HP15-CardsontheTable

AgathaChristie

Chapter1

MR.SHAITANA

"MydearMonsieurPoirot!"

It was a soft purring voice - a voice used deliberately as an instrument - nothing impulsive or
unpremeditatedaboutit.HerculePoirotswunground.

Hebowed.Heshookhandsceremoniously.

There was something in his eye that was unusual. One would have said that this chance encounter
awakenedinhimanemotionthatheseldomhadoccasiontofeel.

"MydearMr.Shaitana,"hesaid.

Theybothpaused.Theywerelikeduelistsengarde.

Aroundthemawell-dressedlanguidLondoncrowdeddiedmildly.Voicesdrawledormurmured.

"Darling-exquisite!"

"Simplydivine,aren'tthey,mydear?"

It was the Exhibition of Snuffboxes at Wessex House. Admission one guinea in aid of the London
hospitals.

"My dear man," said Mr. Shaitana, "how nice to see you! Not hanging or guillotining much just at

present?Slackseasoninthecriminalworld?Oristheretobearobberyherethisafternoon?Thatwould
betoodelicious."

"Alas,monsieur,"saidPoirot,"Iamhereinapurelyprivatecapacity."

Mr.ShaitanawasdivertedforamomentbyaLovelyYoungThingwithtightpoodlecurlsuponesideof
herheadandthreecornucopiasinblackstrawontheother.Hesaid,"Mydear-whydidn'tyoucometo
myparty?Itreallywasamarvelousparty!Quitealotofpeopleactuallyspoketome!Onewomaneven
said'Howdoyoudo'and'Good-by'and'Thankyousomuch'-butofcourseshecamefromaGarden
City,poordear!"

WhiletheLovelyYoungThingmadeasuitablereply,Poirotallowedhimselfagoodstudyofthehirsute
adornmentonMr.Shaitana'supperlip.

A fine mustache - a very fine mustache - the only mustache in London, perhaps, that could compete
withthatofMonsieurHerculePoirot.

"Butitisnotsoluxuriant,"hemurmuredtohimself."No,decidedlyitisinferiorineveryrespect.Tout
demême,itcatchestheeye."

ThewholeofMr.Shaitana'spersoncaughttheeye-itwasdesignedtodoso.Hedeliberatelyattempted
aMephistopheleaneffect.Hewastallandthin;hisfacewaslongandmelancholy;hiseyebrowswere
heavilyaccentedandjetblack;heworeamustachewithstiffwaxedendsandatinyblackimperial.His
clotheswereworksofart-ofexquisitecut-butwithasuggestionofthebizarre.

EveryhealthyEnglishmanwhosawhimlongedearnestlyandferventlytokickhim!Theysaid,witha
singular lack of originality, "There's that damned Shaitana!" Their wives, daughters, sisters, aunts,
mothers, and even grandmothers said, varying the idiom according to their generation, words to this
effect-"Iknow,mydear.Ofcourseheistooterrible.Butsorich!Andsuchmarvelousparties!Andhe's
alwaysgotsomethingamusingandspitefultotellyouaboutpeople."

WhetherMr.ShaitanawasanArgentineoraPortugueseoraGreek,orsomeothernationality,nobody
knew.

Butthreefactswerequitecertain.

HeexistedrichlyandbeautifullyinasuperflatinParkLane.Hegavewonderfulparties-largeparties,

small parties, macabre parties, respectable parties, and definitely "queer" parties. He was a man of
whomnearlyeverybodywasalittleafraid.

Whythislastwassocanhardlybestatedindefinitewords.Therewasafeeling,perhaps,thatheknewa
little too much about everybody. And there was a feeling, too, that his sense of humor was a curious
one.

PeoplenearlyalwaysfeltthatitwouldbebetternottoriskoffendingMr,Shaitana.

Itwashishumorthisafternoontobaitthatridiculouslookinglittleman,HerculePoirot.

"Soevenapolicemanneedsrecreation?"hesaid."Youstudytheartsinyouroldage,MonsieurPoirot."

Poirotsmiledgood-humoredly.

"Isee,"hesaid,"thatyouyourselfhavelentthreesnuff-boxestotheexhibition."

Mr.Shaitanawavedadeprecatinghand."Onepicksuptrifleshereandthere.Youmustcometomyflat
one day. I have some interesting pieces. I do not confine myself to any particular period or class of
object."

"Yourtastesarecatholic,"saidPoirot,smiling.

"Asyousay."

SuddenlyMr.Shaitana'seyesdanced,thecornersofhislipscurledup,hiseyebrowsassumedafantastic
tilt.

"Icouldevenshowyouobjectsinyourownline,MonsieurPoirot!"

"Youhavethenaprivate'BlackMuseum'?"

"Bah!"Mr.Shaitanasnappeddisdainfulfingers."ThecupusedbytheBrightonmurderer,thejimmyof
acelebratedburglar-absurdchildishness!Ishouldneverburdenmyselfwithrubbishlikethat.Icollect

onlythebestobjectsoftheirkind."

"Andwhatdoyouconsiderthebestobjects,artisticallyspeaking,incrime?"inquiredPoirot.

Mr.ShaitanaleanedforwardandlaidtwofingersonPoirot'sshoulder.Hehissedhiswordsdramatically.

"Thehumanbeingswhocommitthem,MonsieurPoirot."

Poirot'seyebrowsroseatrifle.

"Aha, I have startled you," said Mr. Shaitana. "My dear, dear man, you and I look on these things as
frompolesapart!Foryoucrimeisamatterofroutine-amurder,aninvestigation,adue,andultimately,
foryouareundoubtedlyanablefellow,aconviction.Suchbanalitieswouldnotinterestme!Iamnot
interestedinpoorspecimensofanykind.Andthecaughtmurdererisnecessarilyoneofthefailures.He
issecondrate.No,Ilookonthematterfromtheartisticpointofview.Icollectonlythebest!"

"Thebestbeing-"askedPoirot.

"My dear fellow - the ones who have got away with it! The successes! The criminals who lead an
agreeablelifewhichnobreathofsuspicionhasevertouched.Admitthatisanamusinghobby."

"ItwasanotherwordIwasthinkingof-notamusing."

"Anidea!"criedShaitana,payingnoattentiontoPoirot."Alittledinner!Adinnertomeetmyexhibits!
Reallythatisamostamusingthought.Icannotthinkwhyithasneveroccurredtomebefore.Yes-yes,
Iseeitall-Iseeitexactly.Youmustgivemealittletime-notnextweek-letussaytheweekafter
next.Youarefree?Whatdayshallwesay?"

"Anydayoftheweekafternextwouldsuitme,"saidPoirotwithabow.

"Good;thenletussayFriday.Fridaytheeighteenth,thatwillbe.Iwillwriteitdownatonceinmylittle
book.Really,theideapleasesmeenormously."

"I am not quite sure if it pleases me," said Poirot slowly. "I do not mean that I am insensible to the
kindnessofyourinvitation-no-notthat-"

Shaitana interrupted him. "But it shocks your bourgeois sensibilities? My dear fellow, you must free
yourselffromthelimitationsofthepolicemanmentality."

Poirotsaidslowly,"ItistruethatIhaveathoroughlybourgeoisattitudetomurder."

"But,mydear,why?Astupidbungledbutcheringbusiness-yes,Iagreewithyou.Butmurdercanbean
art!Amurderercanbeanartist."

"Oh,Iadmitit."

"Wellthen?"Mr.Shaitanaasked.

"Butheisstillamurderer'"

"Surely, my dear Monsieur Poirot, to do a thing supremely well is a justification! You want, very
unimaginatively,totakeeverymurderer,handcuffhim,shuthimup,andeventuallybreakhisneckfor
himintheearlyhoursofthemorning.Inmyopinionareallysuccessfulmurderershouldbegranteda
pensionoutofthepublicfundsandaskedouttodinner!"

Poirotshruggedhisshoulders.

"Iamnotasinsensitivetoartincrimeasyouthink.Icanadmiretheperfectmurderer;Icanalsoadmire
atiger-thatsplendedtawnystripedbeast.ButIwilladmirehimfromoutsidehiscage.Iwillnotgo
inside. That is to say, not unless it is my duty to do so. For you see, Mr. Shaitana, the tiger might
spring."

Mr.Shaitanalaughed."Isee.Andthemurderer?"

"Mightmurder,"saidPoirotgravely.

"Mydearfellow-whatanalarmistyouare!Thenyouwillnotcometomeetmycollectionof-tigers?"

"Onthecontrary,Ishallbeenchanted."

"Howbrave!"

"Youdonotquiteunderstandme,Mr.Shaitana.Mywordswereinthenatureofawarning.Youasked
mejustnowtoadmitthatyourideaofacollectionofmurdererswasamusing.IsaidIcouldthinkof
another word other than amusing. That word was dangerous. I fancy, Mr. Shaitana, that your hobby
mightbeadangerousone!"

Mr. Shaitana laughed, a very Mephistophelean laugh. He said, "I may expect you then, on the
eighteenth?"

Poirotgavealittlebow."Youmayexpectmeontheeighteenth.Milleremerciments."

"Ishallarrangealittleparty,"repliedShaitana."Donotforget.Eighto'clock."

Hemovedaway.Poirotstoodaminuteortwolookingafterhim.

Heshookhisheadslowlyandthoughtfully.

Chapter2

DINNERATMR.SHAITANA'S

ThedoorofMr.Shaitana'sflatopenednoiselessly.Agray-hairedbutlerdrewitbacktoletPoirotenter.
Hecloseditequallynoiselesslyanddeftlyrelievedtheguestofhisovercoatandhat.

Hemurmuredinalowexpressionlessvoice,"WhatnameshallIsay?"

"MonsieurHerculePoirot."

Therewasalittlehumoftalkthateddiedoutintothehallasthebutleropenedadoorandannounced,
"MonsieurHerculePoirot."

Sherryglassinhand,Shaitanacameforwardtomeethim.Hewasasusualimmaculatelydressed.The

Mephistophelean suggestion was heightened tonight, the eyebrows seemed accentuated in their
mockingtwist.

"Letmeintroduceyou-doyouknowMrs.Oliver?"

TheshowmaninhimenjoyedthelittlestartofsurprisethatPoirotgave.

Mrs. Ariadne Oliver was extremely well known as one of the foremost writers of detective and other
sensationalstories.Shewrotechatty,ifnotparticularlygrammatical,articleson"TheTendencyofthe
Criminal," Famous Crimes Passionnels," "Murder for Love v. Murder for Gain." She was also a
hotheaded feminist and when any murder of importance was occupying space in the press there was
sure to be an interview with Mrs. Oliver, and it was mentioned that Mrs. Oliver had said, "Now if a
womanweretheheadofScotlandYard!"Shewasanearnestbelieverinwoman'sintuition.

Fortherestshewasanagreeablewomanofmiddleage,handsomeinaratheruntidyfashion,withfine
eyes,substantialshoulders,andalargequantityofrebelliousgrayhairwithwhichshewascontinually
experimenting.Onedayherappearancewouldbehighlyintellectual-abrowwiththehairscrapedback
from it and coiled in a large bun in the neck; on another, Mrs. Oliver would suddenly appear with
Madonna loops, or large masses of slightly untidy curls. On this particular evening Mrs. Oliver was
tryingoutafringe.

ShegreetedPoirot,whomshehadmetbeforeataliterarydinner,inanagreeablebassvoice.

"AndSuperintendentBattleyoudoubtlessknow,"saidMr.Shaitana.

A big square wooden-faced man moved forward. Not only did an onlooker feel that Superintendent
Battlewascarvedoutofwood-healsomanagedtoconveytheimpressionthatthewoodinquestion
wasthetimberoutofabattleship.

SuperintendentBattlewassupposedtobeScotlandYard'sbestrepresentative.Healwayslookedstolid
andratherstupid."IknowMonsieurPoirot,"saidSuperintendentBattle.

Andhiswoodenfacecreasedintoasmileandthenreturnedtoitsformerunexpressiveness.

"Colonel Race," went on Mr. Shaitana. Poirot had not previously met Colonel Race, but he knew
something about him. A dark, handsome, deeply bronzed man of fifty, he was usually to be found in
some outpost of Empire - especially if there were trouble brewing. Secret Service is a melodramatic

term,butitdescribedprettyaccuratelytothelaymindthenatureandscopeofColonelRace'sactivities.

Poirothadbynowtakeninandappreciatedtheparticularessenceofhishost'shumorousintentions.

"Ourotherguestsarelate,"saidMr.Shaitana."Myfault,perhaps.IbelieveItoldthemeight-fifteen."

Butatthatmomentthedooropenedandthebutlerannounced,"DoctorRoberts."

Themanwhocameindidsowithakindofparodyofabriskbedsidemanner.Hewasacheerful,highly
coloredindividualofmiddleage.Smalltwinklingeyes,atouchofbaldness,atendencyofembonpoint
andageneralairofawell-scrubbedanddisinfectedmedicalpractitioner.Hismannerwascheerfuland
confident.Youfeltthathisdiagnosiswouldbecorrectandhistreatmentsagreeableandpractical-"a
littlechampagneinconvalescenceperhaps."Amanoftheworld!

"Notlate,Ihope?"saidDoctorRobertsgenially.

He shook hands with his host and was introduced to the others. He seemed particularly gratified at
meetingBattle."Why,you'reoneofthebignoisesatScotlandYard,aren'tyou?Thisisinteresting!Too
badtomakeyoutalkshopbutIwarnyouIshallhaveatryatit.Alwaysbeeninterestedincrime.Bad
thingforadoctor,perhaps.Mustn'tsaysotomynervouspatients-ha,ha!"

Againthedooropened.

"Mrs.Lorrimer."

Mrs. Lorrimer was a well-dressed woman of sixty. She had lovely cut features, beautifully arranged
grayhair,andaclear,incisivevoice.

"IhopeI'mnotlate,"shesaid,advancingtoherhost.SheturnedfromhimtogreetDoctorRobertswith
whomshewasacquainted.

Thebutlerannounced,"MajorDespard."

Major Despard was a tall, lean, handsome man, his face slightly marred by a scar on the temple.
Introductions completed, he gravitated naturally to the side of Colonel Race - and the two men were

soontalkingsportandcomparingtheirexperiencesonsafari.

Forthelasttimethedooropenedandthebutlerannounced,"MissMeredith."

Agirlintheearlytwentiesentered.Shewasofmediumheightandpretty.Browncurlsclusteredinher
neck,hergrayeyeswerelargeandwideapart.Herfacewaspowderedbutnotmadeup.Hervoicewas
slowandrathershy.

Shesaid,"Oh,dear,amIthelast?"

Mr. Shaitana descended on her with sherry and an ornate and complimentary reply. His introductions
wereformalandalmostceremonious.

MissMeredithwasleftsippinghersherrybyPoirot'sside.

"Ourfriendisverypunctilious,"saidPoirotwithasmile.

Thegirlagreed."Iknow.Peopleratherdispensewithintroductionsnowadays.Theyjustsay,'Iexpect
youknoweverybody,'andleaveitatthat."

"Whetheryoudooryoudon't?""Whetheryoudoordon't.Sometimesitmakesitawkward-butIthink
thisismoreaweinspiring."

Shehesitatedandthensaid,"IsthatMrs.Oliverthenovelist?"

Mrs.Oliver'sbassvoicerosepowerfullyatthatminutespeakingtoDoctorRoberts.

"Youcan'tgetawayfromawoman'sinstinct,Doctor.Womenknowthesethings."

Forgettingthatshenolongerhadabrow,sheendeavoredtosweepherhairbackfromitbutwasfoiled
bythefringe.

"ThatisMrs.Oliver,"saidPoirot.

"TheonewhowroteTheBodyintheLibrary?"

"Thatidenticalone."

MissMeredithfrownedalittle.

"Andthatwooden-lookingman-asuperintendent,didMr.Shaitanasay?"

"FromScotlandYard."

"Andyou?"

"Andme?"

"Iknowallaboutyou,MonsieurPoirot.ItwasyouwhoreallysolvedtheA.B.C.crimes."

"Mademoiselle,youcovermewithconfusion."

MissMeredithdrewherbrowstogether.

"Mr.Shaitana,"shebeganandthenstopped."Mr.Shaitana-"

Poirotsaidquietly,"Onemightsayhewas'crimeminded.'Itseemsso.Doubtlesshewishestohearus
dispute ourselves. He is already egging on Mrs. Oliver and Doctor Roberts. They are now discussing
untraceablepoisons."

MissMeredithgavealittlegaspasshesaid,"Whataqueermanheis!"

"DoctorRoberts?"

"No,Mr.Shaitana."

She shivered a little and said, "There's always something a little frightening about him, I think. You
neverknowwhatwouldstrikehimasamusing.Itmight-itmightbesomethingcruel!"

"Suchasfoxhunting,eh?"

MissMerediththrewhimareproachfulglance.

"Imeant-oh,somethingOriental!"

"Hehasperhapsthetortuousmind,"admittedPoirot.

"Torturer's?"

"No,no,tortuous,Isaid."

"Idon'tthinkIlikehimfrightfully,"confidedMissMeredith,hervoicedropping.

"Youwilllikehisdinner,though,"Poirotassuredher."Hehasamarvelouscook."

Shelookedathimdoubtfullyandthenlaughed."Why,"sheexclaimed,"Ibelieveyouarequitehuman!"

"ButcertainlyIamhuman!"

"Yousee,"saidMissMeredith,"allthesecelebritiesareratherintimidating."

"Mademoiselle,youshouldnotbeintimidated-youshouldbethrilled!Youshouldhaveallreadyyour
autographbookandyourfountainpen."

"Well,yousee,I'mnotreallyterriblyinterestedincrime.Idon'tthinkwomenare;it'salwaysmenwho
readdetectivestories."

HerculePoirotsighedaffectedly.

"Alas!"hemurmured."WhatwouldInotgiveatthisminutetobeeventhemostminoroffilmstars!"

Thebutlerthrewthedooropen.

"Dinnerisserved,"heannounced.

Poirot's prognostication was amply justified. The dinner was delicious and its serving perfection.
Subduedlight,polishedwood,thebluegleamofIrishglass.Inthedimness,attheheadofthetableMr.
Shaitanalookedmorethaneverdiabolical.

Heapologizedgracefullyfortheunevennumberofthesexes.Mrs.Lorrimerwasonhisrighthand,Mrs.
Oliver on his left. Miss Meredith was between Superintendent Battle and Major Despard. Poirot was
betweenMrs.LorrimerandDoctorRoberts.

Thelattermurmuredfacetiouslytohim,"You'renotgoingtobeallowedtomonopolizetheonlypretty
girlalltheevening.YouFrenchfellows,youdon'twasteyourtime,doyou?"

"IhappentobeBelgian,"murmuredPoirot.

"Samethingwheretheladiesareconcerned,Iexpect,myboy,"saidthedoctorcheerfully.

Then,droppingthefacetiousness,andadoptingaprofessionaltonehebegantotalktoColonelRaceon
hisothersideaboutthelatestdevelopmentsinthetreatmentofsleepingsickness.

Mrs.LorrimerturnedtoPoirotandbegantotalkofthelatestplays.Herjudgmentsweresoundandher
criticismsapt.Theydriftedontobooksandthentoworldpolitics.Hefoundherawell-informedand
thoroughlyintelligentwoman.

OntheoppositesideofthetableMrs.OliverwasaskingMajorDespardifheknewofanyunheard-of,
out-of-the-waypoisons.

"Well,there'scurare."

"Mydearman,vieuxjeu!That'sbeendonehundredsoftimes.Imeansomethingnew!"

Major Despard said dryly, "Primitive tribes are rather old fashioned. They stick to the good old stuff
theirgrandfathersandgreat-grandfathersusedbeforethem."

"Verytiresomeofthem,"saidMrs.Oliver."Ishouldhavethoughttheywerealwaysexperimentingwith
poundingupherbsandthings.Suchachanceforexplorers,Ialwaysthink.Theycouldcomehomeand
killoffalltheirricholduncleswithsomenewdrugthatnoone'severheardof."

"Youshouldgotocivilization,nottothewildsforthat,"saidDespard."Inthemodernlaboratory,for
instance.Culturesofinnocentlookinggermsthatwillproducebonafidediseases."

"That wouldn't do for my public," said Mrs. Oliver. "Besides one is so apt to get the names wrong -
staphylococcusandstreptococcusandallthosethings-sodifficultformysecretaryandanywayrather
dull,don'tyouthinkso?Whatdoyouthink,SuperintendentBattle?"

"In real life people don't bother about being too subtle, Mrs. Oliver," said the superintendent. "They
usuallysticktoarsenicbecauseit'sniceandhandytogetholdof."

"Nonsense," said Mrs. Oliver. "That's simply because there are lots of crimes you people at Scotland
Yardneverfindout.Nowifyouhadawomanthere-"

"Asamatteroffactwehave-"

"Yes, those dreadful policewomen in funny hats who bother people in parks! I mean a woman at the
headofthings.Womenknowaboutcrime."

"They're usually very successful criminals," said Superintendent Battle. "Keep their heads well. It's
amazinghowthey'llbrazenthingsout."

Mr.Shaitanalaughedgently.

"Poison is a woman's weapon," he said. "There must be many secret woman poisoners - never found
out."

"Ofcoursethereare,"saidMrs.Oliverhappily,helpingherselflavishlytoamousseoffoiegras.

"Adoctor,too,hasopportunities,"wentonMr.Shaitanathoughtfully.

"Iprotest,"criedDoctorRoberts."Whenwepoisonourpatientsit'sentirelybyaccident."Helaughed
heartily.

"But if I were to commit a crime," went on Mr. Shaitana. He stopped, and something in that pause
compelledattention.

Allfaceswereturnedtohim.

"Ishouldmakeitverysimple,Ithink.There'salwaysaccident-ashootingaccidentforinstance-orthe
domestickindofaccident."

Then he shrugged his shoulders and picked up his wineglass. "But who am I to pronounce - with so
manyexpertspresent?"

Hedrank.Thecandlelightthrewaredshadefromthewineontohisfacewithitswaxedmustache,its
littleimperial,itsfantasticeyebrows.

Therewasamomentarysilence.

Mrs.Oliversaid,"Isittwentytoortwentypast?Anangelpassing.Myfeetarecrossed-itmustbea
blackangel!"

Chapter3

AGAMEOFBRIDGE

Whenthecompanyreturnedtothedrawing-roomabridgetablehadbeensetout.Coffeewashanded
round.

"Who plays bridge?" asked Mr. Shaitana. "Mrs. Lorrimer, I know. And Doctor Roberts. Do you play,
MissMeredith?"

"Yes.I'mnotfrightfullygood,though."

"Excellent.AndMajorDespard?Good.Supposingyoufourplayhere."

"Thankgoodnessthere'stobebridge,"saidMrs.LorrimerinanasidetoPoirot."I'moneoftheworst
bridge fiends that ever lived. It's growing on me. I simply will not go out to dinner now if there's no
bridgeafterward!Ijustfallasleep.I'mashamedofmyself,butthereitis."

They cut for partners. Mrs. Lorrimer was partnered with Anne Meredith against Major Despard and
DoctorRoberts.

"Women against men," said Mrs. Lorrimer as she took her seat and began shuffling the cards in an
expertmanner."Thebluecards,don'tyouthink,partner?I'maforcingtwo."

"Mindyouwin,"saidMrs.Oliver,herfeministfeelingsrising."Showthementheycan'thaveitalltheir
ownway."

"They haven't got a hope, the poor dears," said Doctor Roberts cheerfully as he started shuffling the
otherpack."Yourdeal,Ithink,Mrs.Lorrimer."

MajorDespardsatdownratherslowly.HewaslookingatAnneMeredithasthoughhehadjustmade
thediscoverythatshewasremarkablypretty.

"Cut please," said Mrs. Lorrimer impatiently. And with a start of apology he cut the pack she was
presentingtohim.

Mrs.Lorrimerbegantodealwithapracticedhand.

"Thereisanotherbridgetableintheotherroom,"saidMr.Shaitana.

He crossed to a second door and the other four followed him into a small, comfortably furnished
smoking-roomwhereasecondbridgetablewassetready.

"Wemustcutout,"saidColonelRace.

Mr.Shaitanashookhishead."Idonotplay,"hesaid."Bridgeisnotoneofthegamesthatamuseme."

Theothersprotestedthattheywouldmuchrathernotplay,butheoverruledthemfirmlyandintheend
theysatdown-PoirotandMrs.OliveragainstBattleandRace.

Mr. Shaitana watched them for a little while, smiled in a Mephistophelean manner as he observed on
whathandMrs.Oliverdeclaredtwonotrumps,andthenwentnoiselesslythroughintotheotherroom.

There they were well down to it, their faces serious, the bids coming quickly. "One heart." "Pass."
"Threeclubs."

"Threespades.""Fourdiamonds.""Double.""Fourhearts."

Mr.Shaitanastoodwatchingamomentsmilingtohimself.Thenhecrossedtheroomandsatdownina
big chair by the fireplace. A tray of drinks had been brought in and placed on an adjacent table. The
firelightgleamedonthecrystalstoppers.

Alwaysanartistinlighting,Mr.Shaitanahadsimulatedtheappearanceofamerelyfirelitroom.Asmall
shaded lamp at his elbow gave him light to read by if he so desired. Discreet floodlighting gave the
room a subdued glow. A slightly stronger light shone over the bridge table from whence the
monotonousejaculationscontinued.

"Onenotrump"-clearanddecisive-Mrs.Lorrimer.

"Threehearts"-anaggressivenoteinthevoice-DoctorRoberts.

"Nobid"-aquietvoice-AnneMeredith's.

AslightpausealwaysbeforeDespard'svoicecame.Notsomuchaslowthinkerasamanwholikedto
besurebeforehespoke.

"Fourhearts."

"Double."

Hisfacelightedupbytheflickeringfirelight,Mr.Shaitanasmiled.Hesmiledandhewentonsmiling.
Hiseyelidsflickeredalittle.

Hispartywasamusinghim.

"Five diamonds. Game and rubber," said Colonel Race. "Good for you, partner," he said to Poirot. "I
didn'tthinkyou'ddoit.Luckytheydidn'tleadaspade."

"Wouldn't have made much difference, I expect," said Superintendent Battle, a man of gentle
magnanimity.

Hehadcalledspades.Hispartner,Mrs.Oliver,hadhadaspade,but"somethinghadtoldher"toleada
club-withdisastrousresults.

ColonelRacelookedathiswatch.

"Tenpasttwelve.Timeforanother?"

"You'llexcuseme,"saidSuperintendentBattle."ButI'mbywayofbeingan'earlytobed'man."

"I,too,"saidHerculePoirot.

"We'dbetteraddup,"saidRace.

Theresultoftheevening'sfiverubberswasanoverwhelmingvictoryforthemalesex.Mrs.Oliverhad
lostthreepoundsandsevenshillingstotheotherthree.ThebiggestwinnerwasColonelRace.

Mrs.Oliver,thoughabadbridgeplayer,wasasportingloser.Shepaidupcheerfully.

"Everythingwentwrongformetonight,"shesaid."Itislikethatsometimes.Iheldthemostbeautiful
cards yesterday. A hundred and fifty honors three times running." She rose and gathered up her
embroideredeveningbag,justrefrainingintimefromstrokingherhairoffherbrow.

"Isupposeourhostisnextdoor,"shesaid.

Shewentthroughthecommunicatingdoor,theothersbehindher.

Mr.Shaitanawasinhischairbythefire.Thebridgeplayerswereabsorbedintheirgame.

"Doublefiveclubs,"Mrs.Lorrimerwassayinginhercool,incisivevoice.

"Fivenotrumps."

"Doublefivenotrumps."

Mrs.Olivercameuptothebridgetable.Thiswaslikelytobeanexcitinghand.

SuperintendentBattlecamewithher.

ColonelRacewenttowardMr.Shaitana,Poirotbehindhim."Gottobegoing,Shaitana,"saidRace.

Mr. Shaitana did not answer. His head had fallen forward and he seemed to be asleep. Race gave a
momentary whimsical glance at Poirot and went a little nearer. Suddenly he uttered a muffled
ejaculation,bentforward.Poirotwasbesidehiminaminute,he,too,lookingwhereColonelRacewas
pointing-somethingthatmighthavebeenaparticularlyornateshirtstud-butwasnot.

Poirot bent, raised one of Mr. Shaitana's hands then let it fall. He met Race's inquiring glance and
nodded.Thelatterraisedhisvoice.

"SuperintendentBattle,justaminute."

The superintendent came over to them. Mrs. Oliver continued to watch the play of five, no trumps
doubled.

SuperintendentBattle,despitehisappearanceofstolidity,wasaveryquickman.Hiseyebrowswentup
andhesaidinalowvoiceashejoinedthem."Somethingwrong?"

WithanodColonelRaceindicatedthesilentfigureinthechair.

AsBattlebentoverit,PoirotlookedthoughtfullyatwhathecouldseeofMr.Shaitana'sface.Rathera
sillyfaceitlookednow,themouthdroopingopen-thedevilishexpressionlacking.

HerculePoirotshookhishead.

SuperintendentBattlestraightenedhimself.Hehadexaminedwithouttouchingthethingwhichlooked
likeanextrastudinMr.Shaitana'sshirtanditwasnotanextrastud.Hehadraisedthelimphandandlet
itfall.

Nowhestoodup,unemotional,capable,soldierly-preparedtotakechargeefficientlyofthesituation.

"Justaminute,please,"hesaid.

Andtheraisedvoicewashisofficialvoice,sodifferentthatalltheheadsatthebridgetableturnedto
him,andAnneMeredith'shandremainedpoisedoveranaceofspadesinthedummy.

"I'msorrytotellyouall,"hesaid,"thatourhost,Mr.Shaitana,isdead."

Mrs.LorrimerandDoctorRobertsrosetotheirfeet.Despardstaredandfrowned.AnneMeredithgavea
littlegasp.

"Areyousure,man?"

Doctor Roberts, his professional instincts aroused, came briskly across the floor with a bounding
medical"inatthedeath"step.

Withoutseemingto,thebulkofSuperintendentBattleimpededhisprogress.

"Justaminute,DoctorRoberts.Canyoutellmefirstwho'sbeeninandoutofthisroomthisevening?"

Robertsstaredathim.

"Inandout?Idon'tunderstandyou.Nobodyhas."

Thesuperintendenttransferredhisgaze.

"Isthatright,Mrs.Lorrimer?"

"Quiteright."

"Notthebutlernoranyoftheservants?"

"No.Thebutlerbroughtinthattrayaswesatdowntobridge.Hehasnotbeeninsince."

SuperintendentBattlelookedatDespard.

Despardnoddedinagreement.

Annesaidratherbreathlessly,"Yes-yes,that'sright."

"What'sallthis,man,"saidRobertsimpatiently."Justletmeexaminehim-maybejustafaintingfit."

"It isn't a fainting fit, and I'm sorry - but nobody's going to touch him until the divisional surgeon
comes.Mr.Shaitana'sbeenmurdered,ladiesandgentlemen."

"Murdered?"AhorrifiedincreduloussighfromAnne.

Astare,averyblankstarefromDespard.

Asharpincisive"Murdered?"fromMrs.Lorrimer.

A"GoodGod!"fromDoctorRoberts.

SuperintendentBattlenoddedhisheadslowly.HelookedratherlikeaChineseporcelainmandarin.His
expressionwasquiteblank.

"Stabbed,"hesaid."That'sthewayofit.Stabbed."

Thenheshotoutaquestion."Anyofyouleavethebridgetableduringtheevening?"

Hesawfourexpressionsbreakup-waver.Hesawfear-comprehension-indignation-dismay-horror,
buthesawnothingdefinitelyhelpful.

"Well?"

There was a pause and then Major Despard said quietly, he had risen now and was standing like a
soldieronparade,hisnarrowintelligentfaceturnedtoBattle,"Ithinkeveryoneofus,atonetime,or
another,movedfromthebridgetable-eithertogetdrinksortoputwoodonthefire.Ididboth.WhenI
wenttothefireShaitanawasasleepinhischair."

"Asleep?"

"Ithoughtso-yes."

"Hemayhavebeen,"saidBattle."Orhemayhavebeendeadthen.We'llgointothatpresently.I'llask
you now to go into the room, next door." He turned to the quiet figure at his elbow. "Colonel Race,
perhapsyou'llgowiththem?"

Racegaveaquicknodofcomprehension.

"Right,Superintendent."

Thefourbridgeplayerswentslowlythroughthedoorway.

Mrs.Oliversatdowninachairatthefarendoftheroomandbegantosobquietly.

Battletookupthetelephonereceiverandspoke.

Thenhesaid,"Thelocalpolicewillberoundimmediately.OrdersfromheadquartersarethatI'mtotake
onthecase.Divisionalsurgeonwillbeherealmostatonce.Howlongshouldyousayhe'dbeendead,
MonsieurPoirot?I'dsaywelloveranhourmyself."

"Iagree.Alasthatonecannotbemoreexact-thatonecannotsay,'Thismanhasbeendeadonehour
twenty-fiveminutesandfortyseconds.'"

Battlenoddedabsently.

"Hewassittingrightinfrontofthefire.Thatmakesaslightdifference.Overanhour,notmorethantwo
andahalf-that'swhatourdoctorwillsay,I'llbebound.Andnobodyheardanythingandnobodysaw
anything.Amazing!Whatadesperatechancetotake.Hemighthavecriedout."

"Buthedidnot.Themurderer'sluckheld.Asyousay,monami,itwasaverydesperatebusiness."

"Anyideas,MonsieurPoirot?Astomotive?Anythingofthatkind?"

Poirotsaidslowly,"Yes,Ihavesomethingtosayonthatscore.Tellme-MonsieurShaitana,hedidnot
giveyouanyhintofwhatkindofapartyyouwerecomingtotonight?"

SuperintendentBattlelookedathimcuriously.

"No,MonsieurPoirot.Hedidn'tsayanythingatall.Why?"

Abellwhirredinthedistanceandaknockerwasplied.

"That'sourpeople,"saidSuperintendentBattle."I'llgoandlet'emin.We'llhaveyourstorypresently.
Mustgetonwiththeroutinework."

Poirotnodded.Battlelefttheroom.

Mrs.Olivercontinuedtosob.

Poirotwentovertothebridgetable.Withouttouchinganythingheexaminedthescores.Heshookhis
headonceortwice.

"Thestupidlittleman!Oh,thestupidlittleman,"murmuredHerculePoirot."Todressupasthedevil
andtrytofrightenpeople.Quelenfantillage!"

The door opened. The divisional surgeon came in, bag in hand; he was followed by the divisional
inspectortalkingtoBattle.Acameramancamenext.Therewasaconstableinthehall.

Theroutineofthedetectionofcrimehadbegun.

Chapter4

FIRSTMURDERER?

HerculePoirot,Mrs.Oliver,ColonelRace,andSuperintendentBattlesatroundthedining-roomtable.It
wasanhourlater.Thebodyhadbeenexamined,photographed,andremoved.Afingerprintexperthad
beenandgone.

SuperintendentBattlelookedatPoirot.

"Before I have those four in, I want to hear what you've got to tell me. According to you there was
somethingbehindthispartytonight?"

Very deliberately and carefully Poirot retold the conversation he had held with Shaitana at Wessex
House.

SuperintendentBattlepursedhislips.Heverynearlywhistled.

"Exhibits-eh?Murderersallalive,oh!Andyouthinkhemeantit?Youdon'tthinkhewaspullingyour
leg?"

Poirot shook his head. "Oh, no, he meant it. Shaitana was a man who prided himself on his
Mephistopheleanattitudetowardlife.Hewasamanofgreatvanity.Hewasalsoastupidman-thatis

whyheisdead."

"Igetyou,"saidSuperintendentBattle,followingthingsoutinhismind."Apartyofeightandhimself.
Foursleuths,sotospeak-andfourmurderers!"

"It'simpossible,"criedMrs.Oliver."Absolutelyimpossible.Noneofthosepeoplecanbecriminals."

SuperintendentBattleshookhisheadthoughtfully.

"Iwouldn'tbesosureofthat,Mrs.Oliver.Murdererslookandbehaveverymuchlikeeverybodyelse.
Nice,quiet,well-behavedreasonablefolk,veryoften."

"Inthatcase,it'sDoctorRoberts,"saidMrs.Oliverfirmly."Ifeltinstinctivelythattherewassomething
wrongwiththatmanassoonasIsawhim.Myinstinctsneverlie."

BattleturnedtoColonelRace.

"Whatdoyouthink,sir?"

Race shrugged his shoulders. He took the question as referring to Poirot's statement and not to Mrs.
Oliver'ssuspicions."Itcouldbe,"hesaid."Itcouldbe.ItshowsthatShaitanawasrightinonecase,at
least!Afterallhecanonlyhavesuspectedthatthesepeopleweremurderers,hecan'thavebeensure.He
mayhavebeenrightinallfourcases,hemayhavebeenrightinonlyonecase-buthewasrightinone
case;hisdeathprovesthat."

"Oneofthemgotthewindup-thinkthat'sit,MonsieurPoirot?"

Poirotnodded."ThelateMr.Shaitanahadareputation,"hesaid."Hehadadangeroussenseofhumor
and was reputed to be merciless. The victim thought that Shaitana was giving himself an evening's
amusement,leadinguptoamomentwhenhe'dhandthevictimovertothepolice-you!Heorshemust
havethoughtthatShaitanahaddefiniteevidence."

"Hadhe?"

Poirotshruggedhisshoulders.

"Thatweshallneverknow."

"DoctorRoberts!"repeatedMrs.Oliverfirmly."Suchaheartyman.Murderersareoftenhearty-asa
disguise!IfIwereyou,SuperintendentBattle,Ishouldarresthimatonce."

"IdaresaywewouldiftherewasawomanattheheadofScotlandYard,"saidSuperintendentBattle,a
momentarytwinkleshowinginhisunemotionaleyes,"Butyousee,meremenbeingincharge,we've
gottobecareful.We'vegottogetthereslowly."

"Oh,men-men,"sighedMrs.Oliverandbegantocomposenewspaperarticlesinherhead.

"Better have them in now," said Superintendent Battle. "It won't do to keep them hanging about too
long."

ColonelRacehalfrose."Ifyou'dlikeustogo-"

SuperintendentBattlehesitatedaminuteashecaughtMrs.Oliver'seloquenteye.Hewaswellawareof
Colonel Race's official position and Poirot had worked with the police on many occasions. For Mrs.
Oliver to remain was decidedly stretching a point. But Battle was a kindly man. He remembered that
Mrs.Oliverhadlostthreepoundsandsevenshillingsatbridgeandthatshehadbeenacheerfulloser.

"You can all stay," he said, "as far as I'm concerned. But no interruptions, please (he looked at Mrs.
Oliver)andtheremustn'tbeahintofwhatMonsieurPoirothasjusttoldus.ThatwasShaitana'slittle
secretandtoallintentsandpurposesitdiedwithhim.Understand?"

"Perfectly,"saidMrs.Oliver.

Battlestrodetothedoorandcalledtheconstablewhowasondutyinthehall.

"Gotothelittlesmoking-room.You'llfindAndersontherewiththefourguests.AskDoctorRobertsif
he'llbesogoodastostepthisway,"

"Ishouldhavekepthimtotheend,"saidMrs.Oliver."InabookImean,"sheaddedapologetically.

"Reallife'sabitdifferent,"saidBattle.

"Iknow,"saidMrs.Oliver."Badlyconstructed."

DoctorRobertsenteredwiththespringinessofhisstepslightlysubdued.

"Isay,Battle,"hesaid."Thisisthedevilofabusiness!Excuseme,Mrs.Oliver,butitis.Professionally
speaking,Icouldhardlyhavebelievedit!Tostabamanwiththreeotherpeopleafewyardsaway."He
shookhishead."Whew!Iwouldn'tliketohavedoneit."Aslightsmiletwitchedupthecornersofhis
mouth."WhatcanIsayordotoconvinceyouthatIdidn'tdoit?"

"Well,there'smotive,DoctorRoberts."

Thedoctornoddedhisheademphatically.

"That'sallclear.Ihadn'ttheshadowofamotivefordoingawaywithpoorShaitana.Ididn'tevenknow
him very well. He amused me - he was such a fantastic fellow. Touch of the Oriental about him.
Naturallyyou'llinvestigatemyrelationswithhimclosely;Iexpectthat.I'mnotafool.Butyouwon't
findanything.I'dnoreasonforkillingShaitanaandIdidn'tkillhim."

SuperintendentBattlenoddedwoodenly.

"That'sallright,DoctorRoberts.I'vegottoinvestigate,asyouknow.You'reasensibleman.Nowcan
youtellmeanythingabouttheotherthreepeople?"

"I'mafraidIdon'tknowverymuch.DespardandMissMeredithImetforthefirsttimetonight.Iknew
ofDespardbefore-readhistravelbook,andajollygoodyarnitis."

"DidyouknowthatheandMr.Shaitanawereacquainted?"

"No.Shaitananevermentionedhimtome.AsIsay,I'dheardofhim,butnevermethim.MissMeredith
I'veneverseenbefore.Mrs.LorrimerIknowslightly."

"Whatdoyouknowabouther?"

Robertsshruggedhisshoulders.

"She's a widow. Moderately well off. Intelligent, well-bred woman - first class bridge player. That's
whereI'vemetherasamatteroffact,playingbridge."

"AndMr.Shaitananevermentionedhereither?"

"No."

"H'm-thatdoesn'thelpusmuch.Now,DoctorRoberts,perhapsyou'llbesokindastotaxyourmemory
carefullyandtellmehowoftenyouyourselfleftyourseatatthebridgetableandallyoucanremember
aboutthemovementsoftheothers."

DoctorRobertstookafewminutestothink.

"It'sdifficult,"hesaidfrankly,"Icanremembermyownmovementsmoreorless.Igotupthreetimes-
thatis,onthreeoccasionswhenIwasdummy,Ileftmyseatandmademyselfuseful.OnceIwentover
andputwoodonthefire.OnceIbroughtdrinkstothetwoladies.OnceIpouredoutawhiskyandsoda
formyself."

"Canyourememberthetimes?"

"Icouldonlysayveryroughly.Webegantoplayaboutnine-thirty,Iimagine.Ishouldsayitwasabout
anhourlaterthatIstokedthefire;quiteashorttimeafterthatIfetchedthedrinks,nexthandbutone,I
think; and perhaps half-past eleven when I got myself a whisky and soda but those times are quite
approximate.Icouldn'tanswerfortheirbeingcorrect."

"Thetable,withthedrinkswasbeyondMr.Shaitana'schair?"

"Yes.That'stosayIpassedquitenearhimthreetimes."

"Andeachtimetothebestofyourbeliefhewasasleep?"

"That'swhatIthoughtthefirsttime.ThesecondtimeIdidn'tevenlookathim.ThirdtimeIratherfancy

thethoughtjustpassedthroughmymind'Howthebeggardoessleep'butIdidn'treallylookathim."

"Verygood.Nowwhendidyourfellowplayersleavethenseats?"

DoctorRobertsfrowned.

"Difficult-verydifficult.Despardwentandfetchedanextraashtray,Ithink.Andhewentforadrink.
Thatwasbeforeme,forIrememberheaskedmeifI'dhaveoneandIsaidIwasn'tquiteready."

"Andtheladies?"

"Mrs.Lorrimerwentovertothefireonce.PokeditIthink.IratherfancyshespoketoShaitana,butI
don'tknow.Iwasplayingarathertrickynotrumpatthetime."

"AndMissMeredith?"

"Shecertainlyleftthetableonce.Cameroundandlookedatmyhand-Iwasherpartneratthetime.
Thenshelookedattheotherpeople'shandsandthenshewanderedroundtheroom.Idon'tknowwhat
shewasdoingexactly.Iwasn'tpayingattention."

Superintendent Battle said thoughtfully, "As you were sitting at the bridge table, no one's chair was
directlyfacingthefireplace?"

"No,sortofsidewaysonandtherewasabigcabinetbetween-Chinesepiece,veryhandsome.Icansee,
ofcourse,thatitwouldbeperfectlypossibletostabtheoldboy.Afterallwhenyou'replayingbridge,
you're playing bridge. You're not looking round you and noticing what is going on. The only person
who'slikelytobedoingthatisdummy.Andinthiscase-"

"Inthiscase,undoubtedlydummywasthemurderer"saidSuperintendentBattle.

"Allthesame,"saidDoctorRoberts,"itwantednerveyouknow!Afterall,whoistosaythatsomebody
won'tlookupjustatthecriticalmoment?"

"Yes,"saidBattle."Itwasabigrisk.Themotivemusthavebeenastrongone.Iwishweknewwhatit
was,"headdedwithunblushingmendacity.

"You'llfindout,Iexpect,"saidRoberts."You'llgothroughhispapersandallthatsortofthing.There
willprobablybeaclue."

"We'llhopeso,"saidSuperintendentBattlegloomily.Heshotakeenglanceattheother.

"Iwonderifyou'dobligeme,DoctorRoberts,bygivingmeapersonalopinion-asmantoman."

"Certainly."

"Whichdoyoufancyyourselfofthethree?"

DoctorRobertsshruggedhisshoulders.

"That's easy. Offhand I'd say Despard. The man's got plenty of nerve, he's used to a dangerous life
whereyou'vegottoactquickly.Hewouldn'tmindtakingarisk.Itdoesn'tseemtomelikelythewomen
areinonthis.Takeabitofstrength,Ishouldimagine."

"Notsomuchasyoumightthink.Takealookatthis."

Ratherlikeaconjuror,Battlesuddenlyproducedalong,thininstrumentofgleamingmetalwithasmall,
roundjeweledhead.

DoctorRobertsleanedforward,tookit,andexamineditwithrich,professionalappreciation.Hetried
thepointandwhistled."Whatatool!Whatatool!Absolutelymadeformurder,thislittletoy.Goinlike
butter-absolutelylikebutter.Broughtitwithhim,Isuppose."

Battleshookhishead.

"No.ItwasMr.Shaitana's.Itlayonthetablenearthedoorwithagoodmanyotherknick-knacks."

"Sothemurdererhelpedhimself.Abitofluckfindingatoollikethat."

"Well,that'sonewayoflookingatit,"saidBattleslowly.

"Well,ofcourseitwasn'tluckforShaitana,poorfellow."

"Ididn'tmeanthat,DoctorRoberts.Imeantthattherewasanotherangleoflookingatthebusiness.It
occurstomethatitwasnoticingthisweaponthatputtheideaofmurderintoourcriminal'smind."

"You mean it was a sudden inspiration? That the murder wasn't premeditated? He conceived the idea
afterhegothere?Er-anythingtosuggestthatideatoyou?"HeglancedatBattlesearchingly.

"It'sjustanidea,"saidSuperintendentBattlestolidly.

"Well,itmightbeso,ofcourse,"saidDoctorRobertsslowly.

SuperintendentBattleclearedhisthroat.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer, Doctor. Thank you for your help. Perhaps you'll leave your
address."

"Certainly. Two hundred Gloucester Terrace, W. two. Telephone Bayswater No. two-three-eight-nine-
six."

"Thankyou.Imayhavetocalluponyoushortly."

"Delightedtoseeyouanytime.Hopetherewon'tbetoomuchinthepapers.Idon'twantmynervous
patientsupset."

SuperintendentBattlelookedroundatPoirot.

"Excuseme,MonsieurPoirot.Ifyou'dliketoaskanyquestionsI'msurethedoctorwouldn'tmind."

"Of course not. Of course not. Great admirer of yours, Monsieur Poirot. Little gray cells - order and
method.Iknowallaboutit.Ifeelsureyou'llthinkofsomethingmostintriguingtoaskme."

HerculePoirotspreadouthishandsinhismostforeignmanner.

"No, no. I just like to get all the details clear in my mind. For instance, how many rubbers did you
play?"

"Three,"saidRobertspromptly."We'dgotwellintothefourthrubberwhenyoucamein."

"Andwhoplayedwithwho?"

"Firstrubber,DespardandIagainsttheladies.Theybeatus,Godbless'em.Walkover,weneverhelda
card.

"Second rubber Miss Meredith and I against Despard and Mrs. Lorrimer. Third rubber Mrs. Lorrimer
andIagainstMissMeredithandDespard.Wecuteachtimebutitworkedoutlikeapivot.Fourthrubber
MissMeredithandIagain."

"Whowonandwholost?"

"Mrs.Lorrimerwoneveryrubber.MissMeredithwonthefirstandlostthenexttwo.Iwasabitupand
MissMeredithandDespardmusthavebeendown."

Poirot said smiling, "The good superintendent has asked you your opinion of your companions as
candidatesformurder.Inowaskyouforyouropinionofthemasbridgeplayers."

"Mrs.Lorrimer'sfirstclass,"DoctorRobertsrepliedpromptly."I'llbetshemakesagoodincomeayear
out of bridge. Despard's a good player too - what I call a sound player - longheaded chap; Miss
Meredithyoumightdescribeasquiteasafeplayer.Shedoesn'tmakemistakesbutsheisn'tbrilliant."

"Andyouyourself,Doctor?"

Roberts'seyestwinkled,"Ioverbidmyhandabit,orsotheysay.ButI'vealwaysfounditpays."

Poirotsmiled.

DoctorRobertsrose."Anythingmore?"

Poirotshookhishead.

"Well,goodnight,then.Goodnight,Mrs.Oliver.Yououghttogetsomecopyoutofthis.Betterthan
youruntraceablepoisons,eh?"

DoctorRobertslefttheroom,hisbearingspringyoncemore.Mrs.Oliversaidbitterlyasthedoorclosed
behind him, "Copy! Copy indeed! People are so unintelligent. I could invent a better murder any day
thananythingreal.I'mneveratalossforaplot.Andthepeoplewhoreadmybookslikeuntraceable
poisons!"

Chapter5

SECONDMURDERER?

Mrs.Lorrimercameintothedining-roomlikeagentlewoman.Shelookedalittlepale,butcomposed.

"I'msorrytohavetobotheryou,"SuperintendentBattlebegan.

"Youmustdoyourduty,ofcourse,"saidMrs.Lorrimerquietly."Itis,Iagree,anunpleasantpositionin
whichtobeplaced,butthereisnogoodshirkingit.Iquiterealizethatoneofthefourpeopleinthat
roommustbeguilty.NaturallyIcan'texpectyoutotakemywordthatIamnottheperson."

She accepted the chair that Colonel Race offered her and sat down opposite the superintendent. Her
intelligentgrayeyesmethis.Shewaitedattentively.

"YouknewMr.Shaitanawell?"beganthesuperintendent.

"Notverywell.Ihaveknownhimoveraperiodofsomeyears,butneverintimately."

"Wheredidyoumeethim?"

"AtahotelinEgypt-theWinterPalaceatLuxor,Ithink."

"Whatdidyouthinkofhim?"

Mrs.Lorrimershruggedhershouldersslightly.

"Ithoughthim-Imayaswellsayso-ratheracharlatan."

"Youhad-excusemeforasking-nomotiveforwishinghimoutoftheway?"

Mrs.Lorrimerlookedslightlyamused.

"Really,SuperintendentBattle,doyouthinkIshouldadmititifIhad?"

"Youmight,"saidBattle."Areallyintelligentpersonmightknowthatathingwasboundtocomeout."

Mrs.Lorrimerinclinedherheadthoughtfully.

"Thereisthat,ofcourse.No,SuperintendentBattle,IhadnomotiveforwishingMr.Shaitanaoutofthe
way.Itisreallyamatterofindifferencetomewhetherheisaliveordead.Ithoughthimaposerand
rathertheatrical,andsometimesheirritatedme.Thatis-orratherwas-myattitudetowardhim."

"Thatisthat,then.Now,Mrs.Lorrimer,canyoutellmeanythingaboutyourthreecompanions?"

"I'mafraidnot.MajorDespardandMissMeredithImetforthefirsttimetonight.Bothofthemseem
charmingpeople.DoctorRobertsIknowslightly.He'saverypopulardoctor,Ibelieve."

"Heisnotyourowndoctor?"

"Oh,no."

"Now,Mrs.Lorrimer,canyoutellmehowoftenyougotupfromyourseattonight,andwillyoualso
describethemovementsoftheotherthree?"

Mrs.Lorrimerdidnottakeanytimetothink.

"Ithoughtyouwouldprobablyaskmethat.Ihavebeentryingtothinkitout.Igotuponcemyselfwhen
Iwasdummy.Iwentovertothefire.Mr.Shaitanawasalivethen.Imentionedtohimhowniceitwasto
seeawoodfire."

"Andheanswered?"

"Thathehatedradiators."

"Didanyoneoverhearyourconversation?"

"Idon'tthinkso.Iloweredmyvoicenottointerrupttheplayers."Sheaddeddryly,"Infactyouhave
onlymywordforitthatMr.Shaitanawasaliveandspoketome."

SuperintendentBattlemadenoprotest.Hewentonwithhisquietmethodicalquestioning.

"Whattimewasthat?"

"Ishouldthinkwehadbeenplayingalittleoveranhour."

"Whatabouttheothers?"

"DoctorRobertsgotmeadrink.Healsogothimselfone-thatwaslater.MajorDespardalsowenttoget
adrink-atabouteleven-fifteen,Ishouldsay."

"Onlyonce?"

"No - twice, I think. The men moved about a fair amount, but I didn't notice what they did. Miss
MeredithleftherseatonceonlyIthink.Shewentroundtolookatherpartner'shand."

"Butsheremainednearthebridgetable?"

"Icouldn'tsayatall.Shemayhavemovedaway."

Battlenodded."It'sallveryvague,"hegrumbled.

"Iamsorry."

OnceagainBattledidhisconjuringtrickandproducedthelong,delicatestiletto.

"Willyoulookatthis,Mrs.Lorrimer?"

Mrs.Lorrimertookitwithoutemotion.

"Haveyoueverseenthatbefore?"

"Never."

"Yetitwaslyingonatableinthedrawing-room."

"Ididn'tnoticeit."

"Yourealize,perhaps,Mrs.Lorrimer,thatwithaweaponlikethatawomancoulddothetrickjustas
easilyasaman."

"Isupposeshecould,"saidMrs.Lorrimerquietly.

Sheleanedforwardandhandedthedaintylittlethingbacktohim.

"Butallthesame,"saidSuperintendentBattle,"thewomanwouldhavetobeprettydesperate.Itwasa
longchancetotake."

HewaitedaminutebutMrs.Lorrimerdidnotspeak.

"DoyouknowanythingoftherelationsbetweentheotherthreeandMr.Shaitana?"

Sheshookherhead.

"Nothingatall."

"Wouldyoucaretogivemeanopinionastowhichofthemyouconsiderthemostlikelyperson?"

Mrs.Lorrimerdrewherselfupstiffly.

"Ishouldnotcaretodoanythingofthekind.Iconsiderthatamostimproperquestion."

Thesuperintendentlookedlikeanabashedlittleboywhohasbeenreprimandedbyhisgrandmother.

"Address,please,"hemumbled,drawinghisnotebooktowardhim.

"OneelevenCheyneLane,Chelsea."

"Telephonenumber?"

"Chelseafour-five-six-three-two."Mrs.Lorrimerrose.

"Anythingyouwanttoask,MonsieurPoirot?"saidBattlehurriedly.

Mrs.Lorrimerpaused,herheadslightlyinclined.

"Woulditbeaproperquestion,madame,toaskyouyouropinionofyourcompanionsnotaspotential
murderersbutasbridgeplayers?"

Mrs.Lorrimeransweredcoldly,"Ihavenoobjectiontoansweringthat-ifitbearsuponthematterat
issueinanyway,thoughIfailtoseehowitcan."

"Iwillbethejudgeofthat.Youranswer,ifyouplease,madame."

In the tone of an impatient adult humoring an idiot child Mrs. Lorrimer replied, "Major Despard is a
goodsoundplayer.DoctorRobertsoverbidsbutplayshishandbrilliantly.MissMeredithisquiteanice
littleplayerbutabittoocautious.Anythingmore?"

Inhisturndoingaconjuringtrick,Poirotproducedfourcrumpledbridgescores.

"Thesescores,madame,isoneoftheseyours?"

Sheexaminedthem."Thisismywriting.Itisthescoreofthethirdrubber."

"Andthisscore?"

"ThatmustbeMajorDespard's.Hecancelsashegoes."

"Andthisone?"

"MissMeredith's.Thefirstrubber."

"SothisunfinishedoneisDoctorRoberts's?"

"Yes."

"Thankyou,madame.Ithinkthatisall."

Mrs.LorrimerturnedtoMrs.Oliver.

"Goodnight,Mrs.Oliver.Goodnight,ColonelRace."

Then,havingshakenhandswithallfourofthem,shewentout.

Chapter6

THIRDMURDERER?

"Didn't get any extra change out of her," commented Battle. "Put me in my place, too. She's the old-
fashionedkind,fullofconsiderationforothersbutarrogantasthedevil!Ican'tbelieveshedidit,but
youneverknow!She'sgotplentyofresolution.What'stheideaofthebridgescores,MonsieurPoirot?"

Poirotspreadthemoutonthetable.

"Theyareilluminating,doyounotthink?Whatdowewantinthiscase?Acluetocharacter.Andaclue
not to one character, but to four characters. And this is where we are most likely to find it - in these
scribbled figures. Here is the first rubber, you see - a tame business, soon over. Small neat figures -
careful addition and subtraction - that is Miss Meredith's score. She was playing with Mrs. Lorrimer.
Theyhadthecardsandtheywon.

"Inthisnextoneitisnotsoeasytofollowtheplay,sinceitiskeptinthecancellationstyle.Butittells
usperhapssomethingaboutMajorDespard-amanwholikesthewholetimetoknowataglancewhere
hestands.Thefiguresaresmallandfullofcharacter.

"ThisnextscoreisMrs.Lorrimer's-sheandDoctorRobertsagainsttheothertwo-aHomericcombat,
figuresmountingupabovethelineeachside.Overbiddingonthedoctor'spartandtheygodown-but
since they are both first-class players they never go down very much. If the doctor's overbidding
inducesrashbiddingontheothersidethereisthechanceseizedofdoubling.See-thesefigureshereare
doubledtricksgonedown.Acharacteristichandwriting,graceful,verylegible,firm.

"Hereisthelastscore-theunfinishedrubber.Icollectedonescoreineachperson'shandwriting,you
see.Figuresratherflamboyant.Notsuchhighscoresastheprecedingrubber.Thatisprobablybecause
thedoctorwasplayingwithMissMeredithandsheisatimidplayer.Hiscallingwouldmakehermore
so!

"Youthink,perhaps,thattheyarefoolish,thesequestionsthatIask?Butitisnotso.Iwanttogetatthe
charactersofthesefourplayers,andwhenitisonlyaboutbridgeIask,everyoneisreadyandwillingto
speak."

"Ineverthinkyourquestionsfoolish,MonsieurPoirot,"saidBattle."I'veseentoomuchofyourwork.
Everyone's got his own ways of working. I know that. I give my inspectors a free hand always.
Everyone'sgottofindoutforhimselfwhatmethodsuitshimbest.Butwe'dbetternotdiscussthatnow.

We'llhavethegirlin."

AnneMeredithwasupset.Shestoppedinthedoorway.Herbreathcameunevenly.

SuperintendentBattlewasimmediatelyfatherly.Herose,setachairforherataslightlydifferentangle.

"Sitdown,MissMeredith,sitdown.Nowdon'tbealarmed.Iknowallthisseemsratherdreadful,but
it'snotsobadreally."

"Idon'tthinkanythingcouldbeworse,"andthegirlinalowvoice."It'ssoawful-soawful-tothink
thatoneofus-thatoneofus-"

"You let me do the thinking," said Battle kindly. "Now then, Miss Meredith, suppose we have your
addressfirstofall."

"WendonCottage,Wallingford."

"Noaddressintown?"

"No,I'mstayingatmyclubforadayortwo."

"Andyourclubis?"

"Ladies'NavalandMilitary."

"Good.Nowthen,MissMeredith,howwelldidyouknowMr.Shaitana?"

"Ididn'tknowhimwellatall.Ialwaysthoughthewasamostfrighteningman."

"Why?"

"Oh,well,hewas!Thatawfulsmile!Andawayhehadofbendingoveryou.Asthoughhemightbite
you."

"Hadyouknownhimlong?"

"Aboutninemonths.ImethiminSwitzerlandduringthewintersports."

"Ishouldneverhavethoughthewentinforwintersports,"saidBattle,surprised.

"Heonlyskated.Hewasamarvelousskater.Lotsoffiguresandtricks."

"Yes,thatsoundsmorelikehim.Anddidyouseemuchofhimafterthat?"

"Well-afairamount.Heaskedmetopartiesandthingslikethat.Theywereratherfun,"

"Butyoudidn'tlikehimhimself?"

"No,Ithoughthewasashiverykindofman."

Battlesaidgently,"Butyou'dnospecialreasonforbeingafraidofhim?"

AnneMeredithraisedwidelimpideyestohis.

"Specialreason?Oh,no."

"That'sallrightthen.Nowabouttonight,didyouleaveyourseatatall?"

"Idon'tthinkso.Oh,yes,Imayhavedonesoonce.Iwentroundtolookattheothers'hands."

"Butyoustayedbythebridgetableallthetime?"

"Yes."

"Quitesure,MissMeredith?"

Thegirl'scheeksflamedsuddenly.

"No-noIthinkIwalkedabout."

"Right.You'llexcuseme,MissMeredith,buttryandspeakthetruth.Iknowyou'renervous,andwhen
one'snervousone'saptto-well,tosaythethingthewayyouwantittobe.Butthatdoesn'treallypayin
theend.Youwalkedabout.DidyouwalkoverinthedirectionofMr.Shaitana?"

Thegirlwassilentforaminutethenshesaid,"Honestly-honestly-Idon'tremember."

"Well,we'llleaveitthatyoumayhave.Knowanythingabouttheotherthree?"

Thegirlshookherhead.

"I'veneverseenanyofthembefore."

"Whatdoyouthinkofthem?Anylikelymurderersamongthem?"

"Ican'tbelieveit.Ijustcan'tbelieveit.Itcouldn'tbeMajorDespard.AndIdon'tbelieveitcouldbethe
doctor.Afteralladoctorcouldkillanyoneinsomucheasierways.Adrug-somethinglikethat."

"Then,ifit'sanyone,youthinkit'sMrs.Lorrimer."

"Oh,Idon't.I'msureshewouldn't.She'ssocharming-andsokindtoplaybridgewith.She'ssogood
herselfandyetshedoesn'tmakeonefeelnervous,orpointoutone'smistakes."

"Yetyoulefthernametothelast,"saidBattle.

"Onlybecausestabbingseemssomehowmorelikeawoman."

Battledidhisconjuringtrick.AnneMeredithshrankback."Oh,horrible!MustI-takeit?"

"I'dratheryoudid."

Hewatchedherasshetookthestilettogingerly,herfacecontractedwithrepulsion.

"Withthistinything-withthis-"

"Goinlikebutter,"saidBattlewithgusto."Achildcoulddoit."

"Youmean-youmean,"wide,terrifiedeyesfixedthemselvesonhisface,"thatImighthavedoneit.
ButIdidn't.Oh!Ididn't!WhyshouldI?"

"That'sjustthequestionwe'dliketoknow,"saidBattle."What'sthemotive?Whydidanyonewantto
killShaitana?Hewasapicturesquepersonbuthewasn'tdangerousasfarasIcanmakeout."

Wasthereaslightindrawingofherbreath-asuddenliftingofherbreast?

"Notablackmailer,forinstance,oranythingofthatsort,"wentonBattle."Andanyway,MissMeredith,
youdon'tlookthesortofgirlwho'sgotalotofguiltysecrets."

Forthefirsttimeshesmiled,reassuredbyhisgeniality.

"No,indeedIhaven't.Ihaven'tgotanysecretsatall."

"Thendon'tyouworry,MissMeredith.Weshallhavetocomeroundandaskyouafewmorequestions,
Iexpect,butitwillbeallamatterofroutine."

He got up. "Now you go off. My constable will get you a taxi, and don't you lie awake worrying
yourself.Takeacoupleofaspirins."

Heusheredherout.AshecamebackColonelRacesaidinalow,amusedvoice,"Battle,whatareally
accomplishedliaryouare!Yourfatherlyairwasunsurpassed."

"Nogooddallyingaboutwithher,ColonelRace.Eitherthepoorkidisdeadscared-inwhichcaseit's

cruelty,andI'mnotacruelman;Ineverhavebeen-orshe'sahighlyaccomplishedlittleactressandwe
shouldn'tgetanyfartherifweweretokeepherherehalfthenight."

Mrs.Olivergaveasighandranherhandsfreelythroughherfringeuntilitstooduprightandgavehera
whollydrunkenappearance."Doyouknow,"shesaid,"Iratherbelievenowthatshedidit!It'sluckyit's
notinabook.Theydon'treallyliketheyoungandbeautifulgirltohavedoneit.Allthesame,Irather
thinkshedid.Whatdoyouthink,MonsieurPoirot?"

"Me,Ihavejustmadeadiscovery."

"Inthebridgescoresagain?"

"Yes,MissAnneMeredithturnsherscoreover,drawslines,andusestheback."

"Andwhatdoesthatmean?"

"Itmeansshehasthehabitofpovertyorelseisofanaturallyeconomicalturnofmind."

"She'sexpensivelydressed,"saidMrsOliver.

"SendinMajorDespard,"saidSuperintendentBattle.

Chapter7

FOURTHMURDERER?

Despard entered the rood with a quick springing step - a step that reminded Poirot of something or
someone.

"I'msorrytohavekeptyouwaitingallthiswhile,MajorDespard,"saidBattle."ButIwantedtoletthe
ladiesgetawayassoonaspossible."

"Don'tapologize.Iunderstand."Hesatdownandlookedinquiringlyatthesuperintendent.

"HowwelldidyouknowMr.Shaitana?"beganthelatter.

"I'vemethimtwice,"saidDespardcrisply.

"Onlytwice?"

"That'sall."

"Onwhatoccasions?"

"About a month ago we were both dining at the same house. Then he asked me to a cocktail party a
weeklater."

"Acocktailpartyhere?"

"Yes."

"Wheredidittakeplace-thisroomorthedrawing-room?"

"Inalltherooms."

"Seethislittlethinglyingabout?"

Battleoncemoreproducedthestiletto.

MajorDespard'sliptwistedslightly.

"No,"hesaid,"Ididn'tmarkitdownonthatoccasionforfutureuse."

"There'snoneedtogoaheadofwhatIsay,MajorDespard."

"Ibegyourpardon.Theinferencewasfairlyobvious."

Therewasamoment'spause,thenBattleresumedhisinquiries.

"HadyouanymotivefordislikingMr.Shaitana?"

"Everymotive."

"Eh?"Thesuperintendentsoundedstartled.

"Fordislikinghim-notforkillinghim,saidDespard."Ihadn'ttheleastwishtokillhim,butIwould
thoroughlyhaveenjoyedkickinghim.Apity.It'stoolatenow."

"Whydidyouwanttokickhim,MajorDespard?"

"Becausehewasthesortofratwhoneededkickingbadly.Heusedtomakethetoeofmybootfairly
itch."

"Knowanythingabouthim-tohisdiscredit,Imean?"

"Hewastoowelldressed;heworehishairtoolong,andhesmelledofscent."

"Yetyouacceptedhisinvitationtodinner,"Battlepointedout.

"IfIwereonlytodineinhouseswhereIthoroughlyapprovedofmyhostI'mafraid,Ishouldn'tdineout
verymuch,SuperintendentBattle,"saidDesparddryly.

"Youlikesociety,butyoudon'tapproveofit?"suggestedtheother.

"I like it for very short periods. To come back from the wilds to lighted rooms and women in lovely
clothes,todancingandgoodfood,andlaughter-yes,Ienjoythat-foratime.Andthentheinsincerity
ofitallsickensmeandIwanttobeoffagain."

"Itmustbeadangeroussortoflifethatyoulead,MajorDespard,wanderingaboutinthesewildplaces."

Despardshruggedhisshoulders,Hesmiledslightly.

"Mr.Shaitanadidn'tleadadangerouslife-butheisdead,andIamalive!"

"Hemayhaveledamoredangerouslifethanyouthink,"saidBattlemeaningly.

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"ThelateMr.ShaitanawasabitofaNosyParker,"saidBattle.

Theotherleanedforward."Youmeanthathemeddledwithotherpeople'slives-thathediscovered-
what?"

"Ireallymeantthatperhapshewasthesortofmanwhomeddled-er-well,withwomen."

MajorDespardleanedback,inhischair.Helaughed,anamusedbutindifferentlaugh.

"Idon'tthinkwomenwouldtakeamountebanklikethatseriously."

"What'syourtheoryofwhokilledhim,MajorDespard?"

"WellIknowIdidn't.LittleMissMeredithdidn't.Ican'timagineMrs.Lorrimerdoingso-shereminds
meofoneofmymoreGod-fearingaunts.Thatleavesthemedicalgentleman."

"Canyoudescribeyourownandotherpeople'smovementsthisevening?"

"Igotuptwice-onceforanashtrayandIalsopokedthefire-andonceforadrink."

"Atwhattimes?"

"Icouldn'tsay.Firsttimemighthavebeenabouthalf-pastten,thesecondtimeeleven,butthat'spure
guesswork,Mrs.LorrimerwentovertothefireonceandsaidsomethingtoShaitana.Ididn'tactually
hearhimanswer,butthenIwasn'tpayingattention.Icouldn'tswearhedidn't.MissMeredithwandered
abouttheroomabit,butIdon'tthinkshewentovernearthefireplace.Robertswasalwaysjumpingup
anddown-threeorfourtimesatleast."

"I'll ask you Monsieur Poirot's question," said Battle with a smile. "What did you think of them as
bridgeplayers?"

"MissMeredith'squiteagoodplayer.Robertsoverbidshishanddisgracefully.Hedeservestogodown
morethanhedoes.Mrs.Lorrimer'sdamnedgood."

BattleturnedtoPoirot.

"Anythingelse,MonsieurPoirot?"

Poirotshookhishead.

DespardgavehisaddressastheAlbany,wishedthemgoodnight,andlefttheroom.

Asheclosedthedoorbehindhim,Poirotmadeaslightmovement."Whatisit?"demandedBattle.

"Nothing,"saidPoirot."Itjustoccurredtomethathewalkslikeatiger-yes,justso,lithe,easy,does
thetigermovealong."

"H'm!"saidBattle."Nowthen,"hiseyeglancedroundathisthreecompanions,"whichof'emdidit?"

Chapter8

WHICHOFTHEM?

Battle looked from one face to another. Only one person answered his question. Mrs. Oliver, never
aversetogivingherviews,rushedintospeech.

"Thegirlorthedoctor,"shesaid.

Battle looked questioningly at the other two. But both the men were unwilling to make a
pronouncement.Raceshookhishead.Poirotcarefullysmoothedhiscrumpledbridgescores.

"Oneof'emdidit,"saidBattle."Oneof'em'slyinglikehell.Butwhich?It'snoteasy-no,it'snoteasy."

He was silent for a minute or two, then he said, "If we're to go by what they say, the medico thinks
Desparddidit,Despardthinksthemedicodidit,thegirlthinksMrs.Lorrimerdidit-andMrs.Lorrimer
won'tsay!Nothingveryilluminatingthere."

"Perhapsnot,"saidPoirot.

Battleshothimaquickglance.

"Youthinkthereis?"

Poirotwavedanairyhand.

"Anuance-nothingmore!Nothingtogoupon."

Battlecontinued."Youtwogentlemenwon'tsaywhatyouthink-"

"Noevidence,"saidRacecurtly.

"Oh,youmen!"sighedMrs.Oliver,despisingsuchreticence.

"Let'slookattheroughpossibilities,"saidBattle.Heconsideredaminute."Iputthedoctorfirst,Ithink.
Specioussortofcustomer.Wouldknowtherightspottoshovethedaggerin.Butthere'snotmuchmore
thanthattoit.ThentakeDespard.There'samanwithanyamountofnerve.Amanaccustomedtotake
quickdecisionsandamanwho'squiteathomedoingdangerousthings.Mrs.Lorrimer?She'sgotany
amount of nerve, too, and she's the sort of woman who might have a secret in her life. She looks as
thoughshe'sknowntrouble.OntheotherhandI'dsayshe'swhatIcallahighprincipledwoman-sortof
womanwhomightbeheadmistressofagirls'school.Itisn'teasytothinkofherstickingaknifeinto
anyone.Infact,Idon'tthinkshedid.Andlastlythere'slittleMissMeredith.Wedon'tknowanything

abouther.Sheseemsanordinary,good-looking,rathershygirl.Butonedoesn'tknow,asIsay,anything
abouther."

"WeknowthatShaitanabelievedshehadcommittedmurder,"saidPoirot.

"Theangelicfacemaskingthedemon,"musedMrs.Oliver.

"Thisgettingusanywhere,Battle?"askedColonelRace.

"Unprofitablespeculation,youthink,sir?Well,there'sboundtobespeculationinacaselikethis."

"Isn'titbettertofindoutsomethingaboutthesepeople?"

Battlesmiled."Oh,weshallbehardatworkonthat.Ithinkyoucouldhelpusthere."

"Certainly.How?"

"AsregardsMajorDespard.He'sbeenabroadalot-inSouthAmerica,inEastAfrica,inSouthAfrica-
you'vemeansofknowingthoseparts.Youcouldgetinformationabouthim."Racenodded.

"Itshallbedone.I'llgetallavailabledata."

"Oh,"criedMrs.Oliver."I'vegotaplan.Therearefourofus-foursleuthsasyoumightsay-andfour
ofthem!Howwoulditbeifweeachtookone?Backedourfancy!ColonelRacetakesMajorDespard,
Superintendent Battle takes Doctor Roberts. I'll take Anne Meredith, and Monsieur Poirot takes Mrs.
Lorrimer.Eachofustofollowourownline!"

SuperintendentBattleshookhisheaddecisively.

"Couldn't quite do that, Mrs. Oliver. This is official, you see. I'm in charge. I've got to investigate all
lines.Besidesit'sallverywelltosaybackyourfancy.Twoofusmightwanttobackthesamehorse!
ColonelRacehasn'tsaidhesuspectsMajorDespard.AndMonsieurPoirotmayn'tbeputtinghismoney
onMrs.Lorrimer."

Mrs.Oliversighed.

"Itwassuchagoodplan,"shesighedregretfully."Soneat."Thenshecheeredupalittle."Butyoudon't
mindmedoingalittleinvestigatingonmyown,doyou?"

"No," said Superintendent Battle slowly. "I can't say I object to that. In fact, it's out of my power to
object. Having been at this party tonight, you're naturally free to do anything your own curiosity or
interestsuggests.ButI'djustliketopointouttoyou,Mrs.Oliver,thatyou'dbetterbealittlecareful."

"Discretion itself," said Mrs. Oliver. "I shan't breathe a word of - of anything -" she ended a little
lamely.

"IdonotthinkthatwasquiteSuperintendentBattle'smeaning,"saidHerculePoirot."Hemeantthatyou
willbedealingwithapersonwhohasalready,tothebestofourbelief,killedtwice-aperson,therefore,
whowillnothesitatetokillathirdtime-ifheconsidersitnecessary."

Mrs.Oliverlookedathimthoughtfully.Thenshesmiled-anagreeable,engagingsmileratherlikethat
ofanimpudentsmallchild.

"You have been warned," she quoted. "Thank you, Monsieur Poirot, I'll watch my step. But I'm not
goingtobeoutofthis."

Poirotbowedgracefully.

"Permitmetosay-youarethesport,madame."

"Ipresume,"saidMrs.Oliver,sittingupverystraightandspeakinginabusinesslikecommitteemeeting
manner,"thatallinformationwereceivewillbepooled-thatis,thatwewillnotkeepanyknowledgeto
ourselves.Ourowndeductionsandimpressions,ofcourse,weareentitledtokeepupoursleeves."

SuperintendentBattlesighed.

"Thisisn'tadetectivestory,Mrs.Oliver,"hesaid.Racesaid,"Naturallyallinformationmustbehanded
overtothepolice."

Havingsaidthisinhismost"OrderlyRoom"voiceheadded,withaslighttwinkleinhiseye,"I'msure
you'llplayfair,Mrs.Oliver.Thestainedglove,thefingerprintonthetoothglass,thefragmentofburned
paper,you'llturnthemovertoBattlehere."

"Youmaylaugh,"saidMrs.Oliver,"butawoman'sintuition-"Shenoddedherheadwithdecision.

Racerosetohisfeet.

"I'llhaveDespardlookedupforyou.Itmaytakealittletime.AnythingelseIcando?"

"Idon'tthinkso,thankyou,sir.You'venohints?I'dvalueanythingofthatkind."

"H'm.Well-I'dkeepaspeciallookoutforshootingorpoisonoraccidents,butIexpectyou'reontothat
already."

"I'dmadeanoteofthat-yes,sir."

"Good man, Battle. You don't need me to teach you your job. Good night, Mrs. Oliver. Good night,
MonsieurPoirot."AndwithafinalnodtoBattle,ColonelRacelefttheroom.

"Whoishe?"askedMrs.Oliver."VeryfineArmyrecord,"saidBattle."Traveledalot,too.Notmany
partsoftheworldhedoesn'tknowabout."

"SecretService,Isuppose,"saidMrs.Oliver."Youcan'ttellmeso,Iknow,buthewouldn'thavebeen
askedotherwisethisevening.Thefourmurderersandthefoursleuths-ScotlandYard.SecretService.
Private.Fiction.Acleveridea."

Poirotshookhishead.

"Youareinerror,madame.Itwasaverystupididea.Thetigerwasalarmed-andthetigersprang."

"Thetiger?Whythetiger?"

"BythetigerImeanthemurderer,"saidPoirot.

Battle said bluntly, "What's your idea of the right line to take, Monsieur Poirot? That's one question.
AndI'dalsoliketoknowwhatyouthinkofthepsychologyofthesefourpeople.You'reratherhoton
that."

Stillsmoothinghisbridgescores,Poirotsaid,"Youareright;psychologyisveryimportant.Weknow
thekindofmurderthathasbeencommitted,thewayitwascommited.Ifwehaveapersonwhofrom
thepsychologicalpointofviewcouldnothavecommittedthatparticulartypeofmurder,thenwecan
dismiss that person from our calculations. We know something about these people. We have our own
impressionofthem,weknowthelinethateachhaselectedtotake,andweknowsomethingabouttheir
mindsandtheircharactersfromwhatwehavelearnedaboutthemascardplayersandfromthestudyof
theirhandwritingandofthesescores.Butalas!Itisnottooeasytogiveadefinitepronouncement.This
murderrequiredaudacityandnerve-apersonwhowaswillingtotakearisk.

"Well,wehaveDoctorRoberts-abluffer,anoverbidderofhishand,amanwithcompleteconfidence
inhisownpowerstopulloffariskything.Hispsychologyfitsverywellwiththecrime.Onemightsay,
then,thatthatautomaticallywipesoutMissMeredith.Sheistimid,frightenedofoverbiddingherhand,
careful,economicalprudentandlackinginself-confidence-thelasttypeofpersontocarryoutabold
andriskycoup.Butatimidpersonwillmurderoutoffear.Afrightenednervouspersoncanbemade
desperate,canturnlikearatatbayifdrivenintoacorner.IfMissMeredithhadcommittedacrimein
thepast,andifshebelievedthatMr.Shaitanaknewthecircumstancesofthatcrimeandwasaboutto
deliver her up to justice, she would be wild with terror; she would stop at nothing to save herself. It
wouldbethesameresult,thoughbroughtaboutthroughadifferentreaction-notcoolnerveanddaring,
butdesperatepanic.

"Then take Major Despard - a cool, resourceful man willing to try a long shot if he believed it
absolutely necessary. He would weigh the pros and cons and might decide that there was a sporting
chanceinhisfavor-andheisthetypeofmantopreferactiontoinaction,andamanwhowouldnever
shrinkfromtakingthedangerouswayifhebelievedtherewasareasonablechanceofsuccess.Finally
thereisMrs.Lorrimer,anelderlywoman,butawomaninfullpossessionofherwitsandfaculties.A
coolwoman.Awomanwithamathematicalbrain.Shehasprobablythebestbrainofthefour.Iconfess
that if Mrs. Lorrimer committed a crime, I should expect it to be a premeditated crime. I can see her
planning a crime slowly and carefully, making sure that there were no flaws in her scheme. For that
reason she seems to me slightly more unlikely than the other three. She is, however, the most
dominatingpersonality,andwhateversheundertookshewouldprobablycarrythroughwithoutaflaw.
Sheisathoroughlyefficientwoman."Hepaused.

"So,yousee,thatdoesnothelpusmuch.No-thereisonlyonewayinthiscrime.Wemustgobackinto
thepast."

Battlesighed."You'vesaidit,"hemurmured.

"IntheopinionofMr.Shaitanaeachofthosefourpeoplehadcommittedmurder.Hadheevidence?Or
wasitaguess?Wecannottell.Itisunlikely,Ithink,thathecouldhavehadactualevidenceinallfour
cases-"

"I agree with you there," said Battle, nodding his head. "That would be a bit too much of a
coincidence."

"Isuggestthatitmightcomeaboutthisway-murderoracertainformofmurderismentioned,andMr.
Shaitanasurprisedalookonsomeone'sface.Hewasveryquick-verysensitivetoexpression.Itamuses
himtoexperiment,toprobegentlyinthecourseofapparentlyaimlessconversation;heisalerttonotice
awince,areservation,adesiretoturntheconversation.Oh,itiseasilydone.Ifyoususpectacertain
secret,nothingiseasierthantoconfirmyoursuspicion.Everytimeawordgoeshomeyounoticeit-if
youarewatchingforsuchathing."

"It'sthesortofgamethatwouldhaveamusedourlatefriend,"saidBattle,nodding.

"Wemayassume,then,thatsuchwastheprocedureinoneormorecases.Hemayhavecomeacrossa
pieceofactualevidenceinanothercaseandfolloweditup.Idoubtwhether,inanyofthecases,hehad
sufficientactualknowledgewithwhich-forinstance-tohavegonetothepolice."

"Or it mayn't have been the kind of case," said Battle. "Often enough there's a fishy business - we
suspectfoulplay,butwecan'teverproveit.Anywaythecourseisclear.We'vegottogothroughthe
recordsofallthesepeople-andnoteanydeathsthatmaybesignificant.Iexpectyounoticed,justasthe
coloneldid,whatShaitanasaidatdinner."

"Theblackangel,"murmuredMrs.Oliver.

"A neat little reference to poison, to accident, to a doctor's opportunities, to shooting accidents. I
shouldn'tbesurprisedifhesignedhisdeathwarrantwhenhesaidthosewords."

"Itwasanastysortofpause,"saidMrs.Oliver.

"Yes,"saidPoirot."Thosewordswenthometoonepersonatleast-thatpersonprobablythoughtthat
Shaitanaknewfarmorethanhereallydid.Thatlistenerthoughtthattheywerethepreludetotheend-
thatthepartywasadramaticentertainmentarrangedbyShaitanaleadinguptoarrestformurderasits
climax!Yes,asyousay,hesignedhisdeathwarrantwhenhebaitedhisguestswiththosewords."

Therewasamoment'ssilence.

"Thiswillbealongbusiness,"saidBattlewithasigh."Wecan'tfindoutallwewantinamoment-and
we'vegottobecareful.Wedon'twantanyofthefourtosuspectwhatwe'redoing.Allourquestioning
andsoonmustseemtohavetodowiththismurder.Theremustn'tbeasuspicionthatwe'vegotany
ideaofthemotiveforthecrime.Andthedevilofitiswe'vegottocheckuponfourpossiblemurdersin
thepast,notone."

Poirotdemurred.

"Our friend Mr. Shaitana was not infallible," he said. "He may - it is just possible - have made a
mistake."

"Aboutallfour?"

"No-hewasmoreintelligentthanthat."

"Callitfifty-fifty?"

"Noteventhat.Forme,Isayoneinfour."

"Oneinnocentandthreeguilty?That'sbadenough.Andthedevilofitisevenifwegetatthetruthit
mayn'thelpus.Evenifsomebodydidpushhisorhergreat-auntdownthestairsyearsago,itwon'tbe
muchusetoustoday."

"Yes,yes,itwillbeofusetous."Poirotencouragedhim."Youknowthat.YouknowitaswellasIdo."

Battlenoddedslowly.

"Iknowwhatyoumean,"hesaid."Samehallmark."

"Doyoumean,"saidMrs.Oliver,"thatthepreviousvictimwillhavebeenstabbedwithadagger,too?"

"Not quite as crude as that, Mrs. Oliver," said Battle. urning to her. "But I don't doubt it will be
essentiallythesametypeofcrime.Thedetailsmaybedifferent,buttheessentialsunderlyingthemwill
bethesame.It'sodd,butacriminalgiveshimselfawayeverytimebythat."

"Manisanunoriginalanimal,"saidHerculePoirot.

"Women,"saidMrs.Oliver,"arecapableofinfinitevariation.Ishouldnevercommitthesametypeof
murdertwicerunning."

"Don'tyoueverwritethesameplottwicerunning?"askedBattle.

"TheLotusMurder,"murmuredPoirot."TheClueoftheCandleWax."

Mrs. Oliver turned on him, her eyes beaming appreciation. "That's clever of you - that's really very
cleverofyou.Becauseofcoursethosetwoareexactlythesameplot,butnobodyelsehasseenit.Oneis
stolen papers at an informal week-end party of the Cabinet, and the other's a murder in Borneo in a
rubberplanter'sbungalow."

"Buttheessentialpointonwhichthestoryturnsisthesame,"saidPoirot."Oneofyourneatesttricks.
The rubber planter arranges his own murder; the cabinet minister arranges the robbery of his own
papers.Atthelastminutethethirdpersonstepsinandturnsdeceptionintoreality."

"I enjoyed your last, Mrs. Oliver," said Superintendent Battle kindly. "The one where all the chief
constableswereshotsimultaneously.Youjustslippeduponceortwiceonofficialdetails.Iknowyou're
keenonaccuracy,soIwonderedif-"

Mrs.Oliverinterruptedhim.

"As a matter of fact I don't care two pins about accuracy. Who is accurate? Nobody nowadays. If a
reporterwritesthatabeautifulgirloftwenty-twodiesbyturningonthegasafterlookingoutoverthe
sea and kissing her favorite Labrador, Bob, good-by, does anybody make a fuss because the girl was
twenty-six,theroomfacedinland,andthedogwasaSealyhamterriercalledBonnie?Ifajournalistcan
dothatsortofthingIdon'tseethatitmattersifImixuppoliceranksandsayarevolverwhenImeanan
automaticandadictographwhenImeanaphonograph,anduseapoisonthatjustallowsyoutogasp
onedyingsentenceandnomore.

"Whatreallymattersisplentyofbodies!Ifthething'sgettingalittledull,somemorebloodcheersitup.

Somebody is going to tell something - and then they're killed first! That always goes down well. It
comes in all my books - camouflaged different ways of course. And people like untraceable poisons,
and idiotic police inspectors and girls tied up in cellars with sewer gas or water pouring in, such a
troublesomewayofkillinganyonereally,andaherowhocandisposeofanythingfromthreetoseven
villainssinglehanded.I'vewrittenthirty-twobooksbynow-andofcoursethey'reallexactlythesame
really, as Monsieur Poirot seems to have noticed - but nobody else has; and I only regret one thing,
making my detective a Finn. I don't really know anything about Finns and I'm always getting letters
from Finland pointing out something impossible that he's said or done. They seem to read detective
storiesagooddealinFinland.Isupposeit'sthelongwinterswithnodaylight.InBulgariaandRumania
theydon'tseemtoreadatall.I'dhavedonebettertohavemadehimaBulgarian,"Shebrokeoff.

"I'm so sorry. I'm talking shop. And this is a real murder." Her face lighted up. "What a good idea it
wouldbeifnoneofthemhadmurderedhim.Ifhe'daskedthemall,andthenquietlycommittedsuicide
justforthefunofmakingaschemozzle."

Poirotnoddedapprovingly."Anadmirablesolution.Soneat.Soironic.Butalas,Mr.Shaitanawasnot
thatsortofman.Hewasveryfondoflife."

"Idon'tthinkhewasreallyaniceman,"saidMrs.Oliverslowly.

"Hewasnotnice,no,"saidPoirot."Buthewasalive-andnowheisdeadand,asItoldhimonce,I
haveabourgeoisattitudetomurder.Idisapproveofit."

Headdedsoftly,"Andso-Iampreparedtogoinsidethetiger'scage."

Chapter9

DOCTORROBERTS

"Goodmorning,SuperintendentBattle."

DoctorRobertsrosefromhischairandofferedalargepinkhandsmellingofsoapandcarbolic.

"Howarethingsgoing?"hewenton.

SuperintendentBattleglancedroundthecomfortableconsultingroombeforeanswering.

"Well,DoctorRoberts,strictlyspeaking,they'renotgoing.They'restandingstill."

"There'sbeennothingmuchinthepapers,I'vebeengladtosee."

"Suddendeathofthewell-knownMr.Shaitanaataneveningpartyinhisownhouse.It'sleftatthatfor
themoment.We'vehadtheautopsy-Ibroughtareportofthefindingsalong-thoughtitmightinterest
you-"

"That'sverykindofyou;itwould.H'm-cervicalthirdrib,etcetera.Yes,veryinteresting."

Hehandeditback.

"And we've interviewed Mr. Shaitana's solicitor. We know the terms of his will. Nothing of interest
there.HehasrelativesinSyriaitseems.Andthen,ofcourse,we'vebeenthroughallhisprivatepapers."

Wasitfancyordidthatbroad,clean-shavencountenancelookalittlestrained-alittlewooden?

"And?"askedDoctorRoberts.

"Nothing,"saidSuperintendentBattle,watchinghim.

Therewasn'tasighofrelief.Nothingsoblatantasthat.Butthedoctor'sfigureseemedtorelaxjusta
shademorecomfortablyinhischair.

"Andsoyou'vecometome?"

"Andso,asyousay,I'vecometoyou."

Thedoctor'seyebrowsrosealittleandhisshrewdeyeslookedintoBattle's.

"Wanttogothroughmyprivatepapers-eh?"

"Thatwasmyidea."

"Gotasearchwarrant?"

"No."

"Well, you could get one easily enough, I suppose. I'm not going to make difficulties. It's not very
pleasantbeingsuspectedofmurder,butIsupposeIcan'tblameyouforwhat'sobviouslyyourduty."

"Thankyou,sir,"saidSuperintendentBattlewithrealgratitude."Iappreciateyourattitude,ifImaysay
so,verymuch.Ihopealltheotherswillbeasreasonable,I'msure."

"Whatcan'tbecuredmustbeendured,"saidthedoctorgood-humoredly.

Hewenton."I'vefinishedseeingmypatientshere.I'mjustoffonmyrounds.I'llleaveyoumykeysand
justsayawordtomysecretaryandyoucanrootletoyourheart'scontent."

"That'sallveryniceandpleasant,I'msure,"saidBattle."I'dliketoaskyouafewmorequestionsbefore
yougo."

"Abouttheothernight?Really,ItoldyouallIknow,"

"No,notabouttheothernight.Aboutyourself."

"Well,man,askaway.Whatdoyouwanttoknow?"

"I'djustlikearoughsketchofyourcareer,DoctorRoberts.Birth,marriage,andsoon."

"It will get me into practice for Who's Who," said the doctor dryly. "My career's a perfectly
straightforward one. I'm a Shropshire man, born at Ludlow. My father was in practice there. He died
whenIwasfifteen.IwaseducatedatShrewsburyandwentinformedicinelikemyfatherbeforeme.
I'maSaintChristopher'sman-butyou'llhaveallthemedicaldetailsalready,Iexpect."

"Ilookedyouup,yes,sir.Youanonlychildorhaveyouanybrothersorsisters?"

"I'manonlychild.BothmyparentsaredeadandI'munmarried.Willthatdotogetonwith?Icameinto
partnershipherewithDoctorEmery.Heretiredaboutfifteenyearsago.LivesinIreland.I'llgiveyou
hisaddressifyoulike.Iliveherewithacook,aparlormaid,andahousemaid.Mysecretarycomesin
daily.ImakeagoodincomeandIonlykillareasonablenumberofmypatients.How'sthat?"

Superintendent Battle grinned. "That's fairly comprehensive, Doctor Roberts. I'm glad you've got a
senseofhumor.NowI'mgoingtoaskyouonemorething."

"I'mastrictlymoralman,Superintendent."

"Oh,thatwasn'tmymeaning.No,Iwasjustgoingtoaskyouifyou'dgivemethenamesoffourfriends
-peoplewho'veknownyouintimatelyforanumberofyears.Kindofreferences,ifyouknowwhatI
mean."

"Yes,Ithinkso.Letmeseenow.You'dpreferpeoplewhoareactuallyinLondonnow?"

"Itwouldmakeitabiteasier,butitdoesn'treallymatter."

The doctor thought for a minute or two, then with his fountain pen he scribbled four names and
addressesonapaperandpusheditacrossthedesktoBattle.

"Willthosedo?They'rethebestIcanthinkofonthespurofthemoment."

Battlereadcarefully,noddedhisheadinsatisfaction,andputthesheetofpaperawayinaninnerpocket.

"It'sjustaquestionofelimination,"hesaid."ThesoonerIcangetonepersoneliminatedandgoonto
thenext,thebetteritisforeveryoneconcerned.I'vegottomakeperfectlycertainthatyouweren'ton
badtermswiththelateMr.Shaitana,thatyouhadnoprivateconnectionsorbusinessdealingswithhim,
that there was no question of his having injured you at any time and your bearing resentment. I may
believeyouwhenyousayyouonlyknowhimslightly,butitisn'taquestionofmybelief.I'vegottosay
I'vemadesure."

"Oh, I understand perfectly. You've got to think everybody's a liar till he's proved he's speaking the
truth. Here are my keys, Superintendent. That's the drawers of the desk - that's the bureau - that little
one'sthekeyofthepoisoncupboard.Besureyoulockitupagain.PerhapsI'dbetterjusthaveaword
withmysecretary."Hepressedabuttononhisdesk.

Almost immediately the door opened and a competent-looking young woman appeared. "You rang,
Doctor?"

"ThisisMissBurgess,SuperintendentBattlefromScotlandYard."

MissBurgessturnedacoolgazeonBattle.Itseemedtosay,"Dearme,whatsortofananimalisthis?"

"Ishouldbeglad,MissBurgess,ifyouwillansweranyquestionsSuperintendentBattlemayputtoyou,
andgivehimanyhelphemayneed."

"Certainlyifyousayso,Doctor."

"Well," said Roberts, rising. "I'll be off. Did you put the morphia in my case? I shall need it for the
Lockhaertcase-"

HebustledoutstilltalkingandMissBurgessfollowedhim.Shereturnedaminuteortwolatertosay,
"Willyoupressthatbuttonwhenyouwantme,SuperintendentBattle?"

SuperintendentBattlethankedherandsaidhewoulddoso.Thenhesettowork.

Hissearchwascarefulandmethodical,thoughhehadnogreathopesoffindinganythingofimportance.
Roberts'sreadyacquiescencedispelledthechanceofthat.Robertswasnofool.Hewouldrealizethata
searchwouldbeboundtocomeandhewouldmakeprovisionsaccordingly.Therewas,however,afaint
chancethatBattlemightcomeacrossahintoftheinformationhewasreallyafter,sinceRobertswould
not know the real object of his search. Superintendent Battle opened and shut drawers, rifled
pigeonholes, glanced through a checkbook, estimated the unpaid bills - noted what those same bills
were for, scrutinized Roberts's passbook, ran through his case notes, and generally left no written
document unturned. The result was meager in the extreme. He next took a look through the poison
cupboard,notedthewholesalefirmswithwhichthedoctordealt,andthesystemofchecking,re-locked
thecupboard,andpassedontothebureau.Thecontentsofthelatterwereofamorepersonalnature,but
Battle found nothing germane to his search. He shook his head, sat down in the doctor's chair, and
pressedthedeskbutton.

MissBurgessappearedwithpromptitude.

SuperintendentBattleaskedherpolitelytobeseatedandthensatstudyingherforamoment,beforehe
decidedwhichwaytotackleher.Hehadsensedimmediatelyherhostility,andhewasuncertainwhether
toprovokeherintounguardedspeechbyincreasingthathostilityorwhethertotryasoftermethodof
approach.

"Isupposeyouknowwhatallthisisabout,MissBurgess,"hesaidatlast.

"DoctorRobertstoldme,"saidMissBurgessshortly.

"Thewholething'sratherdelicate,"saidSuperintendentBattle.

"Isit?"saidMissBurgess.

"Well,it'sratheranastybusiness.Fourpeopleareundersuspicionandoneofthemmusthavedoneit.
WhatIwanttoknowiswhetheryou'veeverseenthisMr.Shaitana?"

"Never."

"EverheardDoctorRobertsspeakofhim?"

"Never-No,Iamwrong.AboutaweekagoDoctorRobertstoldmetoenteradinnerappointmentin
hisengagementbook.Mr.Shaitana,eight-fifteenontheeighteenth."

"AndthatisthefirstyoueverheardofthisMr.Shaitana?"

"Yes."

"Neverseenhisnameinthepapers?Hewasofteninthefashionablenews."

"I'vegotbetterthingstodothanreadingthefashionablenews."

"Iexpectyouhave.Oh,Iexpectyouhave,"saidthesuperintendentmildly.

"Well," he went on. "There it is. All four of these people will only admit to knowing Mr. Shaitana
slightly. But one of them knew him well enough to kill him. It's my job to find out which of them it
was."

There was an unhelpful pause. Miss Burgess seemed quite uninterested in the performance of
SuperintendentBattle'sjob.Itwasherjobtoobeyheremployer'sordersandsitherelisteningtowhat
SuperintendentBattlechosetosayandansweranydirectquestionshemightchoosetoputtoher.

"Youknow,MissBurgess,"thesuperintendentfoundituphillworkbuthepersevered,"Idoubtifyou
appreciate half the difficulties of our job. People say things, for instance. Well, we mayn't believe a
wordofitbutwe'vegottotakenoticeofitallthesame.It'sparticularlynoticeableinacaseofthiskind.
Idon'twanttosayanythingagainstyoursexbutthere'snodoubtthatawomanwhenshe'srattled,isapt
tolashoutwithhertongueabit.Shemakesunfoundedaccusations,hintsthis,thatandtheother,and
rakesupallsortsofoldscandalsthathaveprobablynothingwhatevertodowiththecase."

"Doyoumean,"demandedMissBurgess,"thatoneoftheseotherpeoplehasbeensayingthingsagainst
thedoctor?"

"Not exactly said anything," said Battle cautiously. "But all the same, I'm bound to take notice.
Suspicious circumstances about the death of a patient. Probably all a lot of nonsense. I'm ashamed to
botherthedoctorwithit."

"Isupposesomeone'sgotholdofthatstoryaboutMrs.Graves,"saidMissBurgesswrathfully."Theway
people talk about things they know nothing whatever about is disgraceful. Lots of old ladies get like
that;theythinkeverybodyispoisoningthem-theirrelationsandtheirservantsandeventheirdoctors.
Mrs.GraveshadhadthreedoctorsbeforeshecametoDoctorRoberts,andthen,whenshegotthesame
fanciesabouthim,hewasquitewillingforhertohaveDoctorLeeinstead.It'stheonlythingtodoin
these cases, he said. And after Doctor Lee she had Doctor Steele and then Doctor Farmer - until she
died,pooroldthing."

"You'dbesurprisedthewaythesmallestthingstartsastory,"saidBattle."Wheneveradoctorbenefits
bythedeathofapatientsomebodyhassomethingill-naturedtosay.Andyetwhyshouldn'tagrateful
patientleavealittlesomethingorevenabigsomethingtohermedicalattendant?"

"It's the relations," said Miss Burgess. "I always think there's nothing like death for bringing out the
meannessofhumannature.Squabblingoverwho'stohavewhatbeforethebody'scold.LuckilyDoctor
Robertshasneverhadanytroubleofthatkind.Healwayssayshehopeshispatientswon'tleavehim
anything. I believe he once had a legacy of fifty pounds and he's had two walking sticks and a gold
watchbutnothingelse."

"It'sadifficultlife,thatofaprofessionalman,"saidBattlewithasigh."He'salwaysopentoblackmail.
Themostinnocentoccurrenceslendthemselvessometimestoascandalousappearance.Adoctor'sgot
toavoideventheappearanceofevil;thatmeanshe'sgottohavehiswitsabouthimgoodandsharp."

"A lot of what you say is true," said Miss Burgess. "Doctors have a difficult time with hysterical
women."

"Hystericalwomen.That'sright.Ithought,inmyownmindthatthatwasallitamountedto."

"IsupposeyoumeanthatdreadfulMrs.Craddock?"

Battlepretendedtothink,

"Letmesee,wasitthreeyearsago?No,more."

"Fourorfive,Ithink.Shewasamostunbalancedwoman!Iwasgladwhenshewentabroadandsowas
DoctorRoberts.Shetoldherhusbandthemostfrightfullies;theyalwaysdo,ofcourse.Poorman,he
wasn'tquitehimself;he'dbeguntobeill.Hediedofanthrax,youknow,aninfectedshavingbrush."

"I'dforgottenthat,"saidBattleuntruthfully.

"Andthenshewentabroadanddiednotlongafterward.ButIalwaysthoughtshewasanastytypeof
woman-manmad,youknow."

"I know the kind," said Battle. "Very dangerous, they are. A doctor's got to give them a wide berth.
Whereaboutsdidshedieabroad-Iseemtoremember-"

"Egypt,Ithinkitwas.Shegotbloodpoisoning-somenativeinfection."

"Anotherthingthatmustbedifficultforadoctor,"saidBattle,makingaconversationalleap,iswhenhe
suspectsthatoneofhispatientsisbeingpoisonedbyoneofhisorherrelatives.What'shetodo?He's
gottobesure-orelseholdhistongue.Andifhe'sdonethelatter,thenit'sawkwardforhimifthere's
talkoffoulplayafterward.IwonderifanycaseofthatkindhasevercomeDoctorRoberts'sway?"

"Ireallydon'tthinkithas,"saidMissBurgess,considering."I'veneverheardofanythinglikethat."

"From the statistical point of view, it would be interesting to know how many deaths occur among a
doctor'spracticeperyear.Forinstancenow,you'vebeenwithDoctorRobertssomeyears-"

"Seven."

"Seven.Well,howmanydeathshavetherebeeninthattimeoffhand?"

"Really,it'sdifficulttosay."MissBurgessgaveherselfuptocalculation.Shewasbynowquitethawed
andunsuspicious."Seven,eight-ofcourseIcan'trememberexactly-Ishouldn'tsaymorethanthirtyin
thetime."

"ThenIfancyDoctorRobertsmustbeabetterdoctorthanmost,"saidBattlegenially."Isuppose,too,
mostofhispatientsareupperclass.Theycanaffordtotakecareofthemselves."

"He'saverypopulardoctor.He'ssogoodatdiagnosis."

Battlesighedandrosetohisfeet."I'mafraidI'vebeenwanderingfrommyduty,whichistofindouta
connection between the doctor and this Mr. Shaitana. You're quite sure he wasn't a patient of the
doctor's."

"Quitesure."

"Underanothername,perhaps?"Battlehandedheraphotograph."Recognizehimatall?"

"Whataverytheatrical-lookingperson!No,I'veneverseenhimhereatanytime."

"Well,that'sthat."Battlesighed."I'mmuchobligedtothedoctor,I'msure,forbeingsopleasantabout
everything. Tell him so from me, will you? Tell him I'm passing on to number two. Good-by, Miss
Burgess,andthankyouforyourhelp."

Heshookhandsanddeparted.Walkingalongthestreethetookasmallnotebookfromhispocketand
madeseveralentriesinitundertheletterR.

Mrs.Graves?Unlikely.

Mrs.Craddock?

Nolegacies.

Nowife.(Pity.)

Investigatedeathsofpatients.Difficult.

HeclosedthebookandturnedintotheLancasterGatebranchoftheLondon&Wessexbank.

Thedisplayofhisofficialcardbroughthimtoaprivateinterviewwiththemanager.

"Goodmorning,sir.OneofyourclientsisaDoctorGeoffreyRoberts,Iunderstand."

"Quitecorrect,Superintendent."

"Ishallwantsomeinformationaboutthatgentleman'saccountgoingbackoveraperiodofyears."

"IwillseewhatIcandoforyou."

Acomplicatedhalf-hourfollowed.FinallyBattle,withasigh,tuckedawayasheetofpenciledfigures.

"Gotwhatyouwant?"inquiredthebankmanagercuriously.

"No,Ihaven't.Notonesuggestivelead.Thankyouallthesame."

Atthatsamemoment,DoctorRoberts,washinghishandsinhisconsultingroom,saidoverhisshoulder
toMissBurgess,"Whataboutourstolidsleuth,eh?Didheturntheplaceupsidedownandyouinside
out?"

"Hedidn'tgetmuchoutofme,Icantellyou,"saidMissBurgess,settingherlipstightly.

"Mydeargirl,noneedtobeanoyster.Itoldyoutotellhimallhewantedtoknow.Whatdidhewantto
know,bytheway?"

"Oh, he kept harping on your knowing that man Shaitana - suggested even that he might have come
hereasapatientunderadifferentname.Heshowedmehisphotograph.Suchatheatrical-lookingman!"

"Shaitana?Oh,yes,fondofposingasamodernMephistopheles.Itwentdownratherwellonthewhole.
WhatelsedidBattleaskyou?"

"Reallynothingverymuch.Except-oh,yes,somebodyhadbeentellinghimsomeabsolutenonsense
aboutMrs.Graves-youknowthewaysheusedtogoon."

"Graves?Graves?Oh,yes,oldMrs.Graves!That'sratherfunny!"Thedoctorlaughedwithconsiderable
amusement."That'sreallyveryfunnyindeed."

Andinhighgoodhumorhewentintolunch.

Chapter10

DOCTORROBERTS(CONTINUED)

Superintendent Battle was lunching with Hercule Poirot. The former looked downcast, the latter
sympathetic.

"Yourmorning,then,hasnotbeenentirelysuccessful,"saidPoirotthoughtfully.Battleshookhishead.

"It'sgoingtobeuphillwork,MonsieurPoirot."

"Whatdoyouthinkofhim?"

"Ofthedoctor?Well,frankly,IthinkShaitanawasright.He'sakiller.RemindsmeofWestaway.Andof
that lawyer chap in Norfolk. Same hearty self-confident manner. Same popularity. Both of them were

cleverdevils-so'sRoberts.Allthesameitdoesn'tfollowthatRobertskilledShaitana,andasamatter
of fact I don't think he did. He'd know the risk too well - better than a layman would - that Shaitana
mightwakeandcryout.No,Idon'tthinkRobertsmurderedhim."

"Butyouthinkhehasmurderedsomeone?"

"Possiblyquitealotofpeople.Westawayhad.Butit'sgoingtobehardtogetat.I'velookedoverhis
bankaccount-nothingsuspiciousthere-nolargesumssuddenlypaidin.Atanyrateinthelastseven
yearshe'snothadanylegacyfromapatient.Thatwipesoutmurderfordirectgain.He'snevermarried-
that's a pity - so ideally simple for a doctor to kill his own wife. He's well to do, but then he's got a
thrivingpracticeamongwell-to-dopeople."

"Infactheappearstoleadathoroughlyblamelesslife-andperhapsdoesdoso."

"Maybe.ButIprefertobelievetheworst."

He went on. "There's the hint of a scandal over a woman - one of his patients - name of Craddock.
That'sworthlookingup,Ithink.I'llgetsomeoneontothatstraightaway.Womanactuallydiedoutin
Egyptatsomelocaldisease,soIdon'tthinkthere'sanythinginthat-butitmightthrowalightonhis
generalcharacterandmorals."

"Wasthereahusband?"

"Yes.Husbanddiedofanthrax."

"Anthrax?"

"Yes,therewerealotofcheapshavingbrushesonthemarketjustthen-someoftheminfected.There
wasaregularscandalaboutit."

"Convenient,"suggestedPoirot.

"That'swhatIthought.Ifherhusbandwerethreateningtokickuparow-Butthere,it'sallconjecture.
Wehaven'talegtostandupon."

"Courage, my friend. I know your patience. In the end, you will have perhaps as many legs as a
centipede."

"Andfallintotheditchasaresultofthinkingaboutthem,"grinnedBattle.

Thenheaskedcuriously."Whataboutyou,MonsieurPoirot?Goingtotakeahand?"

"I,too,mightcallonDoctorRoberts."

"Twoofusinoneday,Thatoughttoputthewinduphim."

"Oh,Ishallbeverydiscreet.Ishallnotinquireintohispastlife."

"I'dliketoknowjustexactlywhatlineyou'lltake,"saidBattle,curiously,"butdon'ttellmeunlessyou
wantto."

"Dutout-dutout.Iammostwilling.Ishalltalkalittleofbridge,thatisall."

"Bridgeagain.Youharponthat,don'tyou,MonsieurPoirot?"

"Ifindthesubjectveryuseful."

"Well,everymantohistaste.Idon'tdealmuchinthesefancyapproaches.Theydon'tsuitmystyle."

"Whatisyourstyle,Superintendent?"

ThesuperintendentmetthetwinkleinPoirot'seyeswithanansweringtwinkleinhisown.

"Astraightforward,honest,zealousofficerdoinghisdutyinthemostlaboriousmanner-that'smystyle.
Nofrills.Nofancywork,Justhonestperspiration.Stolidandabitstupid-that'smyticket."

Poirotraisedhisglass."Toourrespectivemethods-andmaysuccesscrownourjointefforts."

"I expect Colonel Race may get us something worth having about Despard," said Battle, "He's got a
goodmanysourcesofinformation."

"AndMrs.Oliver?"

"Bitofatossupthere,Iratherlikethatwoman.Talksalotofnonsense,butshe'sasport.Andwomen
gettoknowthingsaboutotherwomenthatmencan'tgetat.Shemayspotsomethinguseful."

Theyseparated.BattlewentbacktoScotlandYardtoissueinstructionsforcertainlinestobefollowed
up.Poirotbetookhimselfto200GloucesterTerrace.

DoctorRoberts'seyebrowsrosecomicallyashegreetedhisguest."Twosleuthsinoneday?"heasked.
"Handcuffsbythisevening,Isuppose."

Poirotsmiled.

"Icanassureyou,DoctorRoberts,thatmyattentionsarebeingequallydividedbetweenallfourofyou."

"That'ssomethingtobethankfulfor,atallevents.Smoke?"

"Ifyoupermit,Iprefermyown."

PoirotlightedoneofhistinyRussiancigarettes.

"Well,whatcanIdoforyou?"askedRoberts.

Poirotwassilentforaminuteortwopuffing,thenhesaid,"Areyouakeenobserverofhumannature,
Doctor?"

"Idon'tknow.IsupposeIam.Adoctorhastobe."

"Thatwasexactlymyreasoning,Isaidtomyself,'Adoctorhasalwaystobestudyinghispatients-their
expressions,theircolor,howfasttheybreathe,anysignsofrestlessness;adoctornoticesthesethings

automaticallyalmostwithoutnoticinghenotices!DoctorRobertsisthemantohelpme.'"

"I'mwillingenoughtohelp.What'sthetrouble?"

Poirotproducedfromaneatlittlepocketcasethreecarefullyfoldedbridgescores.

"These are the first three rubbers the other evening," he explained. "Here is the first one, in Miss
Meredith's handwriting. Now can you tell me, with this to refresh your memory, exactly what the
biddingwasandhoweachhandwent?"

Robertsstaredathiminastonishment."You'rejoking,MonsieurPoirot.HowcanIpossiblyremember?"

"Can'tyou?Ishouldbesoverygratefulifyoucould.Takethisfirstrubber.Thefirstgamemusthave
resultedeitherinagamebidinheartsorspades,orelseoneorothersidemusthavegonedownfifty."

"Letmesee-thatwasthefirsthand,Yes,Ithinktheywentoutinspades."

"Andthenexthand?"

"Isupposeoneorotherofuswentdownfifty-butIcan'trememberwhichorwhatitwasin.Really,
MonsieurPoirot,youcanhardlyexpectmetodoso."

"Can'tyourememberanyofthebiddingorthehands?"

"I got a grand slam - I remember that. It was doubled too. And I also remember going down a nasty
smack,playingthreenotrumps,Ithinkitwas-wentdownaplenty.Butthatwaslateron."

"Doyourememberwithwhomyouwereplaying?"

"Mrs.Lorrimer.Shelookedabitgrim,Iremember.Didn'tlikemyoverbidding,Iexpect."

"Andyoucan'trememberanyotherofthehandsorthebidding?"

Robertslaughed.

"MydearMonsieurPoirot,didyoureallyexpectIcould?Firsttherewasthemurder-enoughtodrive
themostspectacularhandsoutofone'smind-andinadditionI'veplayedatleasthalfadozenrubbers
sincethen."

Poirotsatlookingrathercrestfallen.

"I'msorry,"saidRoberts.

"It does not matter very much," said Poirot slowly. "I hoped that you might remember one or two, at
least,ofthehands,becauseIthoughttheymightbevaluablelandmarksinrememberingotherthings."

"Whatotherthings?"

"Well,youmighthavenoticed,forinstance,thatyourpartnermadeamessofplayingaperfectlysimple
notrumper,orthatanopponent,say,presentedyouwithacoupleofunexpectedtricksbyfailingtolead
anobviouscard."

Doctor Roberts became suddenly serious. He leaned forward in his chair, "Ah," he said. "Now I see
whatyou'redrivingat.Forgiveme.Ithoughtatfirstyouweretalkingpurenonsense.Youmeanthatthe
murder - the successful accomplishment of the murder - might have made a definite difference in the
guiltyparty'splay?"

Poirotnodded,"Youhaveseizedtheideacorrectly.Itwouldbeaclueofthefirstexcellenceifyouhad
beenfourplayerswhokneweachother'sgamewell.Avariation,asuddenlackofbrilliance,amissed
opportunity-thatwouldhavebeenimmediatelynoticed.Unluckilyyouwereallstrangerstoeachother.
Variationsinplaywouldnotbesonoticeable.Butthink,Monsieurledocteur,Ibegofyoutothink.Do
yourememberanyinequalities-anysuddenglaringmistakes-intheplayofanyone?"

Therewassilenceforaminuteortwo,thenDoctorRobertsshookhishead."It'snogood.Ican'thelp
you," he said frankly. "I simply don't remember. All I can tell you is what I told you before. Mrs.
Lorrimer is a first-class player - she never made a slip that I noticed. She was brilliant from start to
finish. Despard's play was uniformly good, too. Rather a conventional player - that is, his bidding is
strictlyconventional.Heneverstepsoutsidetherules.Won'ttakealongchance.MissMeredith-"He
hesitated.

"Yes?MissMeredith?"Poirotpromptedhim.

"She did make mistakes, once or twice, I remember - toward the end of the evening: but that may
simplyhavebeenbecauseshewastired,notbeingaveryexperiencedplayer.Herhandshook,too-"He
stopped.

"Whendidherhandshake?"

"Whenwasitnow?Ican'tremember-Ithinkshewasjustnervous.MonsieurPoirot,you'remakingme
imaginethings."

"Iapologize.ThereisanotherpointonwhichIseekyourhelp."

"Yes?"

Poirotsaidslowly,"Itisdifficult.Idonot,yousee,wishtoaskyoualeadingquestion.IfIsay,didyou
noticesoandso-well,Ihaveputthethingintoyourhead.Youranswerwillnotbesovaluable.Letme
trytogetatthematteranotherway.Ifyouwillbesokind,DoctorRoberts,describetomethecontents
oftheroominwhichyouplayed."

Robertslookedthoroughlyastonished.

"Thecontentsoftheroom?"

"Ifyouwillbesogood."

"Mydearfellow,Isimplydon'tknowwheretobegin."

"Beginanywhereyouchoose."

"Well,therewasagooddealoffurniture-"

"Non,non,non,beprecise,Iprayofyou."

DoctorRobertssighed.Hebeganfacetiouslyafterthemannerofanauctioneer.

"Onelargesetteeupholsteredinivorybrocade-onedittoingreenditto-fourorfivelargechairs.Eight
orninePersianrugs-asetoftwelvesmallgiltEmpirechairs.WilliamandMarybureau.Ifeeljustlike
an auctioneer's clerk. Very beautiful Chinese cabinet. Grand piano. There was other furniture but I'm
afraidIdidn'tnoticeit.Sixfirst-classJapaneseprints.TwoChinesepicturesonlookingglass.Fiveor
sixverybeautifulsnuffboxes.SomeJapaneseivorynetsukefiguresonatablebythemselves.Someold
silver-CharlestheFirsttass,Ithink.OneortwopiecesofBatterseaenamel-"

"Bravo-Bravo-"Poirotapplauded.

"A couple of old English slipware birds - and, I think, a Ralph Wood figure. Then there was some
Easternstuff-intricatesilverwork.Somejewelry,Idon'tknowmuchaboutthat.SomeChelseabirds,I
remember.Ohandsomeminiaturesinacase-prettygoodones,Ifancy.That'snotallbyalongway,
butit'sallIcanthinkoffortheminute."

"Itismagnificent,"saidPoirotwithdueappreciation."Youhavethetrueobserver'seye."

Thedoctoraskedcuriously,"HaveIincludedtheobjectyouhadinmind?"

"That is the interesting thing about it," said Poirot. "If you had mentioned the object I had in mind it
wouldhavebeenextremelysurprisingtome.AsIthought,youcouldnotmentionit."

"Why?"

Poirottwinkled.

"Perhaps-becauseitwasnottheretomention."

Robertsstared.

"Thatseemstoremindmeofsomething."

"ItremindsyouofSherlockHolmesdoesitnot?Thecuriousincidentofthedoginthenight.Thedog

did not howl in the night. That is the curious thing! Ah, well, I am not above stealing the tricks of
others."

"Doyouknow,MonsieurPoirot,"Iamcompletelyatseaastowhatyouaredrivingat."

"Thatisexcellent,that.InconfidencethatishowIgetmylittleeffects."

Then,asDoctorRobertsstilllookedratherdazedPoirotsaidwithasmileasherosetohisfeet,"You
may at least comprehend this; what you have told me is going to be very helpful to me in my next
interview."

Thedoctorrosealso."Ican'tseehow,butI'lltakeyourwordforit,"hesaid.

Theyshookhands.

Poirotwentdownthestepsofthedoctor'shouseandhailedapassingtaxi.

"OneelevenCheyneLane,Chelsea,"hetoldthedriver.

Chapter11

MRS.LORRIMER

111 Cheyne Lane was a small house of very neat and trim appearance standing in a quiet street. The
door was painted black and the steps were particularly well whitened, the brass of the knocker and
handlegleamedintheafternoonsun.

Thedoorwas,openedbyanelderlyparlormaidwithanimmaculatewhitecapandapron.Inanswerto
Poirot'sinquiryshesaidthathermistresswasathome.Sheprecededhimupthenarrowstaircase.

"Whatname,sir?"

"MonsieurHerculePoirot."

He was, ushered into a drawing-room of the usual L shape. Poirot looked about him, noting details.
Good furniture, well polished, of the old family type. Shiny chintz on the chairs and settees. A few
silver photograph frames about in the old-fashioned manner. Otherwise an agreeable amount of space
andlightandsomereallybeautifulchrysanthemumsarrangedinatalljar.

Mrs.Lorrimercameforwardtomeethim.Sheshookhandswithoutshowinganyparticularsurpriseat
seeinghim,indicatedachair,tookoneherself,andremarkedfavorablyontheweather.

Therewasapause.

"Ihope,madame,"saidHerculePoirot,"thatyouwillforgivethisvisit."

Lookingdirectlyathim,Mrs.Lorrimerasked,"Isthisaprofessionalvisit?"

"Iconfessit."

"Yourealize,Isuppose,MonsieurPoirot,that,thoughIshallnaturallygiveSuperintendentBattleand
theofficialpoliceanyinformationandhelptheymayrequire,Iambynomeansboundtodothesame
foranyunofficialinvestigator?"

"I am quite aware of that fact, madame. If you show me the door, me, I march to that door with
completesubmission."

Mrs.Lorrimersmiledveryslightly.

"Iam,notyetpreparedtogotothoseextremes,MonsieurPoirot.Icangiveyoutenminutes.Attheend
ofthattimeIhavetogoouttoabridgeparty."

"Tenminuteswillbeampleformypurpose,Iwantyoutodescribetome,madame,theroominwhich
youplayedbridgetheotherevening-theroominwhichMr.Shaitanawaskilled."

Mrs.Lorrimer'seyebrowsrose.

"Whatanextraordinaryquestion!Idonotseethepointofit."

"Madame,if,whenyouwereplayingbridge,someoneweretosaytoyou,Whydoyouplaythataceor
whydoyouputontheknavethatistakenbythequeenandnotthekingwhichwouldtakethetrick?If
peopleweretoaskyousuchquestionstheanswerswouldberatherlongandtedious,wouldtheynot?"

Mrs.Lorrimersmiledslightly.

"Meaningthatinthisgameyou'retheexpertandIamthenovice.Verywell."Shereflectedaminute."It
wasalargeroom.Therewereagoodmanythings,init."

"Canyoudescribesomeofthosethings?"

"There were some glass flowers - modern - rather beautiful. And I think there were some Chinese or
Japanesepictures.Andtherewasabowloftinyredtulips-amazinglyearlyforthem."

"Anythingelse?"

"I'mafraidIdidn'tnoticeanythingindetail."

"Thefurniture-doyourememberthecoloroftheupholstery?"

"Somethingsilky,Ithink.That'sallIcansay."

"Didyounoticeanyofthesmallobjects?"

"I'mafraidnot.Thereweresomany.Iknowitstruckmeasquiteacollector'sroom."

Therewassilenceforaminute.Mrs.Lorrimersaidwithafaintsmile,"I'mafraidIhavenotbeenvery
helpful."

"There is something else." He produced the bridge scores. "There are the first three rubbers played. I
wonderedifyoucouldhelpme,withtheaidofthese,toreconstructthehands."

"Letmesee,"Mrs.Lorrimerlookedinterested.Shebentoverthescores.

"Thatwasthefirstrubber.MissMeredithandIwereplayingagainstthetwomen.Thefirstgamewas
playedinfourspades.Wemadeitandanovertrick.Thenthenexthandwasleftattwodiamondsand
Doctor Roberts went down one trick in it. There was quite a lot of bidding on the third hand, I
remember.MissMeredithpassed.MajorDespardwentaheart.Ipassed.DoctorRobertsgaveajump
bid of three clubs. Miss Meredith went three spades. Major Despard bid four diamonds. I doubled.
DoctorRobertstookitintofourhearts.Theywentdownone."

"Epatant,"saidPoirot."Whatamemory!"

Mrs. Lorrimer went on, disregarding him, "On the next hand Major Despard passed and I bid a no
trump. Doctor Roberts bid three hearts. My partner said nothing. Despard put his partner to four. I
doubledandtheywentdowntwotricks.ThenIdealtandwewentoutonafour-spadebid."

Shetookupthenextscore.

"Itisdifficult,that,"saidPoirot."MajorDespardscoresinthecancellationmanner."

"Iratherfancybothsideswentdownfiftytostartwith-thenDoctorRobertswenttofivediamondsand
wedoubledandgothimdownthreetricks.Thenwemadethreeclubs,butimmediatelyaftertheothers
went game in spades. We made the second game in five clubs. Then we went down a hundred. The
othersmadeoneheart,wemadetwonotrumps,andwefinallywontherubberwithafourclubbid."

Shepickedupthenextscore.

"Thisrubberwasratherabattle,Iremember.Itstartedtamely.MajorDespardandMissMeredithmade
aoneheartbid.Thenwewentdownacoupleoffiftiestryingforfourheartsandfourspades.Thenthe
othersmadegameinspades-nousetryingtostopthem.Wewentdownthreehandsrunningafterthat
butundoubled.Thenwewonthesecondgameinnotrumps.Thenabattleroyalstarted.Eachsidewent
downinturn.DoctorRobertsoverbidbut,thoughhegotbadlydownonceortwice,hiscallingpaid,for
more than once he frightened Miss Meredith out of bidding her hand. Then he bid an original two
spades,Igavehimthreediamonds,hebidfournotrumps,Ibidfivespadesandhesuddenlyjumpedto
seven diamonds. We were doubled, of course. He had no business to make such a bid. By a kind of
miraclewegotit.IneverthoughtweshouldwhenIsawhishandgodown.Iftheothershadledaheart
wewouldhavebeenthreetricksdown.Asitwastheyledthekingofclubsandwegotit.Itwasreally
veryexciting."

"Jecroisbien-agrandslamvulnerabledoubled.Itcausestheemotions,that!Me,Iadmitit,Ihavenot

thenervetogofortheslams.Icontentmyselfwiththegame."

"Oh,butyoushouldn't,"saidMrs.Lorrimerwithenergy."Youmustplaythegameproperly."

"Takerisks,youmean?"

"There is no risk if the bidding is correct. It should be a mathematical certainty. Unfortunately few
people really bid well. They know the opening bids but later they lose their heads. They cannot
distinguishbetweenahandwithwinningcardsinitandahandwithoutlosingcards-butImustn'tgive
youalectureonbridge,MonsieurPoirot."

"Itwouldimprovemyplay,Iamsure,madame."

Mrs.Lorrimerresumedherstudyofthescore.

"After that excitement the next hands were rather tame. Have you the fourth score there? Ah, yes. A
dingdongbattle-neithersideabletoscorebelow."

"Itisoftenlikethatastheeveningwearson."

"Yes,onestartstamelyandthenthecardsgetworkedup."

Poirot collected the scores and made a little bow "Madame, I congratulate you. Your card memory is
magnificent-butmagnificent!Youremember,onemightsay,everycardthatwasplayed!"

"IbelieveIdo."

"Memoryisawonderfulgift.Withitthepastisneverthepast.Ishouldimagine,madame,thattoyou
thepastunrollsitself,everyincidentclearasyesterday.Isthatso?"

She looked at him quickly. Her eyes were wide and dark. It was only for a moment, then she had
resumedherwoman-of-the-worldmanner,butHerculePoirotdidnotdoubt.Thatshothadgonehome.

Mrs.Lorrimerrose."I'mafraidIshallhavetoleavenow,Iamsosorry,butIreallymustn'tbelate."

"Ofcoursenot-ofcoursenot.Iapologizefortrespassingonyourtime."

"I'msorryIhaven'tbeenabletohelpyoumore."

"Butyouhavehelpedme,"saidHerculePoirot.

"Ihardlythinkso."Shespokewithdecision.

"Butyes.YouhavetoldmesomethingIwantedtoknow."

Sheaskednoquestionastowhatthatsomethingwas.

Heheldouthishand.

"Thankyou,madame,foryourforbearance."

Assheshookhandswithhimshesaid,"Youareanextraordinaryman,MonsieurPoirot."

"IamasthegoodGodmademe,madame."

"Weareallthat,Isuppose."

"Notall,madame.Someofushavetriedtoimproveonhispattern.Mr.Shaitana,forinstance."

"Inwhatwaydoyoumean?"

"Hehadaveryprettytasteinobjetsdevertusandbric-a-brac;heshouldhavebeencontentwiththat.
Instead,hecollectedotherthings."

"Whatsortofthings?"

"Well-shallwesay-sensations?"

"Anddon'tyouthinkthatwasdanssoncaractère?"

Poirot shook his head gravely. "He played the part of the devil too successfully. But he was not the
devil.Aufond,hewasastupidman.Andso-hedied."

"Becausehewasstupid?"

"Itisthesinthatisneverforgivenandalwayspunished,madame."

There was a silence. Then Poirot said, "I take my departure. A thousand thanks for your amiability,
madame.IIwillnotcomeagainunlessyousendforme."

Hereyebrowsrose."Dearme,MonsieurPoirot,whyshouldIsendforyou?"

"Youmight.Itisjustanidea.Ifso,Iwillcome.Rememberthat."

Hebowedoncemoreandlefttheroom.

Inthestreethesaidtohimself,"Iamright-IamsureIamright-Itmustbethat!"

Chapter12

ANNEMEREDITH

Mrs. Oliver extricated herself from the driving seat of her little two-seater with some difficulty. To
begin with, the makers of modern motor cars assume that only a pair of sylphlike knees will ever be
underthesteeringwheel.Itisalsothefashiontositlow.Thatbeingso,foramiddle-agedwomanof
generousproportionsitrequiresagooddealofsuperhumanwrigglingtogetoutfromunderthesteering
wheel.Inthesecondplacetheseatnexttothedrivingseatwasencumberedbyseveralmaps,ahand-
bag, three novels, and a large bag of apples. Mrs. Oliver was partial to apples and had indeed been
knowntoeatasmanyasfivepoundsstraightoffwhilecomposingthecomplicatedplotofTheDeathin
the Drain Pipe, coming to herself with a start and an incipient stomach-ache an hour and ten minutes
aftershewasdueatanimportantluncheonpartygiveninherhonor.

Withafinaldeterminedheaveandasharpshovewiththekneeagainstarecalcitrantdoor,Mrs.Oliver
arrivedalittletoosuddenlyonthesidewalkoutsidethegateofWendonCottage,showeringapplecores
freelyroundherasshedidso.

She gave a deep sigh, pushed back her country hat to an unfashionable angle, looked down with
approval at the tweeds she had remembered to put on, frowned a little when she saw that she had
absent-mindedly retained her London high-heeled patent leather shoes, and, pushing open the gate of
WendonCottage,walkeduptheflaggedpathtothefrontdoor.Sherangthebellandexecutedacheerful
littlerat-a-tat-tatontheknocker-aquaintconceitintheformofatoad'shead.

Asnothinghappenedsherepeatedtheperformance.

Afterafurtherpauseofaminuteandahalf,Mrs.Oliversteppedbrisklyroundthesideofthehouseona
voyageofexploration.

There was a small old-fashioned garden with Michaelmas daisies and straggling chrysanthemums
behindthecottageandbeyonditafield.Beyondthefieldwastheriver.ForanOctoberdaythesunwas
warm.

Twogirlswerejustcrossingthefieldinthedirectionofthecottage.Astheycamethroughthegateinto
thegarden,theforemostofthetwostoppeddead.

Mrs.Olivercameforward."Howdoyoudo,MissMeredith?Yourememberme,don'tyou?"

"Oh-Oh,ofcourse."AnneMeredithextendedherhandhurriedly.Hereyeslookedwideandstartled.
Thenshepulledherselftogether.

"Thisismyfriendwholiveswithme.MissDawes.Rhoda,thisisMrs.Oliver."

Theother girl wastall, dark, andvigorous looking. She saidexcitedly, "Oh, areyou the Mrs. Oliver?
AriadneOliver?"

"Iam,"saidMrs.Oliver,andsheaddedtoAnne,"Nowletussitdownsomewhere,mydear,because
I'vegotalottosaytoyou."

"Ofcourse.Andwe'llhavetea-"

"Teacanwait,"saidMrs.Oliver.

Anneledthewaytoalittlegroupofdeckandbasketchairs,allratherdilapidated.Mrs.Oliverchosethe
strongest looking with some care, having had various unfortunate experiences with flimsy summer
furniture.

"Now,mydear,"shesaidbriskly,"don'tlet'sbeataboutthebush.Aboutthismurdertheotherevening.
We'vegottogetbusyanddosomething."

"Dosomething?"queriedAnne.

"Naturally," said Mrs. Oliver. "I don't know what you think, but I haven't the least doubt who did it.
Thatdoctor.Whatwashisname?Roberts.That'sit!Roberts.AWelshname!InevertrusttheWelsh!I
hadaWelshnurseandshetookmetoHarrogateonedayandwenthome,havingforgottenallaboutme.
Very unstable. But never mind about her. Roberts did it - that's the point and we must put our heads
togetherandprovehedid."

RhodaDaweslaughedsuddenly;thensheblushed.

"Ibegyourpardon.Butyou're-you'resodifferentfromwhatIwouldhaveimagined."

"Adisappointment,Iexpect,"saidMrs.Oliverserenely."I'musedtothat.Nevermind.Whatwemust
doisprovethatRobertsdidit!"

"Howcanwe?"saidAnne.

"Oh, don't be so defeatist, Anne," cried Rhoda Dawes. "I think Mrs. Oliver's splendid. Of course she
knowsallaboutthesethings.She'lldojustasSvenHjersondoes."

BlushingslightlyatthenameofhercelebratedFinnishdetectiveMrs.Oliversaid,"It'sgottobedone,
andI'lltellyouwhy,child.Youdon'twantpeoplethinkingyoudidit?"

"Whyshouldthey?"askedAnne,hercolorrising.

"Youknowwhatpeopleare!"saidMrs.Oliver."Thethreewhodidn'tdoitwillcomeinforjustasmuch
suspicionastheonewhodid."

AnneMeredithsaidslowly,"Istilldon'tquiteseewhyyoucometome,Mrs.Oliver?"

"Because in my opinion the other two don't matter! Mrs. Lorrimer is one of those women who play
bridge at bridge clubs all day. Women like that must be made of armor plating; they can look after
themselvesallright!Andanywayshe'sold.Itwouldn'tmatterifanyonethoughtshe'ddoneit.Agirl's
different.She'sgotherlifeinfrontofher."

"AndMajorDespard?"askedAnne.

"Pah!"saidMrs.Oliver."He'saman!Ineverworryaboutmen.Mencanlookafterthemselves.Doit
remarkablywellifyouaskme.BesidesMajorDespardenjoysadangerouslife.He'sgettinghisfunat
homeinsteadofontheIrrawaddy-ordoImeantheLimpopo?YouknowwhatImean-thatyellow
Africanriverthatmenlikesomuch.No,I'mnotworryingmyheadabouteitherofthosetwo."

"It'sverykindofyou,"saidAnneslowly.

"It was a beastly thing to happen," said Rhoda. "It's broken Anne up, Mrs. Oliver. She's awfully
sensitive.AndIthinkyou'requiteright.Itwouldbeeversomuchbettertodosomethingthanjusttosit
herethinkingaboutitall."

"Of course it would," said Mrs. Oliver. "To tell you the truth a real murder has never come my way
before.AndtocontinuetellingthetruthIdon'tbelieverealmurderisverymuchinmyline.I'msoused
toloadingthedice-ifyouunderstandwhatImean.ButIwasn'tgoingtobeoutofitandletthosethree
menhaveallthefuntothemselves.I'vealwayssaidthatifawomanweretheheadofScotlandYard-"

"Yes?"saidRhoda,leaningforwardwithpartedlips."IfyouwereheadofScotlandYardwhatwould
youdo?"

"IshouldarrestDoctorRobertsstraightaway-"

"Yes?"

"However,I'mnottheheadofScotlandYard"saidMrs.Oliver,retreatingfromdangerousground."I'm
aprivateindividual-"

"Oh,you'renotthat,"saidRhoda,confusedlycomplimentary.

"Hereweare,"continuedMrs.Oliver,"threeprivateindividuals-allwomen.Letusseewhatwecando
byputtingourheadstogether."

AnneMeredithnoddedthoughtfully.Thenshesaid,"WhydoyouthinkDoctorRobertsdidit?"

"He'sthatsortofman,"repliedMrs.Oliverpromptly.

"Don'tyouthink,though-"Annehesitated."Wouldn'tadoctor-Imean,somethinglikepoisonwould
besomucheasierforhim."

"Not at all. Poison - drugs - of any kind would point straight to a doctor. Look how they are always
leavingcasesofdangerousdrugsincarsalloverLondonandgettingthemstolen.No,justbecausehe
wasadoctorhe'dtakespecialcarenottouseanythingofamedicalkind."

"Isee,"saidAnnedoubtfully.

Thenshesaid,"ButwhydoyouthinkhewantedtokillMr.Shaitana?Haveyouanyidea?"

"Idea? I've got any amount of ideas. In fact that's just the difficulty. It always is my difficulty. I can
never think of even one plot at a time. I always think of at least five, and then it's agony to decide
amongthem.Icanthinkofsixbeautifulreasonsforthemurder.ThetroubleisI'venoearthlymeansof
knowingwhichisright.TobeginwithperhapsShaitanawasamoneylender.Hehadaveryoilylook.
Roberts was in his clutches and killed him because he couldn't get the money to repay the loan. Or
perhapsShaitanaruinedhisdaughterorhissister.OrpossiblyRobertsisabigamistandShaitanaknew
it.OrpossiblyRobertsmarriedShaitana'ssecondcousinandwillinheritallShaitana'smoneythrough
her.Or-howmanyhaveIgotto?"

"Four,"saidRhoda.

"Or-andthisisareallygoodone-supposeShaitanaknewsomesecretinRoberts'spast.Perhapsyou
didn'tnotice,mydear,butShaitanasaidsomethingratherpeculiaratdinner,justbeforearatherqueer

pause."

Annestoopedtotickleacaterpillar.Shesaid,"Idon'tthinkIremember."

"Whatdidhesay?"askedRhoda.

"Somethingabout-whatwasit-anaccidentandpoison.Don'tyouremember?"

Anne'slefthandtightenedonthebasketworkofherchair.

"Idoremembersomethingofthekind,"shesaidcomposedly.

Rhodasaidsuddenly,"Darling,yououghttohaveacoat.It'snotsummer,remember.Goandgetone."

Anneshookherhead."I'mquitewarm."

Butshegavealittleshiverasshespoke.

"Youseemytheory,"wentonMrs.Oliver."Idaresayoneofthedoctor'spatientspoisonedhimselfby
accident,butofcourse,really,itwasthedoctor'sowndoing.Idaresayhe'smurderedlotsofpeoplethat
way."

A sudden color came into Anne's cheeks. She said, "Do doctors usually want to murder their patients
wholesale?Wouldn'tithaveratheraregrettableeffectontheirpractice?"

"Therewouldbeareason,ofcourse,"saidMrs.Olivervaguely.

"Ithinktheideaisabsurd,"saidAnnecrisply."Absolutelyabsurdlymelodramatic."

"Oh,Anne!"criedRhodainanagonyofapology.ShelookedatMrs.Oliver.Hereyes,ratherlikethose
of an intelligent spaniel, seemed to be trying to say something. "Try and understand. Try and
understand,"thoseeyessaid.

"I think it's a splendid idea, Mrs. Oliver," Rhoda said earnestly. "And a doctor could get hold of
somethingquiteuntraceable,couldn'the?"

"Oh!"exclaimedAnne.

Theothertwoturnedtolookather.

"Iremembersomethingelse,"shesaid."Mr.Shaitanasaidsomethingaboutadoctor'sopportunitiesina
laboratory.Hemusthavemeantsomethingbythat."

"Itwasn'tMr.Shaitanawhosaidthat."Mrs.Olivershookherhead."ItwasMajorDespard."

Afootfallonthegardenwalkmadeherturnherhead.

"Well,"sheexclaimed."Talkofthedevil."

MajorDespardhadjustcomeroundthecornerofthehouse.

Chapter13

SECONDVISITOR

AtthesightofMrs.Oliver,MajorDespardlookedslightlytakenaback.Underhistanhisfaceflusheda
rich brick red. Embarrassment made him jerky. He made for Anne. "I apologize, Miss Meredith," he
said."Beenringingyourbell.Nothinghappened.Waspassingthisway.ThoughtImightjustlookyou
up."

"I'msosorryyou'vebeenringing,"saidAnne."Wehaven'tgotamaid-onlyawomanwhocomesin,in
themornings."

SheintroducedhimtoRhoda.Rhodasaidbriskly,

"Let'shavesometea.It'sgettingchilly.We'dbettergoin."

They all went into the house. Rhoda disappeared into the kitchen. Mrs. Oliver said, "This is quite a
coincidence-ourallmeetinghere."

Despardsaidslowly,"Yes."

Hiseyesrestedonherthoughtfully-appraisingeyes.

"I've been telling Miss Meredith," said Mrs. Oliver, who was thoroughly enjoying herself, "that we
ought to have a plan of campaign. About the murder, I mean. Of course that doctor did it. Don't you
agreewithme?"

"Couldn'tsay.Verylittletogoon."

Mrs.Oliverputonher"howlikeaman"expression.

Acertainairofconstrainthadsettledoverthethree.Mrs.Oliversenseditquicklyenough.WhenRhoda
broughtintea,sheroseandsaidshemustbegettingbacktotown.No,itwaseversokindofthembut
shewouldn'thaveanytea.

"I'mgoingtoleaveyoumycard,shesaid.Hereitiswithmyaddressonit.Comeandseemewhenyou
comeuptotownandwe'lltalkeverythingoverandseeifwecan'tthinkofsomethingingenioustoget
tothebottomofthings."

"I'llcomeouttothegatewithyou,"saidRhoda.

Just as they were walking down the path to the front gate Anne Meredith ran out of the house and
overtookthem."I'vebeenthinkingthingsover,"shesaid.Herpalefacelookedunusuallyresolute.

"Yes,mydear?"

"It'sextraordinarilykindofyou,Mrs.Oliver,tohavetakenallthistrouble.ButI'dreallyrathernotdo
anythingatall.Imean-itwasallsohorrible.Ijustwanttoforgetaboutit."

"Mydearchild,thequestioniswillyoubeallowedtoforgetaboutit?"

"Oh, I quite understand that the police won't let it drop. They'll probably come here and ask me a lot
more questions - I'm prepared for that. But privately, I mean, I don't want to think about it - or be
remindedofitinanyway.IdaresayI'macoward,butthat'showIfeelaboutit."

"Oh!Anne,"criedRhodaDawes.

"I can understand your feeling, but I'm not at all sure that you're wise," said Mrs. Oliver. "Left to
themselvesthepolicewillprobablyneverfindoutthetruth."

AnneMeredithshruggedhershoulders.

"Doesthatreallymatter?"

"Matter?"criedRhoda."Ofcourseitmatters.Itdoesmatter,doesn'tit,Mrs.Oliver?"

"Ishouldcertainlysayso,"saidMrs.Oliverdryly.

"Idon'tagree,"saidAnneobstinately."NobodywhoknowsmewouldeverthinkI'ddoneit.Idon'tsee
anyreasonforinterfering.It'sthebusinessofthepolicetogetatthetruth."

"Oh,Anne,youarespiritless,"saidRhoda.

"That'showIfeel,anyway,"saidAnne.Sheheldoutherhand."Thankyouverymuch,Mrs.Oliver.It's
verygoodofyoutohavebothered."

"Ofcourseifyoufeelthatwaythere'snothingmoretobesaid,"saidMrs.Olivercheerfully."I,atany
rate,shallnotletthegrassgrowundermyfeet.Good-by,mydear.LookmeupinLondonifyouchange
yourmind."

Sheclimbedintothecarandstartedit,wavingacheerfulhandatthetwogirls.

Rhodasuddenlymadeadashaftertheslowlymovingautomobile.

"Whatyousaid-aboutlookingyouupinLondon,"shesaidbreathlessly."DidyouonlymeanAnne,or
didyoumeanme,too?"

Mrs.Oliverappliedthebrake.

"Imeantbothofyou,ofcourse."

"Oh,thankyou.Don'tstop.I-perhapsImightcomeoneday.There'ssomething-No,don'tstop.Ican
jumpoff."

ShedidsoandwavingahandranbacktothegatewhereAnnewasstanding.

"Whatonearth-?"beganAnne.

"Isn't she a duck?" asked Rhoda enthusiastically. "I do like her. She had on odd stockings, did you
notice?I'msureshe'sfrightfullyclever.Shemustbe,towriteallthosebooks.Whatfunifshefoundout
thetruthwhenthepoliceandeveryonewerebaffled."

"Whydidshecomehere?"askedAnne.

Rhoda'seyesopenedwide."Darling,shetoldyou-"

Annemadeanimpatientgesture.

"Wemustgoin.Iforgot.I'velefthimallalone."

"MajorDespard?Anne,he'sfrightfullygood-looking,isn'the?"

"Isupposeheis."

Theywalkedupthepathtogether.

Major Despard was standing by the mantelpiece, teacup in hand. He cut short Anne's apologies for

leavinghim.

"MissMeredith,IwanttoexplainwhyI'vebuttedinlikethis."

"Oh-but-"

"IsaidthatIhappenedtobepassing.Thatwasn'tstrictlytrue.Icamehereonpurpose."

"Howdidyouknowmyaddress?"askedAnneslowly.

"IgotitfromSuperintendentBattle."

Hesawhershrinkslightlyatthename.Hewentonquickly."Battle'sonhiswayherenow.Ihappened
toseehimatPaddington.Igotmycaroutandcamedownhere.IknewIcouldbeatthetraineasily."

"Butwhy?"

Despardhesitatedjustforaminute."Imayhavebeenpresumptuous,butIhadtheimpressionthatyou
were,perhaps,whatiscalled'aloneintheworld.'"

"She'sgotme,"saidRhoda.

Despard shot a quick glance at her, rather liking the gallant boyish figure that leaned against the
mantelpieceandwasfollowinghiswordssointensely.Theywereanattractivepair,thesetwo.

"I'msureshecouldn'thaveamoredevotedfriendthanyou,MissDawes,"hesaidcourteously,"butit
occurredtomethatinthepeculiarcircumstancestheadviceofsomeonewithagooddashofworldly
wisdommightnotbeamiss.Frankly,thesituationisthis.MissMeredithisundersuspicionofhaving
committedmurder.Thesameappliestomeandtothetwootherpeoplewhowereintheroomlastnight.
Suchasituationisnotagreeable-andithasitsownpeculiardifficultiesanddangers,whichsomeoneas
youngandinexperiencedasyouare,MissMeredith,mightnotrecognize.Inmyopinionyououghtto
putyourselfinthehandsofathoroughlygoodsolicitor.Perhapsyouhavealreadydoneso?"

AnneMeredithshookherhead.

"Ineverthoughtofit."

"ExactlyasIsuspected.Haveyougotagoodman-aLondonmanforchoice?"

AgainAnneshookherhead.

"I'vehardlyeverneededasolicitor."

"There'sMr.Bury,"saidRhoda."Buthe'saboutahundredandtwoandquitegaga,"

"If you'll allow me to advise you, Miss Meredith, I recommend your going to Mr. Myherne, my own
solicitor. Jacobs, Peel and Jacobs is the actual name of the firm. They're first-class people, and they
knowalltheropes."

Annehadgotpaler.Shesatdown.

"Isitreallynecessary?"sheaskedinalowvoice.

"Ishouldsayemphaticallyso.Thereareallsortsoflegalpitfalls,"

"Arethesepeopleveryexpensive?"

"Thatdoesn'tmatterabit,"saidRhoda."Thatwillbequiteallright,MajorDespard.Ithinkeverything
yousayisquitetrue.Anneoughttobeprotected."

"Theirchargeswill,Ithink,bequitereasonable,"saidDespard.Headdedseriously,"Ireallydothink
it'sawisecourse,MissMeredith."

"Verywell,"saidAnneslowly."I'lldoitifyouthinkso."

"Good."

Rhodasaidwarmly,"Ithinkit'sawfullyniceofyou,MajorDespard.Reallyfrightfullynice."

Annesaid,"Thankyou."

Shehesitatedandthensaid,"DidyousaySuperintendentBattlewascominghere?"

"Yes.Youmustn'tbealarmedbythat.It'sinevitable."

"Oh,Iknow.AsamatteroffactI'vebeenexpectinghim."

Rhoda said impulsively, "Poor darling - it's nearly killing her, this business. It's such a shame so
frightfullyunfair."

Despardsaid,"Iagree-it'saprettybeastlybusiness,draggingayounggirlintoanaffairofthiskind.If
anyonewantedtostickaknifeintoShaitana,theyoughttohavechosensomeotherplaceortime."

Rhodaaskedsquarely,"Whodoyouthinkdidit-DoctorRobertsorthatMrs.Lorrimer?"

AveryfaintsmilestirredDespard'smustache.

"Mayhavedoneitmyselfforallyouknow."

"Oh,no,"criedRhoda."AnneandIknowyoudidn'tdoit."

Helookedatthembothwithkindlyeyes.

Anicepairofkids.Touchinglyfulloffaithandtrust.Atimidlittlecreature,theMeredithgirl.Never
mind,Myhernewouldseeherthrough.Theotherwasafighter.Hedoubtedifshewouldhavecrumpled
upinthesamewayifshe'dbeeninherfriend'splace.Nicegirls-he'dliketoknowmoreaboutthem.

Thesethoughtspassedthroughhismind.Aloudhesaid,"Nevertakeanythingforgranted,MissDawes.
Idon'tsetasmuchvalueonhumanlifeasmostpeopledo.Allthishystericalfussaboutroaddeaths,for
instance.Manisalwaysindanger-fromtraffic,fromgerms,fromahundredandonethings.Aswellbe
killed one way as another. The moment you begin being careful of yourself, adopting as your motto

'Safetyfirst,'youmightaswellbedead,inmyopinion."

"Oh,Idoagreewithyou,"criedRhoda."Ithinkoneoughttolivefrightfullydangerously-ifonegets
thechance,thatis.Butlife,onthewhole,isterriblytame."

"Ithasitsmoments."

"Yes,for you. Yougo to out-of-the-wayplaces and get mauledby tigers andshoot things and jiggers
bury themselves in your toes and insects eating you and everything's terribly uncomfortable but
frightfullythrilling."

"Well,MissMeredithhashadherthrill,too.Idon'tsupposeitoftenhappensthatyou'veactuallybeenin
theroomwhileamurderwascommitted-"

"Oh,don't,"criedAnne.

Hesaidquickly,"I'msorry."

But Rhoda said with a sigh, "Of course it was awful, but it was exciting, too! I don't think Anne
appreciatesthatsideofit.Youknow,IthinkthatMrs.Oliveristhrilledtothecoretohavebeenthere
thatnight."

"Mrs.-Oh,yourfatfriendwhowritesthebooksabouttheunpronounceableFinn.Isshetryingherhand
atdetectioninreallife?"

"Shewantsto."

"Well,let'swishherluck.ItwouldbeamusingifsheputoneoveronBattleandCompany."

"WhatisSuperintendentBattlelike?"askedRhodacuriously.

MajorDespardsaidgravely,"He'sanextraordinarilyastuteman.Amanofremarkableability."

"Oh!"saidRhoda."Annesaidhelookedratherstupid."

"That,Ishouldimagine,ispartofBattle'sstockintrade.Butwemustn'tmakeanymistake.Battle'sno
fool."

Herose."Well,Imustbeoff.There'sjustoneotherthingI'dliketosay."

Annehadrisenalso.

"Yes?"sheinquiredassheheldoutherhand.

Despard paused a minute, picking his words carefully. He took her hand and retained it in his. He
lookedstraightintothewide,beautifulgrayeyes.

"Don'tbeoffendedwithme,"hesaid."Ijustwanttosaythis.It'shumanlypossiblethattheremaybe
somefeatureofyouracquaintanceshipwithShaitanathatyoudon'twanttocomeout.Ifso-don'tbe
angry,please"-hefelttheinstinctivepullofherhand-"youareperfectlywithinyourrightsinrefusing
toansweranyquestionsBattlemayaskunlessyoursolicitorispresent.

Annetoreherhandaway.Hereyesopened,theirgraydarkeningwithanger.

"There'snothing-nothing-Ihardlyknewthebeastlyman."

"Sorry,"saidMajorDespard."ThoughtIoughttomentionit."

"It'squitetrue,"saidRhoda."Annebarelyknewhim.Shedidn'tlikehimmuch,buthegavefrightfully
goodparties."

"That,"saidMajorDespardgrimly,"seemstohavebeentheonlyjustificationforthelateMr.Shaitana's
existence."

Annesaidinacoldvoice,"SuperintendentBattlecanaskmeanythinghelikes.I'venothingtohide-
nothing."

Despardsaidverygently,"Pleaseforgiveme."

Shelookedathim.Herangerdwindled.Shesmiled;itwasaverysweetsmile."It'sallright,"shesaid.
"Youmeantitkindly,Iknow."

Sheheldoutherhandagain.Hetookitandsaid,"We'reinthesameboat,youknow.Weoughttobe
pals."

ItwasAnnewhowentwithhimtothegate.WhenshecamebackRhodawasstaringoutofthewindow
andwhistling.Sheturnedasherfriendenteredtheroom.

"He'sfrightfullyattractive,Anne."

"He'snice,isn'the?"

"Agreatdealmorethannice.I'vegotanabsolutepassionforhim.Whywasn'tIatthatdamneddinner
insteadofyou?I'dhaveenjoyedtheexcitement-thenetclosingroundme-theshadowofthescaffold-
"

"No,youwouldn't,You'retalkingnonsense,Rhoda."

Anne'svoicewassharp.Thenitsoftenedasshesaid,

"Itwasniceofhimtocomeallthisway-forastranger-agirlhe'donlymetonce."

"Oh,hefellforyou.Obviously.Mendon'tdopurelydisinterestedkindnesses.Hewouldn'thavecome
toddlingdownifyou'dbeencross-eyedandcoveredwithpimples."

"Don'tyouthinkso?"

"Idonot,mygoodidiot.Mrs.Oliver'samuchmoredisinterestedparty."

"Idon'tlikeher"saidAnneabruptly."Ihadasortoffeelingabouther,Iwonderwhatshereallycame
for?"

"Theusualsuspicionsofyourownsex.IdaresayMajorDespardhadanaxtogrindifitcomestothat."

"I'msurehehadn't,"criedAnnehotly.

ThensheblushedasRhodaDaweslaughed.

Chapter14

THIRDVISITOR

SuperintendentBattlearrivedatWallingfordaboutsixo'clock.Itwashisintentiontolearnasmuchas
hecouldfrominnocentlocalgossipbeforeinterviewingMissAnneMeredith.

Itwasnotdifficulttogleansuchinformationastherewas.Withoutcommittinghimselfdefinitelytoany
statement,thesuperintendentneverthelessgaveseveraldifferentimpressionsofhisrankandcallingin
life.

AtleasttwopeoplewouldhavesaidconfidentlythathewasaLondonbuildercomedowntoseeabouta
newwingtobeaddedtothecottage;fromanotheryouwouldhavelearnedthathewas"oneofthese
week-enderswantingtotakeafurnishedcottage,"andtwomorewouldhavesaidtheyknewpositively
and for a fact that he was the representative of a hard-court tennis firm. The information that the
superintendentgatheredwasentirelyfavorable.

Wendon Cottage? Yes, that's right - on the Marlbury Road. You can't miss it. Yes, two young ladies.
MissDawesandMissMeredith.Veryniceyoungladies,too.Thequietone.

Here for years? Oh, no, not that long. Just over two years, September quarter they come in. Mr.
Pickersgilltheyboughtitfrom.Neveruseditmuch,hedidn't,afterhiswifedied.

SuperintendentBattle'sinformanthadneverheardtheycamefromNorthumberland.Londonhethought
theycamefrom.Popularintheneighborhood,thoughsomepeoplewereold-fashionedanddidn'tthink
two young ladies ought to be living alone. But very quiet they were. None of this cocktail-drinking
week-endlot.MissRhoda,shewasthedashingone.MissMeredithwasthequietest.Yes,itwasMiss
Daweswhatpaidthebills.Shewastheonehadgotthemoney.

Thesuperintendent'sresearchesatlastledhiminevitablytoMrs.Astwell,who"did"fortheladiesat

WendonCottage.Mrs.Astwellwasaloquaciouslady.

"Well,no,sir,Ihardlythinkthey'dwanttosell.Notsosoon.Theyonlygotintwoyearsago.I'vedone
for them from the beginning, yes, sir. Eight o'clock till twelve, those are my hours. Very nice lively
youngladies,alwaysreadyforajokeorabitoffun.Notstuckupatall.

"Well,ofcourseIcouldn'tsayifit'sthesameMissDawesyouknew,sir-thesamefamily,Imean.It's
myfancyherhome'sinDevonshire.Shegetsthecreamsenthernowandagainandsaysitremindsher
ofhome,soIthinkitmustbe.

"Asyousay,sir,it'ssadforsomanyyoungladieshavingtoearntheirlivingsnowadays.Theseyoung
ladiesaren'twhatyou'dcallrich,buttheyhaveaverypleasantlife.It'sMissDaweshasgotthemoney,
ofcourse.MissAnne'shercompanioninamannerofspeakingIsupposeyoumightsay.Thecottage
belongstoMissDawes.

"Icouldn'treallysaywhatpartMissAnnecomesfrom.I'veheardhermentiontheIsleofWight,andI
know she doesn't like the North of England, and she and Miss Rhoda were together in Devonshire
becauseI'veheardthemjokeaboutthehillsandtalkabouttheprettycovesandbeaches."

Theflowwenton.EverynowandthenSuperintendentBattlemadeamentalnote.Later,acrypticword
ortwowasjotteddowninhislittlebook.

Athalf-pasteightthateveninghewalkedupthepathtothedoorofWendonCottage.Itwasopenedto
himbyatalldarkgirlwearingafrockoforangecretonne.

"MissMeredithlivehere?"inquiredSuperintendentBattle.Helookedverywoodenandsoldierly.

"Yes,shedoes."

"I'dliketospeaktoher,please.SuperintendentBattle."

Hewasimmediatelyfavoredwithapiercingstare.

"Comein,"saidRhodaDawes,drawingbackfromthedoorway.

Anne Meredith was sitting in a cosy chair by the fire sipping coffee. She was wearing embroidered
crepedeChinepajamas.

"It'sSuperintendentBattle,"saidRhoda,usheringintheguest.

Anneroseandcameforwardwithoutstretchedhand.

"Abitlateforacall,"saidBattle."ButIwantedtofindyouinandit'sbeenafineday."

Annesmiled."Willyouhavesomecoffee,Superintendent?Rhoda,fetchanothercup."

"Well,it'sverykindofyou,MissMeredith."

"Wethinkwemakerathergoodcoffee,"saidAnne.

SheindicatedachairandSuperintendentBattlesatdown.RhodabroughtacupandAnnepouredouthis
coffee. The fire crackled and the flowers in the vase made an agreeable impression upon the
superintendent.

It was a pleasant homey atmosphere. Anne seemed self-possessed and at her ease and the other girl
continuedtostareathimwithdevouringinterest.

"We'vebeenexpectingyou,"saidAnne.

Hertonewasalmostreproachful."Whyhaveyouneglectedme?"itseemedtosay.

"Sorry,MissMeredith.I'vehadalotofroutineworktodo."

"Satisfactory?"

"Notparticularly.Butitallhastobedone.I'veturnedDoctorRobertsinsideout,sotospeak.Andthe
sameforMrs.Lorrimer.AndnowI'vecometodothesameforyou,MissMeredith,"

Annesmiled."I'mready."

"WhataboutMajorDespard?"askedRhoda.

"Oh,hewon'tbeoverlooked.Icanpromiseyouthat,"saidBattle.

HesetdownhiscoffeecupandlookedtowardAnne.

Shesatupalittlestraighterinherchair."I'mquiteready,Superintendent.Whatdoyouwanttoknow?"

"Well,roughly,allaboutyourself,MissMeredith."

"I'mquitearespectableperson,"saidAnne,smiling.

"She'sledablamelesslife,too,"saidRhoda."Icananswerforthat."

"Well, that's very nice," said Superintendent Battle cheerfully. "You've known Miss Meredith a long
time,then?"

"Wewereatschooltogether,"saidRhoda."Whatagesagoitseems,doesn'tit,Anne?"

"So long ago you can hardly remember it, I suppose," said Battle with a chuckle. Now then, Miss
Meredith,I'mafraidI'mgoingtoberatherlikethoseformsyoufillupforpassports."

"Iwasborn-"beganAnne.

"Ofpoorbuthonestparents,"Rhodaputin.

SuperintendentBattleheldupaslightlyreprovinghand."Now,now,younglady,"hesaid.

"Rhodadarling,"saidAnnegravely."It'sserious,this."

"Sorry,"saidRhoda.

"Now,MissMeredith,youwereborn-where?"

"AtQuetta,inIndia."

"Ah,yes,yourpeoplewereArmyfolk?"

"Yes,myfatherwasMajorJohnMeredith.MymotherdiedwhenIwaseleven.FatherretiredwhenI
was fifteen and went to live in Cheltenham. He died when I was eighteen and left practically no
money."

Battlenoddedhisheadsympathetically.

"Bitofashocktoyou,Iexpect."

"Itwasrather.Ialwaysknewthatweweren'twelloff,buttofindtherewaspracticallynothing-well,
that'sdifferent."

"Whatdidyoudo,MissMeredith?"

"Ihadtotakeajob.Ihadn'tbeenparticularlywelleducatedandIwasn'tclever.Ididn'tknowtypingor
shorthand or anything. A friend in Cheltenham found me a job with friends of hers - two small boys
homeintheholidaysandgeneralhelpinthehouse."

"Name,please?"

"That was Mrs. Eldon, The Larches, Ventnor. I stayed there for two years and then the Eldons went
abroad.ThenIwenttoaMrs.Deering."

"Myaunt,"putinRhoda.

"Yes, Rhoda got me the job. I was very happy. Rhoda used to come and stay sometimes and we had
greatfun."

"Whatwereyouthere,companion?"

"Yes,itamountedtothat."

"Morelikeunder-gardener,"saidRhoda.

She explained. "My Aunt Emily is just mad on gardening. Anne spent most of her time weeding or
puttinginbulbs."

"AndyouleftMrs.Deering?"

"Herhealthgotworseandshehadtohavearegularnurse."

"She'sgotcancer,"saidRhoda."Poordarling,shehastohavemorphiaandthingslikethat."

"Shehadbeenverykindtome.Iwasverysorrytogo,"wentonAnne.

"I was looking about for a cottage," said Rhoda, "and wanting someone to share it with me. Daddy's
marriedagain-notmysortatall.IaskedAnnetocomeherewithmeandshe'sbeenhereeversince."

"Well that certainly seems a most blameless life," said Rattle. Let's just get the dates clear. You were
withMrs.Eldontwoyears,yousay.Bythewaywhatisheraddressnow?"

"She'sinPalestine.Herhusbandhassomegovernmentappointmentoutthere-I'mnotsurewhat."

"Ah,well,Icansoonfindout.AndafterthatyouwenttoMrs.Deering?"

"Iwaswithherthreeyears,"saidAnnequickly."HeraddressisMarshDene,LittleHembury,Devon."

"Isee,"saidBattle."Soyouarenowtwenty-five,MissMeredith.Nowthere'sjustonethingmore-the
nameandaddressofacoupleofpeopleinCheltenhamwhoknewyouandyourfather."

Annesuppliedhimwiththese.

"NowaboutthistriptoSwitzerland-whereyoumetMr.Shaitana.Didyougoalonethere,orwasMiss
Dawesherewithyou?"

"Wewentouttogether.Wejoinedsomeotherpeople.Therewasapartyofeight."

"TellmeaboutyourmeetingwithMr.Shaitana."

Annecrinkledherbrows."There'sreallynothingtotell.Hewasjustthere.Weknewhiminthewayyou
doknowpeopleinahotel.HegotfirstprizeattheFancyDressBall.HewentasMephistopheles."

SuperintendentBattlesighed.

"Yes,thatalwayswashisfavoriteeffect."

"Hereallywasmarvelous,"saidRhoda."Hehardlyhadtomakeupatall."

Thesuperintendentlookedfromonegirltotheother.

"Whichofyoutwoyoungladiesknewhimbest?"

Annehesitated.ItwasRhodawhoanswered.

"Boththesametobeginwith.Awfullylittle,thatis.Youseeourcrowdwastheskiinglotandwewere
offdoingrunsmostdaysanddancingtogetherintheevenings.ButthenShaitanaseemedtotakerather
a fancy to Anne. You know, went out of his way to pay her compliments and all that. We ragged her
aboutitrather."

"Ijustthinkhedidittoannoyme,"saidAnne."BecauseIdidn'tlikehim.Ithinkitamusedhimtomake
mefeelembarrassed."

Rhodasaid,laughing,"WetoldAnneitwouldbeanicerichmarriageforher.Shegotsimplywildwith
us."

"Perhaps,"saidBattle,"you'dgivemethenamesoftheotherpeopleinyourparty?"

"Youaren'twhatI'dcallatrustfulman,"saidRhoda."Doyouthinkthateverywordwe'retellingyouis
downrightlies?"

SuperintendentBattletwinkled."I'mgoingtomakequitesureitisn't,anyway,"hesaid.

"Youaresuspicious,"saidRhoda.

Shescribbledsomenamesonapieceofpaperandgaveittohim.Battlerose.

"Well, thank you very much, Miss Meredith," he said, "As Miss Dawes says, you seem to have led a
particularlyblamelesslife.Idon'tthinkyouneedworrymuch.It'soddthewayMr.Shaitana'smanner
changedtoyou.You'llexcusemyasking,buthedidn'taskyoutomarryhim-or-er-pesteryouwith
attentionsofanotherkind?"

"Hedidn'ttrytoseduceher,"saidRhodahelpfully,"ifthat'swhatyoumean."

Annewasblushing."Nothingofthekind,"shesaid."Hewasalwaysmostpoliteand-and-formal.It
wasjusthiselaboratemannersthatmademeuncomfortable."

"Andlittlethingshesaidorhinted?"

"Yes-atleast-no.Heneverhintedthings."

"Sorry. These lady killers do sometimes. Well, good night, Miss Meredith, thank you very much.
Excellentcoffee.Goodnight,MissDawes."

"There,"saidRhodaasAnnecamebackintotheroomaftershuttingthefrontdoorafterBattle."That's
overandnotsoveryterrible.He'sanicefatherlyman,andheevidentlydoesn'tsuspectyouintheleast.
ItwasalleversomuchbetterthanIexpected."

Annesankdownwithasigh."Itwasreallyquiteeasy,"shesaid."Itwassillyofmetoworkmyselfup
so.Ithoughthe'dtrytobrowbeatme-likeK.C.'sonthestage."

"Helookssensible,"saidRhoda."He'dknowwellenoughyou'renotamurderingkindoffemale."

Shehesitatedandthensaid,"Isay,Anne,youdidn'tmentionbeingatCroftways.Didyouforget?"

Annesaidslowly,"Ididn'tthinkitcounted.Iwasonlythereafewmonths.Andthere'snoonetoask
aboutmethere.Icanwriteandtellhimifyouthinkitmatters,butI'msureitdoesn't.Let'sleaveit."

"Right,ifyousayso."

Rhodaroseandturnedontheradio.

Araucousvoicesaid,"YouhavejustheardtheBlackNubianplay'WhyDoYouTellMeLies,Baby?'"

Chapter15

MAJORDESPARD

MajorDespardcameoutoftheAlbany,turnedsharplyintoRegentStreet,andjumpedonabus.

It was the quiet time of day; the top of the bus had very few seats occupied. Despard made his way
forwardandsatdownonthefrontseat.

Hehadjumpedonthebuswhileitwasgoing.Nowitcametoahalt,tookuppassengers,andmadeits
wayoncemoreupRegentStreet.

Asecondtravelerclimbedthesteps,madehiswayforward,andsatdowninthefrontseatontheother
side.

Desparddidnotnoticethenewcomer,butafterafewminutesatentativevoicemurmured,"Itisagood
viewofLondon,isitnot,thatonegetsfromthetopofabus?"

Despardturnedhishead.Helookedpuzzledforamoment,thenhisfacecleared.

"Ibegyourpardon,MonsieurPoirot.Ididn'tseeitwasyou.Yes,asyousay,onehasagoodbird's-eye
viewoftheworldfromhere.Itwasbetter,though,intheolddays,whentherewasn'tallthiscaged-in-
glassbusiness."

Poirotsighed."Toutdemême,itwasnotalwaysagreeableinthewetweatherwhentheinsidewasfull.
Andthereismuchwetweatherinthiscountry."

"Rain?Rainneverdidanyharmtoanyone."

"Youareinerror,"saidPoirot."Itleadsoftentoafluxiondepoitrine."

Despardsmiled."Iseeyoubelongtothewell-wrapped-upschool,MonsieurPoirot."

Poirot was indeed well equipped against any treachery of an autumn day. He wore a greatcoat and a
muffler.

"Rather odd running into you like this," said Despard. He did not see the smile that the muffler
concealed. There was nothing odd in this encounter. Having ascertained a likely hour for Despard to
leavehisrooms,Poirothadbeenwaitingforhim.Hehadprudentlynotriskedleapingonthebus,buthe
hadtrottedafterittoitsnextstoppingplaceandboardeditthere.

"True,wehavenotseeneachothersincetheeveningatMr.Shaitana's,"hereplied.

"Aren'tyoutakingahandinthatbusiness?"askedDespard.

Poirotscratchedhiseardelicately.

"Ireflect,"hesaid."Ireflectagooddeal.Toruntoandfro,tomaketheinvestigations,that,no.Itdoes
notsuitmyage,mytemperament,ormyfigure."

Despard said unexpectedly, "Reflect, eh? Well, you might do worse. There's too much rushing about
nowadays.Ifpeoplesattightandthoughtaboutathingbeforetheytackledit,there'dbelessmess-ups
thanthereare."

"Isthatyourprocedureinlife,MajorDespard?"

"Usually,"saidtheothersimply."Getyourbearings,figureoutyourroute,weighuptheprosandcons,
makeyourdecision-andsticktoit."Hismouthsetgrimly.

"Andafterthat,nothingwillturnyoufromyourpath,eh?"askedPoirot.

"Oh!Idon'tsaythat.Nouseinbeingpigheadedoverthings.Ifyou'vemadeamistake,admitit."

"ButIimaginethatyoudonotoftenmakeamistake,MajorDespard."

"Weallmakemistakes,MonsieurPoirot."

"Someofus,"saidPoirotwithacertaincoldnesspossiblyduetothepronountheotherhadused,"make
lessthanothers."

Despardlookedathim,smiledslightly,andsaid:

"Don'tyoueverhaveafailure,MonsieurPoirot?"

"The last time was twenty-eight years ago," said Poirot with dignity. "And even then, there were
circumstances-butnomatter."

"Thatseemsaprettygoodrecord,"saidDespard.Headded,"WhataboutShaitana'sdeath?Thatdoesn't
count,Isuppose,sinceitisn'tofficiallyyourbusiness."

"Itisnotmybusiness-no.Butallthesameitoffendsmyamourpropre.Iconsideritanimpertinence,
youcomprehend,foramurdertobecommittedundermyverynose-bysomeonewhomockshimselfat
myabilitytosolveit!"

"Not under your nose only," said Despard, dryly. "Under the nose of the Criminal Investigation
Departmentalso."

"That was probably a bad mistake," said Poirot gravely. "The good square Superintendent Battle, he
maylookwoodenbutheisnotwoodeninthehead-notatall."

"Iagree,"saidDespard."Thatstolidityisapose.He'saverycleverandableofficer."

"AndIthinkheisveryactiveinthecase."

"Ohhe'sactiveenough.Seeanicequietsoldierly-lookingfellowononeofthebackseats?"

Poirotlookedoverhisshoulder.

"Thereisnooneherenowbutourselves,"

"Ohwellhe'sinsidethen.Heneverlosesme.Veryefficientfellow.Varieshisappearancetoofromtime
totime.Quiteartisticaboutit."

"Ah,butthatwouldnotdeceiveyou.Youhavetheveryquickandaccurateeye."

"Ineverforgetaface-evenablackface,andthat'salotmorethanmostpeoplecansay."

"YouarejustthepersonIneed,"saidPoirot."Whatachancemeetingyoutoday!Ineedsomeonewitha
goodeyeandagoodmemory.Malheureusementthetwoseldomgotogether.IhaveaskedtheDoctor
RobertsaquestionwithoutresultandthesamewithMadameLorrimer.NowIwilltryyouandseeifI
getwhatIwant.CastyourmindbacktotheroominwhichyouplayedcardsatMr.Shaitana'sandtell

mewhatyourememberofit."

Despardlookedpuzzled."Idon'tquiteunderstand."

"Givemeadescriptionoftheroom-thefurnishings,theobjectsinit."

"Idon'tknowthatI'mmuchofahandatthatsortofthing,"saidDespardslowly."Itwasarottensortof
room,tomymind.Notaman'sroomatall.Alotofbrocadeandsilkandstuff.Sortofroomafellow
likeShaitanawouldhave."

"Buttoparticularize-"

Despardshookhishead."AfraidIdidn'tnotice.He'dgotsomegoodrugs.TwoBokharasandthreeor
fourreallygoodPersianones,includingaHamadanandaTabriz.Ratheragoodelandhead-no,that
wasinthehall.FromRowlandWard'sIexpect."

"YoudonotthinkthatthelateMr.Shaitanawasonetogooutandshootwildbeasts?"

"Nothe.Neverpottedanythingbutsittinggame,I'llbet.Whatelsewasthere?I'msorrytofailyou,butI
really can't help much. Any amount of knickknacks lying about. Tables were thick with them. Only
thingInoticedwasaaratherjollyidol.EasterIsland,Ishouldsay.Highlypolishedwood.Youdon'tsee
manyofthem.TherewassomeMalaystufftoo.No,I'mafraidIcan'thelpyou."

"Nomatter,"saidPoirot,lookingslightlycrestfallen.

Hewenton."Doyouknow,Mrs.Lorrimer,shehasthemostamazingcardmemory!Shecouldtellme
thebiddingandplayofnearlyeveryhand.Itwasastonishing."

Despardshruggedhisshoulders.

"Somewomenarelikethat.Becausetheyplayprettywellalldaylong,Isuppose."

"Youcouldnotdoit,eh?"

Theothershookhishead.

"I just remember a couple of hands. One where I could have got game in diamonds - and Roberts
bluffed me out of it. Went down himself, but we didn't double him, worse luck. I remember a no
trumper, too. Tricky business - every card wrong. We went down a couple - lucky not to have gone
downmore,"

"Doyouplaymuchbridge,MajorDespard?"

"No,I'mnotaregularplayer.It'sagoodgame,though."

"Youpreferittopoker?"

"Idopersonally.Poker'stoomuchofagamble."

Poirotsaidthoughtfully,"IdonotthinkMr.Shaitanaplayedanygame-anycardgame,thatis."

"There'sonlyonegamethatShaitanaplayedconsistently,"saidDespardgrimly.

"Andthat?"

"Alow-downgame."

Poirotwassilentforaminutethenhesaid,"Isitthatyouknowthat?Ordoyoujustthinkit?"

Despard went brick red. "Meaning one oughtn't to say things without giving chapter and verse? I
supposethat'strue.Well,it'saccurateenough.Ihappentoknow.OntheotherhandI'mnotpreparedto
givechapterandverse.SuchinformationasI'vegotcametomeprivately."

"Meaningawomanorwomenareconcerned?"

"Yes.Shaitana,likethedirtydoghewas,preferredtodealwithwomen."

"Youthinkhewasablackmailer?Thatisinteresting."

Despardshookhishead."No,no,you'vemisunderstoodme.Inaway,Shaitanawasablackmailer,but
notthecommonorgardensort.Hewasn'taftermoney.Hewasaspiritualblackmailer,iftherecanbe
suchathing."

"Andhegotoutofit-what?"

"Hegotakickoutofit.That'stheonlywayIcanputit.Hegotathrilloutofseeingpeoplequailand
flinch.Isupposeitmadehimfeellessofalouseandmoreofaman.Andit'saveryeffectiveposewith
women.He'donlygottohintthathekneweverything,andthey'dstarttellinghimalotofthingsthat
perhaps he didn't know. That would tickle his sense of humor. Then he'd strut about in his
Mephistopheleanattitudeof'Iknoweverything!IamthegreatShaitana!'Themanwasanape!"

"SoyouthinkthathefrightenedMissMerediththatway,"saidPoirotslowly.

"MissMeredith?"Despardstared."Iwasn'tthinkingofher.Sheisn'tthekindtobeafraidofamanlike
Shaitana."

"Pardon.YoumeantMrs.Lorrimer."

"No, no, no. You misunderstood me. I was speaking generally. It wouldn't be easy to frighten Mrs.
Lorrimer.Andshe'snotthekindofwomanwhoyoucanimaginehavingaguiltysecret.No,Iwasnot
thinkingofanyoneinparticular."

"Itwasthegeneralmethodtowhichyoureferred?"

"Exactly."

"Thereisnodoubt,"saidPoirotslowly,"thatamanlikethatoftenhasaverycleverunderstandingof
women.Hewormssecretsoutofthem-"

Hepaused.Despardbrokeinimpatiently.

"It'sabsurd.Themanwasamountebank-nothingreallydangerousabouthim.Andyetwomenwere

afraidofhim.Ridiculouslyso."

Hestartedupsuddenly.

"Hullo, I've overshot the mark. Got too interested in what we were discussing. Good-by, Monsieur
Poirot.Lookdownandyou'llseemyfaithfulshadowleavethebuswhenIdo."

He hurried to the back and down the steps. The conductor's bell jangled. But a double pull sounded
beforeithadtimetostop.

Lookingdowntothestreetbelow,PoirotnoticedDespardstridingbackalongthepavement.Hedidnot
troubletopickoutthefollowingfigure.Somethingelsewasinterestinghim."Nooneinparticular,"he
murmuredtohimself."NowIwonder."

Chapter16

THEEVIDENCEOFELSIEBATT

SergeantO'ConnorwasunkindlynicknamedbyhiscolleaguesattheYard"TheMaidservant'sPrayer."

Therewasnodoubtthathewasanextremelyhandsomeman.Tall,erect,broad-shouldered,itwasless
the regularity of his features than the roguish and daredevil spark in his eye which made him so
irresistibletothefairsex.ItwasindubitablethatSergeantO'Connorgotresultsandgotthemquickly.

SorapidwashethatonlyfourdaysafterthemurderofMr.Shaitana,SergeantO'Connorwassittingin
thethreeandsixpennyseatsattheWillyNillyRevuesidebysidewithMissElsieBatt,lateparlormaid
toMrs.Craddockof117NorthAudleyStreet.

Havinglaidhislineofapproachcarefully,SergeantO'Connerwasjustlaunchingthegreatoffensive.

"Reminds me," he was saying, "of the way one of my old governors used to carry on. Name of
Craddock.Hewasanoddcuss,ifyoulike."

"Craddock,"saidElsie."IwaswithsomeCraddocksonce."

"Well,that'sfunny.Wonderwhethertheywerethesame?"

"LivedinNorthAudleyStreettheydid,"saidElsie.

"MylotweregoingtoLondonwhenIleftthem,"saidO'Connorpromptly."Yes,IbelieveitwasNorth
AudleyStreet.Mrs.Craddockwasratheraoneforthegents."

Elsietossedherhead.

"I'dnopatiencewithher.Alwaysfindingfaultandgrumbling.Nothingyoudidright."

"Herhusbandgotsomeofittoo,didn'the?"

"She was always complaining he neglected her - that he didn't understand her. And she was always
sayinghowbadherhealthwasandgaspingandgroaning.Notillatallifyouaskme!"

O'Connorslappedhisknee.

"Gotit.Wasn'ttheresomethingaboutherandsomedoctor?Abittoothickorsomething?"

"YoumeanDoctorRoberts?Hewasanicegentleman,hewas."

"Yougirls,you'reallalike,"saidSergeantO'Connor."Themomentaman'sabadlot,allthegirlsstick
upforhim.Iknowhiskind."

"No,youdon'tandyou'reallwrongabouthim.Therewasn'tanythingofthatkindabouthim.Wasn'this
fault,wasit,ifMrs.Craddockwasalwayssendingforhim?What'sadoctortodo?Ifyouaskme,he
didn'tthinknothingofheratall,exceptasapatient.Itwasallherdoing.Wouldn'tleavehimalone,she
wouldn't."

"That'sallverywell,Elsie-don'tmindmecallingyouElsie,doyou?FeelasthoughI'dknownyouall
mylife."

"Well,youhaven't!Elsieindeed."

Shetossedherhead.

"Oh,verywell,MissBatt."Hegaveheraglance."AsIwassaying,that'sallverywell,butthehusband
hecutuproughallthesame,didn'the?"

"Hewasabitrattyoneday,"admittedElsie."Butifyouaskmehewasillatthetime.Hediedjustafter,
youknow."

"Iremember-diedofsomethingqueer,didn'the?"

"SomethingJapaneseitwas-allfromanewshavingbrushhe'dgot.Seemsawful,doesn'tit,thatthey're
notmorecareful?I'venotfanciedanythingJapanesesince."

"BuyBritish,that'smymotto,"saidSergeantO'Connorsententiously."Andyouweresayingheandthe
doctorhadarow?"

Elsie nodded, enjoying herself as she relived past scandals. "Hammer and tongs they went at it," she
said."Atleastthemasterdid.DoctorRobertswaseversoquiet.Justsaid,'Nonsense.'And,'Whathave
yougotintoyourhead?'"

'Thiswasatthehouse,Isuppose?"

"Yes.She'dsentforhim.Andthensheandthemasterhadwords,andinthemiddleofitDoctorRoberts
arrived,andthemasterwentforhim."

"Whatdidhesayexactly?"

"Well,ofcourseIwasn'tsupposedtohear.Itwasallinthemissis'sbedroom.Ithoughtsomethingwas
up,soIgotthedustpananddidthestairs.Iwasn'tgoingtomissanything."

SergeantO'Connorheartilyconcurredinthissentiment,reflectinghowfortunateitwasthatElsiewas
being approached unofficially. On interrogation by Sergeant O'Connor of the police she would have
virtuouslyprotestedthatshehadnotoverheardanythingatall.

"AsIsay,"wentonElsie,"DoctorRoberts,hewasveryquiet-themasterwasdoingalltheshouting."

"Whatwashesaying?"askedO'Connor,forthesecondtimeapproachingthevitalpoint.

"Abusingofhimproper,"saidElsiewithrelish.

"Howdoyoumean?"

Wouldthegirlnevercometoactualwordsandphrases?

"Well,Ididn'tunderstandalotofit,"admittedElsie."Therewerealotoflongwords,'unprofessional
conduct'and'takingadvantage'andthingslikethat-andIheardhimsayhe'dgetDoctorRobertsstruck
offthe-MedicalRegister,woulditbe?Somethinglikethat."

"That'sright,"saidO'Connor."ComplaintotheMedicalCouncil."

"Yes,hesaidsomethinglikethat.Andthemissiswasgoingoninsortofhystericssaying,'Younever
caredforme.Youneglectedme.Youleftmealone.'AndIheardhersaythatDoctorRobertshadbeen
anangelofgoodnesstoher.

"Andthenthedoctor,hecamethroughintothedressing-roomwiththemasterandshutthedoorofthe
bedroom-Ihearditandhesaidquiteplain,'Mygoodman,don'tyourealizeyourwife'shysterical?She
doesn't know what she's saying. To tell you the truth it's been a very difficult and trying case and I'd
havethrownituplongagoifI'dthoughtitwas'-con-con-somelongword-oh,yes,consistent-that
was it - 'consistent with my duty.' That's what he said. He said something about not overstepping a
boundary-too-somethingbetweendoctorandpatient.Hegotthemasterquietedabitandthenhesaid,
'You'llbelateatyouroffice,youknow.You'dbetterbeoff.Justthinkthingsoverquietly.Ithinkyou'll
realizethatthewholebusinessisamare'snest.I'lljustwashmyhandsherebeforeIgoontomynext
case. Now you think it over, my dear fellow. I can assure you that the whole thing arises out of your
wife'sdisorderedimagination.'

"Andthemasterhesaid,'Idon'tknowwhattothink.'

"And he come out - and of course I was brushing hard, but he never even noticed me. I thought
afterward he looked ill. The doctor he was whistling quite cheerily and washing his hands in the
dressing-roomwheretherewashotandcoldlaidon.Andpresentlyhecameouttoowithhisbag,andhe

spoketomeverynicelyandcheerilyashealwaysdidandhewentdownthestairsquitecheerfuland
gayandhisusualself.So,yousee,I'mquitesureashehadn'tdoneanythingwrong.Itwasallher."

"AndthenCraddockgotthisanthrax?"

"Yes,Ithinkhe'dgotitalready.Themistressshenursedhimverydevoted,buthedied.Lovelywreaths
therewasatthefuneral."

"Andafterward?DidDoctorRobertscometothehouseagain?"

"No, he didn't, Nosy! You've got some grudge against him. I tell you there was nothing in it. If there
werehe'dhavemarriedherwhenthemasterwasdead,wouldn'the?Andheneverdid.Nosuchfool.
He'dtakenhermeasureallright.Sheusedtoringhimupthough,butsomehowhewasneverin.And
thenshesoldthehouseandweallgotournoticesandshewentabroadtoEgypt."

"Andyoudidn'tseeDoctorRobertsinallthattime."

"No.Shedid,becauseshewenttohimtohavethis-whatdoyoucallit-noclationagainstthetyphoid
fever.Shecamebackwithherarmeversosorewithit.Ifyouaskme,hemadeitcleartoherthenthat
therewasnothingdoing.Shedidn'tringhimupnomoreandshewentoffverycheerfulwithalovelylot
of new clothes - all light colors although it was the middle of winter, but she said it would be all
sunshineandhotoutthere."

"That's right," said Sergeant O'Connor. "It's too hot, sometimes, I've heard. She died out there. You
knowthat,Isuppose?"

"No,indeedIdidn't.Well,fancythat!ShemayhavebeenworsethanIthought,poorsoul."

Sheaddedwithasigh,"Iwonderwhattheydidwithallthatlovelylotofclothes?They'reblacksout
there,sotheycouldn'twearthem."

"You'dhavelookedatreatinthem,Iexpect,"saidSergeantO'Connor.

"Impudence,"saidElsie.

"Well,youwon'thavemyimpudencemuchlonger,"saidSergeantO'Connor."I'vegottogoawayon
businessformyfirm."

"Yougoingforlong?"

"Maybegoingabroad,"saidthesergeant.

Elsie'sfacefell.

Though unacquainted with Lord Byron's famous poem, "I never loved a dear gazelle," its sentiments
wereatthatmomenthers.Shethoughttoherself,Funnyhowallthereallyattractiveonesnevercometo
anything.Oh,well,there'salwaysFred.

WhichisgratifyingsinceitshowsthatthesuddenincursionofSergeantO'ConnorintoElsie'slifedid
notaffectitpermanently.Fredmayevenhavebeenthegainer!

Chapter17

THEEVIDENCEOFRHODADAWES

Rhoda Dawes came out of Debenham's and stood meditatively upon the pavement. Indecision was
written all over her face. It was an expressive face, each fleeting emotion showed itself in a quickly
varyingexpression.

Quite plainly at this moment Rhoda's face said, "Shall I or shan't I?" "I'd like to -" "But perhaps I'd
betternot."

Thecommissionairesaid,"Taxi,miss?"toherhopefully.Rhodashookherhead.

A stout woman carrying parcels with an eager "shopping early for Christmas" expression on her face
cannonedintoherseverely,butstillRhodastoodstockstilltryingtomakeuphermind.

Chaoticoddsandendsofthoughtsflashedthroughhermind.Afterall,whyshouldn'tI?Sheaskedme
to-Butperhapsit'sjustathingshesaystoeveryone.Shedoesn'tmeanittobetakenseriously-Well,
after all, Anne didn't want me. She made it quite clear she'd rather go with Major Despard to the

solicitormanalone-Andwhyshouldn'tshe?Imean,threeisacrowd-Anditisn'treallyanybusiness
ofmine.Itisn'tasthoughIparticularlywantedtoseeMajorDespard-Heisnice,though-Ithinkhe
must have fallen for Anne. Men don't take a lot of trouble unless they have - I mean, it's never just
kindness.

AmessengerboybumpedintoRhodaandsaid,"Begpardon,miss,"inareproachfultone.

Ohdear,thoughtRhoda.Ican'tgoonstandinghereallday.JustbecauseI'msuchanidiotthatIcan't
makeupmymind-Ithinkthatcoatandskirt'sgoingtobeawfullynice.Iwonderifbrownwouldhave
beenmoreusefulthangreen?No,Idon'tthinkso.Well,comeon,shallIgo,orshan'tI?Half-pastthree
-it'squiteagoodtime-Imeanitdoesn'tlookasthoughI'mcadgingamealoranything.Imightjustgo
andlook,anyway.

Sheplungedacrosstheroad,turnedtotheright,andthentotheleft,upHarleyStreet,finallypausingby
theblockofflatsalwaysairilydescribedbyMrs.Oliveras"allamongthenursinghomes."

Well,shecan'teatme,thoughtRhodaandplungedboldlyintothebuilding.

Mrs.Oliver'sflatwasonthetopfloor.Auniformedattendantwhiskedherupinaliftandletherouton
asmartnewmatoutsideabrightgreendoor.

Thisisawful,thoughtRhoda.Worsethandentists.Imustgothroughwithitnow,though.

Pinkwithembarrassment,shepushedthebell.

Thedoorwasopenedbyanelderlymaid.

"Is-couldI-isMrs.Oliverathome?"askedRhoda.

Themaiddrewback,Rhodaentered;shewasshownintoaveryuntidydrawing-room.Themaidsaid,
"WhatnameshallIsay,please?"

"Oh-er-MissDawes-MissRhodaDawes."

Themaidwithdrew.AfterwhatseemedtoRhodaaboutahundredyearsbutwasreallyexactlyaminute

andforty-fiveseconds,themaidreturned.

"Willyoustepthisway,miss?"

PinkerthaneverRhodafollowedher.Alongapassage,roundacorner,adoorwasopened;nervously
sheenteredintowhatseemedatfirsttoherstartledeyestobeanAfricanforest!

Birds-massesofbirds,parrots,macaws,birdsunknowntoornithology,twinedthemselvesinandoutof
what seemed to be a primeval forest. In the middle of this riot of bird and vegetable life, Rhoda
perceivedabatteredkitchentablewithatypewriteronit,massesoftypescriptlitteredalloverthefloor,
andMrs.Oliver,herhairinwildconfusion,risingfromasomewhatrickety-lookingchair.

"Mydear,hownicetoseeyou,"saidMrs.Oliver,holdingoutacarbon-stainedhandandtryingwithher
otherhandtosmoothherhair,aquiteimpossibleproceeding.

Apaperbag,touchedbyherelbow,fellfromthedeskandapplesrolledenergeticallyalloverthefloor.

"Nevermind,mydear,don'tbother,someonewillpickthemupsometime."

Ratherbreathless,Rhodarosefromastoopingpositionwithfiveapplesinhergrasp.

"Oh,thankyou-no,Ishouldn'tputthembackinthebag.Ithinkit'sgotaholeinit.Putthemonthe
mantelpiece.That'sright.Nowthen,sitdownandlet'stalk."

Rhodaacceptedasecondbatteredchairandfocusedhereyesonherhostess.

"Isay,I'mterriblysorry.AmIinterruptingoranything?"sheaskedbreathlessly.

"Well,youareandyouaren't,"saidMrs.Oliver."Iamworking.Asyousee.ButthatdreadfulFinnof
minehasgothimselfterriblytangledup.HedidsomeawfullycleverdeductionwithadishofFrench
beans,andnowhe'sjustdetecteddeadlypoisoninthesageandonionstuffingoftheMichaelmasgoose
andI'vejustrememberedthatFrenchbeansareoverbyMichaelmas."

Thrilled by this peep into the inner world of creative detective fiction Rhoda said breathlessly, "They
mightbetinned."

"Theymight,ofcourse,"saidMrs.Oliver,doubtfully."Butitwouldratherspoilthepoint.I'malways
getting tangled up in horticulture and things like that. People write to me and say I've got the wrong
flowersallouttogether.Asthoughitmattered-andanywaytheyareallouttogetherinaLondonshop."

"Ofcourseitdoesn'tmatter."saidRhodaloyally."Oh,Mrs.Oliver,itmustbemarveloustowrite."

Mrs.Oliverrubbedherforeheadwithacarbonyfingerandasked,"Why?"

"Oh,"saidRhoda,alittletakenaback."Becauseitmust.Itmustbewonderfuljusttositdownandwrite
offawholebook."

"It doesn't happen exactly like that," said Mrs. Oliver. "One actually has to think, you know. And
thinkingisalwaysabore.Andyouhavetoplanthings.Andthenonegetsstuckeverynowandthenand
you feel you'll never get out of the mess - but you do! Writing's not particularly enjoyable. It's hard
worklikeeverythingelse."

"Itdoesn'tseemlikework,"saidRhoda.

"Nottoyou,"saidMrs.Oliver,"becauseyoudon'thavetodoit!Itfeelsverylikeworktome.Some
daysIcanonlykeepgoingbyrepeatingoverandovertomyselftheamountofmoneyImightgetfor
mynextserialrights.Thatspursyouon,youknow.Sodoesyourbankbookwhenyouseehowmuch
overdrawnyouare."

"I never imagined you actually typed your books yourself," said Rhoda. "I thought you'd have a
secretary."

"I did have a secretary and I used to try and dictate to her but she was so competent that it used to
depressme. I feltshe knew somuch more about Englishand grammar andfull stops and semicolons
thanIdid,thatitgavemeakindofinferioritycomplex.ThenItriedhavingathoroughlyincompetent
secretarybut,ofcourse,thatdidn'tanswerverywelleither."

"Itmustbesowonderfultobeabletothinkofthings,"saidRhoda.

"I can always think of things," said Mrs. Oliver, happily. "What is so tiring is writing them down. I
always think I've finished and then when I count up I find I've only written thirty thousand words
insteadofsixtythousandandsothenIhavetothrowinanothermurderandgettheheroinekidnaped

again.It'sallveryboring."

Rhoda did not answer. She was staring at Mrs. Oliver with the reverence felt by youth for celebrity -
slightlytingedbydisappointment.

"Doyoulikethewallpaper?"askedMrs.Oliver,wavinganairyhand."I'mfrightfullyfondofbirds.The
foliage is supposed to be tropical. It makes me feel it's a hot day even when it's freezing. I can't do
anythingunlessIfeelvery,verywarm.ButSvenHjersonbreakstheiceonhisbatheverymorning!"

"Ithinkit'sallmarvelous,"saidRhoda."Andit'sawfullyniceofyoutosayI'mnotinterruptingyou."

"We'llhavesomecoffeeandtoast,"saidMrs.Oliver."Veryblackcoffeeandveryhottoast.Icanalways
eatthatanytime."

Shewenttothedoor,openedit,andshouted.Thenshereturnedandsaid,"Whatbringsyoutotown-
shopping?"

"Yes,I'vebeendoingsomeshopping."

"IsMissMeredithuptoo?"

"Yes,she'sgonewithMajorDespardtoasolicitor."

"Solicitor,eh?"Mrs.Oliver'sbrowsroseinquiringly.

"Yes,youseeMajorDespardtoldhersheoughttohaveone.He'sbeenawfullykind-hereallyhas."

"Iwaskind,too,"saidMrs.Oliver,"butitdidn'tseemtogodownverywell,didit?InfactIthinkyour
friendratherresentedmycoming."

"Oh, she didn't - really she didn't." Rhoda wriggled on her chair in a paroxysm of embarrassment.
"That's really one reason why I wanted to come today - to explain. You see, I saw you had got it all
wrong. She did seem very ungracious, but it wasn't that really. I mean it wasn't your coming. It was
somethingyousaid."

"SomethingIsaid?"

"Yes,youcouldn'ttell,ofcourse.Itwasjustunfortunate."

"WhatdidIsay?"

"Idon'texpectyouremembereven.Itwasjustthewayyouputit.Yousaidsomethingaboutanaccident
andpoison."

"DidI?"

"Iknewyou'dprobablynotremember.Yes,youseeAnnehadaghastlyexperienceonce.Shewasina
housewhereawomantooksomepoison-hatpaint,Ithinkitwas-bymistakeforsomethingelse.And
shedied.Andofcourse,itwasanawfulshocktoAnne.Shecan'tbearthinkingofitorspeakingofit.
Andyoursayingthatremindedher,ofcourse,andshedriedupandgotallstiffandqueerlikeshedoes.
AndIsawyounoticedit.AndIcouldn'tsayanythinginfrontofher.ButIdidwantyoutoknowthatit
wasn'twhatyouthought.Shewasn'tungrateful."

Mrs.OliverlookedatRhoda'sHushedeagerface.Shesaidslowly,"Isee."

"Anne'sawfullysensitive,"saidRhoda."Andshe'sbadabout-well,facingthings.Ifanything'supset
her, she'd just rather not talk about it - although that isn't any good really - at least I don't think so.
Thingsaretherejustthesome,whetheryoutalkaboutthemornot.It'sonlyrunningawayfromthemto
pretendtheydon'texist.I'dratherhaveitallout,howeverpainfulitwouldbe."

"Ah,"saidMrs.Oliverquietly."butyou,mydear,areasoldier.YourAnneisn't."

Rhodaflushed."Anne'sadarling."

Mrs.Oliversmiled.

Shesaid,"Ididn'tsayshewasn't.Ionlysaidshehadn'tgotyourparticularbrandofcourage."

Shesighed,thensaidratherunexpectedlytothegirl,"Doyoubelieveinthevalueoftruth,mydear,or

don'tyou?"

"OfcourseIbelieveinthetruth,"saidRhoda,staring.

"Yes,yousaythat,butperhapsyouhaven'tthoughtaboutit.Thetruthhurtssometimes-anddestroys
one'sillusions."

"I'dratherhaveitallthesame,"saidRhoda.

"SowouldI.ButIdon'tknowthatwe'rewise."

Rhodasaidearnestly."Don'ttellAnne,willyou,whatI'vetoldyou?Shewouldn'tlikeit."

"Icertainlyshouldn'tdreamofdoinganysuchthing.Wasthislongago?"

"Aboutfourorfiveyearsago.It'sodd,isn'tit,howthesamethingshappenagainandagaintopeople.I
hadanauntwhowasalwaysinshipwrecks.Andhere'sAnnemixedupintwosuddendeaths-only,of
course,thisoneismuchworse.Murder'sratherawful,isn'tit?"

"Yes,itis."

Theblackcoffeeandthehotbutteredtoastappearedatthisminute.Rhodaateanddrankwithchildish
gusto.Itwasveryexcitingtoherthustobesharinganintimatemealwithacelebrity.

Whentheyhadfinishedsheroseandsaid,"IdohopeIhaven'tinterruptedyoutooterribly.Wouldyou
mind - I mean would it bother you awfully if I sent one of your books to you; would you sign it for
me?"

Mrs.Oliverlaughed."Oh,Icandobetterthanthatforyou."Sheopenedacupboardatthefarendofthe
room."Whichwouldyoulike?IratherfancyTheAffairoftheSecondGoldfishmyself.It'snotquite
suchfrightfultripeastherest."

Alittleshockedathearinganauthoressthusdescribethechildrenofherpen,Rhodaacceptedeagerly.
Mrs.Olivertookthebook,openedit,inscribedhernamewithasuperlativeflourish,andhandeditto
Rhoda.

"Thereyouare."

"Thankyouverymuch.Ihaveenjoyedmyself.Sureyoudidn'tmindmycoming?"

"Iwantedyouto,"saidMrs.Oliver.

Sheaddedafteramoment'spause,"You'reanicechild.Good-by.Takecareofyourself,mydear."

"NowwhydidIsaythat?"shemurmuredtoherselfasthedoorclosedbehindherguest.

Sheshookherhead,milledherhair,andreturnedtothemasterlydealingsofSvenHjersonwiththesage
andonionstuffing.

Chapter18

TEAINTERLUDE

Mrs.LorrimercameoutofacertaindoorinHarleyStreet.Shestoodforaminuteatthetopofthesteps
andthenshedescendedthemslowly.

There was a curious expression on her face - a mingling of grim determination and of strange
indecision.Shebentherbrowsalittleasthoughtoconcentrateonsomeall-absorbingproblem.

ItwasjustthenthatshecaughtsightofAnneMeredithontheoppositepavement.Annewasstanding
staringupatabigblockofflatsjustonthecorner.

Mrs.Lorrimerhesitatedamoment,thenshecrossedthestreet."Howdoyoudo,MissMeredith?"

Annestartedandturned."Oh,howdoyoudo?"

"StillinLondon?"saidMrs.Lorrimer.

"No.I'veonlycomeupfortheday.Todosomelegalbusiness."

Hereyeswerestillstrayingbacktothebigblockofflats.Mrs.Lorrimersaid,"Isanythingthematter?"

Annestartedguiltily.

"Thematter?Oh,no,whatshouldbethematter?"

"Youwerelookingasthoughyouhadsomethingonyourmind."

"Ihaven't-well,atleastIhave-butit'snothingimportant,somethingquitesilly."Shelaughedalittle.

Shewenton,"It'sonlythatIthoughtIsawmyfriend-thegirlIlivewith-gointhere,andIwondered
ifshe'dgonetoseeMrs.Oliver."

"IsthatwhereMrs.Oliverlives?Ididn'tknow."

"Yes.Shecametoseeustheotherdayandshegaveusheraddressandaskedustocomeandseeher.I
wonderedifitwasRhodaIsawornot."

"Doyouwanttogoupandsee?"

"No,I'drathernotdothat."

"Comeandhaveteawithme,"saidMrs.Lorrimer."ThereisashopquitenearherethatIknow."

"It'sverykindofyou,"saidAnne,hesitating.

Sidebysidetheywalkeddownthestreetandturnedintoasidestreet.Inasmallpastrycook'stheywere
servedwithteaandmuffins.Theydidnottalkmuch.Eachofthemseemedtofindtheother'ssilence
restful.

Anneaskedsuddenly,"HasMrs.Oliverbeentoseeyou?"

Mrs.Lorrimershookherhead.

"NoonehasbeentoseemeexceptMonsieurPoirot."

"Ididn'tmean-"beganAnne.

"Didn'tyou?Ithinkyoudid,"saidMrs.Lorrimer.

Thegirllookedup-aquick,frightenedglance.SomethingshesawinMrs.Lorrimer'sfaceseemedto
reassureher.

"Hehasn'tbeentoseeme,"shesaidslowly.

Therewasapause.

"Hasn'tSuperintendentBattlebeentoseeyou?"askedAnne.

"Oh,yes,ofcourse,"saidMrs.Lorrimer.

Annesaidhesitatingly,"Whatsortofthingsdidheaskyou?"

Mrs. Lorrimer sighed wearily. "The usual things, I suppose. Routine inquiries. He was very pleasant
overitall."

"Isupposeheinterviewedeveryone."

"Ishouldthinkso."Therewasanotherpause.

Anneasked,"Mrs.Lorrimer,doyouthink-theywilleverfindoutwhodidit?"

Hereyeswerebentonherplate.Shedidnotseethecuriousexpressionintheolderwoman'seyesasshe
watchedthedowncasthead.

Mrs.Lorrimersaidquietly,"Idon'tknow."

Annemurmured,"It'snot-verynice,isit?"

TherewasthatsamecuriousappraisingandyetsympatheticlookinMrs.Lorrimer'sface,assheasked,
"Howoldareyou,AnneMeredith?"

"I-I?"thegirlstammered."I'mtwenty-five."

"AndIamsixty-three,"saidMrs.Lorrimer.

Shewentonslowly,"Mostofyourlifeisinfrontofyou."

Anneshivered."Imightberunoverbyabusonthewayhome,"shesaid.

"Yes,thatistrue.AndI-mightnot."

Mrs.Lorrimersaiditinanoddway.Annelookedatherinastonishment.

"Lifeisadifficultbusiness,"continuedMrs.Lorrimer."You'llknowthatwhenyoucometomyage.It
needsinfinitecourageandalotofendurance.Andintheendonewonders,'Wasitworthwhile?'"

"Oh,don't,"saidAnne.

Mrs.Lorrimerlaughed,heroldcompetentselfagain.

"It'srathercheaptosaygloomythingsaboutlife,"shesaid.Shecalledthewaitressandsettledthebill.

AstheygottotheshopdoorataxicrawledpastandMrs.Lorrimerhailedit.

"CanIgiveyoualift?"sheasked."IamgoingsouthofthePark."

Anne'sfacehadlightedup.

"No,thankyou.Iseemyfriendturningthecorner.Thankyousomuch,Mrs.Lorrimer.Good-by."

"Good-by.Goodluck,"saidtheolderwoman.

ShedroveawayandAnnehurriedforward.

Rhoda'sfacelightedupwhenshesawherfriend,thenchangedtoaslightlyguiltyexpression."Rhoda,
haveyoubeentoseeMrs.Oliver?"demandedAnne.

"Well,asamatteroffact,Ihave."

"AndIjustcaughtyou."

"Idon'tknowwhatyoumeanbycaught.Let'sgodownhereandtakeabus.You'dgoneoffonyourown
withtheboyfriend.Ithoughtatleasthe'dgiveyoutea."

Annewassilentforaminute-avoiceringinginherears,"Can'twepickupyourfriendsomewhereand
allhaveteatogether?"

Andherownanswer-hurried,withouttakingtimetothink,"Thanksawfully,butwe'vegottogooutto
teatogetherwithsomepeople."

Alie-andsuchasillylie.Thestupidwayonesaidthefirstthingthatcameintoone'sheadinsteadof
justtakingaminuteortwotothink.Perfectlyeasytohavesaid,"Thanks,butmyfriendhasgottogo
outtoeat."Thatis,ifyoudidn'twant,asshehadn'twanted,tohaveRhoda,too.

Rather odd, that, the way she hadn't wanted Rhoda. She had wanted, definitely, to keep Despard to
herself. She had felt jealous. Jealous of Rhoda. Rhoda was so bright, so ready to talk, so full of
enthusiasm and life. The other evening Major Despard had looked as though he thought Rhoda nice.
Butitwasher,AnneMeredith,hehadcomedowntosee.Rhodawaslikethat.Shedidn'tmeanit,but
shereducedyoutobackground.No,definitelyshehadn'twantedRhodathere.

Butshe had managedit very stupidly,getting flurried like that.If she'd managedbetter, she might be
sittingnowhavingteawithMajorDespardathiscluborsomewhere.

ShefeltdefinitelyannoyedwithRhoda.Rhodawasanuisance.Andwhatshehadbeendoing,goingto
seeMrs.Oliver?Outloudshesaid,"WhydidyougoandseeMrs.Oliver?"

"Well,sheaskedusto."

"Yes,butIdidn'tsupposeshereallymeantit.Iexpectshealwayshastosaythat."

"She did mean it. She was awfully nice - couldn't have been nicer. She gave me one of her books.
Look."

Rhodaflourishedherprize.

Annesaidsuspiciously,"Whatdidyoutalkabout?Notme?"

"Listentotheconceitofthegirl!"

"No,butdidyou?Didyoutalkaboutthe-themurder?"

"Wetalkedabouthermurders.She'swritingonewherethere'spoisoninthesageandonions.Shewas
frightfullyhuman-andsaidwritingwasawfullyhardworkandsaidhowshegotintotangleswithplots,
andwehadblackcoffeeandhotbutteredtoast,"finishedRhodainatriumphantburst.

Thensheadded,"Oh,Anne,youwantyourtea."

"No,Idon't.I'vehadit,withMrs.Lorrimer,"

"Mrs.Lorrimer?Isn'tthattheone-theonewhowasthere?"

Annenodded.

"Wheredidyoucomeacrossher?Didyougoandseeher?"

"No.IranacrossherinHarleyStreet."

"Whatwasshelike?"

Annesaidslowly,"Idon'tknow.Shewas-ratherqueer.Notatallliketheothernight."

"Doyoustillthinkshedidit?"askedRhoda.

Anne was silent for a minute or two. Then she said, "I don't know. Don't let's talk of it. Rhoda! You
knowhowIhatetalkingofthings."

"Allright,darling.Whatwasthesolicitorlike?Verydryandlegal?"

"Ratheralert."

"Soundsallright."Shewaitedalittleandthenasked,"HowwasMajorDespard?"

"Verykind."

"He'sfallenforyou,Anne.I'msurehehas."

"Rhoda,don'ttalknonsense."

"Well,you'llsee."

Rhodabeganhummingtoherself.Shethought,Ofcoursehe'sfallenforher.Anne'sawfullypretty.But
a bit wishy-washy - She'll never go on treks with him. Why, she'd scream if she saw a snake. Men
alwaysdotakefanciestounsuitablewomen.

Thenshesaidaloud,"ThatbuswilltakeustoPaddington.We'lljustcatchthefour-forty-eight."

Chapter19

CONSULTATION

ThetelephoneranginPoirot'sroomandarespectfulvoicespoke."SergeantO'Connor.Superintendent
Battle's compliments and would it be convenient for Mr. Hercule Poirot to come to Scotland Yard at
eleven-thirty?"

PoirotrepliedintheaffirmativeandSergeantO'Connorrangoff.

Itwas11:30totheminutewhenPoirotdescendedfromhistaxiatthedoorofNewScotlandYard-tobe
atonceseizeduponbyMrs.Oliver.

"MonsieurPoirot.Howsplendid!Willyoucometomyrescue?"

"Enchanté,madame.WhatcanIdo?"

"Paymytaxiforme.Idon'tknowhowithappenedbutIbroughtoutthebagIkeepmygoing-abroad
moneyinandthemansimplywon'ttakefrancsorlirasormarks!"

Poirotgallantlyproducedsomeloosechange,andheandMrs.Oliverwentinsidethebuildingtogether.

They were taken to Superintendent Battle's own room. The superintendent was sitting behind a table
andlookingmorewoodenthanever."Justlikeapieceofmodernsculpture,"whisperedMrs.Oliverto
Poirot.

Battleroseandshookhandswiththembothandtheysatdown.

"Ithoughtitwasabouttimeforalittlemeeting,"saidBattle."You'dliketohearhowI'vegoton,andI'd
liketohearhowyou'vegoton.We'rejustwaitingforColonelRaceandthen-"Butatthatmomentthe
dooropenedandthecolonelappeared.

"SorryI'mlate,Battle.Howdoyoudo,Mrs.Oliver.Hullo,MonsieurPoirot.VerysorryifI'vekeptyou
waiting.ButI'mofftomorrowandhadalotofthingstoseeto."

"Whereareyougoingto?"askedMrs.Oliver.

"Alittleshootingtrip-Baluchistanway."

Poirotsaid,smilingironically,"Alittletrouble,istherenot,inthatpartoftheworld?Youwillhaveto
becareful."

"Imeantobe,"saidRacegravely-buthiseyestwinkled.

"Gotanythingforus,sir?"askedBattle.

"I'vegotyouyourinformationreDespard.Hereitis-"Hepushedoverasheafofpapers.

"There'samassofdatesandplacesthere.Mostofitquiteirrelevant,Ishouldimagine.Nothingagainst
him. He's a stout fellow. Record quite unblemished. Strict disciplinarian. Liked and trusted by the
nativeseverywhere.OneoftheircumbrousnamesforhiminAfrica,wheretheygoinforsuchthings,is
'Themanwhokeepshismouthshutandjudgesfairly.'GeneralopinionofthewhiteracesthatDespard
isaPuckaSahib.Fineshot.Coolhead.Generallylong-sightedanddependable."

Unmovedbythiseulogy,Battleasked,"Anysuddendeathsconnectedwithhim?"

"Ilaidspecialstressonthatpoint.There'sonefinerescuetohiscredit.Palofhiswasbeingmauledbya
lion."

Battlesighed."It'snotrescuesIwant."

"You're a persistent fellow, Battle. There's only one incident I've been able to rake up that might suit
your book. Trip into the interior in South America. Despard accompanied Professor Luxmore, the
celebrated botanist, and his wife. The professor died of fever and was buried somewhere up the
Amazon."

"Fever-eh?"

"Fever.ButI'llplayfairwithyou.Oneofthenativebearers,whowassackedforstealing,incidentally,

hadastorythattheprofessordidn'tdieoffever,butwasshot.Therumorwasnevertakenseriously."

"Abouttimeitwas,perhaps."

Raceshookhishead."I'vegivenyouthefacts.Youaskedforthemandyou'reentitledtothem,butI'd
lay long odds against its being Despard who did the dirty work the other evening. He's a white man,
Battle."

"Incapableofmurder,youmean?"

ColonelRacehesitated.

"IncapableofwhatI'dcallmurder-yes,"hesaid.

"Butnotincapableofkillingamanforwhatwouldseemtohimgoodandsufficientreasons,isthatit?"

"Ifso,theywouldbegoodandsufficientreasons!"

Battleshookhishead.

"Youcan'thavehumanbeingsjudgingotherhumanbeingsandtakingthelawintotheirownhands."

"Ithappens,Battle-ithappens."

"Itshouldn'thappen-that'smypoint.Whatdoyousay,MonsieurPoirot?"

"Iagreewithyou,Battle.Ihavealwaysdisapprovedofmurder."

"Whatadelightfullydrollwayofputtingit,"saidMrs.Oliver."Ratherasthoughitwerefoxhuntingor
killingospreysforhats.Don'tyouthinktherearepeoplewhooughttobemurdered?"

"That,verypossibly."

"Well,then!"

"Youdonotcomprehend.Itisnotthevictimwhoconcernsmesomuch.Itistheeffectonthecharacter
oftheslayer."

"Whataboutwar?"

"Inwaryoudonotexercisetherightofprivatejudgment.Thatiswhatissodangerous.Onceamanis
imbuedwiththeideathatheknowswhooughttobeallowedtoliveandwhooughtnot-thenheishalf
waytobecomingthemostdangerouskillerthereis,thearrogantcriminalwhokillsnotforprofitbutfor
anidea.HehasusurpedthefunctionsoflebonDieu."

Colonel Race rose. "I'm sorry I can't stop with you. Too much to do. I'd like to see the end of this
business.Shouldn'tbesurprisedifthereneverwasanend.Evenifyoufindoutwhodidit,it'sgoingto
benexttoimpossibletoprove.I'vegivenyouthefactsyouwanted,butinmyopinionDespard'snotthe
man. I don't believe he's ever committed murder. Shaitana may have heard some garbled rumor of
ProfessorLuxmore'sdeath,butIdon'tbelievethere'smoretoitthanthat.Despard'sawhiteman,andI
don'tbelievehe'severbeenamurderer.That'smyopinion.AndIknowsomethingofmen."

"What'sMrs.Luxmorelike?"askedBattle.

"She lives in London so you can see for yourself. You'll find the address among those papers.
Somewhere in South Kensington. But I repeat, Despard isn't the man." Colonel Race left the room,
steppingwiththespringynoiselesstreadofahunter.

Battlenoddedhisheadthoughtfullyasthedoorclosedbehindhim."He'sprobablyright,"hesaid."He
knowsmen,ColonelRacedoes.Butallthesame,onecan'ttakeanythingforgranted."

He looked through the mass of documents Race had deposited on the table, occasionally making a
pencilnoteonthepadbesidehim.

"Well,SuperintendentBattle,"saidMrs.Oliver,"aren'tyougoingtotelluswhatyouhavebeendoing?"

Helookedupandsmiled,aslowsmilethatcreasedhiswoodenfacefromsidetoside.

"Thisisallveryirregular,Mrs.Oliver.Ihopeyourealizethat."

"Nonsense,"saidMrs.Oliver."Idon'tsupposeforamomentyou'lltellusanythingyoudon'twantto."

Battleshookhishead.

"No,"hesaiddecidedly."Cardsonthetable.That'sthemottoforthisbusiness.Imeantoplayfair."

Mrs.Oliverhitchedherchairnearer.

"Tellus,"shebegged.

SuperintendentBattlesaidslowly,"Firstofall,I'llsaythis.AsfarastheactualmurderofMr.Shaitana
goes,I'mnotapennythewiser.There'snohintnorclueofanykindtobefoundinhispapers.Asforthe
four others, I've had them shadowed, naturally, but without any tangible result. That was only to be
expected.No,asMonsieurPoirotsaid,there'sonlyonehope-thepast.Findoutwhatcrimeexactly,if
any,thesepeoplehavecommitted-anditmaytellyouwhocommittedthiscrime."

"Well,haveyoufoundoutanything?"

"I'vegotalineononeofthem,"

"Which?"

"DoctorRoberts."

Mrs.Oliverlookedathimwiththrilledexpectations.

"AsMonsieurPoirothereknows,Itriedoutallkindsoftheories.Iestablishedthefactprettyclearlythat
noneofhisimmediatefamilyhadmetwithasuddendeath.I'veexploredeveryalleyaswellasIcould,
andthewholethingboilsdowntoonepossibility-andratheranoutsidepossibilityatthat.Afewyears
ago Roberts must have been guilty of indiscretion, at least, with one of his lady patients. There may
havebeennothinginit-probablywasn't,butthewomanwasthehystericalemotionalkindwholikesto
makeascene,andeitherthehusbandgotwindofwhatwasgoingonorhiswifeconfessed.Anyway,the
fatwasinthefireasfarasthedoctorwasconcerned.Enragedhusbandthreateningtoreporthimtothe

GeneralMedicalCouncil-whichwouldprobablyhavemeanttheruinofhisprofessionalcareer."

"Whathappened?"demandedMrs.Oliverbreathlessly.

"ApparentlyRobertsmanagedtocalmdowntheirategentlemantemporarily-andhediedofanthrax
almostimmediatelyafterward."

"Anthrax?Butthat'sacattledisease?"

Thesuperintendentgrinned."Quiteright,Mrs.Oliver.Itisn'ttheuntraceablearrowpoisonoftheSouth
AmericanIndians!Youmayrememberthattherewasratherascareaboutinfectedshavingbrushesof
cheapmakeaboutthattime.Craddock'sshavingbrushwasprovedtohavebeenthecauseofinfection."

"DidDoctorRobertsattendhim?"

"Oh, no. Too canny for that. Daresay Craddock wouldn't have wanted him in any case. The only
evidence I've got - and that's precious little - is that among the doctor's patients there was a case of
anthraxatthetime."

"Youmeanthedoctorinfectedtheshavingbrush?"

"That'sthebigidea.Andmindyou,it'sonlyanidea.Nothingwhatevertogoon.Pureconjecture.Butit
couldbe."

"Hedidn'tmarryMrs.Craddockafterward?"

"Oh,dearme,no,Iimaginetheaffectionwasalwaysonthelady'sside.Shetendedtocutuprough,I
hear, but suddenly went off to Egypt quite happily for the winter. She died there. A case of some
obscure blood poisoning. It's got a long name, but I don't expect it would convey much to you. Most
uncommoninthiscountry,fairlycommonamongthenativesinEgypt."

"Sothedoctorcouldn'thavepoisonedher?"

"I don't know," said Battle slowly. "I've been chatting to a bacteriologist friend of mind - awfully
difficulttogetstraightanswersoutofthesepeople.Theynevercansayyesorno.It'salways'thatmight

bepossibleundercertainconditions'-'itwoulddependonthepathologicalconditionoftherecipient'-
'suchcaseshavebeenknown'-'alotdependsonindividualidiosyncrasy'-allthatsortofstuff.Butas
far as I could pin my friend down, I got at this - the germ, or germs I suppose, might have been
introducedintothebloodbeforeleavingEngland.Thesymptomswouldnotmaketheirappearancefor
sometimetocome."

Poirot asked, "Was Mrs. Craddock inoculated for typhoid before going to Egypt? Most people are, I
fancy."

"Goodforyou,MonsieurPoirot."

"AndDoctorRobertsdidtheinoculation?"

"That'sright.Thereyouareagain-wecan'tproveanything.Shehadtheusualtwoinoculations-and
they may have been typhoid inoculations for all we know. Or one of them may have been typhoid
inoculation and the other - something else. We don't know. We never shall know. The whole thing is
purehypothesis.Allwecansayis,Itmightbe."

Poirotnoddedthoughtfully.

"It agrees very well with some remarks made to me by Mr. Shaitana. He was exalting the successful
murderer,themanagainstwhomhiscrimecouldneverbebroughthome."

"HowdidMr.Shaitanaknowaboutitthen?"askedMrs.Oliver.

Poirot shrugged his shoulders. "That we shall never learn. He himself was in Egypt at one time. We
know that, because he met Mrs. Lorrimer there. He may have heard some local doctor comment on
curiousfeaturesofMrs.Craddock'scase-awonderastohowtheinfectionarose.Atsomeothertime
hemayhaveheardgossipaboutRobertsandMrs.Craddock.Hemighthaveamusedhimselfbymaking
somecrypticremarktothedoctorandnotedthestartledawarenessinhiseye-allthatonecannever
know.Somepeoplehaveanuncannygiftofdiviningsecrets.Mr.Shaitanawasoneofthosepeople.All
thatdoesnotconcernus.Wehaveonlytosay-heguessed.Didheguessright?"

"Well, I think he did," said Battle. "I've a feeling that our cheerful genial doctor wouldn't be too
scrupulous.Iveknownoneortwolikehim-wonderfulhowcertaintypesresembleeachother.Inmy
opinion he's a killer all right. He killed Craddock. He may have killed Mrs. Craddock, if she was
beginningtobeanuisanceandcauseascandal.ButdidhekillShaitana?That'stherealquestion.And
comparing the crimes, I rather doubt it. In the case of the Craddocks he used medical methods each

time. The deaths appeared to be due to natural causes. In my opinion, if he had killed Shaitana, he
wouldhavedonesoinamedicalway.He'dhaveusedthegermandnottheknife."

"Ineverthoughtitwashim,"saidMrs.Oliver."Notforaminute.He'stooobvious,somehow."

"ExitRoberts,"murmuredPoirot."Andtheothers?"

Battlemadeagestureofimpatience.

"I've pretty well drawn blank. Mrs. Lorrimer's been a widow for twenty years now. She's lived in
Londonmostofthetime,occasionallygoingabroadinthewinter.Civilizedplaces-theRiviera,Egypt,
that sort of thing. Can't find any mysterious deaths associated with her. She seems to have led a
perfectlynormalrespectablelife,thelifeofawomanoftheworld.Everyoneseemstorespectherandto
havethehighestopinionofhercharacter.Theworstthattheycansayaboutheristhatshedoesn'tsuffer
fools gladly! I don't mind admitting I've been beaten all along the line there. And yet there must be
something!Shaitanathoughttherewas."

He sighed in a dispirited manner. "Then there's Miss Meredith. I've got her history taped out quite
clearly.Usualsortofstory.Armyofficer'sdaughter.Leftwithverylittlemoney.Hadtoearnherliving.
Not properly trained for anything. I've checked up on her early days at Cheltenham. All quite
straightforward.Everyoneverysorryforthepoorlittlething.ShewentfirsttosomepeopleintheIsle
ofWight-kindofnursery-governessandmother'shelp.ThewomanshewaswithisoutinPalestine,
butI'vetalkedwithhersisterandshesaysMrs.Eldonlikedthegirlverymuch.Certainlynomysterious
deathsnoranythingofthatkind.

"WhenMrs.Eldonwentabroad,MissMeredithwenttoDevonshireandtookapostascompaniontoan
auntofaschoolfriend.Theschoolfriendisthegirlsheislivingwithnow-MissRhodaDawes.She
wasthereovertwoyearsuntilMrs.Deeringgottooillandhadtohavearegulartrainednurse.Cancer,I
gather.She'salivestill,butveryvague.Keptundermorphiaagooddeal,Iimagine.Ihadaninterview
with her. She remembered Anne, said she was a nice child. I also talked to a neighbor of hers who
wouldbebetterabletorememberthehappeningsofthelastfewyears.Nodeathsintheparishexcept
oneortwooftheoldervillagers,withwhomasfarasIcanmakeoutAnneMeredithnevercameinto
contact.

"Sincethenthere'sbeenSwitzerland.ThoughtImightgetonthetrackofsomefatalaccidentthere,but
nothingdoing.Andthere'snothinginWallingfordeither."

"SoAnneMeredithisacquitted?"askedPoirot.

Battlehesitated."Iwouldn'tsaythat.There'ssomething.There'sascaredlookaboutherthatcan'tquite
beaccountedforbypanicoverShaitana.She'stoowatchful.Toomuchonthealert.I'dsweartherewas
something.Butthereitis-she'sledaperfectlyblamelesslife."

Mrs.Olivertookadeepbreath-abreathofpureenjoyment.

"Andyet,"shesaid."AnneMeredithwasinthehousewhenawomantookpoisonbymistakeanddied."

Shehadnothingtocomplainofintheeffectherwordsproduced.

SuperintendentBattlespunroundinhischairandstaredatherinamazement.

"Isthistrue,Mrs.Oliver?Howdoyouknow?"

"I'vebeensleuthing,"saidMrs.Oliver."Igetonwithgirls.Iwentdowntoseethosetwoandtoldthem
a cock-and-bull story about suspecting Doctor Roberts. The Rhoda girl was friendly - oh, and rather
impressed by thinking I was a celebrity. The little Meredith hated my coming and showed it quite
plainly.Shewassuspicious.Whyshouldshebeifshehasn'tgotanythingtohide?Iaskedeitherofthem
tocomeandseemeinLondon.TheRhodagirldid,andsheblurtedthewholethingout-howAnnehad
beenrudetometheotherdaybecausesomethingI'dsaidhadremindedherofapainfulincident,and
thenshewentontodescribetheincident."

"Didshesaywhenandwhereithappened?"

"FourorfiveyearsagoinDevonshire."

The superintendent muttered something under his breath and scribbled on his pad. His wooden calm
wasshaken.Mrs.Oliversatenjoyinghertriumph.Itwasamomentofgreatsweetnesstoher.

Battlerecoveredhistemper."Itakeoffmyhattoyou,Mrs.Oliver,"hesaid."You'veputoneoveronus
thistime.Thatisveryvaluableinformation.Anditjustshowshoweasilyyoucanmissathing."

Hefrownedalittle.

"She can't have been there - wherever it was - long. A couple of months at most. It must have been
betweentheIsleofWightandgoingtoMrs.Deering.Yes,thatcouldbeitrightenough.NaturallyMrs.
Eldon'ssisteronlyremembersshewentofftoaplaceinDevonshire-shedoesn'trememberexactlywho
orwhere."

"Tellme,"saidPoirot."wasthisMrs.Eldonanuntidywoman?"

Battlebentacuriousgazeuponhim."It'soddyoursayingthat,MonsieurPoirot.Idon'tseehowyou
couldhaveknown.Thesisterwasratherapreciseparty.IntalkingIrememberhersaying,'Mysisteris
sodreadfullyuntidyandslapdash.'Buthowdidyouknow?"

"Becausesheneededamother's-help,"saidMrs.Oliver.

Poirotshookhishead.

"No,no,itwasnotthat.Itisofnomoment.Iwasonlycurious.Continue,SuperintendentBattle."

"Inthesameway,"wentonBattle,"ItookitforgrantedthatshewenttoMrs.Deeringstraightfromthe
IsleofWight.She'ssly,thatgirl.Shedeceivedmeallright.Lyingthewholetime."

"Lyingisnotalwaysasignofguilt,"saidPoirot.

"I know that, Monsieur Poirot. There's the natural liar. I should say she was one, as a matter of fact.
Alwayssaysthethingthatsoundsbest.Butallthesameit'saprettygraverisktotake,suppressingfacts
likethat."

"Shewouldn'tknowyouhadanyideaofpastcrimes"saidMrs.Oliver.

"That's all the more reason for not suppressing that little piece of information. It must have been
acceptedasabonafidecaseofaccidentaldeath,soshe'dnothingtofear-unlessshewereguilty."

"UnlessshewereguiltyoftheDevonshiredeath,yes,"saidPoirot.

Battle turned to him. "Oh, I know. Even if that accidental death turns out to be not so accidental it
doesn't follow that she killed Shaitana. But these other murders are murders too. I want to be able to

bringhomeacrimetothepersonresponsibleforit."

"AccordingtoMr.Shaitana,thatisimpossible,"remarkedPoirot.

"It is in Roberts's case. It remains to be seen if it is in Miss Meredith's. I shall go down to Devon
tomorrow."

"Willyouknowwheretogo?"askedMrs.Oliver."Ididn'tliketoaskRhodaformoredetails."

"No,thatwaswiseofyou.Ishan'thavemuchdifficulty.Theremusthavebeenaninquest.Ishallfindit
in the coroner's records. That's routine police work. They'll have it all taped out for me by tomorrow
morning."

"WhataboutMajorDespard?"askedMrs.Oliver."Haveyoufoundoutanythingabouthim?"

"I'vebeenwaitingforColonelRace'sreport.I'vehadhimshadowed,ofcourse.Oneratherinteresting
thing, he went down to see Miss Meredith at Wallingford. You remember he said he'd never met her
untiltheothernight."

"Butsheisaveryprettygirl,"murmuredPoirot.

Battlelaughed.

"Yes,Iexpectthat'sallthereistoit.Bytheway,Despard'stakingnochances.He'salreadyconsulteda
solicitor.Thatlooksasthoughhe'sexpectingtrouble."

"Heisamanwholooksahead,"saidPoirot."Heisamanwhopreparesforeverycontingency."

"Andthereforenotthekindofmantostickaknifeintoamaninahurry,"saidBattlewithasigh.

"Notunlessitwastheonlyway,"saidPoirot."Hecanactquickly,remember."

Battlelookedacrossthetableathim.

"Now,MonsieurPoirot,whataboutyourcards?Haven'tseenyourhanddownonthetableyet."

Poirotsmiled."Thereissolittleinit.YouthinkIconcealfactsfromyou?Itisnotso.Ihavenotlearned
manyfacts.IhavetalkedwithDoctorRoberts,withMrs.Lorrimer,withMajorDespard,Ihavestillto
talktoMissMeredithandwhathaveIlearned?This.ThatDoctorRobertsisakeenobserver;thatMrs.
Lorrimer on the other hand has a most remarkable power of concentration but is, in consequence,
almostblindtohersurroundings.Butsheisfondofflowers.Despardnoticesonlythosethingswhich
appealtohim-rugs,trophiesofsport-hehasneitherwhatIcalltheoutwardvision,seeingdetailsall
aroundyou-whatiscalledanobservantperson,northeinnervision-concentration,thefocusingofthe
mind on one object. He has a purposefully limited vision, He sees only what blends and harmonizes
withthebentofhismind."

"Sothosearewhatyoucallfacts,eh?"saidBattlecuriously.

"Theyarefacts.Verysmallfry,perhaps."

"WhataboutMissMeredith?"

"Ihavelefthertotheend.ButIshallquestionher,too,astowhatsheremembersinthatroom."

"It's an odd method of approach," said Battle thoughtfully. "Purely psychological. Suppose they're
leadingyouupthegardenpath?"

Poirot shook his head with a smile. "No, that would be impossible. Whether they try to hinder or to
help,theynecessarilyrevealtheirtypeofmind."

"There'ssomethinginit,nodoubt,"saidBattlethoughtfully."Icouldn'tworkthatwaymyself,though."

Poirotsaid,stillsmiling,"IfeelIhavedoneverylittleincomparisonwithyouandwithMrs.Oliver-
andwithColonelRace.Mycards,thatIplaceonthetable,areverylowones."

Battle twinkled at him. "As to that, Monsieur Poirot, the two of trumps is a low card, but it can take
anyoneofthreeaces.Allthesame,I'mgoingtoaskyoutodoapracticaljobofwork."

"Andthatis?"

"IwantyoutointerviewProfessorLuxmore'swidow."

"Andwhydoyounotdothatyourself?"

"Because,asIsaidjustnow,I'mofftoDevonshire."

"Whydoyounotdothatyourself?"repeatedPoirot.

"Won'tbeputoff,willyou?Well,I'llspeakthetruth.Ithinkyou'llgetmoreoutofherthanIshall."

"Mymethodsbeinglessstraightforward?"

"Youcanputitthatwayifyoulike,"saidBattle,grinning."I'veheardInspectorJappsaythatyou'vegot
atortuousmind."

"LikethelateMr.Shaitana?"

"Youthinkhewouldhavebeenabletogetthingsoutofher?"

Poirotsaidslowly,"Iratherthinkhedidgetthingsoutofher!"

"Whatmakesyouthinkso?"askedBattlesharply.

"AchanceremarkofMajorDespard's."

"Gavehimselfaway,didhe?Thatsoundsunlikehim."

"Oh, my dear friend, it is impossible not to give oneself away - unless one never opens one's mouth!
Speechisthedeadliestofrevealers."

"Evenifpeopletelllies?"askedMrs.Oliver.

"Yes,madame,becauseitcanbeseenatoncethatyoutellacertainkindoflie."

"Youmakemefeelquiteuncomfortable,"saidMrs.Oliver,gettingup.

SuperintendentBattleaccompaniedhertothedoorandshookherwarmlybythehand.

"You've been the goods, Mrs. Oliver," he said. "You're a much better detective than that long lanky
Laplanderofyours."

"Finn,"correctedMrs.Oliver."Ofcoursehe'sidiotic.Butpeoplelikehim.Good-by."

"I,too,mustdepart,"saidPoirot.

BattlescribbledanaddressonapieceofpaperandshoveditintoPoirot'shand.

"Thereyouare.Goandtackleher."

Poirotsmiled.

"Andwhatdoyouwantmetofindout?"

"ThetruthaboutProfessorLuxmore'sdeath."

"MoncherBattle!Doesanybodyknowthetruthaboutanything?"

"I'mgoingtoaboutthisbusinessinDevonshire,"saidthesuperintendentwithdecision.

Poirotmurmured,"Iwonder."

Chapter20

THEEVIDENCEOFMRS.LUXMORE

ThemaidwhoopenedthedooratMrs.Luxmore'sSouthKensingtonaddressedlookedatHerculePoirot
withdeepdisapproval.Sheshowednodispositiontoadmithimintothehouse.UnperturbedPoirotgave
heracard.

"Givethattoyourmistress.Ithinkshewillseeme."

Itwasoneofhismoreostentatiouscards.ThewordsPrivateDetectivewereprintedinonecorner.He
had had them especially engraved for the purpose of obtaining interviews with the so-called fair sex.
Nearlyeverywoman,whetherconsciousofinnocenceornot,wasanxioustohavealookataprivate
detectiveandfindoutwhathewanted.

Left ignominiously on the mat, Poirot studied the door knocker with intense disgust at its unpolished
condition.

"Ah!forsomebrassoandarag,"hemurmuredtohimself.Breathingexcitedly,themaidreturnedand
Poirotwasbiddentoenter.

He was shown into a room on the first floor - a rather dark room smelling of stale flowers and
unemptied ash trays. There were large quantities of silk cushions of exotic colors, all in need of
cleaning.Thewallswereemeraldgreenandtheceilingwasofpseudocopper.

Atall,ratherhandsomewomanwasstandingbythemantelpiece.Shecameforwardandspokeinadeep
huskyvoice."MonsieurHerculePoirot?"

Poirot bowed. His manner was not quite his own. He was not only foreign but ornately foreign. His
gestureswerepositivelybaroque.Faintly,veryfaintly,itwasthemannerofthelateMr.Shaitana.

"Whatdidyouwanttoseemeabout?"

AgainPoirotbowed.

"IfImightbeseated?Itwilltakealittletime-"

Shewavedhimimpatientlytoachairandsatdownherselfontheedgeofasofa.

"Yes?Well?"

"Itis,madame,thatImaketheinquiries-theprivateinquiries,youunderstand?"

Themoredeliberatehisapproach,thegreaterhereagerness."Yes-yes?"

"ImakeinquiriesintothedeathofthelateProfessorLuxmore."

Shegaveagasp.Herdismaywasevident.

"Butwhy?Whatdoyoumean?Whathasitgottodowithyou?"

Poirotwatchedhercarefullybeforeproceeding.

"Thereis,youcomprehend,abookbeingwritten.Alifeofyoureminenthusband.Thewriter,naturally,
isanxioustogetallhisfactsexact.Astoyourhusband'sdeath,forinstance-"

Shebrokeinatonce.

"Myhusbanddiedoffever-ontheAmazon-"

Poirotleanedbackinhischair.Slowly,very,veryslowly,heshookhisheadtoandfro-amaddening,
monotonousmotion.

"Madame,madame-"heprotested.

"ButIknow!Iwasthereatthetime."

"Ah,yes,certainly.Youwerethere.Yes,myinformationsaysso."

Shecriedout,"Whatinformation?"

Eyeingherclosely,Poirotsaid,"InformationsuppliedtomebythelateMr.Shaitana."

Sheshrankbackasthoughflickedwithawhip.

"Shaitana?"shemuttered.

"Aman,"saidPoirot,"possessedofvaststoresofknowledge.Aremarkableman.Thatmanknewmany
secrets."

"Isupposehedid,"shemurmured,passingatongueoverherdrylips.

Poirotleanedforward.Heachievedalittletaponherknee."Heknew,forinstance,thatyourhusband
didnotdieoffever."

She stared at him. Her eyes looked wild and desperate. He leaned back and watched the effect of his
words.Shepulledherselftogetherwithaneffort.

"Idon't-Idon'tknowwhatyoumean."

Itwasveryunconvincinglysaid.

"Madame," said Poirot, "I will come out into the open. I will," he smiled, "place my cards upon the
table.Yourhusbanddidnotdieofafever.Hediedofabullet!"

"Oh!"shecried.

She covered her face with her hands. She rocked herself to and fro. She was in terrible distress. But
somewhere, in some remote fiber of her being, she was enjoying her own emotions. Poirot was quite
sureofthat.

"Andtherefore,"saidPoirotinamatter-of-facttone,"youmightjustaswelltellmethewholestory."

Sheuncoveredherfaceandsaid,"Itwasn'tintheleastthewayyouthink."

AgainPoirotleanedforward;againhetappedherknee.

"Youmisunderstandme;youmisunderstandmeutterly,"hesaid."Iknowverywellthatitwasnotyou
whoshothim.ItwasMajorDespard.Butyouwerethecause."

"Idon'tknow.Idon'tknow.IsupposeIwas.Itwasalltooterrible.Thereisasortoffatalitythatpursues
me."

"Ah, how true that is," cried Poirot. "How often have I not seen it? There are some women like that.
Wherevertheygo,tragediesfollowintheirwake.Itisnottheirfault.Thesethingshappeninspiteof
themselves."

Mrs.Luxmoredrewadeepbreath."Youunderstand.Iseeyouunderstand.Itallhappenedsonaturally."

"Youtraveledtogetherintotheinterior,didyounot?"

"Yes.Myhusbandwaswritingabookonvariousrareplants.MajorDespardwasintroducedtousasa
manwhoknewtheconditionsandwouldarrangethenecessaryexpedition.Myhusbandlikedhimvery
much.Westarted."

Therewasapause.Poirotallowedittocontinueforaboutaminuteandahalfandthenmurmuredas
though to himself, "Yes, one can picture it. The winding river - the tropical night - the hum or the
insects-thestrongsoldierlyman-thebeautifulwoman-"

Mrs.Luxmoresighed."Myhusbandwas,ofcourse,yearsolderthanIwas.Imarriedasamerechild
beforeIknewwhatIwasdoing."

Poirotshookhisheadsadly.

"Iknow.Iknow.Howoftendoesthatnotoccur?"

"Neither of us would admit what was happening," went on Mrs. Luxmore. "John Despard never said

anything.Hewasthesoulofhonor."

"Butawomanalwaysknows,"promptedPoirot.

"Howrightyouare.Yes,awomanknows.ButInevershowedhimthatIknew.WewereMajorDespard
andMrs.Luxmoretoeachotherrightuptotheend.Wewerebothdeterminedtoplaythegame."She
wassilent,lostinadmirationofthatnobleattitude.

"True,"murmuredPoirot."Onemustplaythecricket.Asoneofyourpoetssofinelysays,'Icouldnot
lovethee,dear,somuch,LovedInotcricketmore.'"

"Honor,"correctedMrs.Luxmorewithaslightfrown.

"Ofcourse-ofcourse-honor.'LovedInothonormore.'"

"Thosewordsmighthavebeenwrittenforus,"murmuredMrs.Luxmore."Nomatterwhatitcostus,we
werebothdeterminednevertosaythefatalword.Andthen-"

"Andthen-"promptedPoirot.

"Thatghastlynight."Mrs.Luxmoreshuddered.

"Yes?"

"Isupposetheymusthavequarreled-JohnandTimothy,Imean.Icameoutofmytent-Icameoutof
mytent-"

"Yes-yes?"

Mrs.Luxmore'seyeswerewideanddark.Shewasseeingthesceneasthoughitwerebeingrepeatedin
frontofher.

"Icameoutofmytent,"sherepeated."JohnandTimothywere-Oh!"sheshuddered."Ican'tremember
it all clearly. I came between them. I said, 'No - no, it isn't true!' Timothy wouldn't listen. He was

threateningJohn.Johnhadtofire-inself-defense.Ah!"Shegaveacryandcoveredherfacewithher
hands."Hewasdead-stonedead-shotthroughtheheart."

"Aterriblemomentforyou,madame."

"I shall never forget it. John was noble. He was all for giving himself up. I refused to hear of it. We
arguedallnight.'Formysake,'Ikeptsaying.Hesawthatintheend.Naturallyhecouldn'tletmesuffer.
Theawfulpublicity.Thinkoftheheadlines.TwoMenandaWomanintheJungle.PrimevalPassions.

"I put it all to John. In the end he gave in. The boys had seen and heard nothing. Timothy had been
havingaboutoffever.Wesaidhehaddiedofit.WeburiedhimtherebesidetheAmazon."

Adeeptorturedsighshookherform.

"Andthen-backtocivilization-andtopartforever."

"Wasitnecessary,madame?"

"Yes,yes.TimothydeadstoodbetweenusjustasTimothyalivehaddone-moreso.Wesaidgood-byto
eachother-forever.ImeetJohnDespardsometimes,outintheworld.Wesmile,wespeakpolitely;no
onewouldeverguessthattherewasanythingbetweenus.ButIseeinhiseyes-andheinmine-that
wewillneverforget."

Therewasalongpause.Poirotpaidtributetothecurtainbynotbreakingthesilence.

Mrs.Luxmoretookoutavanitycaseandpowderedhernose.Thespellwasbroken.

"Whatatragedy,"saidPoirot,butinamoreeverydaytone.

"Youcansee,MonsieurPoirot,"saidMrs.Luxmoreearnestly,"thatthetruthmustneverbetold."

"Itwouldbepainful-"

"It would be impossible. This friend, this writer - surely he would not wish to blight the life of a

perfectlyinnocentwoman?"

"Oreventohangaperfectlyinnocentman?"murmuredPoirot.

"Youseeitlikethat?Iamsoglad.Hewasinnocent.Acrimepassionnelisnotreallyacrime.Andin
anycaseitwasinself-defense.Hehadtoshoot.SoyoudounderstandMonsieurPoirot,thattheworld
mustcontinuetothinkTimothydiedoffever?"

Poirotmurmured,"Writersaresometimescuriouslycallous."

"Yourfriendisawomanhater?Hewantstomakeussuffer?Butyoumustnotallowthat.Ishallnot
allowit.IfnecessaryIshalltaketheblameonmyself.IshallsayIshotTimothy."

Shehadrisentoherfeet.Herheadwasthrownback.

Poirotalsorose."Madame,"hesaidashetookherhand"suchsplendidself-sacrifice,isunnecessary.I
willdomybestsothatthetruefactsshallneverbeknown."

A sweet womanly smile stole over Mrs. Luxmore's face. She raised her hand slightly, so that Poirot,
whetherhehadmeanttodosoornot,wasforcedtokissit."Anunhappywomanthanksyou,Monsieur
Poirot,"shesaid.

Itwasthelastwordofapersecutedqueentoafavoredcourtier-clearlyanexitline.Poirotdulymade
hisexit.Onceoutinthestreet,hedrewalongbreathoffreshair.

Chapter21

MAJORDESPARD

"Quelle femme!" murmured Hercule Poirot. "Ce pauvre Despard! Ce qu'il a du souffrir! Quel voyage
épouvantable!"Suddenlyhebegantolaugh.

HewasnowwalkingalongtheBromptonRoad.Hepaused,tookouthiswatch,andmadeacalculation.

"But,yes,Ihavethetime.Inanycasetowaitwilldohimnoharm.Icannowattendtotheotherlittle
matter. What was it that my friend in the English police force used to sing - how many years - forty
yearsago?'Alittlepieceofsugarforthebird.'"

Hummingalong-forgottentune,HerculePoirotenteredasumptuous-lookingshop,mainlydevotedto
theclothingandgeneralembellishmentofwomen,andmadehiswaytothehosierycounter.Selectinga
sympathetic-lookingandnottoohaughtydamselhemadeknownhisrequirements.

"Silkhose?Oh,yes,wehaveaverynicelinehere.Guaranteedpuresilk."

Poirotwavedthemaway.Hewaxedeloquentoncemore.

"Frenchsilkhose?Withtheduty,youknow,theyareveryexpensive."

Afreshlotofboxeswasproduced.

"Verynice,mademoiselle,butIhadsomethingofafinertexturestillinmind."

"Ofcourse,wehavesomeextrafine,butthey'revery,veryexpensive.Andnodurability,ofcourse.Just
likecobwebs."

"C'estça.C'estçaexactement."

Aprolongedabsenceoftheyoungladythistime.

Shereturnedatlast.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" She slid them tenderly from a gauzy envelope - the finest, gauziest wisps of
hose.

"Enfin-thatisitexactly!"

"Lovely,aren'tthey?Howmanypairs,sir?"

"Iwant-letmesee,nineteenpairs."

Theyoungladyverynearlyfelldownbehindthecounter,butlongtraininginscornfulnessjustkepther
erect.

"Therewouldbeareductionontwodozen,shesaidfaintly.

"No,Iwantnineteenpairs.Ofslightlydifferentcolors,please."

Thegirlsortedthemoutobediently,packedthemup,andmadeoutthesalescheck.

AsPoirotdepartedwithhispurchase,thenextgirlatthecountersaid,"Wonderwhotheluckygirlis?
Mustbeanastyoldman.Oh,well,sheseemstobestringinghimalonggoodandproper.Hoseatsucha
price,indeed!"

Unaware of the low estimate formed by the young ladies upon his character, Poirot was trotting
homeward.

He had been in for about half an hour when he heard the doorbell ring. A few minutes later Major
Despard entered the room. He was obviously keeping his temper with difficulty. "What the devil did
youwanttogoandseeMrs.Luxmorefor?"heasked.

Poirotsmiled."Iwished,yousee,forthetruestoryofProfessorLuxmore'sdeath."

"Truestory?Doyouthinkthatwoman'scapableoftellingthetruthaboutanything?"demandedDespard
wrathfully.

"Ehbien,Ididwondernowandthen,"admittedPoirot.

"Ishouldthinkyoudid,Thatwoman'scrazy."

Poirotdemurred.

"Notatall.Sheisaromanticwoman,thatisall."

"Romanticbedamned.She'sanout-and-outliar,Isometimesthinksheevenbelievesherownlies."

"Itisquitepossible."

"She'sanappallingwoman,Ihadahellofatimewithheroutthere."

"ThatalsoIcanwellbelieve."

Despardsatdownabruptly."Lookhere,MonsieurPoirot,I'mgoingtotellyouthetruth."

"Youmeanyouaregoingtogivemeyourversionofthestory?"

"Myversionwillbethetrueversion."

Poirotdidnotreply.Despardwentondryly,"IquiterealizethatIcan'tclaimanymeritincomingout
withthis.I'lltellthetruthbecauseit'stheonlythingtobedoneatthisstage.Whetheryoubelievemeor
notisuptoyou.I'venokindofproofthatmystoryisthecorrectone."

Hepausedforaminuteandthenbegan.

"IarrangedthetripfortheLuxmores.Hewasaniceoldboy,quitebattyaboutmossesandplantsand
things.Shewasa-well,shewaswhatyou'venodoubtobservedhertobe!Thattripwasanightmare.I
didn'tcareadamnforthewoman-ratherdislikedherasamatteroffact.Shewastheintense,soulful
kind that always makes me feel prickly with embarrassment. Everything went all right for the first
fortnight. Then we all had a go of fever. She and I had it slightly. Old Luxmore was pretty bad. One

night-nowyou'vegottolistentothiscarefully-Iwassittingoutsidemytent,SuddenlyIsawLuxmore
in the distance staggering off into the bush by the river. He was absolutely delirious and quite
unconsciousofwhathewasdoing.Inanotherminutehewouldbeintheriver,andatthatparticularspot
itwouldhavebeentheendofhim.Nochanceofarescue.Therewasn'ttimetorushafterhim,onlyone
thing to be done. My rifle was beside me as usual. I snatched it up. I'm a pretty accurate shot. I was
quitesureIcouldbringtheoldboydown-gethimintheleg.Andthen,justasIfired,thatidioticfool
of a woman flung herself from somewhere upon me, yelping out, 'Don't shoot. For God's sake don't
shoot,'Shecaughtmyarmandjerkediteversoslightlyjustastheriflewentoff-withtheresultthatthe
bulletgothiminthebackandkilledhimdead!

"I can tell you that was a pretty ghastly moment, And that damned fool of a woman still didn't
understandwhatshe'ddone.Insteadofrealizingthatshe'dbeenresponsibleforherhusband'sdeath,she
firmlybelievedthatI'dbeentryingtoshoottheoldboyincoldblood-forloveofher,ifyonplease!We
had the devil of a scene, she insisting that we should say he'd died of fever. I was sorry for her,
especiallyasIsawshedidn'trealizewhatshe'ddone,Butshe'dhavetorealizeitifthetruthcameout.
AndthenhercompletecertaintythatIwasheadoverheelsinlovewithhergavemeabitofajar.Itwas
goingtobeaprettykettleoffishifshewentaboutgivingthatout.IntheendIagreedtodowhatshe
wanted - partly for the sake of peace, I'll admit. After all, it didn't seem to matter much. Fever or
accident.AndIdidn'twanttodragawomanthroughalotofunpleasantness,evenifshewasadamned
fool.Igaveitoutnextdaythattheprofessorwasdeadoffever,andweburiedhim,Thebearersknew
thetruth,ofcourse,buttheywerealldevotedtomeandIknewthatwhatIsaidthey'dsweartoifneed
be.WeburiedpooroldLuxmoreandgotbacktocivilization.SincethenI'vespentagooddealoftime
dodgingthewoman."

Hepaused,thensaidquietly,"That'smystory,MonsieurPoirot."

Poirotsaidslowly,"ItwastothatincidentthatMr.Shaitanareferred,orsoyouthought,atdinnerthat
night?"

Despardnodded."HemusthavehearditfromMrs.Luxmore.Easyenoughtogetthestoryoutofher.
Thatsortofthingwouldhaveamusedhim."

"Itmighthavebeenadangerousstory-toyou-inthehandsofamanlikeShaitana."

Despardshruggedhisshoulders.

"Iwasn'tafraidofShaitana."

Poirotdidn'tanswer.Despardsaidquietly,"Thatagainyouhavetotakemywordfor.It'strueenough,I

suppose,thatIhadakindofmotiveforShaitana'sdeath.Well,thetruth'soutnow;takeitorleaveit."

Poirot held out a hand. "I will take it, Major Despard. I have no doubt at all that things in South
Americahappenedexactlyasyouhavedescribed."

Despard'sfacelightedup."Thanks,"hesaidlaconically.

AndheclaspedPoirot'shandwarmly.

Chapter22

EVIDENCEFROMCOMBEACRE

SuperintendentBattlewasinthepolicestationofCombeacre.InspectorHarper,ratherredintheface,
talkedinaslow,pleasingDevonshirevoice.

"That's how it was, sir. Seemed all as right as rain. The doctor was satisfied. Everyone was satisfied.
Whynot?"

"Justgivemethefactsaboutthetwobottlesagain.Iwanttogetitquiteclear."

"SyrupofFigs,that'swhatthebottlewas.Shetookitregular,itseems.Thentherewasthishatpaint
she'd been using, or rather the young lady, her companion, had been using for her. Brightening up a
gardenhat.Therewasagooddealleftover,andthebottlebroke,andMrs.Bensonherselfsaid,'Putitin
thatoldbottle-theSyrupofFigsbottle.'That'sallright.Theservantsheardher.Theyounglady,Miss
Meredith,andthehousemaidandtheparlormaid-theyallagreeonthat.Thehatpaintwasputintothe
oldSyrupofFigsbottleanditwasputuponthetopshelfinthebathroomwithotheroddsandends."

"Notrelabeled?"

"No.Careless,ofcourse;thecoronercommentedonthat."

"Goon."

"Onthisparticularnightthedeceasedwentintothebathroom,tookdownaSyrupofFigsbottle,poured
herselfoutagooddoseanddrankit.Realizedwhatshe'ddone,andtheysentoffatonceforthedoctor.
Hewasoutonacaseanditwassometimebeforetheycouldgetathim.Theydidalltheycould,butshe
died."

"Sheherselfbelievedittobeanaccident?"

"Oh, yes; everyone thought so. It seems clear the bottles must have got mixed up somehow. It was
suggestedthehousemaiddiditwhenshedusted,butsheswearsshedidn't."

SuperintendentBattlewassilent,thinking.Suchaneasybusiness.Abottletakendownfromanupper
shelf, put in place of the other. So difficult to trace a mistake like that to its source. Handled it with
gloves, possibly, and anyway the last prints would be those of Mrs. Benson herself. Yes, so easy - so
simple.But,allthesame,murder!Theperfectcrime.

Butwhy?Thatstillpuzzledhim-why?

"Thisyounglady,thisMissMeredith,shedidn'tcomeintomoneyatMrs.Benson'sdeath?"heasked.

InspectorHarpershookhishead."No.She'donlybeenthereaboutsixweeks.Difficultplace,Ishould
imagine.Youngladiesdidn'tstaylongasarule."

Battle was still puzzled. Young ladies didn't stay long. A difficult woman, evidently. But if Anne
Meredithhadbeenunhappy,shecouldhaveleftasherpredecessorshaddone.Noneedtokill-unlessit
weresheerunreasoningvindictiveness.Heshookhishead.Thatsuggestiondidnotringtrue.

"WhodidgetMrs.Benson'smoney?"

"I couldn't say, sir; nephews and nieces, I believe. But it wouldn't be very much - not when it was
dividedup-andIheardashowmostofherincomewasoneoftheseannuities."

Nothingtherethen.ButMrs.Bensonhaddied,andAnneMeredithhadnottoldhimthatshehadbeenat
Combeacre.Itwasallprofoundlyunsatisfactory.

Hemadediligentandpainstakinginquiries.Thedoctorwasclearandemphatic.Noreasontobelieveit
wasanything but anaccident. Miss -couldn't remember her name,nice girl, butrather helpless - had

beenveryupsetanddistressed.Therewasthevicar.HerememberedMrs.Benson'slastcompanion-a
nice, modest-looking girl. Always came to church with Mrs. Benson. Mrs. Benson had been - not
difficult-butatrifleseveretowardyoungpeople.ShewastherigidtypeofChristian.

Battle tried one or two other people but learned nothing of value. Anne Meredith was hardly
remembered. She had lived among them a few months - that was all - and her personality was not
sufficiently vivid to make a lasting impression. "A nice little thing," seemed to be the accepted
description.

Mrs. Benson loomed out a little more clearly. A self-righteous grenadier of a woman, working her
companionshardandchangingherservantsoften.Adisagreeablewoman,butthatwasall.

Nevertheless Superintendent Battle left Devonshire under the firm impression that for some reason
unknownAnneMeredithhaddeliberatelymurderedheremployer.

Chapter23

THEEVIDENCEOFAPAIROFSILKHOSE

As Superintendent Battle's train rushed eastward through England, Anne Meredith and Rhoda Dawes
wereinHerculePoirot'ssitting-room.

Anne had been unwilling to accept the invitation that had reached her by the morning's post, but
Rhoda'scounselhadprevailed.

"Anne,you'reacoward-yes,acoward.It'snogoodgoingonbeinganostrich,buryingyourheadinthe
sand.There'sbeenamurderandyou'reoneofthesuspects-theleastlikelyoneperhaps-"

"Thatwouldbetheworst,"saidAnnewithatouchofhumor."It'salwaystheleastlikelypersonwhodid
it."

"Butyouareone,"continuedRhoda,undisturbedbytheinterruption."Andsoit'snouseputtingyour
noseintheairasthoughmurderwasanastysmellandnothingtodowithyou."

"It is nothing to do with me," Anne persisted. "I mean, I'm quite willing to answer any questions the
policewanttoaskme,butthisman,thisHerculePoirot,he'sanoutsider."

"Andwhatwillhethinkifyouhedgeandtrytogetoutofit?He'llthinkyou'reburstingwithguilt."

"I'mcertainlynotburstingwithguilt,"saidAnnecoldly.

"Darling, I know that. You couldn't murder anybody if you tried. But horrible suspicious foreigners
don'tknowthat.Ithinkweoughttogonicelytohishouse.Otherwisehe'llcomedownhereandtryto
wormthingsoutoftheservants."

"Wehaven'tgotanyservants."

"We'vegotMotherAstwell.Shecanwagatonguewithanybody!Comeon,Anne,let'sgo.Itwillbe
ratherfun,really."

"Idon'tseewhyhewantstoseeme."Annewasobstinate.

"To put one over on the official police, of course," said Rhoda impatiently. "They always do - the
amateurs,Imean.TheymakeoutthatScotlandYardareallbootsandbrainlessness."

"DoyouthinkthismanPoirotisclever?"

"Hedoesn'tlookaSherlock,"saidRhoda."Iexpecthehasbeenquitegoodinhisday.He'sgaganow,of
course. He must be at least sixty. Oh, come on, Anne, let's go and see the old boy. He may tell us
dreadfulthingsabouttheothers."

"Allright,"saidAnneandadded,"Youdoenjoyallthisso,Rhoda."

"Isupposebecauseitisn'tmyfuneral,"saidRhoda."Youwereanoodle,Anne,notjusttohavelooked
up at the right minute. If only you had, you could live like a duchess for the rest of your life on
blackmail."

So it came about that, at three o'clock of that same afternoon, Rhoda Dawes and Anne Meredith sat
primlyontheirchairsinPoirot'sneatroomandsippedblackberrysirop,whichtheydislikedverymuch
butweretoopolitetorefuse,fromold-fashionedglasses.

"Itwasmostamiableofyoutoaccedetomyrequest,mademoiselle,"Poirotwassaying.

"I'msureIshallbegladtohelpyouinanywayIcan,"murmuredAnnevaguely.

"Itisalittlematterofmemory."

"Memory?"

"Yes, I have already put these questions to Mrs. Lorrimer, to Doctor Roberts, and to Major Despard.
Noneofthem,alas;havegivenmetheresponsethatIhopedfor."

Annecontinuedtolookathiminquiringly.

"I want you, mademoiselle, to cast your mind back to that evening in the drawing-room of Mr.
Shaitana."

AwearyshadowpassedoverAnne'sface.Wasshenevertobefreeofthatnightmare?

Poirotnoticedtheexpression.

"Iknow,mademoiselle,Iknow,"hesaidkindly."C'estpénible,n'estcepas!Thatisverynatural.You,
so young as you are, to be brought in contact with horror for the first time. Probably you have never
knownorseenaviolentdeath."

Rhoda'sfeetshiftedalittleuncomfortablyonthefloor.

"Well,"saidAnne.

"Castyourmindback.Iwantyoutotellmewhatyourememberofthatroom?"

Annestaredathimsuspiciously."Idon'tunderstand?"

"But,yes.Thechairs,thetables,theornaments,thewallpaper,thecurtains,thefireirons.Yousawthem

all.Canyounotthendescribethem?"

"Oh,Isee."Annehesitated,frowning."It'sdifficult.Idon'treallythinkIremember.Icouldn'tsaywhat
thewallpaperwaslike.Ithinkthewallswerepainted-someinconspicuouscolor.Therewererugson
thefloor.Therewasapiano."Sheshookherhead."Ireallycouldn'ttellyouanymore."

"Butyouarenottrying,mademoiselle.Youmustremembersomeobject,someornament,somepieceof
bric-a-brac?"

"TherewasacaseofEgyptianjewelry,Iremember,"saidAnneslowly."Overbythewindow."

"Oh,yes,attheextremeotherendoftheroomfromthetableonwhichlaythelittledagger."

Annelookedathim."Ineverheardwhichtablethatwason."

Passibête,commentedPoirottohimself.Butthen,nomoreisHerculePoirot!Ifsheknewmebetter
shewouldrealizeIwouldneverlayapiegeasgrossasthat!

Aloudhesaid,"AcaseofEgyptianjewelry,yousay?"

Anneansweredwithsomeenthusiasm."Yes-someofitwaslovely.Bluesandred.Enamel.Oneortwo
lovelyrings.Andscarabs-butIdon'tlikethemsomuch."

"Hewasagreatcollector,Mr.Shaitana,"murmuredPoirot.

"Yeshemusthavebeen,"Anneagreed."Theroomwasfullofstuff.Onecouldn'tbegintolookatitall."

"Sothatyoucannotmentionanythingelsethatparticularlystruckyournotice."

Anne smiled a little as she said, "Only a vase of chrysanthemums that badly wanted their water
changed."

"Ah,yes,servantsarenotalwaystooparticularaboutthat."Poirotwassilentforamomentortwo.

Annesaidtimidly,"I'mafraidIhaven'tnoticed-whateveritisyouwantedmetonotice."

Poirotsmiledkindly."Itdoesnotmatter,monenfant.Itwas,indeed,anoutsidechance.Tellme,have
youseenthegoodMajorDespardlately?"

Hesawthedelicatepinkcolorcomeupinthegirl'sface.

Shereplied,"Hesaidhewouldcomeandseeusagainquitesoon."

Rhodasaidimpetuously,"Hedidn'tdoit,anyway!AnneandIarequitesureofthat."

Poirottwinkledatthem.

"Howfortunate-tohaveconvincedtwosuchcharmingyoungladiesofone'sinnocence."

"Oh,dear,"thoughtRhoda."He'sgoingtobeFrench,anditdoesembarrassmeso."

Shegotupandbeganexaminingsomeetchingsonthewall."Theseareawfullygood,"shesaid.

"Theyarenotbad,"repliedPoirot.

Hehesitated,lookingatAnne."Mademoiselle,"hesaidatlast,"IwonderifImightaskyoutodomea
greatfavor-oh,nothingtodowiththemurder.Thisisanentirelyprivateandpersonalmatter."

Anne looked a little surprised. Poirot went on speaking in a slightly embarrassed manner. "It is, you
understand,thatChristmasiscomingon.Ihavetobuypresentsformanyniecesandgrandnieces.Andit
isalittledifficulttochoosewhatyoungladieslikeinthispresenttime.Mytastes,alas,areratherold-
fashioned."

"Yes?"queriedAnnekindly.

"Silkhose,now,aresilkhoseawelcomepresenttoreceive?"

"Yes,indeed.It'salwaysnicetobegivenhose."

"You relieve my mind. I will ask my favor. I have obtained some different colors. There are, I think,
about fifteen or sixteen pairs. Could you be so amiable as to look through them and set aside half a
dozenpairsthatseemtoyouthemostdesirable?"

"CertainlyIwill,"saidAnne,laughingassherose.

Poirotdirectedhertowardatableinanalcove-atablewhosecontentswerestrangelyatvariance,had
shebutknownit,withthewell-knownorderandneatnessofHerculePoirot.Therewerehosepiledup
inuntidyheaps,somefur-linedgloves,calendars,andboxesofbonbons.

"Isendoftmyparcelsverymuchàl'avance,"Poirotexplained."See,mademoiselle,herearethehose.
Selectme,Iprayofyou,sixpairs."

Heturned,interceptingRhodawhowasfollowinghim.

"As for mademoiselle here, I have a little treat for her. A treat that would be no treat to you, I fancy,
MademoiselleMeredith."

"Whatisit?"criedRhoda.

He lowered his voice. "A knife, mademoiselle, with which twelve people once stabbed a man. It was
givenmeasasouvenirbytheCompagnieInternationaledesWagonsLits."

"Horrible,"criedAnne.

"Ooh!letmesee,"saidRhoda.

Poirot led her through into the other room talking as he went. "It was given me by the Compagnie
InternationaledesWagonsLitsbecause-"

Theypassedoutoftheroom.

Theyreturnedthreeminuteslater.Annecametowardthem."Ithinkthesesixarethenicest,Monsieur
Poirot. Both these are very good evening shades, and this lighter color would be nice when summer
comesandit'sdaylightintheevening."

"Milleremerciments,mademoiselle."

Heofferedthemmoresiropwhichtheyrefusedandfinallyaccompaniedthemtothedoor,stilltalking
genially.Whentheyhadfinallydepartedhereturnedtotheroomandwentstraighttothelitteredtable.
Thepileofhosestilllayinaconfusedheap.Poirotcountedthesixselectedpairsandthenwentonto
counttheothers.

Hehadboughtnineteenpairs.Therewerenowonlyseventeen.Henoddedhisheadslowly.

Chapter24

ELIMINATIONOFTHREEMURDERERS?

On arrival in London, Superintendent Battle came straight to Poirot. Anne and Rhoda had then been
goneanhourormore.

Withoutmoreado,thesuperintendentrecountedtheresultofhisresearchesinDevonshire.

"We'reontoit-notadoubtofit,"hefinished."That'swhatShaitanawasaimingat,withhis'domestic
accident'business.Butwhatgetsmeisthemotive.Whydidshewanttokillthewoman?"

"IthinkIcanhelpyouthere,myfriend."

"Goahead,MonsieurPoirot."

"ThisafternoonIconductedalittleexperiment.Iinducedmademoiselleandherfriendtocomehere.I
puttothemmyusualquestionsastowhattherewasintheroomthatnight."

Battlelookedathimcuriously.

"You'reverykeenonthatquestion."

"Yes,it'suseful.Ittellsmeagooddeal.MademoiselleMeredithwassuspicious.Verysuspicious.She
takes nothing for granted that young lady. So that good dog, Hercule Poirot, he does one of his best
tricks.Helaysaclumsy,amateurishtrap.Mademoisellementionsacaseofjewelry.Isaywasnotthatat
theoppositeendoftheroomfromthetablewiththedagger?Mademoiselledoesnotfallintothetrap.
Sheavoidsitcleverly.Andafterthat,sheispleasedwithherselfandhervigilancerelaxes.Sothatisthe
objectofthisvisit!Togethertoadmitthatsheknewwherethedaggerwasandthatshenoticedit!Her
spiritsrisewhenshehas,asshethinks,defeatedme.Shetalksquitefreelyaboutthejewelry.Shehas
noticedmanydetailsofit.Thereisnothingelseintheroomthatsheremembers-exceptthatavaseof
chrysanthemumsneededitswaterchanged."

"Well,"saidBattle.

"Well,itissignificant,that.Supposeweknewnothingaboutthisgirl.Herwordswouldgiveusaclueto
hercharacter.Shenoticesflowers-sheisthenfondofflowers?No,sinceshedoesnotmentionavery
bigbowlofearlytulipswhichwouldatoncehaveattractedtheattentionofaflowerlover.No,itisthe
paidcompanionwhospeaks-thegirlwhosedutyithasbeentoputfreshwaterinthevases-andallied
tothat,thereisagirlwholovesandnoticesjewelry.Isnotthat,atleast,suggestive?"

"Ah,"saidBattle."I'mbeginningtoseewhatyou'redrivingat."

"Precisely.AsItoldyoutheotherday,Iplacemycardsonthetable.Whenyourecountedherhistory
theotherdayandMrs.Olivermadeherstartlingannouncement,mymindwentatoncetoanimportant
point. The murder could not have been committed for gain, since Miss Meredith had still to earn her
living after it happened. Why, then? I considered Miss Meredith's temperament as it appeared
superficially.Arathertimidyounggirl,poorbutwell-dressed,fondofprettythings.Thetemperament,
is it not, of a thief, rather than a murderer? And I asked immediately if Mrs. Eldon had been a tidy
woman. You replied that no, she had not been tidy. I formed a hypothesis. Supposing that Anne
Meredithwasagirlwithaweakstreakinhercharacter-thekindofgirlwhotakeslittlethingsfromthe
bigshops.Supposingthatpoor,andyetlovingprettythings,shehelpedherselfonceortwicetothings
from her employer. A brooch, perhaps; an odd half crown or two; a string of beads. Mrs. Eldon,
careless,untidy,wouldputdownthesedisappearancestoherowncarelessness.Shewouldnotsuspect
her gentle little mother's-help. But now suppose a different type of employer - an employer who did
notice-whoaccusedAnneMeredithoftheft.Thatwouldbeapossiblemotiveformurder.AsIsaidthe
otherevening,MissMeredithwouldonlycommitamurderthroughfear.Sheknowsthatheremployer
willbeabletoprovethetheft;thereisonlyonethingthatcansaveher-heremployermustdie.Andso
shechangesthebottles,andMrs.Bensondies,ironicallyenoughconvincedthatthemistakeisherown
andnotsuspectingforaminutethatthecowed,frightenedgirlhashadahandinit."

"It'spossible,"saidSuperintendentBattle."It'sonlyahypothesis,butit'spossible."

"Itisalittlemorethanpossible,myfriend,itisalsoprobable.ForthisafternoonIlaidalittletrapnicely
baited - the real trap, after the sham one had been circumvented. If what I suspect is true, Anne
Meredithwillnever,neverbeabletoresistareallyexpensivepairofhose!Iaskhertoaidme.Ilether
knowcarefullythatIamnotsureexactlyhowmanyhosethereare.Igooutoftheroom,leavingher
alone-andtheresult,myfriend,isthatIhavenowseventeenpairsofhoseinsteadofnineteen,andthat
twopairshavegoneawayinAnneMeredith'shandbag."

"Whew!"SuperintendentBattlewhistled."Whatarisktotake,though."

"Pasdutout.WhatdoesshethinkIsuspectherof?Murder.Whatistherisk,then,instealingapairor
twopairsofsilkhose?Iamnotlookingforathief.Andbesidesthethief,orthekleptomaniac,isalways
thesame,convincedthatshecangetawaywithit."

Battlenoddedhishead.

"That's true enough. Incredibly stupid. The pitcher goes to the well time after time. Well, I think
betweenuswe'vearrivedfairlyclearlyatthetruth.AnneMeredithwascaughtstealing.AnneMeredith
changedabottlefromoneshelftoanother.Weknowthatwasmurder,butI'mdamnedifwecouldever
proveit.Successfulcrimenumbertwo.Robertsgetsawaywithit.AnneMeredithgetsawaywithit.But
whataboutShaitana?DidAnneMeredithkillShaitana?"

He remained silent for a moment or two, then he shook his head. "It doesn't work out right," he said
reluctantly."She'snotonetotakearisk.Changeacoupleofbottles,yes.Sheknewnoonecouldfasten
that on her. It was absolutely safe, because anyone might have done it! Of course, it mightn't have
worked.Mrs.Bensonmighthavenoticedbeforeshedrankthestuff,orshemightn'thavediedfromit.It
waswhatIcallahopefulkindofmurder.Itmightworkoritmightn't.Actuallyitdid.ButShaitanawas
averydifferentpairofshoes.Thatwasdeliberate,audacious,purposefulmurder."

Poirotnoddedhishead."Iagreewithyou.Thetwotypesofcrimearenotthesame."

Battle rubbed his nose. "So that seems to wipe her out as far as he's concerned. Roberts and the girl,
bothcrossedoffourlist.WhataboutDespard?AnyluckwiththeLuxmorewoman?"Poirotnarratedhis
adventuresoftheprecedingafternoon.

Battlegrinned."Iknowthattype.Youcan'tdisentanglewhattheyrememberfromwhattheyinvent."

Poirotwenton.HedescribedDespard'svisit,andthestorythelatterhadtold.

"Believehim?"Battleaskedabruptly.

"Yes,Ido."

Battlesighed."SodoI.Notthetypetoshootamanbecausehewantedtheman'swife.Anywaywhat's
wrongwiththedivorcecourt?Everyoneflocksthere,andhe'snotaprofessionalman;itwouldn'truin
himoranythinglikethat.No,I'moftheopinionthatourlatelamentedMr.Shaitanastruckasnagthere.
Murderernumberthreewasn'tamurdererafterall."

HelookedatPoirot.

"Thatleaves-?"

"Mrs.Lorrimer,"saidPoirot.

Thetelephonerang.Poirotgotupandansweredit.Hespokeafewwords,waited,spokeagain.Thenhe
hungupthereceiverandreturnedtoBattle.

Hisfacewasverygrave.

"ThatwasMrs.Lorrimerspeaking,"hesaid."Shewantsmetocomeroundandseeher-now."

HeandBattlelookedateachother.Thelattershookhisheadslowly."AmIwrong?"hesaid."Orwere
youexpectingsomethingofthekind?"

"Iwondered,"saidHerculePoirot."Thatwasall.Iwondered."

"You'dbettergetalong,"saidBattle."Perhapsyou'llmanagetogetatthetruthatlast."

Chapter25

MRS.LORRIMERSPEAKS

ThedaywasnotabrightoneandMrs.Lorrimer'sroomseemedratherdarkandcheerless.Sheherself
hadagraylookandseemedmucholderthanshehadontheoccasionofPoirot'slastvisit.

Shegreetedhimwithherusualsmilingassurance.

"Itisveryniceofyoutocomesopromptly,MonsieurPoirot.Youareabusyman,Iknow."

"Atyourservice,madame,"saidPoirot,withalittlebow.

Mrs.Lorrimerpressedthebellbythefireplace.

"Wewillhaveteabroughtin.Idon'tknowwhatyoufeelaboutit,butIalwaysthinkit'samistaketo
rushstraightintoconfidenceswithoutanydecentpavingoftheway."

"Therearetobeconfidences,then,madame?"

Mrs.Lorrimerdidnotanswerforatthatmomenthermaidansweredthebell.Whenshehadreceived
the order and gone again, Mrs. Lorrimer said dryly, "You said, if you remember, when you were last
here,thatyouwouldcomeifIsentforyou.Youhadanidea,Ithink,ofthereasonthatshouldprompt
metosend?"

There was no more just then. Tea was brought. Mrs. Lorrimer dispensed it, talking intelligently on
varioustopicsoftheday.

Taking advantage of a pause, Poirot remarked, "I hear you and little Mademoiselle Meredith had tea
togethertheotherday."

"Wedid.Youhaveseenherlately?"

"Thisveryafternoon."

"SheisinLondon,then,orhaveyoubeendowntoWallingford?"

"No,sheandherfriendweresoamiableastopaymeavisit."

"Ah,thefriend.Ihavenotmether."

Poirot said, smiling a little, "This murder - it has made for a rapprochement. You and Mademoiselle
Meredithhaveteatogether.MajorDespard,hetoocultivatesMissMeredith'sacquaintance.TheDoctor
Roberts,heisperhapstheonlyoneoutofit."

"Isawhimoutatbridgetheotherday,"saidMrs.Lorrimer."Heseemedquitehisusualcheerfulself."

"Asfondofbridgeasever?"

"Yes-stillmakingthemostoutrageousbids-andveryoftengettingawaywithit."

Shewassilentforamomentortwo,thensaid,"HaveyouseenSuperintendentBattlelately?"

"Alsothisafternoon.Hewaswithmewhenyoutelephoned."

Shadingherfacefromthefirewithonehand,Mrs.Lorrimerasked,"Howishegettingon?"

Poirotsaidgravely,"Heisnotveryrapid,thegoodBattle.Hegetsthereslowlybuthedoesgettherein
theend,madame."

"Iwonder?"Herlipscurvedinafaintlyironicalsmile.

Shewenton,"Hehaspaidmequitealotofattention.Hehasdelved,Ithink,intomypasthistoryright
backtomygirlhood.Hehasinterviewedmyfriends,andchattedtomyservants-theonesIhavenow
and the ones who have been with me in former years. What he hoped to find I do not know, but he
certainlydidnotfindit.HemightaswellhaveacceptedwhatItoldhim.Itwasthetruth.IknewMr.
Shaitanaveryslightly.ImethimatLuxorasIsaidandouracquaintanceshipwasnevermorethanan
acquaintanceship.SuperintendentBattlewillnotbeabletogetawayfromthesefacts."

"Perhapsnot,"saidPoirot.

"Andyou,MonsieurPoirot?Havenotyoumadeanyinquiries?"

"Aboutyou,madame?"

"ThatiswhatImeant."

Slowly,thelittlemanshookhishead.

"Itwouldhavebeenofnoavail."

"Justexactlywhatdoyoumeanbythat,MonsieurPoirot?"

"I will be quite frank, madame. I have realized from the beginning that of the four persons in Mr.
Shaitana'sroomthatnight,theonewiththebestbrains,withthecoolest,mostlogicalhead,wasyou,
madame.IfIhadtolaymoneyonthechanceofoneofthosefourplanningamurderandgettingaway
withitsuccessfully,itisonyouthatIshouldplacemymoney."

Mrs.Lorrimer'sbrowsrose.

"AmIexpectedtofeelflattered?"sheaskeddryly.

Poirot went on without paying any attention to her interruption. "For a crime to be successful it is
usually necessary to think every detail of it out beforehand. All possible contingencies must be taken
into account. The timing must be accurate. The placing must be scrupulously correct. Doctor Roberts
mightbungleacrimethroughhasteandoverconfidence,MajorDespardwouldprobablybetooprudent
tocommitone,MissMeredithmightloseherheadandgiveherselfaway.You,madame,woulddonone
ofthesethings.Youwouldbeclearheadedandcool,youaresufficientlyresoluteofcharacterandcould
be sufficiently obsessed with an idea to the extent of overruling prudence, you are not the kind of
womantoloseherhead."

Mrs.Lorrimersatsilentforaminuteortwo,acurioussmileplayingroundherlips.Atlastshesaid,"So
that is what you think of me, Monsieur Poirot - that I am the kind of woman to commit an ideal
murder."

"Atleastyouhavetheamiabilitynottoresenttheidea."

"I find it very interesting. So it is your idea that I am the only person who could successfully have
murderedShaitana."

Poirotsaidslowly,"Thereisadifficultythere,madame."

"Really?Dotellme."

"YoumayhavenoticedthatIsaidjustnowaphrasesomethinglikethis:Foracrimetobesuccessfulit
isusuallynecessarytoplaneverydetailofitcarefullybeforehand.'Usually'isthewordtowhichIwant
to draw your attention. For there is another type of successful crime. Have you ever said suddenly to
anyone,'Throwastoneandseeifyoucanhitthattree,'andthepersonobeysquicklywithoutthinking-
andsurprisinglyoftenhedoeshitthetree.Butwhenhecomestorepeatthethrowitisnotsoeasy,for
he has begun to think. 'So hard - no harder - a little more to the right - to the left.' The first was an
almostunconsciousaction,thebodyobeyingthemindasthebodyofananimaldoes.Ehbien,madame,
thereisatypeofcrimelikethat-acrimecommittedonthespurofthemoment-aninspiration-aflash
of genius - without time to pause or think. And that, madame, was the kind of crime that killed Mr.
Shaitana.Asuddendirenecessity,aflashofinspiration,rapidexecution."

Heshookhishead."Andthat,madame,isnotyourtypeofcrimeatall.IfyoukilledMr.Shaitana,it
shouldhavebeenapremeditatedcrime."

"Isee."Herhandwavedsoftlytoandfro,keepingtheheatofthefirefromherface."And,ofcourse,it
wasn'tapremeditatedcrime,soIcouldn'thavekilledhim-eh,MonsieurPoirot?"

Poirotbowed."Thatisright,madame."

"Andyet-"sheleanedforward,herwavinghandstopped-"IdidkillShaitana,MonsieurPoirot-"

Chapter26

THETRUTH

Therewasapause-averylongpause.Theroomwasgrowingdark.Thefirelightleapedandflickered.
Mrs. Lorrimer and Hercule Poirot looked not at each other but at the fire. It was as though time was
momentarilyinabeyance.ThenHerculePoirotsighedandstirred."Soitwasthat-allthetime.Whydid
youkillhim,madame?"

"Ithinkyouknowwhy,MonsieurPoirot."

"Becauseheknewsomethingaboutyou?Somethingthathadhappenedlongago?"

"Yes."

"Andthatsomethingwas-anotherdeath,madame?"

Shebowedherhead.

Poirotsaidgently,"Whydidyoutellme?Whatmadeyousendformetoday?"

"YoutoldmeoncethatIshoulddososomeday."

"Yes-thatis,Ihoped-Iknew,madame,thattherewasonlyonewayoflearningthetruthasfarasyou
wereconcerned,andthatwasbyyourownfreewill.Ifyoudidnotchoosetospeak,youwouldnotdo
so,andyouwouldnevergiveyourselfaway.Buttherewasachance-thatyouyourselfmightwishto
speak."

Mrs.Lorrimernodded."Itwascleverofyoutoforeseethat-theweariness,theloneliness-"

Hervoicediedaway.

Poirotlookedathercuriously."Soithasbeenlikethat?Yes,Icanunderstanditmightbe."

"Alone-quitealone,"saidMrs.Lorrimer."NooneknowswhatthatmeansunlesstheyhavelivedasI
havelived,withtheknowledgeofwhatonehasdone."

Poirotsaidgently."Isitanimpertinence,madame,ormayIbepermittedtooffermysympathy?"

Shebentherheadalittle.

"Thankyou,MonsieurPoirot."

There was another pause; then Poirot said, speaking in a slightly brisker tone, "Am I to understand,
madame,thatyoutookthewordsMr.Shaitanaspokeatdinnerasadirectmenaceaimedatyou?"

She nodded. "I realized at once that he was speaking so that one person should understand him. That
personwasmyself.Thereferencetoawoman'sweaponbeingpoisonwasmeantforme.Heknew.Ihad
suspecteditoncebefore.HehadbroughttheconversationroundtoacertainfamoustrialandIsawhis
eyes watching me. There was a kind of uncanny knowledge in them. But, of course, that night I was
quitesure."

"Andyouweresure,too,ofhisfutureintentions."

Mrs.Lorrimersaiddryly,"ItwashardlylikelythatthepresenceofSuperintendentBattleandyourself
wasanaccident.ItookitthatShaitanawasgoingtoadvertisehisownclevernessbypointingouttoyou
boththathehaddiscoveredsomethingthatnooneelsehadsuspected."

"Howsoondidyoumakeupyourmindtoact,madame?"

Mrs.Lorrimerhesitatedalittle.

"It is difficult to remember exactly when the idea came into my mind," she said. "I had noticed the
daggerbeforegoingintodinner.Whenwereturnedtothedrawing-roomIpickeditupandslippedit
intomysleeve.Noonesawmedoit.Imadesureofthat."

"Itwouldbedextrouslydone,Ihavenodoubt,madame."

"I made up my mind then exactly what I was going to do. I had only to carry it out. It was risky,
perhaps,butIconsideredthatitwasworthtrying."

"Thatisyourcoolness,yoursuccessfulweighingofchancescomingintoplay.Yes,Iseethat."

"Westartedtoplaybridge,"continuedMrs.Lorrimer.Hervoicewascoolandunemotional."Atlastan
opportunityarose.Iwasdummy.Istrolledacrosstheroomtothefireplace.Shaitanahaddozedoffto
sleep.Ilookedoverattheothers.Theywereallintentonthegame.Ileanedoverand-anddidit-"

Hervoiceshookjustalittle,butinstantlyitregaineditscoolaloofness.

"Ispoketohim.Itcameintomyheadthatthatwouldmakeakindofalibiforme,Imadesomeremark
aboutthefireandthenpretendedhehadansweredmeandwentonagain,sayingsomethinglike'Iagree
withyou.Idonotlikeradiatorseither.'"

"Hedidnotcryoutatall?"

"No.Ithinkhemadealittlegrunt-thatwasall.Itmighthavebeentakenforwordsfromadistance."

"Andthen?"

"AndthenIwentbacktothebridgetable.Thelasttrickwasjustbeingplayed."

"Andyousatdownandresumedplay?"

"Yes."

"Withsufficientinterestinthegametobeabletotellmenearlyallthecallingandthehandstwodays
later."

"Yes,"saidMrs.Lorrimersimply.

"Epatant!"saidHerculePoirot.

Heleanedbackinhischair.Henoddedhisheadseveraltimes.Then,bywayofachange,heshookit.

"Butthereisstillsomething,madame,thatIdonotunderstand?"

"Yes?"

"ItseemstomethatthereissomefactorIhavemissed.Youareawomanwhoconsidersandweighs

everythingcarefully.Youdecidethat,foracertainreason,youwillrunanenormousrisk.Youdorunit-
successfully. And then, not two weeks later, you change your mind. Frankly, madame, that does not
seemtometoringtrue."

Aqueerlittlesmiletwistedherlips.

"Youarequiteright,MonsieurPoirot,thereisonefactorthatyoudonotknow.DidMissMeredithtell
youwhereshemetmetheotherday?"

"Itwas,Ithinkshesaid,nearMrs.Oliver'sflat."

"Ibelievethatisso.ButImeanttheactualnameofthestreet.AnneMeredithmetmeinHarleyStreet,"

"Ah!"Helookedatherattentively."Ibegintosee."

"Yes, I thought you would. I had been to see a specialist there. He told me what I already half
suspected."

Her smile widened. It was no longer twisted and bitter. It was suddenly sweet. "I shall not play very
muchmorebridge,MonsieurPoirot.Oh!hedidn'tsaysoinsomanywords.Hewrappedupthetrutha
little.Withgreatcare,etcetera,Imightliveseveralyears.ButIshallnottakeanygreatcare.Iamnot
thatkindofawoman."

"Yes,yes,Ibegintounderstand,"saidPoirot.

"Itmadeadifference,yousee.Amonth-twomonthsperhaps-notmore.Andthen,justasIleftthe
specialist,IsawMissMeredith.Iaskedhertohaveteawithme."

Shepaused,thenwenton."Iamnot,afterall,awhollywickedwoman.Allthetimewewerehaving
tea,Iwasthinking.BymyactiontheothereveningIhadnotonlydeprivedthemanShaitanaoflife,
thatwasdoneandcouldnotbeundone,Ihadalsotoavaryingdegreeaffectedunfavorablythelivesof
threeotherpeople.BecauseofwhatIhaddone,DoctorRoberts,MajorDespard,andAnneMeredith,
noneofwhomhadinjuredmeinanyway,werepassingthroughaverygraveordealandmightevenbe
indanger.That,atleast,Icouldundo.Idon'tknowthatIfeltparticularlymovedbytheplightofeither
DoctorRobertsorMajorDespard-althoughbothofthemhadpresumablyamuchlongerspanoflifein
frontofthemthanIhad.Theyweremenandcouldtoacertainextentlookafterthemselves.ButwhenI
lookedatAnneMeredith-"

Shehesitated,thencontinuedslowly,"AnneMeredithwasonlyagirl.Shehasthewholeofherlifein
front of her. This miserable business might ruin that life. I didn't like the thought of that. And then,
MonsieurPoirot,withtheseideasgrowinginmymind,Irealizedthatwhatyouhadhintedhadcome
true.Iwasnotgoingtobeabletokeepsilence.ThisafternoonIrangyouup-"

Minutes passed. Hercule Poirot leaned forward. He stared, deliberately stared through the gathering
gloomatMrs.Lorrimer.Shereturnedthatintentgazequietlyandwithoutanynervousness.

Hesaidatlast,"Mrs.Lorrimer.Areyousure-areyoupositive,youwilltellmethetruth,willyounot,
that the murder of Mr. Shaitana was not premeditated? Is it not a fact that you planned the crime
beforehand?Thatyouwenttothatdinnerwiththemurderalreadyallmappedoutinyourmind?"

Mrs.Lorrimerstaredathimforamoment,thensheshookherheadsharply."No,"shesaid.

"Youdidnotplanthemurderbeforehand?"

"Certainlynot."

"Then-then-Oh!youarelyingtome-youmustbelying-"

Mrs.Lorrimer'svoicecutintotheairlikeice.

"Really,MonsieurPoirot,youforgetyourself."

The little man sprang to his feet. He paced up and down the room, muttering to himself, uttering
ejaculations.Suddenlyhesaid,"Permitme?"Andgoingtotheswitchheturnedontheelectriclights.

Hecameback,satdowninhischair,placedbothhandsonhisknees,andstaredstraightathishostess.

"Thequestionis,"hesaid,"canHerculePoirotpossiblybewrong?"

"Noonecanalwaysberight,"saidMrs.Lorrimercoldly.

"Iam,"saidPoirot."AlwaysIamright.Itissoinvariablethatitstartlesme.Butnow,itlooks,itvery
muchlooksasthoughIamwrong.Andthatupsetsme.Presumablyyouknowwhatyouaresaying.Itis
yourmurder!Fantastic,then,thatHerculePoirotshouldknowbetterthanyoudohowyoucommitted
it."

"Fantasticandveryabsurd,"saidMrs.Lorrimerstillmorecoldly.

"Iam,then,mad.DecidedlyIammad.No-sacrénomd'unpetitbonhomme-Iamnotmad!Iamright.
Imustberight.IamwillingtobelievethatyoukilledMr.Shaitana-butyoucannothavekilledhimin
thewayyousayyoudid.Noonecandoathingthatisnotdanssoncaractère!"

Hepaused.Mrs.Lorrimerdrewinanangrybreathandbitherlips.Shewasabouttospeak,butPoirot
forestalledher."EitherthekillingofShaitanawasplannedbeforehand-oryoudidnotkillhimatall!"

Mrs.Lorrimersaidsharply,"Ireallybelieveyouaremad,MonsieurPoirot.IfIamwillingtoadmitI
committed the crime, I should not be likely to lie about the way I did it. What would be the point of
suchathing?"

Poirotgotupagainandtookoneturnroundtheroom.Whenhecamebacktohisseathismannerhad
changed.Hewasgentleandkindly.

"You did not kill Shaitana," he said softly. "I see that now. I see everything. Harley Street. And little
AnneMeredithstandingforlornonthepavement.Isee,too,anothergirl-averylongtimeago.Agirl
whohasgonethroughlifealwaysalone,terriblyalone.Yes,Iseeallthat.ButonethingIdonotsee-
whyareyousocertainthatAnneMeredithdidit?"

"Really,MonsieurPoirot-"

"Absolutelyuselesstoprotest,toliefurthertome,madame.ItellyouIknowthetruth.Iknowthevery
emotionsthatsweptoveryouthatdayinHarleyStreet.YouwouldnothavedoneitforDoctorRoberts-
oh,no!YouwouldnothavedoneitforMajorDespardnonplus.ButAnneMeredithisdifferent.You
have compassion for her because she has done what you once did. You do not know even - or so I
imagine-whatreasonshehadforthecrime.Butyouarequitesureshedidit.Youweresurethatfirst
evening, the evening it happened, when Superintendent Battle invited you to give your views on the
case.Yes,Iknowitall,yousee.Itisquiteuselesstoliefurthertome.Youseethat,doyounot?"He
pausedforananswer,butnonecame.Henoddedhisheadinsatisfaction.

"Yes,youaresensible.Thatisgood.Itisaverynobleactionthatyouperformthere,madame,totake

theblameonyourselfandtoletthischildescape."

"You forget," said Mrs. Lorrimer in a dry voice. "I am not an innocent woman. Years ago, Monsieur
Poirot,Ikilledmyhusband."

Therewasamoment'ssilence.

"Isee,"saidPoirot."Itisjustice.Afterallonlyjustice.Youhavethelogicalmind.Youarewillingto
sufferfortheactyoucommitted.Murderismurder-itdoesnotmatterwhothevictimis.Madame,you
have courage and you have clear-sightedness. But I ask of you once more, How can you be so sure?
HowdoyouknowthatitwasAnneMeredithwhokilledMr.Shaitana?"

AdeepsighbrokefromMrs.Lorrimer.HerlastresistancehadgonedownbeforePoirot'sinsistence.She
answeredhisquestionquitesimplylikeachild.

"Because,"shesaid,"Isawher."

Chapter27

THEEYEWITNESS

SuddenlyPoirotlaughed.Hecouldnothelpit.HisheadwentbackandhishighGalliclaughfilledthe
room."Pardon,madame,"hesaid,wipinghiseyes."Icouldnothelpit.Hereweargueandwereason!
Weaskquestions!Weinvokethepsychology-andallthetimetherewasaneyewitnessofthecrime.
Tellme,Iprayofyou."

"Itwasfairlylateintheevening.AnneMeredithwasdummy.Shegotupandlookedoverherpartner's
hand and then she moved about the room. The hand wasn't very interesting - the conclusion was
inevitable.Ididn'tneedtoconcentrateonthecards.JustaswegottothelastthreetricksIlookedover
towardthefireplace.AnneMeredithwasbentoverMr.Shaitana.AsIwatchedshestraightenedherself-
her hand had been actually on his breast - a gesture which awakened my surprise. She straightened
herselfandIsawherface,andherquicklookovertowardus.Guiltandfear-thatiswhatIsawonher
face. Of course, I didn't know what had happened then. I only wondered what on earth the girl could
havebeendoing.Later-Iknew."

Poirotnodded."Butshedidnotknowthatyouknew.Shedidnotknowthatyouhadseenher?"

"Poorchild,"saidMrs.Lorrimer."Young,frightened-herwaytomakeintheworld.Doyouwonder
thatI-well,heldmytongue?"

"No,no,Idonotwonder."

"EspeciallyknowingthatI-thatImyself-"Shefinishedthesentencewithashrug."Itwascertainlynot
myplacetostandaccuser.Itwasuptothepolice."

"Quiteso,buttodayyouhavegonefurtherthanthat."

Mrs.Lorrimersaidgrimly,"I'veneverbeenaverysoft-heartedorcompassionatewoman,butIsuppose
thesequalitiesgrowupononeinone'soldage.IassureyouI'mnotoftenactuatedbypity."

"It is not always a very safe guide, madame. Mademoiselle Anne is young, she is fragile, she looks
timidandfrightened-oh,yes,sheseemsaveryworthysubjectforcompassion.ButI,Idonotagree.
ShallItellyou,madame,whyMissAnneMeredithkilledMr.Shaitana?Itwasbecauseheknewthat
shehadpreviouslykilledanelderlyladytowhomshewascompanion-becausethatladyhadfoundher
outinapettytheft."

Mrs.Lorrimerlookedalittlestartled.

"Isthattrue,MonsieurPoirot?"

"I have no doubt of it whatsoever. She is so soft - so gentle - one would say. Pah! she is dangerous,
madame,thatlittleMademoiselleAnne!Whereherownsafety,herowncomfort,isconcerned,shewill
strike wildly, treacherously. With Mademoiselle Anne those two crimes will not be the end. She will
gainconfidencefromthem."

Mrs.Lorrimersaidsharply,"Whatyousayishorrible,MonsieurPoirot.Horrible!"

Poirotrose."Madame,Iwillnowtakemyleave.ReflectonwhatIhavesaid."

Mrs.Lorrimerwaslookingalittleuncertainofherself.Shesaid,withanattemptatheroldmanner,"If
it suits me, Monsieur Poirot, I shall deny this whole conversation. You have no witnesses, remember.
WhatIhavejusttoldyouthatIsawonthatfataleveningis-well,privatebetweenourselves."

Poirotsaidgravely,"Nothingshallbedonewithoutyourconsentmadame.Andbeatpeace,Ihavemy
ownmethods.NowthatIknowwhatIamdrivingat-"

Hetookherhandandraisedittohislips.

"Permitmetotellyou,madame,thatyouareamostremarkablewoman.Allmyhomageandrespects.
Yes,indeedawomaninathousand.Why,youhavenotevendonewhatninehundredandninety-nine
womenoutofathousandcouldnothaveresisteddoing."

"Whatisthat?"

"Toldmejustwhyyoukilledyourhusband-andhowentirelyjustifiedsuchaproceedingreallywas!"

Mrs.Lorrimerdrewherselfup.

"Really,MonsieurPoirot,"shesaidstiffly,"myreasonswereentirelymyownbusiness."

"Magnifique!"saidPoirotand,oncemoreraisingherhandtohislips,helefttheroom.

It was cold outside the house and he looked up and down for a taxi but there was none in sight. He
began to walk in the direction of Kings Road. As he walked he was thinking hard. Occasionally he
noddedhishead,onceheshookit.

Helookedbackoverhisshoulder.SomeonewasgoingupthestepsofMrs.Lorrimer'shouse.Infigure
itlookedverylikeAnneMeredlth.Hehesitatedforaminute,wonderingwhethertoturnbackornot,
butintheendhewenton.

OnarrivalathomehefoundthatBattlehadgonewithoutleavinganymessage.Heproceededtoringthe
superintendentup."Hullo."Battle'svoicecamethrough."Gotanything?"

"Jecroisbien.Monami,wemustgetaftertheMeredithgirl-andquickly."

"I'mgettingafterher-butwhyquickly?"

"Because,myfriend,shemaybedangerous."

Battlewassilentforaminuteortwo.Thenhesaid,"Iknowwhatyoumean.Butthere'snoone-Oh,
well,wemustn'ttakechances.AsamatteroffactI'vewrittenher.OfficialnotesayingI'mcallingtosee
hertomorrow.Ithoughtitmightbeagoodthingtogetherrattled."

"Itisapossibilityatleast.Imayaccompanyyou?"

"Naturally.Honoredtohaveyourcompany,MonsieurPoirot."

Poirothungupthereceiverwithathoughtfulface.

Hismindwasnotquiteatrest.Hesatforalongtimeinfrontofhisfire,frowningtohimself.Atlast,
puttinghisfearsanddoubtsaside,hewenttobed.

"Wewillseeinthemorning,"hemurmured.

But,ofwhatthemorningwouldbring,hehadnoidea.

Chapter28

SUICIDE

The summons came by telephone at the moment when Poirot was sitting down to his morning coffee
androlls.HeliftedthetelephonereceiverandBattle'svoicespoke."ThatMonsieurPoirot?"

"Yes,itisI.Qu'estcequ'ilya?"

Themereinflectionofthesuperintendent'svoicehadtoldhimthatsomethinghadhappened.Hisown
vaguemisgivingscamebacktohim.

"Butquickly,myfriend,tellme."

"It'sMrs.Lorrimer."

"Lorrimer-yes?"

"Whatthedevildidyousaytoher-ordidshesaytoyouyesterday?Younevertoldmeanything;infact
youletmethinkthattheMeredithgirlwastheonewewereafter."

Poirotsaidquietly,"Whathashappened?"

"Suicide."

"Mrs.Lorrimerhascommittedsuicide?"

"That'sright.Itseemsshehasbeenverydepressedandunlikeherselflately.Herdoctorhadorderedher
somesleepingstuff.Lastnightshetookanoverdose."

Poirotdrewadeepbreath.

"Thereisnoquestionof-accident?"

"Nottheleast.It'sallcutanddried.Shewrotetothethreeofthem."

"Whichthree?"

"Theotherthree.Roberts,Despard,andMissMeredith.Allfairandsquare,nobeatingaboutthebush.
Justwrotethatshewouldlikethemtoknowthatshewastakingashortcutoutofallthemess-thatit
was she who had killed Shaitana, and that she apologized - apologized! - to all three of them for the
inconvenienceandannoyancetheyhadsuffered.Perfectlycalmbusinesslikeletter.Absolutelytypicalof
thewoman.Shewasacoolcustomerallright."

ForaminuteortwoPoirotdidnotanswer.

SothiswasMrs.Lorrimer'sfinalword.Shehaddetermined,afterall,toshieldAnneMeredith.Aquick

painlessdeathinsteadofaprotractedpainfulone,andherlastactionanaltruisticone-thesavingofthe
girlwithwhomshefeltasecretbondofsympathy.Thewholethingplannedandcarriedoutwithquiet,
ruthless efficiency - a suicide carefully announced to the three interested parties. What a woman! His
admirationquickened.Itwaslikeher,likeherclear-cutdetermination,herinsistenceonwhatshehad
decidedbeingcarriedout.

Hehadthoughttohaveconvincedher-butevidentlyshehadpreferredherownjudgment.Awomanof
verystrongwill.Battle'svoicecutintohismeditations.

"Whatthedevildidyousaytoheryesterday?Youmusthaveputthewindupherandthisistheresult.
ButyouimpliedthattheresultofyourinterviewwasdefinitesuspicionoftheMeredithgirl."

Poirotwassilentaminuteortwo.Hefeltthat,dead,Mrs.Lorrimerconstrainedhimtoherwillasshe
couldnothavedoneifshewereliving.

Hesaidatlast,slowly,"Iwasinerror."

Theywereunaccustomedwordsonhistongueandhedidnotlikethem.

"Youmadeamistake,eh?"saidBattle."Allthesameshemusthavethoughtyouwereontoher.It'sa
badbusiness,lettingherslipthroughourfingerslikethis."

"Youcouldnothaveprovedanythingagainsther,"saidPoirot.

"No,Isupposethat'strue.Perhapsit'sallforthebest.You-er-didn'tmeanthistohappen,Monsieur
Poirot?"

Poirot'sdisclaimerwasindignant.Thenhesaid,"Tellmeexactlywhathasoccurred."

"Roberts opened his letters just before eight o'clock. He lost no time, dashed off at once in his car,
leaving his parlormaid to communicate with us, which she did. He got to the house to find that Mrs.
Lorrimer hadn't been called yet - rushed up to her bedroom but it was too late. He tried artificial
respiration but there was nothing doing. Our divisional surgeon arrived soon after and confirmed his
treatment."

"Whatwasthesleepingstuff?"

"Veronal,Ithink.OneoftheBarbitonumseries,atanyrate.Therewasabottleoftabletsbyherbed."

"Whatabouttheothertwo?Didtheynottrytocommunicatewithyou?"

"Despardisoutoftown.Hehasn'thadthismorning'spost."

"And-MissMeredith.?"

"I'vejustrungherup."

"Ehbien?"

"Shehadjustopenedtheletterafewmomentsbeforemycallcamethrough.Postislaterthere."

"Whatwasherreaction?"

"Aperfectlyproperattitude.Intensereliefdecentlyveiled.Shockedandgrieved-thatsortofthing."

Poirotpausedamoment,thenhesaid,"Whereareyounow,myfriend?"

"AtCheyneLane."

"Bien.Iwillcomeroundimmediately."

InthehallatCheyneLanehefoundDoctorRobertsonthepointofdeparture.Thedoctor'susualflorid
mannerwasratherinabeyancethismorning.Helookedpaleandshaken.

"Nastybusinessthis,MonsieurPoirot.Ican'tsayI'mnotrelieved-frommyownpointofview-butto
tellyouthetruthit'sabitofashock.IneverreallythoughtforaminutethatitwasMrs.Lorrimerwho
stabbedShaitana.It'sbeenthegreatestsurprisetome."

"I,too,amsurprised."

"Quiet, well-bred, self-contained woman. Can't imagine her doing a violent thing like that. What was
themotive,Iwonder?Oh,well,weshallneverknownow.IconfessI'mcurious,though."

"Itmusttakealoadoffyourmind-thisoccurrence."

"Oh,itdoesundoubtedly.Itwouldbehypocrisynottoadmitit.It'snotverypleasanttohaveasuspicion
of murder hanging over you. As for the poor woman herself - well, it was undoubtedly the best way
out."

"Soshethoughtherself."

Robertsnodded."Conscience,Isuppose,"hesaidashelethimselfoutofthehouse.

Poirot shook his head thoughtfully. The doctor had misread the situation. It was not remorse that had
madeMrs.Lorrimertakeherlife.

On his way upstairs he paused to say a few words of comfort to the elderly parlormaid who was
weepingquietly.

"Itssodreadful,sir.Soverydreadful.Wewereallsofondofher.Andyouhavingteawithheryesterday
soniceandquiet.Andnowtodayshe'sgone.Ishallneverforgetthismorning-neveraslongasIlive.
Thegentlemanpealingatthebell.RangthreetimeshedidbeforeIcouldgettoit.And'Where'syour
mistress?'heshotoutatme.IwassoflusteredIcouldn'thardlyanswer.Youseeweneverwentintothe
mistresstillsherang-thatwasherorders.AndIjustcouldn'tgetoutanything.Andthedoctor,hesays,
'Where'sherroom?'andranupthestairsandmebehindhim,andIshowedhimthedoorandherushes
innotsomuchasknockingandtakesonelookatherlyingthereand'Toolate,'hesaid.Shewasdead,
sir.Buthesentmeforbrandyandhotwaterandhetrieddesperatetobringherbackbutitcouldn'tbe
done.Andthenthepolicecomingandall-itisn't-itisn't-decent,sir.Mrs.Lorrimerwouldn'thave
likedit.Andwhythepolice?It'snoneoftheirbusinesssurelyevenifanaccidenthasoccurredandthe
poormistressdidtakeanoverdosebymistake."

Poirot did not reply to her question. He said, "Last night, was your mistress quite as usual? Did she
seemupsetorworriedatall?"

"No,Idon'tthinkso,sir.Shewastired-andIthinkshewasinpain.Shehasn'tbeenwelllately,sir."

"No,Iknow."

Thesympathyinhistonemadethewomangoon.

"Shewasneveroneforcomplaining,sir,butbothcookandIhadbeenworriedaboutherforsometime.
Shecouldn'tdoasmuchassheusedtodoandthingstiredher.Ithinkperhapstheyoungladycoming
afteryouleftwasabittoomuchforher."

Withhisfootonthestairs,Poirotturnedback.

"Theyounglady?Didayoungladycomehereyesterdayevening?"

"Yes,sir.Justafteryouleft,itwas.MissMeredithhernamewas."

"Didshestaylong?"

"Aboutanhour,sir."

Poirotwassilentforaminuteortwo,thenhesaid,"Andafterward?"

"Themistresswenttobed.Shehaddinnerinbed.Shesaidshewastired."

Again Poirot was silent, then he said, "Do you know if your mistress wrote any letters yesterday
evening?"

"Doyoumeanaftershewenttobed?Idon'tthinkso,sir."

"Butyouarenotsure?"

"Thereweresomelettersonthehalltablereadytobeposted,sir.Wealwaystookthemlastthingbefore
shuttingup.ButIthinktheyhadbeenlyingtheresinceearlierintheday."

"Howmanywerethere?"

"Twoorthree-I'mnotquitesure,sir.Three,Ithink."

"You-orcook-whoeverpostedthem-didnothappentonoticetowhomtheywereaddressed?Donot
beoffendedatmyquestion.Itisoftheutmostimportance."

"I went to the post myself with them, sir. I noticed the top one; it was to Fortnum and Mason's. I
couldn'tsayastotheothers."

Thewoman'stonewasearnestandsincere.

"Areyousuretherewerenotmorethanthreeletters?"

"Yes,sir,I'mquitecertainofthat."

Poirotnoddedhisheadgravely.Oncemorehestartedupthestaircase.Thenhesaid,"Youknew,Itake
it,thatyourmistresstookmedicinetomakehersleep?"

"Oh,yes,sir,itwasthedoctor'sorders.DoctorLang."

"Wherewasthesleepingmedicinekept?"

"Inthelittlecupboardinthemistress'sroom."

Poirotdidnotaskanyfurtherquestions.Hewentupstairs.Hisfacewasverygrave.

OntheupperlandingBattlegreetedhim.Thesuperintendentlookedworriedandharassed.

"I'mgladyou'vecome,MonsieurPoirot.LetmeintroduceyoutoDoctorDavidson."

Thedivisionalsurgeonshookhands.Hewasatallmelancholyman.

"Theluckwasagainstus,"hesaid."Anhourortwoearlierandwemighthavesavedher."

"H'm,"saidBattle."Imustn'tsaysoofficially,butI'mnotsorry.Shewasa-well,shewasalady.Idon't
knowwhatherreasonswereforkillingShaitana,butshemayjustconceivablyhavebeenjustified."

"Inanycase,"saidPoirot,"itisdoubtfulifshewouldhavelivedtostandhertrial.Shewasaveryill
woman."

Thesurgeonnoddedinagreement.

"Ishouldsayyouwerequiteright.Well,perhapsitisallforthebest."

Hestarteddownthestairs.Battlemovedafterhim.

"Oneminute,Doctor."

Poirot,hishandonthebedroomdoor,murmured,"Imayenter-yes?"

Battlenoddedoverhisshoulder."Quiteallright.We'rethrough."Poirotpassedintotheroom,closing
thedoorbehindhim.

Hewentovertothebedandstoodlookingdownatthequietdeadface.Hewasverydisturbed.Hadthe
deadwomangonetothegraveinalastdeterminedefforttosaveayounggirlfromdeathanddisgrace-
orwasthereadifferent,amoresinisterexplanation?

Therewerecertainfacts.

Suddenlyhebentdown,examiningadarkdiscoloredbruiseonthedeadwoman'sarm.Hestraightened
himselfupagain.Therewasastrangecatlikegleaminhiseyesthatcertaincloseassociatesofhiswould
have recognized. He left the room quickly and went downstairs. Battle and a subordinate were at the
telephone.Thelatterlaiddownthereceiverandsaid,"Hehasn'tcomeback,sir."

Battlesaid,"Despard.I'vebeentryingtogethim.There'saletterforhimwiththeChelseapostmarkall
right."

Poirotaskedanirrelevantquestion."HadDoctorRobertshadhisbreakfastwhenhecamehere?"

Battlestared."No,"hesaid,"Irememberhementionedthathe'dcomeoutwithoutit."

"Thenhewillbeathishousenow.Wecangethim."

"Butwhy?"

ButPoirotwasalreadybusyatthedial.Thenhespoke.

"DoctorRoberts?ItisDoctorRobertsspeaking?Maisoui,itisPoirothere.Justonequestion.Areyou
wellacquaintedwiththehandwritingofMrs.Lorrimer?"

"Mrs.Lorrimer'shandwriting?I-no,Idon'tknowthatI'deverseenitbefore."

"Jevousremercie."

Poirotlaiddownthereceiverquickly.

Battlewasstaringathim.

"What'sthebigidea,MonsieurPoirot?"heaskedquietly.

Poirottookhimbythearm.

"Listen, my friend. A few minutes after I left this house yesterday, Anne Meredith arrived. I actually
saw her going up the steps, though I was not quite sure of her identity at the time. Immediately after
AnneMeredithleftMrs.Lorrimerwenttobed.Asfarasthemaidknows,shedidnotwriteanyletters
then,and,forreasonswhichyouwillunderstandwhenIrecounttoyouourinterview,Idonotbelieve
thatshewrotethosethreelettersbeforemyvisit.Whendidshewritethem,then?"

"Aftertheservantshadgonetobed?"suggestedBattle.

"Thatispossible,yes,butthereisanotherpossibility-thatshedidnotwritethematall."

Battlewhistled."MyGod,youmean-"

Thetelephonetrilled.Thesergeantpickedupthereceiver.Helistenedaminute,thenturnedtoBattle.

"SergeantO'ConnorspeakingfromDespard'sflat,sir.There'sreasontobelievethatDespard'sdownat
Wallingford-on-Thames."

PoirotcaughtBattlebythearm."Quickly,myfriend.We,too,mustgotoWallingford.ItellyouIam
not easy in my mind. This may not be the end. I tell you again, my friend, this young lady, she is
dangerous."

Chapter29

ACCIDENT

"Anne,"saidRhoda.

"Mmm?"

"No,really,Anne,don'tanswerwithhalfyourmindonacrosswordpuzzle.Iwantyoutoattendtome."

"Iamattending."

Annesatboltuprightandputdownthepaper.

"That'sbetter.Lookhere,Anne."Rhodahesitated."Aboutthismancoming."

"SuperintendentBattle?"

"Yes.Anne,Iwishyou'dtellhim-aboutbeingattheBensons'."

Anne'svoicegrewrathercold.

"Nonsense,whyshouldI?"

"Because-well,itmightlookasthoughyou'dbeenkeepingsomethingback.I'msureitwouldbebetter
tomentionit."

"Ican'tverywellnow,"saidAnnecoldly.

"Iwishyouhadinthefirstplace."

"Well,it'stoolatetobotheraboutthatnow."

"Yes."Rhodadidnotsoundconvinced.

Annesaidratherirritably,"InanycaseIcan'tseewhy.It'sgotnothingtodowithallthis."

"No,ofcoursenot."

"I was only there about two months. He only wants these things as - well - references. Two months
doesn'tcount."

"No,Iknow.IexpectI'mbeingfoolish,butitdoesworrymerather.Ifeelyououghttomentionit.You
see,ifitcameoutsomeotherway,itmightlookratherbad-yourkeepingdarkaboutit,Imean."

"Idon'tseehowitcancomeout.Nobodyknowsbutyou."

"N-No?"

AnnepouncedontheslighthesitationinRhoda'svoice.

"Why,whodoesknow?"

"Well,everyoneatCombeacre,"saidRhodaafteramoment'spause.

"Oh,that!"Annedismisseditwithashrug."Thesuperintendentisn'tlikelytocomeupagainstanyone
fromthere.Itwouldbeanextraordinarycoincidenceifhedid."

"Coincidenceshappen."

"Rhoda,you'rebeingextraordinaryaboutthis.Fuss,fuss,fuss."

"I'mterriblysorry,darling.Onlyyouknowwhatthepolicemightbelikeiftheythoughtyouwere-well
-hidingthings."

"Theywon'tknow.Who'stotellthem?Nobodyknowsbutyou."

Itwasthesecondtimeshehadsaidthosewords.Atthissecondrepetitionhervoicechangedalittle-
somethingqueerandspeculativecameintoit.

"Oh,dear,Iwishyouwould,"sighedRhodaunhappily.ShelookedguiltilyatAnnebutAnnewasnot
lookingather.Shewassittingwithafrownonherface,asthoughworkingoutsomecalculation.

"RatherfunMajorDespardturningup,"saidRhoda.

"What?Oh,yes."

"Anne,heisattractive.Ifyoudon'twanthim,do,do,dohandhimovertome!"

"Don'tbeabsurd,Rhoda.Hedoesn'tcaretuppenceforme."

"Thenwhydoeshekeeponturningup?Ofcourse,he'skeenonyou.You'rejustthesortofdistressed
damselthathe'denjoyrescuing.Youlooksobeautifullyhelpless,Anne."

"He'sequallypleasanttobothofus."

"That'sonlyhisniceness.Butifyoudon'twanthim,Icoulddothesympatheticfriendact-consolehis
brokenheart,andintheendImightgethim,whoknows?"Rhodaconcludedinelegantly.

"I'msureyou'requitewelcometohim,mydear,"saidAnne,laughing.

"He'sgotsuchalovelybacktohisneck,"sighedRhoda."Verybrickredandmuscular."

"Darling,mustyoubesomawkish?"

"Doyoulikehim,Anne?"

"Yes,verymuch."

"Aren'tweprimandsedate?Ithinkhelikesmealittle-notasmuchasyou,butalittle."

"Oh,buthedoeslikeyou,"saidAnne.

Againtherewasanunusualnoteinhervoice,butRhodadidnothearit.

"Whattimeisoursleuthcoming?"sheasked.

"Twelve,"saidAnne.Shewassilentforaminuteortwo,thenshesaid,"It'sonlyhalf-pasttennow.Let's
gooutontheriver."

"Butisn't-didn't-didn'tDespardsayhe'dcomeroundabouteleven?"

"Whyshouldwewaitinforhim?WecanleaveamessagewithMrs.Astwellwhichwaywe'vegoneand
hecanfollowusalongthetowpath."

"Infact,don'tmakeyourselfcheap,dear,asMotheralwayssaid!"laughedRhoda."Comeon,then."

Shewentoutoftheroomandthroughthegardendoor.Annefollowedher.

MajorDespardcalledatWendonCottageabouttenminuteslater.Hewasbeforehistime,heknew,so
wasalittlesurprisedtofindbothgirlshadalreadygoneout.Hewentthroughthegardenandacrossthe
fieldsandturnedtotherightalongthetowpath.

Mrs.Astwellremainedaminuteortwolookingafterhiminsteadofgettingonwithhermorningchores.

"Sweet on one or other of 'em, he is," she observed to herself. "I think it's Miss Anne, but I'm not
certain.Hedon'tgiveawaymuchbyhisface.Treats'embothalike.I'mnotsuretheyain'tbothsweeton
him,too.Ifso,theywon'tbesuchdearfriendssomuchlonger.Nothinglikeagentlemanforcoming
betweentwoyoungladies."

Pleasurablyexcitedbytheprospectofassistingatabuddingromance,Mrs.Astwellturnedindoorsto
hertaskofwashingupthebreakfastthings,whenonceagainthedoorbellrang.

"Drat that door," said Mrs. Astwell. "Do it on purpose, they do. Parcel, I suppose. Or might be a
telegram."Shemovedslowlytothefrontdoor.

Two gentlemen stood there, a small foreign gentleman and an exceedingly English, big burly
gentleman.Thelattershehadseenbefore,sheremembered.

"MissMeredithathome?"askedthebigman.

Mrs.Astwellshookherhead.

"Justgoneout."

"Really?Whichway?Wedidn'tmeether."

Mrs. Astwell, secretly studying the amazing mustache of the other gentleman and deciding that they
lookedanunlikelypairtobefriends,volunteeredfurtherinformation.

"Goneoutontheriver,"sheexplained.

Theothergentlemanbrokein.

"Andtheotherlady?MissDawes?"

"They'vebothgone."

"Ah,thankyou,"saidBattle."Letmesee,whichwaydoesonegettotheriver?"

"Firstturningtotheleft,downthelane,"Mrs.Astwellrepliedpromptly."Whenyougettothetowpath,
goright.Iheardthemsaythat'sthewaytheyweregoing,"sheaddedhelpfully."Notaboveaquarterof
anhourago.You'llsooncatch'emup."

"And I wonder," she added to herself as she unwillingly closed the front door, having stared
inquisitivelyattheirretreatingbacks,"whoyoutwomaybe.Can'tplaceyou,somehow."Mrs.Astwell
returnedtothekitchensinkandBattleandPoirotdulytookthefirstturningtotheleft-astragglinglane
whichsoonendedabruptlyatthetowpath.

PoirotwashurryingalongandBattleeyedhimcuriously."Anythingthematter,MonsieurPoirot?You
seeminamightyhurry."

"Itistrue.Iamuneasy,myfriend."

"Anythingparticular?"

Poirotshookhishead.

"No.Buttherearepossibilities.Youneverknow."

"You've something in your head," said Battle. "You were urgent that we should come down here this
morningwithoutlosingamoment-and,myword,youmadeConstableTurnersteponthegas!What
areyouafraidof?Thegirl'sshotherbolt."

Poirotwassilent.

"Whatareyouafraidof?"Battlerepeated.

"Whatisonealwaysafraidofinthesecases?"

Battlenodded."You'requiteright.Iwonder-"

"Youwonderwhat,myfriend?"

Battle said slowly, "I'm wondering if Miss Meredith knows that her friend told Mrs. Oliver a certain
fact."

Poirotnoddedhisheadinvigorousappreciation.

"Hurry,myfriend,"hesaid.

Theyhastenedalongtheriverbank.Therewasnocraftvisibleonthewater'ssurfacebutpresentlythey
rounded a bend and Poirot suddenly stopped dead. Battle's quick eyes saw also. "Major Despard," he
said.

Despardwasabouttwohundredyardsaheadofthem,stridingalongtheriverbank.Alittlefurtheronthe
two girls were in view in a punt on the water, Rhoda punting, Anne lying and laughing up at her.
Neitherofthemwaslookingtowardthebank.

Andthen-ithappened!Anne'shandoutstretched,Rhoda'sstagger,herplungeoverboard-herdesperate
graspatAnne'ssleeve-therockingboat-thenanoverturnedpuntandtwogirlsstrugglinginthewater.

"Seeit?"criedBattleashestartedtorun."LittleMeredithcaughtherroundtheankleandtippedherin.
MyGod,that'sherfourthmurder!"

Theywerebothrunninghard,butsomeonewasaheadofthem.Itwasclearthatneithergirlcouldswim,
but Despard had run quickly along the path to the nearest point and now he plunged in and swam
towardthem.

"MonDieu,thisisinteresting,"criedPoirot.HecaughtatBattle'sarm."Whichofthemwillhegofor

first?"

Thetwogirlswerenottogether.Abouttwelveyardsseparatedthem.

Despardswampowerfullytowardthem;therewasnocheckinhisstroke.Hewasmakingstraightfor
Rhoda.

Battleinhisturnreachedthenearestbankandwentin.DespardhadjustbroughtRhodasuccessfullyto
shore.Hehauledherup.Hungherdown,andplungedinagain,swimmingtowardthespotwhereAnne
hadjustgoneunder.

"Becareful,"calledBattle."Weeds."

HeandBattlegottothespotatthesametime,butAnnehadgoneunderbeforetheyreachedher.They
gotheratlastandbetweenthemtowedhertoshore.

RhodawasbeingministeredtobyPoirot.Shewassittingupnow,herbreathcomingunevenly.

DespardandBattlelaidAnneMeredithdown.

"Artificialrespiration,"saidBattle."Onlythingtodo.ButI'mafraidshe'sgone."

Hesettoworkmethodically.Poirotstoodbyreadytorelievehim.DesparddroppeddownbyRhoda.

"Areyouallright?"heaskedhoarsely.

Shesaidslowly,"Yousavedme.Yousavedme-"Sheheldoutherhandstohimandashetookthem
sheburstsuddenlyintotears.

Hesaid,"Rhoda-"Theirhandsclungtogether.

Hehadasuddenvision-ofAfricanscrub,andRhoda,laughingandadventurousbyhisside.

Chapter30

MURDER

"Doyoumeantosay,"saidRhoda,incredulously,"thatAnnemeanttopushmein?Iknowitfeltlikeit.
AndsheknewIcan'tswim.But-butwasitdeliberate?"

"Itwasquitedeliberate,"saidPoirot.

TheyweredrivingthroughtheoutskirtsofLondon.

"But-but-why?"

Poirotdidnotreplyforaminuteortwo.HethoughtheknewoneofthemotivesthathadledAnnetoact
asshehaddoneandthatmotivewassittingnexttoRhodaattheminute.

SuperintendentBattlecoughed.

"You'llhavetoprepareyourself,MissDawes,forabitofashock.ThisMrs.Bensonyourfriendlived
with,herdeathwasn'tquitetheaccidentthatitappeared-atleastsowe'vereasontosuppose."

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"Webelieve,"saidPoirot,"thatAnneMeredithchangedtwobottles."

"Oh,no-no,howhorrible!It'simpossible.Anne?Whyshouldshe?"

"Shehadherreasons,"saidSuperintendentBattle."Butthepointis,MissDawes,that,asfarasMiss
Meredithknew,youweretheonlypersonwhocouldgiveusacluetothatincident.Youdidn'ttellher,I
suppose,thatyou'dmentionedittoMrs.Oliver?"

Rhodasaidslowly,"No.Ithoughtshe'dbeannoyedwithme."

"Shewould.Veryannoyed,"saidBattlegrimly."Butshethoughtthattheonlydangercouldcomefrom
you,andthat'swhyshedecidedto-er-eliminateyou."

"Eliminate?Me?Oh,howbeastly!Itcan'tbealltrue."

"Well,she'sdeadnow,"saidSuperintendentBattle."sowemightaswellleaveitatthat,butshewasn'ta
nicefriendforyoutohave,MissDawes,andthat'safact."

Thecardrewupinfrontofadoor.

"We'llgointoMonsieurPoirot's,"saidSuperintendentBattle,"andhaveabitofatalkaboutitall."

InPoirot'ssitting-roomtheywerewelcomedbyMrs.OliverwhowasentertainingDoctorRoberts.They
weredrinkingsherry.Mrs.Oliverwaswearingoneofthenewhorsyhatsandavelvetdresswithabow
onthechest,onwhichreposedalargepieceofapplecore.

"Comein.Comein,"saidMrs.OliverhospitablyandquiteasthoughitwereherhouseandnotPoirot's.
"As soon as I got your telephone call, I rang up Doctor Roberts and we came round here, and all his
patientsaredyingbuthedoesn'tcare.They'reprobablygettingbetterreally.Wewanttohearallabout
everything."

"Yes,indeed,I'mthoroughlyfogged,"saidRoberts.

"Ehbien,"saidPoirot."Thecaseisended.ThemurdererofMr.Shaitanaisfoundatlast."

"So Mrs. Oliver told me. That pretty little thing, Anne Meredith. I can hardly believe it. A most
unbelievablemurderess."

"She was a murderess all right," said Battle. "Three murders to her credit - and not her fault that she
didn'tgetawaywithafourthone."

"Incredible!"murmuredRoberts.

"Notatall,"saidMrs.Oliver."Leastlikelyperson.Itseemstoworkoutinreallifejustthesameasin
books."

"It's been an amazing day," said Roberts. "First Mrs. Lorrimer's letter - I suppose that was a forgery,
eh?"

"Precisely.Aforgerywrittenintriplicate."

"Shewroteonetoherself,too?"

"Naturally. The forgery was quite skillful - it would not deceive an expert, of course, but then it was
highlyunlikelythatanexpertwouldhavebeencalledin.AlltheevidencepointedtoMrs.Lorrimer's
havingcommittedsuicide."

"Youwillexcusemycuriosity,MonsieurPoirot,butwhatmadeyoususpectthatshehadnotcommitted
suicide?"

"AlittleconversationthatIhadwithamaidservantatCheyneLane."

"ShetoldyouofAnneMeredith'svisittheformerevening?"

"Thatamongotherthings.Andthen,yousee,Ihadalreadycometoaconclusioninmyownmindasto
theidentityoftheguiltyperson-thatis,thepersonwhokilledMr.Shaitana.ThatpersonwasnotMrs.
Lorrimer."

"WhatmadeyoususpectMissMeredith?"

Poirotraisedhishand."Alittleminute.Letmeapproachthismatterinmyownway.Letme,thatisto
say, eliminate. The murderer of Mr. Shaitana was not Mrs. Lorrimer, nor was it Major Despard, and
curiouslyenoughitwasnotAnneMeredith-"

Heleanedforward.Hisvoicepurred,softandcatlike.

"You see, Doctor Roberts, you were the person who killed Mr. Shaitana and you also killed Mrs.
Lorrimer-"

Therewasatleastthreeminutes'silence.ThenRobertslaughedarathermenacinglaugh.

"Areyouquitemad,MonsieurPoirot?IcertainlydidnotmurderMr.ShaitanaandIcouldnotpossibly
havemurderedMrs.Lorrimer.MydearBattle,"heturnedtotheScotlandYardman,"areyoustanding
forthis?"

"Ithinkyou'dbetterlistentowhatMonsieurPoirothastosay,"saidBattlequietly.

Poirot said, "It is true that though I have known for some time that you - and only you - could have
killedShaitana,itwouldnotbeaneasymattertoproveit.ButMrs.Lorrimer'scaseisquitedifferent."
He leaned forward. "It is not a case of my knowing. It is much simpler than that - for we have an
eyewitnesswhosawyoudoit."

Robertsgrewveryquiet.Hiseyesglittered.Hesaidsharply,"Youaretalkingrubbish!"

"Oh,no,Iamnot.Itwasearlyinthemorning.YoubluffedyourwayintoMrs.Lorrimer'sroomwhere
she was still heavily asleep under the influence of the drug she had taken the night before. You bluff
again-pretendtoseeataglancethatsheisdead!Youpacktheparlormaidoffforbrandy,hotwater,all
the rest of it. You are left alone in the room. The maid has only had the barest peep. And then what
happens?

"YoumaynotbeawareofthefactDoctorRoberts,butcertainfirmsofwindowcleanersspecializein
earlymorningwork.Awindowcleanerwithhisladderarrivedatthesametimeasyoudid.Heplaced
his ladder against the side of the house and began his work. The first window he tackled was that of
Mrs. Lorrimer's room. When, however, he saw what was going on, he quickly retired to another
window,buthehadseensomethingfirst.Heshalltellushisownstory."

Poirotsteppedlightlyacrossthefloor,turnedadoorhandle,called,"Comein,Stephens,"andreturned.

Abig,awkward-lookingmanwithredhairentered.Inhishandheheldauniformhatbearingthelegend
ChelseaWindowCleanersAssociationwhichhetwirledawkwardly.

Poirotsaid,"Isthereanybodyyourecognizeinthisroom?"

Themanlookedround,thengaveabashfulnodoftheheadtowardDoctorRoberts."Him,"hesaid.

"Telluswhenyousawhimlastandwhathewasdoing?"

"This morning it was. Eight o'clock job at a lady's house in Cheyne Lane. I started on the windows
there.Ladywasinbed.Lookedillshedid.Shewasjustturningherheadroundonthepillow.Thisgent
Itooktobeadoctor.Heshovedhersleeveupandjabbedsomethingintoherarmjustabouthere."He
gestured."Shejustdroppedbackonthepillowagain.IthoughtI'dbetterhopittoanotherwindow,soI
did.HopeIdidn'tdowronginanyway?"

"Youdidadmirably,myfriend,"saidPoirot.

Hesaidquietly,"Ehbien,DoctorRoberts?"

"A-asimplerestorative,"stammeredRoberts."Alasthopeofbringingherround.It'smonstrous-"

Poirotinterruptedhim.

"A simple restorative? N-methyl-clyclo-hexenyl-methyl-malonyl urea," said Poirot. He rolled out the
syllables unctuously. "Known more simply as Evipan. Used as an anesthetic for short operations.
Injectedintravenouslyinlargedosesitproducesinstantunconsciousness.Itisdangeroustouseitafter
veronal or any barbiturates have been given. I noticed the bruised place on her arm where something
had obviously been injected into a vein. A hint to the police surgeon and the drug used was easily
discoveredbynolessapersonthanSirCharlesImphrey,theHomeOfficeanalyst."

"That about cooks your goose, I think," said Superintendent Battle. "No need to prove the Shaitana
business,though,ofcourse,ifnecessarywecanbringafurtherchargeastothemurderofMr.Charles
Craddock-andpossiblyhiswife,also."

ThementionofthosetwonamesfinishedRoberts.

He leaned back in his chair. "I throw in my hand," he said. "You've got me! I suppose that sly devil
Shaitanaputyouwisebeforeyoucamethatevening.AndIthoughtI'dsettledhishashsonicely."

"Itisn'tShaitanayou'vegottothank,"saidBattle."ThehonorsliewithMonsieurPoirothere."

Hewenttothedoorandtwomenentered.

SuperintendentBattle'svoicebecameofficialashemadetheformalarrest.

AsthedoorclosedbehindtheaccusedmanMrs.Oliversaidhappily,ifnotquitetruthfully,"Ialways
saidhedidit!"

Chapter31

CARDSONTHETABLE

ItwasPoirot'smoment,everyfacewasturnedtohisineageranticipation."Youareverykind,"hesaid,
smiling."Youknow,Ithink,thatIenjoymylittlelecture.Iamaprosyoldfellow.

"Thiscase,tomymind,hasbeenoneofthemostinterestingcasesIhaveevercomeacross.Therewas
nothing,yousee,togoupon.Therewerefourpeople,oneofwhommusthavecommittedthecrimebut
which of the four? Was there anything to tell one? In the material sense, no. There were no tangible
clues-nofingerprints,noincriminatingpapersordocuments.Therewereonly-thepeoplethemselves.

"Andonetangibleclue,thebridgescores.

"YoumayrememberthatfromthebeginningIshowedaparticularinterestinthosescores.Theytoldme
somethingaboutthevariouspeoplewhohadkeptthem,andtheydidmore.Theygavemeonevaluable
hint. I noticed at once, in the third rubber, the figure of 1500 above the line. That figure could only
representonething-acallofgrandslam.Nowifapersonweretomakeuphismindtocommitacrime
underthesesomewhatunusualcircumstances,thatis,duringarubberofbridge,thatpersonwasclearly
runningtwoseriousrisks.Thefirstwasthatthevictimmightcryout,andthesecondwasthatevenif
the victim did not cry out, some one of the other three might chance to look up at the psychological
momentandactuallywitnessthedeed.

"Now as to the first risk, nothing could be done about it. It was a matter of a gambler's luck. But
somethingcouldbedoneaboutthesecond.Itstandstoreasonthatduringaninterestingoranexciting
handtheattentionofthethreeplayerswouldbewhollyonthegame,whereasduringadullhandthey
weremorelikelytobelookingaboutthem.Nowabidofgrandslamisalwaysexciting.Itisveryoften,
as in this case it was, doubled. Every one of the three players is playing with close attention - the
declarer to get his contract, the adversaries to discard correctly and to get him down. It was, then, a
distinctpossibilitythatthemurderwascommittedduringthisparticularhand,andIdeterminedtofind
outif I couldexactly how thebidding had gone. Isoon discovered thatdummy during this particular
handhadbeenDoctorRoberts.Iborethatinmindandapproachedthematterfrommysecondangle-
psychologicalprobability.OfthefoursuspectsMrs.Lorrimerstruckmeasbyfarthemostlikelytoplan
and carry out a successful murder - but I could not see her as committing any crime that had to be
improvisedonthespurofthemoment.Ontheotherhandhermannerthatfirsteveningpuzzledme.It

suggested either that she had committed the murder herself or that she knew who had committed it.
Miss Meredith, Major Despard, and Doctor Roberts were all psychological possibilities, though, as I
havealreadymentioned,eachofthemwouldhavecommittedthecrimefromanentirelydifferentangle.

"I next made a second test. I got everyone in turn to tell me just what they remembered of the room.
From that I got some very valuable information. First of all, by far the most likely person to have
noticedthedaggerwasDoctorRoberts.Hewasanaturalobserveroftriflesofallkinds-whatiscalled
an observant man. Of the bridge hands, however, he remembered practically nothing at all. I did not
expecthimtoremembermuch,huthiscompleteforgetfulnesslookedasthoughhehadhadsomething
elseonhismind,alltheevening.Again,yousee,DoctorRobertswasindicated.

"Mrs.LorrimerIfoundtohaveamarvelouscardmemory,andIcouldwellimaginethatwithanyoneof
her powers of concentration a murder could easily be committed close at hand and she would never
notice anything. She gave me a valuable piece of information. The grand slam was bid by Doctor
Robertsquiteunjustifiablyandhebiditinhersuit,nothisown,sothatshenecessarilyplayedthehand.

"Thethirdtest,thetestonwhichSuperintendentBattleandIbuiltagooddeal,wasthediscoveryofthe
earliermurders,soastoestablishasimilarityofmethod.Well,thecreditforthosediscoveriesbelongs
to Superintendent Battle, to Mrs. Oliver, and to Colonel Race. Discussing the matter with my friend
Battleheconfessedhimselfdisappointedbecausetherewerenopointsofsimilaritybetweenanyofthe
three earlier crimes and that of the murder of Mr. Shaitana. But actually that was not true. The two
murdersattributedtoDoctorRobertswhenexaminedcloselyandfromthepsychologicalpointofview
and not the material one, proved to he almost exactly the same. They, too, had been what I might
describeaspublicmurders.Ashavingbrushboldlyinfectedinthevictim'sowndressing-roomwhilethe
doctorofficiallywasheshishandsafteravisit.ThemurderofMrs.Craddockundercoverofatyphoid
inoculation.Againdonequiteopenly-inthesightoftheworldasyoumightsay.Andthereactionof
themanisthesame.Pushedintoacorner,heseizesachanceandactsatonce-sheer,bold,audacious
bluff-exactlylikehisplayatbridge.Asatbridge,sointhemurderofShaitanahetookalongchance
andplayedhiscardswell.Theblowwasperfectlystruckandatexactlytherightmoment.

"NowjustatthemomentthatIhaddecidedquitedefinitelythatRobertswastheman,Mrs.Lorrimer
askedmetocomeandseeher-andquiteconvincinglyaccusedherselfofthecrime!Inearlybelieved
her!ForaminuteortwoIdidbelieveher,andthenmylittlegraycellsreassertedtheirmastery.Itcould
notbe,soitwasnot!

"Butwhatshetoldmewasmoredifficultstill.

"SheassuredmethatshehadactuallyseenAnneMeredithcommitthecrime.

"Itwasnottillthefollowingmorning,whenIstoodbyadeadwoman'sbed,thatIsawhowIcouldstill

berightandMrs.Lorrimerstillhavespokenthetruth.

"AnneMeredithwentovertothefireplaceandsawthatMr.Shaitanawasdead!Shestoopedoverhim,
perhapsstretchedoutherhandtothegleamingheadofthejeweledpin.

"Herlipsparttocallout,butshedoesnotcallout.SheremembersShaitana'stalkatdinner.Perhapshe
hasleftsomerecord.She,AnneMeredith,hasamotivefordesiringhisdeath.Everyonewillsaythat
she has killed him. She dare not call out. Trembling with fear and apprehension she goes back to her
seat.

"SoMrs.Lorrimerisright,sinceshe,asshethought,sawthecrimecommitted;butIamrighttoo,for
actuallyshedidnotseeit.

"IfRobertshadheldhishandatthispoint,Idoubtifwecouldhaveeverbroughthiscrimeshometo
him.Wemighthavedoneso,byamixtureofbluffandvariousingeniousdevices.Iwouldatanyrate
havetried.Buthelosthisnerveand,onceagain,overbidhishand.Andthistimethecardslaywrong
forhimandhecamedownheavily.

"Nodoubthewasuneasy.HeknewthatBattlewasnosingabout.Heforesawthepresentsituationgoing
onindefinitely,thepolicestillsearching-andperhaps,bysomemiracle,comingontracesofhisformer
crimes.HehituponthebrilliantideaofmakingMrs.Lorrimerthescapegoatfortheparty.Hispracticed
eyeguessed,nodoubt,thatshewasillandthatherlifecouldnotbeverymuchprolonged.Hownatural
inthosecircumstancesforhertochooseaquickwayoutand,beforetakingit,confesstothecrime!So
he manages to get a sample of her hand-writing-forges three identical letters and arrives at the house
hotfootinthemorningwithhisstoryoftheletterhehasjustreceived.Hisparlormaidquitecorrectlyis
instructedtoringupthepolice.Allheneedsisastart.Andhegetsit.Bythetimethepolicesurgeon
arrivesitisallover.DoctorRobertsisreadywithhisstoryofartificialrespirationthathasfailed.Itisall
perfectlyplausible,perfectlystraightforward.

"InallthishehasnoideaofthrowingsuspiciononAnneMeredith.Hedoesnotevenknowofhervisit
thenightbefore.Itissuicideandsecurityonlythatheisaimingat.

"It is in fact an awkward moment for him when I ask if he is acquainted with Mrs. Lorrimer's
handwriting.Iftheforgeryhasbeendetectedhemustsavehimselfbysayingthathehasneverseenher
handwriting.Hismindworksquickly,butnotquicklyenough.

"FromWallingfordItelephonetoMrs.Oliver.Sheplaysherpartbylullinghissuspicionsandbringing
himhere.Andthenwhenheiscongratulatinghimselfthatalliswell,thoughnotexactlyinthewayhe
hasplanned,theblowfalls.HerculePoirotsprings!Andso-thegamblerwillgatherinnomoretricks.

Hehasthrownhiscardsuponthetable.C'estfini."

Therewassilence.Rhodabrokeitwithasigh.

"Whatamazingluckthatwindowcleanerhappenedtobethere,"shesaid.

"Luck? Luck? That was not luck, mademoiselle. That was the gray cells of Hercule Poirot. And that
remindsme-"

Hewenttothedoor.

"Comein-comein,mydearfellow.Youactedyourpartàmerveille."

Hereturnedaccompaniedbythewindowcleanerwhonowheldhisredhairinhishandandwholooked
somehowaverydifferentperson.

"MyfriendMr.GeraldHemmingway,averypromisingyoungactor."

"Thentherewasnowindowcleaner?"criedRhoda."Nobodysawhim?"

"Isaw,"saidPoirot."Withtheeyesofthemindonecanseemorethanwiththeeyesofthebody.One
leansbackandclosestheeyes-"

Despardsaidcheerfully,"Let'sstabhim,Rhoda,andseeifhisghostcancomebackandfindoutwho
didit."