HP14-MurderinMesopotamia

AgathaChristie

FOREWORDBYGILESREILLY,M.D.

Theeventschronicledinthisnarrativetookplacesomefouryearsago.Circumstanceshaverenderedit
necessary,inmyopinion,thatastraightforwardaccountofthemshouldbegiventothepublic.There
havebeenthewildestandmostridiculousrumourssuggestingthatimportantevidencewassuppressed
andothernonsenseofthatkind.ThosemisconstructionshaveappearedmoreespeciallyintheAmerican
press.

For obvious reasons it was desirable that the account should not come from the pen of one of the
expeditionstaff,whomightreasonablybesupposedtobeprejudiced.

IthereforesuggestedtoMissAmyLeatheranthatsheshouldundertakethetask.Sheisobviouslythe
persontodoit.Shehasaprofessionalcharacterofthehighest,sheisnotbiasedbyhavinganyprevious
connectionwiththeUniversityofPittstownExpeditiontoIraqandshewasanobservantandintelligent
eye-witness.

ItwasnotveryeasytopersuadeMissLeatherantoundertakethistask-infact,persuadingherwasone
ofthehardestjobsofmyprofessionalcareer-andevenafteritwascompletedshedisplayedacurious
reluctancetoletmeseethemanuscript.Idiscoveredthatthiswaspartlyduetosomecriticalremarks
she had made concerning my daughter Sheila. I soon disposed of that, assuring her that as children
criticizetheirparentsfreelyinprintnowadays,parentsareonlytoodelightedwhentheiroffspringcome
infortheirshareofabuse!Herotherobjectionwasextrememodestyaboutherliterarystyle.Shehoped
Iwould"putthegrammarrightandallthat."Ihave,onthecontrary,refusedtoaltersomuchasasingle
word. Miss Leatheran's style in my opinion is vigorous, individual and entirely apposite. If she calls
Hercule Poirot "Poirot" in one paragraph and "Mr. Poirot" in the next, such a variation is both
interestingandsuggestive.Atonemomentsheis,sotospeak,"rememberinghermanners"(andhospital
nursesaregreatsticklersforetiquette)andatthenextherinterestinwhatsheistellingisthatofapure
humanbeing-capandcuffsforgotten!

The only thing I have done is to take the liberty of writing a first chapter - aided by a letter kindly
suppliedbyoneofMissLeatheran'sfriends.Itisintendedtobeinthenatureofafrontispiece-thatis,it
givesaroughsketchofthenarrator.

Chapter1

FOREWORD

InthehalloftheTigrisPalaceHotelinBaghdadahospitalnursewasfinishingaletter.Herfountain-pen
drovebrisklyoverthepaper.

"... Well, dear. I think that's really all my news. I must say it's been nice to see a bit of the world -
thoughEnglandformeeverytime,thankyou!ThedirtandthemessinBaghdadyouwouldn'tbelieve-
andnotromanticatalllikeyou'dthinkfromtheArabianNights!Ofcourse,it'sprettyjustontheriver,
butthetownitselfisjustawful-andnopropershopsatall.MajorKelseytookmethroughthebazaars,
andofcoursethere'snodenyingthey'requaint-butjustalotofrubbishandhammeringawayatcopper
pans till they make your head ache - and not what I'd like to use myself unless I was sure about the
cleaning.You'vegottobesocarefulofverdigriswithcopperpans.

"I'll write and let you know if anything comes of the job that Dr. Reilly spoke about. He said this
AmericangentlemanwasinBaghdadnowandmightcomeandseemethisafternoon.It'sforhiswife-
shehas'fancies,'soDr.Reillysaid.Hedidn'tsayanymorethanthat,andofcourse,dear,oneknows
whatthatusuallymeans(butIhopenotactuallyD.T.'s!).Ofcourse,Dr.Reillydidn'tsayanything-but
he had a look - if you know what I mean. This Dr. Leidner is an archaeologist and is digging up a
moundoutinthedesertsomewhereforsomeAmericanmuseum.

"Well, dear, I will close now. I thought what you told me about little Stubbins was simply killing!
WhateverdidMatronsay?

"Nomorenow.

"Yoursever,

"AmyLeatheran."

Enclosing the letter in an envelope, she addressed it to Sister Curshaw, St. Christopher's Hospital,
London.

Assheputthecaponherfountainpen,oneofthenativeboysapproachedher.

"Agentlemancomeseeyou.Dr.Leidner."

Nurse Leatheran turned. She saw a man of middle height with slightly stooping shoulders, a brown
beardandgentletiredeyes.

Dr.Leidnersawawomanofthirty-fiveoferect,confidentbearing.Hesawagood-humouredfacewith
slightlyprominentblueeyesandglossybrownhair.Shelooked,hethought,justwhatahospitalnurse
foranervouscaseoughttolook.Cheerful,robust,shrewdandmatteroffact.

NurseLeatheran,hethought,woulddo.

Chapter2

INTRODUCINGAMYLEATHERAN

I don't pretend to be an author or to know anything about writing. I'm doing this simply because Dr.
Reillyaskedmeto,andsomehowwhenDr.Reillyasksyoutodoathingyoudon'tliketorefuse.

"Oh,but,doctor,"Isaid,"I'mnotliterary-notliteraryatall."

"Nonsense!"hesaid."Treatitascasenotes,ifyoulike."

Well,ofcourse,youcanlookatitthatway.

Dr.Reillywenton.HesaidthatanunvarnishedplainaccountoftheTellYarimjahbusinesswasbadly
needed.

"If one of the interested parties writes it, it won't carry conviction. They'll say it's biased one way or
another."

Andofcoursethatwastrue,too.Iwasinitallandyetanoutsider,sotospeak.

"Whydon'tyouwriteityourself,doctor?"Iasked.

"Iwasn'tonthespot-youwere.Besides,"headdedwithasigh,"mydaughterwon'tletme."

Thewayheknucklesundertothatchitofagirlofhisisdownrightdisgraceful.Ihadhalfamindtosay
so,whenIsawthathiseyesweretwinkling.ThatwastheworstofDr.Reilly.Youneverknewwhether
hewasjokingornot.Healwayssaidthingsinthesameslowmelancholyway-buthalfthetimethere
wasatwinkleunderneathit.

"Well,"Isaiddoubtfully."IsupposeIcould."

"Ofcourseyoucould."

"OnlyIdon'tquiteknowhowtosetaboutit."

"There'sagoodprecedentforthat.Beginatthebeginning,goontotheendandthenleaveoff."

"Idon'tevenknowquitewhereandwhatthebeginningwas,"Isaiddoubtfully.

"Believeme,nurse,thedifficultyofbeginningwillbenothingtothedifficultyofknowinghowtostop.
Atleastthat'sthewayitiswithmewhenIhavetomakeaspeech.Someone'sgottocatchholdofmy
coat-tailsandpullmedownbymainforce."

"Oh,you'rejoking,doctor."

"It'sprofoundlyseriousIam.Nowwhataboutit?"

Anotherthingwasworryingme.AfterhesitatingamomentortwoIsaid:

"Youknow,doctor,I'mafraidImighttendtobe-well,alittlepersonalsometimes."

"Godblessmysoul,woman,themorepersonalyouarethebetter!Thisisastoryofhumanbeings-not
dummies! Be personal - be prejudiced - be catty - be anything you please! Write the thing your own
way. We can always prune out the bits that are libellous afterwards! You go ahead. You're a sensible
woman,andyou'llgiveasensiblecommon-senseaccountofthebusiness."

Sothatwasthat,andIpromisedtodomybest.

AndhereIambeginning,butasIsaidtothedoctor,it'sdifficulttoknowjustwheretostart.

IsupposeIoughttosayawordortwoaboutmyself.I'mthirty-twoandmynameisAmyLeatheran.I
tookmytrainingatSt.Christopher'sandafterthatdidtwoyears'maternity.Ididacertainamountof
privateworkandIwasforfouryearsatMissBendix'sNursingHomeinDevonshirePlace.Icameout
toIraqwithaMrs.Kelsey.I'dattendedherwhenherbabywasborn.ShewascomingouttoBaghdad
with her husband and had already got a children's nurse booked who had been for some years with
friends of hers out there. Their children were coming home and going to school, and the nurse had
agreedtogotoMrs.Kelseywhentheyleft.Mrs.Kelseywasdelicateandnervousaboutthejourneyout
withsoyoungachild,soMajorKelseyarrangedthatIshouldcomeoutwithherandlookafterherand
thebaby.Theywouldpaymypassagehomeunlesswefoundsomeoneneedinganurseforthereturn
journey.

Well,thereisnoneedtodescribetheKelseys-thebabywasalittleloveandMrs.Kelseyquitenice,
thoughratherthefrettingkind.Ienjoyedthevoyageverymuch.I'dneverbeenonalongtriponthesea
before.

Dr. Reilly was on board the boat. He was a black-haired, long-faced man who said all sorts of funny
thingsinalow,sadvoice.Ithinkheenjoyedpullingmylegandusedtomakethemostextraordinary
statementstoseeifIwouldswallowthem.HewasthecivilsurgeonataplacecalledHassanieh-aday
andahalf'sjourneyfromBaghdad.

I had been about a week in Baghdad when I ran across him and he asked when I was leaving the
Kelseys.IsaidthatitwasfunnyhisaskingthatbecauseasamatteroffacttheWrights(theotherpeople
I mentioned) were going home earlier than they had meant to and their nurse was free to come
straightaway.

HesaidthathehadheardabouttheWrightsandthatthatwaswhyhehadaskedme.

"Asamatteroffact,nurse,I'vegotapossiblejobforyou."

"Acase?"

Hescrewedhisfaceupasthoughconsidering.

"Youcouldhardlycallitacase.It'sjustaladywhohas-shallwesay-fancies?"

"Oh!"Isaid.

(Oneusuallyknowswhatthatmeans-drinkordrugs!)

Dr.Reillydidn'texplainfurther.Hewasverydiscreet.

"Yes," he said. "A Mrs. Leidner. Husband's an American - an American Swede to be exact. He's the
headofalargeAmericandig."

And he explained how this expedition was excavating the site of a big Assyrian city something like
Nineveh.TheexpeditionhousewasnotactuallyveryfarfromHassanieh,butitwasalonelyspotand
Dr.Leidnerhadbeenworriedforsometimeabouthiswife'shealth.

"He'snotbeenveryexplicitaboutit,butitseemsshehasthesefitsofrecurringnervousterrors."

"Issheleftalonealldayamongstnatives?"Iasked.

"Oh, no, there's quite a crowd - seven or eight. I don't fancy she's ever alone in the house. But there
seemstobenodoubtthatshe'sworkedherselfupintoaqueerstate.Leidnerhasanyamountofworkon
hisshoulders,buthe'scrazyabouthiswifeanditworrieshimtoknowshe'sinthisstate.Hefelthe'dbe
happierifheknewthatsomeresponsiblepersonwithexpertknowledgewaskeepinganeyeonher."

"AndwhatdoesMrs.Leidnerherselfthinkaboutit?"

Dr.Reillyansweredgravely.

"Mrs.Leidnerisaverylovelylady.She'sseldomofthesamemindaboutanythingtwodaysonend.But
onthewholeshefavourstheidea."Headded,"She'sanoddwoman.Amassofaffectationand,Ishould
fancy, a champion liar - but Leidner seems honestly to believe that she is scared out of her life by
somethingorother."

"Whatdidsheherselfsaytoyou,doctor?"

"Oh, she hasn't consulted me! She doesn't like me anyway - for several reasons. It was Leidner who

cametomeandpropoundedthisplan.Well,nurse,whatdoyouthinkoftheidea?You'dseesomething
ofthecountrybeforeyougohome-they'llbediggingforanothertwomonths.Andexcavationisquite
interestingwork."

Afteramoment'shesitationwhileIturnedthematteroverinmymind:

"Well,"Isaid."IreallythinkImighttryit."

"Splendid,"saidDr.Reilly,rising."Leidner'sinBaghdadnow.I'lltellhimtocomeroundandseeifhe
canfixthingsupwithyou."

Dr. Leidner came to the hotel that afternoon. He was a middle-aged man with a rather nervous,
hesitatingmanner.Therewassomethinggentleandkindlyandratherhelplessabouthim.

Hesoundedverydevotedtohiswife,buthewasveryvagueaboutwhatwasthematterwithher.

"You see," he said, tugging at his beard in a rather perplexed manner that I later came to know to be
characteristicofhim,"mywifeisreallyinaverynervousstate.I-I'mquiteworriedabouther."

"Sheisingoodphysicalhealth?"Iasked.

"Yes-oh,yes,Ithinkso.No,Ishouldnotthinktherewasanythingthematterwithherphysically.But
she-well-imaginesthings,youknow."

"Whatkindofthings?"Iasked.

Butheshiedofffromthepoint,merelymurmuringperplexedly:

"Sheworksherselfupovernothingatall...Ireallycanseenofoundationsforthesefears."

"Fearsofwhat,Dr.Leidner?"

Hesaidvaguely,"Oh,just-nervousterrors,youknow."

Tentoone,Ithoughttomyself,it'sdrugs.Andhedoesn'trealizeit!Lotsofmendon't.Justwonderwhy
theirwivesaresojumpyandhavesuchextraordinarychangesofmood.

IaskedwhetherMrs.Leidnerherselfapprovedoftheideaofmycoming.

Hisfacelightedup.

"Yes.Iwassurprised.Mostpleasurablysurprised.Shesaiditwasaverygoodidea.Shesaidshewould
feelverymuchsafer."

Thewordstruckmeoddly.Safer.Averyqueerwordtouse.IbegantosurmisethatMrs.Leidnermight
beamentalcase.

Hewentonwithakindofboyisheagerness.

"I'msureyou'llgetonverywellwithher.She'sreallyaverycharmingwoman."Hesmileddisarmingly.
"Shefeelsyou'llbethegreatestcomforttoher.IfeltthesameassoonasIsawyou.Youlook,ifyou
willallowmetosayso,sosplendidlyhealthyandfullofcommonsense.I'msureyou'rejusttheperson
forLouise."

"Well, we can but try, Dr. Leidner," I said cheerfully. "I'm sure I hope I can be of use to your wife.
Perhapsshe'snervousofnatives."

"Oh, dear me, no." He shook his head, amused at the idea. "My wife likes Arabs very much - she
appreciatestheirsimplicityandtheirsenseofhumour.Thisisonlyhersecondseason-wehavebeen
marriedlessthantwoyears-butshealreadyspeaksquiteafairamountofArabic."

Iwassilentforamomentortwo,thenIhadonemoretry.

"Can'tyoutellmeatallwhatitisyourwifeisafraidof,Dr.Leidner?"Iasked.

Hehesitated.Thenhesaidslowly,"Ihope-Ibelieve-thatshewilltellyouthatherself."

Andthat'sallIcouldgetoutofhim.

Chapter3

GOSSIP

ItwasarrangedthatIshouldgotoTellYarimjahthefollowingweek.

Mrs.KelseywassettlingintoherhouseatAlwiyah,andIwasgladtobeabletotakeafewthingsoff
hershoulders.

During that time I heard one or two allusions to the Leidner expedition. A friend of Mrs. Kelsey's, a
youngsquadron-leader,pursedhislipsinsurpriseasheexclaimed:

"LovelyLouise.Sothat'sherlatest!"Heturnedtome."That'sournicknameforher,nurse.She'salways
knownasLovelyLouise."

"Isshesoveryhandsomethen?"Iasked.

"It'stakingheratherownvaluation.Shethinkssheis!"

"Nowdon'tbespiteful,John,"saidMrs.Kelsey.

"Youknowit'snotonlyshewhothinksso!Lotsofpeoplehavebeenverysmittenbyher."

"Perhapsyou'reright.She'sabitlonginthetooth,butshehasacertainattraction."

"Youwerecompletelybowledoveryourself,"saidMrs.Kelsey,laughing.

Thesquadron-leaderblushedandadmittedrathershamefacedly:

"Well,shehasawaywithher.AsforLeidnerhimself,heworshipsthegroundshewalkson-andallthe
restoftheexpeditionhastoworshiptoo!It'sexpectedofthem!"

"Howmanyaretherealtogether?"Iasked.

"Allsortsandnationalities,nurse,"saidthesquadron-leadercheerfully."AnEnglisharchitect,aFrench
FatherfromCarthage-hedoestheinscriptions-tabletsandthings,youknow.Andthenthere'sMiss
Johnson. She's English too - sort of general bottle-washer. And a little plump man who does the
photography - he's an American. And the Mercados. Heaven knows what nationality they are. She's
quiteyoung-asnaky-lookingcreature-andoh!doesn'tshehateLovelyLouise!Andthereareacouple
ofyoungsters,andthat'sthelot.Afewoddfish,butniceonthewhole-don'tyouagree,Pennyman?"

Hewasappealingtoanelderlymanwhowassittingthoughtfullytwirlingapairofpince-nez.

Thelatterstartedandlookedup.

"Yes-yes-veryniceindeed.Takenindividually,thatis.Ofcourse,Mercadoisratheraqueerfish-"

"Hehassuchaveryoddbeard,"putinMrs.Kelsey."Aqueerlimpkind."

MajorPennymanwentonwithoutnoticingherinterruption.

"Theyoung'unsarebothnice.TheAmerican'srathersilent,andtheEnglishboytalksabittoomuch.
Funny, it's usually the other way round. Leidner himself is a delightful fellow - so modest and
unassuming. Yes, individually they are all pleasant people. But somehow or other, I may have been
fanciful,butthelasttimeIwenttoseethemIgotaqueerimpressionofsomethingbeingwrong.Idon't
knowwhatitwasexactly...Nobodyseemedquitenatural.Therewasaqueeratmosphereoftension.I
canexplainbestwhatImeanbysayingthattheyallpassedthebuttertoeachothertoopolitely."

Blushingalittle,becauseIdon'tlikeairingmyownopinionstoomuch,Isaid:

"Ifpeoplearetoomuchcoopeduptogetherit'sgotawayofgettingontheirnerves.Iknowthatmyself
fromexperienceinhospital."

"That'strue,"saidMajorKelsey,"butit'searlyintheseason,hardlytimeforthatparticularirritationto
havesetin."

"Anexpeditionisprobablylikeourlifehereinminiature,"saidMajorPennyman."Ithasitscliquesand
rivalriesandjealousies."

"Itsoundsasthoughthey'dgotagoodmanynewcomersthisyear,"saidMajorKelsey.

"Let me see." The squadron-leader counted them off on his fingers. "Young Coleman is new, so is
Reiter.EmmottwasoutlastyearandsoweretheMercados.FatherLavignyisanew-comer.He'scome
inplaceofDr.Byrd,whowasillthisyearandcouldn'tcomeout.Carey,ofcourse,isanoldhand.He's
been out ever since the beginning, five years ago. Miss Johnson's been out nearly as many years as
Carey."

"IalwaysthoughttheygotonsowelltogetheratTellYarimjah,"remarkedMajorKelsey."Theyseemed
like a happy family - which is really surprising when one considers what human nature is! I'm sure
NurseLeatheranagreeswithme."

"Well," I said. "I don't know that you're not right! The rows I've known in hospital and starting often
fromnothingmorethanadisputeaboutapotoftea."

"Yes, one tends to get petty in close communities," said Major Pennyman. "All the same I feel there
must be something more to it in this case. Leidner is such a gentle, unassuming man, with really a
remarkableamountoftact.He'salwaysmanagedtokeephisexpeditionhappyandongoodtermswith
eachother.AndyetIdidnoticethatfeelingoftensiontheotherday."

Mrs.Kelseylaughed.

"Andyoudon'tseetheexplanation?Why,itleapstotheeye!"

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"Mrs.Leidner,ofcourse."

"Oh,come,Mary,"saidherhusband,"she'sacharmingwoman-notatallthequarrelsomekind."

"Ididn'tsayshewasquarrelsome.Shecausesquarrels!"

"Inwhatway?Andwhyshouldshe?"

"Why? Why? Because she's bored. She's not an archaeologist, only the wife of one. She's bored shut
away from any excitements and so she provides her own drama. She amuses herself by setting other
peoplebytheears."

"Mary,youdon'tknowintheleast.You'remerelyimagining."

"OfcourseI'mimagining!Butyou'llfindI'mright.LovelyLouisedoesn'tlookliketheMonaLisafor
nothing!Shemayn'tmeananyharm,butshelikestoseewhatwillhappen."

"She'sdevotedtoLeidner."

"Oh!Idaresay.I'mnotsuggestingvulgarintrigues.Butshe'sanallumeuse,thatwoman."

"Womenaresosweettoeachother,"saidMajorKelsey.

"Iknow.Cat,cat,cat,that'swhatyoumensay.Butwe'reusuallyrightaboutourownsex."

"Allthesame,"saidMajorPennymanthoughtfully,"assumingallMrs.Kelsey'suncharitablesurmises
tobetrue,Idon'tthinkitwouldquiteaccountforthatcurioussenseoftension-ratherlikethefeeling
there is before a thunderstorm. I had the impression very strongly that the storm might break any
minute."

"Nowdon'tfrightennurse,"saidMrs.Kelsey."She'sgoingthereinthreedays'timeandyou'llputher
rightoff."

"Oh,youwon'tfrightenme,"Isaid,laughing.

All the same I thought a good deal about what had been said. Dr. Leidner's curious use of the word
"safer" recurred to me. Was it his wife's secret fear, unacknowledged or expressed perhaps, that was
reactingontherestoftheparty?Orwasittheactualtension(orperhapstheunknowncauseofit)that
wasreactingonhernerves?

Ilookeduptheword"allumeuse"thatMrs.Kelseyhadusedinadictionary,butcouldn'tgetanysense
outofit.

"Well,"Ithoughttomyself,"Imustwaitandsee."

Chapter4

IARRIVEINHASSANIEH

ThreedayslaterIleftBaghdad.

IwassorrytoleaveMrs.Kelseyandthebaby,whowasalittleloveandwasthrivingsplendidly,gaining
herpropernumberofounceseveryweek.MajorKelseytookmetothestationandsawmeoff.Ishould
arriveatKirkukthefollowingmorning,andtheresomeonewastomeetme.

Isleptbadly.IneversleepverywellinatrainandIwastroubledbydreams.

Thenextmorning,however,whenIlookedoutofthewindowitwasalovelydayandIfeltinterested
andcuriousaboutthepeopleIwasgoingtosee.

AsIstoodontheplatformhesitatingandlookingaboutmeIsawayoungmancomingtowardsme.He
hadaroundpinkface,andreally,inallmylife,Ihaveneverseenanyonewhoseemedsoexactlylikea
youngmanoutofoneofMr.P.G.Wodehouse'sbooks.

"Hallo,'allo,'allo,"hesaid."AreyouNurseLeatheran?Well,Imeanyoumustbe-Icanseethat.Ha
ha!Myname'sColeman.Dr.Leidnersentmealong.Howareyoufeeling?Beastlyjourneyandallthat?
Don'tIknowthesetrains!Well,hereweare-hadanybreakfast?Thisyourkit?Isay,awfullymodest,
aren'tyou?Mrs.Leidnerhasfoursuitcasesandatrunk-tosaynothingofahat-boxandapatentpillow,
andthis,thatandtheother.AmItalkingtoomuch?Comealongtotheoldbus."

TherewaswhatIheardcalledlaterastationwagonwaitingoutside.Itwasalittlelikeawagonette,a
littlelikealorryandalittlelikeacar.Mr.Colemanhelpedmein,explainingthatIhadbettersitnextto
thedriversoastogetlessjolting.

Jolting! I wonder the whole contraption didn't fall to pieces! And nothing like a road - just a sort of
trackallrutsandholes.GloriousEastindeed!WhenIthoughtofoursplendidarterialroadsinEngland
itmademequitehomesick.

Mr.Colemanleanedforwardfromhisseatbehindmeandyelledinmyearagooddeal.

"Track'sinprettygoodcondition,"heshoutedjustafterwehadallbeenthrownupinourseatstillwe
nearlytouchedtheroof.

Andapparentlyhewasspeakingquiteseriously.

"Verygoodforyou-jogstheliver,"hesaid."Yououghttoknowthat,nurse."

"Astimulatedliverwon'tbemuchgoodtomeifmyhead'ssplitopen,"Iobservedtartly.

"You should come along here after it's rained! The skids are glorious. Most of the time one's going
sideways."

TothisIdidnotrespond.

Presently we had to cross the river, which we did on the craziest ferry-boat you can imagine. To my
minditwasamercyweevergotacross,buteveryoneseemedtothinkitwasquiteusual.

IttookusaboutfourhourstogettoHassanieh,which,tomysurprise,wasquiteabigplace.Verypretty
itlooked,too,beforewegottherefromtheothersideoftheriver-standingupquitewhiteandfairy-
likewithminarets.Itwasabitdifferent,though,whenonehadcrossedthebridgeandcomerightintoit.
Suchasmell,andeverythingramshackleandtumble-down,andmudandmesseverywhere.

Mr.ColemantookmetoDr.Reilly'shouse,where,hesaid,thedoctorwasexpectingmetolunch.

Dr.Reillywasjustasniceasever,andhishousewasnicetoo,withabathroomandeverythingspick
andspan.Ihadanicebath,andbythetimeIgotbackintomyuniformandcamedownIwasfeeling
fine.

Lunchwasjustreadyandwewentin,thedoctorapologizingforhisdaughter,whomhesaidwasalways
late.

We'djusthadaverygooddishofeggsinsaucewhenshecameinandDr.Reillysaid,"Nurse,thisismy
daughterSheila."

Sheshookhands,hopedI'dhadagoodjourney,tossedoffherhat,gaveacoolnodtoMr.Colemanand
satdown.

"Well,Bill,"shesaid."How'severything?"

Hebegantotalktoheraboutsomepartyorotherthatwastocomeoffattheclub,andItookstockof
her.

Ican'tsayItooktohermuch.Athoughttoocoolformyliking.Anoff-handsortofgirl,thoughgood-
looking. Black hair and blue eyes - a pale sort of face and the usual lip-sticked mouth. She'd a cool,
sarcasticwayoftalkingthatratherannoyedme.Ihadaprobationerlikeherundermeonce-agirlwho
workedwell,I'lladmit,butwhosemanneralwaysriledme.

It looked to me rather as though Mr. Coleman was gone on her. He stammered a bit, and his
conversationbecameslightlymoreidioticthanitwasbefore,ifthatwaspossible!Heremindedmeofa
largestupiddogwaggingitstailandtryingtoplease.

AfterlunchDr.Reillywentofftothehospital,andMr.Colemanhadsomethingstogetinthetown,and
MissReillyaskedmewhetherI'dliketoseeroundthetownabitorwhetherI'dratherstopinthehouse.
Mr.Coleman,shesaid,wouldbebacktofetchmeinaboutanhour.

"Isthereanythingtosee?"Iasked.

"There are some picturesque corners," said Miss Reilly. "But I don't know that you'd care for them.
They'reextremelydirty."

Thewayshesaiditrathernettledme.I'veneverbeenabletoseethatpicturesquenessexcusesdirt.

Intheendshetookmetotheclub,whichwaspleasantenough,overlookingtheriver,andtherewere
Englishpapersandmagazinesthere.

WhenwegotbacktothehouseMr.Colemanwasn'tthereyet,sowesatdownandtalkedabit.Itwasn't
easysomehow.

SheaskedmeifI'dmetMrs.Leidneryet.

"No,"Isaid."Onlyherhusband."

"Oh,"shesaid."Iwonderwhatyou'llthinkofher?"

Ididn'tsayanythingtothat.Andshewenton:

"IlikeDr.Leidnerverymuch.Everybodylikeshim."

That'sasgoodassaying,Ithought,thatyoudon'tlikehiswife.

Istilldidn'tsayanythingandpresentlysheaskedabruptly:

"What'sthematterwithher?DidDr.Leidnertellyou?"

Iwasn'tgoingtostartgossipingaboutapatientbeforeIgotthereeven,soIsaidevasively:

"Iunderstandshe'sabitrundownandwantslookingafter."

Shelaughed-anastysortoflaugh-hardandabrupt.

"GoodGod,"shesaid."Aren'tninepeoplelookingafterheralreadyenough?"

"Isupposethey'veallgottheirworktodo,"Isaid.

"Worktodo?Ofcoursethey'vegotworktodo.ButLouisecomesfirst-sheseestothatallright."

"No,"Isaidtomyself."Youdon'tlikeher."

"Allthesame,"wentonMissReilly,"Idon'tseewhatshewantswithaprofessionalhospitalnurse.I
shouldhavethoughtamateurassistancewasmoreinherline;notsomeonewho'lljamathermometerin
hermouth,andcountherpulseandbringeverythingdowntohardfacts."

Well,Imustadmitit,Iwascurious.

"Youthinkthere'snothingthematterwithher?"Iasked.

"Of course there's nothing the matter with her! The woman's as strong as an ox. 'Dear Louise hasn't
slept.' 'She's got black circles under her eyes.' Yes - put there with a blue pencil! Anything to get
attention,tohaveeverybodyhoveringroundher,makingafussofher!"

There was something in that, of course. I had (what nurse hasn't?) come across many cases of
hypochondriacswhosedelightitistokeepawholehouseholddancingattendance.Andifadoctorora
nurse were to say to them, "There's nothing on earth the matter with you!" well, to begin with they
wouldn'tbelieveit,andtheirindignationwouldbeasgenuineasindignationcanbe.

OfcourseitwasquitepossiblethatMrs.Leidnermightbeacaseofthiskind.Thehusband,naturally,
wouldbethefirsttobedeceived.Husbands,I'vefound,areacredulouslotwhereillnessisconcerned.
Butallthesame,itdidn'tquitesquarewithwhatI'dheard.Itdidn't,forinstance,fitinwiththatword
"safer."

Funnyhowthatwordhadgotkindofstuckinmymind.

Reflectingonit,Iasked:

"IsMrs.Leidneranervouswoman?Isshenervous,forinstance,oflivingoutfarfromanywhere?"

"What is there to be nervous of? Good heavens, there are ten of them! And they've got guards too -
becauseoftheantiquities.Oh,no,she'snotnervous-atleast-"

Sheseemedstruckbysomethoughtandstopped-goingonslowlyafteraminuteortwo.

"It'soddyoursayingthat."

"Why?"

"Flight-LieutenantJervisandIrodeovertheotherday.Itwasinthemorning.Mostofthemwereupon
thedig.ShewassittingwritingaletterandIsupposeshedidn'thearuscoming.Theboywhobrings

youinwasn'taboutforonce,andwecamestraightupontotheverandah.ApparentlyshesawFlight-
LieutenantJervis'sshadowthrownonthewall-andshefairlyscreamed!Apologized,ofcourse.Said
shethoughtitwasastrangeman.Abitodd,that.Imean,evenifitwasastrangeman,whygetthewind
up?"

Inoddedthoughtfully.

MissReillywassilent,thenburstoutsuddenly.

"Idon'tknowwhat'sthematterwiththemtherethisyear.They'veallgotthejumps.Johnsongoesabout
soglumshecan'topenhermouth.Davidneverspeaksifhecanhelpit.Bill,ofcourse,neverstops,and
somehowhischatterseemstomaketheothersworse.Careygoesaboutlookingasthoughsomething
wouldsnapanyminute.Andtheyallwatcheachotherasthough-asthough-Oh,Idon'tknow,butit's
queer,"

Itwasodd,Ithought,thattwosuchdissimilarpeopleasMissReillyandMajorPennymanshouldhave
beenstruckinthesamemanner.

JustthenMr.Colemancamebustlingin.Bustlingwasjustthewordforit.Ifhistonguehadhungout
andhehadsuddenlyproducedatailtowagyouwouldn'thavebeensurprised.

"Hallo-allo," he said. "Absolutely the world's best shopper - that's me. Have you shown nurse all the
beautiesofthetown?"

"Shewasn'timpressed,"saidMissReillydryly.

"Idon'tblameher,"saidMr.Colemanheartily."Ofalltheone-horsetumble-downplaces!"

"Notaloverofthepicturesqueortheantique,areyou,Bill?Ican'tthinkwhyyouareanarchaeologist."

"Don't blame me for that. Blame my guardian. He's a learned bird-fellow of his college - browses
amongbooksinbedroomslippers-thatkindofman.Bitofashockforhimtohaveawardlikeme."

"I think it's frightfully stupid of you to be forced into a profession you don't care for," said the girl
sharply.

"Notforced,Sheila,oldgirl,notforced.TheoldmanaskedifIhadanyspecialprofessioninmind,and
IsaidIhadn't,andsohewangledaseasonouthereforme."

"Buthaven'tyouanyideareallywhatyou'dliketodo?Youmusthave!"

"Of course I have. My idea would be to give work a miss altogether. What I'd like to do is to have
plentyofmoneyandgoinformotor-racing."

"You'reabsurd!"saidMissReilly.

Shesoundedquiteangry.

"Oh, I realize that it's quite out of the question," said Mr. Coleman cheerfully. "So, if I've got to do
something,Idon'tmuchcarewhatitissolongasitisn'tmugginginanofficealldaylong.Iwasquite
agreeabletoseeingabitoftheworld.Heregoes,Isaid,andalongIcame."

"Andafatlotofuseyoumustbe,Iexpect!"

"Thereyou'rewrong.Icanstanduponthedigandshout'Y'Allah'withanybody!Andasamateroffact
I'mnotsodustyatdrawing.Imitatinghandwritingusedtobemyspecialityatschool.I'dhavemadea
first-classforger.Oh,well,Imaycometothatyet.IfmyRolls-Roycesplashesyouwithmudasyou're
waitingforabus,you'llknowthatI'vetakentocrime."

MissReillysaidcoldly:

"Don'tyouthinkit'sabouttimeyoustartedinsteadoftalkingsomuch?"

"Hospitable,aren'twe,nurse?"

"I'msureNurseLeatheranisanxioustogetsettledin."

"You'realwayssureofeverything,"retortedMr.Colemanwithagrin.

Thatwastrueenough,Ithought.Cock-surelittleminx.

Isaiddryly:

"Perhapswe'dbetterstart,Mr.Coleman."

"Rightyouare,nurse."

IshookhandswithMissReillyandthankedher,andwesetoff.

"Damnedattractivegirl,Sheila,"saidMr.Coleman."Butalwaystickingafellowoff."

Wedroveoutofthetownandpresentlytookakindoftrackbetweengreencrops.Itwasverybumpy
andfullofruts.

AfterabouthalfanhourMr.Colemanpointedtoabigmoundbytheriverbankaheadofusandsaid:

"TellYarimjah."

Icouldseelittleblackfiguresmovingaboutitlikeants.

AsIwaslookingtheysuddenlybegantorunalltogetherdownthesideofthemound.

"Fidos,"saidMr.Coleman."Knockingofftime.Weknockoffanhourbeforesunset."

Theexpeditionhouselayalittlewaybackfromtheriver.

Thedriverroundedacorner,bumpedthroughanextremelynarrowarchandtherewewere.

Thehousewasbuiltroundacourtyard.Originallyithadoccupiedonlythesouthsideofthecourtyard
with a few unimportant out-buildings on the east. The expedition had continued the building on the
othertwosides.Astheplanofthehousewastoproveofspecialinterestlater,Iappendaroughsketch
ofit.

Alltheroomsopenedontothecourtyard,andmostofthewindows-theexceptionbeingintheoriginal
south building where there were windows giving on the outside country as well. These windows,
however,werebarredontheoutside.Inthesouth-westcornerastaircaseranuptoalongflatroofwith
a parapet running the length of the south side of the building which was higher than the other three
sides.

Mr. Coleman led me along the east side of the courtyard and round to where a big open verandah
occupiedthecentreofthesouthside.Hepushedopenadooratonesideofitandweenteredaroom
whereseveralpeopleweresittingroundateatable.

"Toodle-oodle-oo!"saidMr.Coleman."Here'sSaireyGamp."

Theladywhowassittingattheheadofthetableroseandcametogreetme.

IhadmyfirstglimpseofLouiseLeidner.

Chapter5

TELLYARIMJAH

Idon'tmindadmittingthatmyfirstimpressiononseeingMrs.Leidnerwasoneofdownrightsurprise.
Onegetsintothewayofimaginingapersonwhenonehearsthemtalkedabout.I'dgotitfirmlyintomy
headthatMrs.Leidnerwasadark,discontentedkindofwoman.Thenervykind,allonedge.Andthen,
too,I'dexpectedhertobe-well,toputitfrankly-abitvulgar.

Shewasn'tabitlikewhatI'dimaginedher!Tobeginwith,shewasveryfair.Shewasn'taSwede,like
herhusband,butshemighthavebeenasfaraslookswent.ShehadthatblondeScandinavianfairness
that you don't very often see. She wasn't a young woman. Midway between thirty and forty, I should
say. Her face was rather haggard, and there was some grey hair mingled with the fairness. Her eyes,
though, were lovely. They were the only eyes I've ever come across that you might truly describe as
violet. They were very large, and there were faint shadows underneath them. She was very thin and
fragile-looking,andifIsaythatshehadanairofintensewearinessandwasatthesametimeverymuch
alive,itsoundslikenonsense-butthat'sthefeelingIgot.Ifelt,too,thatshewasaladythroughand
through.Andthatmeanssomething-evennowadays.

Sheputoutherhandandsmiled.HervoicewaslowandsoftwithanAmericandrawlinit.

"I'msogladyou'vecome,nurse.Willyouhavesometea?Orwouldyouliketogotoyourroomfirst?"

IsaidI'dhavetea,andsheintroducedmetothepeoplesittingroundthetable.

"ThisisMissJohnson-andMr.Reiter.Mrs.Mercado.Mr.Emmott.FatherLavigny.Myhusbandwill
beinpresently.SitdownherebetweenFatherLavignyandMissJohnson."

IdidasIwasbidandMissJohnsonbegantalkingtome,askingaboutmyjourneyandsoon.

Ilikedher.SheremindedmeofamatronI'dhadinmyprobationerdayswhomwehadalladmiredand
workedhardfor.

She was getting on for fifty, I should judge, and rather mannish in appearance, with iron-grey hair
croppedshort.Shehadanabrupt,pleasantvoice,ratherdeepintone.Shehadanuglyruggedfacewith
an almost laughably turned-up nose which she was in the habit of rubbing irritably when anything
troubled or perplexed her. She wore a tweed coat and skirt made rather like a man's. She told me
presentlythatshewasanativeofYorkshire.

FatherLavignyIfoundjustabitalarming.Hewasatallmanwithagreatblackbeardandpince-nez.I
hadheardMrs.KelseysaythattherewasaFrenchmonkthere,andInowsawthatFatherLavignywas
wearing a monk's robe of some white woollen material. It surprised me rather, because I always
understoodthatmonkswentintomonasteriesanddidn'tcomeoutagain.

Mrs.LeidnertalkedtohimmostlyinFrench,buthespoketomeinquitefairEnglish.Inoticedthathe
hadshrewd,observanteyeswhichdartedaboutfromfacetoface.

Opposite me were the other three. Mr. Reiter was a stout, fair young man with glasses. His hair was
ratherlongandcurly,andhehadveryroundblueeyes.Ishouldthinkhemusthavebeenalovelybaby,
buthewasn'tmuchtolookatnow!Infacthewasjustalittlelikeapig.Theotheryoungmanhadvery
shorthaircroppedclosetohishead.Hehadalong,ratherhumorousfaceandverygoodteeth,andhe
lookedveryattractivewhenhesmiled.Hesaidverylittle,though,justnoddedifspokentooranswered
in monosyllables. He, like Mr. Reiter, was an American. The last person was Mrs. Mercado, and I
couldn'thaveagoodlookatherbecausewheneverIglancedinherdirectionIalwaysfoundherstaring
at me with a kind of hungry stare that was a bit disconcerting to say the least of it. You might have
thoughtahospitalnursewasastrangeanimalthewayshewaslookingatme.Nomannersatall!

She was quite young - not more than about twenty-five - and sort of dark and slinky-looking, if you

knowwhatImean.Quitenice-lookinginakindofway,butratherasthoughshemighthavewhatmy
motherusedtocall"atouchofthetar-brush."Shehadonaveryvividpulloverandhernailsmatchedit
incolour.Shehadathinbird-likeeagerfacewithbigeyesandratheratight,suspiciousmouth.

Theteawasverygood-anicestrongblend-notliketheweakChinastuffthatMrs.Kelseyalwayshad
andthathadbeenasoretrialtome.

There was toast and jam and a plate of rock buns and a cutting cake. Mr. Emmott was very polite
passingmethings.Quietashewashealwaysseemedtonoticewhenmyplatewasempty.

Presently Mr. Coleman bustled in and took the place beyond Miss Johnson. There didn't seem to be
anythingthematterwithhisnerves.Hetalkedawaynineteentothedozen.

Mrs.Leidnersighedonceandcastaweariedlookinhisdirectionbutitdidn'thaveanyeffect.Nordid
the fact that Mrs. Mercado, to whom he was addressing most of his conversation, was far too busy
watchingmetodomorethanmakeperfunctoryreplies.

Justaswewerefinishing,Dr.LeidnerandMr.Mercadocameinfromthedig.

Dr.Leidnergreetedmeinhisnicekindmanner.Isawhiseyesgoquicklyandanxiouslytohiswife's
faceandheseemedtoberelievedbywhathesawthere.Thenhesatdownattheotherendofthetable
andMr.MercadosatdowninthevacantplacebyMrs.Leidner.Hewasatall,thin,melancholyman,a
good deal older than his wife, with a sallow complexion and a queer, soft, shapeless-looking beard. I
was glad when he came in, for his wife stopped staring at me and transferred her attention to him,
watching him with a kind of anxious impatience that I found rather odd. He himself stirred his tea
dreamilyandsaidnothingatall.Apieceofcakelayuntastedonhisplate.

Therewasstillonevacantplace,andpresentlythedooropenedandamancamein.

ThemomentIsawRichardCareyIfelthewasoneofthehandsomestmenI'dseenforalongtime-and
yetIdoubtifthatwerereallyso.Tosayamanishandsomeandatthesametimetosayhelookslikea
death'sheadsoundsarankcontradiction,andyetitwastrue.Hisheadgavetheeffectofhavingtheskin
stretched unusually tightly over the bones - but they were beautiful bones. The lean line of jaw and
templeandforeheadwassosharplyoutlinedthatheremindedmeofabronzestatue.Outofthislean
brownfacelookedtwoofthebrightestandmostintenselyblueeyesIhaveeverseen.Hestoodabout
sixfootandwas,Ishouldimagine,alittleunderfortyyearsofage.

Dr.Leidnersaid:

"ThisisMr.Carey,ourarchitect,nurse."

Hemurmuredsomethinginapleasant,inaudibleEnglishvoiceandsatdownbyMrs.Mercado.

Mrs.Leidnersaid:

"I'mafraidtheteaisalittlecold,Mr.Carey."

Hesaid:"Oh,that'squiteallrightMrs.Leidner.Myfaultforbeinglate.Iwantedtofinishplottingthose
walls."

Mrs.Mercadosaid,"Jam,Mr.Carey?"

Mr.Reiterpushedforwardthetoast.

AndIrememberMajorPennymansaying:

"I can explain best what I mean by saying that they all passed the butter to each other a shade too
politely."

Yes,therewassomethingalittletoooddaboutit...

Ashadeformal...

You'dhavesaiditwasapartyofstrangers-notpeoplewhohadknowneachother-someofthem-for
quiteanumberofyears.

Chapter6

FIRSTEVENING

AfterteaMrs.Leidnertookmetoshowmemyroom.

PerhapshereIhadbettergiveashortdescriptionofthearrangementoftherooms.Thiswasverysimple
andcaneasilybeunderstoodbyareferencetotheplan.

Oneithersideofthebigopenporchweredoorsleadingintothetwoprincipalrooms.Thatontheright
ledintothedining-room,wherewehadhadtea.Theoneontheothersideledintoanexactlysimilar
room (I have called it the living-room) which was used as a sitting-room and kind of informal
workroom-thatis,acertainamountofdrawing(otherthanthestrictlyarchitectural)wasdonethere,
and the more delicate pieces of pottery were brought there to be pieced together. Through the living-
roomonepassedintotheantiquities-roomwhereallthefindsfromthedigwerebroughtinandstored
onshelvesandinpigeon-holes,andalsolaidoutonbigbenchesandtables.Fromtheantika-roomthere
wasnoexitsavethroughtheliving-room.

Beyondtheantika-room,butreachedthroughadoorwhichgaveonthecourtyard,wasMrs.Leidner's
bedroom.This,liketheotherroomsonthatsideofthehouse,hadacoupleofbarredwindowslooking
out over the ploughed countryside. Round the corner next to Mrs. Leidner's room, but with no actual
communicating door, was Dr. Leidner's room. This was the first of the rooms on the east side of the
building. Next to it was the room that was to be mine. Next to me was Miss Johnson's, with Mr. and
Mrs.Mercado'sbeyond.Afterthatcametwoso-calledbathrooms.

(WhenIonceusedthatlastterminthehearingofDr.Reillyhelaughedatmeandsaidabathroomwas
eitherabathroomornotabathroom!Allthesame,whenyou'vegotusedtotapsandproperplumbing,it
seems strange to call a couple of mud-rooms with a tin hip-bath in each of them, and muddy water
broughtinkerosenetins,bathrooms!)

AllthissideofthebuildinghadbeenaddedbyDr.LeidnertotheoriginalArabhouse.Thebedrooms
wereallthesame,eachwithawindowandadoorgivingontothecourtyard.

Alongthenorthsidewerethedrawingoffice,thelaboratoryandthephotographicrooms.

Toreturntotheverandah,thearrangementofroomswasmuchthesameontheotherside.Therewas
the dining-room leading into the office where the files were kept and the cataloguing and typing was
done. Corresponding to Mrs. Leidner's room was that of Father Lavigny, who was given the largest
bedroom;heuseditalsoforthedecoding-orwhateveryoucallit-oftablets.

Inthesouth-westcornerwasthestaircaserunninguptotheroof.Onthewestsidewerefirstthekitchen
quartersandthenfoursmallbedroomsusedbytheyoungmen-Carey,Emmott,ReiterandColeman.

Atthenorth-westcornerwasthephotographic-roomwiththedark-roomleadingoutofit.Nexttothat
thelaboratory.Thencametheonlyentrance-thebigarcheddoorwaythroughwhichwehadentered.
Outsideweresleepingquartersforthenativeservants,theguard-houseforthesoldiers,andstables,etc.,
forthewaterhorses.Thedrawing-officewastotherightofthearchwayoccupyingtherestofthenorth
side.

IhavegoneintothearrangementsofthehouseratherfullyherebecauseIdon'twanttohavetogoover
themagainlater.

AsIsay,Mrs.Leidnerherselftookmeroundthebuildingandfinallyestablishedmeinmybedroom,
hopingthatIshouldbecomfortableandhaveeverythingIwanted.

Theroomwasnicelythoughplainlyfurnished-abed,achestofdrawers,awash-standandachair.

"Theboyswillbringyouhotwaterbeforelunchanddinner-andinthemorning,ofcourse.Ifyouwant
it any other time, go outside and clap your hands, and when the boy comes say, jib mai' har. Do you
thinkyoucanrememberthat?"

IsaidIthoughtsoandrepeateditalittlehaltingly.

"That's right. And be sure and shout it. Arabs don't understand anything said in an ordinary 'English'
voice."

"Languagesarefunnythings,"Isaid."Itseemsoddthereshouldbesuchalotofdifferentones."

Mrs.Leidnersmiled.

"ThereisachurchinPalestineinwhichtheLord'sPrayeriswrittenupin-ninety,Ithinkitis-different
languages."

"Well!"Isaid,"Imustwriteandtellmyoldauntthat.Shewillbeinterested."

Mrs.Leidnerfingeredthejugandbasinabsentlyandshiftedthesoap-dishaninchortwo.

"Idohopeyou'llbehappyhere,"shesaid."Andnotgettoobored."

"I'mnotoftenbored,"Iassuredher."Life'snotlongenoughforthat."

Shedidnotanswer.Shecontinuedtotoywiththewash-standasthoughabstractedly.

Suddenlyshefixedherdarkvioleteyesonmyface.

"Whatexactlydidmyhusbandtellyou,nurse?"

Well,oneusuallysaysthesamethingtoaquestionofthatkind.

"Igatheredyouwereabitrun-downandallthat,Mrs.Leidner,"Isaidglibly."Andthatyoujustwanted
someonetolookafteryouandtakeanyworriesoffyourhands."

Shebentherheadslowlyandthoughtfully.

"Yes,"shesaid."Yes-thatwilldoverywell."

Thatwasjustalittlebitenigmatic,butIwasn'tgoingtoquestionit.InsteadIsaid:

"Ihopeyou'llletmehelpyouwithanythingthereistodointhehouse.Youmustn'tletmebeidle."

Shesmiledalittle.

"Thankyou,nurse."

Thenshesatdownonthebedand,rathertomysurprise,begantocross-questionmeratherclosely.I
sayrathertomysurprisebecause,fromthemomentIseteyesonher,IfeltsurethatMrs.Leidnerwasa
lady.Andalady,inmyexperience,veryseldomdisplayscuriosityaboutone'sprivateaffairs.

ButMrs.Leidnerseemedanxioustoknoweverythingtherewastoknowaboutme.WhereI'dtrained
and how long ago. What had brought me out to the East. How it had come about that Dr. Reilly had
recommendedme.SheevenaskedmeifIhadeverbeeninAmericaorhadanyrelationsinAmerica.
Oneortwootherquestionssheaskedmethatseemedquitepurposelessatthetime,butofwhichIsaw

thesignificancelater.

Then,suddenly,hermannerchanged.Shesmiled-awarmsunnysmile-andshesaid,verysweetly,that
shewasverygladIhadcomeandthatshewassureIwasgoingtobeacomforttoher.

Shegotupfromthebedandsaid:

"Wouldyouliketocomeuptotheroofandseethesunset?It'susuallyverylovelyaboutthistime."

Iagreedwillingly.

Aswewentoutoftheroomsheasked:

"WeretheremanyotherpeopleonthetrainfromBaghdad?Anymen?"

IsaidthatIhadn'tnoticedanybodyinparticular.TherehadbeentwoFrenchmenintherestaurant-car
thenightbefore.AndapartyofthreemenwhomIgatheredfromtheirconversationhadtodowiththe
Pipeline.

Shenoddedandafaintsoundescapedher.Itsoundedlikeasmallsighofrelief.

Wewentuptotherooftogether.

Mrs. Mercado was there, sitting on the parapet, and Dr. Leidner was bending over looking at a lot of
stonesandbrokenpotterythatwerelaidoutinrows.Therewerebigthingshecalledquerns,andpestles
and celts and stone axes, and more broken bits of pottery with queer patterns on them than I've ever
seenallatonce.

"Comeoverhere,"calledoutMrs.Mercado."Isn'tittoo,toobeautiful?"

Itcertainlywasabeautifulsunset.Hassaniehinthedistancelookedquitefairy-likewiththesettingsun
behindit,andtheRiverTigrisflowingbetweenitswidebankslookedlikeadreamriverratherthana
realone.

"Isn'titlovely,Eric?"saidMrs.Leidner.

The doctor looked up with abstracted eyes, murmured, "Lovely, lovely," perfunctorily and went on
sortingpot-sherds.

Mrs.Leidnersmiledandsaid:

"Archaeologistsonlylookatwhatliesbeneaththeirfeet.Theskyandtheheavensdon'texistforthem."

Mrs.Mercadogiggled.

"Oh,they'reveryqueerpeople-you'llsoonfindthatout,nurse,"shesaid.

Shepausedandthenadded:

"Weareallsogladyou'vecome.We'vebeensoveryworriedaboutourdearMrs.Leidner,haven'twe,
Louise?"

"Haveyou?"

Hervoicewasnotencouraging.

"Oh, yes. She really has been very bad, nurse. All sorts of alarms and excursions. You know when
anybodysaystomeofsomeone,'It'sjustnerves,'Ialwayssay:Butwhatcouldbeworse?Nervesare
thecoreandcentreofone'sbeing,aren'tthey?"

"Puss,puss,"Ithoughttomyself.

Mrs.Leidnersaiddryly:

"Well,youneedn'tbeworriedaboutmeanymore,Marie.Nurseisgoingtolookafterme."

"CertainlyIam,"Isaidcheerfully.

"I'msurethatwillmakeallthedifference,"saidMrs.Mercado."We'veallfeltthatsheoughttoseea
doctorordosomething.Hernerveshavereallybeenalltopieces,haven'tthey,Louisedear?"

"SomuchsothatIseemtohavegotonyournerveswiththem,"saidMrs.Leidner."Shallwetalkabout
somethingmoreinterestingthanmywretchedailments?"

IunderstoodthenthatMrs.Leidnerwasthesortofwomanwhocouldeasilymakeenemies.Therewas
acoolrudenessinhertone(notthatIblamedherforit)whichbroughtaflushtoMrs.Mercado'srather
sallowcheeks.Shestammeredoutsomething,butMrs.Leidnerhadrisenandhadjoinedherhusbandat
theotherendoftheroof.Idoubtifheheardhercomingtillshelaidherhandonhisshoulder,thenhe
lookedupquickly.Therewasaffectionandakindofeagerquestioninginhisface.

Mrs.Leidnernoddedherheadgently.Presently,herarmthroughhis,theywanderedtothefarparapet
andfinallydownthestepstogether.

"He'sdevotedtoher,isn'the?"saidMrs.Mercado.

"Yes,"Isaid."It'sverynicetosee."

Shewaslookingatmewithaqueer,rathereagerside-longglance.

"Whatdoyouthinkisreallythematterwithher,nurse?"sheasked,loweringhervoicealittle.

"Oh;Idon'tsupposeit'smuch,"Isaidcheerfully."Justabitrundown,Iexpect."

Hereyesstillboredintomeastheyhaddoneattea.Shesaidabruptly:

"Areyouamentalnurse?"

"Oh,dearno!"Isaid."Whatmadeyouthinkthat?"

Shewassilentforamoment,thenshesaid:

"Doyouknowhowqueershe'sbeen?DidDr.Leidnertellyou?"

I don't hold with gossiping about my cases. On the other hand, it's my experience that it's often very
hardtogetthetruthoutoftherelatives,anduntilyouknowthetruthyou'reoftenworkinginthedark
and doing no good. Of course, when there's a doctor in charge, it's different. He tells you what it's
necessaryforyoutoknow.Butinthiscasetherewasn'tadoctorincharge.Dr.Reillyhadneverbeen
called in professionally. And in my own mind I wasn't at all sure that Dr. Leidner had told me all he
couldhavedone.It'softenthehusband'sinstincttobereticent-andmorehonourtohim,Isay.Butall
thesame,themoreIknewthebetterIcouldtellwhichlinetotake.Mrs.Mercado(whomIputdownin
myownmindasathoroughlyspitefullittlecat)wasclearlydyingtotalk.Andfrankly,onthehuman
side as well as the professional, I wanted to hear what she had to say. You can put it that I was just
every-daycuriousifyoulike.

Isaid,"IgatherMrs.Leidner'snotbeenquitehernormalselflately?"

Mrs.Mercadolaugheddisagreeably.

"Normal? I should say not. Frightening us to death. One night it was fingers tapping on her window.
Andthenitwasahandwithoutanarmattached.Butwhenitcametoayellowfacepressedagainstthe
window-andwhensherushedtothewindowtherewasnothingthere-well,Iaskyou,itisabitcreepy
forallofus."

"Perhapssomebodywasplayingatrickonher,"Isuggested.

"Oh,no,shefancieditall.Andonlythreedaysagoatdinnertheywerefiringoffshotsinthevillage-
nearlyamileaway-andshejumpedupandscreamedout-itscaredusalltodeath.AsforDr.Leidner,
herushedtoherandbehavedinthemostridiculousway.'It'snothing,darling,it'snothingatall,'hekept
saying. I think, you know, nurse, men sometimes encourage women in these hysterical fancies. It's a
pitybecauseit'sabadthing.Delusionsshouldn'tbeencouraged."

"Notiftheyaredelusions,"Isaiddryly.

"Whatelsecouldtheybe?"

Ididn'tanswerbecauseIdidn'tknowwhattosay.Itwasafunnybusiness.Theshotsandthescreaming
werenaturalenough-foranyoneinanervouscondition,thatis.Butthisqueerstoryofaspectralface
andhandwasdifferent.Itlookedtomelikeoneoftwothings-eitherMrs.Leidnerhadmadethestory
up(exactlyasachildshowsoffbytellingliesaboutsomethingthatneverhappenedinordertomake

herselfthecentreofattraction)orelseitwas,asIhadsuggested,adeliberatepracticaljoke.Itwasthe
sort of thing, I reflected, that an unimaginative hearty sort of young fellow like Mr. Coleman might
thinkveryfunny.Idecidedtokeepaclosewatchonhim.Nervouspatientscanbescarednearlyoutof
theirmindsbyasillyjoke.

Mrs.Mercadosaidwithasidewaysglanceatme.

"She'sveryromantic-looking,nurse,don'tyouthinkso?Thesortofwomanthingshappento."

"Havemanythingshappenedtoher?"Iasked.

"Well,herfirsthusbandwaskilledinthewarwhenshewasonlytwenty.Ithinkthat'sverypatheticand
romantic,don'tyou?"

"It'sonewayofcallingagooseaswan,"Isaiddryly.

"Oh!nurse.Whatanextraordinaryremark!"

Itwasreallyaverytrueone.Theamountofwomenyouhearsay,"IfDonald-orArthur-orwhatever
his name was - had only lived." And I sometimes think but if he had, he'd have been a stout,
unromantic,short-tempered,middle-agedhusbandaslikelyasnot.

ItwasgettingdarkandIsuggestedthatweshouldgodown.Mrs.MercadoagreedandaskedifIwould
liketoseethelaboratory."Myhusbandwillbethere-working."

IsaidIwouldliketoverymuchandwemadeourwaythere.Theplacewaslightedbyalampbutitwas
empty. Mrs. Mercado showed me some of the apparatus and some copper ornaments that were being
treated,andalsosomebonescoatedwithwax.

"WherecanJosephbe?"saidMrs.Mercado.

Shelookedintothedrawing-office,whereCareywasatwork.Hehardlylookedupasweentered,andI
wasstruckbytheextraordinarylookofstrainonhisface.Itcametomesuddenly:"Thismanisatthe
endofhistether.Verysoon,somethingwillsnap."AndIrememberedsomebodyelsehadnoticedthat
sametensenessabouthim.

AswewentoutagainIturnedmyheadforonelastlookathim.Hewasbentoverhispaper,hislips
pressed very closely together, and that "death's head" suggestion of his bones very strongly marked.
Perhapsitwasfanciful,butIthoughtthathelookedlikeaknightofoldwhowasgoingintobattleand
knewhewasgoingtobekilled.

AndagainIfeltwhatanextraordinaryandquiteunconsciouspowerofattractionhehad.

We found Mr. Mercado in the living-room. He was explaining the idea of some new process to Mrs.
Leidner.Shewassittingonastraightwoodenchair,embroideringflowersinfinesilks,andIwasstruck
anew by her strange, fragile, unearthly appearance. She looked a fairy creature more than flesh and
blood.

Mrs.Mercadosaid,hervoicehighandshrill:

"Oh,thereyouare,Joseph.Wethoughtwe'dfindyouinthelab."

He jumped up looking startled and confused, as though her entrance had broken a spell. He said
stammeringly:

"I-Imustgonow.I'minthemiddleof-middleof-"

Hedidn'tcompletethesentencebutturnedtowardsthedoor.

Mrs.Leidnersaidinhersoft,drawlingvoice:

"Youmustfinishtellingmesomeothertime.Itwasveryinteresting."

Shelookedupatus,smiledrathersweetlybutinafarawaymanner,andbentoverherembroideryagain.

Inaminuteortwo,shesaid:

"Therearesomebooksoverthere,nurse.We'vegotquiteagoodselection.Chooseoneandsitdown."

Iwentovertothebookshelf.Mrs.Mercadostayedforaminuteortwo,then,turningabruptly,shewent
out.AsshepassedmeIsawherfaceandIdidn'tlikethelookofit.Shelookedwildwithfury.

InspiteofmyselfIrememberedsomeofthethingsMrs.KelseyhadsaidandhintedaboutMrs.Leidner.
Ididn'tliketothinktheyweretruebecauseIlikedMrs.Leidner,butIwondered,nevertheless,ifthere
mightn'tperhapsbeagrainoftruthbehindthem.

Ididn'tthinkitwasallherfault,butthefactremainedthatdearuglyMissJohnson,andthatcommon
littlespit-fireMrs.Mercado,couldn'tholdacandletoherinlooksorinattraction.Andafterall,menare
menallovertheworld.Yousoonseealotofthatinmyprofession.

Mercadowasapoorfish,andIdon'tsupposeMrs.Leidnerreallycaredtwohootsforhisadmiration-
buthiswifecared.IfIwasn'tmistaken,shemindedbadlyandwouldbequitewillingtodoMrs.Leidner
abadturnifshecould.

I looked at Mrs. Leidner sitting there and sewing at her pretty flowers, so remote and far away and
aloof. I felt somehow I ought to warn her. I felt that perhaps she didn't know how stupid and
unreasoningandviolentjealousyandhatecanbe-andhowlittleittakestosetthemsmouldering.

And then I said to myself, "Amy Leatheran, you're a fool. Mrs. Leidner's no chicken. She's close on
fortyifshe'saday,andshemustknowallaboutlifethereistoknow."

ButIfeltthatallthesameperhapsshedidn't.

Shehadsuchaqueeruntouchedlook.

Ibegantowonderwhatherlifehadbeen.Iknewshe'donlymarriedDr.Leidnertwoyearsago.And
accordingtoMrs.Mercadoherfirsthusbandhaddiednearlytwentyyearsago.

Icameandsatdownnearherwithabook,andpresentlyIwentandwashedmyhandsforsupper.Itwas
agoodmeal-somereallyexcellentcurry.TheyallwenttobedearlyandIwasgladforIwastired.

Dr.LeidnercamewithmetomyroomtoseeIhadallIwanted.

Hegavemeawarmhandclaspandsaideagerly:

"Shelikesyou,nurse.She'stakentoyouatonce.I'msoglad.Ifeeleverything'sgoingtobeallright
now."

Hiseagernesswasalmostboyish.

Ifelt,too,thatMrs.Leidnerhadtakenalikingtome,andIwaspleaseditshouldbeso.

But I didn't quite share his confidence. I felt, somehow, that there was more to it all than he himself
mightknow.

Therewassomething-somethingIcouldn'tgetat.ButIfeltitintheair.

Mybedwascomfortable,butIdidn'tsleepwellforallthat.Idreamttoomuch.

ThewordsofapoembyKeats,thatI'dhadtolearnasachild,keptrunningthroughmyhead.Ikept
gettingthemwronganditworriedme.ItwasapoemI'dalwayshated-IsupposebecauseI'dhadto
learnitwhetherIwantedtoornot.ButsomehowwhenIwokeupinthedarkIsawasortofbeautyinit
forthefirsttime.

"Oh, say what ails thee, knight at arms, alone - and (what was it?) - palely loitering...?" I saw the
knight'sfaceinmymindforthefirsttime-anditwasMr.Carey'sface-agrim,tense,bronzedfacelike
someofthosepooryoungmenIrememberedasagirlduringthewar...andIfeltsorryforhim-and
thenIfellofftosleepagainandIsawthattheBelleDamesansMerciwasMrs.Leidnerandshewas
leaningsidewaysonahorsewithanembroideryofflowersinherhands-andthenthehorsestumbled
andeverywheretherewerebonescoatedinwax,andIwokeupallgoose-fleshandshivering,andtold
myselfthatcurryneverhadagreedwithmeatnight.

Chapter7

THEMANATTHEWINDOW

IthinkI'dbettermakeitclearrightawaythatthereisn'tgoingtobeanylocalcolourinthisstory.Idon't
know anything about archaeology and I don't know that I very much want to. Messing about with
peopleandplacesthatareburiedanddonewithdoesn'tmakesensetome.Mr.Careyusedtotellme
thatIhadn'tgotthearchaeologicaltemperamentandI'venodoubthewasquiteright.

TheveryfirstmorningaftermyarrivalMr.CareyaskedifI'dliketocomeandseethepalacehewas-
planningIthinkhecalledit.Thoughhowyoucanplanforathingthat'shappenedlongagoI'msureI
don't know! Well, I said I'd like to, and to tell the truth, I was a bit excited about it. Nearly three
thousandyearsoldthatpalacewas,itappeared.Iwonderedwhatsortofpalacestheyhadinthosedays,
andifitwouldbelikethepicturesI'dseenofTutankhamen'stombfurniture.

Butwouldyoubelieveit,therewasnothingtoseebutmud!Dirtymudwallsabouttwofeethigh-and
that'salltherewastoit.Mr.Careytookmehereandtheretellingmethings-howthiswasthegreat
court,andthereweresomechambershereandanupperstoreyandvariousotherroomsthatopenedoff
thecentralcourt.AndallIthoughtwas,"Buthowdoesheknow?"though,ofcourse,Iwastoopoliteto
sayso.Icantellyouitwasadisappointment!Thewholeexcavationlookedlikenothingbutmudtome
-nomarbleorgoldoranythinghandsome-myaunt'shouseinCricklewoodwouldhavemadeamuch
moreimposingruin!AndthoseoldAssyriansorwhatevertheywerecalledthemselveskings.WhenMr.
Careyhadshownmehisold"palace,"hehandedmeovertoFatherLavigny,whoshowedmetherestof
themound.IwasalittleafraidofFatherLavigny,beingamonkandaforeignerandhavingsuchadeep
voiceandall,buthewasverykind-thoughrathervague.SometimesIfeltitwasn'tmuchmorerealto
himthanitwastome.

Mrs. Leidner explained that later. She said that Father Lavigny was only interested in "written
documents"-asshecalledthem:Theywroteeverythingonclay,thesepeople,queerheathenish-looking
markstoo,butquitesensible.Therewereevenschooltablets-theteacher'slessonononesideandthe
pupil's effort on the back of it. I confess that that did interest me rather - it seemed so human, if you
knowwhatImean.

FatherLavignywalkedroundtheworkwithmeandshowedmewhatweretemplesorpalacesandwhat
were private houses, and also a place which he said was an early Akkadian cemetery. He spoke in a
funnyjerkyway,justthrowinginascrapofinformationandthenrevertingtoothersubjects.

Hesaid:

"Itisstrangethatyouhavecomehere.IsMrs.Leidnerreallyill,then?"

"Notexactlyill,"Isaidcautiously.

Hesaid:

"Sheisanoddwoman.Adangerouswoman,Ithink."

"Nowwhatdoyoumeanbythat?"Isaid."Dangerous?Howdangerous?"

Heshookhisheadthoughtfully.

"Ithinksheisruthless,"hesaid."Yes,Ithinkshecouldbeabsolutelyruthless."

"Ifyou'llexcuseme,"Isaid,"Ithinkyou'retalkingnonsense."

Heshookhishead.

"YoudonotknowwomenasIdo,"hesaid.

Andthatwasafunnything,Ithought,foramonktosay.ButofcourseIsupposehemighthavehearda
lotofthingsinconfession.Butthatratherpuzzledme,becauseIwasn'tsureifmonksheardconfessions
orifitwasonlypriests.Isupposedhewasamonkwiththatlongwoollenrobe-allsweepingupthedirt
-andtherosaryandall!

"Yes,shecouldberuthless,"hesaidmusingly."Iamquitesureofthat.Andyet-thoughsheissohard-
likestone,likemarble-yetsheisafraid.Whatissheafraidof?"

That,Ithought,iswhatweshouldallliketoknow!

Atleastitwaspossiblethatherhusbanddidknow,butIdidn'tthinkanyoneelsedid.

Hefixedmewithasuddenbright,darkeye.

"Itisoddhere?Youfinditodd?Orquitenatural?"

"Not quite natural," I said, considering. "It's comfortable enough as far as the arrangements go - but
thereisn'tquiteacomfortablefeeling."

"It makes me uncomfortable. I have the idea" - he became suddenly a little more foreign - "that
somethingpreparesitself.Dr.Leidner,too,heisnotquitehimself.Somethingisworryinghimalso."

"Hiswife'shealth?"

"Thatperhaps.Butthereismore.Thereis-howshallIsayit-anuneasiness."

Andthatwasjustit,therewasanuneasiness.

Wedidn'tsayanymorejustthen,forDr.Leidnercametowardsus.Heshowedmeachild'sgravethat
had just been uncovered. Rather pathetic it was - the little bones - and a pot or two and some little
specksthatDr.Leidnertoldmewereabeadnecklace.

Itwastheworkmenthatmademelaugh.Youneversawsuchalotofscarecrows-allinlongpetticoats
andrags,andtheirheadstiedupasthoughtheyhadtoothache.Andeverynowandthen,astheywentto
andfrocarryingawaybasketsofearth,theybegantosing-atleastIsupposeitwasmeanttobesinging
-aqueersortofmonotonouschantthatwentonandonoverandoveragain.Inoticedthatmostoftheir
eyes were terrible - all covered with discharge, and one or two looked half blind. I was just thinking
whatamiserablelottheywerewhenDr.Leidnersaid,"Ratherafine-lookinglotofmen,aren'tthey?"
andIthoughtwhataqueerworlditwasandhowtwodifferentpeoplecouldseethesamethingeachof
themtheotherwayround.Ihaven'tputthatverywell,butyoucanguesswhatImean.

AfterabitDr.Leidnersaidhewasgoingbacktothehouseforamid-morningcupoftea.SoheandI
walkedbacktogetherandhetoldmethings.Whenheexplained,itwasallquitedifferent.Isortofsaw
itall-howitusedtobe-thestreetsandthehouses,andheshowedmeovenswheretheybakedbread
andsaidtheArabsusedmuchthesamekindofovensnowadays.

WegotbacktothehouseandfoundMrs.Leidnerhadgotup.Shewaslookingbettertoday,notsothin
andworn.TeacameinalmostatonceandDr.Leidnertoldherwhathadturnedupduringthemorning
onthedig.ThenhewentbacktoworkandMrs.LeidneraskedmeifIwouldliketoseesomeofthe
findstheyhadmadeuptodate.OfcourseIsaid"Yes,"soshetookmethroughintotheantika-room.
Therewasalotofstufflyingabout-mostlybrokenpotsitseemedtome-orelseonesthatwereall
mendedandstucktogether.Thewholelotmighthavebeenthrownaway,Ithought.

"Dear,dear,"Isaid,"it'sapitythey'reallsobroken,isn'tit?Aretheyreallyworthkeeping?"

Mrs.Leidnersmiledalittleandshesaid:

"You mustn't let Eric hear you. Pots interest him more than anything else, and some of these are the
oldestthingswehave-perhapsasmuchasseventhousandyearsold."Andsheexplainedhowsomeof

themcamefromaverydeepcutonthemounddowntowardsthebottom,andhow,thousandsofyears
ago,theyhadbeenbrokenandmendedwithbitumen,showingpeopleprizedtheirthingsjustasmuch
thenastheydonowadays.

"Andnow,"shesaid,"we'llshowyousomethingmoreexciting."

Andshetookdownaboxfromtheshelfandshowedmeabeautifulgolddaggerwithdark-bluestones
inthehandle.

Iexclaimedwithpleasure.

Mrs.Leidnerlaughed.

"Yes,everybodylikesgold!Exceptmyhusband."

"Whydoesn'tDr.Leidnerlikeit?"

"Well, for one thing it comes expensive. You have to pay the workmen who find it the weight of the
objectingold."

"Goodgracious!"Iexclaimed."Butwhy?"

"Oh,it'sacustom.Foronethingitpreventsthemfromstealing.Yousee,iftheydidstealitwouldn'tbe
forthearchaeologicalvaluebutfortheintrinsicvalue.Theycouldmeltitdown.Sowemakeiteasyfor
themtobehonest."

Shetookdownanothertrayandshowedmeareallybeautifulgolddrinking-cupwithadesignoframs'
headsonit.

AgainIexclaimed.

"Yes,itisbeautiful,isn'tit?Thesecamefromaprince'sgrave.Wefoundotherroyalgravesbutmostof
themhadbeenplundered.Thiscupisourbestfind.Itisoneofthemostlovelyeverfoundanywhere.
EarlyAkkadian.Unique."

Suddenly,withafrown,Mrs.Leidnerbroughtthecupupclosetohereyesandscratchedatitdelicately
withhernail.

"Howextraordinary!There'sactuallywaxonit.Someonemusthavebeeninherewithacandle."

Shedetachedthelittleflakeandreplacedthecupinitsplace.

Afterthatsheshowedmesomequeerlittleterra-cottafigurines-butmostofthemwerejustrude.Nasty
mindsthoseoldpeoplehad,Isay.

WhenwewentbacktotheporchMrs.Mercadowassiltingpolishinghernails.Shewasholdingthem
outinfrontofheradmiringtheeffect.Ithoughtmyselfthatanythingmorehideousthanthatorangered
couldhardlyhavebeenimagined.

Mrs.Leidnerhadbroughtwithherfromtheantika-roomaverydelicatelittlesaucerbrokeninseveral
pieces,andthisshenowproceededtojointogether.Iwatchedherforaminuteortwoandthenaskedif
Icouldhelp.

"Oh, yes, there are plenty more." She fetched quite a supply of broken pottery and we set to work. I
soon got into the hang of it and she praised my ability. I suppose most nurses are handy with their
fingers.

"Howbusyeverybodyis,"saidMrs.Mercado."Itmakesmefeeldreadfullyidle.OfcourseIamidle."

"Whyshouldn'tyoubeifyoulike?"saidMrs.Leidner.

Hervoicewasquiteuninterested.

At twelve we had lunch. Afterwards Dr. Leidner and Mr. Mercado cleaned some pottery, pouring a
solutionofhydrochloricacidoverit.Onepotwentalovelyplumcolourandapatternofbulls'horns
cameoutonanotherone.Itwasreallyquitemagical.Allthedriedmudthatnowashingwouldremove
sortoffoamedandboiledaway.

Mr.CareyandMr.ColemanwentoutonthedigandMr.Reiterwentofftothephotographicroom.

"Whatwillyoudo,Louise?"Dr.Leidneraskedhiswife."Isupposeyou'llrestforabit?"

IgatheredthatMrs.Leidnerusuallylaydowneveryafternoon.

"I'llrestforaboutanhour.ThenperhapsI'llgooutforashortstroll."

"Good.Nursewillgowithyou,won'tyou?"

"Ofcourse,"Isaid.

"No,no,"saidMrs.Leidner."Ilikegoingalone.Nurseisn'ttofeelsomuchondutythatI'mnotallowed
outofhersight."

"Oh,butI'dliketocome,"Isaid.

"No,really,I'dratheryoudidn't."Shewasquitefirm-almostperemptory."Imustbebymyselfevery
nowandthen.It'snecessarytome."

Ididn'tinsist,ofcourse.ButasIwentoffforashortsleepmyselfitstruckmeasoddthatMrs.Leidner,
withhernervousterrors,shouldbequitecontenttowalkbyherselfwithoutanykindofprotection.

WhenIcameoutofmyroomathalf-pastthreethecourtyardwasdesertedsaveforalittleboywitha
largecopper bath whowas washing pottery,and Mr. Emmott, whowas sorting andarranging it. As I
wenttowardsthemMrs.Leidnercameinthroughthearchway.ShelookedmorealivethanIhadseen
heryet.Hereyesshoneandshelookedupliftedandalmostgay.

Dr. Leidner came out from the laboratory and joined her. He was showing her a big dish with bulls'
hornsonit.

"The prehistoric levels are being extraordinarily productive," he said. "It's been a good season so far.
Findingthattombrightatthebeginningwasarealpieceofluck.Theonlypersonwhomightcomplain
isFatherLavigny.We'vehadhardlyanytabletssofar."

"Hedoesn'tseemtohavedoneverymuchwiththefewwehavehad,"saidMrs.Leidnerdryly."Hemay
beaveryfineepigraphistbuthe'saremarkablylazyone.Hespendsallhisafternoonssleeping."

"WemissByrd,"saidDr.Leidner."Thismanstrikesmeasslightlyunorthodox-though,ofcourse,I'm
notcompetenttojudge.Butoneortwoofhistranslationshavebeensurprisingtosaytheleastofit.I
canhardlybelieve,forinstance,thathe'srightaboutthatinscribedbrick,andyethemustknow."

AfterteaMrs.LeidneraskedmeifIwouldliketostrolldowntotheriver.Ithoughtthatperhapsshe
fearedthatherrefusaltoletmeaccompanyherearlierintheafternoonmighthavehurtmyfeelings.

IwantedhertoknowthatIwasn'tthetouchykind,soIacceptedatonce.

Itwasalovelyevening.Apathledbetweenbarleyfieldsandthenthroughsomefloweringfruittrees.
Finally we came to the edge of the Tigris. Immediately on our left was the Tell with the workmen
singingintheirqueermonotonouschant.Alittletoourrightwasabigwater-wheelwhichmadeaqueer
groaningnoise.Itusedtosetmyteethonedgeatfirst.ButintheendIgotfondofitandithadaqueer
soothingeffectonme.Beyondthewater-wheelwasthevillagefromwhichmostoftheworkmencame.

"It'sratherbeautiful,isn'tit?"saidMrs.Leidner.

"It'sverypeaceful,"Isaid."Itseemsfunnytometobesofarawayfromeverywhere."

"Farfromeverywhere,"repeatedMrs.Leidner."Yes.Hereatleastonemightexpecttobesafe."

Iglancedathersharply,butIthinkshewasspeakingmoretoherselfthantome,andIdon'tthinkshe
realizedthatherwordshadbeenrevealing.

Webegantowalkbacktothehouse.

SuddenlyMrs.LeidnerclutchedmyarmsoviolentlythatInearlycriedout.

"Who'sthat,nurse?What'shedoing?"

Somelittledistanceaheadofus,justwherethepathranneartheexpeditionhouse,amanwasstanding.
HeworeEuropeanclothesandheseemedtobestandingontiptoeandtryingtolookinatoneofthe
windows.

Aswewatchedheglancedround,caughtsightofus,andimmediatelycontinuedonthepathtowardsus.
IfeltMrs.Leidner'sclutchtighten.

"Nurse,"shewhispered."Nurse..."

"It'sallright,mydear,it'sallright,"Isaidreassuringly.

Themancamealongandpassedus.HewasanIraqi,andassoonasshesawhimnearto,Mrs.Leidner
relaxedwithasigh.

"He'sonlyanIraqiafterall,"shesaid.

Wewentonourway.IglancedupatthewindowsasIpassed.Notonlyweretheybarred,buttheywere
toohighfromthegroundtopermitofanyoneseeingin,forthelevelofthegroundwaslowerherethan
ontheinsideofthecourtyard.

"Itmusthavebeenjustcuriosity,"Isaid.

Mrs.Leidnernodded.

"That'sall.ButjustforaminuteIthought-"

Shebrokeoff.

Ithoughttomyself,"Youthoughtwhat?That'swhatI'dliketoknow.Whatdidyouthink?"

ButIknewonethingnow-thatMrs.Leidnerwasafraidofadefinitefleshandbloodperson.

Chapter8

NIGHTALARM

It'salittledifficulttoknowexactlywhattonoteintheweekthatfollowedmyarrivalatTellYarimjah.

LookingbackasIdofrommypresentstandpointofknowledgeIcanseeagoodmanylittlesignsand
indicationsthatIwasquiteblindtoatthetime.

Totellthestoryproperly,however,IthinkIoughttotryandrecapturethepointofviewthatIactually
held-puzzled,uneasy,andincreasinglyconsciousofsomethingwrong.

Foronethingwascertain,thatcurioussenseofstrainandconstraintwasnotimagined.Itwasgenuine.
EvenBillColemantheinsensitivecommenteduponit.

"Thisplacegetsundermyskin,"Iheardhimsay."Aretheyalwayssuchaglumlot?"

ItwasDavidEmmotttowhomhespoke,theotherassistant.IhadtakenratherafancytoMr.Emmott;
his taciturnity was not, I felt sure, unfriendly. There was something about him that seemed very
steadfast and reassuring in an atmosphere where one was uncertain what anyone was feeling or
thinking.

"No,"hesaidinanswertoMr.Coleman."Itwasn'tlikethislastyear."

Buthedidn'tenlargeonthetheme,orsayanymore.

"WhatIcan'tmakeoutiswhatit'sallabout,"saidMr.Colemaninanaggrievedvoice.

Emmottshruggedhisshouldersbutdidn'tanswer.

I had a rather enlightening conversation with Miss Johnson. I liked her very much. She was capable,
practicalandintelligent.Shehad,itwasquiteobvious,adistinctheroworshipforDr.Leidner.

Onthisoccasionshetoldmethestoryofhislifesincehisyoungdays.Shekneweverysitehehaddug,
and the results of the dig. I would almost dare swear she could quote from every lecture he had ever
delivered.Sheconsideredhim,shetoldme,quitethefinestfieldarchaeologistliving.

"Andhe'ssosimple.Socompletelyunworldly.Hedoesn'tknowthemeaningofthewordconceit.Only
areallygreatmancouldbesosimple."

"That'strueenough,"Isaid."Bigpeopledon'tneedtothrowtheirweightabout."

"Andhe'ssolight-heartedtoo.Ican'ttellyouwhatfunweusedtohave-heandRichardCareyandI-
the first years we were out here. We were such a happy party. Richard Carey worked with him in
Palestine,ofcourse.Theirsisafriendshipoftenyearsorso.Oh,well,I'veknownhimforseven."

"WhatahandsomemanMr.Careyis,"Isaid.

"Yes-Isupposeheis."

Shesaiditrathercurtly.

"Buthe'sjustalittlebitquiet,don'tyouthink?"

"Heusedn'ttobelikethat,"saidMissJohnsonquickly."It'sonly'since-"

Shestoppedabruptly.

"Onlysince-?"Iprompted.

"Oh, well." Miss Johnson gave a characteristic motion of her shoulders. "A good many things are
changednowadays."

I didn't answer. I hoped she would go on - and she did - prefacing her remarks with a little laugh as
thoughtodetractfromtheirimportance.

"I'm afraid I'm rather a conservative old fogy. I sometimes think that if an archaeologist's wife isn't
reallyinterested,itwouldbewiserforhernottoaccompanytheexpedition.Itoftenleadstofriction."

"Mrs.Mercado-"Isuggested.

"Oh,her!"MissJohnsonbrushedthesuggestionaside."IwasreallythinkingofMrs.Leidner.She'sa
verycharmingwoman-andonecanquiteunderstandwhyDr.Leidner'fellforher'-touseaslangterm.
ButIcan'thelpfeelingshe'soutofplacehere.She-itunsettlesthings."

SoMissJohnsonagreedwithMrs.KelseythatitwasMrs.Leidnerwhowasresponsibleforthestrained
atmosphere.ButthenwheredidMrs.Leidner'sownnervousfearscomein?

"Itunsettleshim,"saidMissJohnsonearnestly."Ofcourse,I'm-well,I'mlikeafaithfulbutjealousold
dog. I don't like to see him so worn out and worried. His whole mind ought to be on the work - not
takenupwithhiswifeandhersillyfears!Ifshe'snervousofcomingtoout-of-the-wayplaces,sheought
tohavestayedinAmerica.I'venopatiencewithpeoplewhocometoaplaceandthendonothingbut
grouseaboutit!"

Andthen,alittlefearfulofhavingsaidmorethanshemeanttosay,shewenton:

"OfcourseIadmireherverymuch.She'salovelywomanandshe'sgotgreatcharmofmannerwhen
shechooses."

Andtherethesubjectdropped.

Ithoughttomyselfthatitwasalwaysthesameway-whereverwomenarecoopeduptogether,there's
bound to be jealousy. Miss Johnson clearly didn't like her chief's wife (that was perhaps natural) and
unlessIwasmuchmistakenMrs.Mercadofairlyhatedher.

Anotherpersonwhodidn'tlikeMrs.LeidnerwasSheilaReilly.Shecameoutonceortwicetothedig,
onceinacarandtwicewithsomeyoungmanonahorse-ontwohorsesImean,ofcourse.Itwasatthe
backofmymindthatshehadaweaknessforthesilentyoungAmerican,Emmott.Whenhewasonduty
atthedigsheusedtostaytalkingtohim,andIthought,too,thatheadmiredher.

Oneday,ratherinjudiciously,Ithought,Mrs.Leidnercommenteduponitatlunch.

"TheReillygirlisstillhuntingDaviddown,"shesaidwithalittlelaugh."PoorDavid,shechasesyou
uponthedigeven!Howfoolishgirlsare!"

Mr.Emmottdidn'tanswer,butunderhistanhisfacegotratherred.Heraisedhiseyesandlookedright
intoherswithaverycuriousexpression-astraight,steadyglancewithsomethingofachallengeinit.

Shesmiledveryfaintlyandlookedaway.

IheardFatherLavignymurmursomething,butwhenIsaid"Pardon?"hemerelyshookhisheadanddid
notrepeathisremark.

ThatafternoonMr.Colemansaidtome:

"MatteroffactIdidn'tlikeMrs.L.anytoomuchatfirst.SheusedtojumpdownmythroateverytimeI
opened my mouth. But I've begun to understand her better now. She's one of the kindest women I've
evermet.Youfindyourselftellingherallthefoolishscrapesyouevergotintobeforeyouknowwhere
youare.She'sgotherknifeintoSheilaReilly,Iknow,butthenSheila'sbeendamnedrudetoheronceor
twice.That'stheworstofSheila-she'sgotnomanners.Andatemperlikethedevil!"

ThatIcouldwellbelieve.Dr.Reillyspoilther.

"Ofcourseshe'sboundtogetabitfullofherself,beingtheonlyyoungwomanintheplace.Butthat
doesn't excuse her talking to Mrs. Leidner as though Mrs. Leidner were her great-aunt. Mrs. L's not
exactlyachicken,butshe'sadamnedgood-lookingwoman.Ratherlikethosefairywomenwhocome
out of marshes with lights and lure you away." He added bitterly, "You wouldn't find Sheila luring
anyone.Allshedoesistotickafellowoff."

Ionlyremembertwootherincidentsofanykindofsignificance.

OnewaswhenIwenttothelaboratorytofetchsomeacetonetogetthestickinessoffmyfingersfrom
mending the pottery. Mr. Mercado was sitting in a corner, his head was laid down on his arms and I
fanciedhewasasleep.ItookthebottleIwantedandwentoffwithit.

Thatevening,tomygreatsurprise,Mrs.Mercadotackledme.

"Didyoutakeabottleofacetonefromthelab?"

"Yes,"Isaid."Idid."

"Youknowperfectlywellthatthere'sasmallbottlealwayskeptintheantika-room."

Shespokequiteangrily.

"Isthere?Ididn'tknow."

"Ithinkyoudid!Youjustwantedtocomespyinground.Iknowwhathospitalnursesare."

Istaredather.

"Idon'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout,Mrs.Mercado,"Isaidwithdignity."I'msureIdon'twantto
spyonanyone."

"Oh,no!Ofcoursenot.DoyouthinkIdon'tknowwhatyou'reherefor?"

Really, for a minute or two I thought she must have been drinking. I went away without saying any
more.ButIthoughtitwasveryodd.

Theotherthingwasnothingverymuch.Iwastryingtoenticeapidogpupwithapieceofbread.Itwas
very timid, however, like all Arab dogs - and was convinced I meant no good. It slunk away and I
followedit-outthroughthearchwayandroundthecornerofthehouse.Icameroundsosharplythat
beforeIknewIhadcannonedintoFatherLavignyandanothermanwhowerestandingtogether-andin
aminuteIrealizedthatthesecondmanwasthesameoneMrs.LeidnerandIhadnoticedthatdaytrying
to peer through the window. I apologized and Father Lavigny smiled, and with a word of farewell
greetingtotheothermanhereturnedtothehousewithme.

"Youknow,"hesaid,"Iamveryashamed.IamastudentofOrientallanguagesandnoneofthemenon
themenworkcanunderstandme!Itishumiliating,doyounotthink?IwastryingmyArabiconthat
man,whoisatownsman,toseeifIgotonbetter-butitstillwasn'tverysuccessful.Leidnersaysmy
Arabicistoopure."

Thatwasall.Butitjustpassedthroughmyheadthatitwasoddthesamemanshouldstillbehanging
roundthehouse.

Thatnightwehadascare.

Itmusthavebeenabouttwointhemorning.I'malightsleeper,asmostnurseshavetobe.Iwasawake
andsittingupinbedbythetimethatmydooropened.

"Nurse,nurse!"

ItwasMrs.Leidner'svoicelowandurgent.

Istruckamatchandlightedthecandle.

Shewasstandingbythedoorinalongbluedressing-gown.Shewaslookingpetrifiedwithterror.

"There'ssomeone-someone-intheroomnexttomine...Iheardhim-scratchingonthewall."

Ijumpedoutofbedandcametoher.

"It'sallright,"Isaid."I'mhere.Don'tbeafraid,mydear."

Shewhispered:

"GetEric."

Inoddedandranoutandknockedonhisdoor.Inaminutehewaswithus.Mrs.Leidnerwassittingon
mybed,herbreathcomingingreatgasps.

"Iheardhim,"shesaid."Iheardhim-scratchingonthewall."

"Someoneintheantika-room?"criedDr.Leidner.

He ran out quickly - and it just flashed across my mind how differently these two had reacted. Mrs.
Leidner'sfearwasentirelypersonal,butDr.Leidner'smindleapedatoncetohisprecioustreasures.

"Theantika-room!"breathedMrs.Leidner."Ofcourse!Howstupidofme."

Andrisingandpullinghergownroundher,shebademecomewithher.Alltracesofherpanic-stricken
fearhadvanished.

Wearrivedintheantika-roomtofindDr.LeidnerandFatherLavigny.Thelatterhadalsoheardanoise,

had risen to investigate, and had fancied he saw a light in the antika-room. He had delayed to put on
slippersandsnatchupatorchandhadfoundnoonebythetimehegotthere.Thedoor,moreover,was
dulylocked,asitwassupposedtobeatnight.

Whilsthewasassuringhimselfthatnothinghadbeentaken,Dr.Leidnerhadjoinedhim.

Nothingmorewastobelearned.Theoutsidearchwaydoorwaslocked.Theguardsworenobodycould
havegotinfromoutside,butastheyhadprobablybeenfastasleepthiswasnotconclusive.Therewere
nomarksortracesofanintruderandnothinghadbeentaken.

ItwaspossiblethatwhathadalarmedMrs.LeidnerwasthenoisemadebyFatherLavignytakingdown
boxesfromtheshelvestoassurehimselfthatallwasinorder.

On the other hand, Father Lavigny himself was positive that he had (a) heard footsteps passing his
windowand(b)seentheflickerofalight,possiblyatorch,intheantika-room.

Nobodyelsehadheardorseenanything.

TheincidentisofvalueinmynarrativebecauseitledtoMrs.Leidner'sunburdeningherselftomeon
thefollowingday.

Chapter9

MRS.LEIDNER'SSTORY

Wehadjustfinishedlunch.Mrs.Leidnerwenttoherroomtorestasusual.Isettledheronherbedwith
plentyofpillowsandherbook,andwasleavingtheroomwhenshecalledmeback.

"Don'tgo,nurse,there'ssomethingIwanttosaytoyou."

Icamebackintotheroom.

"Shutthedoor."

Iobeyed.

Shegotupfromthebedandbegantowalkupanddowntheroom.Icouldseethatshewasmakingup
hermindtosomethingandIdidn'tliketointerrupther.Shewasclearlyingreatindecisionofmind.

Atlastsheseemedtohavenervedherselftotherequiredpoint.Sheturnedtomeandsaidabruptly:

"Sitdown."

Isatdownbythetableveryquietly.Shebegannervously:

"Youmusthavewonderedwhatallthisisabout?"

Ijustnoddedwithoutsayinganything.

"I'vemadeupmymindtotellyou-everything!ImusttellsomeoneorIshallgomad."

"Well,"Isaid."Ithinkreallyitwouldbejustaswell.It'snoteasytoknowthebestthingtodowhen
one'skeptinthedark."

Shestoppedinheruneasywalkandfacedme.

"DoyouknowwhatI'mfrightenedof?"

"Someman,"Isaid.

"Yes-butIdidn'tsaywhom-Isaidwhat."

Iwaited.

Shesaid:

"I'mafraidofbeingkilled!"

Well,itwasoutnow.Iwasn'tgoingtoshowanyparticularconcern.Shewasnearenoughhystericsasit
was.

"Dearme,"Isaid."Sothat'sit,isit?"

Thenshebegantolaugh.Shelaughedandshelaughed-andthetearsrandownherface.

"Thewayyousaidthat!"shegasped."Thewayyousaidit..."

"Now,now,"Isaid."Thiswon'tdo."Ispokesharply.Ipushedherintoachair,wentovertothewash-
standandgotacoldspongeandbathedherforeheadandwrists.

"Nomorenonsense,"Isaid."Tellmecalmlyandsensiblyallaboutit."

Thatstoppedher.Shesatupandspokeinhernaturalvoice.

"You'reatreasure,nurse,"shesaid."YoumakemefeelasthoughI'msix.I'mgoingtotellyou."

"That'sright,"Isaid."Takeyourtimeanddon'thurry."

Shebegantospeak,slowlyanddeliberately.

"WhenIwasagirloftwentyImarried.Ayoungmaninoneofourstatedepartments.Itwasin1918."

"Iknow,"Isaid."Mrs.Mercadotoldme.Hewaskilledinthewar."

ButMrs.Leidnershookherhead.

"That's what she thinks. That's what everybody thinks. The truth is something quite different I was a
queer patriotic, enthusiastic girl, nurse, full of idealism. When I'd been married a few months I
discovered-byaquiteunforeseeableaccident-thatmyhusbandwasaspyinGermanpay.Ilearned

thatthe information suppliedby him hadled directly to thesinking of anAmerican transport and the
lossofhundredsoflives.Idon'tknowwhatmostpeoplewouldhavedone...ButI'lltellyouwhatIdid.
I went straight to my father, who was in the War Department, and told him the truth. Frederick was
killedinthewar-buthewaskilledinAmerica-shotasaspy."

"Oh,dear,dear!"Iejaculated."Howterrible!"

"Yes," she said. "It was terrible. He was so kind, too - so gentle... And all the time... But I never
hesitated.PerhapsIwaswrong."

"It'sdifficulttosay,"Isaid."I'msureIdon'tknowwhatonewoulddo."

"WhatI'mtellingyouwasnevergenerallyknownoutsidethestatedepartments.Ostensiblymyhusband
had gone to the front and had been killed. I had a lot of sympathy and kindness shown me as a war
widow."

HervoicewasbitterandInoddedcomprehendingly.

"Lotsofpeoplewantedtomarryme,butIalwaysrefused.I'dhadtoobadashock.Ididn'tfeelIcould
evertrustanyoneagain."

"Yes,Icanimaginefeelinglikethat."

"AndthenIbecameveryfondofacertainyoungman.Iwavered.Anamazingthinghappened!Igotan
anonymousletter-fromFrederick-sayingthatifIevermarriedanotherman,he'dkillme!"

"FromFrederick?Fromyourdeadhusband?"

"Yes.Ofcourse,IthoughtatfirstIwasmadordreaming...AtlastIwenttomyfather.Hetoldmethe
truth. My husband hadn't been shot after all. He'd escaped - but his escape did him no good. He was
involvedinatrainwreckafewweekslaterandhisdeadbodywasfoundamongstothers.Myfatherhad
keptthefactofhisescapefromme,andsincethemanhaddiedanywayhehadseennoreasontotellme
anythinguntilnow.

"But the letter I received opened up entirely new possibilities. Was it perhaps a fact that my husband
wasstillalive?

"My father went into the matter as carefully as possible. And he declared that as far as one could
humanly be sure the body that was buried as Frederick's was Frederick's. There had been a certain
amountofdisfiguration,sothathecouldnotspeakwithabsolutecast-ironcertainty,buthereiteratedhis
solemnbeliefthatFrederickwasdeadandthatthisletterwasacruelandmalicioushoax.

"Thesamethinghappenedmorethanonce.IfIseemedtobeonintimatetermswithanyman,Iwould
receiveathreateningletter."

"Inyourhusband'shandwriting?"

Shesaidslowly:

"Thatisdifficulttosay.Ihadnolettersofhis.Ihadonlymymemorytogoby."

"Therewasnoallusionorspecialformofwordsusedthatcouldmakeyousure?"

"No.Therewerecertainterms-nicknames,forinstance-privatebetweenus-ifoneofthosehadbeen
usedorquoted,thenIshouldhavebeenquitesure."

"Yes,"Isaidthoughtfully."Thatisodd.Itlooksasthoughitwasn'tyourhusband.Butisthereanyone
elseitcouldbe?"

"There is a possibility. Frederick had a younger brother - a boy of ten or twelve at the time of our
marriage. He worshipped Frederick and Frederick was devoted to him. What happened to this boy,
Williamhisnamewas,Idon'tknow.Itseemstomepossiblethat,adoringhisbrotherasfanaticallyas
hedid,hemayhavegrownupregardingmeasdirectlyresponsibleforhisdeath.Hehadalwaysbeen
jealousofmeandmayhaveinventedthisschemebywayofpunishment."

"It'spossible,"Isaid."It'samazingthewaychildrendorememberifthey'vehadashock."

"Iknow.Thisboymayhavededicatedhislifetorevenge."

"Pleasegoon."

"Thereisn'tverymuchmoretotell.ImetEricthreeyearsago.Imeantnevertomarry.Ericmademe
change my mind. Right up to our wedding day I waited for another threatening letter. None came. I
decidedthatwhoeverthewritermightbe,hewaseitherdead,ortiredofhiscruelsport.Twodaysafter
ourmarriageIgotthis."

Drawingasmallattaché-casewhichwasonthetabletowardsher,sheunlockedit,tookoutaletterand
handedittome.

Theinkwasslightlyfaded.Itwaswritteninaratherwomanishhandwithaforwardslant.

Youhavedisobeyed.Nowyoucannotescape.YoumustbeFrederickBosner'swifeonly!Youhavegot
todie.

"Iwasfrightened-butnotsomuchasImighthavebeentobeginwith.BeingwithEricmademefeel
safe.Then,amonthlater,Igotasecondletter."

Ihavenotforgotten.Iammakingmyplans.Youhavegottodie.Whydidyoudisobey?

"Doesyourhusbandknowaboutthis?"

Mrs.Leidneransweredslowly.

"HeknowsthatIamthreatened.Ishowedhimbothletterswhenthesecondonecame.Hewasinclined
tothinkthewholethingahoax.Hethoughtalsothatitmightbesomeonewhowantedtoblackmailme
bypretendingmyfirsthusbandwasalive."

Shepausedandthenwenton.

"A few days after I received the second letter we had a narrow escape from death by gas poisoning.
Somebody entered our apartment after we were asleep and turned on the gas. Luckily I woke and
smelledthegasintime.ThenIlostmynerve.ItoldErichowIhadbeenpersecutedforyears,andItold
himthatIwassurethismadman,whoeverhemightbe,didreallymeantokillme.Ithinkthatforthe
first time I really did think it was Frederick. There was always something a little ruthless behind his
gentleness.

"Ericwasstill,Ithink,lessalarmedthanIwas.Hewantedtogotothepolice.NaturallyIwouldn'thear

of that. In the end we agreed that I should accompany him here, and that it might be wise if I didn't
returntoAmericainthesummerbutstayedinLondonandParis.

"Wecarriedoutourplanandallwentwell.Ifeltsurethatnoweverythingwouldbeallright.Afterall,
wehadputhalftheglobebetweenourselvesandmyenemy.

"Andthen-alittleoverthreeweeksago-Ireceivedaletter-withanIraqstamponit."

Shehandedmeathirdletter.

Youthoughtyoucouldescape.Youwerewrong.Youshallnotbefalsetomeandlive.Ihavealways
toldyouso.Deathiscomingverysoon.

"Andaweekago-this!Justlyingonthetablehere.Ithadnotevengonethroughthepost."

Itookthesheetofpaperfromher.Therewasjustonephrasescrawledacrossit.

Ihavearrived.

Shestaredatme.

"Yousee?Youunderstand?He'sgoingtokillme.ItmaybeFrederick-itmaybelittleWilliam-but
he'sgoingtokillme."

Hervoiceroseshudderingly.Icaughtherwrist.

"Now-now,"Isaidwarningly."Don'tgiveway.We'lllookafteryou.Haveyougotanysalvolatile?"

Shenoddedtowardsthewash-standandIgaveheragooddose.

"That'sbetter,"Isaid,asthecolourreturnedtohercheeks.

"Yes,I'mbetternow.Butoh,nurse,doyouseewhyI'minthisstate.WhenIsawthatmanlookingin

through my window, I thought: He's come... Even when you arrived I was suspicious. I thought you
mightbeamanindisguise-"

"Theidea!"

"Oh, I know it sounds absurd. But you might have been in league with him perhaps - not a hospital
nurseatall."

"Butthat'snonsense!"

"Yes,perhaps.ButI'vegotbeyondsense."

Struckbyasuddenidea,Isaid:

"You'drecognizeyourhusband,Isuppose?"

Sheansweredslowly.

"Idon'tevenknowthat.It'soverfifteenyearsago.Imightn'trecognizehisface."

Thensheshivered.

"Isawitonenight-butitwasadeadface.Therewasatap,tap,taponthewindow.AndthenIsawa
face,adeadface,ghastlyandgrinningagainstthepane.Iscreamedandscreamed...Andtheysaidthere
wasn'tanythingthere!"

IrememberedMrs.Mercado'sstory.

"Youdon'tthink,"Isaidhesitatingly,"thatyoudreamtthat?"

"I'msureIdidn't!"

I wasn't so sure. It was the kind of nightmare that was quite likely under the circumstances and that

easily might be taken for a waking occurrence. However, I never contradict a patient. I soothed Mrs.
LeidnerasbestIcouldandpointedoutthatifanystrangerarrivedintheneighbourhooditwaspretty
suretobeknown.

I left her, I think, a little comforted, and I went in search of Dr. Leidner and told him of our
conversation.

"I'mgladshe'stoldyou,"hesaidsimply."Ithasworriedmedreadfully.Ifeelsurethatallthosefaces
andtappingsonthewindow-panehavebeensheerimaginationonherpart.Ihaven'tknownwhattodo
forthebest.Whatdoyouthinkofthewholething?"

Ididn'tquiteunderstandthetoneinhisvoice,butIansweredpromptlyenough.

"It'spossible,"Isaid,"thattheselettersmaybejustacruelandmalicioushoax."

"Yes,thatisquitelikely.Butwhatarewetodo?Theyaredrivinghermad.Idon'tknowwhattothink."

I didn't either. It had occurred to me that possibly a woman might be concerned. Those letters had a
femininenoteaboutthem.Mrs.Mercadowasatthebackofmymind.

SupposingthatbysomechanceshehadlearntthefactsofMrs.Leidner'sfirstmarriage.Shemightbe
indulgingherspitebyterrorizingtheotherwoman.

Ididn'tquiteliketosuggestsuchathingtoDr.Leidner.It'ssodifficulttoknowhowpeoplearegoingto
takethings.

"Oh, well," I said cheerfully, "we must hope for the best. I think Mrs. Leidner seems happier already
fromjusttalkingaboutit.That'salwaysahelp,youknow.

It'sbottlingthingsupthatmakesthemgetonyournerves."

"I'mverygladshehastoldyou,"herepeated."It'sagoodsign.Itshowsshelikesandtrustsyou.I've
beenatmywit'sendtoknowwhattodoforthebest."

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him whether he'd thought of giving a discreet hint to the local

police,butafterwardsIwasgladIhadn'tdoneso.

Whathappenedwasthis.OnthefollowingdayMr.ColemanwasgoingintoHassaniehtogetthework-
men'spay.Hewasalsotakinginallourletterstocatchtheairmail.

Theletters,aswritten,weredroppedintoawoodenboxonthedining-roomwindow-sill.Lastthingthat
nightMr.Colemantookthemoutandwassortingthemoutintobundlesandputtingrubber-bandsround
them.

Suddenlyhegaveashout.

"Whatisit?"Iasked.

Heheldoutaletterwithagrin.

"It'sourLovelyLouise-shereallyisgoingbalmy.She'saddressedalettertosomeoneat42ndStreet,
Paris,France.Idon'tthinkthatcanberight,doyou?Doyoumindtakingittoherandaskingwhatshe
doesmean?She'sjustgoneofftobed."

ItookitfromhimandranofftoMrs.Leidnerwithitandsheamendedtheaddress.

It was the first time I had seen Mrs. Leidner's hand-writing, and I wondered idly where I had seen it
before,foritwascertainlyquitefamiliartome.

Itwasn'ttillthemiddleofthenightthatitsuddenlycametome.

Except that it was bigger and rather more straggling, it was extraordinarily like the writing on the
anonymousletters.

Newideasflashedthroughmyhead.

HadMrs.Leidnerconceivablywrittenthoselettersherself?

AnddidDr.Leidnerhalfsuspectthefact?

Chapter10

SATURDAYAFTERNOON

Mrs. Leidner told me her story on a Friday. On Saturday morning there was a feeling of slight anti-
climaxintheair.

Mrs.Leidner,inparticular,wasinclinedtobeveryoff-handwithmeandratherpointedlyavoidedany
possibilityofatête-a-tête.Well,thatdidn'tsurpriseme!I'vehadthesamethinghappentomeagainand
again. Ladies tell their nurses things in a sudden burst of confidence, and then, afterwards, they feel
uncomfortableaboutitandwishtheyhadn't!It'sonlyhumannature.

Iwasverycarefulnottohintorremindherinanywayofwhatshehadtoldme.Ipurposelykeptmy
conversationasmatter-of-factaspossible.

Mr.ColemanhadstartedintoHassaniehinthemorning,drivinghimselfinthelorrywiththelettersina
knapsack.Healsohadoneortwocommissionstodoforthemembersoftheexpedition.Itwaspay-day
for the men, and he would have to go to the bank and bring out the money in coins of small
denominations.Allthiswasalongbusinessandhedidnotexpecttobebackuntiltheafternoon.Irather
suspectedhemightbelunchingwithSheilaReilly.

Workonthedigwasusuallynotverybusyontheafternoonofpay-dayasatthree-thirtythepaying-out
began.

Thelittleboy,Abdullah,whosebusinessitwastowashpots,wasestablishedasusualinthecentreof
the courtyard, and again as usual, kept up his queer nasal chant. Dr. Leidner and Mr. Emmott were
goingtoputinsomeworkonthepotteryuntilMr.Colemanreturned,andMr.Careywentuptothedig.

Mrs.Leidnerwenttoherroomtorest.Isettledherasusualandthenwenttomyownroom,takinga
bookwithmeasIdidnotfeelsleepy.Itwasthenaboutaquartertoone,andacoupleofhourspassed
quitepleasantly.IwasreadingDeathinaNursingHome-reallyamostexcitingstory-thoughIdon't
think the author knew much about the way nursing homes are run! At any rate I've never known a
nursinghomelikethat!Ireallyfeltinclinedtowritetotheauthorandputhimrightaboutafewpoints.

WhenIputthebookdownatlast(itwasthered-hairedparlourmaidandI'dneversuspectedheronce!)
andlookedatmywatchIwasquitesurprisedtofinditwastwentyminutestothree!

Igotup,straightenedmyuniform,andcameoutintothecourtyard.

Abdullahwasstillscrubbingandstillsinginghisdepressingchant,andDavidEmmottwasstandingby
him sorting the scrubbed pots, and putting the ones that were broken into boxes to await mending. I
strolledovertowardsthemjustasDr.Leidnercamedownthestaircasefromtheroof.

"Not a bad afternoon," he said cheerfully. "I've made a bit of a clearance up there. Louise will be
pleased.She'scomplainedlatelythatthere'snotroomtowalkabout.I'llgoandtellherthegoodnews."

Hewentovertohiswife'sdoor,tappedonitandwentin.

Itmust,Isuppose,havebeenaboutaminuteandahalflaterthathecameoutagain.Ihappenedtobe
lookingatthedoorwhenhedidso.Itwaslikeanightmare.Hehadgoneinabrisk,cheerfulman.He
cameoutlikeadrunkenone-reelingalittleonhisfeet,andwithaqueerdazedexpressiononhisface.

"Nurse-"hecalledinaqueer,hoarsevoice."Nurse-"

Isawatoncesomethingwaswrong,andIranacrosstohim.Helookedawful-hisfacewasallgreyand
twitching,andIsawhemightcollapseanyminute.

"Mywife..."hesaid."Mywife...Oh,myGod..."

Ipushedpasthimintotheroom.ThenIcaughtmybreath.

Mrs.Leidnerwaslyinginadreadfulhuddledheapbythebed.

I bent over her. She was quite dead - must have been dead an hour at least. The cause of death was
perfectlyplain-aterrificblowonthefrontoftheheadjustovertherighttemple.Shemusthavegotup
fromthebedandbeenstruckdownwhereshestood.

Ididn'thandlehermorethanIcouldhelp.

Iglancedroundtheroomtoseeiftherewasanythingthatmightgiveaclue,butnothingseemedoutof
placeordisturbed.Thewindowswereclosedandfastened,andtherewasnoplacewherethemurderer
couldhavehidden.Obviouslyhehadbeenandgonelongago.

Iwentout,closingthedoorbehindme.

Dr.Leidnerhadcollapsedcompletelynow.DavidEmmottwaswithhimandturnedawhite,inquiring
facetome.

InafewlowwordsItoldhimwhathadhappened.

AsIalwayssuspected,hewasafirst-classpersontorelyonintrouble.Hewasperfectlycalmandself-
possessed.Thoseblueeyesofhisopenedverywide,butotherwisehegavenosignatall.

Heconsideredforamomentandthensaid:

"Isupposewemustnotifythepoliceassoonaspossible.Billoughttobebackanyminute.Whatshall
wedowithLeidner?"

"Helpmetogethimintohisroom."

Henodded.

"Betterlockthisdoorfirst,Isuppose,"hesaid.

HeturnedthekeyinthelockofMrs.Leidner'sdoor,thendrewitoutandhandedittome.

"Iguessyou'dbetterkeepthis,nurse.Nowthen."

TogetherweliftedDr.Leidnerandcarriedhimintohisownroomandlaidhimonhisbed.Mr.Emmott
wentoffinsearchofbrandy.Hereturned,accompaniedbyMissJohnson.

Herfacewasdrawnandanxious,butshewascalmandcapable,andIfeltsatisfiedtoleaveDr.Leidner
inhercharge.

Ihurriedoutintothecourtyard.Thestationwagonwasjustcominginthroughthearchway.Ithinkit
gaveusallashocktoseeBill'spink,cheerfulfaceashejumpedoutwithhisfamiliar"Hallo,'allo,'allo!
Here'stheoof!"Hewentongaily,"Nohighwayrobberies-"

Hecametoahaltsuddenly."Isay,isanythingup?What'sthematterwithyouall?Youlookasthough
thecathadkilledyourcanary."

Mr.Emmottsaidshortly:

"Mrs.Leidner'sdead-killed."

"What?" Bill's jolly face changed ludicrously. He stared, his eyes goggling. "Mother Leidner dead!
You'repullingmyleg."

"Dead?"Itwasasharpcry.IturnedtoseeMrs.Mercadobehindme."DidyousayMrs.Leidnerhad
beenkilled?"

"Yes,"Isaid."Murdered."

"No!"shegasped."Oh,no!Iwon'tbelieveit.Perhapsshe'scommittedsuicide."

"Suicidesdon'thitthemselvesonthehead,"Isaiddryly."It'smurderallright,Mrs.Mercado."

Shesatdownsuddenlyonanupturnedpacking-case.

Shesaid,"Oh,butthisishorrible-horrible..."

Naturallyitwashorrible.Wedidn'tneedhertotellusso!Iwonderedifperhapsshewasfeelingabit
remorsefulfortheharshfeelingsshehadharbouredagainstthedeadwoman,andallthespitefulthings
shehadsaid.

Afteraminuteortwosheaskedratherbreathlessly:

"Whatareyougoingtodo?"

Mr.Emmotttookchargeinhisquietway.

"Bill,you'dbettergetinagaintoHassaniehasquick,asyoucan.Idon'tknowmuchabouttheproper
procedure.BettergetholdofCaptainMaitland,he'sinchargeofthepolicehere,Ithink.GetDr.Reilly
first.He'llknowwhattodo."

Mr. Coleman nodded. All the facetiousness was knocked out of him. He just looked young and
frightened.Withoutawordhejumpedintothestationwagonanddroveoff.

Mr.Emmottsaidratheruncertainly,"Isupposeweoughttohaveahuntround."Heraisedhisvoiceand
called:

"Ibrahim!"

"Na'am."

Thehouse-boycamerunning.Mr.EmmottspoketohiminArabic.Avigorouscolloquypassedbetween
them.Theboyseemedtobeemphaticallydenyingsomething.

AtlastMr.Emmottsaidinaperplexedvoice:

"Hesaysthere'snotbeenasoulherethisafternoon.Nostrangerofanykind.Isupposethefellowmust
haveslippedinwithouttheirseeinghim."

"Ofcoursehedid,"saidMrs.Mercado."Heslunkinwhentheboysweren'tlooking."

"Yes,"saidMr.Emmott.

Theslightuncertaintyinhisvoicemademelookathiminquiringly.

Heturnedandspoketothelittlepot-boy,Abdullah,askinghimaquestion.

Theboyrepliedvehementlyatlength.

ThepuzzledfrownonMr.Emmott'sbrowincreased.

"Idon'tunderstandit,"hemurmuredunderhisbreath."Idon'tunderstanditatall."

Buthedidn'ttellmewhathedidn'tunderstand.

Chapter11

ANODDBUSINESS

I'madheringasfaraspossibletotellingonlymypersonalpartinthebusiness.Ipassovertheeventsof
thenexttwohours,thearrivalofCaptainMaitlandandthepoliceandDr.Reilly.Therewasagooddeal
ofgeneralconfusion,questioning,alltheroutinebusiness,Isuppose.

Inmyopinionwebegantogetdowntobrasstacksaboutfiveo'clockwhenDr.Reillyaskedmetocome
withhimintotheoffice.

He shut the door, sat down in Dr. Leidner's chair, motioned me to sit down opposite him, and said
briskly:

"Now,then,nurse,let'sgetdowntoit.There'ssomethingdamnedoddhere."

Isettledmycuffsandlookedathiminquiringly.

Hedrewoutanotebook.

"This is for my own satisfaction. Now, what time was it exactly when Dr. Leidner found his wife's
body?"

"Ishouldsayitwasalmostexactlyaquartertothree,"Isaid.

"Andhowdoyouknowthat?"

"Well,IlookedatmywatchwhenIgotup.Itwastwentytothreethen."

"Let'shavealookatthiswatchofyours."

Islippeditoffmywristandhelditouttohim.

"Right to the minute. Excellent woman. Good, that's that fixed. Now did you form any opinion as to
howlongshe'dbeendead?"

"Oh,really,doctor,"Isaid,"Ishouldn'tliketosay."

"Don'tbesoprofessional.Iwanttoseeifyourestimateagreeswithmine."

"Well,Ishouldsayshe'dbeendeadatleastanhour."

"Quiteso.Iexaminedthebodyathalf-pastfourandI'minclinedtoputthetimeofdeathbetween1.15
and1.45.We'llsayhalf-pastoneataguess.That'snearenough."

Hestoppedanddrummedthoughtfullywithhisfingersonthetable.

"Damnedodd,thisbusiness,"hesaid."Canyoutellmeaboutit-youwereresting,yousay?Didyou
hearanything?"

"Athalf-pastone?No,doctor.Ididn'thearanythingathalf-pastoneoratanyothertime.Ilayonmy
bedfromaquartertooneuntiltwentytothreeandIdidn'thearanythingexceptthatdroningnoisethe
Arabboymakes,andoccasionallyMr.EmmottshoutinguptoDr.Leidnerontheroof."

"TheArabboy-yes."

Hefrowned.

AtthatmomentthedooropenedandDr.LeidnerandCaptainMaitlandcamein.CaptainMaitlandwasa
fussylittlemanwithapairofshrewdgreyeyes.

Dr.ReillyroseandpushedDr.Leidnerintohischair.

"Sit down, man. I'm glad you've come. We shall want you. There's something very queer about this
business."

Dr.Leidnerbowedhishead.

"Iknow."Helookedatme."MywifeconfidedthetruthtoNurseLeatheran.Wemustn'tkeepanything
backatthisjuncture,nurse,sopleasetellCaptainMaitlandandDr.Reillyjustwhatpassedbetweenyou
andmywifeyesterday."

AsnearlyaspossibleIgaveourconversationverbatim.

CaptainMaitlandutteredanoccasionalejaculation.WhenIhadfinishedheturnedtoDr.Leidner.

"Andthisisalltrue,Leidner-eh?"

"EverywordNurseLeatheranhastoldyouiscorrect."

"Whatanextraordinarystory,"saidDr.Reilly."Youcanproducetheseletters?"

"Ihavenodoubttheywillbefoundamongstmywife'sbelongings."

"Shetookthemoutoftheattaché-caseonhertable,"Isaid.

"Thentheyareprobablystillthere."

HeturnedtoCaptainMaitlandandhisusuallygentlefacegrewhardandstern.

"Theremustbenoquestionofhushingthisstoryup,CaptainMaitland.Theonethingnecessaryisfor
thismantobecaughtandpunished."

"YoubelieveitactuallyisMrs.Leidner'sformerhusband?"Iasked.

"Don'tyouthinkso,nurse?"askedCaptainMaitland.

"Well,Ithinkitisopentodoubt,"Isaidhesitatingly.

"Inanycase,"saidDr.Leidner,"themanisamurderer-andIshouldsayadangerouslunaticalso.He
mustbefound,CaptainMaitland.Hemust.Itshouldnotbedifficult."

Dr.Reillysaidslowly:

"Itmaybemoredifficultthanyouthink...eh,Maitland?"

CaptainMaitlandtuggedathismoustachewithoutreplying.

SuddenlyIgaveastart.

"Excuseme,"Isaid,"butthere'ssomethingperhapsIoughttomention."

ItoldmystoryoftheIraqiwehadseentryingtopeerthroughthewindow,andofhowIhadseenhim
hangingabouttheplacetwodaysagotryingtopumpFatherLavigny.

"Good,"saidCaptainMaitland,"we'llmakeanoteofthat.Itwillbesomethingforthepolicetogoon.
Themanmayhavesomeconnectionwiththecase."

"Probablypaidtoactasaspy,"Isuggested."Tofindoutwhenthecoastwasclear."

Dr.Reillyrubbedhisnosewithaharassedgesture.

"That'sthedevilofit,"hesaid."Supposingthecoastwasn'tclear-eh?"

Istaredathiminapuzzledfashion.

CaptainMaitlandturnedtoDr.Leidner.

"Iwantyoutolistentomeverycarefully,Leidner.Thisisareviewoftheevidencewe'vegotuptodate.
Afterlunch,whichwasservedattwelveo'clockandwasoverbyfiveandtwentytoone,yourwifewent
toherroomaccompaniedbyNurseLeatheran,whosettledhercomfortably.Youyourselfwentuptothe

roof,whereyouspentthenexttwohours,isthatright?"

"Yes."

"Didyoucomedownfromtheroofatallduringthattime?"

"No."

"Didanyonecomeuptoyou?"

"Yes, Emmott did pretty frequently. He went to and fro between me and the boy, who was washing
potterydownbelow."

"Didyouyourselflookoverintothecourtyardatall?"

"Onceortwice-usuallytocalltoEmmottaboutsomething."

"Oneachoccasiontheboywassittinginthemiddleofthecourtyardwashingpots?"

"Yes."

"WhatwasthelongestperiodoftimewhenEmmottwaswithyouandabsentfromthecourtyard?"

Dr.Leidnerconsidered.

"It'sdifficulttosay-perhapstenminutes.PersonallyIshouldsaytwoorthreeminutes,butIknowby
experience that my sense of time is not very good when I am absorbed and interested in what I am
doing."

CaptainMaitlandlookedatDr.Reilly.Thelatternodded."We'dbettergetdowntoit,"hesaid.

CaptainMaitlandtookoutasmallnotebookandopenedit.

"Lookhere,Leidner,I'mgoingtoreadtoyouexactlywhateverymemberofyourexpeditionwasdoing
betweenoneandtwothisafternoon."

"Butsurely-"

"Wait.You'llseewhatI'mdrivingatinaminute.FirstMr.andMrs.Mercado.Mr.Mercadosayshewas
working in his laboratory. Mrs. Mercado says she was in her bedroom shampooing her hair. Miss
Johnsonsaysshewasintheliving-roomtakingimpressionsofcylinderseals.Mr.Reitersayshewasin
the dark-room developing plates. Father Lavigny says he was working in his bedroom. As to the two
remainingmembersoftheexpedition,CareyandColeman,theformerwasuponthedigandColeman
wasinHassanieh.Somuchforthemembersoftheexpedition.Nowfortheservants.Thecook-your
Indianchap-wassittingimmediatelyoutsidethearchwaychattingtotheguardandpluckingacouple
offowls.IbrahimandMansur,thehouse-boys,joinedhimthereatabout1.15.Theybothremainedthere
laughingandtalkinguntil2.30-bywhichtimeyourwifewasalreadydead."

Dr.Leidnerleanedforward.

"Idon'tunderstand-youpuzzleme.Whatareyouhintingat?"

"Isthereanymeansofaccesstoyourwife'sroomexceptbythedoorintothecourtyard?"

"No.Therearetwowindows,buttheyareheavilybarred-andbesides,Ithinktheywereshut."

Helookedatmequestioningly.

"Theywereclosedandlatchedontheinside,"Isaidpromptly.

"Inanycase,"saidCaptainMaitland,"eveniftheyhadbeenopen,noonecouldhaveenteredorleftthe
room that way. My fellows and I have assured ourselves of that. It is the same with all the other
windowsgivingontheopencountry.Theyallhaveironbarsandallthebarsareingoodcondition.To
have got into your wife's room, a stranger must have come through the arched doorway into the
courtyard.Butwehavetheunitedassurancesoftheguard,thecookandthehouse-boythatnobodydid
so."

Dr.Leidnersprangup.

"Whatdoyoumean?Whatdoyoumean?"

"Pullyourselftogether,man,"saidDr.Reillyquietly."Iknowit'sashock,butit'sgottobefaced.The
murdererdidn'tcomefromoutside-sohemusthavecomefrominside.ItlooksasthoughMrs.Leidner
musthavebeenmurderedbyamemberofyourownexpedition."

Chapter12

"IDIDN'TBELIEVE..."

"No!No!"

Dr.Leidnersprangupandwalkedupanddowninanagitatedmanner.

"It'simpossiblewhatyousay,Reilly.Absolutelyimpossible.Oneofus?Why,everysinglememberof
theexpeditionwasdevotedtoLouise!"

AqueerlittleexpressionpulleddownthecornersofDr.Reilly'smouth.Underthecircumstancesitwas
difficultforhimtosayanything,butifeveraman'ssilencewaseloquenthiswasatthatminute.

"Quite impossible," reiterated Dr. Leidner. "They were all devoted to her. Louise had such wonderful
charm.Everyonefeltit."

Dr.Reillycoughed.

"Excuseme,Leidner,butafterallthat'sonlyyouropinion.Ifanymemberoftheexpeditionhaddisliked
yourwifetheywouldnaturallynotadvertisethefacttoyou."

Dr.Leidnerlookeddistressed.

"True - quite true. But all the same, Reilly, I think you are wrong. I'm sure every one was fond of
Louise."

Hewassilentforamomentortwoandthenburstout.

"Thisideaofyoursisinfamous.It's-it'sfranklyincredible."

"Youcan'tgetawayfrom-er-thefacts,"saidCaptainMaitland.

"Facts?Facts?LiestoldbyanIndiancookandacoupleofArabhouse-boys.Youknowthesefellowsas
wellasIdo,Reilly;sodoyou,Maitland.Truthastruthmeansnothingtothem.Theysaywhatyouwant
themtosayasamerematterofpoliteness."

"Inthiscase,"saidDr.Reillydryly,"theyaresayingwhatwedon'twantthemtosay.Besides,Iknow
the habits of your household fairly well. Just outside the gate is a kind of social club. Whenever I've
beenoverhereintheafternoonI'vealwaysfoundmostofyourstaffthere.It'sthenaturalplaceforthem
tobe."

"All the same I think you are assuming too much. Why shouldn't this man - this devil - have got in
earlierandconcealedhimselfsomewhere?"

"Iagreethatthatisnotactuallyimpossible,"saidDr.Reillycoolly."Letusassumethatastrangerdid
somehowgainadmissionunseen.Hewouldhavetoremainconcealeduntiltherightmoment(andhe
certainly couldn't have done so in Mrs. Leidner's room, there is no cover there) and take the risk of
being seen entering the room and leaving it - with Emmott and the boy in the courtyard most of the
time."

"The boy. I'd forgotten the boy," said Dr. Leidner. "A sharp little chap. But surely, Maitland, the boy
musthaveseenthemurderergointomywife'sroom?"

"We'veelucidatedthat.Theboywaswashingpotsthewholeafternoonwithoneexception.Somewhere
aroundhalf-pastone-Emmottcan'tputitcloserthanthat-hewentuptotheroofandwaswithyoufor
tenminutes-that'sright,isn'tit?"

"Yes.Icouldn'thavetoldyoutheexacttimebutitmusthavebeenaboutthat."

"Verygood.Well,duringthattenminutes,theboy,seizinghischancetobeidle,strolledoutandjoined
theothersoutsidethegateforachat.WhenEmmottcamedownhefoundtheboyabsentandcalledhim
angrily,askinghimwhathemeantbyleavinghiswork.AsfarasIcansee,yourwifemusthavebeen
murderedduringthattenminutes."

Withagroan,Dr.Leidnersatdownandhidhisfaceinhishands.

Dr.Reillytookupthetale,hisvoicequietandmatter-of-fact.

"Thetimefitsinwithmyevidence,"hesaid."She'dbeendeadaboutthreehourswhenIexaminedher.
Theonlyquestionis-whodidit?"

Therewasasilence.Dr.Leidnersatupinhischairandpassedahandoverhisforehead.

"Iadmittheforceofyourreasoning,Reilly,"hesaidquietly."Itcertainlyseemsasthoughitwerewhat
peoplecall'aninsidejob.'ButIfeelconvincedthatsomewhereorotherthereisamistake.It'splausible
but there must be a flaw in it. To begin with, you are assuming that an amazing coincidence has
occurred."

"Oddthatyoushouldusethatword,"saidDr.Reilly.

WithoutpayinganyattentionDr.Leidnerwenton:

"Mywifereceivesthreateningletters.Shehasreasontofearacertainperson.Thensheis-killed.And
youaskmetobelievethatsheiskilled-notbythatperson-butbysomeoneentirelydifferent!Isay
thatthatisridiculous."

"Itseemsso-yes,"saidDr.Reillymeditatively.

HelookedatCaptainMaitland."Coincidence-eh?Whatdoyousay,Maitland?Areyouinfavourof
theidea?ShallweputituptoLeidner?"

CaptainMaitlandgaveanod.

"Goahead,"hesaidshortly.

"HaveyoueverheardofamancalledHerculePoirot,Leidner?"

Dr.Leidnerstaredathim,puzzled.

"IthinkIhaveheardthename,yes,"hesaidvaguely."IonceheardaMr.VanAldinspeakofhimin
veryhighterms.Heisaprivatedetective,ishenot?"

"That'stheman."

"ButsurelyhelivesinLondon,sohowwillthathelpus?"

"HelivesinLondon,true,"saidDr.Reilly,"butthisiswherethecoincidencecomesin.Heisnow,not
inLondon,butinSyria,andhewillactuallypassthroughHassaniehonhiswaytoBaghdadtomorrow!"

"Whotoldyouthis?"

"JeanBerat,theFrenchconsul.Hedinedwithuslastnightandwastalkingabouthim.Itseemshehas
been disentangling some military scandal in Syria. He's coming through here to visit Baghdad, and
afterwardsreturningthroughSyriatoLondon.How'sthatforacoincidence?"

Dr.LeidnerhesitatedamomentandlookedapologeticallyatCaptainMaitland.

"Whatdoyouthink,CaptainMaitland?"

"Should welcome co-operation," said Captain Maitland promptly. "My fellows are good scouts at
scouringthecountrysideandinvestigatingArabbloodfeuds,butfrankly,Leidner,thisbusinessofyour
wife's seems to me rather out of my class. The whole thing looks confoundedly fishy. I'm more than
willingtohavethefellowtakealookatthecase."

"You suggest that I should appeal to this man Poirot to help us?" said Dr. Leidner. "And suppose he
refuses?"

"Hewon'trefuse,"saidDr.Reilly.

"Howdoyouknow?"

"Because I'm a professional man myself. If a really intricate case of say - cerebrospinal meningitis
comesmywayandI'minvitedtotakeahand,Ishouldn'tbeabletorefuse.Thisisn'tanordinarycrime,

Leidner."

"No,"saidDr.Leidner.Hislipstwitchedwithsuddenpain.

"Willyouthen,Reilly,approachthisHerculePoirotonmybehalf?"

"Iwill."

Dr.Leidnermadeagestureofthanks.

"Evennow,"hesaidslowly,"Ican'trealizeit-thatLouiseisreallydead."

Icouldbearitnolonger.

"Oh!Dr.Leidner,"Iburstout."I-Ican'ttellyouhowbadlyIfeelaboutthis.I'vefailedsobadlyinmy
duty.ItwasmyjobtowatchoverMrs.Leidner-tokeepherfromharm."

Dr.Leidnershookhisheadgravely.

"No,no,nurse,you'venothingtoreproachyourselfwith,"hesaidslowly."It'sI,Godforgiveme,who
amtoblame...Ididn'tbelieve-allalongIdidn'tbelieve...Ididn'tdreamforonemomentthattherewas
anyrealdanger..."

Hegotup.Hisfacetwitched.

"Ilethergotoherdeath...Yes,Ilethergotoherdeath-notbelieving-"

Hestaggeredoutoftheroom.

Dr.Reillylookedatme.

"Ifeelprettyculpabletoo,"hesaid."Ithoughtthegoodladywasplayingonhisnerves."

"Ididn'ttakeitreallyseriouslyeither,"Iconfessed.

"Wewereallthreewrong,"saidDr.Reillygravely.

"Soitseems,"saidCaptainMaitland.

Chapter13

HERCULEPOIROTARRIVES

Idon'tthinkIshalleverforgetmyfirstsightofHerculePoirot.Ofcourse,Igotusedtohimlateron,but
tobeginwithitwasshock,andIthinkeveryoneelsemusthavefeltthesame!

Idon'tknowwhatI'dimagined-somethingratherlikeSherlockHolmes-longandleanwithakeen,
cleverface.Ofcourse,Iknewhewasaforeigner,butIhadn'texpectedhimtobequiteasforeignashe
was,ifyouknowwhatImean.

Whenyousawhimyoujustwantedtolaugh!Hewaslikesomethingonthestageoratthepictures.To
beginwith,hewasn'tabovefivefootfive,Ishouldthink-anoddplumplittleman,quiteold,withan
enormousmoustache,andaheadlikeanegg.Helookedlikeahairdresserinacomicplay!

AndthiswasthemanwhowasgoingtofindoutwhokilledMrs.Leidner!

Isupposesomethingofmydisgustmusthaveshowninmyface,foralmoststraightawayhesaidtome
withaqueerkindoftwinkle:

"Youdisapproveofme,masoeur?Remember,thepuddingprovesitselfonlywhenyoueatit."

Theproofofthepudding'sintheeating,Isupposehemeant.

Well,that'satrueenoughsaying,butIcouldn'tsayIfeltmuchconfidencemyself!

Dr.ReillybroughthimoutinhiscarsoonafterlunchonSunday,andhisfirstprocedurewastoaskus

alltoassembletogether.

Wedidsointhedining-room,allsittingroundthetable.Mr.PoirotsatattheheadofitwithDr.Leidner
onesideandDr.Reillytheother.

Whenwewereallassembled,Dr.Leidnerclearedhisthroatandspokeinhisgentle,hesitatingvoice.

"IdaresayyouhaveallheardofM.HerculePoirot.HewaspassingthroughHassaniehtoday,andhas
verykindlyagreedtobreakhisjourneytohelpus.TheIraqpoliceandCaptainMaitlandare,Iamsure,
doing their very best, but - but there are circumstances in the case" - he floundered and shot an
appealingglanceatDr.Reilly-"theremay,itseems,bedifficulties..."

"Itisnotallthesquareandoverboard-no?"saidthelittlemanatthetopofthetable.Why,hecouldn't
evenspeakEnglishproperly!

"Oh,hemustbecaught!"criedMrs.Mercado."Itwouldbeunbearableifhegotaway'"

Inoticedthelittleforeigner'seyesrestonherappraisingly.

"He?Whoishe,madame?"heasked.

"Why,themurderer,ofcourse."

"Ah!themurderer,"saidHerculePoirot.

Hespokeasthoughthemurdererwasofnoconsequenceatall!

Weallstaredathim.Helookedfromonefacetoanother.

"Itislikely,Ithink,"hesaid,"thatyouhavenoneofyoubeenbroughtincontactwithacaseofmurder
before?"

Therewasageneralmurmurofassent.

HerculePoirotsmiled.

"Itisclear,therefore,thatyoudonotunderstandtheA.B.C.oftheposition.Thereareunpleasantnesses!
Yes,therearealotofunpleasantnesses.Tobeginwith,thereissuspicion."

"Suspicion?"

ItwasMissJohnsonwhospoke.Mr.Poirotlookedatherthoughtfully.Ihadanideathatheregardedher
withapproval.Helookedasthoughhewerethinking,"Hereisasensible.intelligentperson!"

"Yes, mademoiselle," he said. "Suspicion! Let us not make the bones about it. You are all under
suspicion here in this house. The cook, the house-boy, the scullion, the pot-boy - yes, and all the
membersoftheexpeditiontoo."

Mrs.Mercadostartedup,herfaceworking.

"Howdareyou?Howdareyousaysuchathing!Thisisodious-unbearable!Dr.Leidner-youcan'tsit
hereandletthisman-andletthisman-"

Dr.Leidnersaidwearily:

"Pleasetryandbecalm,Marie."

Mr.Mercadostooduptoo.Hishandswereshakingandhiseyeswerebloodshot.

"Iagree.Itisanoutrage-aninsult-"

"No, no," said Mr. Poirot. "I do not insult you. I merely ask you all to face facts. In a house where
murder has been committed, every inmate comes in for a certain share of suspicion. I ask you what
evidenceistherethatthemurderercamefromoutsideatall?"

Mrs.Mercadocried:

"Butofcoursehedid!Itstandstoreason!Why-"Shestoppedandsaidmoreslowly,"Anythingelse
wouldbeincredible!"

"You are doubtless correct, madame," said Poirot with a bow. "I explain to you only how the matter
mustbeapproached.FirstIassuremyselfofthefactthateveryoneinthisroomisinnocent.AfterthatI
seekthemurdererelsewhere."

"Isitnotpossiblethatthatmaybealittlelateintheday?"askedFatherLavignysuavely.

"Thetortoise,monpère,overtookthehare."

FatherLavignyshruggedhisshoulders.

"Weareinyourhands,"hesaidresignedly."Convinceyourselfassoonasmaybeofourinnocencein
thisterriblebusiness."

"Asrapidlyaspossible.Itwasmydutytomakethepositioncleartoyou,sothatyoumaynotresentthe
impertinenceofanyquestionsImayhavetoask.Perhaps,monpère,theChurchwillsetanexample?"

"Askanyquestionsyoupleaseofme,"saidFatherLavignygravely.

"Thisisyourfirstseason,outhere?"

"Yes."

"Andyouarrived-when?"

"Threeweeksagoalmosttoaday.Thatis,onthe27thofFebruary."

"Comingfrom?"

"TheOrderofthePèresBlancsatCarthage."

"Thankyou,monpère.WereyouatanytimeacquaintedwithMrs.Leidnerbeforecominghere?"

"No.IhadneverseentheladyuntilImetherhere."

"Willyoutellmewhatyouweredoingatthetimeofthetragedy?"

"Iwasworkingonsomecuneiformtabletsinmyownroom."

InoticedthatPoirothadathiselbowaroughplanofthebuilding.

"Thatistheroomatthesouth-westcornercorrespondingtothatofMrs.Leidnerontheoppositeside?"

"Yes."

"Atwhattimedidyougotoyourroom?"

"Immediatelyafterlunch.Ishouldsayatabouttwentyminutestoone."

"Andyouremainedthereuntil-when?"

"Justbeforethreeo'clock.Ihadheardthestationwagoncomeback-andthenIhearditdriveoffagain.
Iwonderedwhy,andcameouttosee."

"Duringthetimethatyouweretheredidyouleavetheroom,atall?"

"No,notonce."

"Andyouheardorsawnothingthatmighthaveanybearingonthetragedy?"

"No."

"Youhavenowindowgivingonthecourtyardinyourroom?"

"No,boththewindowsgiveonthecountryside."

"Couldyouhearatallwhatwashappeninginthecourtyard?"

"Not very much. I heard Mr. Emmott passing my room and going up to the roof. He did so once or
twice."

"Canyourememberatwhattime?"

"No,I'mafraidIcan't.Iwasengrossedinmywork,yousee."

TherewasapauseandthenPoirotsaid:

"Canyousayorsuggestanythingatallthatmightthrowlightonthisbusiness.Didyou,forinstance,
noticeanythinginthedaysprecedingthemurder?"

FatherLavignylookedslightlyuncomfortable.

Heshotahalf-questioninglookatDr.Leidner.

"Thatisratheradifficultquestion,monsieur,"hesaidgravely."Ifyouaskme,Imustreplyfranklythat
inmyopinionMrs.Leidnerwasclearlyindreadofsomeoneorsomething.Shewasdefinitelynervous
aboutstrangers.Iimagineshehadareasonforthisnervousnessofhers-butIknownothing.Shedid
notconfideinme."

Poirotclearedhisthroatandconsultedsomenotesthatheheldinhishand.

"TwonightsagoIunderstandtherewasascareofburglary."

FatherLavignyrepliedintheaffirmativeandretailedhisstoryofthelightseenintheantika-roomand
thesubsequentfutilesearch.

"Youbelieve,doyounot,thatsomeunauthorizedpersonwasonthepremisesatthattime?"

"Idon'tknowwhattothink,"saidFatherLavignyfrankly."Nothingwastakenordisturbedinanyway.
Itmighthavebeenoneofthehouse-boys-"

"Oramemberoftheexpedition?"

"Oramemberoftheexpedition.Butinthatcasetherewouldbenoreasonforthepersonnotadmitting
thefact."

"Butitmightequallyhavebeenastrangerfromoutside?"

"Isupposeso."

"Supposingastrangerhadbeenonthepremises,couldhehaveconcealedhimselfsuccessfullyduring
thefollowingdayanduntiltheafternoonofthedayfollowingthat?"

HeaskedthequestionhalfofFatherLavignyandhalfofDr.Leidner.Bothmenconsideredthequestion
carefully.

"Ihardlythinkitwouldbepossible,"saidDr.Leidneratlastwithsomereluctance."Idon'tseewherehe
couldpossiblyconcealhimself,doyou,FatherLavigny?"

"No-no-Idon't."

Bothmenseemedreluctanttoputthesuggestionaside.

PoirotturnedtoMissJohnson.

"Andyou,mademoiselle?Doyouconsidersuchahypothesisfeasible?"

Afteramoment'sthoughtMissJohnsonshookherhead.

"No," she said. "I don't. Where could anyone hide? The bedrooms are all in use and, in any case, are

sparselyfurnished.Thedark-room,thedrawing-officeandthelaboratorywereallinusethenextday-
sowerealltheserooms.Therearenocupboardsorcorners.Perhaps,iftheservantswereincollusion-"

"Thatispossible,butunlikely,"saidPoirot.

HeturnedoncemoretoFatherLavigny.

"Thereisanotherpoint.TheotherdayNurseLeatheranherenoticedyoutalkingtoamanoutside.She
hadpreviouslynoticedthatsamemantryingtopeerinatoneofthewindowsontheoutside.Itrather
looksasthoughthemanwerehangingroundtheplacedeliberately."

"Thatispossible,ofcourse,"saidFatherLavignythoughtfully.

"Didyouspeaktothismanfirst,ordidhespeaktoyou?"

FatherLavignyconsideredforamomentortwo.

"Ibelieve-yes,Iamsure,thathespoketome."

"Whatdidhesay?"

FatherLavignymadeaneffortofmemory.

"Hesaid,Ithink,somethingtotheeffectwasthistheAmericanexpeditionhouse?Andthensomething
elseabouttheAmericansemployingalotofmenonthework.Ididnotreallyunderstandhimverywell,
butIendeavouredtokeepupaconversationsoastoimprovemyArabic.Ithought,perhaps,thatbeing
atowneehewouldunderstandmebetterthanthemenonthedigdo."

"Didyouconverseaboutanythingelse?"

"AsfarasIremember,IsaidHassaniehwasabigtown-andwethenagreedthatBaghdadwasbigger-
andIthinkheaskedwhetherIwasanArmenianoraSyrianCatholic-somethingofthatkind."

Poirotnodded.

"Canyoudescribehim?"

AgainFatherLavignyfrownedinthought.

"Hewasratherashortman,"hesaidatlast,"andsquarelybuilt.Hehadaverynoticeablesquintand
wasoffaircomplexion."

Mr.Poirotturnedtome.

"Doesthatagreewiththewayyouwoulddescribehim?"heasked.

"Not exactly," I said hesitatingly. "I should have said he was tall rather than short, and very dark
complexioned.Heseemedtomeofaratherslenderbuild.Ididn'tnoticeanysquint."

Mr.Poirotgaveadespairingshrugoftheshoulders.

"It is always so! If you were of the police how well you would know it! The description of the same
manbytwodifferentpeople-neverdoesitagree.Everydetailiscontradicted."

"I'mfairlysureaboutthesquint,"saidFatherLavigny."NurseLeatheranmayberightabouttheother
points.Bytheway,whenIsaidfair,IonlymeantfairforanIraqi.Iexpectnursewouldcallthatdark."

"Verydark,"Isaidobstinately."Adirtydark-yellowcolour."

IsawDr.Reillybitehislipandsmile.

Poirotthrewuphishands.

"Passons!" he said. "This stranger hanging about, he may be important - he may not. At any rate he
mustbefound.Letuscontinueourinquiry."

Hehesitatedforaminute,studyingthefacesturnedtowardshimroundthetable,then,withaquicknod,
hesingledoutMr.Reiter.

"Come,myfriend,"hesaid."Letushaveyouraccountofyesterdayafternoon."

Mr.Reiter'spink,plumbfaceflushedscarlet.

"Me?"hesaid.

"Yes,you.Tobeginwith,yournameandyourage?"

"CarlReiter,twenty-eight."

"American-yes?"

"Yes,IcomefromChicago."

"Thisisyourfirstseason?"

"Yes.I'minchargeofthephotography."

"Ah,yes.Andyesterdayafternoon,howdidyouemployyourself?"

"Well-Iwasinthedark-roommostofthetime."

"Mostofthetime-eh?"

"Yes.Idevelopedsomeplatesfirst.AfterwardsIwasfixingupsomeobjectstophotograph."

"Outside?"

"Oh,no,inthephotographicroom."

"Thedark-roomopensoutofthephotographicroom?"

"Yes."

"Andsoyounevercameoutsidethephotographicroom?"

"No."

"Didyounoticeanythingthatwentoninthecourtyard?"

Theyoungmanshookhishead.

"I wasn't noticing anything," he explained. "I was busy. I heard the car come back, and as soon as I
couldleavewhatIwasdoingIcameouttoseeiftherewasanymail.ItwasthenthatI-heard."

"Andyoubeganyourworkinthephotographicroom-when?"

"Attenminutestoone."

"WereyouacquaintedwithMrs.Leidnerbeforeyoujoinedthisexpedition?"

Theyoungmanshookhishead.

"No,sir.IneversawhertillIactuallygothere."

"Canyouthinkofanything-anyincident-howeversmall-thatmighthelpus?"

CarlReitershookhishead.

Hesaidhelplessly:

"IguessIdon'tknowanythingatall,sir."

"Mr.Emmott?"

DavidEmmottspokeclearlyandconciselyinhispleasantsoftAmericanvoice.

"I was working with the pottery from a quarter to one till a quarter to three - overseeing the boy
Abdullah,sortingit,andoccasionallygoinguptotherooftohelpDr.Leidner."

"Howoftendidyougouptotheroof?"

"Fourtimes,Ithink."

"Forhowlong?"

"Usuallyacoupleofminutes-notmore.ButononeoccasionafterI'dbeenworkingalittleoverhalfan
hourIstayedaslongastenminutes-discussingwhattokeepandwhattoflingaway."

"AndIunderstandthatwhenyoucamedownyoufoundtheboyhadlefthisplace?"

"Yes.Icalledhimangrilyandhereappearedfromoutsidethearchway.Hehadgoneouttogossipwith
theothers."

"Thatwastheonlytimehelefthiswork?"

"Well,Isenthimuponceortwicetotheroofwithpottery."

Poirotsaidgravely:

"Itishardlynecessarytoaskyou,Mr.Emmott,whetheryousawanyoneenterorleaveMrs.Leidner's
roomduringthattime?"

Mr.Emmottrepliedpromptly.

"Isawnooneatall.NobodyevencameoutintothecourtyardduringthetwohoursIwasworking."

"And to the best of your belief it was half-past one when both you and the boy were absent and the
courtyardwasempty?"

"Itcouldn'thavebeenfaroffthattime.Ofcourse,Ican'tsayexactly.'"

PoirotturnedtoDr.Reilly.

"Thatagreeswithyourestimateofthetimeofdeath,doctor?"

"Itdoes,"saidDr.Reilly.

Mr.Poirotstrokedhisgreatcurledmoustaches.

"Ithinkwecantakeit,"hesaidgravely,"thatMrs.Leidnermetherdeathduringthattenminutes."

Chapter14

ONEOFUS?

Therewasalittlepause-andinitawaveofhorrorseemedtofloatroundtheroom.

IthinkitwasatthatmomentthatIfirstbelievedDr.Reilly'stheorytoberight.

Ifeltthatthemurdererwasintheroom.Sittingwithus-listening.Oneofus...

PerhapsMrs.Mercadofeltittoo.Forshesuddenlygaveashortsharpcry.

"Ican'thelpit,"shesobbed."I-it'ssoterrible!"

"Courage,Marie,"saidherhusband.

Helookedatusapologetically.

"Sheissosensitive.Shefeelsthingssomuch."

"I-IwassofondofLouise,"sobbedMrs.Mercado.

Idon'tknowwhethersomethingofwhatIfeltshowedinmyface,butIsuddenlyfoundthatMr.Poirot
waslookingatme,andthataslightsmilehoveredonhislips.

Igavehimacoldglance,andatonceheresumedhisinquiry.

"Tellme,madame,"hesaid,"ofthewayyouspentyesterdayafternoon?"

"Iwaswashingmyhair,"sobbedMrs.Mercado."Itseemsawfulnottohaveknownanythingaboutit.I
wasquitehappyandbusy."

"Youwereinyourroom?"

"Yes."

"Andyoudidnotleaveit?"

"No.NottillIheardthecar.ThenIcameoutandIheardwhathadhappened.Oh,itwasawful!"

"Diditsurpriseyou?"

Mrs.Mercadostoppedcrying.Hereyesopenedresentfully.

"Whatdoyoumean,M.Poirot?Areyousuggesting-"

"WhatshouldImean,madame?YouhavejusttoldushowfondyouwereofMrs.Leidner.Shemight,
perhaps,haveconfidedinyou."

"Oh,Isee...No-no,dearLouisenevertoldmeanything-anythingdefinite,thatis.Ofcourse,Icould
seeshewasterriblyworriedandnervous.Andtherewerethosestrangeoccurrences-handstappingon
thewindowandallthat."

"Fancies,Irememberyousaid,"Iputin,unabletokeepsilent.

Iwasgladtoseethatshelookedmomentarilydisconcerted.

OnceagainIwasconsciousofMr.Poirot'samusedeyeglancinginmydirection.

Hesummedupinabusiness-likeway.

"It comes to this, madame, you were washing your hair - you heard nothing and you saw nothing. Is
thereanythingatallyoucanthinkofthatwouldbeahelptousinanyway?"

Mrs.Mercadotooknotimetothink.

"No,indeedthereisn't.It'sthedeepestmystery!ButIshouldsaythereisnodoubt-nodoubtatallthat
themurderercamefromoutside.Why,itstandstoreason."

Poirotturnedtoherhusband.

"Andyou,monsieur,whathaveyoutosay?"

Mr.Mercadostarednervously.Hepulledathisbeardinanaimlessfashion.

"Must have been. Must have been," he said. "Yet how could anyone wish to harm her? She was so
gentle-sokind-"Heshookhishead."Whoeverkilledhermusthavebeenafiend-yes,afiend!"

"Andyouyourself,monsieur,howdidyoupassyesterdayafternoon?"

"I?"hestaredvaguely.

"Youwereinthelaboratory,Joseph,"hiswifepromptedhim.

"Ah,yes,soIwas-soIwas.Myusualtasks."

"Atwhattimedidyougothere?"

AgainhelookedhelplesslyandinquiringlyatMrs.Mercado.

"Attenminutestoone,Joseph."

"Ah,yes,attenminutestoone."

"Didyoucomeoutinthecourtyardatall?"

"No-Idon'tthinkso."Heconsidered."No,IamsureIdidn't."

"Whendidyouhearofthetragedy?"

"Mywifecameandtoldme.Itwasterrible-shocking.Icouldhardlybelieveit.Evennow,Icanhardly
believeitistrue."

Suddenlyhebegantotremble.

"Itishorrible-horrible..."

Mrs.Mercadocamequicklytohisside.

"Yes,yes,Joseph,weallfeelthat.Butwemustn'tgiveway.Itmakesitsomuchmoredifficultforpoor
Dr.Leidner."

IsawaspasmofpainpassacrossDr.Leidner'sface,andIguessedthatthisemotionalatmospherewas
noteasyforhim.HegaveahalfglanceatPoirotasthoughinappeal.Poirotrespondedquickly.

"MissJohnson?"hesaid.

"I'mafraidIcantellyouverylittle,"saidMissJohnson.Herculturedwell-bredvoicewassoothingafter
Mrs.Mercado'sshrilltreble.Shewenton:

"Iwasworkingintheliving-room-takingimpressionsofsomecylindersealsonplasticine."

"Andyousawornoticednothing?"

"No."

Poirotgaveheraquickglance.Hisearhadcaughtwhatminehad-afaintnoteofindecision.

"Areyouquitesure,mademoiselle?Istheresomethingthatcomesbacktoyouvaguely?"

"No-notreally-"

"Somethingyousaw,shallwesay,outofthecornerofyoureyehardlyknowingyousawit."

"No,certainlynot,"sherepliedpositively.

"Somethingyouheardthen.Ah,yes,somethingyouarenotquitesurewhetheryouheardornot?"

MissJohnsongaveashortvexedlaugh.

"You press me very closely, M. Poirot. I'm afraid you are encouraging me to tell you what I am,
perhaps,onlyimagining."

"Thentherewassomethingyou-shallwesay-imagined?"

MissJohnsonsaidslowly,weighingherwordsinadetachedway:

"Ihaveimagined-since-thatatsometimeduringtheafternoonIheardaveryfaintcry...WhatImean
isthatIdaresayIdidhearacry.Allthewindowsintheliving-roomwereopenandonehearsallsorts
ofsoundsfrompeopleworkinginthebarleyfields.Butyousee-since-I'vegottheideaintomyhead
thatitwas-thatitwasMrs.LeidnerIheard.Andthat'smademeratherunhappy.BecauseifI'djumped
upandrunalongtoherroom-well,whoknows?Imighthavebeenintime..."

Dr.Reillyinterposedauthoritatively.

"Now,don'tstartgettingthatintoyourhead,"hesaid."I'venodoubtbutthatMrs.Leidner(forgiveme,
Leidner)wasstruckdownalmostassoonasthemanenteredtheroom,anditwasthatblowthatkilled
her.Nosecondblowwasstruck.Otherwiseshewouldhavehadtimetocallforhelpandmakeareal
outcry."

"Still,Imighthavecaughtthemurderer,"saidMissJohnson.

"Whattimewasthis,mademoiselle?"askedPoirot."Intheneighbourhoodofhalf-pastone?"

"Itmusthavebeenaboutthattime-yes."Shereflectedaminute.

"Thatwouldfitin,"saidPoirotthoughtfully."Youheardnothingelse-theopeningorshuttingofadoor,
forinstance."

MissJohnsonshookherhead.

"No,Idonotrememberanythingofthatkind."

"Youweresittingatatable,Ipresume.Whichwaywereyoufacing?Thecourtyard?Theantika-room?
Theverandah?Ortheopencountryside?"

"Iwasfacingthecourtyard."

"CouldyouseetheboyAbdullahwashingpotsfromwhereyouwere?"

"Oh,yes,ifIlookedup,butofcourse,IwasveryintentonwhatIwasdoing.Allmyattentionwason

that."

"Ifanyonehadpassedthecourtyardwindow,though,youwouldhavenoticedit?"

"Oh,yes,Iamalmostsureofthat."

"Andnobodydidso?"

"No."

"Butifanyonehadwalked,say,acrossthemiddleofthecourtyard,wouldyouhavenoticedthat?"

"Ithink-probablynot-unless,asIsaidbefore,Ihadhappenedtolookupandoutofthewindow."

"YoudidnotnoticetheboyAbdullahleavehisworkandgoouttojointheotherservants?"

"No."

"Tenminutes,"musedPoirot."Thatfataltenminutes."

Therewasamomentarysilence.

MissJohnsonliftedherheadsuddenlyandsaid:

"Youknow,M.Poirot,IthinkIhaveunintentionallymisledyou.Onthinkingitover,Idonotbelieve
thatIcouldpossiblyhaveheardanycryutteredinMrs.Leidner'sroomfromwhereIwas.Theantika-
roomlaybetweenmeandher-andIunderstandherwindowswerefoundclosed."

"In any case, do not distress yourself, mademoiselle," said Poirot kindly. "It is not really of much
importance."

"No,ofcoursenot.Iunderstandthat.Butyousee,itisofimportancetome,becauseIfeelImighthave
donesomething."

"Don'tdistressyourself,dearAnne,"saidDr.Leidnerwithaffection."Youmustbesensible.Whatyou
heardwasprobablyoneArabbawlingtoanothersomedistanceawayinthefields."

MissJohnsonflushedalittleatthekindlinessofhistone.Ievensawtearsspringtohereyes.Sheturned
herheadawayandspokeevenmoregrufflythanusual.

"Probablywas.Usualthingafteratragedy-startimaginingthingsthataren'tsoatall."

Poirotwasoncemoreconsultinghisnotebook.

"Idonotsupposethereismuchmoretobesaid.Mr.Carey?"

RichardCareyspokeslowly-inawooden,mechanicalmanner.

"I'mafraidIcanaddnothinghelpful.Iwasondutyatthedig.Thenewswasbroughttomethere."

"And you know or can think of nothing helpful that occurred in the days immediately preceding the
murder?"

"Nothingatall."

"Mr.Coleman?"

"Iwasrightoutofthewholething,"saidMr.Colemanwith-wasitjustashadeofregret-inhistone.
"I went into Hassanieh yesterday morning to get the money for the men's wages. When I came back
EmmotttoldmewhathadhappenedandIwentbackinthebustogetthepoliceandDr.Reilly."

"Andbeforehand?"

"Well, sir, things were a bit jumpy - but you know that already. There was the antika-room scare and
oneortwobeforethat-handsandfacesatthewindow-youremember,sir,"heappealedtoDr.Leidner,
whobenthisheadinassent."Ithink,youknow,thatyou'llfindsomeJohnnydidgetinfromoutside.
Musthavebeenanartfulsortofbeggar."

Poirotconsideredhimforaminuteortwoinsilence.

"YouareanEnglishman,Mr.Coleman?"heaskedatlast.

"That'sright,sir.AllBritish.Seethetrademark.Guaranteedgenuine."

"Thisisyourfirstseason?"

"Quiteright."

"Andyouarepassionatelykeenonarchaeology?"

ThisdescriptionofhimselfseemedtocauseMr.Colemansomeembarrassment.Hegotratherpinkand
shotthesidelookofaguiltyschoolboyatDr.Leidner.

"Ofcourse-it'sallveryinteresting,"hestammered."Imean-I'mnotexactlyabrainychap..."

Hebrokeoffratherlamely.Poirotdidnotinsist.

Hetappedthoughtfullyonthetablewiththeendofhispencilandcarefullystraightenedaninkpotthat
stoodinfrontofhim.

"Itseemsthen,"hesaid."thatthatisasnearaswecangetforthemoment.Ifanyoneofyouthinksof
somethingthathasforthetimebeingslippedhisorhermemorydonothesitatetocometomewithit.It
willbewellnow,Ithink,formetohaveafewwordsalonewithDr.LeidnerandDr.Reilly."

Itwasthesignalforabreakingupoftheparty.Weallroseandfiledoutofthedoor.WhenIwashalf-
wayout,however,avoicerecalledme.

"Perhaps,"saidMr.Poirot,"NurseLeatheranwillbesokindastoremain.Ithinkherassistancewillbe
valuabletous."

Icamebackandresumedmyseatatthetable.

Chapter15

POIROTMAKESASUGGESTION

Dr. Reilly had risen from his seat. When every one had gone out he carefully closed the door. Then,
withaninquiringglanceatPoirot,heproceededtoshutthewindowgivingonthecourtyard.Theothers
werealreadyshut.Thenhe,too,resumedhisseatatthetable.

"Bien!"saidPoirot."Wearenowprivateandundisturbed.Wecanspeakfreely.Wehaveheardwhatthe
membersoftheexpeditionhavetotellusand-Butyes,ma,soeur,whatisityouthink?"

Igotratherred.Therewasnodenyingthatthequeerlittlemanhadsharpeyes.He'dseenthethought
passingthroughmymind-IsupposemyfacehadshownabittooclearlywhatIwasthinking!

"Oh,it'snothing-"Isaid,hesitating.

"Comeon,nurse,"saidDr.Reilly."Don'tkeepthespecialistwaiting."

"It's nothing really," I said hurriedly. "It only just passed through my mind, so to speak, that perhaps
evenifanyonedidknoworsuspectsomethingitwouldn'tbeeasytobringitoutinfrontofeverybody
else-oreven,perhaps,infrontofDr.Leidner."

Rathertomyastonishment,M.Poirotnoddedhisheadinvigorousagreement.

"Precisely.Precisely.Itisveryjustwhatyousaythere.ButIwillexplain.Thatlittlereunionwehave
justhad-itservedapurpose.InEnglandbeforetheracesyouhaveaparadeofthehorses,doyounot?
They go in front of the grandstand so that every one may have an opportunity of seeing and judging
them.Thatisthepurposeofmylittleassembly.Inthesportingphrase,Irunmyeyeoverthepossible
starters."

Dr.Leidnercriedoutviolently,"Idonotbelieveforoneminutethatanymemberofmyexpeditionis
implicatedinthiscrime!"

Then,turningtome,hesaidauthoritatively:

"Nurse, I should be much obliged if you would tell M. Poirot here and now exactly what passed
betweenmywifeandyoutwodaysago."

Thusurged,Iplungedstraightawayintomystory,tryingasfaraspossibletorecalltheexactwordsand
phrasesMrs.Leidnerhadused.

WhenIhadfinished,M.Poirotsaid:

"Verygood.Verygood.Youhavethemindneatandorderly.Youwillbeofgreatservicetomehere."

HeturnedtoDr.Leidner.

"Youhavetheseletters?"

"Ihavethemhere.Ithoughtthatyouwouldwanttoseethemfirstthing."

Poirot took them from him, read them, and scrutinized them carefully as he did so. I was rather
disappointedthathedidn'tdustpowderoverthemorexaminethemwithamicroscopeoranythinglike
that-butIrealizedthathewasn'taveryyoungmanandthathismethodswereprobablynotveryupto
date.Hejustreadtheminthewaythatanyonemightreadaletter.

Havingreadthemheputthemdownandclearedhisthroat.

"Now,"hesaid,"letusproceedtogetourfactsclearandinorder.Thefirstoftheseletterswasreceived
by your wife shortly after her marriage to you in America. There had been others but these she
destroyed.Thefirstletterwasfollowedbyasecond.Averyshorttimeafterthesecondarrivedyouboth
hadanearescapefromcoalgaspoisoning.Youthencameabroadandfornearlytwoyearsnofurther
letterswerereceived.Theystartedagainatthebeginningofyourseasonthisyear-thatistosay,within
thelastthreeweeks.Thatiscorrect?"

"Absolutely."

"Yourwifedisplayedeverysignofpanicand,afterconsultingDr.Reilly,youengagedNurseLeatheran
heretokeepyourwifecompanyandallayherfears?"

"Yes."

"Certainincidentsoccurred-handstappingatthewindow-aspectralface-noisesintheantika-room.
Youdidnotwitnessanyofthesephenomenayourself?"

"No."

"InfactnobodydidexceptMrs.Leidner?"

"FatherLavignysawalightintheantika-room."

"Yes,Ihavenotforgottenthat."

Hewassilentforaminuteortwo,thenhesaid:

"Hadyourwifemadeawill?"

"Idonotthinkso."

"Whywasthat?"

"Itdidnotseemworthitfromherpointofview."

"Isshenotawealthywoman?"

"Yes,duringherlifetime.Herfatherleftheraconsiderablesumofmoneyintrust.Shecouldnottouch
the principal. At her death it was to pass to any children she might have - and failing children to the
PittstownMuseum."

Poirotdrummedthoughtfullyonthetable.

"Thenwecan,Ithink,"hesaid,"eliminateonemotivefromthecase.Itis,youcomprehend,whatIlook

forfirst.Whobenefitsbythedeceased'sdeath?Inthiscaseitisamuseum.Haditbeenotherwise,had
Mrs.Leidnerdiedintestatebutpossessedofaconsiderablefortune,Ishouldimaginethatitwouldprove
aninterestingquestionastowhoinheritedthemoney-you-oraformerhusband.Buttherewouldhave
beenthisdifficulty,theformerhusbandwouldhavehadtoresurrecthimselfinordertoclaimit,andI
shouldimaginethathewouldthenbeindangerofarrest,thoughIhardlyfancythatthedeathpenalty
would be exacted so long after the war. However, these speculations need not arise. As I say, I settle
first the question of money. For the next step I proceed always to suspect the husband or wife of the
deceased! In this case, in the first place, you are proved never to have gone near your wife's room
yesterdayafternoon,inthesecondplace,youloseinsteadofgainbyyourwife'sdeath,andinthethird
place-"

Hepaused.

"Yes?"saidDr.Leidner.

"Inthethirdplace,"saidPoirotslowly."Ican,Ithink,appreciatedevotionwhenIseeit.IbelieveDr.
Leidner,thatyourloveforyourwifewastherulingpassionofyourlife.Itisso,isitnot?"

Dr.Leidneransweredquitesimply:

"Yes."

Poirotnodded.

"Therefore,"hesaid,"wecanproceed."

"Hear,hear,let'sgetdowntoit,"saidDr.Reillywithsomeimpatience.

Poirotgavehimareprovingglance.

"My friend, do not be impatient. In a case like this everything must be approached with order and
method.Infact,thatismyruleineverycase.Havingdisposedofcertainpossibilities,wenowapproach
averyimportantpoint.Itisvitalthat,asyousay-allthecardsshouldbeonthetable-theremustbe
nothingkeptback."

"Quiteso,"saidDr.Reilly.

"ThatiswhyIdemandthewholetruth,"wentonPoirot.

Dr.Leidnerlookedathiminsurprise.

"Iassureyou,M.Poirot,thatIhavekeptnothingback.IhavetoldyoueverythingthatIknow.There
havebeennoreserves."

"Toutdemême,youhavenottoldmeeverything."

"Yes,indeed.Icannotthinkofanydetailthathasescapedme."

Helookedquitedistressed.

Poirotshookhisheadgently.

"No,"hesaid."Youhavenottoldme,forinstance,whyyouinstalledNurseLeatheraninthehouse."

Dr.Leidnerlookedcompletelybewildered.

"ButIhaveexplainedthat.Itisobvious.Mywife'snervousness-herfears..."

Poirotleanedforward.Slowlyandemphaticallyhewaggedafingerupanddown.

"No,no,no.Thereissomethingtherethatisnotclear.Yourwifeisindanger,yes-sheisthreatened
withdeath,yes.Yousend-notforthepolice-notforaprivatedetectiveeven-butforanurse!Itdoes
notmakethesense,that!"

"I-I-"Dr.Leidnerstopped.Thecolourroseinhischeeks."Ithought-"Hecametoadeadstop.

"Nowwearecomingtoit,"Poirotencouragedhim."Youthought-what?"

Dr.Leidnerremainedsilent.Helookedharassedandunwilling.

"Seeyou,"Poirot'stonebecamewinningandappealing,"itallringstruewhatyouhavetoldme,except
for that. Why a nurse? There is an answer - yes. In fact, there can be only one answer. You did not
believeyourselfinyourwife'sdanger."

AndthenwithacryDr.Leidnerbrokedown.

"Godhelpme,"hegroaned."Ididn't.Ididn't."

Poirot watched him with the kind of attention a cat gives a mouse-hole - ready to pounce when the
mouseshowsitself.

"Whatdidyouthinkthen?"heasked.

"Idon'tknow.Idon'tknow..."

"But you do know. You know perfectly. Perhaps I can help you - with a guess. Did you, Dr. Leidner,
suspectthattheseletterswereallwrittenbyyourwifeherself?"

There wasn't any need for him to answer. The truth of Poirot's guess was only too apparent. The
horrifiedhandheheldup,asthoughbeggingformercy,tolditsowntale.

Idrewadeepbreath.SoIhadbeenrightinmyhalf-formedguess!Irecalledthecurioustoneinwhich
Dr. Leidner had asked me what I thought of it all. I nodded my head slowly and thoughtfully, and
suddenlyawoketothefactthatM.Poirot'seyeswereonme.

"Didyouthinkthesame,nurse?"

"Theideadidcrossmymind,"Isaidtruthfully.

"Forwhatreason?"

IexplainedthesimilarityofthehandwritingontheletterthatMr.Colemanhadshownme.

PoirotturnedtoDr.Leidner.

"Hadyou,toonoticedthatsimilarity?"

Dr.Leidnerbowedhishead.

"Yes,Idid.Thewritingwassmallandcramped-notbigandgenerouslikeLouise's.butseveralofthe
letterswereformedthesameway.Iwillshowyou."

From an inner breast pocket he took out some letters and finally selected a sheet from one which he
handedtoPoirot.Itwaspartofaletterwrittentohimbyhiswife.Poirotcompareditcarefullywiththe
anonymousletters.

"Yes," he murmured. "Yes. There are several similarities - a curious way of forming the letter s, a
distinctivee.Iamnotahandwritingexpert-Icannotpronouncedefinitely(andforthatmatter,Ihave
neverfoundtwohandwritingexpertswhoagreeonanypointwhatsoever)-butonecanatleastsaythis
-thesimilaritybetweenthetwohandwritingsisverymarked.Itseemshighlyprobablethattheywere
allwrittenbythesameperson.Butitisnotcertain.Wemusttakeallcontingenciesintomind."

Heleanedbackinhischairandsaidthoughtfully:

"Therearethreepossibilities.First,thesimilarityofthehandwritingispurecoincidence.Second,that
thesethreateningletterswerewrittenbyMrs.Leidnerherselfforsomeobscurereason.Third,thatthey
werewrittenbysomeonewhodeliberatelycopiesherhandwriting.Why?Thereseemsnosenseinit.
Oneofthesethreepossibilitiesmustbethecorrectone."

Hereflectedforaminuteortwoandthen,turningtoDr.Leidner,heasked,witharesumalofhisbrisk
manner.

"When the possibility that Mrs. Leidner herself was the author of these letters first struck you, what
theorydidyouform?"

Dr.Leidnershookhishead.

"Iputtheideaoutofmyheadasquicklyaspossible.Ifeltitwasmonstrous."

"Didyousearchfornoexplanation?"

"Well,"hehesitated,"Iwonderedifworryingandbroodingoverthepasthadperhapsaffectedmywife's
brainslightly.Ithoughtshemightpossiblyhavewrittenthoseletterstoherselfwithoutbeingconscious
ofhavingdoneso.Thatispossible,isn'tit?"headded,turningtoDr.Reilly.

Dr.Reillypurseduphislips.

"Thehumanbrainiscapableofalmostanything,"herepliedvaguely.

ButheshotalightningglanceatPoirot,andasifinobediencetoit,thelatterabandonedthesubject.

"Thelettersareaninterestingpoint,"hesaid."Butwemustconcentrateonthecaseasawhole.There
are,asIseeit,threepossiblesolutions."

"Three?"

"Yes.Solutionone:thesimplest.Yourwife'sfirsthusbandisstillalive.Hefirstthreatensherandthen
proceedstocarryouthisthreats.Ifweacceptthissolution,ourproblemistodiscoverhowhegotinor
outwithoutbeingseen.

"Solution two: Mrs. Leidner, for reasons of her own (reasons probably more easily understood by a
medical man than a layman), writes herself threatening letters. The gas business is staged by her
(remember,itwasshewhorousedyoubytellingyoushesmeltgas).But,ifMrs.Leidnerwroteherself
theletters,shecannotbeindangerfromthesupposedwriter.Wemust,therefore,lookelsewhereforthe
murderer. We must look, in fact, amongst the members of your staff. Yes," in answer to a murmur of
protestfromDr.Leidner,"thatistheonlylogicalconclusion.Tosatisfyaprivategrudgeoneofthem
killedher.Thatperson,Imaysay,wasprobablyawareoftheletters-orwasatanyrateawarethatMrs.
Leidner feared or was pretending to fear some one. That fact, in the murderer's opinion, rendered the
murderquitesafeforhim.Hefeltsureitwouldbeputdowntoamysteriousoutsider-thewriterofthe
threateningletters.

"Avariantofthissolutionisthatthemurdereractuallywrotethelettershimself,beingawareofMrs.
Leidner's past history. But in that case it is not quite clear why the criminal should have copied Mrs.
Leidner'sownhandwritingsince,asfaraswecansee,itwouldbemoretohisorheradvantagethatthey
shouldappeartobewrittenbyanoutsider.

"Thethirdsolutionisthemostinterestingtomymind.Isuggestthatthelettersaregenuine.Theyare
writtenbyMrs.Leidner'sfirsthusband(orhisyoungerbrother),whoisactuallyoneoftheexpedition
staff."

Chapter16

THESUSPECTS

Dr.Leidnersprangtohisfeet.

"Impossible!Absolutelyimpossible!Theideaisabsurd!"

Mr.Poirotlookedathimquitecalmlybutsaidnothing.

"You mean to suggest that my wife's former husband is one of the expedition and that she didn't
recognizehim?"

"Exactly.Reflectalittleonthefacts.Nearlytwentyyearsagoyourwifelivedwiththismanforafew
months.Wouldsheknowhimifshecameacrosshimafterthatlapseoftime?Ithinknot.Hisfacewill
have changed, his build will have changed - his voice may not have changed so much, but that is a
detailhecanattendtohimself.Andremember,sheisnotlookingforhimamongstherownhousehold.
Shevisualizeshimassomewhereoutside-astranger.No,Idonotthinkshewouldrecognizehim.And
there is a second possibility. The young brother - the child of those days who was so passionately
devotedtohiselderbrother.Heisnowaman.Willsherecognizeachildoftenortwelveyearsoldina
mannearingthirty?Yes,thereisyoungWilliamBosnertobereckonedwith.Remember,hisbrotherin
hiseyesmaynotloomasatraitorbutasapatriot,amartyrforhisowncountry-Germany.Inhiseyes
Mrs.Leidneristhetraitor-themonsterwhosenthisbelovedbrothertodeath!Asusceptiblechildis
capableofgreatheroworship,andayoungmindcaneasilybeobsessedbyanideawhichpersistsinto
adultlife."

"Quitetrue,"saidDr.Reilly."Thepopularviewthatachildforgetseasilyisnotanaccurateone.Many
people go right through life in the grip of an idea which has been impressed on them in very tender
years."

"Bien. You have these two possibilities. Frederick Bosner, a man by now of fifty odd, and William
Bosner,whoseagewouldbesomethingshortofthirty.Letusexaminethemembersofyourstafffrom
thesetwopointsofview."

"Thisisfantastic,"murmuredDr.Leidner."Mystaff!Themembersofmyownexpedition."

"And consequently considered above suspicion," said Poirot dryly. "A very useful point of view.
Commençons!WhocouldemphaticallynotbeFrederickorWilliam?"

"Thewomen."

"Naturally.MissJohnsonandMrs.Mercadoarecrossedoff.Whoelse?"

"Carey.HeandIhaveworkedtogetherforyearsbeforeIevenmetLouise-"

"Andalsoheisthewrongage.Heis,Ishouldjudge,thirty-eightornine,tooyoungforFrederick,too
oldforWilliam.Nowfortherest.ThereisFatherLavignyandMr.Mercado.Eitherofthemmightbe
FrederickBosner."

"But,mydearsir,"criedDr.Leidnerinavoiceofmingledirritationandamusement,"FatherLavignyis
knownallovertheworldasanepigraphistandMercadohasworkedforyearsinawell-knownmuseum
inNewYork.Itisimpossiblethateitherofthemshouldbethemanyouthink!"

Poirotwavedanairyhand.

"Impossible - impossible - I take no account of the word! The impossible, always I examine it very
closely! But we will pass on for the moment. Who else have you? Carl Reiter, a young man with a
Germanname,DavidEmmott-"

"Hehasbeenwithmetwoseasons,remember."

"Heisayoungmanwiththegiftofpatience.Ifhecommittedacrime,itwouldnotbeinahurry.All
wouldbeverywellprepared."

Dr.Leidnermadeagestureofdespair.

"Andlastly,WilliamColeman,"continuedPoirot.

"HeisanEnglishman."

"Pourquoipas?DidnotMrs.LeidnersaythattheboyleftAmericaandcouldnotbetraced?Hemight
easilyhavebeenbroughtupinEngland."

"Youhaveananswertoeverything,"saidDr.Leidner.

Iwasthinkinghard.RightfromthebeginningIhadthoughtMr.Coleman'smannerrathermorelikea
P.G.Wodehousebookthanlikearealliveyoungman.Hadhereallybeenplayingapartallthetime?

Poirotwaswritinginalittlebook.

"Let us proceed with order and method," he said. "On the first count we have two names. Father
LavignyandMr.Mercado.OnthesecondwehaveColeman,EmmottandReiter.

"Now let us pass to the opposite aspect of the matter - means and opportunity. Who amongst the
expeditionhadthemeansandtheopportunityofcommittingthecrime?Careywasonthedig,Coleman
was in Hassanieh, you yourself were on the roof. That leaves us Father Lavigny, Mr. Mercado, Mrs.
Mercado,DavidEmmott,CarlReiter,MissJohnsonandNurseLeatheran."

"Oh!"Iexclaimed,andIboundedinmychair.

Mr.Poirotlookedatmewithtwinklingeyes.

"Yes,I'mafraid,masoeur,thatyouhavegottobeincluded.Itwouldhavebeenquiteeasyforyouto
havegonealongandkilledMrs.Leidnerwhilethecourtyardwasempty.Youhaveplentyofmuscleand
strength,andshewouldhavebeenquiteunsuspiciousuntilthemomenttheblowwasstruck."

IwassoupsetthatIcouldn'tgetawordout.Dr.Reilly,Inoticed,waslookinghighlyamused.

"Interestingcaseofanursewhomurderedherpatientsonebyone,"hemurmured.

SuchalookasIgavehim!

Dr.Leidner'smindhadbeenrunningonadifferenttrack.

"NotEmmott,M.Poirot,"heobjected."Youcan'tincludehim.Hewasontheroofwithme,remember,
duringthattenminutes."

"Neverthelesswecannotexcludehim.Hecouldhavecomedown,gonestraighttoMrs.Leidner'sroom,
killedher,andthencalledtheboyback.Orhemighthavekilledherononeoftheoccasionswhenhe
hadsenttheboyuptoyou."

Dr.Leidnershookhishead,murmuring:

"Whatanightmare!It'sallso-fantastic."

TomysurprisePoirotagreed.

"Yes, that is true. This is a fantastic crime. One does not often come across them. Usually murder is
very sordid - very simple. But this is unusual murder... I suspect, Dr. Leidner, that your wife was an
unusualwoman."

HehadhitthenailontheheadwithsuchaccuracythatIjumped.

"Isthattrue,nurse?"heasked.

Dr.Leidnersaidquietly:

"TellhimwhatLouisewaslike,nurse.Youareunprejudiced."

Ispokequitefrankly.

"She was very lovely," I said. "You couldn't help admiring her and wanting to do things for her. I've
nevermetanyonelikeherbefore."

"Thankyou,"saidDr.Leidnerandsmiledatme.

"Thatisvaluabletestimonycomingfromanoutsider,"saidPoirotpolitely."Well,letusproceed.Under
the heading of means and opportunity we have seven names. Nurse Leatheran, Miss Johnson, Mrs.
Mercado,Mr.Mercado,Mr.Reiter,Mr.EmmottandFatherLavigny."

Oncemoreheclearedhisthroat.I'vealwaysnoticedthatforeignerscanmaketheoddestnoises.

"Letusforthemomentassumethatourthirdtheoryiscorrect.Thatis,thatthemurdererisFrederickor
William Bosner, and that Frederick or William Bosner is a member of the expedition staff. By
comparing both lists we can narrow down our suspects on this count to four. Father Lavigny, Mr.
Mercado,CarlReiterandDavidEmmott."

"FatherLavignyisoutofthequestion,"saidDr.Leidnerwithdecision."HeisoneofthePèresBlancs
inCarthage."

"Andhisbeard'squitereal,"Iputin.

"Masoeur,"saidPoirot,"amurdererofthefirstclassneverwearsafalsebeard!"

"Howdoyouknowthemurdererisofthefirstclass?"Iaskedrebelliously.

"Becauseifhewerenot,thewholetruthwouldbeplaintomeatthisinstant-anditisnot."

That'spureconceit,Ithoughttomyself.

"Anyway,"Isaid,revertingtothebeard,"itmusthavetakenquiteatimetogrow."

"Thatisapracticalobservation,"saidPoirot.Dr.Leidnersaidirritably:

"Butit'sridiculous-quiteridiculous.BothheandMercadoarewell-knownmen.They'vebeenknown
foryears."

Poirotturnedtohim.

"Youhavenotthetruevision.Youdonotappreciateanimportantpoint.IfFrederickBosnerisnotdead
- what has he been doing all these years? He must have taken a different name. He must have built
himselfupacareer."

"AsaPèreBlanc?"askedDr.Reillysceptically.

"Itisalittlefantasticthat,yes,"confessedPoirot."Butwecannotputitrightoutofcourt.Besides,there
areotherpossibilities."

"The young 'uns?" said Reilly. "If you want my opinion, on the face of it there's only one of your
suspectsthat'sevenplausible,"

"Andthatis?"

"YoungCarlReiter.There'snothingactuallyagainsthim,butcomedowntoitandyou'vegottoadmita
fewthings-he'stherightage,he'sgotaGermanname,he'snewthisyearandhehadtheopportunityall
right.He'donlygottopopoutofhisphotographicplace,crossthecourtyardtodohisdirtyworkand
harebackagainwhilethecoastwasclear.Ifanyoneweretohavedroppedintothephotographicroom
whilehewasoutofit,hecanalwayssaylaterthathewasinthedark-room.Idon'tsayhe'syourman
butifyouaregoingtosuspectsomeoneIsayhe'sbyfarandawaythemostlikely."

M.Poirotdidn'tseemveryreceptive.Henoddedgravelybutdoubtfully.

"Yes,"hesaid."Heisthemostplausible,butitmaynotbesosimpleasallthat."

Thenhesaid:

"Letussaynomoreatpresent.IwouldlikenowifImaytoexaminetheroomwherethecrimetook
place."

"Certainly."Dr.LeidnerfumbledinhispocketsthenlookedatDr.Reilly.

"CaptainMaitlandtookit,"hesaid.

"Maitlandgaveittome,"saidReilly."HehadtogooffonthatKurdishbusiness."

Heproducedthekey.

Dr.Leidnersaidhesitatingly:

"Doyoumind-ifIdon't-Perhaps,nurse-"

"Ofcourse.Ofcourse,"saidPoirot."Iquiteunderstand.NeverdoIwishtocauseyouunnecessarypain.
Ifyouwillbegoodenoughtoaccompanyme,masoeur."

"Certainly,"Isaid.

Chapter17

THESTAINBYTHEWASH-STAND

Mrs.Leidner'sbodyhadbeentakentoHassaniehforthepost-mortem,butotherwiseherroomhadbeen
leftexactlyasitwas.Therewassolittleinitthatithadnottakenthepolicelongtogooverit.

To the right of the door as you entered was the bed. Opposite the door were the two barred windows
giving on the countryside. Between them was a plain oak table with two drawers that served Mrs.
Leidnerasadressing-table.Ontheeastwalltherewasalineofhookswithdresseshungupprotected
bycottonbagsandadealchestofdrawers.Immediatelytotheleftofthedoorwasthewash-stand.In
themiddleoftheroomwasagood-sizedplainoaktablewithablotterandinkstandandasmallattaché-
case.ItwasinthelatterthatMrs.Leidnerhadkepttheanonymousletters.Thecurtainswereshortstrips
of native material - white striped with orange. The floor was of stone with some goatskin rugs on it,
threenarrowonesofbrownstripedwithwhiteinfrontofthetwowindowsandthewash-stand,anda
largerbetterqualityoneofwhitewithbrownstripeslyingbetweenthebedandthewriting-table.

There were no cupboards or alcoves or long curtains - nowhere, in fact, where anyone could have
hidden.Thebedwasaplainirononewithaprintedcottonquilt.Theonlytraceofluxuryintheroom
werethreepillowsallmadeofthebestsoftandbillowydown.NobodybutMrs.Leidnerhadpillows
likethese.

InafewbriefdrywordsDr.ReillyexplainedwhereMrs.Leidner'sbodyhadbeenfound-inaheapon

therugbesidethebed.

Toillustratehisaccount,hebeckonedmetocomeforward.

"Ifyoudon'tmind,nurse?"hesaid.

I'm not squeamish. I got down on the floor and arranged myself as far as possible in the attitude in
whichMrs.Leidner'sbodyhadbeenfound.

"Leidner lifted her head when he found her," said the doctor. "But I questioned him closely and it's
obviousthathedidn'tactuallychangeherposition."

"It seems quite straightforward," said Poirot. "She was lying on the bed, asleep or resting - someone
opensthedoor,shelooksup,risestoherfeet-"

"And he struck her down," finished the doctor. "The blow would produce unconsciousness and death
wouldfollowveryshortly.Yousee-"

Heexplainedtheinjuryintechnicallanguage.

"Notmuchblood,then?"saidPoirot.

"No,thebloodescapedinternallyintothebrain."

"Eh bien." said Poirot, "that seems straightforward enough - except for one thing. If the man who
entered was a stranger, why did not Mrs. Leidner cry out at once for help? If she had screamed she
wouldhavebeenheard.NurseLeatheranherewouldhaveheardher,andEmmottandtheboy."

"That'seasilyanswered,"saidDr.Reillydryly."Becauseitwasn'tastranger."

Poirotnodded.

"Yes," he said meditatively. "She may have been surprised to see the person - but she was not afraid.
Then,ashestruck,shemayhaveutteredahalfcry-toolate."

"ThecryMissJohnsonheard?"

"Yes,ifshedidhearit.ButonthewholeIdoubtit.Thesemudwallsarethickandthewindowswere
closed."

Hesteppeduptothebed.

"Youleftheractuallylyingdown?"heaskedme.IexplainedexactlywhatIhaddone.

"Didshemeantosleeporwasshegoingtoread?"

"I gave her two books - a light one and a volume of memoirs. She usually read for a while and then
sometimesdroppedoffforashortsleep."

"Andshewas-whatshallIsay-quiteasusual?"

Iconsidered.

"Yes. She seemed quite normal and in good spirits," I said. "Just a shade off-hand, perhaps, but I put
that down to her having confided in me the day before. It makes people a little uncomfortable
sometimes."

Poirot'seyestwinkled.

"Ah,yes,indeed,me,Iknowthatwell."

Helookedroundtheroom.

"Andwhenyoucameinhereafterthemurder,waseverythingasyouhadseenitbefore?"

Ilookedroundalso.

"Yes,Ithinkso.Idon'trememberanythingbeingdifferent."

"Therewasnosignoftheweaponwithwhichshewasstruck?"

"No."

PoirotlookedatDr.Reilly.

"Whatwasitinyouropinion?"

Thedoctorrepliedpromptly.

"Somethingprettypowerfulofafairsizeandwithoutanysharpcornersoredges.Theroundedbaseofa
statue,say-somethinglikethat.Mindyou,I'mnotsuggestingthatthatwasit.Butthattypeofthing.
Theblowwasdeliveredwithgreatforce."

"Struckbyastrongarm?Aman'sarm?"

"Yes-unless-"

"Unless-what?"

Dr.Reillysaidslowly:

"It is just possible that Mrs. Leidner might have been on her knees - in which case, the blow being
deliveredfromabovewithaheavyimplement,theforceneededwouldnothavebeensogreat."

"Onherknees,"musedPoirot."Itisanidea-that."

"It'sonlyanidea,mind,"thedoctorhastenedtopointout."There'sabsolutelynothingtoindicateit."

"Butit'spossible."

"Yes.Andafterall,inviewofthecircumstances,it'snotfantastic.Herfearmighthaveledhertokneel
insupplicationratherthantoscreamwhenherinstinctwouldtellheritwastoolate-thatnobodycould
getthereintime."

"Yes,"saidPoirotthoughtfully."Itisanidea..."

It was a very poor one, I thought. I couldn't for one moment imagine Mrs. Leidner on her knees to
anyone.

Poirotmadehiswayslowlyroundtheroom.Heopenedthewindows,testedthebars,passedhishead
throughandsatisfiedhimselfthatbynomeanscouldhisshouldersbemadetofollowhishead.

"The windows were shut when you found her," he said. "Were they also shut when you left her at a

quartertoone?"

"Yes,theywerealwaysshutintheafternoon.Thereisnogauzeoverthesewindowsasthereisinthe
living-roomanddining-room.Theyarekeptshuttokeepouttheflies."

"Andinanycasenoonecouldgetinthatway,"musedPoirot."Andthewallsareofthemostsolidmud-
brick-andtherearenotrap-doorsandnosky-lights.No,thereisonlyonewayintothisroom-through
thedoor.Andthereisonlyonewaytothedoor-throughthecourtyard.Andthereisonlyoneentrance
tothecourtyard-throughthearchway.Andoutsidethearchwaytherewerefivepeopleandtheyalltell
thesamestory,andIdonotthink,me,thattheyarelying...No,theyarenotlying.Theyarenotbribed
tosilence.Themurdererwashere..."

I didn't say anything. Hadn't I felt the same thing just now when we were all cooped up round that
table?

SlowlyPoirotprowledroundtheroom.Hetookupaphotographfromthechestofdrawers.Itwasofan
elderlymanwithawhitegoateebeard.Helookedinquiringlyatme.

"Mrs.Leidner'sfather,"Isaid."Shetoldmeso."

He put it down again and glanced over the articles on the dressing-table - all of plain tortoiseshell -
simplebutgood.Helookedupatarowofbooksonashelf,repeatingthetitlesaloud.

"WhoWeretheGreeks?IntroductiontoRelativity.LifeofLadyHesterStanhope.CreweTrain.Backto
Methuselah.LindaCondon.Yes,theytellussomething,perhaps.

"Shewasnotafool,yourMrs.Leidner.Shehadamind."

"Oh!shewasaverycleverwoman,"Isaideagerly."Verywellreadandupineverything.Shewasn'ta
bitordinary."

Hesmiledashelookedoveratme.

"No,"hesaid."I'vealreadyrealizedthat."

Hepassedon.Hestoodforsomemomentsatthewash-standwheretherewasabigarrayofbottlesand
toiletcreams.

Then,suddenly,hedroppedonhiskneesandexaminedtherug.

Dr.ReillyandIcamequicklytojoinhim.Hewasexaminingasmalldarkbrownstain,almostinvisible
onthebrownoftherug.Infactitwasonlyjustnoticeablewhereitimpingedononeofthewhitestripes.

"Whatdoyousay,doctor?"hesaid."Isthatblood?"

Dr.Reillykneltdown.

"Mightbe,"hesaid."I'llmakesureifyoulike?"

"Ifyouwouldbesoamiable."

Mr.Poirotexaminedthejugandbasin.Thejugwasstandingonthesideofthewash-stand.Thebasin
wasempty,butbesidethewash-standtherewasanoldkerosenetincontainingslopwater.

Heturnedtome.

"Doyouremember,nurse?WasthisjugoutofthebasinorinitwhenyouleftMrs.Leidnerataquarter
toone?"

"Ican'tbesure,"Isaidafteraminuteortwo."Iratherthinkitwasstandinginthebasin."

"Ah?"

"But you see," I said hastily, "I only think so because it usually was. The boys leave it like that after
lunch.Ijustfeelthatifithadn'tbeeninIshouldhavenoticedit."

Henoddedquiteappreciatively.

"Yes,Iunderstandthat.Itisyourhospitaltraining.Ifeverythinghadnotbeenjustsointheroom,you
would quite unconsciously have set it to rights hardly noticing what you were doing. And after the
murder?Wasitlikeitisnow?"

Ishookmyhead.

"Ididn'tnoticethen,"Isaid."AllIlookedforwaswhethertherewasanyplaceanyonecouldbehidden
oriftherewereanythingthemurdererhadleftbehindhim."

"It'sbloodallright,"saidDr.Reilly,risingfromhisknees."Isitimportant?"

Poirotwasfrowningperplexedly.Heflungouthishandswithpetulance.

"Icannottell.HowcanItell?Itmaymeannothingatall.Icansay,ifIlike,thatthemurderertouched
her-thattherewasbloodonhishands-verylittleblood,butstillblood-andsohecameoverhereand
washedthem.Yes,itmayhavebeenlikethat.ButIcannotjumptoconclusionsandsaythatitwasso.
Thatstainmaybeofnoimportanceatall."

"Therewouldhavebeenverylittleblood,"saidDr.Reillydubiously."Nonewouldhavespurtedoutor
anythinglikethat.Itwouldhavejustoozedalittlefromthewound.Ofcourse,ifhe'dprobeditatall..."

Igaveashiver.Anastysortofpicturecameupinmymind.Thevisionofsomebody-perhapsthatnice
pig-faced photographic boy, striking down that lovely woman and then bending over her probing the
woundwithhisfingerinanawfulgloatingfashionandhisface,perhaps,quitedifferent...allfierceand
mad...

Dr.Reillynoticedmyshiver.

"What'sthematter,nurse?"hesaid.

"Nothing-justgoose-flesh,"Isaid."Agoosewalkingovermygrave."

Mr.Poirotturnedroundandlookedatme.

"Iknowwhatyouneed,"hesaid."PresentlywhenwehavefinishedhereandIgobackwiththedoctor

toHassaniehwewilltakeyouwithus.YouwillgiveNurseLeatherantea,willyounot,doctor?"

"Delighted."

"Oh,no,doctor,"Iprotested."Icouldn'tthinkofsuchathing."

M.Poirotgavemealittlefriendlytapontheshoulder.QuiteanEnglishtap,notaforeignone.

"You, ma soeur, will do as you are told," he said. "Besides, it will be of advantage to me. There is a
gooddealmorethatIwanttodiscuss,andIcannotdoitherewhereonemustpreservethedecencies.
ThegoodDr.Leidner,heworshippedhiswifeandheissure-oh,sosure-thateverybodyelsefeltthe
same about her! But that, in my opinion, would not be human nature! No, we want to discuss Mrs.
Leidnerwith-howdoyousay-theglovesremoved?Thatissettledthen.Whenwehavefinishedhere,
wetakeyouwithustoHassanieh."

"Isuppose,"Isaiddoubtfully,"thatIoughttobeleavinganyway.It'sratherawkward."

"Donothingforadayortwo,"saidDr.Reilly."Youcan'tverywellgountilafterthefuneral."

"That'sallverywell,"Isaid."AndsupposingIgetmurderedtoo,doctor?"

I said it half jokingly and Dr. Reilly took it in the same fashion and would, I think, have made some
jocularresponse.

ButM.Poirot,tomyastonishmentstoodstock-stillinthemiddleofthefloorandclaspedhishandsto
hishead.

"Ah!ifthatwerepossible,"hemurmured."Itisadanger-yes-agreatdanger-andwhatcanonedo?
Howcanoneguardagainstit?"

"Why,M.Poirot,"Isaid,"Iwasonlyjoking!Who'dwanttomurderme,Ishouldliketoknow?"

"You-oranother,"hesaid,andIdidn'tlikethewayhesaiditatall.Positivelycreepy.

"Butwhy?"Ipersisted.

Helookedatmeverystraightthen.

"I joke, mademoiselle," he said, "and I laugh. But there are some things that are no joke. There are
thingsthatmyprofessionhastaughtme.Andoneofthesethings,themostterriblething,isthis:

"Murderisahabit..."

Chapter18

TEAATDR.REILLY'S

Beforeleaving,Poirotmadearoundoftheexpeditionhouseandtheoutbuildings.Healsoaskedafew
questionsoftheservantsatsecondhand-thatistosay,Dr.Reillytranslatedthequestionsandanswers
fromEnglishintoArabicandviceversa.

ThesequestionsdealtmainlywiththeappearanceofthestrangerMrs.LeidnerandIhadseenlooking
throughthewindowandtowhomFatherLavignyhadbeentalkingonthefollowingday.

"Doyoureallythinkthatfellowhadanythingtodowithit?"askedDr.Reillywhenwewerebumping
alonginhiscaronourwaytoHassanieh.

"Ilikealltheinformationthereis,"wasPoirot'sreply.

And really, that described his methods very well. I found later that there wasn't anything - no small
scrapofinsignificantgossip-inwhichhewasn'tinterested.Menaren'tusuallysogossipy.

ImustconfessIwasgladofmycupofteawhenwegottoDr.Reilly'shouse.M.Poirot,Inoticed,put
fivelumpsofsugarinhis.

Stirringitcarefullywithhisteaspoonhesaid:

"And now we can talk, can we not? We can make up our minds who is likely to have committed the

crime."

"Lavigny,Mercado,EmmottorReiter?"askedDr.Reilly.

"No,no-thatwastheorynumberthree.Iwishtoconcentratenowontheorynumbertwo-leavingaside
all question of a mysterious husband or brother-in-law turning up from the past. Let us discuss now
quitesimplywhichmemberoftheexpeditionhadthemeansandopportunitytokillMrs.Leidner,and
whoislikelytohavedoneso."

"Ithoughtyoudidn'tthinkmuchofthattheory."

"Notatall.ButIhavesomenaturaldelicacy,"saidPoirotreproachfully."CanIdiscussinthepresence
ofDr.Leidnerthemotiveslikelytoleadtothemurderofhiswifebyamemberoftheexpedition?That
wouldnothavebeendelicateatall.Ihadtosustainthefictionthathiswifewasadorableandthatevery
oneadoredher!

"Butnaturallyitwasnotlikethatatall.Nowwecanbebrutalandimpersonalandsaywhatwethink.
Wehavenolongertoconsiderpeople'sfeelings.AndthatiswhereNurseLeatheranisgoingtohelpus.
Sheis,Iamsure,averygoodobserver."

"Oh,Idon'tknowaboutthat,"Isaid.

Dr.Reillyhandedmeaplateofhotscones-"tofortifyyourself,"hesaid.Theywereverygoodscones.

"Comenow,"saidM.Poirotinafriendly,chattyway."Youshalltellme,masoeur,exactlywhateach
memberoftheexpeditionfelttowardsMrs.Leidner."

"Iwasonlythereaweek,M.Poirot,"Isaid.

"Quitelongenoughforoneofyourintelligence.Anursesumsupquickly.Shemakesherjudgmentsand
abidesbythem.Come,letusmakeabeginning.FatherLavigny,forinstance?"

"Well,there now, Ireally couldn't say.He and Mrs. Leidnerseemed to liketalking together. But they
usuallyspokeFrenchandI'mnotverygoodatFrenchmyselfthoughIlearntitasagirlatschool.I've
anideatheytalkedmainlyaboutbooks."

"Theywere,asyoumightsay,companionabletogether-yes?"

"Well,yes,youmightputitthatway.But,allthesame,IthinkFatherLavignywaspuzzledbyherand-
well-almostannoyedbybeingpuzzled,ifyouknowwhatImean."

AndItoldhimoftheconversationIhadhadwithhimoutonthedigthatfirstdaywhenhehadcalled
Mrs.Leidnera"dangerouswoman."

"Nowthatisveryinteresting,"M.Poirotsaid."Andshe-whatdoyouthinkshethoughtofhim?"

"That's rather difficult to say, too. It wasn't easy to know what Mrs. Leidner thought of people.
Sometimes,Ifancy,hepuzzledher.IrememberhersayingtoDr.Leidnerthathewasunlikeanypriest
shehadeverknown."

"AlengthofhemptobeorderedforFatherLavigny,"saidDr.Reillyfacetiously.

"My dear friend," said Poirot. "Have you not, perhaps, some patients to attend? I would not for the
worlddetainyoufromyourprofessionalduties."

"I'vegotawholehospitalofthem,"saidDr.Reilly.

Andhegotupandsaidawinkwasasgoodasanodtoablindhorse,andwentoutlaughing.

"Thatisbetter,"saidPoirot."Wewillhavenowaninterestingconversationtête-a-tête.Butyoumustnot
forgettoeatyourtea."

Hepassedmeaplateofsandwichesandsuggestedmyhavingasecondcupoftea.Hereallyhadvery
pleasant,attentivemanners.

"Andnow,"hesaid,"letuscontinuewithyourimpressions.Whowastherewhoinyouropiniondidnot
likeMrs.Leidner?"

"Well,"Isaid,"it'sonlymyopinionandIdon'twantitrepeatedascomingfromme."

"Naturallynot."

"ButinmyopinionlittleMrs.Mercadofairlyhatedher!"

"Ah!AndMr.Mercado?"

"Hewasabitsoftonher,"Isaid."Ishouldn'tthinkwomenapartfromhiswifehadevertakenmuch
noticeofhim.AndMrs.Leidnerhadanicekindwayofbeinginterestedinpeopleandthethingsthey
toldher.Itratherwenttothepoorman'shead,Ifancy."

"AndMrs.Mercado-shewasnotpleased?"

"Shewasjustplainjealous-that'sthetruthofit.You'vegottobeverycarefulwhenthere'sahusband
and wife about, and that's a fact. I could tell you some surprising things. You've no idea the
extraordinarythingswomengetintotheirheadswhenit'saquestionoftheirhusbands."

"Idonotdoubtthetruthofwhatyousay.SoMrs.Mercadowasjealous?AndshehatedMrs.Leidner?"

"I've seen her look at her as though she'd have liked to kill her - oh, gracious!" I pulled myself up.
"Indeed,M.Poirot,Ididn'tmeantosay-Imeanthatis,notforonemoment-"

"No,no.Iquiteunderstand.Thephraseslippedout.Averyconvenientone.AndMrs.Leidner,wasshe
worriedbythisanimosityofMrs.Mercado's?"

"Well,"Isaid,reflecting,"Idon'treallythinkshewasworriedatall.Infact,Idon'tevenknowwhether
shenoticedit.Ithoughtonceofjustgivingherahint-butIdidn'tliketo.Leastsaidsoonestmended.
That'swhatIsay."

"Youaredoubtlesswise.CanyougivemeanyinstancesofhowMrs.Mercadoshowedherfeelings?"

Itoldhimaboutourconversationontheroof.

"So she mentioned Mrs. Leidner's first marriage," said Poirot thoughtfully. "Can you remember - in
mentioningit-didshelookatyouasthoughshewonderedwhetheryouhadheardadifferentversion?"

"Youthinkshemayhaveknownthetruthaboutit?"

"Itisapossibility.Shemayhavewrittenthoseletters-andengineeredatappinghandandalltherestof
it."

"Iwonderedsomethingofthesamekindmyself.Itseemedthekindofpettyrevengefulthingshemight
do."

"Yes.Acruelstreak,Ishouldsay.Buthardlythetemperamentforcold-bloodedbrutalmurderunless,of
course-"

Hepausedandthensaid:

"Itisodd,thatcuriousthingshesaidtoyou.'Iknowwhyyouarehere.'Whatdidshemeanbyit?"

"Ican'timagine,"Isaidfrankly.

"Shethoughtyouwerethereforsomeulteriorreasonapartfromthedeclaredone.Whatreason?And
why should she be so concerned in the matter? Odd, too, the way you tell me she stared at you all
throughteathedayyouarrived."

"Well,she'snotalady,M.Poirot,"Isaidprimly.

"That,masoeur,isanexcusebutnotanexplanation."

Iwasn'tquitesurefortheminutewhathemeant.Buthewentonquickly.

"Andtheothermembersofthestaff?"

Iconsidered.

"I don't think Miss Johnson liked Mrs. Leidner either very much. But she was quite open and above-
boardaboutit.Sheasgoodasadmittedshewasprejudiced.Yousee,she'sverydevotedtoDr.Leidner

andhadworkedwithhimforyears.Andofcourse,marriagedoeschangethings-there'snodenyingit."

"Yes,"saidPoirot."AndfromMissJohnson'spointofviewitwouldbeanunsuitablemarriage.Itwould
reallyhavebeenmuchmoresuitableifDr.Leidnerhadmarriedher."

"Itwouldreally,"Iagreed."Butthere,that'samanallover.Notoneinahundredconsiderssuitability.
And one can't really blame Dr. Leidner. Miss Johnson, poor soul, isn't so much to look at. Now Mrs.
Leidner was really beautiful - not young, of course - but oh! I wish you'd known her. There was
somethingabouther...IrememberMr.Colemansayingshewaslikeathingummyjigthatcametolure
peopleintomarshes.Thatwasn'taverygoodwayofputtingitbut-oh,well-you'lllaughatmebut
therewassomethingaboutherthatwas-well-unearthly."

"Shecouldcastaspell-yes,Iunderstand,"saidPoirot.

"ThenIdon'tthinksheandMr.Careygotonverywelleither,"Iwenton."I'veanideahewasjealous
just like Miss Johnson. He was always very stiff with her and so was she with him. You know - she
passedhimthingsandwasverypoliteandcalledhimMr.Careyratherformally.Hewasanoldfriendof
her husband's, of course, and some women can't stand their husband's old friends. They don't like to
thinkthatanyoneknewthembeforetheydid-atleastthat'sratheramuddledwayofputtingit-"

"Iquiteunderstand.Andthethreeyoungmen?Coleman,yousay,wasinclinedtobepoeticabouther."

Icouldn'thelplaughing.

"Itwasfunny,M.Poirot,"Isaid."He'smuchamatter-of-factyoungman."

"Andtheothertwo?"

"Idon'treallyknowaboutMr.Emmott.He'salwayssoquietandneversaysmuch.Shewasveryniceto
himalways.Youknow-friendly-calledhimDavidandusedtoteasehimaboutMissReillyandthings
likethat."

"Ah,really?Anddidheenjoythat?"

"Idon'tquiteknow,"Isaiddoubtfully."He'djustlookather.Ratherfunnily.Youcouldn'ttellwhathe
wasthinking."

"AndMr.Reiter?"

"Shewasn'talwaysverykindtohim,"Isaidslowly."Ithinkhegotonhernerves.Sheusedtosayquite
sarcasticthingstohim."

"Anddidhemind?"

"Heusedtogetverypink,poorboy.Ofcourse,shedidn'tmeantobeunkind."

And then suddenly, from feeling a little sorry for the boy, it came over me that he was very likely a
cold-bloodedmurdererandhadbeenplayingapartallthetime.

"Oh,M.Poirot,"Iexclaimed."Whatdoyouthinkreallyhappened?"

Heshookhisheadslowlyandthoughtfully.

"Tellme,"hesaid."Youarenotafraidtogobacktheretonight?"

"Oh,no,"Isaid."Ofcourse,Irememberwhatyousaid,butwhowouldwanttomurderme?"

"Idonotthinkthatanyonecould,"hesaidslowly."ThatispartlywhyIhavebeensoanxioustohearall
youcouldtellme.No,Ithink-Iamsure-youarequitesafe."

"IfanyonehadtoldmeinBaghdad-"Ibeganandstopped.

"DidyouhearanygossipabouttheLeidnersandtheexpeditionbeforeyoucamehere?"heasked.

ItoldhimaboutMrs.Leidner'snicknameandjustalittleofwhatMrs.Kelseyhadsaidabouther.

InthemiddleofitthedooropenedandMissReillycamein.Shehadbeenplayingtennisandhadher
racquetinherhand.

IgatheredPoirothadalreadymetherwhenhearrivedinHassanieh.

Shesaidhowdoyoudotomeinherusualoff-handmannerandpickedupasandwich.

"Well,M.Poirot,"shesaid."Howareyougettingonwithourlocalmystery?"

"Notveryfast,mademoiselle."

"Iseeyou'verescuednursefromthewreck."

"Nurse Leatheran has been giving me valuable information about the various members of the
expedition.IncidentallyIhavelearntagooddeal-aboutthevictim.Andthevictim,mademoiselle,is
veryoftenthecluetothemystery."

MissReillysaid:

"That'srathercleverofyou,M.Poirot.It'scertainlytruethatifeverawomandeservedtobemurdered
Mrs.Leidnerwasthatwoman!"

"MissReilly!"Icried,scandalized.

Shelaughed,ashort,nastylaugh.

"Ah!" she said. "I thought you hadn't been hearing quite the truth. Nurse Leatheran, I'm afraid, was
quitetakenin,likemanyotherpeople.Doyouknow,M.Poirot,Iratherhopethatthiscaseisn'tgoingto
be one of your successes. I'd quite like the murderer of Louise Leidner to get away with it. In fact, I
wouldn'tmuchhaveobjectedtoputtingheroutofthewaymyself."

Iwassimplydisgustedwiththegirl.M.Poirot,Imustsay,didn'tturnahair.Hejustbowedandsaid
quitepleasantly:

"Ihope,then,thatyouhaveanalibiforyesterdayafternoon?"

There was a moment's silence and Miss Reilly's racquet went clattering down to the floor. She didn't

bothertopickitup.Slackanduntidylikeallhersort!Shesaidinaratherbreathlessvoice:

"Oh,yes,Iwasplayingtennisattheclub.But,seriously,M.Poirot.Iwonderifyouknowanythingat
allaboutMrs.Leidnerandthekindofwomanshewas?"

Againhemadeafunnylittlebowandsaid:

"Youshallinformme,mademoiselle."

Shehesitatedaminuteandthenspokewithacallousnessandlackofdecencythatreallysickenedme.

"There'saconventionthatonedoesn'tspeakillofthedead.That'sstupid,Ithink.Thetruth'salwaysthe
truth. On the whole it's better to keep your mouth shut about living people. You might conceivably
injurethem.Thedeadarepastthat.Buttheharmthey'vedonelivesafterthemsometimes.Notquitea
quotationfromShakespearebutverynearly!HasNursetoldyouofthequeeratmospheretherewasat
TellYarimjah?Hasshetoldyouhowjumpytheyallwere?Andhowtheyallusedtoglareateachother
likeenemies?ThatwasLouiseLeidner'sdoing.WhenIwasakidoutherethreeyearsagotheywerethe
happiest,jolliestlotimaginable.Evenlastyeartheywereprettywellallright.Butthisyeartherewasa
blight over them - and it was her doing. She was the kind of woman who won't let anybody else be
happy!Therearewomenlikethatandshewasoneofthem!Shewantedtobreakupthingsalways.Just
forfun-orforthesenseofpower-orperhapsjustbecauseshewasmadethatway.Andshewasthe
kindofwomanwhohadtogetholdofeverymalecreaturewithinreach!"

"MissReilly,"Icried,"Idon'tthinkthat'strue.InfactIknowitisn't."

Shewentonwithouttakingtheleastnoticeofme.

"It wasn't enough for her to have her husband adore her. She had to make a fool of that long-legged
shamblingidiotofaMercado.ThenshegotholdofBill.Bill'sasensiblecove,butshewasgettinghim
all mazed and bewildered. Carl Reiter she just amused herself by tormenting. It was easy. He's a
sensitiveboy.AndshehadajollygoodgoatDavid.

"Davidwasbettersporttoherbecauseheputupafight.Hefelthercharm-buthewasn'thavingany.I
thinkbecausehe'dgotsenseenoughtoknowthatshedidn'treallycareadamn.Andthat'swhyIhate
herso.She'snotsensual.Shedoesn'twantaffairs.It'sjustcold-bloodedexperimentonherpartandthe
funofstirringpeopleupandsettingthemagainsteachother.Shedabbledinthattoo.She'sthesortof
woman who's never had a row with anyone in her life - but rows always happen where she is! She
makes them happen. She's a kind of female Iago. She must have drama. But she doesn't want to be

involvedherself.She'salwaysoutsidepullingstrings-lookingon-enjoyingit.Oh,doyouseeatall
whatImean?"

"Isee,perhaps,morethanyouknow,mademoiselle,"saidPoirot.

Icouldn'tmakehisvoiceout.Hedidn'tsoundindignant.Hesounded-oh,well,Ican'texplainit.

SheilaReillyseemedtounderstandforsheflushedalloverherface.

"Youcanthinkwhatyouchoose,"shesaid."ButI'mrightabouther.Shewasacleverwomanandshe
was bored and she experimented - with people - like other people experiment with chemicals. She
enjoyedworkingonpooroldJohnson'sfeelingsandseeingherbiteonthebulletandcontrolherselflike
theoldsportsheis.ShelikedgoadinglittleMercadointoawhite-hotfrenzy.Shelikedflickingmeon
theraw-andshecoulddoittoo,everytime!Shelikedfindingoutthingsaboutpeopleandholdingit
over them. Oh, I don't mean crude blackmail - I mean just letting them know that she knew - and
leavingthemuncertainwhatshemeanttodoaboutit.MyGod,though,thatwomanwasanartist!There
wasnothingcrudeabouthermethods!"

"Andherhusband?"askedPoirot.

"She never wanted to hurt him," said Miss Reilly slowly. "I've never know her anything but sweet to
him.Isupposeshewasfondofhim.He'sadear-wrappedupinhisownworld-hisdiggingandhis
theories.Andheworshippedherandthoughtherperfection.Thatmighthaveannoyedsomewomen.It
didn'tannoyher.Inasensehelivedinafool'sparadise-andyetitwasn'tafool'sparadisebecauseto
himshewaswhathethoughther.Thoughit'shardtoreconcilethatwith-"

Shestopped.

"Goon,mademoiselle,"saidPoirot.

Sheturnedsuddenlyonme.

"WhathaveyousaidaboutRichardCarey?"

"AboutMr.Carey?"Iasked,astonished.

"AboutherandCarey?"

"Well,"Isaid,"I'vementionedthattheydidn'thititoffverywell-"

Tomysurpriseshebrokeintoafitoflaughter.

"Didn'thititoffverywell!Youfool!He'sheadoverearsinlovewithher.Andit'stearinghimtopieces
- because he worships Leidner too. He's been his friend for years. That would be enough for her, of
course.She'smadeitherbusinesstocomebetweenthem.ButallthesameI'vefancied-"

"Ehbien?"

Shewasfrowning,absorbedinthought.

"I'vefanciedthatshe'dgonetoofarforonce-thatshewasnotonlybiterbutbit!Carey'sattractive.He's
asattractiveashell...Shewasacolddevil-butIbelieveshecouldhavelosthercoldnesswithhim..."

"Ithinkit'sjustscandalouswhatyou'resaying,"Icried."Why,theyhardlyspoketoeachother!"

"Oh,didn'tthey?"Sheturnedonme."Ahellofalotyouknowaboutit.Itwas'Mr.Carey'and'Mrs.
Leidner' in the house, but they used to meet outside. She'd walk down the path to the river. And he'd
leavethedigforanhouratatime.Theyusedtomeetamongthefruittrees.

"Isawhimoncejustleavingher,stridingbacktothedig,andshewasstanding,lookingafterhim.Iwas
afemalecad, Isuppose.I hadsomeglasses withmeand Itook themoutand hadagood lookather
face.IfyouaskmeIbelievedshecaredlikehellforRichardCarey..."

ShebrokeoffandlookedatPoirot.

"Excusemybuttinginonyourcase,"shesaidwithasuddenrathertwistedgrin,"butIthoughtyou'd
liketohavethelocalcolourcorrect."

Andshemarchedoutoftheroom.

"M.Poirot,"Icried."Idon'tbelieveonewordofitall!"

Helookedatmeandhesmiled,andhesaid(veryqueerlyIthought):

"Youcan'tdeny,Nurse,thatMissReillyhasshedacertain-illuminationonthecase."

Chapter19

ANEWSUSPICION

Wecouldn'tsayanymorejustthenbecauseDr.Reillycamein,sayingjokinglythathe'dkilledoffthe
mosttiresomeofhispatients.

HeandM.Poirotsettleddowntoamoreorlessmedicaldiscussionofthepsychologyandmentalstate
ofananonymousletter-writer.Thedoctorcitedcasesthathehadknownprofessionally,andM.Poirot
toldvariousstoriesfromhisownexperience.

"It is not so simple as it seems," he ended. "There is the desire for power and very often a strong
inferioritycomplex."

Dr.Reillynodded.

"That's why you often find that the author of anonymous letters is the last person in the place to be
suspected.Somequietinoffensivelittlesoulwhoapparentlycan'tsayBootoagoose-allsweetnessand
Christianmeeknessontheoutside-andseethingwithallthefuryofhellunderneath!"

Poirotsaidthouthtfully:

"ShouldyousayMrs.Leidnerhadanytendencytoaninferioritycomplex?"

Dr.Reillyscrapedouthispipewithachuckle.

"Last woman on earth I'd describe that way. No repressions about her. Life, life and more life - that's
whatshewanted-andgot,too!"

"Doyouconsideritapossibility,psychologicallyspeaking,thatshewrotethoseletters?"

"Yes,Ido.Butifshedid,thereasonaroseoutofherinstincttodramatizeherself.Mrs.Leidnerwasa
bit of a film star in private life! She had to be the centre of things - in the limelight. By the law of
oppositesshemarriedLeidnerwho'saboutthemostretiringandmodestmanIknow.Headoredher-
butadorationbythefiresidewasn'tenoughforher.Shehadtobethepersecutedheroineaswell."

"In fact," said Poirot, smiling, "you don't subscribe to his theory that she wrote them and retained no
memoryofheract?"

"No,Idon't.Ididn'tturndowntheideainfrontofhim.Youcan'tverywellsaytoamanwho'sjustlost
a dearly loved wife that that same wife was a shameless exhibitionist and that she drove him nearly
crazywithanxietytosatisfyhersenseofthedramatic.Asamatteroffactitwouldn'tbesafetotellany
manthetruthabouthiswife!Funnilyenough,I'dtrustmostwomenwiththetruthabouttheirhusbands.
Womencanacceptthefactthatamanisarotter,aswindler,adrug-taker,aconfirmedliar,andageneral
swine without batting an eye-lash and without its impairing their affection for the brute in the least!
Womenarewonderfulrealists."

"Frankly,Dr.Reilly,whatwasyourexactopinionofMrs.Leidner?"

Dr.Reillylaybackinhischairandpuffedslowlyathispipe.

"Frankly-it'shardtosay!Ididn'tknowherwellenough.She'dgotcharm-anyamountofit.Brains,
sympathy...Whatelse?Shehadn'tanyoftheordinaryunpleasantvices.Shewasn'tsensualorlazyor
evenparticularlyvain.Shewas,I'vealwaysthought(butI'venoproofsofit),amostaccomplishedliar.
WhatIdon'tknow(andwhatI'dliketoknow)iswhethersheliedtoherselforonlytootherpeople.I'm
rather partial to liars myself. A woman who doesn't lie is a woman without imagination and without
sympathy. I don't think she was really a man-hunter - she just liked the sport of bringing them down
'withmybowandarrow.'Ifyougetmydaughteronthesubject-"

"Wehavehadthatpleasure,"saidPoirotwithaslightsmile.

"H'm," said Dr. Reilly. "She hasn't wasted much time! Shoved her knife into her pretty thoroughly, I
shouldimagine!Theyoungergenerationhasnosentimenttowardsthedead.It'sapityallyoungpeople
areprigs!Theycondemnthe'oldmorality'andthenproceedtosetupamuchmorehardandfastcode
oftheirown.IfMrs.LeidnerhadhadhalfadozenaffairsSheilawouldprobablyhaveapprovedofher
as'livingherlifefully'or'obeyingherbloodinstincts.'Whatshedoesn'tseeisthatMrs.Leidnerwas
acting true to type - her type. The cat is obeying its blood instinct when it plays with the mouse! It's

madethatway.Menaren'tlittleboystobeshieldedandprotected.They'vegottomeetcatwomen-and
faithfulspaniel,yours-till-deathadoringwomen,andhenpeckingnaggingbirdwomen-andalltherest
ofit!Life'sabattlefield-notapicnic!I'dliketoseeSheilahonestenoughtocomeoffherhighhorse
andadmitthatshehatedMrs.Leidnerforgoodoldthoroughgoingpersonalreasons.Sheila'saboutthe
onlyyounggirlinthisplaceandshenaturallyassumesthatsheoughttohaveitallherownwaywith
theyoung things introusers. Naturally itannoys her when awoman, who inher view is middle-aged
andwhohasalreadytwohusbandstohercredit,comesalongandlicksheronherownground.Sheila's
anicechild,healthyandreasonablygood-lookingandattractivetotheothersexassheshouldbe.But
Mrs.Leidnerwassomethingoutoftheordinaryinthatline.She'dgotjustthatsortofcalamitousmagic
thatplaysthedeucewiththings-akindofBelleDamesansMerci."

Ijumpedinmychair.Whatacoincidencehissayingthat!

"Yourdaughter-Iamnotindiscreet-shehasperhapsatendresseforoneoftheyoungmenoutthere?"

"Oh, I don't suppose so. She's had Emmott and Coleman dancing attendance on her as a matter of
course.Idon'tknowthatshecaresforonemorethantheother.ThereareacoupleofyoungAirForce
chapstoo.Ifancyall'sfishthatcomestohernetatpresent.No,Ithinkit'sagedaringtodefeatyouth
thatannoyshersomuch!Shedoesn'tknowasmuchoftheworldasIdo.It'swhenyougettomyage
thatyoureallyappreciateaschoolgirlcomplexionandacleareyeandafirmlyknityoungbody.Buta
womanoverthirtycanlistenwithraptattentionandthrowinawordhereandtheretoshowthetalker
whatafinefellowheis-andfewyoungmencanresistthat!Sheila'saprettygirl-butLouiseLeidner
wasbeautiful.Gloriouseyesandthatamazinggoldenfairness.Yes,shewasabeautifulwoman."

Yes, I thought to myself, he's right. Beauty's a wonderful thing. She had been beautiful. It wasn't the
kindoflooksyouwerejealousof-youjustsatbackandadmired.IfeltthatfirstdayImetherthatI'd
doanythingforMrs.Leidner!

Allthesame,thatnightasIwasbeingdrivenbacktotheTellYarimjah(Dr.Reillymademestayforan
earlydinner)oneortwothingscamebacktomymindandmademeratheruncomfortable.AtthetimeI
hadn'tbelievedawordofallSheilaReilly'soutpouring.I'dtakenitforsheerspiteandmalice.

ButnowIsuddenlyrememberedthewayMrs.Leidnerhadinsistedongoingforastrollbyherselfthat
afternoonandwouldn'thearofmecomingwithher.Icouldn'thelpwonderingifperhaps,afterall,she
hadbeengoingtomeetMr.Carey...Andofcourse,itwasalittleodd,really,thewayheandshespoke
toeachothersoformally.MostoftheothersshecalledbytheirChristiannames.

Heneverseemedtolookather,Iremembered.Thatmightbebecausehedislikedher-oritmightbe
justtheopposite...

Igavemyselfalittleshake.HereIwasfancyingandimaginingallsortsofthings-allbecauseofagirl's
spitefuloutbursts!Itjustshowedhowunkindanddangerousitwastogoaboutsayingthatkindofthing.

Mrs.Leidnerhadn'tbeenlikethatatall...

Ofcourse,shehadn'tlikedSheilaReilly.She'dreallybeenalmostcattyaboutherthatdayatlunchto
Mr.Emmott.

Funny,thewayhe'dlookedather.Thesortofwaythatyoucouldn'tpossiblytellwhathewasthinking.
YounevercouldtellwhatMr.Emmottwasthinking.Hewassoquiet.Butverynice.Anicedependable
person.

NowMr.Colemanwasafoolishyoungmanifthereeverwasone!

I'dgottothatpointinmymeditationswhenwearrived.Itwasjustonnineo'clockandthebigdoorwas
closedandbarred.

Ibrahimcamerunningwithhisgreatkeytoletmein.

WeallwenttobedearlyatTellYarimjah.Thereweren'tanylightsshowingintheliving-room.There
wasalightinthedrawing-officeandoneinDr.Leidner'soffice,butnearlyalltheotherwindowswere
dark.Everyonemusthavegonetobedevenearlierthanusual.

AsIpassedthedrawing-officetogotomyroomIlookedin.Mr.Careywasinhisshirtsleevesworking
overhisbigplan.

Terriblyill,helooked,Ithought.Sostrainedandworn.Itgavemequiteapang.Idon'tknowwhatthere
was about Mr. Carey - it wasn't what he said because he hardly said anything - and that of the most
ordinary nature, and it wasn't what he did, for that didn't amount to much either - and yet you just
couldn'thelpnoticinghim,andeverythingabouthimseemedtomattermorethanitwouldhaveabout
anyoneelse.Hejustcounted,ifyouknowwhatImean.

Heturnedhisheadandsawme.Heremovedhispipefromhismouthandsaid:

"Well,Nurse,backfromHassanieh?"

"Yes,Mr.Carey.You'reupworkinglate.Everybodyelseseemstohavegonetobed."

"IthoughtImightaswellgetonwiththings,"hesaid."Iwasabitbehind-hand.AndIshallbeouton
thedigalltomorrow.We'restartingdiggingagain."

"Already?"Iasked,shocked.

Helookedatmeratherqueerly.

"It's the best thing, I think. I put it up to Leidner. He'll be in Hassanieh most of tomorrow seeing to
things.Buttherestofuswillcarryonhere.Youknowit'snottooeasyallsittingaroundandlookingat
eachotherasthingsare."

Hewasrightthere,ofcourse.Especiallyinthenervy,jumpystateeveryonewasin.

"Well,ofcourse,you'rerightinaway,"Isaid."Ittakesone'smindoffifone'sgotsomethingtodo."

Thefuneral,Iknew,wastobethedayaftertomorrow.

Hehadbentoverhisplanagain.Idon'tknowwhy,butmyheartjustachedforhim.Ifeltcertainthathe
wasn'tgoingtogetanysleep.

"Ifyou'dlikeasleepingdraught,Mr.Carey?"Isaidhesitatingly.

Heshookhisheadwithasmile.

"I'llcarryon,Nurse.Badhabit,sleepingdraughts."

"Well,good-night,Mr.Carey,"Isaid."Ifthere'sanythingIcando-"

"Don'tthinkso,thankyou,Nurse.Good-night."

"I'mterriblysorry,"Isaid,rathertooimpulsivelyIsuppose.

"Sorry?"Helookedsurprised.

"For-foreverybody.It'sallsodreadful.Butespeciallyforyou."

"Forme?Whyforme?"

"Well,you'resuchanoldfriendofthemboth."

"I'manoldfriendofLeidner's.Iwasn'tafriendofhersparticularly."

Hespokeasthoughhehadactuallydislikedher.Really,IwishedMissReillycouldhaveheardhim!

"Well,good-night,"Isaidandhurriedalongtomyroom.

Ifussedaroundabitinmyroombeforeundressing.Washedoutsomehandkerchiefsandapairofwash-
leatherglovesandwroteupmydiary.IjustlookedoutofmydooragainbeforeIreallystartedtoget
readyforbed.Thelightswerestilloninthedrawing-officeandinthesouthbuilding.

IsupposedDr.Leidnerwasstillupandworkinginhisoffice.IwonderedwhetherIoughttogoandsay
goodnighttohim.Ihesitatedaboutit-Ididn'twanttoseemofficious.Hemightbebusyandnotwantto
bedisturbed.Intheend,however,asortofuneasinessdrovemeon.Afterall,itcouldn'tdoanyharm.
I'djustsaygood-night,askiftherewasanythingIcoulddoandcomeaway.

ButDr.Leidnerwasn'tthere.TheofficeitselfwaslitupbuttherewasnooneinitexceptMissJohnson.
Shehadherheaddownonthetableandwascryingasthoughherheartwouldbreak.

Itgavemequiteaturn.Shewassuchaquiet,self-controlledwoman.Itwaspitifultoseeher.

"Whateverisit,mydear?"Icried.Iputmyarmroundherandpattedher."Now,now,thiswon'tdoat
all...Youmustn'tsitherecryingallbyyourself."

Shedidn'tanswerandIfeltthedreadfulshudderingsobsthatwererackingher.

"Don't,mydear,don't,"Isaid."Takeaholdonyourself.I'llgoandmakeyouacupofnicehottea."

Sheraisedherheadandsaid:

"No,no,it'sallright,Nurse.I'mbeingafool."

"What'supsetyou,mydear?"Iasked.

Shedidn'tansweratonce,thenshesaid:

"It'salltooawful..."

"Nowdon'tstartthinkingofit,"Itoldher."What'shappenedhashappenedandcan'tbemended.It'sno
usefretting."

Shesatupstraightandbegantopatherhair.

"I'mmakingratherafoolofmyself,"shesaidinhergruffvoice."I'vebeenclearingupandtidyingthe
office.Thoughtitwasbesttodosomething.Andthen-itallcameovermesuddenly-"

"Yes,yes,"Isaidhastily."Iknow.Anicestrongcupofteaandahot-waterbottleinyourbediswhat
youwant,"Isaid.

Andshehadthemtoo.Ididn'tlistentoanyprotests.

"Thankyou,Nurse,"shesaidwhenI'dsettledherinbed,andshewassippingherteaandthehot-water
bottlewasin."You'reanicekindsensiblewoman.It'snotoftenImakesuchafoolofmyself."

"Oh,anybody'sliabletodothatatatimelikethis,"Isaid,"whatwithonethingandanother.Thestrain
andtheshockandthepolicehere,thereandeverywhere.Why,I'mquitejumpymyself."

Shesaidslowlyinratheraqueervoice:

"Whatyousaidinthereistrue.What'shappenedhashappenedandcan'tbemended..."

Shewassilentforaminuteortwoandthensaid-ratheroddly,Ithought:

"Shewasneveranicewoman!"

Well,Ididn'targuethepoint.I'dalwaysfeltitwasquitenaturalforMissJohnsonandMrs.Leidnernot
tohititoff.

Iwonderedif,perhaps,MissJohnsonhadsecretlyhadafeelingthatshewaspleasedMrs.Leidnerwas
dead,andhadthenbeenashamedofherselfforthethought.

Isaid:

"Nowyougotosleepanddon'tworryaboutanything."

Ijustpickedupafewthingsandsettheroomtorights.Stockingsoverthebackofthechairandcoat
andskirtonahanger.Therewasalittleballofcrumpledpaperonthefloorwhereitmusthavefallen
outofapocket.

IwasjustsmoothingitouttoseewhetherIcouldsafelythrowitawaywhenshequitestartledme.

"Givethattome!"

Ididso-rathertakenaback.She'dcalledoutsoperemptorily.Shesnatcheditfromme-fairlysnatched
it-andthenhelditinthecandleflametillitwasburnttoashes.

AsIsay,Iwasstartled-andIjuststaredather.

Ihadn'thadtimetoseewhatthepaperwas-she'dsnatcheditsoquick.Butfunnilyenough,asitburned
itcurledovertowardsmeandIjustsawthattherewerewordswrittenininkonthepaper.

Itwasn'ttillIwasgettingintobedthatIrealizedwhythey'dlookedsortoffamiliartome.

Itwasthesamehandwritingasthatoftheanonymousletters.

Was that why Miss Johnson had given way to a fit of remorse? Had it been her all along who had
writtenthoseanonymousletters?

Chapter20

MISSJOHNSON,MRS.MERCADO,MR.REITER

Idon'tmindconfessingthattheideacameasacompleteshocktome.I'dneverthoughtofassociating
MissJohnsonwiththeletters.Mrs.Mercado,perhaps.ButMissJohnsonwasareallady,andsoself-
controlledandsensible.

ButIreflected,rememberingtheconversationIhadlistenedtothateveningbetweenM.PoirotandDr.
Reilly,andthatmightbejustwhy.

If it were Miss Johnson who had written the letters it explained a lot. Mind you, I didn't think for a
minute Miss Johnson had had anything to do with the murder. But I did see that her dislike of Mrs.
Leidner might have made her succumb to the temptation of well - putting the wind up her - to put it
vulgarly.

ShemighthavehopedtofrightenawayMrs.Leidnerfromthedig.

ButthenMrs.LeidnerhadbeenmurderedandMissJohnsonhadfeltterriblepangsofremorse-firstfor
her cruel trick and also, perhaps, because she realized that those letters were acting as a very good
shieldtotheactualmurderer.Nowondershehadbrokendownsoutterly.Shewas,Iwassure,adecent
soul at heart. And it explained, too, why she had caught so eagerly at my consolation of "what's
happened'shappenedandcan'tbeamended."

Andthenhercrypticremark-hervindicationofherself-"Shewasneveranicewoman!"

Thequestionwas,whatwasItodoaboutit?

ItossedandturnedforagoodwhileandintheenddecidedI'dletM.Poirotknowaboutitatthefirst

opportunity.

HecameoutnextdaybutIdidn'tgetachanceofspeakingtohimwhatyoumightcallprivately.

We had just a minute alone together and before I could collect myself to know how to begin, he had
comeclosetomeandwaswhisperinginstructionsinmyear.

"Me,IshalltalktoMissJohnson-andothers,perhaps,intheliving-room.YouhavethekeyofMrs.
Leidner'sroomstill?"

"Yes,"Isaid.

"Très bien. Go there, shut the door behind you and give a cry - not a scream - a cry. You understand
whatImean-itisalarm-surprisethatIwantyoutoexpress-notmadterror.Asfortheexcuseifyou
areheard-Ileavethattoyou-thesteppedtoeorwhatyouwill."

AtthatmomentMissJohnsoncameoutintothecourtyardandtherewasnotimeformore.

IunderstoodwellenoughwhatM.Poirotwasafter.AssoonasheandMissJohnsonhadgoneintothe
living-roomIwentacrosstoMrs.Leidner'sroomand,unlockingthedoor,wentinandpulledthedoor
tobehindme.

Ican'tsayIdidn'tfeelabitofafoolstandingupinanemptyroomandgivingayelpallfornothingat
all.Besides,itwasn'tsoeasytoknowjusthowloudtodoit.Igaveaprettyloud"Oh"andthentriedita
bithigherandabitlower.

ThenIcameoutagainandpreparedmyexcuseofastepped(stubbedIsupposehemeant!)toe.

Butitsoonappearedthatnoexcusewouldbeneeded.PoirotandMissJohnsonweretalkingtogether
earnestlyandtherehadclearlybeennointerruption.

"Well," I thought, "that settles that. Either Miss Johnson imagined that cry she heard or else it was
somethingquitedifferent."

Ididn'tliketogoinandinterruptthem.Therewasadeck-chairontheporchsoIsatdownthere.Their

voicesfloatedouttome.

"The position is delicate, you understand," Poirot was saying. "Dr. Leidner - obviously he adored his
wife-"

"Heworshippedher,"saidMissJohnson.

"Hetellsme,naturally,howfondallhisstaffwasofher!Asforthem,whatcantheysay!Naturallythey
saythesamething.Itispoliteness.Itisdecency.Itmayalsobethetruth!Butalsoitmaynot!AndIam
convinced,mademoiselle,thatthekeytothisenigmaliesinacompleteunderstandingofMrs.Leidner's
character.IfIcouldgettheopinion-thehonestopinion-ofeverymemberofthestaff,Imight,from
the whole, build up a picture. Frankly, that is why I am here today. I knew Dr. Leidner would be in
Hassanieh.Thatmakesiteasyformetohaveainterviewwitheachofyouhereinturn,andbegyour
help."

"That'sallverywell,"beganMissJohnsonandstopped.

"DonotmakemetheBritishclichés."Poirotbegged."Donotsayitisnotthecricketorthefootball,
thattospeakanythingbutwellofthedeadisnotdone-that-enfin-thereisloyalty!Loyalty,itisa
pestilentialthingincrime.Againandagainitobscuresthetruth."

"I'venoparticularloyaltytoMrs.Leidner,"saidMissJohnsondryly.Therewasindeedasharpandacid
toneinhervoice."Dr.Leidner'sadifferentmatter.And,afterall,shewashiswife."

"Precisely-precisely.Iunderstandthatyouwouldnotwishtospeakagainstyourchief'swife.Butthis
isnotaquestionofatestimonial.Itisaquestionofsuddenandmysteriousdeath.IfIamtobelievethat
itisamartyredangelwhohasbeenkilleditdoesnotaddtotheeasinessofmytask."

"I certainly shouldn't call her an angel," said Miss Johnson and the acid tone was even more in
evidence.

"Tellmeyouropinion,frankly,ofMrs.Leidner-asawoman."

"H'm!Tobeginwith,M.Poirot,I'llgiveyouthiswarning.I'mprejudiced.Iam-weallwere-devoted
to Dr. Leidner. And, I suppose, when Mrs. Leidner came along, we were jealous. We resented the
demands she made on his time and attention. The devotion he showed her irritated us. I'm being
truthful,M.Poirot,anditisn'tverypleasantforme.Iresentedherpresencehere-yes,Idid,though,of

course,Itriednevertoshowit.Itmadeadifferencetous,yousee."

"Us?Yousayus?"

"ImeanMr.Careyandmyself.We'rethetwoold-timers,yousee.Andwedidn'tmuchcareforthenew
order of things. I suppose that's natural, though perhaps it was rather petty of us. But it did make a
difference."

"Whatkindofadifference?"

"Oh!toeverything.Weusedtohavesuchahappytime.Agooddealoffun,youknow,andrathersilly
jokes,likepeopledowhoworktogether.Dr.Leidnerwasquitelight-hearted-justlikeaboy."

"AndwhenMrs.Leidnercameshechangedallthat?"

"Well, I suppose it wasn't her fault. It wasn't so bad last year. And please believe, M. Poirot, that it
wasn't anything she did. She's always been charming to me - quite charming. That's why I've felt
ashamedsometimes.Itwasn'therfaultthatlittlethingsshesaidanddidseemedtorubmeupthewrong
way.Reallynobodycouldbenicerthanshewas."

"Butneverthelessthingswerechangedthisseason?Therewasadifferentatmosphere."

"Oh,entirely.Really,Idon'tknowwhatitwas.Everythingseemedtogowrong-notwiththework-I
meanwithus-ourtempersandournerves.Allonedge.Almostthesortoffeelingyougetwhenthereis
athunderstormcoming."

"AndyouputthatdowntoMrs.Leidner'sinfluence?"

"Well, it was never like that before she came," said Miss Johnson dryly. "Oh! I'm a cross-grained,
complainingolddog.Conservative-likingthingsalwaysthesame.Youreallymustn'ttakeanynotice
ofme,M.Poirot."

"HowwouldyoudescribetomeMrs.Leidner'scharacterandtemperament?"

MissJohnsonhesitatedforamoment.Thenshesaidslowly:

"Well,ofcourse,shewastemperamental.Alotofupsanddowns.Nicetopeopleonedayandperhaps
wouldn't speak to them the next. She was very kind, I think. And very thoughtful for others. All the
sameyoucouldseeshehadbeenthoroughlyspoiltallherlife.ShetookDr.Leidner'swaitingonher
handandfootasperfectlynatural.AndIdon'tthinksheeverreallyappreciatedwhataveryremarkable
-whatareallygreatmanshehadmarried.Thatusedtoannoymesometimes.Andofcourseshewas
terriblyhighlystrungandnervous.Thethingssheusedtoimagineandthestatessheusedtogetinto!I
wasthankfulwhenDr.LeidnerbroughtNurseLeatheranhere.Itwastoomuchforhimhavingtocope
bothwithhisworkandwithhiswife'sfears."

"Whatisyourownopinionoftheseanonymouslettersshereceived?"

Ihadtodoit.IleanedforwardinmychairtillIcouldjustcatchsightofMissJohnson'sprofileturnedto
Poirotinanswertohisquestion.

Shewaslookingperfectlycoolandcollected.

"IthinksomeoneinAmericahadaspiteagainstherandwastryingtofrightenorannoyher."

"Pasplusserieuxqueça?"

"That'smyopinion.Shewasaveryhandsomewoman,youknow,andmighteasilyhavehadenemies.I
thinkthoseletterswerewrittenbysomespitefulwoman.Mrs.Leidnerbeingofanervoustemperament
tookthemseriously."

"Shecertainlydidthat."saidPoirot."Butremember-thelastofthemarrivedbyhand."

"Well,Isupposethatcouldhavebeenmanagedifanyonehadgiventheirmindstoit.Womenwilltake
alotoftroubletogratifytheirspite,M.Poirot."

Theywillindeed,Ithoughttomyself!

"Perhapsyouareright,mademoiselle.Asyousay,Mrs.Leidnerwashandsome.Bytheway,youknow
MissReilly,thedoctor'sdaughter?"

"SheilaReilly?Yes,ofcourse."

Poirotadoptedaveryconfidential,gossipytone.

"Ihaveheardarumour(naturallyIdonotliketoaskthedoctor)thattherewasatendressebetweenher
andoneofthemembersofDr.Leidner'sstaff.Isthatso,doyouknow?"

MissJohnsonappearedratheramused.

"Oh, young Coleman and David Emmott were both inclined to dance attendance. I believe there was
some rivalry as to who was to be her partner in some event at the club. Both the boys went in on
Saturdayeveningstotheclubasageneralrule.ButIdon'tknowthattherewasanythinginitonher
side.She'stheonlyyoungcreatureintheplace,youknow,andsoshe'sbywayofbeingthebelleofit.
She'sgottheAirForcedancingattendanceonheraswell."

"Soyouthinkthereisnothinginit?"

"Well - I don't know." Miss Johnson became thoughtful. "It is true that she comes out this way fairly
often.Uptothedigandallthat.Infact,Mrs.LeidnerwaschaffingDavidEmmottaboutittheotherday
- saying the girl was running after him. Which was rather a catty thing to say, I thought, and I don't
think he liked it... Yes, she was here a good deal. I saw her riding towards the dig on that awful
afternoon."Shenoddedherheadtowardstheopenwindow."ButneitherDavidEmmottnorColeman
were on duty that afternoon. Richard Carey was in charge. Yes, perhaps she is attracted to one of the
boys-butshe'ssuchamodernunsentimentalyoungwomanthatonedoesn'tknowquitehowseriously
totakeher.I'msureIdon'tknowwhichofthemitis.Bill'saniceboy,andnotnearlysuchafoolashe
pretendstobe.DavidEmmottisadear-andthere'salottohim.Heisthedeep,quietkind."

ThenshelookedquizzicallyatPoirotandsaid:

"Buthasthisanybearingonthecrime,M.Poirot?"

M.PoirotthrewuphishandsinaveryFrenchfashion.

"Youmademeblush,mademoiselle,"hesaid."Youexposemeasameregossip.Butwhatwillyou,I
aminterestedalwaysintheloveaffairsofyoungpeople."

"Yes,"saidMissJohnsonwithalittlesigh."It'snicewhenthecourseoftrueloverunssmooth."

Poirotgaveanansweringsigh.IwonderedifMissJohnsonwasthinkingofsomeloveaffairofherown
whenshewasagirl.AndIwonderedifM.Poirothadawife,andifhewentoninthewayyoualways
hearforeignersdo,withmistressesandthingslikethat.HelookssocomicIcouldn'timagineit.

"Sheila Reilly has a lot of character," said Miss Johnson. "She's young and she's crude, but she's the
rightsort."

"Itakeyourwordforit,mademoiselle,"saidPoirot.

Hegotupandsaid,"Arethereanyothermembersofthestaffinthehouse?"

"MarieMercadoissomewhereabout.Allthemenareuponthedigtoday.Ithinktheywantedtogetout
ofthehouse.Idon'tblamethem.Ifyou'dliketogouptothedig-"

Shecameoutontheverandahandsaid,smilingtome:

"NurseLeatheranwon'tmindtakingyou,Idaresay."

"Oh,certainly,MissJohnson,"Isaid.

"Andyou'llcomebacktolunch,won'tyou,M.Poirot?"

"Enchanted,mademoiselle."

MissJohnsonwentbackintotheliving-roomwhereshewasengagedincataloguing.

"Mrs.Mercado'sontheroof,"Isaid."Doyouwanttoseeherfirst?"

"Itwouldbeaswell,Ithink.Letusgoup."

AswewentupthestairsIsaid:

"Ididwhatyoutoldme.Didyouhearanything?"

"Notasound."

"ThatwillbeaweightoffMissJohnson'smindatanyrate,"Isaid."She'sbeenworryingthatshemight
havedonesomethingaboutit."

Mrs.Mercadowassittingontheparapet,herheadbentdown,andshewassodeepinthoughtthatshe
neverheardustillPoirothaltedoppositeherandbadehergood-morning.

Thenshelookedupwithastart.

Shelookedillthismorning,Ithought,hersmallfacepinchedandwizenedandgreatdarkcirclesunder
hereyes.

"Encoremoi,"saidPoirot."Icometodaywithaspecialobject."

AndhewentonmuchinthesamewayashehaddonetoMissJohnson,explaininghownecessaryit
wasthatheshouldgetatruepictureofMrs.Leidner.

Mrs. Mercado, however, wasn't as honest as Miss Johnson had been. She burst into fulsome praise
which,Iwasprettysure,wasquitefarremovedfromherrealfeelings.

"Dear,dearLouise!It'ssohardtoexplainhertosomeonewhodidn'tknowher.Shewassuchanexotic
creature.Quitedifferentfromanyoneelse.Youfeltthat,I'msure,Nurse?Amartyrtonerves,ofcourse,
andfulloffancies,butoneputupwiththingsinheronewouldn'tfromanyoneelse.Andshewasso
sweettousall,wasn'tshe,Nurse?Andsohumbleaboutherself-Imeanshedidn'tknowanythingabout
archaeology,andshewassoeagertolearn.Alwaysaskingmyhusbandaboutthechemicalprocessesfor
treatingthemetalobjectsandhelpingMissJohnsontomendpottery.Oh,wewerealldevotedtoher."

"Thenitisnottrue,madame,whatIhaveheard,thattherewasacertaintenseness-anuncomfortable
atmosphere-here?"

Mrs.Mercadoopenedheropaqueblackeyesverywide.

"Oh!whocanhavebeentellingyouthat?Nurse?Dr.Leidner?I'msurehewouldnevernoticeanything,
poorman."

Andsheshotathoroughlyunfriendlyglanceatme.

Poirotsmiledeasily.

"Ihavemyspies,madame,"hedeclaredgaily.AndjustforaminuteIsawhereyelidsquiverandblink.

"Don'tyouthink,"askedMrs.Mercadowithanairofgreatsweetness,"thatafteraneventofthiskind,
everyonealwayspretendsalotofthingsthatneverwere?Youknow-tension,atmosphere,a'feeling
thatsomethingwasgoingtohappen'?Ithinkpeoplejustmakeupthesethingsafterwards."

"Thereisalotinwhatyousay,madame,"saidPoirot.

"Anditreallywasn'ttrue!Wewereathoroughlyhappyfamilyhere."

"ThatwomanisoneofthemostutterliarsI'veeverknown,"Isaidindignantly,whenM.PoirotandI
wereclearofthehouseandwalkingalongthepathtothedig."I'msureshesimplyhatedMrs.Leidner
really!"

"Sheishardlythetypetowhomonewouldgoforthetruth,"Poirotagreed.

"Wasteoftimetalkingtoher,"Isnapped.

"Hardlythat-hardlythat.Ifapersontellsyoulieswithherlipssheissometimestellingyoutruthwith
hereyes.Whatissheafraidof,littleMadameMercado?Isawfearinhereyes.Yes-decidedlysheis
afraidofsomething.Itisveryinteresting."

"I'vegotsomethingtotellyou,M.Poirot,"Isaid.

Then I told him all about my return the night before and my strong belief that Miss Johnson was the
writeroftheanonymousletters.

"Soshe'saliartoo!"Isaid."Thecoolwaysheansweredyouthismorningaboutthesesameletters!"

"Yes,"saidPoirot."Itwasinterestingthat.Forsheletoutthefactthatsheknewallaboutthoseletters.
Sofartheyhavenotbeenspokenofinthepresenceofthestaff.Ofcourse,itisquitepossiblethatDr.
Leidnertoldheraboutthemyesterday.Theyareoldfriends,heandshe.Butifhedidnot-well-thenit
iscuriousandinteresting,isitnot?"

Myrespectforhimwentup.Itwascleverthewayhehadtrickedherintomentioningtheletters.

"Areyougoingtotackleheraboutthem?"Iasked.

Mr.Poirotseemedquiteshockedbytheidea.

"No,no,indeed.Alwaysitisunwisetoparadeone'sknowledge.UntilthelastminuteIkeepeverything
here." He tapped his forehead. "At the right moment I make the spring - like the panther - and, mon
Dieu!theconsternation!"

Icouldn'thelplaughingtomyselfatlittleM.Poirotintherôleofapanther.

We had just reached the dig. The first person we saw was Mr. Reiter, who was busy photographing
somewalling.

It'smyopinionthatthemenwhowerediggingjusthackedoutwallswherevertheywantedthem.That's
whatitlookedlikeanyway.Mr.Careyexplainedtomethatyoucouldfeelthedifferenceatoncewitha
pick, and he tried to show me - but I never saw. When the man said "Libn" - mud-brick - it was just
ordinarydirtandmudasfarasIcouldsee.

Mr.Reiterfinishedhisphotographsandhandedoverthecameraandtheplatestohisboyandtoldhim
totakethembacktothehouse.

Poirot asked him one or two questions about exposures and film packs and so on which he answered
veryreadily.Heseemedpleasedtobeaskedabouthiswork.

HewasjusttenderinghisexcusesforleavinguswhenPoirotplungedoncemoreintohissetspeech.As
amatteroffactitwasn'tquiteasetspeechbecausehevarieditalittleeachtimetosuitthepersonhe
was talking to. But I'm not going to write it all down every time. With sensible people like Miss

Johnsonhewentstraighttothepoint,andwithsomeoftheothershehadtobeataboutthebushabit
more.Butitcametothesameintheend.

"Yes,yes,Iseewhatyoumean,"saidMr.Reiter."Butindeed,IdonotseethatIcanbemuchhelpto
you.IamnewherethisseasonandIdidnotspeakmuchwithMrs.Leidner.Iregret,butindeedIcan
tellyounothing."

Therewassomethingalittlestiffandforeigninthewayhespoke,though,ofcourse,hehadn'tgotany
accent-exceptanAmericanone,Imean.

"Youcanatleasttellmewhetheryoulikedordislikedher?"saidPoirotwithasmile.

Mr.Reitergotquiteredandstammered:

"Shewasacharmingperson-mostcharming.Andintellectual.Shehadaveryfinebrain-yes."

"Bien!Youlikedher.Andshelikedyou?"

Mr.Reitergotredderstill.

"Oh, I - I don't know that she noticed me much. And I was unfortunate once or twice. I was always
unlucky when I tried to do anything for her. I'm afraid I annoyed her by my clumsiness. It was quite
unintentional...Iwouldhavedoneanything-"

Poirottookpityonhisflounderings.

"Perfectly-perfectly.Letuspasstoanothermatter.Wasitahappyatmosphereinthehouse?"

"Please."

"Wereyouallhappytogether?Didyoulaughandtalk?"

"No-no,notexactlythat.Therewasalittle-stiffness."

Hepaused,strugglingwithhimself,andthensaid:

"Yousee,Iamnotverygoodincompany.Iamclumsy.Iamshy.Dr.Leidneralwayshehasbeenmost
kind to me. But - it is stupid - I cannot overcome my shyness. I say always the wrong thing. I upset
waterjugs.Iamunlucky."

Hereallylookedlikealargeawkwardchild.

"Wealldothesethingswhenweareyoung,"saidPoirot,smiling."Thepoise,thesavoirfaire,itcomes
later."

Thenwithawordoffarewellwewalkedon.

Hesaid:

"That,masoeur,iseitheranextremelysimpleyoungmanoraveryremarkableactor."

I didn't answer. I was caught up once more by the fantastic notion that one of these people was a
dangerous and cold-blooded murderer. Somehow, on this beautiful still sunny morning, it seemed
impossible.

Chapter21

MR.MERCADO,RICHARDCAREY

"Theyworkintwoseparateplaces,Isee,"saidPoirot,halting.

Mr. Reiter had been doing his photography on an out-lying portion of the main excavation. A little
distanceawayfromusasecondswarmofmenwerecomingandgoingwithbaskets.

"That's what they call the deep cut," I explained. "They don't find much there, nothing but rubbishy
brokenpottery,butDr.Leidneralwayssaysit'sveryinteresting,soIsupposeitmustbe."

"Letusgothere."

Wewalkedtogetherslowlyforthesunwashot.

Mr.Mercadowasincommand.Wesawhimbelowustalkingtotheforeman,anoldmanlikeatortoise
whoworeatweedcoatoverhislongstripedcottongown.

Itwasalittledifficulttogetdowntothemastherewasonlyanarrowpathorstairandbasketboyswere
goingupanddownitconstantly,andtheyalwaysseemedtobeasblindasbatsandnevertothinkof
gettingoutoftheway.

AsIfollowedPoirotdownhesaidsuddenlyoverhisshoulder:

"IsMr.Mercadoright-handedorleft-handed?"

Nowthatwasanextraordinaryquestionifyoulike!

Ithoughtaminute,then:

"Right-handed,"Isaiddecisively.

Poirotdidn'tcondescendtoexplain.HejustwentonandIfollowedhim.

Mr.Mercadoseemedratherpleasedtoseeus.

Hislongmelancholyfacelitup.

M. Poirot pretended to an interest in archaeology that I'm sure he couldn't have really felt, but Mr.
Mercadorespondedatonce.

Heexplainedthattheyhadalreadycutdownthroughtwelvelevelsofhouseoccupation.

"Wearenowdefinitelyinthefourthmillennium,"hesaidwithenthusiasm.

Ialwaysthoughtamillenniumwasinthefuture-thetimewheneverythingcomesright.

Mr.Mercadopointedoutbeltsofashes(howhishanddidshake!Iwonderedifhemightpossiblyhave
malaria)andheexplainedhowthepotterychangedincharacter,andaboutburials-andhowtheyhad
hadonelevelalmostentirelycomposedofinfantburials-poorlittlethings-andaboutflexedposition
andorientationwhichseemedtomeanthewaytheboneswerelying.

And then suddenly, just as he was stooping down to pick up a kind of flint knife that was lying with
somepotsinacorner,heleaptintotheairwithawildyell.

HespunroundtofindmeandPoirotstaringathiminastonishment.

Heclappedhishandtohisleftarm.

"Somethingstungme-likeared-hotneedle."

ImmediatelyPoirotwasgalvanizedintoenergy.

"Quick,moncher,letussee.NurseLeatheran!"Icameforward.

HeseizedMr.Mercado'sarmanddeftlyrolledbackthesleeveofhiskhakishirttotheshoulder.

"There,"saidMr.Mercado,pointing.

Aboutthreeinchesbelowtheshouldertherewasaminuteprickfromwhichthebloodwasoozing.

"Curious,"saidPoirot.Hepeeredintotherolled-upsleeve."Icanseenothing.Itwasanant,perhaps?"

"Betterputonalittleiodine,"Isaid.

Ialwayscarryaniodinepencilwithme,andIwhippeditoutandappliedit.ButIwasalittleabsent-
mindedasIdidso,formyattentionhadbeencaughtbysomethingquitedifferent.Mr.Mercado'sarm,
all the way up the forearm to the elbow, was marked all over by tiny punctures. I knew well enough

whattheywere-themarksofahypodermicneedle.

Mr.Mercadorolleddownhissleeveagainandrecommencedhisexplanations.M.Poirotlistened,but
didn'ttrytobringtheconversationroundtotheLeidners.Infacthedidn'taskMr.Mercadoanythingat
all.

Presentlywesaidgood-bytoMr.Mercadoandclimbedupthepathagain.

"Itwasneatthat,didyounotthinkso?"mycompanionasked.

"Neat?"Iasked.

M. Poirot took something from behind the lapel of his coat and surveyed it affectionately. To my
surpriseIsawthatitwasalongsharpdarningneedlewithablobofsealingwaxmakingitintoapin.

"M.Poirot,"Icried,"didyoudothat?"

"Iwasthestinginginsect-yes.AndveryneatlyIdidit,too,doyounotthinkso?Youdidnotseeme."

Thatwastrueenough.Ineversawhimdoit.AndI'msureMr.Mercadohadn'tsuspected.Hemusthave
beenquickaslightning.

"But,M.Poirot,why?"Iasked.

Heansweredmebyanotherquestion.

"Didyounoticeanything,sister?"heasked.

Inoddedmyheadslowly.

"Hypodermicmarks,"Isaid.

"SonowweknowsomethingaboutMr.Mercado,"saidPoirot."Isuspected-butIdidnotknow.Itis

alwaysnecessarytoknow."

"Andyoudon'tcarehowyousetaboutit!"Ithought,butdidn'tsay.

Poirotsuddenlyclappedhishandtohispocket.

"Alas,Ihavedroppedmyhandkerchiefdownthere.Iconcealedthepininit."

"I'llgetitforyou,"Isaidandhurriedback.

I'dgotthefeeling,yousee,bythistime,thatM.PoirotandIwerethedoctorandNurseinchargeofa
case.Atleast,itwasmorelikeanoperationandhewasthesurgeon.PerhapsIoughtn'ttosayso,butin
aqueerwayIwasbeginningtoenjoymyself.

IrememberjustafterI'dfinishedmytraining,Iwenttoacaseinaprivatehouseandtheneedforan
immediateoperationarose,andthepatient'shusbandwascrankyaboutnursinghomes.Hejustwouldn't
hearofhiswifebeingtakentoone.Saidithadtobedoneinthehouse.

Well, of course it was just splendid for me! Nobody else to have a look in! I was in charge of
everything. Of course, I was terribly nervous - I thought of everything conceivable that doctor could
want,buteventhenIwasafraidImighthaveforgottensomething.Youneverknowwithdoctors.They
ask for absolutely anything sometimes! But everything went splendidly! I had each thing ready as he
askedforit,andheactuallytoldmeI'ddonefirstrateafteritwasover-andthat'sathingmostdoctors
wouldn'tbothertodo!TheG.P.wasverynicetoo.AndIranthewholethingmyself!

Thepatientrecovered,too,soeverybodywashappy.

Well,Ifeltratherthesamenow.InawayM.Poirotremindedmeofthatsurgeon.Hewasalittleman,
too. Ugly little man with a face like a monkey, but a wonderful surgeon. He knew instinctively just
wheretogo.I'veseenalotofsurgeonsandIknowwhatalotofdifferencethereis.

GraduallyI'dbeengrowingakindofconfidenceinM.Poirot.Ifeltthathe,too,knewexactlywhathe
was doing. And I was getting to feel that it was my job to help him - as you might say - to have the
forcepsandtheswabsandallhandyjustwhenhewantedthem.That'swhyitseemedjustasnaturalfor
metorunoffandlookforhishandkerchiefasitwouldhavebeentopickupatowelthatadoctorhad
thrownonthefloor.

When I'd found it and got back I couldn't see him at first. But at last I caught sight of him. He was
sittingalittlewayfromthemoundtalkingtoMr.Carey.Mr.Carey'sboywasstandingnearwiththat
greatbigrodthingwithmetresmarkedonit,butjustatthatmomenthesaidsomethingtotheboyand
theboytookitaway.Itseemedhehadfinishedwithitforthetimebeing.

I'dliketogetthisnextbitquiteclear.Yousee,Iwasn'tquitesurewhatM.Poirotdidordidn'twantme
todo.Hemight,Imean,havesentmebackforthathandkerchiefonpurpose.Togetmeoutoftheway.

Itwasjustlikeanoperationoveragain.You'vegottobecarefultohandthedoctorjustwhathewants
andnotwhathedoesn'twant.Imean,supposeyougavehimthearteryforcepsatthewrongmoment,
and were late with them at the right moment! Thank goodness I know my work in the theatre well
enough.I'mnotlikelytomakemistakesthere.ButinthisbusinessIwasreallytherawestofrawlittle
probationers.AndsoIhadtobeparticularlycarefulnottomakeanysillymistakes.

Ofcourse,Ididn'tforonemomentimaginethatM.Poirotdidn'twantmetohearwhatheandMr.Carey
weresaying.Buthemighthavethoughthe'dgetMr.CareytotalkbetterifIwasn'tthere.

Now I don't want anybody to get it into their heads that I'm the kind of woman who goes about
eavesdropping on private conversations. I wouldn't do such a thing. Not for a moment. Not however
muchIwantedto.

AndwhatImeanisifithadbeenaprivateconversationIwouldn'tforamomenthavedonewhat,asa
matteroffact,Iactuallydiddo.

AsIlookedatitIwasinaprivilegedposition.Afterall,youhearmanyathingwhenapatient'scoming
roundafterananaesthetic.Thepatientwouldn'twantyoutohearit-andusuallyhasnoideayouhave
heardit-butthefactremainsyoudohearit.IjusttookitthatMr.Careywasthepatient.He'dbenone
theworseforwhathedidn'tknowabout.AndifyouthinkthatIwasjustcurious,well,I'lladmitthatI
wascurious.Ididn'twanttomissanythingIcouldhelp.

AllthisisjustleadinguptothefactthatIturnedasideandwentbyaround-aboutwayupbehindthe
bigdumpuntilIwasafootfromwheretheywere,butconcealedfromthembythecornerofthedump.
And if anyone says it was dishonourable I just beg to disagree. Nothing ought to be hidden from the
Nurseinchargeofthecase,though,ofcourse,it'sthedoctortosaywhatshallbedone.

Idon'tknow,ofcourse,whatM.Poirot'slineofapproachhadbeen,butbythetimeI'dgottherehewas
aimingstraightforthebull'seye,sotospeak.

"NobodyappreciatesDr.Leidner'sdevotiontohiswifemorethanIdo,"hewassaying."Butitisoften
thecasethatonelearnsmoreaboutapersonfromtheirenemiesthanfromtheirfriends."

"Yousuggestthattheirfaultsaremoreimportantthantheirvirtues?"saidMr.Carey.Histonewasdry
andironic.

"Undoubtedly - when it comes to murder. It seems odd that as far as I know nobody has yet been
murderedforhavingtooperfectacharacter!Andyetperfectionisundoubtedlyanirritatingthing."

"I'm afraid I'm hardly the right person to help you," said Mr. Carey. "To be perfectly honest, Mrs.
Leidner and I didn't hit it off particularly well. I don't mean that we were in any sense of the word
enemies, but we were not exactly friends. Mrs. Leidner was, perhaps, a shade jealous of my old
friendshipwithherhusband.I,formypart,althoughIadmiredherverymuchandthoughtshewasan
extremely attractive woman, was just a shade resentful of her influence over Leidner. As a result we
werequitepolitetoeachother,butnotintimate."

"Admirablyexplained,"saidPoirot.

I could just see their heads, and I saw Mr. Carey's turn sharply as though something in M. Poirot's
detachedtonestruckhimdisagreeably.

M.Poirotwenton:

"WasnotDr.Leidnerdistressedthatyouandhiswifedidnotgetontogetherbetter?"

Careyhesitatedaminutebeforesaying:

"Really-I'mnotsure.Heneversaidanything.Ialwayshopedhedidn'tnoticeit.Hewasverywrapped
upinhiswork,youknow."

"Sothetruth,accordingtoyou,isthatyoudidnotreallylikeMrs.Leidner?"

Careyshruggedhisshoulders.

"Ishouldprobablyhavelikedherverymuchifshehadn'tbeenLeidner'swife."

Helaughedasthoughamusedbyhisownstatement.

Poirotwasarrangingalittleheapofbrokenpotsherds.Hesaidinadreamy,far-awayvoice:

"ItalkedtoMissJohnsonthismorning.SheadmittedthatshewasprejudicedagainstMrs.Leidnerand
didnotlikeherverymuch,althoughshehastenedtoaddthatMrs.Leidnerhadalwaysbeencharmingto
her."

"Allquitetrue,Ishouldsay,"saidCarey.

"SoIbelieved.ThenIhadaconversationwithMrs.Mercado.Shetoldmeatgreatlengthhowdevoted
shehadbeentoMrs.Leidnerandhowmuchshehadadmiredher."

Careymadenoanswertothis,andafterwaitingaminuteortwoPoirotwenton:

"That - I did not believe! Then I come to you and that which you tell me - well, again - I do not
believe..."

Careystiffened.Icouldheartheanger-repressedanger-inhisvoice.

"Ireallycannothelpyourbeliefs-oryourdisbeliefs,M.Poirot.You'veheardthetruthandyoucantake
itorleaveitasfarasIamconcerned."

Poirotdidnotgrowangry.Insteadhesoundedparticularlymeekanddepressed.

"Is it my fault what I do - or do not believe? I have a sensitive ear, you know. And then - there are
alwaysplentyofstoriesgoingabout-rumoursfloatingintheair.Onelistens-andperhaps-onelearns
something!Yes,therearestories..."

Carey sprang to his feet. I could see clearly a little pulse that beat in his temple. He looked simply
splendid!Soleanandsobrown-andthatwonderfuljaw,hardandsquare.Idon'twonderwomenfell
forthatman.

"Whatstories?"heaskedsavagely.

Poirotlookedsidewaysathim.

"Perhapsyoucanguess.Theusualsortofstory-aboutyouandMrs.Leidner."

"Whatfoulmindspeoplehave!"

"N'estcepas?Theyarelikedogs.Howeverdeepyouburyanunpleasantnessadogwillalwaysrootit
upagain."

"Andyoubelievethesestories?"

"Iamwillingtobeconvinced-ofthetruth,"saidPoirotgravely.

"Idoubtifyou'dknowthetruthifyouheardit,"Careylaughedrudely.

"Trymeandsee,"saidPoirot,watchinghim.

"Iwillthen!Youshallhavethetruth!IhatedLouiseLeidner-there'sthetruthforyou!Ihatedherlike
hell!"

Chapter22

DAVIDEMMOTT,FATHERLAVIGNYANDADISCOVERY

Turningabruptlyaway,Careystrodeoffwithlongangrystrides.

Poirotsatlookingafterhimandpresentlyhemurmured:

"Yes-Isee..."

Withoutturninghisheadhesaidinaslightlyloudervoice:

"Donotcomeroundthecornerforaminute,Nurse.Incaseheturnshishead.Nowitisallright.You
havemyhandkerchief?Manythanks.Youaremostamiable."

Hedidn'tsayanythingatallaboutmyhavingbeenlistening-andhowheknewIwaslisteningIcan't
think.He'dneveroncelookedinthatdirection.Iwasratherrelievedhedidn'tsayanything.Imean,I
feltallrightwithmyselfaboutit,butitmighthavebeenalittleawkwardexplainingtohim.Soitwasa
goodthinghedidn'tseemtowantexplanations.

"Doyouthinkhedidhateher,M.Poirot?"Iasked.

Noddinghisheadslowlywithacuriousexpressiononhisface,Poirotanswered.

"Yes-Ithinkhedid."

Thenhegotupbrisklyandbegantowalktowherethemenwereworkingonthetopofthemound.I
followed him. We couldn't see anyone but Arabs at first but we finally found Mr. Emmott lying face
downwardsblowingdustoffaskeletonthathadjustbeenuncovered.

Hegavehispleasantgravesmilewhenhesawus.

"Haveyoucometoseeround?"heasked."I'llbefreeinaminute."

Hesatup,tookhisknifeandbegandaintilycuttingtheearthawayfromroundthebones,stoppingevery
now and then to use either a bellows or his own breath. A very insanitary proceeding the latter, I
thought.

"You'llgetallsortsofnastygermsinyourmouth,Mr.Emmott,"Iprotested.

"Nastygermsaremydailydiet,Nurse,"hesaidgravely."Germscan'tdoanythingtoanarchaeologist-
theyjustgetnaturallydiscouragedtrying."

Hescrapedalittlemoreawayroundthethighbone.Thenhespoketotheforemanathissidedirecting
himexactlywhathewanteddone.

"There,"hesaid,risingtohisfeet."That'sreadyforReitertophotographafterlunch.Rathernicestuff
shehadinwithher."

Heshowedusalittleverdigrisycopperbowlandsomepins.Andalotofgoldandbluethingsthathad
beenhernecklaceofbeads.

Thebonesandalltheobjectswerebrushedandcleanedwithaknifeandkeptinpositionreadytobe
photographed.

"Whoisshe?"askedPoirot.

"Firstmillennium.Aladyofsomeconsequenceperhaps.Skulllooksratherodd-ImustgetMercadoto
lookatit.Itsuggestsdeathbyfoulplay."

"AMrs.Leidneroftwothousandoddyearsago?"saidPoirot.

"Perhaps,"saidMr.Emmott.

BillColemanwasdoingsomethingwithapicktoawallface.

DavidEmmottcalledsomethingtohimwhichIdidn'tcatchandthenstartedshowingM.Poirotround.

WhentheshortexplanatorytourwasoverEmmottlookedathiswatch.

"Weknockoffintenminutes,"hesaid."Shallwewalkbacktothehouse?"

"Thatwillsuitmeexcellently,"saidPoirot.

Wewalkedslowlyalongthewell-wornpath.

"Iexpectyouareallgladtogetbacktoworkagain,"saidPoirot.

Emmottrepliedgravely:

"Yes, it's much the best thing. It's not been any too easy loafing about the house and making
conversation."

"Knowingallthetimethatoneofyouwasamurderer."

Emmottdidnotanswer.Hemadenogestureofdissent.Iknewnowthathehadhadasuspicionofthe
truthfromtheveryfirstwhenhehadquestionedthehouse-boys.

Afterafewminutesheaskedquietly:

"Areyougettinganywhere,M.Poirot?"

Poirotsaidgravely:

"Willyouhelpmetogetsomewhere?"

"Why,naturally."

Watchinghimclosely,Poirotsaid:

"ThehubofthecaseisMrs.Leidner.IwanttoknowaboutMrs.Leidner."

DavidEmmottsaidslowly:

"Whatdoyoumeanbyknowingabouther?"

"Idonotmeanwhereshecamefromandwhathermaidennamewas.Idonotmeantheshapeofher
faceandthecolourofhereyes.Imeanher-herself."

"Youthinkthatcountsinthecase?"

"Iamquitesureofit."

Emmottwassilentforamomentortwo,thenhesaid:

"Maybeyou'reright."

"Andthatiswhereyoucanhelpme.Youcantellmewhatsortofawomanshewas."

"CanI?I'veoftenwonderedaboutitmyself."

"Didn'tyoumakeupyourmindonthesubject?"

"IthinkIdidintheend."

"Ehbien?"

ButMr.Emmottwassilentforsomeminutes,thenhesaid:

"WhatdidNursethinkofher?Womenaresaidtosumupotherwomenquicklyenough,andaNursehas
awideexperienceoftypes."

Poirotdidn'tgivemeanychanceofspeakingevenifIhadwantedto.Hesaidquickly:

"WhatIwanttoknowiswhatamanthoughtofher?"

Emmottsmiledalittle.

"I expect they'd all be much the same." He paused and said, "She wasn't young, but I think she was
aboutthemostbeautifulwomanI'veevercomeacross."

"That'shardlyananswer,Mr.Emmott."

"It'snotsofaroffone.M.Poirot"

Hewassilentaminuteortwoandthenhewenton:

"ThereusedtobeafairystoryIreadwhenIwasakid.AnorthernfairystoryabouttheSnowQueen
andLittleKay.IguessMrs.Leidnerwasratherlikethat-alwaystakingLittleKayforaride."

"Ah,yes,ataleofHansAndersen,isitnot?Andtherewasagirlinit.LittleGerda,wasthathername?"

"Maybe.Idon'tremembermuchofit."

"Can'tyougoalittlefurther,Mr.Emmott?"

DavidEmmottshookhishead.

"Idon'tevenknowifI'vesummedherupcorrectly.Shewasn'teasytoread.She'ddoadevilishthing
oneday,andareallyfineonethenext.ButIthinkyou'reaboutrightwhenyousaythatshe'sthehubof
the case. That's what she always wanted to be - at the centre of things. And she liked to get at other
people-Imean,shewasn'tjustsatisfiedwithbeingpassedthetoastandthepeanutbutter,shewanted
youtoturnyourmindandsoulinsideoutforhertolookatit."

"Andifonedidnotgiveherthatsatisfaction?"askedPoirot.

"Thenshecouldturnugly!"

Isawhislipscloseresolutelyandhisjawsset.

"Isuppose,Mr.Emmott,youwouldnotcaretoexpressaplainunofficialopinionastowhomurdered
her?"

"Idon'tknow,"saidEmmott."Ireallyhaven'ttheslightestidea.Iratherthinkthat,ifI'dbeenCarl-Carl
Reiter,Imean-Iwouldhavehadashotatmurderingher.Shewasaprettyfairdeviltohim.But,of
course,heasksforitbybeingsodarnedsensitive.Justinvitesyoutogivehimakickinthepants."

"AnddidMrs.Leidnergivehimakickinthepants?"inquiredPoirot.

Emmottgaveasuddengrin.

"No.Prettylittlejabswithanembroideryneedle-thatwashermethod.Hewasirritating,ofcourse.Just
likesomeblubbering,poor-spiritedkid.Butaneedle'sapainfulweapon."

IstoleaglanceatPoirotandthoughtIdetectedaslightquiverofhislips.

"Butyoudon'treallybelievethatCarlReiterkilledher?"heasked.

"No.Idon'tbelieveyou'dkillawomanbecauseshepersistentlymadeyoulookafoolateverymeal."

Poirotshookhisheadthoughtfully.

Ofcourse,Mr.EmmottmadeMrs.Leidnersoundquiteinhuman.Therewassomethingtobesaidonthe
othersidetoo.

TherehadbeensomethingterriblyirritatingaboutMr.Reiter'sattitude.Hejumpedwhenshespoketo
him,anddididioticthingslikepassingherthemarmaladeagainandagainwhenheknewsheneverate
it.I'dhavefeltinclinedtosnapathimabitmyself.

Mendon'tunderstandhowtheirmannerismscangetonwomen'snervessothatyoufeelyoujusthaveto
snap.

IthoughtI'djustmentionthattoMr.Poirotsometime.

WehadarrivedbackbynowandMr.EmmottofferedPoirotawashandtookhimintohisroom.

Ihurriedacrossthecourtyardtomine.

Icameoutagainaboutthesametimetheydidandwewereallmakingforthedining-roomwhenFather
LavignyappearedinthedoorwayofhisroomandinvitedPoirotin.

Mr.EmmottcameonroundandheandIwentintothedining-roomtogether.

MissJohnsonandMrs.Mercadoweretherealready,andafterafewminutesMr.Mercado,Mr.Reiter
andBillColemanjoinedus.

WewerejustsittingdownandMercadohadtoldtheArabboytotellFatherLavignylunchwasready
whenwewereallstartledbyafaint,muffledcry.

I suppose our nerves weren't very good yet, for we all jumped, and Miss Johnson got quite pale and
said:

"Whatwasthat?What'shappened?"

Mrs.Mercadostaredatherandsaid:

"Mydear,whatisthematterwithyou?It'ssomenoiseoutsideinthefields."

ButatthatminutePoirotandFatherLavignycamein.

"Wethoughtsomeonewashurt,"MissJohnsonsaid.

"Athousandpardons,mademoiselle,"criedPoirot.

"Thefaultismine.FatherLavigny,heexplainstomesometablets,andItakeonetothewindowtosee
better-and,mafoi,notlookingwhereIwasgoing,Istebthetoe,andthepainissharpforthemoment
andIcryout."

"Wethoughtitwasanothermurder,"saidMrs.Mercado,laughing.

"Marie!"saidherhusband.

Histonewasreproachfulandsheflushedandbitherlip.

MissJohnsonhastilyturnedtheconversationtothedigandwhatobjectsofinteresthadturnedupthat

morning.Conversationallthroughlunchwassternlyarchaeological.

Ithinkweallfeltitwasthesafestthing.

Afterwehadhadcoffeeweadjournedtotheliving-room.Thenthemen,withtheexceptionofFather
Lavigny,wentofftothedigagain.

FatherLavignytookPoirotthroughintotheantika-roomandIwentwiththem.Iwasgettingtoknow
thethingsprettywellbynowandIfeltathrillofpride-almostasthoughitweremyownproperty-
when Father Lavigny took down the gold cup and I heard Poirot's exclamation of admiration and
pleasure.

"Howbeautiful!Whataworkofart!"

FatherLavignyagreedeagerlyandbegantopointoutitsbeautieswithrealenthusiasmandknowledge.

"Nowaxonittoday,"Isaid.

"Wax?"Poirotstaredatme.

"Wax?"SodidFatherLavigny.

Iexplainedmyremark.

"Ah,jecomprends."saidFatherLavigny."Yes,yes,candlegrease."

That led direct to the subject of the midnight visitor. Forgetting my presence they both dropped into
FrenchandIleftthemtogetherandwentbackintotheliving-room.

Mrs. Mercado was darning her husband's socks and Miss Johnson was reading a book. Rather an
unusualthingforher.Sheusuallyseemedtohavesomethingtoworkat.

AfterawhileFatherLavignyandPoirotcameoutandtheformerexcusedhimselfonthescoreofwork.
Poirotsatdownwithus.

"Amostinterestingman,"hesaid,andaskedhowmuchworktherehadbeenforFatherLavignytodo
sofar.

MissJohnsonexplainedthattabletshadbeenscarceandthattherehadbeenveryfewinscribedbricksor
cylinder seals. Father Lavigny, however, had done his share of work on the dig and was picking up
colloquialArabicveryfast.

That led the talk to cylinder seals, and presently Miss Johnson fetched from a cupboard a sheet of
impressionsmadebyrollingthemoutonplasticine.

I realized as we bent over them, admiring the spirited designs, that these must be what she had been
workingatonthatfatalafternoon.

AswetalkedInoticedthatPoirotwasrollingandkneadingalittleballofplasticinebetweenhisfingers.

"Youusealotofplasticine,mademoiselle?"heasked.

"Afairamount.Weseemtohavegotthroughalotalreadythisyear-thoughIcan'timaginehow.But
halfoursupplyseemstohavegone."

"Whereisitkept,mademoiselle?"

"Here-inthiscupboard."

As she replaced the sheet of impressions she showed him the shelf with rolls of plasticine. Durofix,
photographicpasteandotherstationerysupplies.

Poirotstoopeddown.

"Andthis-whatisthis,mademoiselle?"

Hehadslippedhishandrighttothebackandhadbroughtoutacuriouscrumpledobject.

Ashestraighteneditoutwecouldseethatitwasakindofmask,witheyesandmouthcrudelypainted
oninIndianinkandthewholethingroughlysmearedwithplasticine.

"Howperfectlyextraordinary,"criedMissJohnson."I'veneverseenitbefore,Howdiditgetthere?And
whatisit?"

"Astohowitgotthere,well,onehiding-placeisasgoodasanother,andIpresumethatthiscupboard
would not have been turned out till the end of the season. As to what it is - that, too, I think, is not
difficulttosay.WehaveherethefacethatMrs.Leidnerdescribed.Theghostlyfaceseeninthesemi-
duskoutsideherwindow-withoutbodyattached."

Mrs.Mercadogavealittleshriek.

MissJohnsonwaswhitetothelips.Shemurmured:

"Thenitwasnotfancy.Itwasatrick-awickedtrick!Butwhoplayedit?"

"Yes,"criedMrs.Mercado."Whocouldhavedonesuchawicked,wickedthing?"

Poirotdidnotattemptareply.Hisfacewasverygrimashewentintothenextroom,returnedwithan
emptycardboardboxinhishandandputthecrumpledmaskintoit.

"Thepolicemustseethis,"heexplained.

"It'shorrible,"saidMissJohnsoninalowvoice."Horrible!"

"Do you think everything's hidden here somewhere?" cried Mrs. Mercado shrilly. "Do you think
perhaps the weapon - the club she was killed with - all covered with blood still, perhaps... Oh! I'm
frightened-I'mfrightened..."

MissJohnsongrippedherbytheshoulder.

"Bequiet,"shesaidfiercely."Here'sDr.Leidner.Wemustn'tupsethim."

Indeed,atthatverymomentthecarhaddrivenintothecourtyard.Dr.Leidnergotoutofitandcame
straightacrossandinattheliving-roomdoor.Hisfacewassetinlinesoffatigueandhelookedtwice
theagehehadthreedaysago.

Hesaidinaquietvoice:

"Thefuneralwillbeateleveno'clocktomorrow.MajorDeanewillreadtheservice."

Mrs.Mercadofalteredsomething,thenslippedoutoftheroom.

Dr.LeidnersaidtoMissJohnson:

"You'llcome,Anne?"

Andsheanswered:

"Ofcourse,mydear,we'llallcome.Naturally."

Shedidn'tsayanythingelse,butherfacemusthaveexpressedwhathertonguewaspowerlesstodo,for
hisfacelightenedupwithaffectionandamomentaryease.

"DearAnne,"hesaid."Youaresuchawonderfulcomfortandhelptome.Mydearoldfriend."

HelaidhishandonherarmandIsawtheredcolourcreepupinherfaceasshemuttered,gruffasever:

"That'sallright."

ButIjustcaughtaglimpseofherexpressionandknewthat,foroneshortmoment,AnneJohnsonwasa
perfectlyhappywoman.

Andanotherideaflashedacrossmymind.Perhapssoon,inthenaturalcourseofthings,turningtohis
oldfriendforsympathy,anewandhappystateofthingsmightcomeabout.

Not that I'm really a matchmaker, and of course it was indecent to think of such a thing before the
funeral even. But after all, it would be a happy solution. He was very fond of her, and there was no
doubtshewasabsolutelydevotedtohimandwouldbeperfectlyhappydevotingtherestofherlifeto
him.Thatis,ifshecouldbeartohearLouise'sperfectionssungallthetime.Butwomencanputupwith
alotwhenthey'vegotwhattheywant.

Dr.LeidnerthengreetedPoirot,askinghimifhehadmadeanyprogress.

Miss Johnson was standing behind Dr. Leidner and she looked hard at the box in Poirot's hand and
shookherhead,andIrealizedthatshewaspleadingwithPoirotnottotellhimaboutthemask.Shefelt,
Iwassure,thathehadenoughtobearforoneday.

Poirotfellinwithherwish.

"Thesethingsmarchslowly,monsieur,"hesaid.

Then,afterafewdesultorywords,hetookhisleave.

Iaccompaniedhimouttohiscar.

TherewerehalfadozenthingsIwantedtoaskhim,butsomehow,whenheturnedandlookedatme,I
didn'taskanythingafterall.I'dassoonhaveaskedasurgeonifhethoughthe'dmadeagoodjobofan
operation.Ijuststoodmeeklywaitingforinstructions.

Rathertomysurprisehesaid:

"Takecareofyourself,mychild."

Andthenheadded:

"Iwonderifitiswellforyoutoremainhere?"

"ImustspeaktoDr.Leidneraboutleaving,"Isaid."ButIthoughtI'dwaituntilafterthefuneral."

Henoddedinapproval.

"Inthemeantime,"hesaid,"donottryandfindouttoomuch.Youunderstand,Idonotwantyoutobe
clever!"Andheaddedwithasmile,"Itisforyoutoholdtheswabsandformetodotheoperation."

Wasn'titfunny,hisactuallysayingthat?

Thenhesaidquiteirrelevantly:

"Aninterestingman,thatFatherLavigny."

"Amonkbeinganarchaeologistseemsoddtome,"Isaid.

"Ah,yes,youareaProtestant.Me,IamagoodCatholic.Iknowsomethingofpriestsandmonks."

Hefrowned,seemedtohesitate,thensaid:

"Remember,heisquitecleverenoughtoturnyouinsideoutifhelikes."

IfhewaswarningmeagainstgossippingIfeltthatIdidn'tneedanysuchwarning!

ItannoyedmeandthoughIdidn'tliketoaskhimanyofthethingsIreallywantedtoknow,Ididn'tsee
whyIshouldn'tatanyratesayonething.

"You'llexcuseme,M.Poirot,"Isaid."Butit's'stubbedyourtoe,'notsteppedorstebbed."

"Ah?Thankyou,masoeur."

"Don'tmentionit.Butit'sjustaswelltogetaphraseright."

"Iwillremember,"hesaid-quitemeeklyforhim.

And he got in the car and was driven away, and I went slowly back across the courtyard wondering
aboutalotofthings.

About the hypodermic marks on Mr. Mercado's arm, and what drug it was he took. And about that
horridyellowsmearedmask.AndhowodditwasthatPoirotandMissJohnsonhadn'theardmycryin
the living-room that morning, whereas we had all heard Poirot perfectly well in the dining-room at
lunch time - and yet Father Lavigny's room and Mrs. Leidner's were just the same distance from the
living-roomandthedining-roomrespectively.

AndthenIfeltratherpleasedthatI'dtaughtDoctorPoirotoneEnglishphrasecorrectly!

Evenifhewasagreatdetectivehe'drealizehedidn'tknoweverything!

Chapter23

IGOPSYCHIC

The funeral was, I thought, a very affecting affair. As well as ourselves, all the English people in
Hassaniehattendedit.EvenSheilaReillywastherelookingquietandsubduedinadarkcoatandskirt.I
hopedthatshewasfeelingalittleremorsefulforalltheunkindthingsshehadsaid:

WhenwegotbacktothehouseIfollowedDr.Leidnerintotheofficeandbroachedthesubjectofmy
departure. He was very nice about it, thanked me for what I had done (Done! I had been worse than
useless)andinsistedonmyacceptinganextraweek'ssalary.

IprotestedbecausereallyIfeltI'ddonenothingtoearnit.

"Indeed,Dr.Leidner,I'drathernothaveanysalaryatall.Ifyou'djustrefundmemytravellingexpenses
that'sallIwant."

Buthewouldn'thearofthat.

"Yousee,"Isaid,"Idon'tfeelIdeserveit,Dr.Leidner.Imean,I've-well,I'vefailed.She-mycoming
didn'tsaveher."

"Nowdon'tgetthatideaintoyourheard,Nurse,"hesaidearnestly."Afterall,Ididn'tengageyouasa
femaledetective.Ineverdreamtmywife'slifewasindanger.Iwasconvinceditwasallnervesandthat
she'dworkedherselfupintoarathercuriousmentalstate.Youdidallanyonecoulddo.Shelikedand
trustedyou.AndIthinkinherlastdaysshefelthappierandsaferbecauseofyourbeinghere.There's
nothingforyoutoreproachyourselfwith."

His voice quivered a little and I knew what he was thinking. He was the only one to blame for not
havingtakenMrs.Leidner'sfearsseriously.

"Dr.Leidner,"Isaidcuriously."Haveyouevercometoanyconclusionaboutthoseanonymousletters?"

Hesaidwithasigh:

"Idon'tknowwhattobelieve.HasM.Poirotcometoanydefiniteconclusion?"

"He hadn't yesterday," I said, steering rather neatly, I thought, between truth and fiction. After all, he
hadn'tuntilItoldhimaboutMissJohnson.

ItwasonmymindthatI'dliketogiveDr.Leidnerahintandseeifhereacted.Inthepleasureofseeing
him and Miss Johnson together the day before, and his affection and reliance on her, I'd forgotten all
about the letters. Even now I felt it was perhaps rather mean of me to bring it up. Even if she had
written them, she had had a bad time after Mrs. Leidner's death. Yet I did want to see whether that
particularpossibilityhadeverenteredDr.Leidner'shead.

"Anonymouslettersareusuallytheworkofawoman,"Isaid.Iwantedtoseehowhe'dtakeit.

"Isupposetheyare,"hesaidwithasigh."Butyouseemtoforget,Nurse,thatthesemaybegenuine.
TheymayactuallybewrittenbyFrederickBosner."

"No,Ihaven'tforgotten,"Isaid."ButIcan'tbelievesomehowthatthat'stherealexplanation."

"Ido,"hesaid."It'sallnonsensehisbeingoneoftheexpeditionstaff.Thatisjustaningenioustheoryof
M.Poirot's.Ibelievethatthetruthismuchsimpler.Themanisamadman,ofcourse.He'sbeenhanging
round the place - perhaps in disguise of some kind. And somehow or other he got in on that fatal
afternoon.Theservantsmaybelying-theymayhavebeenbribed."

"Isupposeit'spossible,"Isaiddoubtfully.

Dr.Leidnerwentonwithatraceofirritability.

"ItisallverywellforM.Poirottosuspectthemembersofmyexpedition.Iamperfectlycertainnoneof
themhaveanythingtodowithit!Ihaveworkedwiththem.Iknowthem!"

Hestoppedsuddenly,thenhesaid:

"Isthatyourexperience,Nurse?Thatanonymouslettersareusuallywrittenbywomen?"

"Itisn'talwaysthecase,"Isaid."Butthere'sacertaintypeoffemininespitefulnessthatfindsreliefthat
way."

"IsupposeyouarethinkingofMrs.Mercado?'"hesaid.

Thenheshookhishead.

"Even if she were malicious enough to wish to hurt Louise she would hardly have the necessary
knowledge,"hesaid.

Irememberedtheearlierlettersintheattaché-case.

IfMrs.LeidnerhadleftthatunlockedandMrs.Mercadohadbeenaloneinthehouseonedaypottering
about, she might easily have found them and read them. Men never seem to think of the simplest
possibilities!

"AndapartfromherthereisonlyMissJohnson,"Isaid,watchinghim.

"Thatwouldbequiteridiculous!"

Thelittlesmilewithwhichhesaiditwasquiteconclusive.TheideaofMissJohnsonbeingtheauthor
ofthelettershadneverenteredhishead!Ihesitatedjustforaminute-butIdidn'tsayanything.One
doesn'tlikegivingawayafellowwoman,andbesides,IhadbeenawitnessofMissJohnson'sgenuine
andmovingremorse.Whatwasdonewasdone.WhyexposeDr.Leidnertoafreshdisillusionontopof
allhisothertroubles?

ItwasarrangedthatIshouldleaveonthefollowingday,andIhadarrangedthroughDr.Reillytostay
foradayortwowiththematronofthehospitalwhilstImadearrangementsforreturningtoEngland
eitherviaBaghdadordirectviaNissibinbycarandtrain.

Dr.Leidnerwaskindenoughtosaythathewouldlikemetochooseamementofromamongsthiswife's
things.

"Oh,no,really,Dr.Leidner,"Isaid."Icouldn't.It'smuchtookindofyou."

Heinsisted.

"ButIshouldlikeyoutohavesomething.AndLouise,Iamsure,wouldhavewishedit."

ThenhewentontosuggestthatIshouldhavehertortoiseshelltoiletset!

"Oh,no,Dr.Leidner!Why,that'samostexpensiveset.Icouldn'treally."

"Shehadnosisters,youknow-noonewhowantsthesethings.Thereisnooneelsetohavethem."

Icouldquiteimaginethathewouldn'twantthemtofallintoMrs.Mercado'sgreedylittlehands.AndI
didn'tthinkhe'dwanttoofferthemtoMissJohnson.

Hewentonkindly:

"You just think it over. By the way, here is the key of Louise's jewel case. Perhaps you will find
somethingthereyouwouldratherhave.AndIshouldbeverygratefulifyouwouldpackup-all-all
her clothes. I dare say Reilly can find a use for them amongst some of the poor Christian families in
Hassanieh."

Iwasverygladtobeabletodothatforhim,andIexpressedmywillingness.

Isetaboutitatonce.

Mrs.Leidnerhadonlyhadaverysimplewardrobewithheranditwassoonsortedandpackedupintoa
coupleofsuitcases.Allherpapershadbeeninthesmallattaché-case.Thejewelcasecontainedafew
simpletrinkets-apearlring,adiamondbrooch,asmallstringofpearlsandoneortwoplaingoldbar
broochesofthesafety-pintype,andastringoflargeamberbeads.

Naturally I wasn't going to take the pearls or the diamonds, but I hesitated a bit between the amber
beadsandthetoiletset.Intheend,however,Ididn'tseewhyIshouldn'ttakethelatter.Itwasakindly
thoughtonDr.Leidner'spart,andIwassuretherewasn'tanypatronageaboutit.I'dtakeitinthespiritit
hadbeenofferedwithoutanyfalsepride.Afterall,Ihadbeenfondofher.

Well,thatwasalldoneandfinishedwith.Thesuitcasespacked,thejewelcaselockedupagainandput
separate to give to Dr. Leidner with the photograph of Mrs. Leidner's father and one or two other
personallittleoddsandends.

The room looked bare and forlorn emptied of all its accoutrements, when I'd finished. There was
nothing more for me to do - and yet somehow or other I shrank from leaving the room. It seemed as
thoughthereweresomethingstilltodothere-somethingIoughttosee-orsomethingIoughttohave
known.

I'mnotsuperstitiousbuttheideadidpopintomyheadthatperhapsMrs.Leidner'sspiritwashanging
abouttheroomandtryingtogetintouchwithme.

I remember once at the hospital some of us girls got a planchette and really it wrote some very
remarkablethings.

Perhaps,althoughI'dneverthoughtofsuchathing,Imightbemediumistic.

AsIsay,onegetsallworkeduptoimagineallsortsoffoolishnesssometimes.

Iprowledroundtheroomuneasily,touchingthisandthat.But,ofcourse,therewasn'tanythinginthe
roombutbarefurniture.Therewasnothingslippedbehinddrawersortuckedaway.Icouldn'thopefor
anythingofthatkind.

Intheend(itsoundsratherbatty,butasIsay,onegetsworkedup)Ididratheraqueerthing.

Iwentandlaydownonthebedandclosedmyeyes.

IdeliberatelytriedtoforgetwhoandwhatIwas.Itriedtothinkmyselfbacktothatfatalafternoon.I
wasMrs.Leidnerlyinghereresting,peacefulandunsuspicious.

It'sextraordinaryhowyoucanworkyourselfup.

I'maperfectlynormalmatter-of-factindividual-nottheleastlittlebitspooky,butItellyouthatafterI'd
lainthereaboutfiveminutesIbegantofeelspooky.

Ididn'ttrytoresist.Ideliberatelyencouragedthefeeling.Isaidtomyself:

"I'mMrs.Leidner.I'mMrs.Leidner.I'mlyinghere-halfasleep.Presently-verysoonnow-thedoor's
goingtoopen."

Ikeptonsayingthat-asthoughIwerehypnotizingmyself.

It'sjustabouthalf-pastone...it'sjustaboutthetime...Thedoorisgoingtoopen...thedoorisgoingto
open...Ishallseewhocomesin..."

Ikeptmyeyesgluedonthatdoor.Presentlyitwasgoingtoopen.Ishouldseeitopen.AndIshouldsee
thepersonwhoopenedit.

Imusthavebeenalittleover-wroughtthatafternoontoimagineIcouldsolvethemysterythatway.

But I did believe it. A sort of chill passed down my back and settled in my legs. They felt numb -
paralyzed.

"You'regoingintoatrance,"Isaid."Andinthattranceyou'llsee..."

AndonceagainIrepeatedmonotonouslyagainandagain:

"Thedoorisgoingtoopen-thedoorisgoingtoopen..."

Thecoldnumbedfeelinggrewmoreintense.

Andthen,slowly,Isawthedoorjustbeginningtoopen.

Itwashorrible.

I'veneverknownanythingsohorriblebeforeorsince.

I was paralyzed - chilled through and through. I couldn't move. For the life of me I couldn't have

moved.

AndIwasterrified.Sickandblindanddumbwithterror.

Thatslowlyopeningdoor.

Sonoiseless.

InaminuteIshouldsee...

Slowly-slowly-widerandwider.

BillColemancamequietlyin.

Hemusthavehadtheshockofhislife!

Iboundedoffthebedwithascreamofterrorandhurledmyselfacrosstheroom.

Hestoodstock-still,hisbluntpinkfacepinkerandhismouthopenedwidewithsurprise.

"Hallo-allo-allo,"hesaid."What'sup,Nurse?"

Icamebacktorealitywithacrash.

"Goodness,Mr.Coleman,"Isaid."Howyoustartledme!"

"Sorry,"hesaidwithamomentarygrin.

Isawthenthathewasholdingalittlebunchofscarletranunculusinhishand.Theywereprettylittle
flowersandtheygrewwildonthesidesoftheTell.Mrs.Leidnerhadbeenveryfondofthem.

Heblushedandgotratherredashesaid:

"Onecan'tgetanyflowersorthingsinHassanieh.Seemedratherrottennottohaveanyflowersforthe
grave.IthoughtI'djustnipinhereandputalittleposyinthatlittlepotthingshealwayshadflowersin
onhertable.Sortofshowshewasn'tforgotten-eh?Abitasinine,Iknow,but-well-Imeantosay-"

I thought it was very nice of him. He was all pink with embarrassment like Englishmen are when
they'vedoneanythingsentimental.Ithoughtitwasaverysweetthought.

"Why,Ithinkthat'saveryniceidea,Mr.Coleman,"Isaid.

AndIpickedupthelittlepotandwentandgotsomewaterinitandweputtheflowersin.

I really thought much more of Mr. Coleman for this idea of his. It showed he had a heart and nice
feelingsaboutthings.

Hedidn'taskmeagainwhatmademeletoutsuchasquealandI'mthankfulhedidn't.Ishouldhavefelt
afoolexplaining.

"Stick to common sense in future, woman," I said to myself as I settled my cuffs and smoothed my
apron."You'renotcutoutforthispsychicstuff."

Ibustledaboutdoingmyownpackingandkeptmyselfbusyfortherestoftheday.

FatherLavignywaskindenoughtoexpressgreatdistressatmyleaving.Hesaidmycheerfulnessand
commonsensehadbeensuchahelptoeverybody.Commonsense!I'mgladhedidn'tknowaboutmy
idioticbehaviourinMrs.Leidner'sroom.

"WehavenotseenM.Poirottoday,"heremarked.

ItoldhimthatPoirothadsaidhewasgoingtobebusyalldaysendingofftelegrams.

FatherLavignyraisedhiseyebrows.

"Telegrams?ToAmerica?"

"Isupposeso.Hesaid'Allovertheworld!'butIthinkthatwasratheraforeignexaggeration."

AndthenIgotratherred,rememberingthatFatherLavignywasaforeignerhimself.

Hedidn'tseemoffendedthough,justlaughedquitepleasantlyandaskedmeiftherewereanynewsof
themanwiththesquint.

IsaidIdidn'tknowbutIhadn'theardofany.

FatherLavignyaskedmeagainaboutthetimeMrs.LeidnerandIhadnoticedthemanandhowhehad
seemedtobestandingontiptoeandpeeringthroughthewindow.

"ItseemsclearthemanhadsomeoverwhelminginterestinMrs.Leidner,"hesaidthoughtfully."Ihave
wonderedsincewhetherthemancouldpossiblyhavebeenaEuropeangotuptolooklikeanIraqi?"

ThatwasanewideatomeandIconsidereditcarefully.Ihadtakenitforgrantedthatthemanwasa
native, but of course, when I came to think of it. I was really going by the cut of his clothes and the
yellownessofhisskin.

FatherLavignydeclaredhisintentionofgoingroundoutsidethehousetotheplacewhereMrs.Leidner
andIhadseenthemanstanding.

"Youneverknow,hemighthavedroppedsomething.Inthedetectivestoriesthecriminalalwaysdoes."

"Iexpectinreallifecriminalsaremorecareful,"Isaid.

I fetched some socks I had just finished darning and put them on the table in the living-room for the
mentosortoutwhentheycamein,andthen,astherewasnothingmuchmoretodo,Iwentuponthe
roof.

MissJohnsonwasstandingtherebutshedidn'thearme.Igotrightuptoherbeforeshenoticedme.

ButlongbeforethatI'dseenthattherewassomethingverywrong.

Shewasstandinginthemiddleoftheroofstaringstraightinfrontofher,andtherewasthemostawful
lookonherface.Asthoughshe'dseensomethingshecouldn'tpossiblybelieve.

Itgavemequiteashock.

Mindyou,I'dseenherupsettheotherevening,butthiswasquitedifferent.

"Mydear,"Isaid,hurryingtoher,"whatever'sthematter?"

Sheturnedherheadatthatandstoodlookingatme-almostasifshedidn'tseeme.

"Whatisit?"Ipersisted.

Shemadeaqueersortofgrimace-asthoughsheweretryingtoswallowbutherthroatweretoodry.
Shesaidhoarsely:

"I'vejustseensomething."

"Whathaveyouseen?Tellme.Whatevercanitbe?Youlookallill."

Shegaveanefforttopullherselftogether,butshestilllookedprettydreadful.

Shesaid,stillinthatsamedreadfulchokedvoice.

"I'veseenhowsomeonecouldcomeinfromoutside-andnoonewouldeverguess."

IfollowedthedirectionofhereyesbutIcouldn'tseeanything.

Mr.ReiterwasstandinginthedoorofthephotographicroomandFatherLavignywasjustcrossingthe
courtyard-buttherewasnothingelse.

Iturnedbackpuzzledandfoundhereyesfixedonminewiththestrangestexpressioninthem.

"Really,"Isaid,"Idon'tseewhatyoumean.Won'tyouexplain?"

Butsheshookherhead.

"Notnow.Later.Weoughttohaveseen.Oh,weoughttohaveseen!"

"Ifyou'donlytellme-"

Butsheshookherhead.

"I'vegottothinkitoutfirst."

Andpushingpastme,shewentstumblingdownthestairs.

Ididn'tfollowherassheobviouslydidn'twantmewithher.InsteadIsatdownontheparapetandtried
topuzzlethingsout.ButIdidn'tgetanywhere.Therewasonlytheonewayintothecourtyard-through
thebigarch.JustoutsideitIcouldseethewater-boyandhishorseandtheIndiancooktalkingtohim.
Nobodycouldhavepassedthemandcomeinwithouttheirseeinghim.

Ishookmyheadinperplexityandwentdownstairsagain.

Chapter24

MURDERISAHABIT

Weallwenttobedearlythatnight.MissJohnsonhadappearedatdinnerandhadbehavedmoreorless
asusual.Shehad,however,asortofdazedlook,andonceortwicequitefailedtotakeinwhatother
peoplesaidtoher.

Itwasn'tsomehowaverycomfortablesortofmeal.You'dsay.Isuppose,thatthatwasnaturalenoughin
ahousewherethere'dbeenafuneralthatday.ButIknowwhatImean.

Latelyourmealshadbeenhushedandsubdued,butforallthattherehadbeenafeelingofcomradeship.
TherehadbeensympathywithDr.Leidnerinhisgriefandafellowfeelingofbeingallinthesameboat
amongsttheothers.

ButtonightIwasremindedofmyfirstmealthere-whenMrs.Mercadohadwatchedmeandtherehad
beenthatcuriousfeelingasthoughsomethingmightsnapanyminute.

I'dfeltthesamething-onlyverymuchintensified-whenwe'dsatroundthedining-roomtablewith
Poirotattheheadofit.

Tonight it was particularly strong. Every one was on edge - jumpy - on tenterhooks. If anyone had
droppedsomethingI'msuresomebodywouldhavescreamed.

AsIsay,weallseparatedearlyafterwards.Iwenttobedalmostatonce.ThelastthingIheardasIwas
dropping off to sleep was Mrs. Mercado's voice saying good-night to Miss Johnson just outside my
door.

I dropped off to sleep at once - tired by my exertions and even more by my silly experience in Mrs.
Leidner'sroom.Isleptheavilyanddreamlesslyforseveralhours.

IawokewhenIdidawakewithastartandafeelingofimpendingcatastrophe.Somesoundhadwoken
me,andasIsatupinbedlisteningIhearditagain.

Anawfulsortofagonizedchokinggroan.

I had lit my candle and was out of bed in a twinkling. I snatched up a torch, too, in case the candle
shouldblowout.Icameoutofmydoorandstoodlistening.Iknewthesoundwasn'tfaraway.Itcame
again-fromtheroomimmediatelynexttomine-MissJohnson'sroom.

I hurried in. Miss Johnson was lying in bed, her whole body contorted in agony. As I set down the
candle and bent over her, her lips moved and she tried to speak - but only an awful hoarse whisper
came.Isawthatthecornersofhermouthandtheskinofherchinwereburntakindofgreyishwhite.

Hereyeswentfrommetoaglassthatlayonthefloorevidentlywhereithaddroppedfromherhand.
Thelightrugwasstainedabrightredwhereithadfallen.Ipickeditupandranafingerovertheinside,
drawing back my hand with a sharp exclamation. Then I examined the inside of the poor woman's
mouth.

Therewasn'ttheleastdoubtwhatwasthematter.Somehoworother,intentionallyorotherwise,she'd
swallowedaquantityofcorrosiveacid-oxalicorhydrochloric,Isuspected.

I ran out and called to Dr. Leidner and he woke the others, and we worked over her for all we were
worth,butallthetimeIhadanawfulfeelingitwasnogood.Wetriedastrongsolutionofcarbonateof
soda-andfolloweditwitholiveoil.ToeasethepainIgaveherahypodermicofmorphinesulphate.

DavidEmmotthadgoneofftoHassaniehtofetchDr.Reilly,butbeforehecameitwasover.

Iwon'tdwellonthedetails.Poisoningbyastrongsolutionofhydrochloricacid(whichiswhatitproved
tobe)isoneofthemostpainfuldeathspossible.

ItwaswhenIwasbendingoverhertogiveherthemorphiathatshemadeoneghastlyefforttospeak.It
wasonlyahorriblestrangledwhisperwhenitcame.

"Thewindow..."shesaid."Nurse...thewindow..."

Butthatwasall-shecouldn'tgoon.Shecollapsedcompletely.

I shall never forget that night. The arrival of Dr. Reilly. The arrival of Captain Maitland. And finally
withthedawn,HerculePoirot.

Heitwaswhotookmegentlybythearmandsteeredmeintothedining-roomwherehemademesit
downandhaveacupofgoodstrongtea.

"There,monenfant."hesaid,"thatisbetter.Youarewornout."

Uponthat,Iburstintotears.

"It's too awful," I sobbed. "It's been like a nightmare. Such awful suffering. And her eyes... Oh, M.
Poirot-hereyes..."

Hepattedmeontheshoulder.Awomancouldn'thavebeenkinder.

"Yes,yes-donotthinkofit.Youdidallyoucould."

"Itwasoneofthecorrosiveacids."

"Itwasastrongsolutionofhydrochloricacid."

"Thestufftheyuseonthepots?"

"Yes. Miss Johnson probably drank it off before she was fully awake. That is - unless she took it on
purpose."

"Oh,M.Poirot,whatanawfulidea!"

"Itisapossibility,afterall.Whatdoyouthink?"

Iconsideredforamomentandthenshookmyheaddecisively.

"Idon'tbelieveit.No,Idon'tbelieveitforamoment."Ihesitatedandthensaid,"Ithinkshefoundout
somethingyesterdayafternoon."

"Whatisthatyousay?Shefoundoutsomething?"

Irepeatedtohimthecuriousconversationwehadhadtogether.

Poirotgavealowsoftwhistle.

"Lapauvrefemme!"hesaid."Shesaidshewantedtothinkitover-eh?Thatiswhatsignedherdeath
warrant.Ifshehadonlyspokenout-then-atonce."

Hesaid:

"Tellmeagainherexactwords?"

Irepeatedthem.

"She saw how some one could have come in from outside without any of you knowing? Come, ma
soeur,letusgouptotheroofandyoushallshowmejustwhereshewasstanding."

WewentuptotherooftogetherandIshowedPoirottheexactspotwhereMissJohnsonhadstood.

"Likethis?"saidPoirot."NowwhatdoIsee?Iseehalfthecourtyard-andthearchway-andthedoors
of the drawing-office and the photographic room and the laboratory. Was there anyone in the
courtyard?"

"Father Lavigny was just going towards the archway and Mr. Reiter was standing in the door of the
photographicroom."

"AndstillIdonotseeintheleasthowanyonecouldcomeinfromoutsideandnoneofyouknowabout
it...Butshesaw..."

Hegaveitupatlast,shakinghishead.

"Sacrénomd'unchien-va!Whatdidshesee?"

Thesunwasjustrising.Thewholeeasternskywasariotofroseandorangeandpale,pearlygrey.

"Whatabeautifulsunrise,"saidPoirotgently.

TheriverwoundawaytoourleftandtheTellstoodupoutlinedingoldcolour.Tothesouthwerethe
blossoming trees and the peaceful cultivation. The water-wheel groaned in the distance - a faint
unearthlysound.InthenorthweretheslenderminaretsandtheclusteringfairywhitenessofHassanieh.

Itwasallincrediblybeautiful.

Andthen,closeatmyelbow,IheardPoirotgivealongdeepsigh.

"FoolthatIhavebeen,"hemurmured."Whenthetruthissoclear-soclear."

Chapter25

SUICIDEORMURDER?

Ihadn'ttimetoaskPoirotwhathemeant,forCaptainMaitlandwascallinguptousandaskingusto
comedown.

Wehurrieddownthestairs.

"Lookhere,Poirot,"hesaid."Here'sanothercomplication.Themonkfellowismissing."

"FatherLavigny?"

"Yes.Nobodynoticedittilljustnow.Thenitdawnedonsomebodythathewastheonlyoneoftheparty
notaround,andwewenttohisroom.Hisbed'snotbeensleptinandthere'snosignofhim."

Thewholethingwaslikeabaddream.FirstMissJohnson'sdeathandthenthedisappearanceofFather
Lavigny.

Theservantswerecalledandquestioned,buttheycouldn'tthrowanylightonthemystery.Hehadlast
beenseenatabouteighto'clockthenightbefore.Thenhehadsaidhewasgoingoutforastrollbefore
goingtobed.

Nobodyhadseenhimcomebackfromthatstroll.

The big doors had been closed and barred at nine o'clock as usual. Nobody, however, remembered
unbarring them in the morning. The two house-boys each thought the other one must have done the
unfastening.

HadFatherLavignyeverreturnedthenightbefore?Hadhe,inthecourseofhisearlierwalk,discovered
anythingofasuspiciousnature,goneouttoinvestigateitlater,andperhapsfallenathirdvictim?

CaptainMaitlandswungroundasDr.ReillycameupwithMr.Mercadobehindhim.

"Hallo,Reilly.Gotanything?"

"Yes.Thestuffcamefromthelaboratoryhere.I'vejustbeencheckingupthequantitieswithMercado.
It'sHClfromthelab."

"Thelaboratory-eh?Wasitlockedup?"

Mr.Mercadoshookhishead.Hishandswereshakingandhisfacewastwitching.Helookedawreckof
aman.

"It'sneverbeenthecustom,"hestammered."Yousee-justnow-we'reusingitallthetime.I-nobody
everdreamt-"

"Istheplacelockedupatnight?"

"Yes-alltheroomsarelocked.Thekeysarehungupjustinsidetheliving-room."

"Soifanyonehadakeytothattheycouldgetthelot."

"Yes."

"Andit'saperfectlyordinarykey,Isuppose?"

"Oh,yes."

"Nothingtoshowwhethershetookitherselffromthelaboratory?"askedCaptainMaitland.

"Shedidn't,"Isaidloudlyandpositively.

Ifeltawarningtouchonmyarm.Poirotwasstandingclosebehindme.

Andthensomethingratherghastlyhappened.

Notghastlyinitself-infactitwasjusttheincongruousnessthatmadeitseemworsethananythingelse.

Acardroveintothecourtyardandalittlemanjumpedout.Hewaswearingasunhelmetandashort
thicktrenchcoat.

HecamestraighttoDr.Leidner,whowasstandingbyDr.Reilly,andshookhimwarmlybythehand.

"Vousvoilà,moncher,"hecried."Delightedtoseeyou.IpassedthiswayonSaturdayafternoon-en
route to the Italians at Fugima. I went to the dig but there wasn't a single European about and alas! I
cannotspeakArabic.Ihadnottimetocometothehouse.ThismorningIleaveFugimaatfive-two
hoursherewithyou-andthenIcatchtheconvoyon.Ehbien,andhowistheseasongoing?"

Itwasghastly.

Thecheeryvoice,thematter-of-factmanner,allthepleasantsanityofaneverydayworldnowleftfar
behind.Hejustbustledin,knowingnothingandnoticingnothing-fullofcheerfulbonhomie.

NowonderDr.LeidnergaveaninarticulategaspandlookedinmuteappealatDr.Reilly.

Thedoctorrosetotheoccasion.

He took the little man (he was a French archaeologist called Verrier who dug in the Greek islands, I
heardlater)asideandexplainedtohimwhathadoccurred.

Verrierwashorrified.HehimselfhadbeenstayingatanItaliandigrightawayfromcivilizationforthe
lastfewdaysandhadheardnothing.

He was profuse in condolences and apologies, finally striding over to Dr. Leidner and clasping him
warmlybybothhands.

"Whatatragedy!MyGod,whatatragedy!Ihavenowords.Monpauvrecollègue."

Andshakinghisheadinonelastineffectualefforttoexpresshisfeelings,thelittlemanclimbedintohis
carandleftus.

AsIsay,thatmomentaryintroductionofcomicreliefintotragedyseemedreallymoregruesomethan
anythingelsethathadhappened.

"Thenextthing,"saidDr.Reillyfirmly,"isbreakfast.Yes,Iinsist.Come,Leidner,youmusteat."

Poor Dr. Leidner was almost a complete wreck. He came with us to the dining-room and there a
funerealmealwasserved.Ithinkthehotcoffeeandfriedeggsdidusallgood,thoughnooneactually
felttheywantedtoeat.Dr.Leidnerdranksomecoffeeandsattwiddlinghisbeard.Hisfacewasgrey,
drawnwithpainandbewilderment.

Afterbreakfast,CaptainMaitlandgotdowntothings.

IexplainedhowIhadwokenup,heardaqueersoundandhadgoneintoMissJohnson'sroom.

"Yousaytherewasaglassonthefloor?"

"Yes.Shemusthavedroppeditafterdrinking."

"Wasitbroken?"

"No,ithadfallenontherug.(I'mafraidtheacid'sruinedtherug,bytheway.)Ipickedtheglassupand
putitbackonthetable."

"I'mgladyou'vetoldusthat.Thereareonlytwosetsoffingerprintsonit,andonesetiscertainlyMiss
Johnson'sown.Theothermustbeyours."

Hewassilentforamoment,thenhesaid:

"Pleasegoon."

IdescribedcarefullywhatI'ddoneandthemethodsIhadtried,lookingratheranxiouslyatDr.Reilly

forapproval.Hegaveitwithanod.

"Youtriedeverythingthatcouldpossiblyhavedoneanygood,"hesaid.AndthoughIwasprettysureI
haddoneso,itwasarelieftohavemybeliefconfirmed.

"Didyouknowexactlywhatshehadtaken?"CaptainMaitlandasked.

"No-butIcouldsee,ofcourse,thatitwasacorrosiveacid."

CaptainMaitlandaskedgravely:

"Isityouropinion,Nurse,thatMissJohnsondeliberatelyadministeredthisstufftoherself?"

"Oh,no,"Iexclaimed."Ineverthoughtofsuchathing!"

Idon'tknowwhyIwassosure.Partly,Ithink,becauseofM.Poirot'shints.His"murderisahabit"had
impressed itself on my mind. And then one doesn't readily believe that anyone's going to commit
suicideinsuchaterriblypainfulway.

IsaidasmuchandCaptainMaitlandnoddedthoughtfully.

"Iagreethatitisn'twhatonewouldchoose,"hesaid."Butifanyonewereingreatdistressofmindand
thisstuffwereeasilyavailableitmightbetakenforthatreason."

"Wassheingreatdistressofmind?"Iaskeddoubtfully.

"Mrs.Mercadosaysso.ShesaysthatMissJohnsonwasquiteunlikeherselfatdinnerlastnight-that
shehardlyrepliedtoanythingthatwassaidtoher.Mrs.MercadoisquitesurethatMissJohnsonwasin
terribledistressoversomethingandthattheideaofmakingawaywithherselfhadalreadyoccurredto
her."

"Well,Idon'tbelieveitforamoment,"Isaidbluntly.

Mrs.Mercadoindeed!Nastyslinkinglittlecat!

"Thenwhatdoyouthink?"

"Ithinkshewasmurdered,"Isaidbluntly.

Herappedouthisnextquestionsharply.IfeltratherthatIwasintheorderlyroom.

"Anyreasons?"

"Itseemstomebyfarandawaythemostpossiblesolution."

"That'sjustyourprivateopinion.Therewasnoreasonwhytheladyshouldbemurdered?"

"Excuseme,"Isaid,"therewas.Shefoundoutsomething."

"Foundoutsomething?Whatdidshefindout?"

Irepeatedourconversationontheroofwordforword.

"Sherefusedtotellyouwhatherdiscoverywas?"

"Yes.Shesaidshemusthavetimetothinkitover."

"Butshewasveryexcitedbyit?"

"Yes."

"Awayofgettinginfromoutside."CaptainMaitlandpuzzledoverit,hisbrowsknit."Hadyounoidea
atallofwhatshewasdrivingat?"

"Notintheleast.IpuzzledandpuzzledoveritbutIcouldn'tevengetaglimmering."

CaptainMaitlandsaid:

"Whatdoyouthink,M.Poirot?"

Poirotsaid:

"Ithinkyouhavethereapossiblemotive."

"Formurder?"

"Formurder."

CaptainMaitlandfrowned.

"Shewasn'tabletospeakbeforeshedied?"

"Yes,shejustmanagedtogetouttwowords."

"Whatwerethey?"

"Thewindow..."

"Thewindow?"repeatedCaptainMaitland."Didyouunderstandtowhatshewasreferring?"

Ishookmyhead.

"Howmanywindowswerethereinherbedroom?"

"Justtheone."

"Givingonthecourtyard?"

"Yes."

"Wasitopenorshut?Open,Iseemtoremember.Butperhapsoneofyouopenedit?"

"No,itwasopenallthetime.Iwondered-"

Istopped.

"Goon,Nurse."

"Iexaminedthewindow,ofcourse,butIcouldn'tseeanythingunusualaboutit.Iwonderedwhether,
perhaps,somebodychangedtheglassesthatway."

"Changedtheglasses?"

"Yes.Yousee,MissJohnsonalwaystakesaglassofwatertobedwithher.Ithinkthatglassmusthave
beentamperedwithandaglassofacidputthereinitsplace."

"Whatdoyousay,Reilly?"

"If it's murder, that was probably the way it was done," said Dr. Reilly promptly. "No ordinary
moderatelyobservanthumanbeingwoulddrinkaglassofacidinmistakeforoneofwater-iftheywere
infullpossessionoftheirwakingfaculties.Butifanyone'saccustomedtodrinkingoffaglassofwater
inthemiddleofthenight,thatpersonmighteasilystretchoutanarm,findtheglassintheaccustomed
place,andstillhalfasleep,tossoffenoughofthestufftobefatalbeforerealizingwhathadhappened."

CaptainMaitlandreflectedaminute.

"I'llhavetogobackandlookatthatwindow.Howfarisitfromtheheadofthebed?"

Ithought.

"Withaverylongstretchyoucouldjustreachthelittletablethatstandsbytheheadofthebed."

"Thetableonwhichtheglassofwaterwas?"

"Yes."

"Wasthedoorlocked?"

"No."

"Sowhoeveritwascouldhavecomeinthatwayandmadethesubstitution?"

"Oh,yes."

"Therewouldbemoreriskthatway,"saidDr.Reilly."Apersonwhoissleepingquitesoundlywilloften
wakeupatthesoundofafootfall.Ifthetablecouldbereachedfromthewindowitwouldbethesafer
way."

"I'mnotonlythinkingoftheglass,"saidCaptainMaitlandabsent-mindedly.

Rousinghimself,headdressedmeonceagain.

"It's your opinion that when the poor lady felt she was dying she was anxious to let you know that
somebody had substituted acid for water through the open window? Surely the person's name would
havebeenmoretothepoint?"

"Shemayn'thaveknownthename,"Ipointedout.

"Oritwouldhavebeenmoretothepointifshe'dmanagedtohintwhatitwasthatshehaddiscovered
thedaybefore?"

Dr.Reillysaid:

"Whenyou'redying,Maitland,youhaven'talwaysgotasenseofproportion.Oneparticularfactvery
likely obsesses your mind. That a murderous hand had come through the window may have been the

principal fact obsessing her at the minute. It may have seemed to her important that she should let
peopleknowthat.Inmyopinionshewasn'tfarwrongeither.Itwasimportant!Sheprobablyjumpedto
the fact that you'd think it was suicide. If she could have used her tongue freely, she'd probably have
said'Itwasn'tsuicide.Ididn'ttakeitmyself.Somebodyelsemusthaveputitnearmybedthroughthe
window.'"

CaptainMaitlanddrummedwithhisfingersforaminuteortwowithoutreplying.Thenhesaid:

"There are certainly two ways of looking at it. It's either suicide or murder. Which do you think, Dr.
Leidner?"

Dr.Leidnerwassilentforaminuteortwo,thenhesaidquietlyanddecisively:

"Murder.AnneJohnsonwasn'tthesortofwomantokillherself."

"No,"allowedCaptainMaitland."Notinthenormalrunofthings.Buttheremightbecircumstancesin
whichitwouldbequiteanaturalthingtodo."

"Suchas?"

CaptainMaitlandstoopedtoabundlewhichIhadpreviouslynoticedhimplacebythesideofhischair.
Heswungitontothetablewithsomethingofaneffort.

"There'ssomethingherethatnoneofyouknowabout,"hesaid."Wefounditunderthebed."

Hefumbledwiththeknotofthecovering,thenthrewitbackrevealingaheavygreatquernorgrinder.

Thatwasnothinginitself-therewereadozenorsoalreadyfoundinthecourseoftheexcavations.

What riveted our attention on this particular specimen was a dull, dark stain and a fragment of
somethingthatlookedlikehair.

"That'llbeyourjob,Reilly,"saidCaptainMaitland."ButIshouldn'tsaythatthere'smuchdoubtabout
thisbeingtheinstrumentwithwhichMrs.Leidnerwaskilled!"

Chapter26

NEXTITWILLBEME!

Itwasratherhorrible.Dr.LeidnerlookedasthoughheweregoingtofaintandIfeltabitsickmyself.

Dr.Reillyexamineditwithprofessionalgusto.

"Nofingerprints,Ipresume?"hethrewout.

"Nofingerprints."

Dr.Reillytookoutapairofforcepsandinvestigateddelicately.

"H'm-afragmentofhumantissue-andhair-fairblondehair.That'stheunofficialverdict.Ofcourse,
I'll have to make a proper test, blood group, etc., but there's not much doubt. Found under Miss
Johnson'sbed?Well,well-sothat'sthebigidea.Shedidthemurder,andthen,Godresther,remorse
cametoherandshefinishedherselfoff.It'satheory-aprettytheory."

Dr.Leidnercouldonlyshakehisheadhelplessly.

"NotAnne-notAnne,"hemurmured.

"Idon'tknowwhereshehidthistobeginwith,"saidCaptainMaitland."Everyroomwassearchedafter
thefirstcrime."

SomethingjumpedintomymindandIthought,"Inthestationerycupboard,"butIdidn'tsayanything.

"Whereveritwas,shebecamedissatisfiedwithitshiding-placeandtookitintoherownroom,which
had been searched with all the rest. Or perhaps she did that after making up her mind to commit
suicide."

"Idon'tbelieveit,"Isaidaloud.

AndIcouldn'tsomehowbelievethatkindniceMissJohnsonhadbatteredoutMrs.Leidner'sbrains.I
justcouldn'tseeithappening!Andyetitdidfitinwithsomethings-herfitofweepingthatnight,for
instance.Afterall,I'dsaid"remorse"myself-onlyI'dneverthoughtitwasremorseforanythingbutthe
smallermoreinsignificantcrime.

"Idon'tknowwhattobelieve,"saidCaptainMaitland."There'stheFrenchFather'sdisappearancetobe
cleared up too. My men are out hunting around in case he's been knocked on the head and his body
rolledintoaconvenientirrigationditch."

"Oh!Iremembernow-"Ibegan.

Everyonelookedtowardsmeinquiringly.

"Itwasyesterdayafternoon,"Isaid."He'dbeencross-questioningmeaboutthemanwithasquintwho
waslookinginatthewindowthatday.Heaskedmejustwherehe'dstoodonthepathandthenhesaid
he was going out to have a look round. He said in detective stories the criminal always dropped a
convenientclue."

"Damnedifanyofmycriminalseverdo,"saidCaptainMaitland."Sothat'swhathewasafter,wasit?
Byjove,Iwonderifhedidfindanything.AbitofacoincidenceifbothheandMissJohnsondiscovered
acluetotheidentityofthemurdereratpracticallythesametime."

Headdedirritably,"Manwithasquint?Manwithasquint?There'smoreinthistaleofthatfellowwith
asquintthanmeetstheeye.Idon'tknowwhythedevilmyfellowscan'tlayholdofhim?"

"Probablybecausehehasn'tgotasquint,"saidPoirotquietly.

"Doyoumeanhefakedit?Didn'tknowyoucouldfakeanactualsquint."

Poirotmerelysaid:

"Asquintcanbeaveryusefulthing."

"Thedevilitcan!I'dgivealottoknowwherethatfellowisnow,squintornosquint!"

"Ataguess,"saidPoirot,"hehasalreadypassedtheSyrianfrontier."

"We'vewarnedTellKotchekandAbuKemal-allthefrontierposts,infact."

"I should imagine that he took the route through the hills. The route lorries sometimes take when
runningcontraband."

CaptainMaitlandgrunted.

"Thenwe'dbettertelegraphDeirezZor?"

"Ididsoyesterday-warningthemtolookoutforacarwithtwomeninitwhosepassportswillbein
themostimpeccableorder."

CaptainMaitlandfavouredhimwithastare.

"Youdid,didyou?Twomen-eh?"

Poirotnodded.

"Therearetwomeninthis."

"ItstrikesMr,M.Poirot,thatyou'vebeenkeepingquitealotofthingsupyoursleeve."

Poirotshookhishead.

"No,"hesaid."Notreally.ThetruthcametomeonlythismorningwhenIwaswatchingthesunrise.A
verybeautifulsunrise."

Idon'tthinkthatanyofushadnoticedthatMrs.Mercadowasintheroom.Shemusthavecreptinwhen
wewerealltakenabackbytheproductionofthathorriblegreatblood-stainedstone.

Butnow,withouttheleastwarning,shesetupanoiselikeapighavingitsthroatcut.

"Oh, my God!" she cried. "I see it all. I see it all now. It was Father Lavigny. He's mad - religious
mania.Hethinkswomenaresinful.He'skillingthemall.FirstMrs.Leidner-thenMissJohnson.And
nextitwillbeme..."

WithascreamoffrenzysheflungherselfacrosstheroomandclutchedatDr.Reilly'scoat.

"Iwon'tstayhere,Itellyou!Iwon'tstayhereadaylonger.There'sdanger.There'sdangerallround.
He'shidingsomewhere-waitinghistime.He'llspringoutonme!"

Hermouthopenedandshebeganscreamingagain.

IhurriedovertoDr.Reilly,whohadcaughtherbythewrists.Igaveherasharpslaponeachcheekand
withDr.Reilly'shelp,Isatherdowninachair.

"Nobody'sgoingtokillyou,"Isaid."We'llseetothat.Sitdownandbehaveyourself."

Shedidn'tscreamanymore.Hermouthclosedandshesatlookingatmewithstartled,stupideyes.

Thentherewasanotherinterruption.ThedooropenedandSheilaReillycamein.

Herfacewaspaleandserious.ShecamestraighttoPoirot.

"I was at the post office early, M. Poirot," she said, "and there was a telegram there for you - so I
broughtitalong."

"Thankyou,mademoiselle."

Hetookitfromherandtoreitopenwhileshewatchedhisface.

Itdidnotchange,thatface.Hereadthetelegram,smootheditout,foldeditupneatlyandputitinhis
pocket.

Mrs.Mercadowaswatchinghim.Shesaidinachokedvoice:

"Isthat-fromAmerica?"

Heshookhishead.

"No,madame,"hesaid."ItisfromTunis."

Shestaredathimforamomentasthoughshedidnotunderstand,thenwithalongsigh,sheleantback
inherseat.

"FatherLavigny,"shesaid."Iwasright.I'vealwaysthoughttherewassomethingqueerabouthim.He
saidthingstomeonce...Isupposehe'smad..."Shepausedandthensaid,"I'llbequiet.ButImustleave
thisplace.JosephandIcangoinandsleepattheRestHouse."

"Patience,madame,"saidPoirot."Iwillexplaineverything."

CaptainMaitlandwaslookingathimcuriously.

"Doyouconsideryou'vedefinitelygotthehangofthisbusiness?"hedemanded.

Poirotbowed.

Itwasamosttheatricalbow.IthinkitratherannoyedCaptainMaitland.

"Well,"hebarked."Outwithit,man."

Butthatwasn'tthewayHerculePoirotdidthings.Isawperfectlywellthathemeanttomakeasongand
danceofit.Iwonderedifhereallydidknowthetruth,orifhewasjustshowingoff.

HeturnedtoDr.Reilly.

"Willyoubesogood,Dr.Reilly,astosummontheothers?"

Dr.Reillyjumpedupandwentoffobligingly.Inaminuteortwotheothermembersoftheexpedition
began to file into the room. First Reiter and Emmott. Then Bill Coleman. Then Richard Carey and
finallyMr.Mercado.

Poor man, he really looked like death. I suppose he was mortally afraid that he'd get hauled over the
coalsforcarelessnessinleavingdangerouschemicalsabout.

EveryoneseatedthemselvesroundthetableverymuchaswehaddoneonthedayM.Poirotarrived.
BothBillColemanandDavidEmmotthesitatedbeforetheysatdown,glancingtowardsSheilaReilly.
Shehadherbacktothemandwasstandinglookingoutofthewindow.

"Chair,Sheila?"saidBill.

DavidEmmottsaidinhislowpleasantdrawl,"Won'tyousitdown?"

Sheturnedthenandstoodforaminutelookingatthem.Eachwasindicatingachair,pushingitforward.
Iwonderedwhosechairshewouldaccept.

Intheendsheacceptedneither.

"I'llsithere,"shesaidbrusquely.Andshesatdownontheedgeofatablequiteclosetothewindow.

"Thatis,"sheadded,"ifCaptainMaitlanddoesn'tmindmystaying?"

I'mnotquitesurewhatCaptainMaitlandwouldhavesaid.Poirotforestalledhim.

"Staybyallmeans,mademoiselle,"hesaid."Itis,indeed,necessarythatyoushould."

Sheraisedhereyebrows.

"Necessary?"

"ThatisthewordIused,mademoiselle.TherearesomequestionsIshallhavetoaskyou."

Againhereyebrowswentupbutshesaidnothingfurther.Sheturnedherfacetothewindowasthough
determinedtoignorewhatwentonintheroombehindher.

"Andnow,"saidCaptainMaitland,"perhapsweshallgetatthetruth!"

Hespokeratherimpatiently.Hewasessentiallyamanofaction.AtthisverymomentIfeelsurethathe
wasfrettingtobeoutanddoingthings-directingthesearchforFatherLavigny'sbody,oralternatively
sendingoutpartiesforhiscaptureandarrest.

HelookedatPoirotwithsomethingakintodislike.

"Ifthebeggar'sgotanythingtosay,whydoesn'thesayit?"

Icouldseethewordsonthetipofhistongue.

Poirotgaveaslowappraisingglanceatusall,thenrosetohisfeet.

Idon'tknowwhatIexpectedhimtosay-somethingdramaticcertainly.Hewasthatkindofperson.

ButIcertainlydidn'texpecthimtostartoffwithaphraseinArabic.

Yetthatiswhathappened.Hesaidthewordsslowlyandsolemnly-andreallyquitereligiously,ifyou
knowwhatImean.

"Bismillahiarrahmanarrahim."

AndthenhegavethetranslationinEnglish.

"InthenameofAllah,theMerciful,theCompassionate."

Chapter27

BEGINNINGOFAJOURNEY

"Bismillahiarrahmanarrahim.ThatistheArabphraseusedbeforestartingoutonajourney.Ehbien,
wetoo,startonajourney.Ajourneyintothepast.Ajourneyintothestrangeplacesofthehumansoul."

Idon'tthinkthatuptillthatmomentI'deverfeltanyoftheso-called"glamouroftheEast."Frankly,
what had struck me was the mess everywhere. But suddenly, with M. Poirot's words, a queer sort of
vision seemed to grow up before my eyes. I thought of words like Samarkand and Ispahan - and of
merchantswithlongbeards-andkneelingcamels-andstaggeringporterscarryinggreatbalesontheir
backs held by a rope round the forehead - and women with henna-stained hair and tattooed faces
kneeling by the Tigris and washing clothes, and I heard their queer, wailing chants and the far-off
groaningofthewater-wheel...

They were mostly things I'd seen and heard and thought nothing much of. But now, somehow they
seemeddifferent-likeapieceoffustyoldstuffyoutakeintothelightandsuddenlyseetherichcolours
ofanoldembroidery...

ThenIlookedroundtheroomweweresittinginandIgotaqueerfeelingthatwhatM.Poirotsaidwas
true-wewereallstartingonajourney.Wewereheretogethernow,butwewereallgoingourdifferent
ways.

AndIlookedateveryoneasthough,inasortofway,Iwereseeingthemforthefirsttime-andforthe
lasttime-whichsoundsstupid,butitwaswhatIfeltallthesame.

Mr. Mercado was twisting his fingers nervously - his queer light eyes with their dilated pupils were
staring at Poirot. Mrs. Mercado was looking at her husband. She had a strange watchful look like a
tigresswaitingtospring.Dr.Leidnerseemedtohaveshrunkinsomecuriousfashion.Thislastblowhad
justcrumpledhimup.Youmightalmostsayhewasn'tintheroomatall.Hewassomewherefarawayin
a place of his own. Mr. Coleman was looking straight at Poirot. His mouth was slightly open and his
eyesprotruded.Helookedalmostidiotic.Mr.EmmottwaslookingdownathisfeetandIcouldn'tsee
hisfaceproperly.Mr.Reiterlookedbewildered.Hismouthwaspushedoutinapoutandthatmadehim
lookmorelikeanicecleanpigthenever.MissReillywaslookingsteadilyoutofthewindow.Idon't
knowwhatshewasthinkingorfeeling.ThenIlookedatMr.Carey,andsomehowhisfacehurtmeandI
lookedaway.Therewewere,allofus.AndsomehowIfeltthatwhenM.Poirothadfinishedwe'dallbe
somewherequitedifferent...

Itwasaqueerfeeling...

Poirot's voice went quietly on. It was like a river running evenly between its banks... running to the
sea...

"Fromtheverybeginning,Ihavefeltthattounderstandthiscaseonemustseeknotforexternalsignsor
clues,butforthetruercluesoftheclashofpersonalitiesandthesecretsoftheheart.

"AndImaysaythatthoughIhavenowarrivedatwhatIbelievetobethetruesolutionofthecase,I
havenomaterialproofofit.Iknowitisso,becauseitmustbeso,becauseinnootherwaycanevery
singlefactfitintoitsorderedandrecognizedplace.

"Andthat,tomymind,isthemostsatisfyingsolutiontherecanbe."

Hepausedandthenwenton:

"I will start my journey at the moment when I myself was brought into the case - when I had it
presentedtomeasanaccomplishedhappening.Now,everycase,inmyopinion,hasadefiniteshape
andform.Thepatternofthiscase,tomymind,allrevolvedroundthepersonalityofMrs.Leidner.Until
I knew exactly what kind of a woman Mrs. Leidner was I should not be able to know why she was
murderedandwhomurderedher.

"That,then,wasmystartingpoint-thepersonalityofMrs.Leidner.

"There was also one other psychological point of interest - the curious state of tension described as
existing amongst the members of the expedition. This was attested to by several different witnesses -
someofthemoutsiders-andImadeanotethatalthoughhardlyastartingpoint,itshouldnevertheless
beborneinmindduringmyinvestigations.

"The accepted idea seemed to be that it was directly the result of Mrs. Leidner's influence on the
members of the expedition, but for reasons which I will outline to you later this did not seem to me
entirelyacceptable.

"To start with, as I say, I concentrated solely and entirely on the personality of Mrs. Leidner. I had
various means of assessing that personality. There were the reactions she produced in a number of
people,allvaryingwidelyincharacterandtemperament,andtherewaswhatIcouldgleanbymyown
observation.Thescopeofthelatterwasnaturallylimited.ButIdidlearncertainfacts.

"Mrs.Leidner'stastesweresimpleandevenontheaustereside.Shewasclearlynotaluxuriouswoman.
Ontheotherhand,someembroideryshehadbeendoingwasofanextremefinenessandbeauty.That
indicatedawomanoffastidiousandartistictaste.FromtheobservationofthebooksinherbedroomI
formedafurtherestimate.Shehadbrains,andIalsofanciedthatshewas,essentially,anegoist.

"IthadbeensuggestedtomethatMrs.Leidnerwasawomanwhosemainpreoccupationwastoattract
theoppositesex-thatshewas,infact,asensualwoman.ThisIdidnotbelievetobethecase.

"In her bedroom I noticed the following books on a shelf: Who Were the Greeks? Introduction to
Relativity,LifeofLadyHesterStanhope,BacktoMethuselah,LindaCondon,CreweTrain.

"Shehad,tobeginwith,aninterestincultureandinmodernscience-thatis,adistinctintellectualside.
OfthenovelsLindaCondon,andinalesserdegreeCreweTrain,seemedtoshowthatMrs.Leidnerhad
asympathyandinterestintheindependentwoman-unencumberedorentrappedbyman.Shewasalso
obviouslyinterestedbythepersonalityofLadyHesterStanhope.LindaCondonisanexquisitestudyof
theworshipofherownbeautybyawoman.CreweTrainisastudyofapassionateindividualist.Back
toMethuselahisinsympathywiththeintellectualratherthantheemotionalattitudetolife.IfeltthatI
wasbeginningtounderstandthedeadwoman.

"InextstudiedthereactionsofthosewhohadformedMrs.Leidner'simmediatecircle-andmypicture
ofthedeadwomangrewmoreandmorecomplete.

"ItwasquitecleartomefromtheaccountsofDr.ReillyandothersthatMrs.Leidnerwasoneofthose
womenwhoareendowedbyNaturenotonlywithbeautybutwiththekindofcalamitousmagicwhich
sometimesaccompaniesbeautyandcan,indeed,existindependentlyofit.Suchwomenusuallyleavea
trail of violent happenings behind them. They bring disaster - sometimes on others - sometimes on
themselves.

"IwasconvincedthatMrs.Leidnerwasawomanwhoessentiallyworshippedherselfandwhoenjoyed
morethananythingelsethesenseofpower.Wherevershewas,shemustbethecentreoftheuniverse.
Andeveryoneroundher,manorwoman,hadgottoacknowledgehersway.Withsomepeoplethatwas
easy. Nurse Leatheran, for instance, a generous-natured woman with a romantic imagination, was
captured instantly and gave in ungrudging manner full appreciation. But there was a second way in
whichMrs.Leidnerexercisedhersway-thewayoffear.Whereconquestwastooeasysheindulgeda
morecruelsidetohernature-butIwishtoreiterateemphaticallythatitwasnotwhatyoumightcall
conscious cruelty. It was as natural and unthinking as is the conduct of a cat with a mouse. Where
consciousnes came in, she was essentially kind and would often go out of her way to do kind and
thoughtfulactionsforotherpeople.

"Now of course the first and most important problem to solve was the problem of the anonymous

letters.Whohadwrittenthemandwhy?Iaskedmyself:HadMrs.Leidnerwrittenthemherself?

"Toanswerthisproblemitwasnecessarytogobackalongway-togoback,infact,tothedateofMrs.
Leidner'sfirstmarriage.Itisherewestartonourjourneyproper.ThejourneyofMrs.Leidner'slife.

"FirstofallwemustrealizethattheLouiseLeidnerofallthoseyearsagoisessentiallythesameLouise
Leidnerofthepresenttime.

"Shewasyoungthen,ofremarkablebeauty-thatsamehauntingbeautythataffectsaman'sspiritand
sensesasnomerematerialbeautycan-andshewasalreadyessentiallyanegoist.

"Suchwomennaturallyrevoltfromtheideaofmarriage.Theymaybeattractedbymen,buttheyprefer
to belong to themselves. They are truly La Belle Dame sans Merci of the legend. Nevertheless Mrs.
Leidner did marry - and we can assume, I think, that her husband must have been a man of a certain
forceofcharacter.

"ThentherevelationofhistraitorousactivitiesoccursandMrs.LeidneractsinthewayshetoldNurse
Leatheran.ShegaveinformationtotheGovernment.

"NowIsubmitthattherewasapsychologicalsignificanceinheraction.ShetoldNurseLeatheranthat
shewasaverypatrioticidealisticgirlandthatthatfeelingwasthecauseofheraction.Butitisawell-
knownfactthatwealltendtodeceiveourselvesastothemotivesforourownactions.Instinctivelywe
select the best-sounding motive! Mrs. Leidner may have believed herself that it was patriotism that
inspiredheraction,butIbelievemyselfthatitwasreallytheoutcomeofanunacknowledgeddesireto
getridofherhusband!Shedislikeddomination-shedislikedthefeelingofbelongingtosomeoneelse
-infactshedislikedplayingsecondfiddle.Shetookapatrioticwayofregainingherfreedom.

"Butunderneathherconsciousnesswasagnawingsenseofguiltwhichwastoplayitspartinherfuture
destiny.

"Wenowcomedirectlytothequestionoftheletters.Mrs.Leidnerwashighlyattractivetothemalesex.
Onseveraloccasionsshewasattractedbythem-butineachcaseathreateningletterplayeditspartand
theaffaircametonothing.

"Whowrotethoseletters?FrederickBosnerorhisbrotherWilliamorMrs.Leidnerherself?

"Thereisaperfectlygoodcaseforeithertheory.ItseemscleartomethatMrs.Leidnerwasoneofthose

women who do inspire devouring devotions in men, the type of devotion which can become an
obsession.IfinditquitepossibletobelieveinaFrederickBosnertowhomLouise,hiswife,mattered
morethananythingintheworld!Shehadbetrayedhimonceandhedarednotapproachheropenly,but
hewasdeterminedatleastthatsheshouldbehisornoone's.Hepreferredherdeathtoherbelongingto
anotherman.

"Ontheotherhand,ifMrs.Leidnerhad,deepdown,adislikeofenteringintothemarriagebond,itis
possiblethatshetookthiswayofextricatingherselffromdifficultpositions.Shewasahuntresswho,
the prey once attained, had no further use for it! Craving drama in her life, she invented a highly
satisfactory drama - a resurrected husband forbidding the banns! It satisfied her deepest instincts. It
madeheraromanticfigure,atragicheroine,anditenabledhernottomarryagain.

"Thisstateofaffairscontinuedoveranumberofyears.Everytimetherewasanylikelihoodofmarriage
-athreateningletterarrived.

"Butnowwecometoareallyinterestingpoint.Dr.Leidnercameuponthescene-andnoforbidding
letterarrived!NothingstoodinthewayofherbecomingMrs.Leidner.Notuntilafterhermarriagedida
letterarrive.

"Atonceweaskourselves-why?

"Letustakeeachtheoryinturn.

"IfMrs.Leidnerwrotethelettersherselftheproblemiseasilyexplained.Mrs.Leidnerreallywantedto
marry Dr. Leidner. And so she did marry him. But in that case, why did she write herself a letter
afterwards?Washercravingfordramatoostrongtobesuppressed?Andwhyonlythosetwoletters?
Afterthatnootherletterwasreceiveduntilayearandahalflater.

"Nowtaketheothertheory,thattheletterswerewrittenbyherfirsthusband,FrederickBosner(orhis
brother).Whydidthethreateningletterarriveafterthemarriage?PresumablyFrederickcouldnothave
wantedhertomarryLeidner.Why,then,didhenotstopthemarriage?Hehaddonesosuccessfullyon
former occasions. And why, having waited till the marriage had taken place, did he then resume his
threats?

"Theanswer,anunsatisfactoryone,isthathewassomehoworotherunabletoprotestsooner.Hemay
havebeeninprisonorhemayhavebeenabroad.

"Thereisnexttheattemptedgaspoisoningtoconsider.Itseemsextremelyunlikelythatitwasbrought

aboutbyanoutsideagency.ThelikelypersonstohavestageditwereDr.andMrs.Leidnerthemselves.
ThereseemsnoconceivablereasonwhyDr.Leidnershoulddosuchathing,sowearebroughttothe
conclusionthatMrs.Leidnerplannedandcarrieditoutherself.

"Why?Moredrama?

"AfterthatDr.andMrs.Leidnergoabroadandforeighteenmonthstheyleadahappy,peacefullifewith
nothreatsofdeathtodisturbit.Theyputthatdowntohavingsuccessfullycoveredtheirtraces,butsuch
an explanation is quite absurd. In these days going abroad is quite inadequate for that purpose. And
especially was that so in the case of the Leidners. He was the director of a museum expedition. By
inquiryatthemuseum,FrederickBosnercouldatoncehaveobtainedhiscorrectaddress.Evengranting
that he was in too reduced circumstances to pursue the couple himself, there would be no bar to his
continuing his threatening letters. And it seems to me that a man with his obsession would certainly
havedoneso.

"Insteadnothingisheardofhimuntilnearlytwoyearslaterwhenthelettersareresumed.

"Whywerethelettersresumed?

"A very difficult question - most easily answered by saying that Mrs. Leidner was bored and wanted
moredrama.ButIwasnotquitesatisfiedwiththat.Thisparticularformofdramaseemedtomeashade
toovulgarandtoocrudetoaccordwellwithherfastidiouspersonality.

"Theonlythingtodowastokeepanopenmindonthequestion.

"There were three definite possibilities: (1) the letters were written by Mrs. Leidner herself; (2) they
were written by Frederick Bosner (or young William Bosner); (3) they might have been written
originallybyeitherMrs.Leidnerorherfirsthusband,buttheywerenowforgeries-thatis,theywere
beingwrittenbyathirdpersonwhowasawareoftheearlierletters.

"InowcometodirectconsiderationofMrs.Leidner'sentourage.

"I examined first the actual opportunities that each member of the staff had had for committing the
murder.

"Roughly, on the face of it, anyone might have committed it (as far as opportunity went), with the
exceptionofthreepersons.

"Dr.Leidner,byoverwhelmingtestimony,hadneverlefttheroof.Mr.Careywasondutyatthemound.
Mr.ColemanwasinHassanieh.

"But those alibis, my friends, were not quite as good as they looked. I except Dr. Leidner's. There is
absolutelynodoubtthathewasontheroofallthetimeanddidnotcomedownuntilquiteanhouranda
quarterafterthemurderhadhappened.

"ButwasitquitecertainthatMr.Careywasonthemoundallthetime?

"AndhadMr.ColemanactuallybeeninHassaniehatthetimethemurdertookplace?"

BillColemanreddened,openedhismouth,shutitandlookedrounduneasily.

Mr.Carey'sexpressiondidnotchange.

Poirotwentonsmoothly.

"Ialsoconsideredoneotherpersonwho,Isatisfiedmyself,wouldbeperfectlycapableofcommitting
murder if she felt strongly enough. Miss Reilly has courage and brains and a certain quality of
ruthlessness. When Miss Reilly was speaking to me on the subject of the dead woman, I said to her,
jokingly,thatIhopedshehadanalibi.IthinkMissReillywasconsciousthenthatshehadhadinher
heartthedesire,atleast,tokill.Atanyratesheimmediatelyutteredaverysillyandpurposelesslie.She
saidshehadbeenplayingtennisonthatafternoon.ThenextdayIlearnedfromacasualconversation
withMissJohnsonthatfarfromplayingtennis,MissReillyhadactuallybeennearthishouseatthetime
of the murder. It occurred to me that Miss Reilly, if not guilty of the crime, might be able to tell me
somethinguseful."

Hestoppedandthensaidquietly:

"Willyoutellus,MissReilly,whatyoudidseethatafternoon?"

Thegirldidnotansweratonce.Shestilllookedoutofthewindowwithoutturningherhead,andwhen
shespokeitwasinadetachedandmeasuredvoice.

"Irodeouttothedigafterlunch.ItmusthavebeenaboutaquartertotwowhenIgotthere."

"Didyoufindanyofyourfriendsonthedig?"

"No,thereseemedtobenoonetherebuttheArabforeman."

"YoudidnotseeMr.Carey?"

"No."

"Curious,"saidPoirot."NomoredidM.Verrierwhenhewenttherethatsameafternoon."

HelookedinvitinglyatCarey,butthelatterneithermovednorspoke.

"Haveyouanyexplanation,Mr.Carey?"

"Iwentforawalk.Therewasnothingofinterestturningup."

"Inwhichdirectiondidyougoforawalk?"

"Downbytheriver."

"Notbacktowardsthehouse?"

"No."

"Isuppose,"saidMissReilly,"thatyouwerewaitingforsomeonewhodidn'tcome."

Helookedatherbutdidn'tanswer.

Poirotdidnotpressthepoint.Hespokeoncemoretothegirl.

"Didyouseeanythingelse,mademoiselle?"

"Yes.IwasnotfarfromtheexpeditionhousewhenInoticedtheexpeditionlorrydrawnupinawadi.I
thought it was rather queer. Then I saw Mr. Coleman. He was walking along with his head down as
thoughheweresearchingforsomething."

"Lookhere,"burstoutMr.Coleman."I-"

Poirotstoppedhimwithanauthoritativegesture.

"Wait.Didyouspeaktohim,MissReilly?"

"No,Ididn't."

"Why?"

Thegirlsaidslowly:

"Because,fromtimetotime,hestartedandlookedroundwithanextraordinaryfurtivelook.It-gave
meanunpleasantfeeling.Iturnedmyhorse'sheadandrodeaway.Idon'tthinkhesawme.Iwasnot
verynearandhewasabsorbedinwhathewasdoing."

"Lookhere,"Mr.Colemanwasnottobehushedanylonger."I'vegotaperfectlygoodexplanationfor
what-Iadmit-looksabitfishy.Asamatteroffact,thedaybeforeIhadslippedajollyfinecylinder
seal into my coat pocket instead of putting it in the antika-room - forgot all about it. And then I
discoveredI'dbeenandlostitoutofmypocket-droppeditsomewhere.Ididn'twanttogetintoarow
aboutitsoIdecidedI'dhaveajollygoodsearchonthequiet.IwasprettysureI'ddroppeditontheway
toorfromthedig.IrushedovermybusinessinHassanieh.Sentawaladtodosomeoftheshoppingand
gotbackearly.Istuckthebuswhereitwouldn'tshowandhadajollygoodhuntforoveranhour.And
didn'tfindthedamnthingatthat!ThenIgotintothebusanddroveontothehouse.Naturally,everyone
thoughtI'djustgotback."

"Andyoudidnotundeceivethem?"askedPoirotsweetly.

"Well,thatwasprettynaturalunderthecircumstances,don'tyouthink?"

"Ihardlyagree,"saidPoirot.

"Oh,comenow-don'tgolookingfortrouble-that'smymotto!Butyoucan'tfastenanythingonme.I
neverwentintothecourtyard,andyoucan'tfindanyonewho'llsayIdid."

"That,ofcourse,hasbeenthedifficulty,"saidPoirot."Theevidenceoftheservantsthatnooneentered
thecourtyardfromoutside.Butitoccurredtome,uponreflection,thatthatwasreallynotwhattheyhad
said.Theyhadswornthatnostrangerhadenteredthepremises.Theyhadnotbeenaskedifamemberof
theexpeditionhaddoneso."

"Well,youaskthem,"saidColeman."I'lleatmyhatiftheysawmeorCareyeither."

"Ah! but that raises rather an interesting question. They would notice a stranger undoubtedly - but
wouldtheyhaveevennoticedamemberoftheexpedition?Themembersofthestaffarepassinginand
outallday.Theservantswouldhardlynoticetheirgoingandcoming.Itispossible,Ithink,thateither
Mr.CareyorMr.Colemanmighthaveenteredandtheservants'mindswouldhavenoremembranceof
suchanevent."

"Bunkum!"saidMr.Coleman.

Poirotwentoncalmly:

"Of the two, I think Mr. Carey was the least likely to be noticed going or coming. Mr. Coleman had
startedtoHassaniehinthecarthatmorningandhewouldbeexpectedtoreturninit.Hisarrivalonfoot
wouldthereforebenoticeable."

"Ofcourseitwould!"saidColeman.

RichardCareyraisedhishead.Hisdeep-blueeyeslookedstraightatPoirot.

"Areyouaccusingmeofmurder,M.Poirot?"heasked.

Hismannerwasquitequietbuthisvoicehadadangerousundertone.

Poirotbowedtohim.

"AsyetIamonlytakingyouallonajourney-myjourneytowardsthetruth.Ihadnowestablishedone
fact-thatallthemembersoftheexpeditionstaff,andalsoNurseLeatheran,couldinactualfacthave
committedthemurder.Thattherewasverylittlelikelihoodofsomeofthemhavingcommitteditwasa
secondarymatter.

"Ihadexaminedmeansandopportunity.Inextpassedtomotive.Idiscoveredthatoneandallofyou
couldbecreditedwithamotive!"

"Oh!M.Poirot,"Icried."Notme!Why,Iwasastranger.I'donlyjustcome."

"Eh bien, ma soeur, and was not that just what Mrs. Leidner had been fearing? A stranger from
outside?"

"But-but-why,Dr.Reillyknewallaboutme!Hesuggestedmycoming!"

"How much did he really know about you? Mostly what you yourself had told him. Impostors have
passedthemselvesoffashospitalnursesbeforenow."

"YoucanwritetoSt.Christopher's,"Ibegan.

"Forthemomentwillyousilenceyourself.Impossibletoproceedwhileyouconductthisargument.Ido
notsayIsuspectyounow.AllIsayisthat,keepingtheopenmind,youmightquiteeasilybesomeone
other than you pretended to be. There are many successful female impersonators, you know. Young
WilliamBosnermightbesomethingofthatkind."

I was about to give him a further piece of my mind. Female impersonator indeed! But he raised his
voiceandhurriedonwithsuchanairofdeterminationthatIthoughtbetterofit.

"Iamgoingnowtobefrank-brutallyso.Itisnecessary.Iamgoingtolaybaretheunderlyingstructure
ofthisplace.

"Iexaminedandconsideredeverysinglesoulhere.TobeginwithDr.Leidner,Isoonconvincedmyself
thathisloveforhiswifewasthemainspringofhisexistence.Hewasamantornandravagedwithgrief.
Nurse Leatheran I have already mentioned. If she were a female impersonator she was a most

amazingly successful one, and I inclined to the belief that she was exactly what she said she was - a
thoroughlycompetenthospitalNurse."

"Thankyoufornothing,"Iinterposed.

"MyattentionwasimmediatelyattractedtowardsMr.andMrs.Mercado,whowerebothofthemclearly
inastateofgreatagitationandunrest.IconsideredfirstMrs.Mercado.Wasshecapableofmurderand
ifsoforwhatreasons?

"Mrs.Mercado'sphysiquewasfrail.Atfirstsightitdidnotseempossiblethatshecouldhavehadthe
physicalstrengthtostrikedownawomanlikeMrs.Leidnerwithaheavystoneimplement.If,however,
Mrs.Leidnerhadbeenonherkneesatthetime,thethingwouldatleastbephysicallypossible.There
arewaysinwhichonewomancaninduceanothertogodownonherknees.Oh!notemotionalways!
Forinstance,awomanmightbeturningupthehemofaskirtandaskanotherwomantoputinthepins
forher.Thesecondwomanwouldkneelonthegroundquiteunsuspectingly.

"Butthemotive?NurseLeatheranhadtoldmeoftheangryglancesshehadseenMrs.Mercadodirectat
Mrs.Leidner.Mr.MercadohadevidentlysuccumbedeasilytoMrs.Leidner'sspell.ButIdidnotthink
thesolutionwastobefoundinmerejealousy.IwassureMrs.Leidnerwasnotintheleastinterested
reallyinMr.Mercado-anddoubtlessMrs.Mercadowasawareofthefact.Shemightbefuriouswith
herforthemoment,butformurdertherewouldhavetobegreaterprovocation.ButMrs.Mercadowas
essentiallyafiercelymaternaltype.FromthewayshelookedatherhusbandIrealized,notonlythatshe
lovedhim,butthatshewouldfightforhimtoothandnail-andmorethanthat-thatsheenvisagedthe
possibilityofhavingtodoso.Shewasconstantlyonherguardanduneasy.Theuneasinesswasforhim
-notforherself.AndwhenIstudiedMr.MercadoIcouldmakeafairlyeasyguessatwhatthetrouble
was. I took means to assure myself of the truth of my guess. Mr. Mercado was a drug addict - in an
advancedstageofthecraving.

"Now I need probably not tell you all that the taking of drugs over a long period has the result of
considerablybluntingthemoralsense.

"Undertheinfluenceofdrugsamancommitsactionsthathewouldnothavedreamedofcommittinga
fewyearsearlierbeforehebeganthepractice.Insomecasesamanhascommittedmurder-andithas
been difficult to say whether he was wholly responsible for his actions or not. The law of different
countries varies slightly on that point. The chief characteristic of the drug-fiend criminal is
overwhelmingconfidenceinhisowncleverness.

"I thought it possible that there was some discreditable incident, perhaps a criminal incident, in Mr.
Mercado'spastwhichhiswifehadsomehoworothersucceededinhushingup.Neverthelesshiscareer
hungonathread.Ifanythingofthispastincidentwerebreathedabout,Mr.Mercadowouldberuined.

His wife was always on the watch. But there was Mrs. Leidner to be reckoned with. She had a sharp
intelligenceandaloveofpower.Shemighteveninducethewretchedmantoconfideinher.Itwould
just have suited her peculiar temperament to feel she knew a secret which she could reveal at any
minutewithdisastrouseffects.

"Here,then,wasapossiblemotiveformurderonthepartoftheMercados.Toprotecthermate,Mrs.
Mercado,Ifeltsure,wouldstickatnothing!Bothsheandherhusbandhadhadtheopportunity-during
thattenminuteswhenthecourtyardwasempty."

Mrs.Mercadocriedout,"It'snottrue!"

Poirotpaidnoattention.

"InextconsideredMissJohnson.Wasshecapableofmurder?

"I thought she was. She was a person of strong will and iron self-control. Such people are constantly
repressing themselves - and one day the dam bursts! But if Miss Johnson had committed the crime it
couldonlybeforsomereasonconnectedwithDr.Leidner.IfinanywayshefeltconvincedthatMrs.
Leidnerwasspoilingherhusband'slife,thenthedeepunacknowledgedjealousyfardowninherwould
leapatthechanceofaplausiblemotiveandgiveitselfrein.

"Yes,MissJohnsonwasdistinctlyapossibility.

"Thentherewerethethreeyoungmen.

"FirstCarlReiter.If,byanychance,oneoftheexpeditionstaffwasWilliamBosner,thenReiterwasby
far the most likely person. But if he was William Bosner, then he was certainly a most accomplished
actor!Ifheweremerelyhimself,hadheanyreasonformurder?

"RegardedfromMrs.Leidner'spointofview,CarlReiterwasfartooeasyavictimforgoodsport.He
was prepared to fall on his face and worship immediately. Mrs. Leidner despised undiscriminating
adoration - and the door-mat attitude nearly always brings out the worst side of a woman. In her
treatment of Carl Reiter Mrs. Leidner displayed really deliberate cruelty. She inserted a gibe here - a
prickthere.Shemadethepooryoungman'slifeahelltohim."

Poirotbrokeoffsuddenlyandaddressedtheyoungmaninapersonal,highlyconfidentialmanner.

"Monami,letthisbealessontoyou.Youareaman.Behave,then,likeaman!ItisagainstNaturefora
mantogrovel.WomenandNaturehavealmostexactlythesamereactions!Rememberitisbettertotake
thelargestplatewithinreachandflingitatawoman'sheadthanitistowrigglelikeawormwhenever
shelooksatyou!"

Hedroppedhisprivatemannerandrevertedtohislecturestyle.

"Could Carl Reiter have been goaded to such a pitch of torment that he turned on his tormentor and
killedher?Sufferingdoesqueerthingstoaman.Icouldnotbesurethatitwasnotso!

"Next,WilliamColeman.Hisbehaviour,asreportedbyMissReilly,iscertainlysuspicious.Ifhewas
the criminal it could only be because his cheerful personality concealed the hidden one of William
Bosner.IdonotthinkWilliamColeman,asWilliamColeman,hasthetemperamentofamurderer.His
faultsmightlieinanotherdirection.Ah!perhapsNurseLeatherancanguesswhattheywouldbe?"

Howdidthemandoit?I'msureIdidn'tlookasthoughIwasthinkinganythingatall.

"It'snothingreally,"Isaid,hesitating."Onlyifit'stobealltruth,Mr.Colemandidsayoncehimselfthat
hewouldhavemadeagoodforger."

"A good point." said Poirot. "Therefore if he had come across some of the old threatening letters, he
couldhavecopiedthemwithoutdifficulty."

"Oy,oy,oy!"calledoutMr.Coleman."Thisiswhattheycallaframe-up."

Poirotswepton.

"AstohisbeingornotbeingWilliamBosnersuchamatterisdifficultofverification.ButMr.Coleman
hasspokenofaguardian-notofafather-andthereisnothingdefinitelytovetotheidea."

"Tommyrot,"saidMr.Coleman."Whyallofyoulistentothischapbeatsme."

"Of the three young men there remains Mr. Emmott," went on Poirot. "He again might be a possible
shieldfortheidentityofWilliamBosner.Whateverpersonalreasonshemighthavefortheremovalof
Mrs.LeidnerIsoonrealizedthatIshouldhavenomeansoflearningthemfromhim.Hecouldkeephis

owncounselremarkablywell,andtherewasnottheleastchanceofprovokinghimnoroftrickinghim
into betraying himself on any point. Of all the expedition he seemed to be the best and most
dispassionatejudgeofMrs.Leidner'spersonality.Ithinkthathealwaysknewherforexactlywhatshe
was - but what impression her personality made on him I was unable to discover. I fancy that Mrs.
Leidnerherselfmusthavebeenprovokedandangeredbyhisattitude.

"I may say that of all the expedition, as far as character and capability were concerned, Mr. Emmott
seemedtomethemostfittedtobringacleverandwell-timedcrimeoffsatisfactorily."

ForthefirsttimeMr.Emmottraisedhiseyesfromthetoesofhisboots.

"Thankyou,"hesaid.

Thereseemedtobejustatraceofamusementinhisvoice.

"ThelasttwopeopleonmylistwereRichardCareyandFatherLavigny.

"AccordingtothetestimonyofNurseLeatheranandothers,Mr.CareyandMrs.Leidnerdislikedeach
other.Theywerebothcivilwithaneffort.Anotherperson,MissReilly,propoundedatotallydifferent
theorytoaccountfortheirattitudeoffrigidpoliteness.

"IsoonhadverylittledoubtthatMissReilly'sexplanationwasthecorrectone.Iacquiredmycertitude
by the simple expedient of provoking Mr. Carey into reckless and unguarded speech. It was not
difficult.AsIsoonsaw,hewasinastateofhighnervoustension.Infacthewas-andis-veryneara
completenervousbreakdown.Amanwhoissufferinguptothelimitofhiscapacitycanseldomputup
muchofafight.

"Mr.Carey'sbarrierscamedownalmostimmediately.Hetoldme,-withasinceritythatIdidnotfora
momentdoubtthathehatedMrs.Leidner.

"Andhewasundoubtedlyspeakingthetruth.HedidhateMrs.Leidner.Butwhydidhehateher?

"I have spoken of women who have calamitous magic. But men have that magic too. There are men
whoareablewithouttheleastefforttoattractwomen.Whattheycallinthesedayslesexappeal!Mr.
Carey had this quality very strongly. He was to begin with devoted to his friend and employer, and
indifferent to his employer's wife. That did not suit Mrs. Leidner. She must dominate - and she set
herselfouttocaptureRichardCarey.Buthere,Ibelieve,somethingentirelyunforeseentookplace.She

herself,forperhapsthefirsttimeinherlife,fellavictimtoanover-masteringpassion.Shefellinlove-
reallyinlove-withRichardCarey.

"And he was unable to resist her. Here is the truth of the terrible state of nervous tension that he has
beenenduring.Hehasbeenamantornbytwoopposingpassions.HelovedLouiseLeidner-yes,buthe
alsohatedher.Hehatedherforundermininghisloyaltytohisfriend.Thereisnohatredsogreatasthat
ofamanwhohasbeenmadetoloveawomanagainsthiswill.

"IhadhereallthemotivethatIneeded.Iwasconvincedthatatcertainmomentsthemostnaturalthing
forRichardCareytodowouldhavebeentostrikewithalltheforceofhisarmatthebeautifulfacethat
hadcastaspelloverhim.

"AllalongIhadfeltsurethatthemurderofLouiseLeidnerwasacrimepassionnel.InMr.CareyIhad
foundanidealmurdererforthattypeofcrime.

"There remains one other candidate for the title of murderer - Father Lavigny. My attention was
attractedtothegoodFatherstraightawaybyacertaindiscrepancybetweenhisdescriptionofthestrange
manwhohadbeenseenpeeringinatthewindowandtheonegivenbyNurseLeatheran.Inallaccounts
given by different witnesses there is usually some discrepancy, but this was absolutely glaring.
Moreover, Father Lavigny insisted on a certain characteristic - a squint - which ought to make
identificationmucheasier.

"ButverysoonitbecameapparentthatwhileNurseLeatheran'sdescriptionwassubstantiallyaccurate,
FatherLavigny'swasnothingofthekind.ItlookedalmostasthoughFatherLavignywasdeliberately
misleadingus-asthoughhedidnotwantthemancaught.

"Butinthatcasehemustknowsomethingaboutthiscuriousperson.Hehadbeenseentalkingtothe
manbutwehadonlyhiswordforwhattheyhadbeentalkingabout.

"What had the Iraqi been doing when Nurse Leatheran and Mrs. Leidner saw him? Trying to peer
through the window - Mrs. Leidner's window, so they thought, but I realized when I went and stood
wheretheyhadbeen,thatitmightequallyhavebeentheantika-roomwindow.

"The night after that an alarm was given. Some one was in the antika-room. Nothing proved to have
been taken, however. The interesting point to me is that when Dr. Leidner got there he found Father
Lavignytherebeforehim.FatherLavignytellshisstoryofseeingalight.Butagainwehaveonlyhis
wordforit.

"I begin to get curious about Father Lavigny. The other day when I make the suggestion that Father
LavignymaybeFrederickBosnerDr.Leidnerpooh-poohsthesuggestion.HesaysFatherLavignyisa
well-knownman.IadvancethesuppositionthatFrederickBosner,whohashadnearlytwentyyearsto
makeacareerforhimself,underanewname,mayverypossiblybeawell-knownmanbythistime!All
thesame,Idonotthinkthathehasspenttheinterveningtimeinareligiouscommunity.Averymuch
simplersolutionpresentsitself.

"Did any one at the expedition know Father Lavigny by sight before he came? Apparently not. Why
thenshouldnotitbesomeoneimpersonatingthegoodFather?Ifoundoutthatatelegramhadbeensent
to Carthage on the sudden illness of Dr. Byrd, who was to have accompanied the expedition. To
interceptatelegram,whatcouldbeeasier?Astothework,therewasnootherepigraphistattachedto
theexpedition.Withasmatteringofknowledgeaclevermanmightbluffhiswaythrough.Therehad
been very few tablets and inscriptions so far, and already I gathered that Father Lavigny's
pronouncementshadbeenfelttobesomewhatunusual.

"ItlookedverymuchasthoughFatherLavignywereanimpostor.

"ButwasheFrederickBosner?

"Somehow affairs did not seem to be shaping themselves that way. The truth seemed likely to lie in
quiteadifferentdirection.

"IhadalengthyconversationwithFatherLavigny.IamapractisingCatholicandIknowmanypriests
andmembersofreligiouscommunities.FatherLavignystruckmeasnotringingquitetruetohisrole.
Buthestruckme,ontheotherhand,asfamiliarinquiteadifferentcapacity.Ihadmetmenofhistype
quitefrequently-buttheywerenotmembersofareligiouscommunity.Farfromit!

"Ibegantosendofftelegrams.

"And then, unwittingly, Nurse Leatheran gave me a valuable clue. We were examining the gold
ornamentsintheantika-roomandshementionedatraceofwaxhavingbeenfoundadheringtoagold
cup.Me,Isay,'Wax?'andFatherLavigny,hesaid'Wax?'andhistonewasenough!Iknewinaflash
whathewasdoinghere."

PoirotpausedandaddressedhimselfdirectlytoDr.Leidner.

"Iregrettotellyou,monsieur,thatthegoldcupintheantika-room,thegolddagger,thehairornaments
and several other things are not the genuine articles found by you. They are very clever electrotypes.

Father Lavigny, I have just learned by this last answer to my telegrams, is none other than Raoul
Menier,oneofthecleverestthievesknowntotheFrenchpolice.Hespecializesintheftsfrommuseums
ofobjetsd'artandsuchlike.AssociatedwithhimisAliYusuf,asemi-Turk,whoisafirst-classworking
jeweller.OurfirstknowledgeofMenierwaswhencertainobjectsintheLouvrewerefoundnottobe
genuine - in every case it was discovered that a distinguished archaeologist not known previously by
sight to the director had recently had the handling of the spurious articles when paying a visit to the
Louvre. On inquiry all these distinguished gentlemen denied having paid a visit to the Louvre at the
timesstated!

"IhavelearnedthatMenierwasinTunispreparingthewayforatheftfromtheHolyFatherswhenyour
telegramarrived.FatherLavigny,whowasinill-health,wasforcedtorefuse,butMeniermanagedto
get hold of the telegram and substitute one of acceptance. He was quite safe in doing so. Even if the
monks should read in some paper (in itself an unlikely thing) that Father Lavigny was in Iraq they
wouldonlythinkthatthenewspapershadgotholdofahalftruthassooftenhappens.

"Menierandhisaccomplicearrived.Thelatterisseenwhenheisreconnoiteringtheantika-roomfrom
outside. The plan is for Father Lavigny to take wax impressions. Ali then makes clever duplicates.
Therearealwayscertaincollectorswhoarewillingtopayagoodpriceforgenuineantiquesandwill
ask no embarrassing questions. Father Lavigny will effect the substitution of the fake for the genuine
article-preferablyatnight.

"AndthatisdoubtlesswhathewasdoingwhenMrs.Leidnerheardhimandgavethealarm.Whatcan
hedo?Hehurriedlymakesupastoryofhavingseenalightintheantika-room.

"That'wentdown,'asyousay,verywell.ButMrs.Leidnerwasnofool.Shemayhaverememberedthe
traceofwaxshehadnoticedandthenputtwoandtwotogether.Andifshedid,whatwillshedothen?
Woulditnotbedanssoncaracteretodonothingatonce,buttoenjoyherselfbylettinghintssliptothe
discomfiture of Father Lavigny. She will let him see that she suspects - but not that she knows. It is,
perhaps,adangerousgame,butsheenjoysadangerousgame.

"Andperhapssheplaysthatgametoolong.FatherLavignyseesthetruth,andstrikesbeforesherealizes
whathemeanstodo.

"FatherLavignyisRaoulMenier-athief.Ishealsoamurderer?"

Poirotpacedtheroom.Hetookoutahandkerchief,wipedhisforeheadandwenton:

"Thatwasmypositionthismorning.TherewereeightdistinctpossibilitiesandIdidnotknowwhichof
thesepossibilitieswastherightone.Istilldidnotknowwhowasthemurderer.

"Butmurderisahabit.Themanorwomanwhokillsoncewillkillagain.

"Andbythesecondmurder,themurdererwasdeliveredintomyhands.

"All along it was ever present in the back of my mind that some one of these people might have
knowledgethattheyhadkeptback-knowledgeincriminatingthemurderer.

"Ifso,thatpersonwouldbeindanger.

"MysolicitudewasmainlyonaccountofNurseLeatheran.Shehadanenergeticpersonalityandabrisk
inquisitivemind.Iwasterrifiedofherfindingoutmorethanitwassafeforhertoknow.

"Asyouallknow,asecondmurderdidtakeplace.ButthevictimwasnotNurseLeatheran-itwasMiss
Johnson.

"IliketothinkthatIshouldhavereachedthecorrectsolutionanywaybypurereasoning,butitiscertain
thatMissJohnson'smurderhelpedmetoitmuchquicker.

"Tobeginwith,onesuspectwaseliminated-MissJohnsonherself-forIdidnotforamomententertain
thetheoryofsuicide.

"Letusexaminenowthefactsofthissecondmurder.

"Fact one: On Sunday evening Nurse Leatheran finds Miss Johnson in tears, and that same evening
MissJohnsonburnsafragmentofaletterwhichNursebelievestobeinthesamehandwritingasthatof
theanonymousletters.

"Facttwo:TheeveningbeforeherdeathMissJohnsonisfoundbyNurseLeatheranstandingontheroof
in a state that Nurse describes as one of incredulous horror. When Nurse questions her she says, 'I've
seen how some one could come in from outside - and no one would ever guess.' She won't say any
more.FatherLavignyiscrossingthecourtyardandMr.Reiterisatthedoorofthephotographicroom.

"Factthree:MissJohnsonisfounddying.Theonlywordsshecanmanagetoarticulateare'thewindow-
thewindow-'

"Thosearethefacts,andthesearetheproblemswithwhichwearefaced:

"Whatisthetruthoftheletters?

"WhatdidMissJohnsonseefromtheroof?

"Whatdidshemeanby'thewindow-thewindow'?

"Ehbien,letustakethesecondproblemfirstastheeasiestofsolution.IwentupwithNurseLeatheran
andIstoodwhereMissJohnsonhadstood.Fromthereshecouldseethecourtyardandthearchwayand
thenorthsideofthebuildingandtwomembersofthestaff.Hadherwordsanythingtodowitheither
Mr.ReiterorFatherLavigny?

"Almostatonceapossibleexplanationleapedtomybrain.Ifastrangercameinfromoutsidehecould
onlydosoindisguise.Andtherewasonlyonepersonwhosegeneralappearancelentitselftosuchan
impersonation.FatherLavigny!Withasunhelmet,sunglasses,blackbeardandamonk'slongwoollen
robe,astrangercouldpassinwithouttheservantsrealizingthatastrangerhadentered.

"Was that Miss Johnson's meaning? Or had she gone further? Did she realize that Father Lavigny's
wholepersonalitywasadisguise.Thathewassomeoneotherthanhepretendedtobe?

"Knowing what I did know about Father Lavigny I was inclined to call the mystery solved. Raoul
Menier was the murderer. He had killed Mrs. Leidner to silence her before she could give him away.
Nowanotherpersonletshimseethatshehaspenetratedhissecret.She,too,mustberemoved.

"Andsoeverythingisexplained!Thesecondmurder.FatherLavigny'sflight-minusrobeandbeard.
(He and his friend are doubtless careering through Syria with excellent passports as two commercial
travellers.)Hisactioninplacingtheblood-stainedquernunderMissJohnson'sbed.

"AsIsay,Iwasalmostsatisfied-butnotquite.Fortheperfectsolutionmustexplaineverything-and
thisdoesnotdoso.

"Itdoesnotexplain,forinstance,whyMissJohnsonshouldsay'thewindow-thewindow,'asshewas
dying.Itdoesnotexplainherfitofweepingovertheletter.Itdoesnotexplainhermentalattitudeonthe
roof-herincreduloushorrorandherrefusaltotellNurseLeatheranwhatitwasthatshenowsuspected
orknew.

"Itwasasolutionthatfittedtheouterfacts,butitdidnotsatisfythepsychologicalrequirements.

"And then, as I stood on the roof, going over in my mind those three points: the letters, the roof, the
window,Isaw-justasMissJohnsonhadseen!

"AndthistimewhatIsawexplainedeverything!"

Chapter28

JOURNEY'SEND

Poirot looked round. Every eye was now fixed upon him. There had been a certain relaxation - a
slackeningoftension.Nowthetensionsuddenlyreturned.

Therewassomethingcoming...something...

Poirot'svoice,quietandunimpassioned,wenton:

"Theletters,theroof,'thewindow'...Yes,everythingwasexplained-everythingfellintoplace.

"Isaidjustnowthatthreemenhadalibisforthetimeofthecrime.TwoofthosealibisIhaveshownto
beworthless.Isawnowmygreat-myamazingmistake.Thethirdalibiwasworthlesstoo.Notonly
couldDr.Leidnerhavecommittedthemurder-butIwasconvincedthathehadcommittedit."

Therewasasilence,abewildereduncomprehendingsilence.Dr.Leidnersaidnothing.Heseemedlost
inhisfarawayworldstill.DavidEmmott,however,stirreduneasilyandspoke.

"Idon'tknowwhatyoumeantoimply,M.Poirot.ItoldyouthatDr.Leidnerneverlefttheroofuntilat
leastaquartertothree.Thatistheabsolutetruth.Iswearitsolemnly.Iamnotlying.Anditwouldhave
beenquiteimpossibleforhimtohavedonesowithoutmyseeinghim."

Poirotnodded.

"Oh,Ibelieveyou.Dr.LeidnerdidnotleavetheroofThatisanundisputedfact.ButwhatIsaw-and
whatMissJohnsonhadseen-wasthatDr.Leidnercouldmurderhiswifefromtheroofwithoutleaving
it."

Weallstared.

"Thewindow,"criedPoirot."Herwindow!ThatiswhatIrealized-justasMissJohnsonrealizedit.Her
windowwasdirectlyunderneath,onthesideawayfromthecourtyard.AndDr.Leidnerwasaloneup
therewithnoonetowitnesshisactions.Andthoseheavystonequernsandgrinderswereupthereall
readytohishand.Sosimple,soverysimple,grantedonething-thatthemurdererhadtheopportunity
tomovethebodybeforeanyoneelsesawit...Oh,itisbeautiful-ofanunbelievablesimplicity!

"Listen-itwentlikethis:

"Dr.Leidnerisontheroofworkingwiththepottery.Hecallsyouup,Mr.Emmott,andwhileheholds
youintalkhenoticesthat,asusuallyhappens,thesmallboytakesadvantageofyourabsencetoleave
hisworkandgooutsidethecourtyard.Hekeepsyouwithhimtenminutes,thenheletsyougoandas
soonasyouaredownbelowshoutingtotheboyhesetshisplaninoperation.

"Hetakesfromhispockettheplasticine-smearedmaskwithwhichhehasalreadyscaredhiswifeona
formeroccasionanddanglesitovertheedgeoftheparapettillittapsonhiswife'swindow.

"That,remember,isthewindowgivingonthecountrysidefacingtheoppositedirectiontothecourtyard.

"Mrs. Leidner is lying on her bed half asleep. She is peaceful and happy. Suddenly the mask begins
tappingonthewindowandattractsherattention.Butitisnotdusknow-itisbroaddaylight-thereis
nothing terrifying about it. She recognizes it for what it is - a crude form of trickery! She is not
frightened but indignant. She does what any other woman would do in her place. Jumps off the bed,
opensthewindow,passesherheadthroughthebarsandturnsherfaceupwardstoseewhoisplaying
thetrickonher.

"Dr. Leidner is waiting. He has in his hands, poised and ready, a heavy quern. At the psychological
momenthedropsit...

"Withafaintcry(heardbyMissJohnson)Mrs.Leidnercollapsesontherugunderneaththewindow.

"Nowthereisaholeinthisquern,andthroughthatDr.Leidnerhadpreviouslypassedacord.Hehas
now only to haul in the cord and bring up the quern. He replaces the latter neatly, blood-stained side
down,amongsttheotherobjectsofthatkindontheroof.

"Thenhecontinueshisworkforanhourormoretillhejudgesthemomenthascomeforthesecondact.
Hedescendsthestairs,speakstoMr.EmmottandNurseLeatheran,crossesthecourtyardandentershis
wife'sroom.Thisistheexplanationhehimselfgivesofhismovementsthere.

"'Isawmywife'sbodyinaheapbythebed.ForamomentortwoIfeltparalyzedasthoughIcouldn't
move.ThenatfirstIwentandkneltdownbyherandliftedupherhead.Isawshewasdead...AtlastI
gotup.IfeltdazedandasthoughIweredrunk.Imanagedtogettothedoorandcallout.'

"Aperfectlypossibleaccountoftheactionsofagrief-dazedman.NowlistentowhatIbelievetobethe
truth.Dr.Leidnerenterstheroom,hurriestothewindow,andhavingpulledonapairofgloves,closes
andfastensit,thenpicksuphiswife'sbodyandtransportsittoapositionbetweenthebedandthedoor.
Thenhenoticesaslightstainonthewindow-siderug.Hecannotchangeitwiththeotherrug,theyarea
differentsize,buthedoesthenextbestthing.Heputsthestainedruginfrontofthewash-standandthe
rugfromthewash-standunderthewindow.Ifthestainisnoticed,itwillbeconnectedwiththewash-
stand - not with the window - a very important point. There must be no suggestion that the window
playedanypartinthebusiness.Thenhecomestothedoorandactsthepartoftheovercomehusband,
andthat,Iimagine,isnotdifficult.Forhedidlovehiswife."

"Mygoodman,"criedDr.Reillyimpatiently,"ifhelovedher,whydidhekillher?Where'sthemotive?
Can'tyouspeak,Leidner?Tellhimhe'smad."

Dr.Leidnerneitherspokenormoved.

Poirotsaid:

"Did I not tell you all along that this was a crime passionnel? Why did her first husband, Frederick
Bosner,threatentokillher?Becausehelovedher...Andintheend,yousee,hemadehisboastgood...

"Mais oui - mais oui - once I realized that it is Dr. Leidner who did the killing everything falls into
place...

"ForthesecondtimeIrecommencemyjourneyfromthebeginning-Mrs.Leidner'sfirstmarriage-the
threateningletters-hersecondmarriage.Theletterspreventedhermarryinganyotherman-butthey
did not prevent her marrying Dr. Leidner. How simple that is - if Dr. Leidner is actually Frederick

Bosner.

"Oncemoreletusstartourjourney-fromthepointofviewthistimeofyoungFrederickBosner.

"To begin with he loves his wife Louise with an overpowering passion, such as only a woman of her
kind can evoke. She betrays him. He is sentenced to death. He escapes. He is involved in a railway
accidentbuthemanagestoemergewithasecondpersonality-thatofayoungSwedisharchaeologist,
EricLeidner,whosebodyisbadlydisfiguredandwhowillbeconvenientlyburiedasFrederickBosner.

"WhatisthenewEricLeidner'sattitudetothewomanwhowaswillingtosendhimtohisdeath?First
and most important, he still loves her. He sets to work to build up his new life. He is a man of great
ability,hisprofessioniscongenialtohimandhemakesasuccessofit.Butheneverforgetstheruling
passion of his life. He keeps himself informed of his wife's movements. Of one thing he is cold-
bloodedly determined (remember Mrs. Leidner's own description of him to Nurse Leatheran - gentle
andkindbutruthless),sheshallbelongtonootherman.Wheneverhejudgesitnecessaryhedespatches
aletter.Heimitatessomeofthepeculiaritiesofherhand-writingincasesheshouldthinkoftakinghis
letterstothepolice.Womenwhowritesensationalanonymousletterstothemselvesaresuchacommon
phenomenonthatthepolicewillbesuretojumptothatsolutiongiventhelikenessofthehandwriting.
Atthesametimeheleavesherindoubtastowhetherheisreallyaliveornot.

"Atlast,aftermanyyears,hejudgesthatthetimehasarrived;here-entersherlife.Allgoeswell.His
wifeneverdreamsofhisrealidentity.Heisawell-knownman.Theupstanding,good-lookingyoung
fellowisnowamiddle-agedmanwithabeardandstoopingshoulders.Andsoweseehistoryrepeating
itself.Asbefore,FrederickisabletodominateLouise.Forthesecondtimesheconsentstomarryhim.
Andnolettercomestoforbidthebanns.

"Butafterwardsaletterdoescome.Why?

"IthinkthatDr.Leidnerwastakingnochances.Theintimacyofmarriagemightawakenamemory.He
wishestoimpressonhiswife,onceandforall,thatEricLeidnerandFrederickBosneraretwodifferent
people.Somuchsothatathreateninglettercomesfromtheformeronaccountofthelatter.Therather
puerilegaspoisoningbusinessfollows-arrangedbyDr.Leidner,ofcourse.Stillwiththesameobjectin
view.

"After that he is satisfied. No more letters need come. They can settle down to happy married life
together.

"Andthen,afternearlytwoyears,thelettersrecommence.

"Why?Ehbien,IthinkIknow.Becausethethreatunderlyingtheletterswasalwaysagenuinethreat.
(That is why Mrs. Leidner has always been frightened. She knew her Frederick's gentle but ruthless
nature.)Ifshebelongstoanyothermanbuthimhewouldkillher.AndshehasgivenherselftoRichard
Carey.

"Andso,havingdiscoveredthis,cold-bloodedly,calmly,Dr.Leidnerpreparesthesceneformurder.

"You see now the important part played by Nurse Leatheran? Dr. Leidner's rather curious conduct (it
puzzledmeattheveryfirst)insecuringherservicesforhiswifeisexplained.Itwasvitalthatareliable
professional witness should be able to state incontrovertibly that Mrs. Leidner had been dead over an
hourwhenherbodywasfound-thatis,thatshehadbeenkilledatatimewheneverybodycouldswear
herhusbandwasontheroof.Asuspicionmighthavearisenthathehadkilledherwhenheenteredthe
roomandfoundthebody-butthatwasoutofthequestionwhenatrainedhospitalNursewouldassert
positivelythatshehadalreadybeendeadanhour.

"Another thing that is explained is the curious state of tension and strain that had come over the
expeditionthisyear.IneverfromthefirstthoughtthatthatcouldbeattributedsolelytoMrs.Leidner's
influence.Forseveralyearsthisparticularexpeditionhadhadareputationforhappygood-fellowship.
Inmyopinionthestateofmindofacommunityisalwaysdirectlyduetotheinfluenceofthemanatthe
top. Dr. Leidner, quiet though he was, was a man of great personality. It was due to his tact, to his
judgment,tohissympatheticmanipulationofhumanbeingsthattheatmospherehadalwaysbeensucha
happyone.

"Iftherewasachange,therefore,thechangemustbeduetothemanatthetop-inotherwords,toDr.
Leidner.ItwasDr.Leidner,notMrs.Leidner,whowasresponsibleforthetensionanduneasiness.No
wonderthestafffeltthechangewithoutunderstandingit.ThekindlygenialDr.Leidner,outwardlythe
same,wasonlyplayingthepartofhimself.Therealmanwasanobsessedfanaticplottingtokill.

"And now we will pass on to the second murder - that of Miss Johnson. In tidying up Dr. Leidner's
papers in the office (a job she took on herself unasked, craving for something to do) she must have
comeonsomeunfinisheddraftofoneoftheanonymousletters.

"It must have been both incomprehensible and extremely upsetting to her! Dr. Leidner has been
deliberatelyterrorizinghiswife!Shecannotunderstandit-butitupsetsherbadly.Itisinthismoodthat
NurseLeatherandiscovershercrying.

"IdonotthinkatthemomentthatshesuspectsDr.Leidnerofbeingthemurderer,butmyexperiments
withsoundsinMrs.Leidner'sandFatherLavigny'sroomsarenotlostuponher.Sherealizesthatifit
was Mrs. Leidner's cry she heard, the window in her room must have been open, not shut. At the

momentthatconveysnothingvitaltoher,butsheremembersit.

"Hermindgoesonworking-ferretingitswaytowardsthetruth.Perhapsshemakessomereferenceto
the letters which Dr. Leidner understands and his manner changes. She may see that he is, suddenly,
afraid.

"ButDr.Leidnercannothavekilledhiswife!Hewasontheroofallthetime.

"Andthen,oneevening,assheherselfisontheroofpuzzlingaboutit,thetruthcomestoherinaflash.
Mrs.Leidnerhasbeenkilledfromuphere,throughtheopenwindow.

"ItwasatthatminutethatNurseLeatheranfoundher.

"Andimmediately,heroldaffectionreassertingitself,sheputsupaquickcamouflage.NurseLeatheran
mustnotguessthehorrifyingdiscoveryshehasjustmade.

"Shelooksdeliberatelyintheoppositedirection(towardsthecourtyard)andmakesaremarksuggested
toherbyFatherLavigny'sappearanceashecrossesthecourtyard.

"Sherefusestosaymore.Shehasgotto'thinkthingsout.'

"AndDr.Leidner,whohasbeenwatchingheranxiously,realizesthatsheknowsthetruth.Sheisnotthe
kindofwomantoconcealherhorroranddistressfromhim.

"Itistruethatasyetshehasnotgivenhimaway-buthowlongcanhedependuponher?

"Murderisahabit.Thatnighthesubstitutesaglassofacidforherglassofwater.Thereisjustachance
she may be believed to have deliberately poisoned herself. There is even a chance she may be
consideredtohavedonethefirstmurderandhasnowbeenovercomewithremorse.Tostrengthenthe
latterideahetakesthequernfromtheroofandputsitunderherbed.

"NowonderthatpoorMissJohnson,inherdeathagony,couldonlytrydesperatelytoimpartherhard-
won information. Through 'the window,' that is how Mrs. Leidner was killed, not through the door -
throughthewindow...

"Andsothus,everythingisexplained,everythingfallsintoplace...Psychologicallyperfect.

"Butthereisnoproof.Noproofatall..."

Noneofusspoke.Wewerelostinaseaofhorror...Yes,andnotonlyhorror.Pity,too.

Dr.Leidnerhadneithermovednorspoken.Hesatjustashehaddoneallalong.Atired,worn,elderly
man.

AtlasthestirredslightlyandlookedatPoirotwithgentletiredeyes.

"No," he said, "there is no proof. But that does not matter. You knew that I would not deny truth... I
haveneverdeniedtruth...Ithink-really-Iamratherglad...I'msotired..."

Thenhesaidsimply:

"I'msorryaboutAnne.Thatwasbad-senseless-itwasn'tme!Andshesuffered,too,poorsoul.Yes,
thatwasn'tme.Itwasfear..."

Alittlesmilejusthoveredonhispain-twistedlips.

"Youwouldhavemadeagoodarchaeologist,M.Poirot.Youhavethegiftofre-creatingthepast.

"Itwasallverymuchasyousaid.

"I loved Louise and I killed her... If you'd known Louise you'd have understood... No, I think you
understandanyway..."

Chapter29

L'ENVOI

Thereisn'treallyanymoretosayaboutthings.

Theygot"Father"LavignyandtheothermanjustastheyweregoingonboardasteameratBeyrouth.

SheilaReillymarriedyoungEmmott.Ithinkthatwillbegoodforher.He'snodoor-mat-he'llkeepher
inherplace.She'dhaveriddenroughshodoverpoorBillColeman.

Inursedhim,bytheway,whenhehadappendicitisayearago.Igotquitefondofhim.Hispeoplewere
sendinghimouttofarminSouthAfrica.

I've never been out East again. It's funny - sometimes I wish I could. I think of the noise the water-
wheelmadeandthewomenwashing,andthatqueerhaughtylookthatcamelsgiveyou-andIgetquite
ahomesickfeeling.Afterall,perhapsdirtisn'treallysounhealthyasoneisbroughtuptobelieve!

Dr.Reillyusuallylooksmeupwhenhe'sinEngland,andasIsaid,it'shewho'sgotmeintothis."Take
itorleaveit,"Isaidtohim."Iknowthegrammar'sallwrongandit'snotproperlywrittenoranything
likethat-butthereitis."

Andhetookit.Madenobonesaboutit.Itwillgivemeaqueerfeelingifit'severprinted.

M. Poirot went back to Syria and about a week later he went home on the Orient Express and got
himselfmixedupinanothermurder.Hewasclever,Idon'tdenyit,butIshan'tforgivehiminahurry
forpullingmylegthewayhedid.PretendingtothinkImightbemixedupinthecrimeandnotareal
hospitalNurseatall!

Doctors are like that sometimes. Will have their joke, some of them will, and never think of your
feelings!

I'vethoughtandthoughtaboutMrs.Leidnerandwhatshewasreallylike...Sometimesitseemstome
shewasjustaterriblewoman-andothertimesIrememberhowniceshewastomeandhowsofther
voicewas-andherlovelyfairhairandeverything-andIfeelthatperhaps,afterall,shewasmoretobe
pitiedthanblamed...

AndIcan'thelpbutpityDr.Leidner.Iknowhewasamurderertwiceover,butitdoesn'tseemtomake
anydifference.Hewassodreadfullyfondofher.It'sawfultobefondofanyonelikethat.

Somehow,themoreIgetolder,andthemoreIseeofpeopleandsadnessandillnessandeverything,the
sorrier I get for every one. Sometimes, I declare, I don't know what's become of the good strict

principles my aunt brought me up with. A very religious woman she was, and most particular. There
wasn'toneofourneighbourswhosefaultsshedidn'tknowbackwardsandforwards...

Oh,dear,it'squitetruewhatDr.Reillysaid.Howdoesonestopwriting?IfIcouldfindareallygood
tellingphrase.

ImustaskDr.ReillyforsomeArabone.

LiketheoneM.Poirotused.

InthenameofAllah,theMerciful,theCompassionate...

Somethinglikethat.