Iwastooperturbedanddistressedtobeabletothinkdearly.I,also,
found Poirot's behaviour unaccountable. And since I was very attached to my strange little friend, it
worriedmemorethanIcaredtoexpress.

In the middle of a gloomy silence, Poirot walked into the room. He was, I was thankful to see, quite
calmnow.

Verycarefullyheremovedhishat,placeditwithhisstickonthetable,andsatdowninhisaccustomed
chair.

"Soyouarehere,mygoodJapp.Iamglad.ItwasonmymindthatImustseeyouassoonaspossible."

Japplookedathimwithoutreplying.Hesawthatthiswasonlythebeginning.HewaitedforPoirotto
explainhimself.

Thismyfrienddid,speakingslowlyandcarefully.

"Ecoutez, Japp. We are wrong. We are all wrong. It is grievous to admit it, but we have made a
mistake."

"That'sallright,"saidJappconfidently.

"Butitisnotallright.Itisdeplorable.Itgrievesmetotheheart."

"Youneedn'tbegrievedaboutthatyoungman.Herichlydeservesallhegets."

"ItisnotheIamgrievingabout-itisyou."

"Me?Youneedn'tworryaboutme."

"ButIdo.Seeyou,whowasitsetyouonthiscourse?ItwasHerculePoirot.Maisoui,Isetyouonthe
trail. I direct your attention to Carlotta Adams, I mention to you the matter of the letter to America.
EverystepofthewayitisIwhopointit!"

"Iwasboundtogetthereanyway,"saidJappcoldly."Yougotabitaheadofme,that'sall."

"Celacepeut.Butitdoesnotconsoleme.Ifharm-iflossofprestigecomestoyonthroughlisteningto
mylittleideas-Ishallblamemyselfbitterly."

Jappmerelylookedamused.IthinkhecreditedPoirotwithmotivesthatwerenonetoopure.Hefancied
thatPoirotgrudgedhimthecreditresultingfromthesuccessfulelucidationoftheaffair.

"That's all right," he said. "I shan't forget to let it be known that I owe something to you over this
business."

Hewinkedatme.

"Oh! it is not that at all." Poirot clicked his tongue with impatience. "I want no credit. And what is
more,Itellyoutherewillbenocredit.Itisafiascothatyouprepareforyourself,andI,HerculePoirot,
amthecause."

Suddenly, at Poirot's expression of extreme melancholy, Japp shouted with laughter. Poirot looked
affronted.

"Sorry, M. Poirot." He wiped his eyes. "But you did look for all the world like a dying duck in a
thunderstorm.Nowlookhere,let'sforgetallthis.I'mwillingtoshoulderthecreditortheblameofthis
affair.Itwillmakeabignoise-you'rerightthere.Well,I'mgoingallouttogetaconviction.Itmaybe
thatacleverCounselwillgethislordshipoff-youneverknowwithajury.Butevenso,itwon'tdome
anyharm.Itwillbeknownthatwecaughttherightmanevenifwecouldn'tgetaconviction.Andif,by
anychance,thethirdhousemaidhashystericsandownsupshedidit-well,I'lltakemymedicineandI
won'tcomplainyouledmeupthegarden.That'sfairenough."

Poirotgazedathimmildlyandsadly.

"Youhavetheconfidence-alwaystheconfidence!Youneverstopandsaytoyourself-Canitbeso?
Youneverdoubt-orwonder.Youneverthink:Thisistooeasy!"

"YoubetyourlifeIdon't.Andthat'sjustwhere,ifyou'llexcusemesayingso,yougoofftherailsevery
time.Whyshouldn'tathingbeeasy?What'stheharminathingbeingeasy?"

Poirotlookedathim,sighed,halfthrewuphisarms,thenshookhishead.

"C'estfini!Iwillsaynomore."

"Splendid," said Japp heartily. "Now let's get down to brass tacks. You'd like to hear what I've been
doing?"

"Assuredly."

"Well,IsawtheHonourableGeraldine,andherstorytalliedexactlywithhislordship's.Theymayboth
beinittogether,butIthinknot.It'smyopinionhebluffedher-she'sthreepartssweetonhimanyway.
Tookonterriblywhenshefoundhewasarrested."

"Didshenow?Andthesecretary-MissCarroll?"

"Wasn'ttoosurprised,Ifancy.However,that'sonlymyidea."

"Whataboutthepearls?"Iasked."Wasthatpartofthestorytrue?"

"Absolutely.Heraisedthemoneyonthemearlythefollowingmorning.ButIdon'tthinkthattouches
themainargument.AsIseeit,theplancameintohisheadwhenhecameacrosshiscousinattheopera.
It came to him in a flash. He was desperate - there was a way out. I fancy he'd been meditating
something of the kind - that's why he had the key with him. I don't believe that story of suddenly
coming across it. Well, as he talks to his cousin, he sees that by involving her he gains additional
securityforhimself.Heplaysonherfeelings,hintsatthepearls,sheplaysup,andofftheygo.Assoon
asshe'sinthehousehefollowsherinandgoesalongtothelibrary.Maybehislordshiphaddozedoffin
hischair.Anyway,intwosecondshe'sdonethetrickandhe'soutagain.Idon'tfancyhemeantthegirl
to catch him in the house. He counted on being found pacing up and down near the taxi. And I don't
thinkthetaxi-manwasmeanttoseehimgoin.Theimpressionwastobethathewaswalkingupand
downsmokingwhilsthewaitedforthegirl.Thetaxiwasfacingtheoppositedirection,remember.

"Ofcourse,thenextmorning,hehastopledgethepearls.Hemuststillseemtobeinneedofthemoney.
Then,whenhehearsofthecrime,hefrightensthegirlintoconcealingtheirvisittothehouse.Theywill
saythattheyspentthatintervaltogetherattheOperaHouse."

"Thenwhydidtheynotdoso?"askedPoirotsharply.

Jappshruggedhisshoulders.

"Changedhismind.Orjudgedthatshewouldn'tbeabletogothroughwithit.She'sanervoustype."

"Yes,"saidPoirotmeditatively."Sheisanervoustype."

Afteraminuteortwo,hesaid:

"It does not strike you that it would have been easier and simpler for Captain Marsh to have left the
operaduringtheintervalbyhimself.Tohavegoneinquietlywithhiskey,killedhisuncle,andreturned
totheopera-insteadofhavingataxioutsideandanervousgirlcomingdownthestairsanyminutewho
mightloseherheadandgivehimaway."

Jappgrinned.

"That'swhatyouandIwouldhavedone.Butthenwe'reashadebrighterthanCaptainRonaldMarsh."

"Iamnotsosure.Hestrikesmeasintelligent."

"ButnotsointelligentasM.HerculePoirot!Come,now,I'msureofthat!"Japplaughed.

Poirotlookedathimcoldly.

"Ifheisn'tguiltywhydidhepersuadetheAdamsgirltotakeonthatstunt?"wentonJapp."Therecan
beonlyonereasonforthatstunt-toprotecttherealcriminal."

"ThereIamofaccordwithyouabsolutely."

"Well,I'mgladweagreeaboutsomething."

"It might be he who actually spoke to Miss Adams," mused Poirot. "Whilst really - no, that is an
imbecility."

Then,lookingsuddenlyatJapp,herappedoutaquickquestion.

"Whatisyourtheoryastoherdeath?"

Jappclearedhisthroat.

"I'm inclined to believe - accident. A convenient accident, I admit. I can't see that he could have had
anything to do with it. His alibi is straight enough after the opera. He was at Sobranis with the
Dortheimerstillafteroneo'clock.Longbeforethatshewasinbedandasleep.No,Ithinkthatwasan
instance of the infernal luck criminals sometimes have. Otherwise, if that accident hadn't happened, I
thinkhehadhisplansfordealingwithher.First,he'dputthefearoftheLordintoher-tellhershe'dbe
arrestedformurderifsheconfessedthetruth.Andthenhe'dsquareherwithafreshlotofmoney."

"Doesitstrikeyou-"Poirotstaredstraightinfrontofhim."DoesitstrikeyouthatMissAdamswould
letanotherwomanbehangedwhensheherselfheldevidencethatwouldacquither?"

"Jane Wilkinson wouldn't have been hanged. The Montagu Corner party evidence was too strong for
that."

"Butthemurdererdidnotknowthat.HewouldhavehadtocountonJaneWilkinsonbeinghangedand
CarlottaAdamskeepingsilence."

"Youlovetalking,don'tyou,M.Poirot?Andyou'repositivelyconvincednowthatRonaldMarshisa
white-headed boy who can do no wrong. Do you believe that story of his about seeing a man sneak
surreptitiouslyintothehouse?"

Poirotshruggedhisshoulders.

"Doyouknowwhohesayshethoughtitwas?"

"Icouldguess,perhaps."

"Hesayshethoughtitwasthefilmstar,BryanMartin.Whatdoyouthinkofthat?Amanwho'dnever
evenmetLordEdgware."

"Thenitwouldcertainlybecuriousifonesawsuchamanenteringthathousewithakey."

"Tchah!"saidJapp.Arichnoiseexpressiveofcontempt."AndnowIsupposeitwillsurpriseyoutohear
thatMr.BryanMartinwasn'tinLondonthatnight.HetookayoungladytodinedownatMolesey.They
didn'tgetbacktoLondontillmidnight."

"Ah!" said Poirot mildly. "No, I am not surprised. Was the young lady also a member of the
profession?"

"No. Girl who keeps a hat shop. As a matter of fact, it was Miss Adams' friend, Miss Driver. I think
you'llagreehertestimonyispastsuspicion."

"Iamnotdisputingit,myfriend."

"Infact,you'redonedownandyouknowit,oldboy,"saidJapp,laughing."Cockandbullstorytrumped
uponthemoment,that'swhatitwas.NobodyenteredNo.17-andnobodyenteredeitherofthehouses
eitherside-sowhatdoesthatshow?Thathislordship'saliar."

Poirotshookhisheadsadly.

Japprosetohisfeethisspiritsrestored.

"Come,now,we'reright,youknow."

"WhowasD,Paris,November?"

Jappshruggedhisshoulders.

"Ancienthistory,Iimagine.Can'tagirlhaveasouvenirsixmonthsagowithoutitshavingsomethingto
dowiththiscrime?Wemusthaveasenseofproportion."

"Sixmonthsago,"murmuredPoirot,asuddenlightinhiseyes."Dieu,quejesuisbête!"

"What'shesaying?"inquiredJappofme.

"Listen." Poirot rose and tapped Japp on the chest. "Why does Miss Adams' maid not recognise that
box?WhydoesMissDrivernotrecogniseit?"

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"Becausetheboxwasnew!Ithadonlyjustbeengiventoher.Paris,November-thatisallverywell-
doubtlessthatisthedateofwhichtheboxistobeasouvenir.Butitwasgiventohernow,notthen.It
has just been bought! Only just been bought! Investigate that, I implore you, my good Japp. It is a
chance,decidedlyachance.Itwasboughtnothere,butabroad.ProbablyParis.Ifithadbeenbought
here,somejewellerwouldhavecomeforward.Ithasbeenphotographedanddescribedinthepapers.
Yes,yes,Paris.Possiblysomeotherforeigntown,butIthinkParis.Findout,Iimploreyou.Makethe
inquiries.Iwant-Isobadlywant-toknowwhoisthismysteriousD."

"Itwilldonoharm,"saidJappgood-naturedly."Can'tsayI'mveryexcitedaboutitmyself.ButI'lldo
whatIcan.Themoreweknowthebetter."

Noddingcheerfullytoushedeparted.

Chapter23

THELETTER

"Andnow,"saidPoirot,"wewillgoouttolunch."

Heputhishandthroughmyarm.Hewassmilingatme.

"Ihavehope,"heexplained.

I was glad to see him restored to his old self, though I was none the less convinced myself of young
Ronald'sguilt.IfanciedthatPoirothimselfhadperhapscomeroundtothisview,convincedbyJapp's
arguments.Thesearchforthepurchaseroftheboxwas,perhaps,alastsallytosavehisface.

Wewentamicablytolunchtogether.

Somewhat to my amusement at a table at the other side of the room, I saw Bryan Martin and Jenny
Driverlunchingtogether.RememberingwhatJapphadsaid,Isuspectedapossibleromance.

TheysawusandJennywavedahand.

Whenweweresippingcoffee,Jennyleftherescortandcameovertoourtable.Shelookedasvividand
dynamicasever.

"MayIsithereandtalktoyouaminute,M.Poirot?"

"Assuredly,Mademoiselle.Iamcharmedtoseeyou.WillnotM.Martinjoinusalso?"

"Itoldhimnotto.Yousee,IwantedtotalktoyouaboutCarlotta."

"Yes,Mademoiselle?"

"Youwantedtogetalineontosomemanfriendofhers.Isn'tthatso?"

"Yes,yes."

"Well, I've been thinking and thinking. Sometimes you can't get at things straight away. To get them
clearyou'vegottothinkback-rememberalotoflittlewordsandphrasesthatperhapsyoudidn'tpay
much attention to at the time. Well, that's what I've been doing. Thinking and thinking - and
rememberingjustwhatshesaid.AndI'vecometoacertainconclusion."

"Yes,Mademoiselle?"

"Ithinkthemanthatshecaredabout-orwasbeginningtocareabout-wasRonaldMarsh-youknow,
theonewhohasjustsucceededtothetitle."

"Whatmakesyouthinkitwashe,Mademoiselle?"

"Well,foronething,Carlottawasspeakinginageneralsortofwayoneday.Aboutamanhavinghard

luck,andhowitmightaffectcharacter.Thatamanmightbeadecentsortreallyandyetgodownthe
hill.Moresinnedagainstthansinning-youknowtheidea.Thefirstthingawomankidsherselfwith
whenshe'sgettingsoftaboutaman.I'veheardtheoldwheezesooften!Carlottahadplentyofsense,
yethereshewascomingoutwiththisstuffjustlikeacompleteasswhoknewnothingoflife.'Hello,'I
saidtomyself.'Something'sup.'Shedidn'tmentionaname-itwasallgeneral.Butalmostimmediately
after that she began to speak of Ronald Marsh and that she thought he'd been badly treated. She was
veryimpersonalandoff-handaboutit.Ididn'tconnectthetwothingsatthetime.Butnow-Iwonder.It
seemstomethatitwasRonaldshemeant.Whatdoyouthink,M.Poirot?"

Herfacelookedearnestlyupintohis.

"Ithink,Mademoiselle,thatyouhaveperhapsgivenmesomeveryvaluableinformation."

"Good."Jennyclappedherhands.

Poirotlookedkindlyather.

"Perhapsyouhavenotheard-thegentlemanofwhomyouspeak,RonaldMarsh-LordEdgware-has
justbeenarrested."

"Oh!"Hermouthflewopeninsurprise."Thenmybitofthinkingcomesratherlateintheday."

"Itisnevertoolate,"saidPoirot."Notwithme,youunderstand.Thankyou,Mademoiselle."

SheleftustoreturntoBryanMartin.

"There,Poirot,"Isaid."Surelythatshakesyourbelief."

"No,Hastings.Onthecontrary-itstrengthensit."

DespitethatvaliantassertionIbelievedmyselfthatsecretlyhehadweakened.

DuringthedaysthatfollowedheneveroncementionedtheEdgwarecase.IfIspokeofit,heanswered
monosyllabicallyandwithoutinterest.Inotherwords,hehadwashedhishandsofit.Whateverideahe
had had lingering in his fantastic brain, he had now been forced to admit himself that it had not

materialised-thathisfirstconceptionofthecasehadbeenthetrueoneandthatRonaldMarshwasonly
too truly accused of the crime. Only, being Poirot, he could not admit openly that such was the case!
Thereforehepretendedtohavelostinterest.

Such,Isay,wasmyinterpretationofhisattitude.Itseemedborneoutbythefacts.Hetooknofaintest
interestinthepolicecourtproceedings,whichinanycasewerepurelyformal.Hebusiedhimselfwith
theothercasesand,asIsay,hedisplayednointerestwhenthesubjectwasmentioned.

ItwasnearlyafortnightlaterthantheeventsmentionedinmylastchapterwhenIcametorealisethat
myinterpretationofhisattitudewasentirelywrong.

Itwasbreakfasttime.TheusualheavypileofletterslaybyPoirot'splate.Hesortedthroughthemwith
nimble fingers. Then he uttered a quick exclamation of pleasure and picked up a letter with an
Americanstamponit.

Heopeneditwithhislittleletter-opener.Ilookedonwithinterestsinceheseemedsomovedtopleasure
aboutit.Therewasaletterandafairlythickenclosure.

Poirotreadtheformerthroughtwice,thenhelookedup.

"Wouldyouliketoseethis,Hastings?"

Itookitfromhim.Itranasfollows:

"DearM.Poirot,

Iwasmuchtouchedbyyourkind-yourverykindletter.Apartfrommyterriblegrief,Ihavebeenso
affrontedbythethingsthatseemtohavebeenhintedaboutCarlotta-thedearest,sweetestsisterthata
girleverhad.No,M.Poirot,shedidnottakedrugs.I'msureofit.Shehadahorrorofthatkindofthing.
I'veoftenheardhersayso.Ifsheplayedapartinthatpoorman'sdeath,itwasanentirelyinnocentone-
butofcourseherlettertomeprovesthat.Iamsendingyoutheactualletteritselfsinceyouaskmetodo
so.Ihatepartingwiththelastlettersheeverwrote,butIknowyouwilltakecareofitandletmehaveit
back,andifithelpsyoutoclearupsomeofthemysteryaboutherdeath,asyousayitmaydo-why,
then,ofcourseitmustgotoyou.YouaskwhetherCarlottamentionedanyfriendspeciallyinherletters.
She mentioned a great many people, of course, but nobody in a very outstanding way. Bryan Martin,
whomweusedtoknowyearsago,agirlcalledJennyDriver,andaCaptainRonaldMarshwere,Ithink,
theonesshesawmostof.IwishIcouldthinkofsomethingtohelpyou.Youwritesokindlyandwith
suchunderstanding,andyouseemtorealisewhatCarlottaandIweretoeachother.

Gratefullyyours,

LucieAdams.

P.S.-Anofficerhasjustbeenherefortheletter.ItoldhimthatIhadalreadymailedittoyou.This,of
course,wasnottrue,butIfeltsomehoworotherthatitwasimportantyoushouldseeitfirst.Itseems
ScotlandYardneeditasevidenceagainstthemurderer.Youwilltakeittothem.But,Oh!pleasebesure
theyletyouhaveitbackagainsomeday.Yousee,itisCarlotta'slastwordstome."

"Soyouwroteyourselftoher,"IremarkedasIlaidtheletterdown."Whydidyoudothat,Poirot?And
whydidyouaskfortheoriginalofCarlottaAdams'letter?"

HewasbendingovertheenclosedsheetsoftheletterImentioned.

"InverityIcouldnotsay,Hastings-unlessitisthatIhopedagainsthopethattheoriginallettermightin
somewayexplaintheinexplicable."

"Idon'tseehowyoucangetawayfromthetextofthatletter.CarlottaAdamsgaveitherselftothemaid
to post. There was no hocus pocus about it. And certainly it reads as a perfectly genuine ordinary
epistle."

Poirotsighed.

"I know. I know. And that is what makes it so difficult. Because, Hastings, as it stands, that letter is
impossible."

"Nonsense."

"Si,si,itisso.Seeyou,asIhavereasoneditout,certainthingsmustbe-theyfolloweachotherwith
method and order in an understandable fashion. But then comes this letter. It does not accord. Who,
then,iswrong?HerculePoirotortheletter?"

"Youdon'tthinkitpossiblethatitcouldbeHerculePoirot?"IsuggestedasdelicatelyasIwasable.

Poirotthrewmeaglanceofreproof.

"TherearetimeswhenIhavebeeninerror-butthisisnotoneofthem.Clearlythen,sincetheletter
seems impossible, it is impossible. There is some fact about the letter which escapes us. I seek to
discoverwhatthatfactis."

Andthereuponheresumedhisstudyoftheletterinquestion,usingasmallpocketmicroscope.

Ashefinishedperusingeachpage,hepasseditacrosstome.I,certainly,couldfindnothingamiss.It
was written in a firm fairly legible handwriting and it was word for word as it had been telegraphed
across.

Poirotsigheddeeply.

"Thereisnoforgeryofanykindhereno,itisallwritteninthesamehand.Andyet,since,asIsay,itis
impossible"

Hebrokeoff.Withanimpatientgesturehedemandedthesheetsfromme.Ipassedthemover,andonce
againhewentslowlythroughthem.

Suddenlyheutteredacry.

I had left the breakfast table and was standing looking out of the window. At this sound, however, I
turnedsharply.

Poirot was literally quivering with excitement. His eyes were green like a cat's. His pointing finger
trembled.

"Seeyou,Hastings?Lookherequickly-comeandlook."

Irantohisside.Spreadoutbeforehimwasoneofthemiddlesheetsoftheletter.Icouldseenothing
unusualaboutit.

"Seeyounot?Alltheseothersheetshavethecleanedge-theyaresinglesheets.Butthisone-seeone
sideofitisragged-ithasbeentorn.NowdoyouseewhatImean?Thiswasadoublesheet,andso,
youcomprehend,onepageoftheletterismissing."

Istaredstupidly,nodoubt.

"Buthowcanitbe?Itmakessense."

"Yes,yes,itmakessense.Thatiswheretheclevernessoftheideacomesin.Read-andyouwillsee."

IthinkIcannotdobetterthantoappendafacsimileofthepageinquestion.

"Youseeitnow?"saidPoirot."TheletterbreaksoffwheresheistalkingofCaptainMarsh.Sheissorry
forhim,andthenshesays:'Heenjoyedmyshowverymuch.'Thenonthenewsheetshegoeson:'He
said...'But,monami,apageismissing.The'He'ofthenewpagemaynotbethe'he'oftheoldpage.In
fact it is not the he of the old page. It is another man altogether who proposed that hoax. Observe,
nowhereafterthatisthenamementioned.Ah!c'estépatant!Somehoworotherourmurderergetshold
ofthisletter.Itgiveshimaway.Nodoubthethinkstosuppressitaltogether,andthen-readingitover
heseesanotherwayofdealingwithit.Removeonepage,andtheletteriscapableofbeingtwistedinto
adamningaccusationofanotherman-amantoowhohasamotiveforLordEdgware'sdeath.Ah!it
wasagift!Themoneyfortheconfitureasyousay!Hetearsthesheetoffandreplacestheletter."

I looked at Poirot in some admiration. I was not perfectly convinced of the truth of this theory. It
seemedtomehighlypossiblethatCarlottahadusedanoldhalfsheetthatwasalreadytorn.ButPoirot
wassotransfiguredwithjoythatIsimplyhadnotthehearttosuggestthisprosaicpossibility.Afterall,
hemightberight.

Idid,however,venturetopointoutoneortwodifficultiesinthewayofhistheory.

"But how did the man, whoever he was, get hold of the letter? Miss Adams took it straight from her
handbagandgaveitherselftothemaidtopost.Themaidtoldusso."

"Thereforewemustassumeoneoftwothings.Eitherthemaidwaslying,orelse,duringthatevening,
CarlottaAdamsmetthemurderer."

Inodded.

"It seems to me that that last possibility is the most likely one. We still do not know where Carlotta
Adams was between the time she left her flat and nine o'clock when she left her suitcase at Euston
station. During that time, I believe myself that she met the murderer in some appointed spot - they
probablyhadsomefoodtogether.Hegavehersomelastinstructions.Whathappenedexactlyinregard

totheletterwedonotknow.Onecanmakeaguess.Shemayhavebeencarryingitinherhandmeaning
to post it. She may have laid it down on the table in the restaurant. He sees the address and scents a
possibledanger.Hemayhavepickeditupadroitly,madeanexcuseforleavingthetable,openedit,read
it,tornoutthesheet,andtheneitherreplaceditonthetable,orperhapsgivenittoherassheleft,telling
herthatshehaddroppeditwithoutnoticing.Theexactwayofitisnotimportantbuttwothingsdoseem
clear.ThatCarlottaAdamsmetthemurdererthateveningeitherbeforethemurderofLordEdgware,or
afterwards(therewastimeaftershelefttheCornerHouseforabriefinterview).Ihaveafancy,though
there I am perhaps wrong, that it was the murderer who gave her the gold box - it was possibly a
sentimentalmementooftheirfirstmeeting.Ifso,themurdererisD."

"Idon'tseethepointofthegoldbox."

"Listen,Hastings,CarlottaAdamswasnotaddictedtoveronal.LucieAdamssaysso,andI,too,believe
ittobetrue.Shewasaclear-eyedhealthygirlwithnopredilectionforsuchthings.Noneofherfriends
norhermaidrecognisedthebox.Why,then,wasitfoundinherpossessionaftershedied?Tocreatethe
impressionthatshedidtakeveronalandthatshehadtakenitforaconsiderabletimethatistosayat
leastsixmonths.Letussaythatshemetthemurdererafterthemurderifonlyforafewminutes.They
had a drink together, Hastings, to celebrate the success of their plan. And in the girl's drink he put
sufficientveronaltoensurethatthereshouldbenowakingforheronthefollowingmorning."

"Horrible,"Isaidwithashudder.

"Yes,itwasnotpretty,"saidPoirotdryly.

"AreyougoingtotellJappallthis?"Iaskedafteraminuteortwo.

"Notatthemoment.WhathaveIgottotell?Hewouldsay,theexcellentJapp,'anothernestofthemare!
Thegirlwroteonanoddsheetofpaper!'C'esttout."

Ilookedguiltilyattheground.

"WhatcanIsaytothat?Nothing.Itisathingthatmighthavehappened.Ionlyknowitdidnothappen
becauseitisnecessarythatitshouldnothavehappened."

Hepaused.Adreamyexpressionstoleacrosshisface.

"Figuretoyourself,Hastings,ifonlythatmanhadhadtheorderandthemethod,hewouldhavecutthat

sheet-nottornit.Andweshouldhavenoticednothing.Butnothing!"

"Sowededucethatheisamanofcarelesshabits,"Isaid,smiling.

"No,no.Hemighthavebeeninahurry.Youobserveitisverycarelesslytorn.Oh!assuredlyhewas
pressedfortime."

Hepausedandthensaid:

"One thing you do remark, I hope. This man - this D - he must have had a very good alibi for that
evening."

"I can't see how he could have had any alibi at all if he spent his time first at Regent Gate doing a
murderandthenwithCarlottaAdams."

"Precisely,"saidPoirot."ThatiswhatImean.Heisbadlyinneedofanalibi,sonodoubtheprepared
one.Anotherpoint:DoeshisnamereallybeginwithD?OrdoesDstandforsomenicknamebywhich
hewasknowntoher?"

Hepausedandthensaidsoftly:

"AmanwhoseinitialorwhosenicknameisD.Wehavegottofindhim,Hastings.Yes,wehavegotto
findhim."

Chapter24

NEWSFROMPARIS

Onthefollowingdaywehadanunexpectedvisit.

GeraldineMarshwasannounced.

IfeltsorryforherasPoirotgreetedherandsetachairforher.Herlargedarkeyesseemedwiderand
darker than ever. There were black circles round them as though she had not slept. Her face looked
extraordinarilyhaggardandwearyforonesoyoung-littlemore,really,thanachild.

"I have come to see you, M. Poirot, because I don't know how to go on any longer. I am so terribly
worriedandupset."

"Yes,Mademoiselle?"

Hismannerwasgravelysympathetic.

"Ronaldtoldmewhatyousaidtohimthatday.Imeanthatdreadfuldaywhenhewasarrested."She
shivered"Hetoldmethatyoucameuptohimsuddenly,justwhenhehadsaidthathesupposednoone
wouldbelievehim,andthatyousaidtohim:'Ibelieveyou.'Isthattrue,M.Poirot?"

"Itistrue,Mademoiselle,thatiswhatIsaid."

"Iknow,butImeantnotwasittrueyousaidit,butwerethewordsreallytrue.Imean,didyoubelieve
hisstory?"

Terriblyanxiousshelooked,leaningforwardthere,herhandsclaspedtogether.

"The words were true, Mademoiselle," said Poirot quietly. "I do not believe your cousin killed Lord
Edgware."

"Oh!" The colour came into her face, her eyes opened big and wide. "Then you must think - that
someoneelsedidit!"

"Évidemment,Mademoiselle."Hesmiled.

"I'mstupid.Isaythingsbadly.WhatImeanis-youthinkyouknowwhothatsomebodyis?"

Sheleanedforwardeagerly.

"Ihavemylittleideas,naturally-mysuspicions,shallwesay?"

"Won'tyoutellme?Please-please."

Poirotshookhishead.

"Itwouldbe-perhaps-unfair."

"Thenyouhavegotadefinitesuspicionofsomebody?"

Poirotmerelyshookhisheadnoncommittally.

"IfonlyIknewalittlemore,"pleadedthegirl."Itwouldmakeitsomucheasierforme.AndImight
perhapsbeabletohelpyou.Yes,reallyImightbeabletohelpyou."

Herpleadingwasverydisarming,butPoirotcontinuedtoshakehishead.

"TheDuchessofMertonisstillconvinceditwasmystepmother,"saidthegirlthoughtfully.Shegavea
slightquestioningglanceatPoirot.

Heshowednoreaction.

"ButIhardlyseehowthatcanbe."

"Whatisyouropinionofher?Ofyourstepmother?"

"Well-Ihardlyknowher.IwasatschoolinPariswhenmyfathermarriedher.WhenIcamehome,she
wasquitekind.Imean,shejustdidn'tnoticeIwasthere.Ithoughtherveryempty-headedand-well,
mercenary."

Poirotnodded.

"YouspokeoftheDuchessofMerton.Youhaveseenmuchofher?"

"Yes.Shehasbeenverykindtome.Ihavebeenwithheragreatdealduringthelastfortnight.Ithas
beenterrible-withallthetalk,andthereporters,andRonaldinprisonandeverything."Sheshivered."I
feelIhavenorealfriends.ButtheDuchesshasbeenwonderful,andhehasbeennicetoo-herson,I

mean."

"Youlikehim?"

"Heisshy,Ithink.Stiffandratherdifficulttogetonwith.Buthismothertalksalotabouthim,sothatI
feelthatIknowhimbetterthanIreallydo."

"Isee.Tellme,Mademoiselle,youarefondofyourcousin?"

"OfRonald?Ofcourse.He-Ihaven'tseenmuchofhimthelasttwoyears-butbeforethatheusedto
liveinthehouse.I-Ialwaysthoughthewaswonderful.Alwaysjokingandthinkingofmadthingsto
do.Oh!inthatgloomyhouseofoursitmadeallthedifference."

Poirotnoddedsympathetically,buthewentontomakearemarkthatshockedmeinitscrudity.

"Youdonotwanttoseehim-hanged,then?"

"No,no."Thegirlshiveredviolently."Notthat.Oh!ifonlyitwereher-mystepmother.Itmustbeher.
TheDuchesssaysitmust."

"Ah!"saidPoirot."IfonlyCaptainMarshhadstayedinthetaxi-eh?"

"Yes-atleast,whatdoyoumean?"Herbrowwrinkled."Idon'tunderstand."

"Ifhehadnotfollowedthatmanintothehouse.Didyouhearanyonecomein,bytheway?"

"No,Ididn'thearanything."

"Whatdidyoudowhenyoucameintothehouse?"

"Iranstraightupstairs-tofetchthepearls,youknow."

"Ofcourse.Ittookyousometimetofetchthem."

"Yes.Icouldn'tfindthekeyofmyjewel-caseallatonce.

"So often is that the case. The more in haste, the less the speed. It was some time before you came
down,andthen-youfoundyourcousininthehall?"

"Yes,comingfromthelibrary."Sheswallowed.

"Icomprehend.Itgaveyouquitetheturn."

"Yes,itdid."Shelookedgratefulforhissympathetictone."Itstartledme,yousee."

"Quite,quite."

"Ronniejustsaid:'Hello,Dina,gotthem?'frombehindme-anditmademejump."

"Yes,"saidPoirotgently."AsIsaidbeforeitisapityhedidnotstayoutside.Thenthetaxi-driverwould
havebeenabletoswearheneverenteredthehouse."

Shenodded.Herteasbegantofall,splashingunheededonherlap.Shegotup.Poirottookherhand.

"Youwantmetosavehimforyou-isthatit?"

"Yes,yes-oh!please,yes.Youdon'tknow..."

Shestoodtherestrivingtocontrolherself,clenchingherhands.

"Life has not been easy for you, Mademoiselle," said Poirot gently. "I appreciate that. No, it has not
beeneasy.Hastings,willyougetMademoiselleataxi?"

Iwentdownwiththegirlandsawherintothetaxi.Shehadcomposedherselfbynowandthankedme
veryprettily.

IfoundPoirotwalkingupanddowntheroom,hisbrowsknittedinthought.Helookedunhappy.Iwas
gladwhenthetelephonebellrangtodistracthim.

"Whoisthat?Oh!ItisJapp.Bonjour,monami."

"What'shegottosay?"Iasked,drawingnearerthetelephone.

Finally,aftervariousejaculations,Poirotspoke.

"Yes,andwhocalledforit?Dotheyknow?"

Whatevertheanswer,itwasnotwhatheexpected.Hisfacedroppedludicrously.

"Areyousure?"

"No,isisalittleupsetting,thatisall."

"Yes,Imustrearrangemyideas."

"Comment?"

"Allthesame,Iwasrightaboutit.Yes,adetail,asyousay."

"No,Iamstillofthesameopinion.Iwouldprayofyoutomakestillfurtherinquiriesoftherestaurants
intheneighbourhoodofRegentGateandEuston,TottenhamCourtRoadandperhapsOxfordStreet."

"Yes, a woman and a man. And also in the neighbourhood of the Strand just before midnight.
Comment?"

"But,yes,IknowthatCaptainMarshwaswiththeDortheimers.Butthereareotherpeopleintheworld
besidesCaptainMarsh."

"TosayIhavetheheadofthepigisnotpretty.Toutdemême,obligemeinthismatter,Iprayofyou."

Hereplacedthereceiver.

"Well?"Iaskedimpatiently.

"Isitwell?Iwonder.Hastings,thatgoldboxwasboughtinParis.Itwasorderedbyletterandcomes
fromawell-knownParisshopwhichspecialisesinsuchthings.TheletterwassupposedlyfromaLady
Ackerly - Constance Ackerly, the letter was signed. Naturally there is no such person. The letter was
receivedtwodaysbeforethemurder.Itorderedtheinitialsof(presumably)thewriterinrubiesandthe
inscription inside. It was a rush order - to be called for the following day. That is, the day before the
murder."

"Anditwascalledfor?"

"Yes,itwascalledforandpaidforinnotes."

"Whocalledforit?"Iaskedexcitedly.Ifeltweweregettingneartothetruth.

"Awomancalledforit,Hastings."

"Awoman?"Isaid,surprised.

"Maisoui.Awoman-short,middle-agedandwearingpince-nez."

Welookedateachother,completelybaffled.

Chapter25

ALUNCHEONPARTY

Itwas,Ithink,onthedayafterthatthatwewenttotheWidburns'luncheonpartyatClaridge's.

NeitherPoirotnorIwereparticularlyanxioustogo.Itwas,asamatteroffact,aboutthesixthinvitation
we had received. Mrs. Widburn was a persistent woman and she liked celebrities. Undaunted by
refusals, she finally offered such a choice of dates that capitulation was inevitable. Under those
circumstancesthesoonerwewentandgotitoverthebetter.

PoirothadbeenveryuncommunicativeeversincethenewsfromParis.Tomyremarksonthesubjecthe
returnedalwaysthesameanswer.

"ThereissomethinghereIdonotcomprehend."

Andonceortwicehemurmuredtohimself.

"Pince-nez.Pince-nezinParis.Pince-nezinCarlottaAdams'bag."

I really felt glad of the luncheon party as a means of distraction. Young Donald Ross was there and
cameupandgreetedmecheerily.Thereweremorementhanwomenandhewasputnexttomeattable.
JaneWilkinsonsatalmostoppositeus,andnexttoher,betweenherandMrs.Widburn,sattheyoung
DukeofMerton.

Ifancied-ofcourseitmayhavebeenonlymyfancy-thathelookedslightlyillatease.Thecompany
inwhichhefoundhimselfwas,soIshouldimagine,littletohisliking.Hewasastrictlyconservative
and somewhat reactionary young man - the kind of character that seemed to have stepped out of the
MiddleAgesbysomeregrettablemistake.HisinfatuationfortheextremelymodernJaneWilkinsonwas
oneofthoseanachronisticjokesthatNaturesolovestoplay.

SeeingJane'sbeautyandappreciatingthecharmthatherexquisitelyhuskyvoicelenttothemosttrite
utterances, I could hardly wonder at his capitulation. But one can get used to perfect beauty and an
intoxicatingvoice!Itcrossedmymindthatperhapsevennowarayofcommon-sensewasdissipating
themistsofintoxicatedlove.ItwasachanceremarkaratherhumiliatinggaffeonJane'spartthatgave
methatimpression.

Somebody - I forget who - had uttered the phrase "judgment of Paris," and straight away Jane's
delightfulvoicewasuplifted.

"Paris?"shesaid."Why,Parisdoesn'tcutanyicenowadays.It'sLondonandNewYorkthatcount."

Assometimeshappens,thewordsfellinamomentarylullofconversation.Itwasanawkwardmoment.
OnmyrightIheardDonaldRossdrawinhisbreathsharplyMrs.Widburnbegantotalkviolentlyabout
RussianOpera.Everyonehastilysaidsomethingtosomebodyelse.Janealonelookedserenealongthe
tablewithouttheleastconsciousnessofhavingsaidanythingwrong.

ItwasthenInoticedtheDuke.Hislipsweredrawntight,hewasflushed,anditseemedtomeasthough
he drew slightly away as if he had had a foretaste of the fact that for a man of his position Jane
Wilkinsonmightleadtosomeawkwardcontretemps.

AssooftenhappensImadethefirstremarkthatcameintomyheadtomyleft-handneighbourastout
titledladywhoarrangedChildren'sMatinées.Irememberthattheremarkinquestionwas:"Who'sthat
extraordinary woman in purple at the other end of the table?" It was of course her sister. Having
stammeredapologies,IturnedandchattedtoRoss,whoansweredinmonosyllables.

Itwasthen,rebuffedonbothsidesthatInoticedBryanMartin.HemusthavecomelateforIhadnot
seenhimbefore.

Hewasalittlewayfurtherdownthetableonmysideandwasleaningforwardandchattingwithgreat
animationtoaprettyblondewoman.

ItwassometimesinceIhadseenhimatclosequarters,andInoticedatoncethegreatimprovementin
hislooks.Thehaggardlookhadalmostdisappeared.Helookedyoungerandineverywaymorefit.He
waschaffinghisvis-à-visandseemedinfirst-ratespirits.

I did not have time to observe him further, for at that moment my left neighbour forgave me and
graciouslypermittedmetolistentoaharangueonthebeautiesofaChildren'sMatinéewhichshewas
organising.

Poirothadtoleaveearlyashehadanappointment.Hewasinvestigatingthestrangedisappearanceof
anAmbassador'sbootsandhadaninterviewathalf-pasttwo.HechargedmetomakehisadieustoMrs.
Widburn. While I was waiting to do so - not an easy matter, for she was at the time surrounded by
departing friends all breathing out "Darlings", somebody touched me on the shoulder. It was young
Ross.

"Isn'tM.Poirothere?Iwantedtospeaktohim."

IexplainedthatPoirothadjustdeparted.

Rossseemedtakenaback.Lookingmorecloselyathim,Inoticedthatsomethingseemedtohaveupset
him.Helookedwhiteandstrainedandhadanuncertainlookinhiseyes.

"Didyouwanttoseehimparticularly?"Iasked.

Heansweredslowly:

"I-don'tknow."

ItwassuchaqueeranswerthatIstaredathiminsurprise.

"Itsoundsodd,Iknow.Thetruthisthatsomethinghashappened.SomethingthatIcan'tmakeout.I-
I'dlikeM.Poirot'sopinion.Because,yousee,Idon'tknowwhattodo-Idon'twanttobotheryou,but-
"

HelookedsopuzzledandunhappythatIhastenedtoreassurehim.

"Poirothasgonetokeepanappointment,Isaid.ButIknowthathewillbebackatfiveo'clock.Why
notringhimupthen,orcomeandseeus?"

"Thanks.Doyouknow,IthinkIwill.Fiveo'clock?"

"Betterringupfirst,"Isaid,andmakesurebeforecoming."

"Allright.Iwill.Thanks,Hastings.Yousee,Ithinkitmightbeveryimportant."

InoddedandturnedagaintowhereMrsWidburnwassayingtrivialwordsandgibinglimphandshakes.

Mydutydone,Iwasturningawaywhenahandwasslippedthroughmyarm.

"Don'tcutme,"saidamerryvoice.

ItwasJennyDriverlookingextremelychic,bytheway.

"Hello,"Isaid."Wherehaveyousprungfrom?"

"Iwaslunchingatthenexttabletoyou."

"Ididn'tseeyou.Howisbusiness?"

"Booming,thankyou."

"Thesoupplatesgoingwell?"

"Soupplates,asyousorudelycallthem,aregoingverywell.Wheneverybodyhasgotthoroughlyladen
up with them, there's going to be dirty work done. Something like a blister with a feather attached is
goingtobewornbanginthemiddleoftheforehead."

"Unscrupulous,"Isaid.

"Notatall.Somebodymustcometotherescueoftheostriches.They'reallonthedole."

Shelaughedandmovedaway.

"Good-bye.I'mtakinganafternoonofffrombusiness.Goingforaspininthecountry."

"Andverynicetoo,"Isaidapprovingly."It'sstiflinginLondontoday."

ImyselfwalkedleisurelythroughthePark.Ireachedhomeaboutfouro'clock.Poirothadnotyetcome
in.Itwastwentyminutestofivewhenhereturned.Hewastwinklingandclearlyinagoodhumour.

"Isee,Holmes,"Iremarked,"thatyouhavetrackedtheAmbassadorialboots."

"Itwasacaseofcocainesmuggling.Veryingenious.ForthelasthourIhavebeeninaladies'Beauty
Parlour. There was a girl there with auburn hair who would have captured your susceptible heart at
once."

Poirot always has the impression that I am particularly susceptible to auburn hair. I do not bother to
argueaboutit.

Thetelephonerang.

"That'sprobablyDonaldRoss,"IsaidasIwentacrosstotheinstrument.

"DonaldRoss?"

"Yes.TheyoungmanwemetatChiswick.Hewantstoseeyouaboutsomething."

Itookdownthereceiver.

"Hello.CaptainHastingsspeaking,"

ItwasRoss.

"Oh!isthatyou,Hastings?HasM.Poirotcomein?"

"Yes,he'sherenow.Doyouwanttospeaktohimorareyoucominground?"

"It'snothingmuch.Icantellhimjustaswelloverthetelephone."

"Right.Holdon."

Poirotcameforwardandtookthereceiver.IwassoclosethatIcouldhear,faintly,Ross'svoice.

"IsthatM.Poirot?"Thevoicesoundedeager-excited.

"Yes,itisI."

"Look here, I don't want to bother you, but there's something that seems to me a bit odd. It's in
connectionwithLordEdgware'sdeath."

IsawPoirot'sfiguregotaut.

"Continue,continue."

"Itmayseemjustnonsensetoyou-"

"No,no.Tellme,allthesame."

"ItwasParissetmeoff.Yousee-"VeryfaintlyIheardabelltrilling.

"Halfasecond,"saidRoss.

Therewasthesoundofthereceiverbeinglaiddown.

Wewaited.Poirotatthemouthpiece.Iwasstandingbesidehim.

Isay-wewaited...

Twominutespassed-threeminutesfourminutes-fiveminutes.

Poirotshiftedhisfeetuneasily.Heglancedupattheclock.

ThenhemovedthehookupanddownandspoketotheExchange.Heturnedtome.

"The receiver is still off at the other end, but there is no reply. They cannot get an answer. Quick,
Hastings,lookupRoss'saddressinthetelephonebook.Wemustgothereatonce."

Chapter26

PARIS?

Afewminuteslaterwewerejumpingintoataxi.

Poirot'sfacewasverygrave.

"Iamafraid,Hastings,"hesaid."Iamafraid."

"Youdon'tmean-"Isaidandstopped.

"Weareupagainstsomebodywhohasalreadystrucktwice-thatpersonwillnothesitatetostrikeagain.
He is twisting and turning like a rat, fighting for his life. Ross is a danger. Then Ross will be
eliminated."

"Waswhathehadtotellsoimportant?"Iaskeddoubtfully."Hedidnotseemtothinkso."

"Thenhewaswrong.Evidentlywhathehadtotellwasofsupremeimportance."

"Buthowcouldanyoneknow?"

"Hespoketoyou,yousay.There,atClaridge's.Withpeopleallround.Madness-uttermadness.Ah!
whydidyounotbringhimbackwithyou-guardhim-letnoonenearhimtillIhadheardwhathehad
tosay."

"Ineverthought-Ineverdreamt-"Istammered.

Poirotmadeaquickgesture.

"Donotblameyourselfhowcouldyouknow?I-Iwouldhaveknown.Themurderer,yousee,Hastings,
isascunningasatigerandasrelentless.Ah!shallweneverarrive?"

We were there at last. Ross lived in a maisonette on the first floor of a house in a big square in
Kensington. A card stuck in a little slot by the door-bell gave us the information. The hall door was
open.Insidewasabigflightofstairs.

"Soeasytocomein.Nonetosee,"murmuredPoirotashesprangupthestairs.

OnthefirstfloorwasakindofpartitionandanarrowdoorwithaYalelock.Ross'scardwasstuckin
thecentreofthedoor.

Wepausedthere.Everywheretherewasdeadsilence.

Ipushedthedoor-tomysurpriseityielded.

Weentered.

There was a narrow hall and an open door one side, another in front of us opening into what was
evidentlythesitting-room.

Intothissitting-roomwewent.Itwasthedividedhalfofabigfrontdrawing-room.Itwascheaplybut
comfortablyfurnishedanditwasempty.Onasmalltablewasthetelephone,thereceiverstooddown
besidetheinstrument.Poirottookaswiftstepforward,lookedround,thenshookhishead.

"Nothere.Come,Hastings."

Weretracedourstepsand,goingoutintothehall,wepassedthroughtheotherdoor.Theroomwasa
tinydining-room.Atonesideofthetable,fallensidewaysfromachairandsprawledacrossthetable,
wasRoss.

Poirotbentoverhim.

Hestraightenedup-hisfacewaswhite.

"He'sdead.Stabbedatthebaseoftheskull."

Forlongafterwardstheeventsofthatafternoonremainedlikeanightmareinmymind.Icouldnotrid
myselfofadreadfulfeelingofresponsibility.

Much later, that evening, when we were alone together, I stammered out to Poirot my bitter self-
reproachings.Herespondedquickly.

"No, no, do not blame yourself. How could you have suspected? The good God has not given you a
suspiciousnaturetobeginwith."

"Youwouldhavesuspected?"

"That is different. All my life, you see, I have tracked down murderers. I know how, each time, the
impulsetokillbecomesstronger,till,atlast,foratrivialcause-"Hebrokeoff.

He had been very quiet ever since our ghastly discovery. All through the arrival of the police, the
questioning of the other people in the house, the hundred and one details of the dreadful routine
followinguponamurder,Poirothadremainedaloof-strangelyquiet-afar-awayspeculativelookin
hiseyes.Now,ashebrokeoffhissentence,thatsamefar-awayspeculativelookreturned.

"Wehavenotimetowasteinregrets,Hastings,"hesaidquietly."Notimetosay'if'.Thepooryoung
manwhoisdeadhadsomethingtotellus.Andweknownowthatthatsomethingmusthavebeenof
greatimportanceotherwisehewouldnothavebeenkilled.Sincehecannolongertellus-wehavegot
toguess.Wehavegottoguess-withonlyonelittlecluetoguideus."

"Paris,"Isaid.

"Yes,Paris."Hegotupandbegantostrollupanddown.

"There have been several mentions of Paris in this business, but unluckily in different connections.
ThereisthewordParisengravedinthegoldbox.ParisinNovemberlast.MissAdamswastherethen-
perhapsRosswastherealso.WastheresomeoneelsetherewhomRossknew?WhomhesawwithMiss
Adamsundersomewhatpeculiarcircumstances?"

"Wecanneverknow,"Isaid.

"Yes,yes,wecanknow.Weshallknow!Thepowerofthehumanbrain,Hastings,isalmostunlimited.
WhatothermentionsofParishaveweinconnectionwiththecase?Thereistheshortwomanwiththe
pince-nezwhocalledfortheboxatthejeweller'sthere.WassheknowntoRoss?TheDukeofMerton
wasinPariswhenthecrimewascommitted.Paris,Paris,Paris.LordEdgwarewasgoingtoParis-Ah!
possiblywehavesomethingthere.WashekilledtopreventhimgoingtoParis?"

Hesatdownagain,hisbrowsdrawntogether.Icouldalmostfeelthewavesofhisfuriousconcentration
ofthought.

"What happened at that luncheon?" he murmured. "Some casual word or phrase must have shown to
DonaldRossthesignificanceoftheknowledgewhichwasinhispossession,butwhichuptothenhe
hadnotknownwassignificant.WastheresomementionofFrance?OfParis?Upyourendofthetable,
Imean."

"ThewordPariswasmentionedbutnotinthatconnection."

ItoldhimaboutJaneWilkinson's"gaffe."

"That probably explains it," he said thoughtfully. "The word Paris would be sufficient - taken in
conjunctionwithsomethingelse.Butwhatwasthatsomethingelse?AtwhatwasRosslooking?Orof
whathadhebeenspeakingwhenthatwordwasuttered?"

"He'dbeentalkingaboutScottishsuperstitions."

"Andhiseyeswere-where?"

"I'mnotsure.IthinkhewaslookingtowardstheheadofthetablewhereMrs.Widburnwassitting."

"Whosatnexttoher?"

"TheDukeofMerton,thenJaneWilkinson,thensomefellowIdidn'tknow."

"M.leDuc.ItispossiblethathewaslookingatM.leDucwhenthewordPariswasspoken.TheDuke,
remember,wasinParisorwassupposedtobeinParisatthetimeofthecrime.SupposeRosssuddenly
rememberedsomethingwhichwenttoshowthatMertonwasnotinParis."

"MydearPoirot!"

"Yes,youconsiderthatanabsurdity.Sodoeseveryone.HadM.leDucamotiveforthecrime?Yes,a
verystrongone.Buttosupposethathecommittedit-oh!absurd.Heissorich,ofsoassuredaposition,
ofsuchawell-knownloftycharacter.Noonewillscrutinisehisalibitoocarefully.Andyettofakean
alibiinabighotelisnotsodifficult.Togoacrossbytheafternoonservice-toreturn-itcouldbedone.
Tell me, Hastings, did Ross not say anything when the word Paris was mentioned? Did he show no
emotion?"

"Idoseemtorememberthathedrewinhisbreathrathersharply."

"Andhismannerwhenhespoketoyouafterwards.Wasitbewildered?Confused?"

"Thatabsolutelydescribesit."

"Précisment.Anideahascometohim.Hethinksitpreposterous!Absurd!Andyethehesitatestovoice
it.Firsthewillspeaktome.Butalas!whenhehasmadeuphismind,Iamalreadydeparted."

"Ifhehadonlysaidalittlemoretome,"Ilamented.

"Yes.Ifonly-Whowasnearyouatthetime?"

"Well, everybody, more or less. They were saying good-bye to Mrs. Widburn. I didn't notice
particularly."

Poirotgotupagain.

"HaveIbeenallwrong?"hemurmuredashebeganoncemoretopacethefloor."Allthetime,haveI
beenwrong?"

Ilookedathimwithsympathy.ExactlywhattheideaswerethatpassedthroughhisheadIdidnotknow.
"Close as an oyster," Japp had called him, and the Scotland Yard inspector's words were truly
descriptive.Ionlyknewthatnow,atthismoment,hewasatwarwithhimself.

"Atanyrate,"Isaid,"thismurdercannotbeputdowntoRonaldMarsh."

"It is a point in his favour," my friend said absent-mindedly. "But that does not concern us for the
moment."

Abruptly,asbefore,hesatdown.

"Icannotbeentirelywrong.Hastings,doyourememberthatIonceposedtomyselffivequestions?"

"Iseemtorememberdimlysomethingofthesort."

"Theywere:WhydidLordEdgwarechangehismindonthesubjectofdivorce?Whatistheexplanation
of the letter he said he wrote to his wife and which she said she never got? Why was there that
expressionofrageonhisfacewhenwelefthishousethatday?Whatwereapairofpince-nezdoingin
CarlottaAdams'handbag?WhydidsomeonetelephonetoLadyEdgwareatChiswickandimmediately
ringoff?"

"Yes,thesewerethequestions,"Isaid."Iremembernow."

"Hastings,Ihavehadinmindallalongacertainlittleidea.Anideaastowhothemanwas-theman
behind.ThreeofthosequestionsIhaveanswered-andtheanswersaccordwithmylittleidea.Buttwo
ofthequestions,Hastings,Icannotanswer.

"Youseewhatthatmeans.EitherIamwrongastotheperson,anditcannotbethatperson.Orelsethe
answertothetwoquestionsthatIcannotansweristhereallthetime.Whichisit,Hastings?Whichis
it?"

Rising, he went to his desk, unlocked it and took out the letter Lucie Adams had sent him from
America.HehadaskedJapptolethimkeepitadayortwoandJapphadagreed.Poirotlaiditonthe
tableinfrontofhimandporedoverit.

Theminuteswentby.Iyawnedandpickedupabook.IdidnotthinkthatPoirotwouldgetmuchresult
fromhisstudy.Wehadalreadygoneoverandovertheletter.GrantedthatitwasnotRonaldMarshwho
wasreferredto,therewasnothingwhatevertoshowwhoelseitmightbe.

Iturnedthepagesofmybook...

PossiblyIdozedoff...

Suddenly Poirot uttered a low cry. I sat up abruptly. He was looking at me with an indescribable
expression,hiseyesgreenandshining.

"Hastings,Hastings."

"Yes,whatisit?"

"Do you remember I said to you that if the murderer had been a man of order and method he would
havecutthispage,nottornit?"

"Yes?"

"Iwaswrong.Thereisorderandmethodthroughoutthiscrime.Thepagehadtobetorn,notcut.Look
foryourself."

Ilooked.

"Ehbien,yousee?"

Ishookmyhead.

"Youmeanhewasinahurry?"

"Hurryornohurryitwouldbethesamething.Doyounotsee,myfriend?Thepagehadtobetorn."

Ishookmyhead.

InalowvoicePoirotsaid:

"Ihavebeenfoolish.Ihavebeenblind.Butnow-now-weshallgeton!"

Chapter27

CONCERNINGAPINCE-NEZ

A minute later his mood had changed. He sprang to his feet. I also sprang to mine - completely
uncomprehendingbutwilling.

"Wewilltakeataxi.Itisonlynineo'clock.Nottoolatetomakeavisit."

Ihurriedafterhimdownthestairs.

"Whomarewegoingtovisit?"

"WearegoingtoRegentGate."

Ijudgeditwisesttoholdmypeace.Poirot,Isaw,wasnotinthemoodforbeingquestioned.Thathe
wasgreatlyexcitedIcouldsee.Aswesatsidebysideinthetaxihisfingersdrummedonhiskneewith
anervousimpatiencemostunlikehisusualcalm.

IwentoverinmymindeverywordofCarlottaAdams'lettertohersister.BythistimeIalmostknewit
byheart.IrepeatedagainandagaintomyselfPoirot'swordsaboutthetornpage.

Butitwasnogood.AsfarasIwasconcerned,Poirot'swordssimplydidnotmakesense.Whyhada
pagegottobetorn?No,Icouldnotseeit.

AnewbutleropenedthedoortousatRegentGate.PoirotaskedforMissCaroll,andaswefollowedthe
butlerupthestairsIwonderedforthefiftiethtimewheretheformer"Greekgod"couldbe.Sofarthe
policehadfailedutterlytorunhimtoearth.AsuddenshiverpassedovermeasIreflectedthatperhaps
he,too,wasdead...

The sight of Miss Carroll, brisk and neat and eminently sane, recalled me from these fantastic
speculations.ShewasclearlyverymuchsurprisedtoseePoirot.

"Iamgladtofindyoustillhere,Mademoiselle,"saidPoirotashebowedoverherhand."Iwasafraid
youmightbenolongerinthehouse."

"Geraldinewouldnothearofmyleaving,"saidMissCarroll."Shebeggedmetostayon.Andreally,at
atimelikethis,thepoorchildneedssomeone.Ifsheneedsnothingelse,sheneedsabuffer.AndIcan
assureyou,whenneedbe,Imakeaveryefficientbuffer,M.Poirot."

Hermouthtookonagrimline.Ifeltthatshewouldhaveashortwaywithreportersornewshunters.

"Mademoiselle,youhavealwaysseemedtomethepatternofefficiency.Theefficiency,Iadmireitvery
much.Itisrare.MademoiselleMarshnow,shehasnotgotthepracticalmind."

"She'sadreamer,"saidMissCarroll."Completelyimpractical.Alwayshasbeen.Luckyshehasn'tgot
herlivingtoget."

"Yes,indeed."

"ButIdon'tsupposeyoucameheretotalkaboutpeoplebeingpracticalorimpractical.WhatcanIdo
foryou,M.Poirot?"

IdonotthinkPoirotquitelikedtoberecalledtothepointinthisfashion.Hewassomewhataddictedto
theobliqueapproach.WithMissCarroll,however,suchathingwasnotpracticable.Sheblinkedathim
suspiciouslythroughherstrongglasses.

"ThereareafewpointsonwhichIshouldlikedefiniteinformation.IknowIcantrustyourmemory,
MissCarroll."

"Iwouldn'tbemuchuseasasecretaryifyoucouldn't,"saidMissCarrollgrimly.

"WasLordEdgwareinParislastNovember?"

"Yes."

"Canyoutellmethedateofhisvisit?"

"Ishallhavetolookitup."

Sherose,unlockedadrawer,tookoutasmallboundbook,turnedthepagesandfinallyannounced:

"Lord Edgware went to Paris on November 3rd and returned on the 7th. He also went over on
November29thandreturnedonDecember4th.Anythingmore?"

"Yes.Forwhatpurposedidhego?"

"Onthefirstoccasionhewenttoseesomestatuetteswhichhethoughtofpurchasingandwhichwereto
beauctionedlater.OnthesecondoccasionhehadnodefinitepurposeinviewsofarasIknow."

"DidMademoiselleMarshaccompanyherfatheroneitheroccasion?"

"She never accompanied her father on any occasion, M. Poirot. Lord Edgware would never have
dreamedofsuchathing.AtthattimeshewasataconventinParis,butIdonotthinkherfatherwentto
seeherortookherout-atleastitwouldsurprisemeverymuchifhehad."

"Youyourselfdidnotaccompanyhim?"

"No."

Shelookedathimcuriouslyandthensaidabruptly:

"Whyareyouaskingmethesequestions,M.Poirot?Whatisthepointofthem?"

Poirotdidnotreplytothisquestion.Insteadhesaid:

"MissMarshisveryfondofhercousin,isshenot?"

"Really,M.Poirot,Idon'tseewhatthathasgottodowithyou."

"Shecametoseemetheotherday!Youknewthat?"

"No,Ididnot."Sheseemedstartled."Whatdidshesay?"

"Shetoldme-thoughnotinactualwords-thatshewasveryfondofhercousin."

"Well,then,whyaskme?"

"BecauseIseekyouropinion."

ThistimeMissCarrolldecidedtoanswer.

"Muchtoofondofhiminmyopinion.Alwayshasbeen."

"YoudonotlikethepresentLordEdgware?"

"Idon'tsaythat.I'venouseforhim,that'sall.He'snotserious.Idon'tdenyhe'sgotapleasantwaywith
him.Hecantalkyouround.ButI'dratherseeGeraldinegettinginterestedinsomeonewithalittlemore
backbone-"

"SuchastheDukeofMerton?"

"I don't know the Duke. At any rate, he seems to take the duties of his position seriously. But he's
runningafterthatwoman-thatpreciousJaneWilkinson."

"Hismother-"

"Oh!IdaresayhismotherwouldpreferhimtomarryGeraldine.Butwhatcanmothersdo?Sonsnever
wanttomarrythegirlstheirmotherswantthemtomarry."

"DoyouthinkthatMissMarsh'scousincaresforher?"

"Doesn'tmatterwhetherhedoesordoesn'tinthepositionhe'sin."

"Youthink,then,thathewillbecondemned?"

"No,Idon't.Idon'tthinkhedidit."

"Buthemightbecondemnedallthesame?"

MissCarrolldidnotreply.

"Imustnotdetainyou."Poirotrose."Bytheway,didyouknowCarlottaAdams?"

"Isawheract.Veryclever."

"Yes,shewasclever."Heseemedlostinmeditation."Ah!Ihaveputdownmygloves."

Reachingforwardtogetthemfromthetablewherehehadlaidthem,hiscuffcaughtthechainofMiss
Carroll's pince-nez and jerked them off. Poirot retrieved them and the gloves which he had dropped,
utteringconfusedapologies.

"Imustapologisealsooncemorefordisturbingyou,"heended."ButIfanciedtheremightbesomeclue
inadisputeLordEdgwarehadwithsomeonelastyear.HencemyquestionsaboutParis.Aforlornhope,
I fear, but Mademoiselle seemed so very positive it was not her cousin who committed the crime.
Remarkablypositiveshewas.Well,good-night,Mademoiselle,andathousandpardonsfordisturbing
you."

WehadreachedthedoorwhenMissCarroll'svoicerecalledus.

"M.Poirot,thesearen'tmyglasses.Ican'tseethroughthem."

"Comment?"Poirotstaredatherinamazement.Thenhisfacebrokeintosmiles.

"ImbecilethatIam!MyownglassesfelloutofmypocketasIstoopedtogettheglovesandpickup
yours.Ihavemixedthetwopairs.Theylookveryalike,yousee.

Anexchangewasmade,withsmilesonbothsides,andwetookourdeparture.

"Poirot,"Isaidwhenwewereoutside."Youdon'twearglasses."

Hebeamedatme.

"Penetrating!Howquicklyyouseethepoint."

"Thosewerethepince-nezfoundinCarlottaAdams'handbag?"

"Correct."

"WhydidyouthinktheymightbeMissCarroll's?"

Poirotshruggedhisshoulders.

"Sheistheonlypersonconnectedwiththecasewhowearsglasses."

"However,theyarenothers,"Isaidthoughtfully."Sosheaffirms."

"Yoususpiciousolddevil."

"Notatall,notatall.Probablyshespokethetruth.Ithinkshedidspeakthetruth.OtherwiseIdoubtif
shewouldhavenoticedthesubstitution.Ididitveryadroitly,myfriend."

We were strolling through the streets more or less at random. I suggested a taxi, but Poirot shook his
head.

"Ihaveneedtothink,myfriend.Walkingaidsme."

Isaidnomore.ThenightwasacloseoneandIwasinnohurrytoreturnhome.

"WereyourquestionsaboutParismerecamouflage?"Isaidcuriously.

"Notentirely."

"We still haven't solved the mystery of the initial D," I said thoughtfully. "It's odd that nobody to do
withthecasehasaninitialD-eithersurnameorChristianname-except-oh!yes,that'sodd-except
DonaldRosshimself.Andhe'sdead."

"Yes,"saidPoirotinasombrevoice."Heisdead."

Irememberedanothereveningwhenthreeofushadwalkedatnight.

Rememberedsomethingelse,too,anddrewmybreathsharply.

"ByJove,Poirot,"Isaid."Doyouremember?"

"Rememberwhat,myfriend?"

"WhatRosssaidaboutthirteenattable.Andhewasthefirsttogetup."

Poirot did not answer. I felt a little uncomfortable as one always does when superstition is proved
justified.

"Itisqueer,"Isaidinalowvoice."Youmustadmititisqueer."

"Eh?"

"Isaiditwasqueer-aboutRossandthirteen.Poirot,whatareyouthinkingabout?"

To my utter amazement and, I must admit, somewhat to my disgust, Poirot began suddenly to shake
withlaughter.Heshookandheshook.Somethingwasevidentlycausinghimthemostexquisitemirth.

"Whatthedevilareyoulaughingat?"Isaidsharply.

"Oh!Oh!Oh!"gaspedPoirot."Itisnothing.ItisthatIthinkofariddleIheartheotherday.Iwilltellit
toyou.Whatisitthathastwolegs,feathers,andbarkslikeadog?"

"Achicken,ofcourse,"Isaidwearily."Iknewthatinthenursery."

"Youaretoowell-informed,Hastings.Youshouldsay,'Idonotknow.'Andthenme,Isay,'Achicken,'
andthenyousay,'Butachickendoesnotbarklikeadog,'andIsay,'Ah!Iputthatintomakeitmore
difficult.'Supposing,Hastings,thattherewehavetheexplanationoftheletterD?"

"Whatnonsense!"

"Yes,tomostpeople,buttoacertaintypeofmind.Oh!ifIhadonlysomeoneIcouldask..."

We were passing a big cinema. People were streaming out of it discussing their own affairs, their
servants,theirfriendsoftheoppositesex,andjustoccasionally,thepicturetheyhadjustseen.

WithagroupofthemwecrossedtheEustonRoad.

"Ilovedit,"agirlwassighing."IthinkBryanMartin'sjustwonderful.Inevermissanypicturehe'sin.
Thewayherodedownthatcliffandgotthereintimewiththepapers."

Herescortwaslessenthusiastic.

"Idioticstory.Ifthey'djusthadthesensetoaskEllisrightaway,whichanyonewithsensewouldhave
done-"

Therestwaslost.ReachingthepavementIturnedbacktoseePoirotstandinginthemiddleoftheroad
with'busesbearingdownonhimfromeitherside.

Instinctively I put my hands over my eyes. There was a jarring of brakes, and some rich 'bus driver
language.InadignifiedmannerPoirotwalkedtothekerb.Helookedlikeamanwalkinginhissleep.

"Poirot,"Isaid."Wereyoumad?"

"No,monami.Itwasjustthat-somethingcametome.There,atthatmoment."

"Adamnedbadmoment,"Isaid."Andverynearlyyourlastone."

"No matter. Ah! mon ami - I have been blind, deaf, insensible. Now I see the answers to all those
questions-yes,allfiveofthem.Yes-Iseeitall...Sosimple,sochildishlysimple..."

Chapter28

POIROTASKSAFEWQUESTIONS

Wehadacuriouswalkhome.

Poirotwasclearlyfollowingoutsometrainofthoughtinhisownmind.Occasionallyhemurmureda
wordunderhisbreath.Iheardoneortwoofthem.Oncehesaid:"Candles,"andanothertimehesaid

somethingthatsoundedlike"douzaine."IsupposeifIhadbeenreallybrightIshouldhaveseentheline
histhoughtsweretaking.Itwasreallysuchacleartrail.However,atthetime,itsoundedtomemere
gibberish.

Nosoonerwereweathomethanheflewtothetelephone.HeranguptheSavoyandaskedtospeakto
LadyEdgware.

"Notahope,oldboy,"Isaidwithsomeamusement.

Poirot,asIhaveoftentoldhim,isoneoftheworstinformedmenintheworld.

"Don'tyouknow?"Iwenton."She'sinanewplay.She'llbeatthetheatre.It'sonlyhalf-pastten."

Poirotpaidnoattentiontome.Hewasspeakingtothehotelclerkwhowasevidentlytellinghimexactly
whatIhadjusttoldhim.

"Ah!isthatso?Ishouldlikethen,tospeaktoLadyEdgware'smaid."

Inafewminutestheconnectionwasmade.

"Is that Lady Edgware's maid? This is M. Poirot speaking. M. Hercule Poirot. You remember me, do
younot?"

"Trèsbien,youunderstand,somethingofimportancehasarisen.Iwouldlikeyoutocomeandseemeat
once."

"Butyes,veryimportant.Iwillgiveyoutheaddress.Listencarefully."

Herepeatedittwice,thenhungupthereceiverwithathoughtfulface.

"Whatistheidea?"Iaskedcuriously."Haveyoureallygotapieceofinformation?"

"No,Hastings,itisshewhowillgivemetheinformation."

"Whatinformation?"

"Informationaboutacertainperson."

"JaneWilkinson?"

"Oh!astoher,IhavealltheinformationIneed.Iknowherbacksidebefore,asyousay."

"Who,then?"

Poirot gave me one of his supremely irritating smiles and told me to wait and see. He then busied
himselfintidyinguptheroominafussymanner.

Ten minutes later the maid arrived. She seemed a little nervous and uncertain. A small neat figure
dressedinblack,shepeeredaboutherdoubtfully.Poirotbustledforward,

"Ah!youhavecome.Thatismostkind.Sithere,willyounot,MademoiselleEllis,Ithink?"

"Yes,sir.Ellis."

ShesatdownonthechairPoirothaddrawnforwardforher.

Shesatwithherhandsfoldedonherlaplookingfromonetotheotherofus.Hersmallbloodlessface
wasquitecomposedandherthinlipswerepinchedtogether.

"Tobeginwith,MissEllis,youhavebeenwithLadyEdgwarehowlong?"

"Threeyears,sir."

"ThatisasIthought.Youknowheraffairswell."

Ellisdidnotreply.Shelookeddisapproving.

"WhatImeanis,youshouldhaveagoodideaofwhoherenemiesarelikelytobe."

Elliscompressedherlipsmoretightly.

"Mostwomenhavetriedtodoheraspitefulturn,sir.Yes,they'veallbeenagainsther.Nastyjealousy."

"Herownsexdidnotlikeher?"

"No,sir.She'stoogood-looking.Andshealwaysgetswhatshewants.There'salotofnastyjealousyin
thetheatricalprofession."

"Whataboutmen?"

Ellisallowedasoursmiletoappearonherwitheredcountenance.

"Shecandowhatshelikeswiththegentlemen,sir,andthat'safact."

"Iagreewithyou,"saidPoirot,smiling."Yet,evenallowingthat,Icanimaginecircumstancesarising-"
Hebrokeoff.

Thenhesaidinadifferentvoice:

"YouknowMr.BryanMartin,thefilmstar?"

"Oh!yes,sir."

"Verywell?"

"Verywell,indeed."

"I believe I am not mistaken in saying that a little less than a year ago, Mr. Bryan Martin was very
deeplyinlovewithyourmistress."

"Headoverears,sir.Andit's'is,'not'was,'ifyouaskme."

"Hebelievedatthattimeshewouldmarryhim-eh?"

"Yes,sir."

"Didsheeverseriouslyconsidermarryinghim?"

"Shethoughtofit,sir.Ifshecouldhavegotherfreedomfromhislordship,Ibelieveshewouldhave
marriedhim."

"Andthen,Isuppose,theDukeofMertonappearedonthescene?"

"Yes,sir.HewasdoingatourthroughtheStates.Loveatfirstsightitwaswithhim."

"Andsogood-byetoBryanMartin'schances?"

Ellisnodded.

"OfcourseMr.Martinmadeanenormousamountofmoney,"sheexplained."ButtheDukeofMerton
hadpositionaswell.Andherladyshipisverykeenonposition.MarriedtotheDuke,she'dhavebeen
oneofthefirstladiesintheland."

Themaid'svoiceheldasmugcomplacency.Itamusedme.

"SoMr.BryanMartinwas-howdoyousay-turneddown?Didhetakeitbadly?"

"Hecarriedonsomethingawful,sir."

"He threatened her with a revolver once. And the scenes he made. It frightened me, it did. He was
drinkingalot,too.Hewentalltopieces."

"Butintheendhecalmeddown."

"Soitseemed,sir.Buthestillhungabout.AndIdidn'tlikethelookinhiseye.I'vewarnedherladyship
aboutit,butsheonlylaughed.She'sonewhoenjoysfeelingherpower,youknowwhatImean."

"Yes,"saidPoirotthoughtfully."IthinkIknowwhatyoumean."

"We'venotseensomuchofhimjustlately,sir.Agoodthinginmyopinion.He'sbeginningtogetover
it,Ihope."

"Perhaps."

SomethinginPoirot'sutteranceofthewordseemedtostrikeher.Sheaskedanxiously:

"Youdon'tthinkshe'sindanger,sir?"

"Yes,"saidPoirotgravely."Ithinksheisingreatdanger.Butshehasbroughtitonherself."

Hishand,runningaimlesslyalongthemantelshelf,caughtavaseofrosesandittoppledover.Thewater
fellonEllis'sfaceandhead.IhadseldomknownPoirotclumsy,andIcoulddeducefromitthathewas
inagreatstateofmentalperturbation.Hewasveryupset-rushedforatowel-tenderlyassistedthemaid
todryherfaceandneckandwasprofuseinapologies.

Finally a treasury note exchanged hands and he escorted her towards the door, thanking her for her
goodnessincoming.

"Butitisstillearly,"hesaid,glancingattheclock."Youwillbebackbeforeyourmistressreturns."

"Oh!thatisquiteallright,sir.Sheisgoingouttosupper,Ithink,andanyway,sheneverexpectsmeto
situpforherunlessshesayssospecial."

SuddenlyPoirotflewoffatatangent.

"Mademoiselle,pardonme,butyouarelimping."

"That'snothing,sir.Myfeetarealittlepainful."

"Thecorns?"murmuredPoirotintheconfidentialvoiceofonesufferertoanother.

Corns, apparently, it was. Poirot expatiated upon a certain remedy which, according to him, worked
wonders.

FinallyEllisdeparted.

Iwasfullofcuriosity.

"Well,Poirot,"Isaid."Well?"

Hesmiledatmyeagerness.

"Nothing more this evening, my friend. Tomorrow morning, early, we will ring up Japp. We will ask
himtocomeround.WewillalsoringupMr.BryanMartin.Ithinkhewillbeabletotellussomething
interesting.Also,IwishtopayhimadebtthatIowehim."

"Really?"

IlookedatPoirotsideways.Hewassmilingtohimselfinacuriousway.

"Atanyrate,"Isaid,"youcan'tsuspecthimofkillingLordEdgware.Especiallyafterwhatwe'veheard
tonight.ThatwouldbeplayingJane'sgamewithavengeance.Tokilloffthehusbandsoastoletthe
ladymarrysomeoneelseisalittletoodisinterestedforanyman."

"Whatprofoundjudgment!"

"Nowdon'tbesarcastic,"Isaidwithsomeannoyance."Andwhatonearthareyoufiddlingwithallthe
time?"

Poirotheldtheobjectinquestionup.

"Withthepince-nezofthegoodEllis,myfriend.Sheleftthembehind."

"Nonsense,shehadthemonhernosewhenshewentout."

Heshookhisheadgently.

"Wrong!Absolutelywrong!Whatshehadon,mydearHastings,werethepairofpince-nezwefoundin
CarlottaAdams'handbag."

Igasped.

Chapter29

POIROTSPEAKS

ItfelltometoringupInspectorJappthefollowingmorning.

Hisvoicesoundedratherdepressed.

"Oh!it'syou,CaptainHastings.Well,what'sinthewindnow?"

IgavehimPoirot'smessage.

"Come round at eleven? Well, I dare say I could. He's not got anything to help us over young Ross's
death,hashe?Idon'tmindconfessingthatwecoulddowithsomething.There'snotaclueofanykind.
Mostmysteriousbusiness."

"Ithinkhe'sgotsomethingforyou,"Isaidnon-committally."Heseemsverypleasedwithhimselfatall
events."

"That'smorethanIam,Icantellyou.Allright,CaptainHastings.I'llbethere."

MynexttaskwastoringupBryanMartin.TohimIsaidwhatIhadbeentoldtosay:ThatPoirothad
discovered something rather interesting which he thought Mr. Martin would like to hear. When asked
whatitwas,IsaidthatIhadnoidea.Poirothadnotconfidedinme.Therewasapause.

"Allright,"saidBryanatlast."I'llcome."

Herangoff.

Presently,somewhattomysurprise,PoirotrangupJennyDriverandaskedher,also,tobepresent.

Hewasquietandrathergrave.Iaskedhimnoquestions.

BryanMartinwasthefirsttoarrive.Helookedingoodhealthandspirits,but-oritmighthavebeenmy
fancy-ashadeuneasy.JennyDriverarrivedalmostimmediatelyafterwards.Sheseemedsurprisedto
seeBryan,andheseemedtosharehersurprise.

Poirotbroughtforwardtwochairsandurgedthemtositdown.Heglancedathiswatch.

"InspectorJappwillbehereinonemoment,Iexpect."

"InspectorJapp?"Bryanseemedstartled.

"Yes-Ihaveaskedhimtocomehere-informally-asafriend."

"Isee."

He relapsed into silence. Jenny gave a quick glance at him then glanced away. She seemed rather
preoccupiedaboutsomethingthismorning.

Amomentlater,Jappenteredtheroom.

Hewas,Ithink,atriflesurprisedtofindBryanMartinandJennyDriverthere,buthemadenosign.He
greetedPoirotwithhisusualjocularity.

"Well,M.Poirot,what'sitallabout?You'vegotsomewonderfultheoryorother,Isuppose."

Poirotbeamedathim.

"No,no-nothingwonderful.Justalittlestoryquitesimple-sosimplethatIamashamednottohave
seenitatonce.Iwant,ifyoupermit,totakeyouwithmethroughthecasefromthebeginning."

Jappsighedandlookedathiswatch.

"Ifyouwon'tbemorethananhour-"hesaid.

"Reassureyourself,"saidPoirot."Itwillnottakeaslongasthat.Seehere,youwanttoknow,doyou
now,whoitwaskilledLordEdgware,whoitwaskilledMissAdams,whoitwaskilledDonaldRoss?"

"I'dliketoknowthelast,"saidJappcautiously.

"Listen to me and you shall know everything. See, I am going to be humble." (Not likely! I thought
unbelievingly.) "I am going to show you every step of the way - I am going to reveal how I was
hoodwinked, how I displayed the gross imbecility, how it needed the conversation of my friend
Hastingsandachanceremarkbyatotalstrangertoputmeontherighttrack."

Hepausedandthen,clearinghisthroat,hebegantospeakinwhatIcalledhis"lecture"voice.

"I will begin at the supper party at the Savoy. Lady Edgware accosted me and asked for a private
interview. She wanted to get rid of her husband. At the close of our interview she said - somewhat
unwisely,Ithought-thatshemighthavetogoroundinataxiandkillhimherself.Thosewordswere
heardbyMr.BryanMartin,whocameinatthatmoment."

Hewheeledround.

"Eh?Thatisso,isitnot?"

"Weallheard,"saidtheactor."TheWidburns,Marsh,Carlotta-allofus."

"Oh! I agree. I agree perfectly. Eh bien, I did not have a chance to forget those words of Lady
Edgware's. Mr. Bryan Martin called on me the following morning for the express purpose of driving
thosewordshome."

"Notatall,"criedBryanMartinangrily."Icame-"

Poirotheldupahand.

"Youcame,ostensibly,totellmeacock-and-bullstoryaboutbeingshadowed.Atalethatachildmight
have seen through. You probably took it from an out-of-date film. A girl whose consent you had to
obtain-amanwhomyourecognisedbyagoldtooth.Monami,noyoungmanwouldhaveagoldtooth
-itisnotdoneinthesedays-andespeciallyinAmerica.Thegoldtoothitisahopelesslyold-fashioned
pieceofdentistry.Oh!itwasallofapiece-absurd!Havingtoldyourcock-and-bullstoryyougetdown
to the real purpose of your visit - to poison my mind against Lady Edgware. To put it clearly, you
preparethegroundforthemomentwhenshemurdersherhusband."

"Idon'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout,"mutteredBryanMartin.Hisfacewasdeathlypale.

"Youridiculetheideathathewillagreetoadivorce!YouthinkIamgoingtoseehimthefollowingday,
butactuallytheappointmentischanged.Igotoseehimthatmorningandhedoesagreetoadivorce.
Any motive for a crime on Lady Edgware's part is gone. Moreover, he tells me that he has already
writtentoLadyEdgwaretothateffect.

"ButLadyEdgwaredeclaresthatshenevergotthatletter.Eithershelies,herhusbandlies,orsomebody
hassuppresseditwho?

"NowIaskmyselfwhydoesM.BryanMartingivehimselfthetroubletocomeandtellmeallthese
lies?Whatinnerpowerdriveshimon?AndIformtheidea,Monsieur,thatyouhavebeenfranticallyin
love with that lady. Lord Edgware says that his wife told him she wanted to marry an actor. Well,
supposingthatisso,butthattheladychangeshermind.BythetimeLordEdgware'sletteragreeingto
thedivorcearrives,itissomeoneelseshewantstomarry-notyou!Therewouldbeareason,then,for
yousuppressingthatletter."

"Inever-"

"Presentlyyoushallsayallyouwanttosay.Nowyouwillattendtome.

"What,then,wouldbeyourframeofmind-you,aspoiltidolwhohasneverknownarebuff?AsIsee
it,akindofbaffledfury,adesiretodoLadyEdgwareasmuchharmaspossible.Andwhatgreaterharm
couldyoudoher,thantohaveheraccused-perhapshangedformurder."

"GoodLord!"saidJapp.

Poirotturnedtohim.

"Butyes,thatwasthelittleideathatbegantoshapeitselfinmymind.Severalthingscametosupportit.
CarlottaAdamshadtwoprincipalmenfriends-CaptainMarshandBryanMartin.Itwaspossible,then,
thatBryanMartin,arichman,wastheonewhosuggestedthehoaxandofferedhertenthousanddollars
tocarryitthrough.IthasseemedtomeunlikelyallalongthatMissAdamscouldeverhavebelieved
RonaldMarshwouldhavethetenthousanddollarstogiveher.Sheknewhimtobeextremelyhardup.
BryanMartinwasafarmorelikelysolution."

"Ididn't-ItellyouIdidn't-"camehoarselyfromthefilmactor'slips.

"WhenthesubstanceofMissAdams'lettertohersisterwaswiredfromWashington-oh!la,la!Iwas
very upset. It seemed that my reasoning was wholly wrong. But later I made a discovery. The actual
letter itself was sent to me and instead of being continuous, a sheet of the letter was missing. So 'he'
mightrefertosomeonewhowasnotCaptainMarsh.

"Therewasonemorepieceofevidence.CaptainMarsh,whenhewasarrested,distinctlystatedthathe
thought he saw Bryan Martin enter the house. Coming from an accused man, that carried no weight.
AlsoM.Martinhadanalibi.Thatnaturally!Itwastobeexpected.IfM.Martindidthemurder,tohave
analibiwasabsolutelynecessary.

"Thatalibiwasvouchedforbyonepersononly-MissDriver."

"Whataboutit?"saidthegirlsharply.

"Nothing,Mademoiselle,"saidPoirot,smiling."ExceptthatthesamedayInoticedyoulunchingwith
M.Martinandthatyoupresentlytookthetroubletocomeoverandtrytomakemebelievethatyour
friendMissAdamswasspeciallyinterestedinRonaldMarsh-not,asIwassurewasthecase-inBryan
Martin."

"Notabitofit,"saidthefilmstarstoutly.

"Youmayhavebeenunawareofit,Monsieur,"saidPoirotquietly,"butIthinkitwastrue.Itexplains,as
nothingelsecould,herfeelingofdisliketowardsLadyEdgware.Thatdislikewasonyourbehalf.You
hadtoldherallaboutyourrebuff,hadyounot?"

"Well-yes-IfeltImusttalktosomeoneandshe-"

"Wassympathetic.Yes,shewassympathetic,Inoticeditmyself.Ehbien,whathappensnext?Ronald
Marsh, he is arrested. Immediately your spirits improve. Any anxiety you have had is over. Although
your plan has miscarried owing to Lady Edgware's change of mind about going to a party at the last
minute, yet somebody else has become the scapegoat and relieved you of all anxiety on your own
account.Andthen-ataluncheonparty-youhearDonaldRoss,thatpleasant,butratherstupidyoung
man,saysomethingtoHastingsthatseemstoshowthatyouarenotsosafeafterall."

"Itisn'ttrue,"theactorhowled.Theperspirationwasrunningdownhisface.Hiseyeslookedwildwith
terror."ItellyouIheardnothing-nothing-Ididnothing."

Then,Ithink,camethegreatestshockofthemorning.

"That is quite true," said Poirot quietly. "And I hope you have now been sufficiently punished for
comingtome-me,HerculePoirot,withacock-and-bullstory."

Weallgasped.Poirotcontinueddreamily.

"Yousee-Iamshowingyouallmymistakes.TherewerefivequestionsIhadaskedmyself.Hastings
knowsthem.Theanswertothreeofthemfittedinverywell.Whohadsuppressedthatletter?Clearly
BryanMartinansweredthatquestionverywell.AnotherquestionwaswhathadinducedLordEdgware
suddenlytochangehismindandagreetoadivorce?Well,Ihadanideaastothat.Eitherhewantedto
marry again - but I could find no evidence pointing to that - or else some kind of blackmail was
involved.LordEdgwarewasamanofpeculiartastes.Itwaspossiblethatfactsabouthimhadcometo
light which, while not entitling his wife to an English divorce, might yet be used by her as a lever
coupledwiththethreatofpublicity.Ithinkthatiswhathappened.LordEdgwaredidnotwantanopen
scandal attached to his name. He gave in, though his fury at having to do so was expressed in the
murderous look on his face when he thought himself unobserved. It also explains the suspicious
quicknesswithwhichhesaid,'Notbecauseofanythingintheletter,'beforeIhadevensuggestedthat
thatmightbethecase.

"Twoquestionsremained.Thequestionofanoddpairofpince-nezinMissAdams'bagwhichdidnot
belongtoher.AndthequestionofwhyLadyEdgwarewasrunguponthetelephonewhilstshewasat

dinneratChiswick.InnowaycouldIfitinM.BryanMartinwitheitherofthosequestions.

"So I was forced to the conclusion that either I was wrong about M. Martin, or wrong about the
questions.IndespairIonceagainreadthatletterofMissAdams'throughverycarefully.AndIfound
something!Yes,Ifoundsomething!

"Seeforyourselves.Hereitis.Youseethesheetistorn?Unevenly,asoftenhappens.Supposingnow
thatbeforethe'h'atthetoptherewasan's'...

"Ah! you have it! You see. Not he - but she! It was a woman who suggested this hoax to Carlotta
Adams.

"Well,Imadealistofallthewomenwhohadbeenevenlyremotelyconnectedwiththecase.Beside
Jane Wilkinson, there were four - Geraldine Marsh, Miss Carroll, Miss Driver and the Duchess of
Merton.

"Ofthosefour,theonethatinterestedmemostwasMissCarroll.Sheworeglasses,shewasinthehouse
that night, she had already been inaccurate in her evidence owing to her desire to incriminate Lady
Edgware,andshewasalsoawomanofgreatefficiencyandnervewhocouldhavecarriedoutsucha
crime.Themotivewasmoreobscure-butafterall,shehadworkedwithLordEdgwaresomeyearsand
somemotivemightexistofwhichweweretotallyunaware.

"IalsofeltthatIcouldnotquitedismissGeraldineMarshfromthecase.Shehatedherfather-shehad
toldmeso.Shewasaneurotic,highly-strungtype.Supposewhenshewentintothehousethatnightshe
haddeliberatelystabbedherfatherandthencoollyproceededupstairstofetchthepearls.Imagineher
agonywhenshefoundthathercousinwhomsheloveddevotedlyhadnotremainedoutsideinthetaxi
buthadenteredthehouse!

"Heragitatedmannercouldbewellexplainedontheselines.Itcouldequallywellbeexplainedbyher
owninnocence,butbyherfearthathercousinreallyhaddonethecrime.Therewasanothersmallpoint.
ThegoldboxfoundinMissAdams'baghadtheinitialDinit.IhadheardGeraldineaddressedbyher
cousin as 'Dina.' Also, she was in a pensionnat in Paris last November and might possibly have met
CarlottaAdamsinParis.

"YoumaythinkitfantastictoaddtheDuchessofMertontothelist.ButshehadcalleduponmeandI
recognised in her a fanatical type, The love of her whole life was centred on her son, and she might
haveworkedherselfuptocontriveaplottodestroythewomanwhowasabouttoruinherson'slife.

"ThentherewasMissJennyDriver-"

Hepaused,lookingatJenny.Shelookedbackathim,animpudentheadononeside.

"Andwhathaveyougotonme?"sheasked.

"Nothing, Mademoiselle, except that you were a friend of Bryan Martin's - and that your surname
beginswithD."

"That'snotverymuch."

"There'sonethingmore.Youhavethebrainsandthenervetocommitsuchacrime.Idoubtifanyone
elsehad."

Thegirllitacigarette.

"Continue,"shesaidcheerfully.

"Was M. Martin's alibi genuine or was it not? That was what I had to decide. If it was, who was it
RonaldMarshhadseengointothehouse?AndsuddenlyIrememberedsomething.Thegood-looking
butler at Regent Gate bore a very marked resemblance to M. Martin. It was he whom Captain Marsh
hadseen.AndIformedatheoryastothat.Itismyideathathediscoveredhismasterkilled.Besidehis
masterwasanenvelopecontainingFrenchbanknotestothevalueofahundredpounds.Hetookthese
notes,slippedoutofthehouse,lefttheminsafekeepingwithsomerascallyfriendandreturned,letting
himselfinwithLordEdgware'skey.Heletthecrimebediscoveredbythehousemaidonthefollowing
morning. He felt in no danger himself, as he was quite convinced that Lady Edgware had done the
murder, and the notes were out of the house and already changed before their loss was noticed.
However,whenLadyEdgwarehadanalibiandScotlandYardbeganinvestigatinghisantecedents,he
gotthewindupanddecamped."

Jappnoddedapprovingly.

"Istillhavethequestionofthepince-neztosettle.IfMissCarrollwastheownerthenthecaseseemed
settled. She could have suppressed the letter, and in arranging details with Carlotta Adams, or in
meetingherontheeveningofthemurder,thepince-nezmighthaveinadvertentlyfoundtheirwayinto
CarlottaAdams'bag.

"Butthepince-nezwereapparentlynothingtodowithMissCarroll.IwaswalkinghomewithHastings
here, somewhat depressed, trying to arrange things in my mind with order and method. And then the
miraclehappened!

"First Hastings spoke of things in a certain order. He mentioned Donald Ross having been one of
thirteenattableatSirMontaguCorner'sandhavingbeenthefirsttogetup.Iwasfollowingoutatrain
of thought of my own and did not pay much attention. It just flashed through my mind that, strictly
speaking, that was not true. He may have got up first at the end of the dinner, but actually Lady
Edgwarehadbeenthefirsttogetupsinceshewascalledtothetelephone.Thinkingofher,acertain
riddleoccurredtome-ariddlethatIfanciedaccordedwellwithhersomewhatchildishmentality.Itold
ittoHastings.Hewas,likeQueenVictoria,notamused.InextfelltowonderingwhoIcouldaskfor
detailsaboutM.Martin'sfeelingforJaneWilkinson.Sheherselfwouldnottellme,Iknew.Andthena
passerby,aswewereallcrossingtheroad,utteredasimplesentence.

"Hesaidtohisgirlcompanionthatsomebodyorother'shouldhaveaskedEllis.'Andimmediatelythe
wholethingcametomeinaflash!"

Helookedround.

"Yes,yes,thepince-nez,thetelephonecall,theshortwomanwhocalledforthegoldboxinParis.Ellis,
of course, Jane Wilkinson's maid. I followed every step of it - the candles - the dim light - Mrs. Van
Duseneverything.Iknew!"

Chapter30

THESTORY

Helookedroundatus.

"Come,myfriends,"hesaidgently."Letmetellyoutherealstoryofwhathappenedthatnight.

"CarlottaAdamsleavesherflatatseveno'clock.FromthereshetakesataxiandgoestothePiccadilly
Palace."

"What?"Iexclaimed.

"TothePiccadillyPalace.EarlierinthedayshehastakenaroomthereasMrs.VanDusen.Shewearsa
pair of strong glasses which, as we all know, alters the appearance very much. As I say, she books a

room,sayingthatsheisgoingbythenightboattraintoLiverpoolandthatherluggagehasgoneon.At
eight-thirty Lady Edgware arrives and asks for her. She is shown up to her room. There they change
clothes. Dressed in a fair wig, a white taffeta dress and ermine wrap, Carlotta Adams and not Jane
WilkinsonleavesthehotelanddrivestoChiswick.Yes,yes,itisperfectlypossible.Ihavebeentothe
houseintheevening.Thedinnertableislitonlywithcandles,thelampsaredim,noonethereknows
JaneWilkinsonverywell.Thereisthegoldenhair,thewell-knownhuskyvoiceandmanner.Oh!itwas
quite easy. And if it had not been successful - if someone had spotted the fake - well, that was all
arrangedfor,too.LadyEdgware,wearingadarkwig,Carlotta'sclothesandthepince-nez,paysherbill,
hashersuitcaseputonataxianddrivestoEuston.Sheremovesthedarkwiginthelavatory,sheputs
hersuitcaseinthecloakroom.BeforegoingtoRegentGatesheringsupChiswickandaskstospeakto
Lady Edgware. This has been arranged between them. If all has gone well and Carlotta has not been
spotted,Sheistoanswersimply-'that'sright.'IneedhardlysayMissAdamswasignorantofthereal
reason for the telephone call. She goes to Regent Gate, asks for Lord Edgware, proclaims her
individuality,andgoesintothelibrary.Andcommitsthefirstmurder.Ofcourse,shedidnotknowthat
MissCarrollwaswatchingherfromabove.Asfarassheisawareitwillbethebutler'sword(andhe
hasneverseenher,remember-andalsoshewearsahatwhichshieldsherfromhisgaze)againstthe
wordoftwelvewell-knownanddistinguishedpeople.

"Sheleavesthehouse,returnstoEuston,changesfromfairtodarkagainandpicksuphersuitcase.She
has now to put in time till Carlotta Adams returns from Chiswick, They have agreed as to the
approximatetime.ShegoestotheCornerHouse,occasionallyglancingatherwatch,forthetime,while
shepreparesforthesecondmurder.SheputsthesmallgoldboxshehasorderedfromParisinCarlotta
Adams' bag which, of course, she is carrying. Perhaps it is then she finds the letter. Perhaps it was
earlier. Anyway, as soon as she sees the address, she scents danger. She opens it - her suspicions are
justified.

"Perhaps her first impulse is to destroy the letter altogether. But she soon sees a better way. By
removingonepageoftheletteritreadslikeanaccusationofRonaldMarshamanwhohadapowerful
motiveforthecrime.EvenifRonaldhasanalibi,itwillstillreadasanaccusationofamansolongas
shetearsoffthesof'she.'Sothatiswhatshedoes,thenreplacesitintheenvelopeandtheenvelope
backinthebag.

"Then,thetimehavingcome,shewalksinthedirectionoftheSavoyHotel.Assoonassheseesthecar
pass,with(presumably)herselfinside,shequickensherpace,entersatthesametimeandgoesstraight
upthestairs.Sheisinconspicuouslydressedinblack.Itisunlikelythatanyonewillnoticeher.

"Upstairsshegoestoherroom.CarlottaAdamshasjustreachedit.Themaidhasbeentoldtogotobed
-aperfectlyusualproceeding.Theyagainchangeclothesandthen,Ifancy,LadyEdgwaresuggestsa
littledrink-tocelebrate.Inthatdrinkistheveronal.Shecongratulateshervictim,saysshewillsend
her the cheque tomorrow. Carlotta Adams goes home. She is very sleepy - tries to ring up a friend -
possiblyM.MartinorCaptainMarsh,forbothhaveVictorianumbers-butgivesitup.Sheistootired.
Theveronalisbeginningtowork.Shegoestobed-andsheneverwakesagain.Thesecondcrimehas
beencarriedthroughsuccessfully.

"Now for the third crime. It is at a luncheon party. Sir Montagu Corner makes a reference to a
conversation he had with Lady Edgware on the night of the murder. That is easy. She has only to
murmursomeflatteringphrase.ButNemesiscomesuponherlater.Thereisamentionofthe'judgment
ofParis,'andshetakesParistobetheonlyParissheknows-theParisoffashionsandfrills!

"ButoppositeherissittingayoungmanwhowasatthatdinneratChiswick-ayoungmanwhoheard
theLadyEdgwareofthatnightdiscussingHomerandGreekcivilisationgenerally.CarlottaAdamswas
aculturedwell-readgirl.Hecannotunderstand.Hestares.Andsuddenlyitcomestohim.Thisisnotthe
samewoman.Heisterriblyupset.Heisnotsureofhimself.Hemusthaveadvice.Hethinksofme.He
speakstoHastings.

"But the lady overheard him. She is quick enough and shrewd enough to realise that in some way or
othershehasgivenherselfaway.ShehearsHastingssaythatIwillnotbeintillfive.Attwentytofive
shegoestoRoss'smaisonette.Heopensthedoor,isverysurprisedtoseeher,butitdoesnotoccurto
himtobeafraid.Astrongable-bodiedyoungmanisnotafraidofawoman.Hegoeswithherintothe
dining-room.Shepoursoutsomestorytohim.Perhapsshegoesonherkneesandflingsherarmsround
hisneck.Andthen,swiftandsure,shestrikes-asbefore.Perhapshegivesachokedcry-nomore.He,
too,issilenced."

Therewasasilence.ThenJappspokehoarsely.

"Youmean-shediditallthetime?"

Poirotbowedhishead.

"Butwhy,ifhewaswillingtogiveheradivorce?"

"Because the Duke of Merton is a pillar of the Anglo-Catholics. Because he would not dream of
marryingawomanwhosehusbandwasalive.Heisayoungmanoffanaticalprinciples.Asawidow,
shewasprettycertaintobeabletomarryhim.Doubtlessshehadtentativelysuggesteddivorce,buthe
hadnotrisentothebait."

"ThenwhysendyoutoLordEdgware?"

"Ah!parbleu."Poirot,fromhavingbeenverycorrectandEnglish,suddenlyrelapsedintohisnativeself.
"Topullcotton-woolovermyeyes!Tomakemeawitnesstothefactthattherewasnomotiveforthe
murder!Yes,shedaredtomakeme,HerculePoirot,hercatspaw!Mafoi,shesucceeded,too!Oh!that

strangebrain,childlikeandcunning.Shecanact!Howwellsheactedsurpriseatbeingtoldoftheletter
herhusbandhadwrittenherwhichshesworeshehadneverreceived.Didshefeeltheslightestpangof
remorseforanyofherthreecrimes?Icanswearshedidnot."

"Itoldyouwhatshewaslike,"criedBryanMartin."Itoldyou.Iknewshewasgoingtokillhim.Ifelt
it.AndIwasafraidthatsomehowshe'dgetawaywithit.She'sclever-devilishcleverinakindofhalf-
witway.AndIwantedhertosuffer.Iwantedhertosuffer.Iwantedhertohangforit."

Hisfacewasscarlet.Hisvoicecamethickly.

"Now,now,"saidJennyDriver.

ShespokeexactlyasIhaveheardnursemaidsspeaktoasmallchildinthepark.

"AndthegoldboxwiththeinitialD,andParisNovemberinside?"saidJapp.

"SheorderedthatbyletterandsentEllis,hermaid,tofetchit.Shehadnoideawhatwasinside.Also,
LadyEdgwareborrowedapairofEllis'spince-neztohelpintheVanDusenimpersonation.Sheforgot
aboutthemandlefttheminCarlottaAdams'handbag-heronemistake.

"Oh!itcametome-itallcametomeasIstoodinthemiddleoftheroad.Itwasnotpolitewhatthe'bus
driversaidtome,butitwasworthit.Ellis!Ellis'spince-nez.ElliscallingfortheboxinParis.Ellisand
thereforeJaneWilkinson.VerypossiblysheborrowedsomethingelsefromEllisbesidesdespince-nez."

"What?"

"Acornknife."

Ishivered.

Therewasamomentarysilence.

ThenJappsaidwithastrangerelianceintheanswer:

"M.Poirot.Isthistrue?"

"Itistrue,monami."

ThenBryanMartinspoke,andhiswordswere,Ithought,verytypicalofhim.

"Butlookhere,"hesaidpeevishly."Whataboutme?Whybringmeheretoday?Whynearlyfrightenme
todeath?"

Poirotlookedathimcoldly.

"Topunishyou,Monsieur,forbeingimpertinent!HowdareyoutryandmakethegameswithHercule
Poirot?"

AndthenJennyDriverlaughed.Shelaughedandlaughed.

"Servesyouright,Bryan,"shesaidatlast.

SheturnedtoPoirot.

"I'mgladasIcanbethatitwasn'tRonnieMarsh,"shesaid."I'vealwayslikedhim.AndI'mglad,glad,
glad that Carlotta's death won't go unpunished! As for Bryan here, well, I'll tell you something, M.
Poirot. I'm going to marry him. And if he thinks he can get divorced and married every two or three
yearsintheapprovedHollywoodfashion,well,henevermadeabiggermistakeinhislife.He'sgoingto
marrymeandsticktome."

Poirotlookedather-lookedatherdeterminedchin-andatherflaminghair.

"Itisverypossible,Mademoiselle,"hesaid,"thatthatmaybeso.Isaidthatyouhadsufficientnervefor
anything.Eventomarryafilm'star.'"

Chapter31

AHUMANDOCUMENT

AdayortwoafterthatIwassuddenlyrecalledtotheArgentine.SoithappenedthatIneversawJane

Wilkinson again and only read in the paper of her trial and condemnation. Unexpectedly, at least
unexpectedlytome,shewentcompletelytopieceswhenchargedwiththetruth.Solongasshewasable
tobeproudofherclevernessandactherpartshemadenomistakes,butonceherself-confidencefailed
her,owingtosomeonehavingfoundherout,shewasasincapableasachildwouldbeofkeepingupa
deception.Cross-examined,shewentcompletelytopieces.

So,asIsaidbefore,thatluncheonpartywasthelasttimeIsawJaneWilkinson.ButwhenIthinkofher,
Ialwaysseeherthesameway-standinginherroomattheSavoytryingonexpensiveblackclothes
withaseriousabsorbedface.Iamconvincedthatthatwasnopose.Shewasbeingcompletelynatural.
Herplanhadsucceededandthereforeshehadnofurtherqualmsanddoubts.NeitherdoIthinkthatshe
eversufferedonepangofremorseforthethreecrimesshehadcommitted.

I reproduce here a document which she had directed was to be sent to Poirot after her death. It is, I
think,typicalofthatverylovelyandcompletelyconsciencelesslady.

"DearM.Poirot,

I have been thinking things over and I feel that I should like to write this for you. I know that you
sometimespublishreportsofyourcases.Idon'treallythinkthatyou'veeverpublishedadocumentby
thepersonthemselves.Ifeel,too,thatIwouldlikeeveryonetoknowjustexactlyhowIdiditall.Istill
thinkitwasallverywellplanned.Ifithadn'tbeenforyoueverythingwouldhavebeenquiteallright.
I'vefeltratherbitteraboutthat,butIsupposeyoucouldn'thelpit.I'msure,ifIsendyouthis,you'llgive
it plenty of prominence. You will, won't you? I should like to be remembered. And I do think I am
reallyauniqueperson.Everybodyhereseemstothinkso.

"ItbeganinAmericawhenIgottoknowMerton,IsawatoncethatifonlyIwereawidowhewould
marryme.Unfortunately,hehasgotaqueersortofprejudiceagainstdivorce.Itriedtoovercomeitbut
itwasnogood,andIhadtobecareful,becausehewasaverykinkysortofperson.

"Isoonrealisedthatmyhusbandsimplyhadgottodie,butIdidn'tknowhowtosetaboutit.Youcan
managethingslikethateversomuchbetterintheStates.IthoughtandIthoughtbutIcouldn'tseehow
toarrangeit.Andthen,suddenly,IsawCarlottaAdamsdoherimitationofmeandatonceIbeganto
seeaway.WithherhelpIcouldgetanalibi.ThatsameeveningIsawyou,anditsuddenlystruckme
thatitwouldbeagoodideatosendyoutomyhusbandtoaskhimforadivorce.AtthesametimeI
wouldgoabouttalkingofkillingmyhusband,becauseI'vealwaysnoticedthatifyouspeakthetruthin
arathersillywaynobodybelievesyou.I'veoftendoneitovercontracts.Andit'salsoagoodthingto
seemstupiderthanyouare.AtmysecondmeetingwithCarlottaAdamsIbroachedtheidea.Isaidit
wasabet-andshefellforitatonce.Shewastopretendtobemeatsomepartyandifshegotaway
with it she was to have ten thousand dollars. She was very enthusiastic and several of the ideas were
hers - about changing clothes and all that. You see, we couldn't do it here because of Ellis and we
couldn'tdoitatherplacebecauseofhermaid.She,ofcourse,didn'tseewhywecouldn't.Itwasalittle
awkward.Ijustsaid'No.'Shethoughtmealittlestupidaboutit,butshegaveinandwethoughtofthe

hotelplan.ItookapairofEllis'spince-nez.

"OfcourseIrealisedquitesoonthatshewouldhavetobegotoutofthewaytoo.Itwasapity,butafter
all those imitations of hers really were very impertinent. If mine hadn't happened to suit me I'd have
beenangryaboutit.Ihadsomeveronalmyself,thoughIhardlyevertakeit,sothatwasquiteeasy.And
thenIhadquiteabrainwave.Yousee,itwouldbesomuchbetterifitcouldseemthatshewasinthe
habitoftakingit.Iorderedabox-theduplicateofoneI'dbeengivenandIhadherinitialsputonitand
aninscriptioninside.IthoughtifIputsomeoddinitialandParis,November,insideit,itwouldmakeit
allmuchmoredifficult.IwrotefortheboxfromtheRitzwhenIwasintherelunchingoneday.AndI
sentEllisovertofetchit.Shedidn'tknowwhatitwas,ofcourse.

"Everything went off quite well on the night. I took one of Ellis's corn knives, while she was over in
Paris,becauseitwasniceandsharp.ShenevernoticedbecauseIputitbackafterwards.Itwasadoctor
inSanFranciscowhoshowedmejustwheretostickitin.He'dbeentalkingaboutlumbarandcistern
punctures,andhesaidonehadtobeverycareful,otherwiseonewentthroughthecistertiamagnaand
into the medulla oblongata where all the vital nerve centres are, and that that would cause immediate
death.Imadehimshowmetheexactplaceseveraltimes.Ithoughtitmightperhapscomeinusefulone
day.ItoldhimIwantedtousetheideainafilm.

"ItwasverydishonourableofCarlottaAdamstowritetohersister.She'dpromisedmetotellnobody.I
dothinkitwascleverofmetoseewhatagoodthingitwouldbetotearoffthatonepageandleavehe
instead of she. I thought of that all by myself. I think I'm more proud of that than anything else.
EveryonealwayssaysIhaven'tgotbrains-butIthinkitneededrealbrainstothinkofthat.

"I'dthoughtthingsoutverycarefullyandIdidexactlywhatI'dplannedwhentheScotlandYardman
came.Iratherenjoyedthatpartofit.Ihadthought,perhaps,thathe'dreallyarrestme.Ifeltquitesafe,
because they'd have to believe all those people at the dinner and I didn't see how they could find out
aboutmeandCarlottachangingclothes.

"AfterthatIfeltsohappyandcontented.MyluckhadheldandIreallyfelteverythingwasgoingtogo
right. The old Duchess was beastly to me, but Merton was sweet. He wanted to marry me as soon as
possibleandhadn'ttheleastsuspicion.

"Idon'tthinkI'veeverbeensohappyasIwasthosefewweeks.Myhusband'snephewbeingarrested
mademefeeljustassafeasanything.AndIwasmoreproudofmyselfthaneverforhavingthoughtof
tearingthatpageoutofCarlottaAdams'letter.

"TheDonaldRossbusinesswasjustsheerbadluck.I'mnotquitesurenowjusthowitwashespotted
me.SomethingaboutParisbeingapersonandnotaplace.EvennowIdon'tknowwhoPariswas-andI
thinkit'sasillynameforamananyway.

"It's curious how, when luck starts going against you, it keeps on going. I had to do something about
Donald Ross quickly, and that did go all right. It mightn't have because I hadn't time to be clever or
thinkofmakinganalibi.IdidthinkIwassafeafterthat.

"OfcourseEllistoldmeyouhadsentforherandquestionedher,butIgathereditwasallsomethingto
do with Bryan Martin. I couldn't think what you were driving at. You didn't ask her whether she had
calledfortheparcelinParis.IsupposeyouthoughtifsherepeatedthattomeIshouldsmellarat.Asit
was, it came as a complete surprise. I couldn't believe it. It was just uncanny the way you seemed to
knoweverythingI'ddone.

"Ijustfeltitwasnogood.Youcan'tfightagainstluck.Itwasbadluck,wasn'tit?Iwonderifyouare
eversorryforwhatyoudid.Afterall,Ionlywantedtobehappyinmyownway.Andifithadn'tbeen
for me you would never have had anything to do with the case. I never thought you'd be so horribly
clever.Youdidn'tlookclever.

"It'sfunny,butIhaven'tlostmylooksabit.Inspiteofallthatdreadfultrialandthehorridthingsthat
manontheothersidesaidtome,andthewayhebatteredmewithquestions.

"Ilookmuchpalerandthinner,butitsuitsmesomehow.TheyallsayI'mwonderfullybrave.Theydon't
hangyouinpublicanymore,dothey?Ithinkthat'sapity.

"I'msurethere'sneverbeenamurderesslikemebefore.

"IsupposeImustsaygood-byenow.It'sveryqueer.Idon'tseemtorealisethingsabit.I'mgoingtosee
thechaplaintomorrow.

"Yoursforgivingly(becauseImustforgivemyenemies,mustn'tI?),

"JaneWilkinson.

"P.S.-DoyouthinktheywillputmeinMadameTussauds?"