HP29-AftertheFuneral

AgathaChristie

Chapter1

OldLanscombemovedtotteringlyfromroomtoroom,pullinguptheblinds.Nowandthenhepeered
withscreweduprheumyeyesthroughthewindows.

Soontheywouldbecomingbackfromthefuneral.Heshuffledalongalittlefaster.Thereweresomany
windows.

EnderbyHallwasavastVictorianhousebuiltintheGothicstyle.Ineveryroomthecurtainswereof
richfadedbrocadeorvelvet.Someofthewallswerestillhungwithfadedsilk.Inthegreendrawing-
room, the old butler glanced up at the portrait above the mantelpiece of old Cornelius Abernethie for
whomEnderbyHallhadbeenbuilt.CorneliusAbernethie'sbrownbeardstuckforwardaggressively,his
handrestedonaterrestrialglobe,whetherbydesireofthesitter,orasasymbolicconceitonthepartof
theartist,noonecouldtell.

Averyforcefullookinggentleman,sooldLanscombehadalwaysthought,andwasgladthathehimself
hadneverknownhimpersonally.MrRichardhadbeenhisgentleman.Agoodmaster,MrRichard.And
takenverysudden,he'dbeen,thoughofcoursethedoctorhadbeenattendinghimforsomelittletime.
Ah, but the master had never recovered from the shock of young Mr Mortimer's death. The old man
shookhisheadashehurriedthroughaconnectingdoorintotheWhiteBoudoir.Terrible,thathadbeen,
a real catastrophe. Such a fine upstanding young gentleman, so strong and healthy. You'd never have
thoughtsuchathinglikelytohappentohim.Pitiful,ithadbeen,quitepitiful.AndMrGordonkilledin
thewar.Onethingontopofanother.Thatwasthewaythingswentnowadays.Toomuchforthemaster,
ithadbeen.Andyethe'dseemedalmosthimselfaweekago.

ThethirdblindintheWhiteBoudoirrefusedtogoupasitshould.Itwentupalittlewayandstuck.The
springswereweak-that'swhatitwas-veryold,theseblindswere,likeeverythingelseinthehouse.
And you couldn't get these old things mended nowadays. Too old-fashioned, that's what they'd say,
shakingtheirheadsinthatsillysuperiorway-asiftheoldthingsweren'tagreatdealbetterthanthe
newones!Hecouldtellthemthat!Gimcrack,halfthenewstuffwas-cametopiecesinyourhand.The
materialwasn'tgood,orthecraftsmanshipeither.Ohyes,couldtellthem.

Couldn'tdoanythingaboutthisblindunlesshegotthesteps.Hedidn'tlikeclimbingupthestepsmuch,
thesedays,madehimcomeovergiddy.Anyway,he'dleavetheblindfornow.Itdidn'tmatter,sincethe

WhiteBoudoirdidn'tfacethefrontofthehousewhereitwouldbeseenasthecarscamebackfromthe
funeral-anditwasn'tasthoughtheroomwaseverusednowadays.Itwasalady'sroom,this,andthere
hadn'tbeenaladyatEnderbyforalongwhilenow.ApityMrMortimerhadn'tmarried.Alwaysgoing
off to Norway for fishing and to Scotland for shooting and to Switzerland for those winter sports,
insteadofmarryingsomeniceyoungladyandsettlingdownathomewithchildrenrunningaboutthe
house.Itwasalongtimesincetherehadbeenanychildreninthehouse.

AndLanscombe'smindwentrangingbacktoatimethatstoodoutclearlyanddistinctly-muchmore
distinctlythanthelasttwentyyearsorso,whichwereallblurredandconfusedandhecouldn'treally
remember who had come and gone or indeed what they looked like. But he could remember the old
dayswellenough.

Morelikeafathertothoseyoungbrothersandsistersofhis,MrRichardhadbeen.Twenty-fourwhen
hisfatherhaddied,andhe'dpitchedinrightawaytothebusiness,goingoffeverydayaspunctualas
clockwork, and keeping the house running and everything as lavish as it could be. A very happy
householdwithallthoseyoungladiesandgentlemengrowingup.Fightsandquarrelsnowandagain,of
course,andthosegovernesseshadhadabadtimeofit!Poor-spiritedcreatures,governesses,Lanscombe
hadalwaysdespisedthem.Veryspiritedtheyoungladieshadbeen.MissGeraldineinparticular.Miss
Cora,too,althoughshewassomuchyounger.AndnowMrLeowasdead,andMissLauragonetoo.
And Mr Timothy such a sad invalid. And Miss Geraldine dying somewhere abroad. And Mr Gordon
killed in the war. Although he was the eldest, Mr Richard himself turned out the strongest of the lot.
Outlived them all, he had - at least not quite because Mr Timothy was still alive and little Miss Cora
who'dmarriedthatunpleasantartistchap.Twenty-fiveyearssincehe'dseenherandshe'dbeenapretty
younggirlwhenshewentoffwiththatchap,andnowhe'dhardlyhaveknownher,grownsostout-and
soarty-craftyinherdress!AFrenchmanherhusbandhadbeen,ornearlyaFrenchman-andnogood
evercameofmarryingoneofthem!ButMissCorahadalwaysbeenabit-well,simplelikeyou'dcallit
ifshe'dlivedinavillage.Alwaysoneoftheminafamily.

She'drememberedhimallright."Why,it'sLanscombe!"she'dsaidandseemedeversopleasedtosee
him. Ah, they'd all been fond of him in the old days and when there was a dinner party they'd crept
downtothepantryandhe'dgavethemjellyandCharlotteRussewhenitcameoutofthedining-room.
They'dallknownoldLanscombe,andnowtherewashardlyanyonewhoremembered.Justtheyounger
lot whom he could never keep clear in his mind and who just thought of him as a butler who'd been
therealongtime.Alotofstrangers,hehadthought,whentheyallarrivedforthefuneral-andaseedy
lotofstrangersatthat!NotMrsLeo-shewasdifferent.SheandMrLeohadcomehereoffandonever
sinceMrLeomarried.Shewasanicelady,MrsLeo-areallady.Woreproperclothesanddidherhair
wellandlookedwhatshewas.Andthemasterhadalwaysbenfondofher.ApitythatsheandMrLeo
hadneverhadanychildren...

Lanscombe roused himself; what was he doing standing here and dreaming about old days with so
much to be done? The blinds were all attended to on the ground floor now, and he'd told Janet to go
upstairsanddothebedrooms.HeandJanetandthecookhadgonetothefuneralserviceinthechurch
butinsteadofgoingontotheCrematoriumthey'ddrivenbacktothehousetogettheblindsupandthe

lunch ready. Cold lunch, of course, it had to be. Ham and chicken and tongue and salad. With cold
lemonsouffléandappletarttofollow.Hotsoupfirst-andhe'dbettergoalongandseethatMarjorie
hadgotitonreadytoserve,forthey'dbebackinaminuteortwonowforcertain.

Lanscombebrokeintoashufflingtrotacrosstheroom.Hisgaze,abstractedanduncurious,justswept
uptothepictureoverthismantelpiece-thecompanionportraittotheoneinthegreendrawing-room.It
was a nice painting of white satin and pearls. The human being round whom they were draped and
clasped was not nearly so impressive. Meek features, a rosebud mouth, hair parted in the middle. A
woman both modest and unassuming. The only thing really worthy of note about Mrs Cornelius
Abernethiehadbeenhername-Coralie.

For over sixty years after their original appearance, Coral Cornplasters and the allied "Coral" foot
preparations still held their own. Whther there had ever been anything outstanding about Coral
Cornplasters nobody could say - but they had appealed to the public fancy. On a foundation of Coral
Cornplasterstherhadarisenthisneo-Gothicpalace,itsacresofgardens,andthemoneythathadpaid
outanincometosevensonsanddaughtersandhadallowedRichardAbernethietodiethreedaysagoa
veryrichman.

II

Lookingintothekitchenwithawordofadmonition,LanscombewassnappedatbyMarjorie,thecook.
Marjorie was young, only twenty-seven, and was a constant irritation to Lanscombe as being so far
removed from what his conception of a proper cook should be. She had no dignity and no proper
appreciation of his, Lanscombe's position. She frequently called the house "a proper old mausoleum"
andcomplainedoftheimmenseareaofthekitchen,sculleryandlarder,sayingthatitwasa"day'swalk
togetroundthemall."ShehadbeenatEnderbytwoyearsandonlystayedbecauseinthefirstplacethe
money was good, and in the second because Mr Abernethie had really appreciated her cooking. She
cooked very well. Janet, who stood by the kitchen table, refreshing herself with a cup of tea, was an
elderly housemaid who, although enjoying frequent acid disputes with Lanscombe, was nevertheless
usually in alliance with him against the younger generation as represented by Marjorie. The fourth
personinthekitchenwasMrsJacks,who"camein"tolendassistancewhereitwaswantedandwho
hadmuchenjoyedthefuneral.

"Beautiful it was," she said with a decorous sniff as she replenished her cup. "Nineteen cars and the
churchquitefullandtheCanonreadtheservicebeautiful,Ithought.Anicefinedayforit,too.Ah,poor
dearMrAberenthie,there'snotmanylikehimleftintheworld.Respectedbyall,hewas."

Therewasthenoteofahornandthesoundofacarcomingupthedrive,andMrsJacksputdownher
cupandexclaimed:"Heretheyare."

Marjorieturnedupthegasunderherlargesaucepanofcreamychickensoup.Thelargekitchenrangeof
thedaysofVictoriangrandeurstoodcoldandunused,likeanaltarofthepast.

The cars drove up one after the other and the people issuing from them in their black clothes moved
ratheruncertainlyacrossthehallandintothebiggreendrawing-room.Inthebiggsteelgrateafirewas
burning, tribute to the first chill of the autumn days and calculated to counteract the further chill of
standingaboutatafuneral.

Lanscombeenteredtheroom,offeringglassesofsherryonasilvertray.

Mr Entwhistle, senior partner of the old and respected firm of Bollard, Entwhistle, Entwhistle and
Bollard, stood with his back to the fireplace warming himself. He accepted a glass of sherry, and
surveyedthecompanywithhisshrewdlawyer'sgaze.Notallofthemwerepersonallyknowntohim,
andhewasunderthenecessityofsortingthemout,sotospeak.Introductionsbeforethedeparturefor
thefuneralhadbeenhushedandperfunctory.

AppraisingoldLanscombefirst,MrEntwhistlethoughttohimself,"Gettingveryshaky,pooroldchap-
goingonforninetyIshouldn'twonder.Well,he'llhavethatnicelittleannuity.Nothingforhimtoworry
about. Faithful soul. No such thing as old-fashioned service nowadays. Household helps and baby-
sitters, God help us all! A sad world. Just as well, perhaps, poor Richard didn't last his full time. He
hadn'tmuchtolivefor."

ToMrEntwhistle,whowasseventy-two,RichardAbernethie'sdeathatsixty-eightwasdefinitivelythat
of a man dead before his time. Mr Entwhistle had retired from active business two years ago, but as
executor of Richard Abernethie's will and in respect for one of his oldest clients who was also a
personalfriend,hehadmadethejourneytotheNorth.

Reflectinginhisownmindontheprovisionsofthewill,hementallyappraisedthefamily.

Mrs Leo, Helen, he knew well, of course. A very charming woman for whom he had both liking and
respect.Hiseyesdweltapprovinglyonhernow,asshestoodnearoneofthewindows.Blacksuitedher.
Shehadkeptherfigurewell.Helikedtheclearcutfeatures,thespringinglineofgreyhairbackfrom
hertemplesandtheeyesthathadoncebeenlikenedtocornflowersandwhichwerestillquitevividly
blue.

How old was Helen now? About fifty-one or -two, he supposed. Strange that she had never married
againafterLeo'sdeath.Anattractivewoman.Ah,buttheyhadbeendevoted,thosetwo.

HiseyeswentontoMrsTimothy.Hehadneverknownherverywell.Blackdidn'tsuither-country
tweeds were her wear. She'd always been a good devoted wife to Timothy. Looking after his health,
fussingoverhim-fussingoverhimabittoomuch,probably.Wastherereallyanythingthematterwith
Timothy? Just a hypochondriac, Mr Entwhistle suspected. Richard Abernethie had suspected so, too.
"Weakchest,ofcourse,whenhewasaboy,"hehadsaid."ButblestifIthinkthere'smuchwrongwith
himnow."Ohwell,everybodyhadtohavesomehobby.Timothy'shobbywastheallabsorbingoneof
his own health. Was Mrs Tim taken in? Probably not - but women never admitted that sort of thing.
Timothy must be quite comfortably off. He'd never been a spendthrift. However, the extra would not
comeamiss-notinthesedaysoftaxation.He'dprobablyhadtoretrenchhisscaleoflivingagooddeal
sincethewar.

MrEntwhistletransferredhisattentiontoGeorgeCrossfield,Laura'sson.DubioussortoffellowLaura
had married. Nobody had ever known much about him. A stockbroker he had called himself. Young
George was in a solicitor's office - not a very reputable firm. Good-looking young fellow - but
somethingalittleshiftyabouthim.Hecouldn'thavetoomuchtoliveon.Laurahadbeenacomplete
fool over her investments. She'd left next to nothing when she died five years ago. A handsome
romanticgirl,she'dbeen,butnomoneysense.

MrEntwhistle'seyeswentonfromGeorgeCrossfield.Whichofthetwogirlswaswhich?Ahyes,that
was Rosamund, Geraldine's daughter, looking at the wax flowers on the malachite table. Pretty girl,
beautiful, in fact - rather a silly face. On the stage. Repertory companies or some nonsense like that.
Hadmarriedanactor,too.Good-lookingfellow."Andknowsheis,"thoughtMrEntwhistle,whowas
prejudicedagainstthestageasaprofession."Wonderwhatsortofabackgroundhehasandwherehe
comesfrom."

HelookeddisapprovinglyatMichaelShanewithhisfairhairandhishaggardcharm.

NowSusan,Gordon'sdaughter,woulddomuchbetteronthestagethanRosamund.Morepersonality.A
littletoomuchpersonalityforeverydaylife,perhaps.ShewasquitenearhimandMrEntwhistlestudied
her covertly. Dark hair, hazel - almost golden-eyes, a sulky attractive mouth. Beside her was the
husbandshehadjustmarried-achemist'sassistant,heunderstood.Really,achemist'sassistant!InMr
Entwhistle'screedgirlsdidnotmarryyoungmenwhoservedbehindacounter.Butnowofcourse,they
married anybody! The young man, who had a pale nondescript face, seemed very ill at ease. Mr
Entwhistlewonderedwhy,butdecidedcharitablythatitwasthestrainofmeetingsomanyofhiswife's
relations.

LastinhissurveyMrEntwhistlecametoCoraLansquenet.Therewasacertainjusticeinthat,forCora
haddecidedlybeenanafterthoughtinthefamily.Richard'syoungestsister,shehadbeenbornwhenher
motherwasjustonfifty,andthatmeekwomanhadnotsurvivedhertenthpregnancy(threechildrenhad
diedininfancy).PoorlittleCora!Allherlife,Corahadbeenratheranembarassment,growinguptall
andgawky,andgiventoblurtingoutremarksthathadalwaysbetterhaveremainedunsaid.Allherelder
brothers and sisters had been very kind to Cora, atoning for her deficiencies and covering her social

mistakes. It had never really occurred to anyonethat Cora would marry. She had not been a very
attractivegirl,andherratherobviousadvancestovisitingyoungmenhadusuallycausedthelatterto
retreatinsomealarm.Andthen,MrEntwhistlemused,therehadcometheLansquenetbusiness-Pierre
Lansquenet,halfFrench,whomshehadcomeacrossinanArtschoolwhereshehadbeenhavingvery
correctlessonsinpaintingflowersinwatercolours.ButsomehowshehadgotintotheLifeclassand
thereshehadmetPierreLansquenetandhadcomehomeandannouncedherintentionofmarryinghim.
Richard Abernethie had put his foot down - he hadn't liked what he saw of Pierre Lansquenet and
suspected that the young man was really in search of a rich wife. But whilst he was making a few
researchesintoLansquenet'santecedents,Corahadboltedwiththefellowandmarriedhimoutofhand.
They had spent most of their married lifein Brittany and Cornwall and other painters' conventional
haunts.Lansquenethadbeenaverybadpainterandnot,byallaccounts,averyniceman,butCorahad
remained devoted to him and had never forgiven her family for their attitude to him. Richard had
generouslymadehisyoungsisteranallowanceandonthattheyhad,soMrEntwhistlebelieved,lived.
HedoubtedifLansquenethadeverearnedanymoneyatall.Hemusthavebeendeadnowtwelveyears
ormore,thoughtMrEntwhistle.Andnowherewashiswidow,rathercushion-likeinshapeanddressed
inwispyartisticblackwithfestoonsofjetbeads,backinthehomeofhergirlhood,movingaboutand
touchingthingsandexclaimingwithpleasurewhensherecalledsomechildishmemory.Shemadevery
little pretence of grief at her brother's death. But then, Mr Entwhistle reflected, Cora had never
pretended.

Re-enteringtheroomLanscombemurmuredinmutedtonessuitabletotheoccasion:

"Luncheonisserved."

Chapter2

After the delicious chicken soup, and plenty of cold viands accompanied by an excellent chablis, the
funeral atmosphere lightened. Nobody had really felt any deep grief for Richard Abernethie's death
since none of them had had any close ties with him. Their behaviour had been suitably decorous and
subdued(withtheexceptionoftheuninhibitedCorawhowasclearlyenjoyingherself)butitwasnow
felt that the decencies had been observed and that normal conversation could be resumed. Mr
Entwhistleencouragedthisattitude.Hewasexperiencedinfuneralsandknewexactlyhowtosetcorrect
funeraltiming.

Afterthemealwasover,Lanscombeindicatedthelibraryforcoffee.Thiswashisfeelingforniceties.
Thetimehadcomewhenbusinessinotherwords,TheWill-wouldbediscussed.Thelibraryhadthe
properatmosphereforthatwithitsbookshelvesanditsheavyredvelvetcurtains.Heservedcoffeeto
themthereandthenwithdrew,closingthedoor.

After a few desultory remarks, everyone began to look tentatively at Mr Entwhistle. He responded
promptlyafterglancingathiswatch.

"Ihavetocatchthe3.30train,"hebegan.

Others,itseemed,alsohadtocatchthattrain.

"Asyouknow,"saidMrEntwhistle,"IamtheexecutorofRichardAbernethie'swill-"

Hewasinterrupted.

"Ididn'tknow,"saidCoraLansquenetbrightly."Areyou?Didheleavemeanything?"

Notforthefirsttime,MrEntwhistlefeltthatCorawastooapttospeakoutofturn.

Bendingarepressiveglanceatherhecontinued:

"Up to a year ago, Richard Abernethie's will was very simple. Subject to certain legacies he left
everythingtohissonMortimer."

"PoorMortimer,"saidCora."Idothinkallthisinfantileparalysisisdreadful."

"Mortimer'sdeath,comingsosuddenlyandtragically,wasagreatblowtoRichard.Ittookhimsome
monthstorallyfromit.Ipointedouttohimthatitmightbeadvisableforhimtomakenewtestamentary
dispositions."

MaudeAbernethieaskedinherdeepvoice:

"Whatwouldhavehappenedifhehadn'tmadeanewwill?Wouldit-woulditallhavegonetoTimothy
-asthenextofkin,Imean?"

MrEntwhistleopenedhismonthtogiveadisquisitiononthesubjectofnextofkin,thoughtbetterofit,
andsaidcrisply:

"On my advice, Richard decided to make a new will. First of all, however, he decided to get better
acquaintedwiththeyoungergeneration."

"He had us upon appro," said Susan with a sudden rich laugh. "First George and then Greg and then
RosamundandMichael."

Gregory,Bankssaidsharply,histhinfaceflushing:

"Idontthinkyououghttoputitlikethat,Susan.Onappro,indeed!"

"Butthatwaswhatitwas,wasn'tit,MrEntwhistle?"

"Didheleavemeanything?"repeatedCora.

MrEntwhistlecoughedandspokerathercoldly:

"I propose to send you all copies of the will. I can read it to you in full now if you like but its legal
phraseologymayseemtoyouratherobscure.Brieflyitamountstothis:Aftercertainsmallbequestsand
asubstantiallegacytoLanscombetopurchaseanannuity,thebulkoftheestate-averyconsiderable
one - is to be divided into six equal portions. Four of these, after all duties are paid, are to go to
Richard's brother Timothy, his nephew George Crossfield, his niece Susan Banks, and his niece
RosamundShane.Theothertwoportionsaretobeheldupontrustandtheincomefromthempaidto
Mrs Helen Abernethie, the widow of his brother Leo; and to his sister Mrs Cora Lansquenet, during
their lifetime. The capital after their death to be divided between the other four beneficiaries or their
issue."

"That'sverynice!"saidCoraLansquenetwithrealappreciation."Anincome!Howmuch?"

"I-er-can'tsayexactly,atpresent.Deathduties,ofcoursewillbeheavyand-"

"Can'tyougivemeanyidea?"

MrEntwhistlerealisedthatCoramustbeappeased.

"Possiblysomewhereintheneighbourhoodofthreetofourthousandayear."

"Goody!"saidCora."IshallgotoCapri."

HelenAbernethiesaidsoftly:

"HowverykindandgenerousofRichard.Idoappreciatehisaffectiontowardsme."

"Hewasveryfondofyou,"saidMrEntwhistle."Leowashisfavouritebrotherandyourvisitstohim
werealwaysmuchappreciatedafterLeodied."

Helensaidregretfully:

"IwishIhadrealisedhowillhewas-Icameuptoseehimnotlongbeforehedied,butalthoughIknew
hehadbeenill,Ididnotthinkitwasserious."

"Itwasalwaysserious,"saidMrEntwhistle."ButhedidnotwantittalkedaboutandIdonotbelieve
thatanybodyexpectedtheendtocomeassoonasitdid.Thedoctorwasquitesurprised,Iknow."

"'Suddenly,athisresidence,'that'swhatitsaidinthepaper,"saidCora,noddingherhead."Iwondered,
then."

"Itwasashocktoallofus,"saidMaudeAbernethie."ItupsetpoorTimothydreadfully.Sosudden,he
keptsaying.Sosudden."

"Still,it'sbeenhushedupverynicely,hasn'tit?"saidCora.

Everybodystaredatherandsheseemedalittleflustered.

"Ithinkyou'reallquiteright,"shesaidhurriedly."Quiteright.Imean-itcan'tdoanygood-makingit
public.Veryunpleasantforeverybody.Itshouldbekeptstrictlyinthefamily."

Thefacesturnedtowardsherlookedevenmoreblank.

MrEntwhistleleanedforward:

"Really,Cora,I'mafraidIdon'tquiteunderstandwhatyoumean."

CoraLansquenetlookedroundatthefamilyinwide-eyedsurprise.Shetiltedherheadononesidewith
abird-likemovement.

"Buthewasmurdered,wasn'the?"shesaid.

Chapter3

TravellingtoLondoninthecornerofafirst-classcarriageMrEntwhistlegavehimselfuptosomewhat
uneasythoughtoverthatextraordinaryremarkmadebyCoraLansquenet.OfcourseCorawasarather
unbalancedandexcessivelystupidwoman,andshehadbeennoted,evenasagirl,fortheembarrassing
mannerinwhichshehadblurtedoutunwelcometruths.Atleast,hedidn'tmeantruths-thatwasquite
thewrongwordtouse.Awkwardstatements-thatwasamuchbetterterm.

Inhismindhewentbackovertheimmediatesequencetothatunfortunateremark.Thecombinedstare
ofmanystartledanddisapprovingeyeshadrousedCoratoasenseoftheenormityofwhatshehadsaid.

Maudehadexclaimed,"Really,Cora!"Georgehadsaid,"MydearAuntCora."Somebodyelsehadsaid,
"Whatdoyoumean?"

AndatonceCoraLansquenet,abashed,andconvictedofenormity,hadburstintoflutteringphrases.

"OhI'msorry-Ididn'tmean-oh,ofcourse,itwasverystupidofme,butIdidthinkfromwhathesaid
-Oh,ofcourseIknowit'squiteallright,buthisdeathwassosudden-pleaseforgetthatIsaidanything
atall-Ididn'tmeantobesostupid-IknowI'malwayssayingthewrongthing."

And then the momentary upset had died down and there had been a practical discussion about the
dispositionofthelateRichardAbernethie'spersonaleffects.Thehouseanditscontents,MrEntwhistle
supplemented,wouldbeputupforsale.

Cora'sunfortunategaffehadbeenforgotten.Afterall,Corahadalwaysbeen,ifnotsubnormal,atany
rateembarrassinglynaïve.Shehadneverhadanyideaofwhatshouldorshouldnotbesaid.Atnineteen
it had not mattered so much. The mannerisms of an enfant terrible can persist to then, but an enfant
terribleofnearlyfiftyisdecidedlydisconcerting.Toblurtoutunwelcometruths-

Mr Entwhistle's train of thought came to an abrupt check. It was the second time that that disturbing
wordhadoccurred.Truths.Andwhywasitsodisturbing?Because,ofcourse,thathadalwaysbeenat
thebottomoftheembarrassmentthatCora'soutspokencommentshadcaused.Itwasbecausehernaïve
statementshadbeeneithertrueorhadcontainedsomegrainoftruththattheyhadbeensoembarrassing!

Althoughintheplumpwomanofforty-nine,MrEntwhistlehadbeenabletoseelittleresemblanceto
thegawkygirlofearlierdays,certainofCora'smannerismshadpersisted-theslightbird-liketwistof
theheadasshebroughtoutaparticularlyoutrageousremark-akindofairofpleasedexpectancy.In
just such a way had Cora once commented on the figure of the kitchen-maid. "Mollie can hardly get
nearthekitchentable,herstomachsticksoutso.It'sonlybeenlikethatthelastmonthortwo.Iwonder
whyshe'sgettingsofat?"

Corahadbeenquicklyhushed.TheAbernethiehouseholdwasVictorianintone.Thekitchen-maidhad
disappearedfromthepremisesthenextday,andafterdueinquirythesecondgardenerhadbeenordered
tomakeanhonestwomanofherandhadbeenpresentedwithacottageinwhichtodoso.

Far-offmemories-buttheyhadtheirpoint...

MrEntwhistleexaminedhisuneasinessmoreclosely.WhatwasthereinCora'sridiculousremarksthat
hadremainedtoteasehissubconsciousinthismanner?Presently,heisolatedtwophrases."Ididthink
fromwhathesaid-"and"hisdeathwassosudden..."

MrEntwhistleexaminedthatlastremarkfirst.Yes,Richard'sdeathcould,inafashion,beconsidered
sudden. Mr Entwhistle had discussed Richard's health both with Richard himself and with his doctor.
Thelatterhadindicatedplainlythatalonglifecouldnotbeexpected.IfMrAbernethietookreasonable
careofhimselfhemightlivetwooreventhreeyears.Perhapslonger-butthatwasunlikely.Inanycase
thedoctorhadanticipatednocollapseinthenearfuture.

Well,thedoctorhadbeenwrong-butdoctors,astheywerethefirsttoadmitthemselves,couldneverbe
sure about the individual reaction of a patient to disease. Cases given up, unexpectedly recovered.
Patientsonthewaytorecovery,relapsedanddied.Somuchdependedonthevitalityofthepatient.On
hisowninnerurgetolive.

AndRichardAbernethie,thoughastrongandvigorousman,hadhadnogreatincentivetolive.

Forsixmonthspreviouslyhisonlysurvivingson,Mortimer,hadcontractedinfantileparalysisandhad
diedwithinaweek.Hisdeathhadbeenashockgreatlyaugmentedbythefactthathehadbeensucha
particularlystrongandvitalyoungman.Akeensportsman,hewasalsoagoodathleteandwasoneof
thosepeopleofwhomitwassaidthathehadneverhadaday'sillnessinhislife.Hewasonthepointof

becoming engaged to a very charming girl and his father's hopes for the future were centred in this
dearlylovedandthoroughlysatisfactorysonofhis.

Instead had come tragedy. And besides the sense of personal loss, the future had held little to stir
Richard Abernethie's interest. One son had died in infancy, the second without issue. He had no
grandchildren. There was, in fact, no one of the Abernethie name to come after him, and he was the
holderofavastfortunewithwidebusinessinterestswhichhehimselfstillcontrolledtoacertainextent.
Whowastosucceedtothatfortuneandtothecontrolofthoseinterests?

ThatthishadworriedRicharddeeply,Entwhistleknew.Hisonlysurvivingbrotherwasverymuchofan
invalid. There remained the younger generation. It had been in Richard's mind, the lawyer thought,
though his friend had not actually said so, to choose one definite successor, though minor legacies
would probably have been made. Anyway, as Entwhistle knew, within the last six months Richard
Abernethie had invited to stay with him, in succession, his nephew George, his niece Susan and her
husband,hisnieceRosamundandherhusband,andhissister-in-law,MrsLeoAbernethie.

It was amongst the first three, so the lawyer thought, that Abernethie had looked for his successor.
HelenAbernethie,hethought,hadbeenaskedoutofpersonalaffectionandevenpossiblyassomeoneto
consult,forRichardhadalwaysheldahighopinionofhergoodsenseandpracticaljudgment.

MrEntwhistlealsorememberedthatsometimeduringthatsixmonthsperiodRichardhadpaidashort
visittohisbrotherTimothy.

Thenetresulthadbeenthewillwhichthelawyernowcarriedinhisbrief-case.Anequabledistribution
ofproperty.Theonlyconclusionthatcouldbedrawn,therefore,wasthathehadbeendisappointedboth
inhisnephew,andinhisnieces-orperhapsinhisnieces'husbands.

As far as Mr Entwhistle knew, he had not invited his sister, Cora Lansquenet, to visit him - and that
broughtthelawyerbacktothatfirstdisturbingphrasethatCorahadletslipsoincoherently-"butIdid
thinkfromwhathesaid-"

What had Richard Abernethie said? And when had he said it? If Cora had not been to Enderby, then
RichardAbernethiemusthavevisitedherattheartisticvillageinBerkshirewhereshehadacottage.Or
wasitsomethingthatRichardhadsaidinaletter?

Mr Entwhistle frowned. Cora, of course, was a very stupid woman. She could easily have
misinterpretedaphrase,andtwisteditsmeaning.Buthedidwonderwhatthephrasecouldhavebeen...

There was enough uneasiness in him to make him consider the possibility of approaching Mrs
Lansquenetonthesubject.Nottoosoon.Betternotmakeitseemofimportance.Buthewouldliketo
knowjustwhatitwasthatRichardAbernethiehadsaidtoherwhichhadledhertopipeupsobriskly
withthatoutrageousquestion:

"Buthewasmurdered,wasn'the?"

II

Inathird-classcarriage,fartheralongthetrain,GregoryBankssaidtohiswife:

"Thatauntofyoursmustbecompletelybats!"

"AuntCora?"Susanwasvague."Oh,yes,Ibelieveshewasalwaysabitsimpleorsomething."

GeorgeCrossfield,sittingopposite,saidsharply:

"Shereallyoughttobestoppedfromgoingaboutsayingthingslikethat.Itmightputideasintopeople's
heads."

RosamundShane,intentonoutliningthecupid'sbowofhermouthwithlipstick,murmuredvaguely:

"I don't suppose anyone would pay any attention to what a frump like that says. The most peculiar
clothesandlashingsandlashingsofjet-"

"Well,Ithinkitoughttobestopped,"saidGeorge.

"All right, darling," laughed Rosamund, putting away her lipstick and contemplating her image with
satisfactioninthemirror."Youstopit."

Herhusbandsaidunexpectedly:

"IthinkGeorgeisright.It'ssoeasytosetpeopletalking."

"Well,woulditmatter?"Rosamundcontemplatedthequestion.Thecupid'sbowliftedatthecornersina
smile."Itmightreallyberatherfun."

"Fun?"Fourvoicesspoke.

"Havingamurderinthefamily,"saidRosamund."Thrilling,youknow!"

ItoccurredtothatnervousandunhappyyoungmanGregoryBanksthatSusan'scousin,settingasideher
attractiveexterior,mighthavesomefaintpointsofresemblancetoherAuntCora.Hernextwordsrather
confirmedhisimpression.

"Ifhewasmurdered,"saidRosamund,"whodoyouthinkdidit?"

Hergazetravelledthoughtfullyroundthecarriage.

"His death has been awfully convenient for all of us," she said thoughtfully., "Michael and I are
absolutelyonourbeamends.Mick'shadareallygoodpartofferedtohimintheSandborneshowifhe
canaffordtowaitforit.Nowwe'llbeinclover.We'llbeabletobackourownshowifwewantto.Asa
matteroffactthere'saplaywithasimplywonderfulpart."

NobodylistenedtoRosamund'secstaticdisquisition.Theirattentionhadshiftedtotheirownimmediate
future.

"Touch and go," thought George to himself. "Now I can put that money back and nobody will ever
know...Butit'sbeenanearshave."

Gregoryclosedhiseyesashelaybackagainsttheseat.Escapefrombondage.

Susan said in her clear rather hard voice, "I'm very sorry, of course, for poor old Uncle Richard. But
thenhewasveryold,andMortimerhaddied,andhe'dnothingtoliveforanditwouldhavebeenawful
forhimtogoonasaninvalidyearafteryear.Muchbetterforhimtopopoffsuddenlylikethiswithno
fuss."

Herhardconfidentyoungeyessoftenedastheywatchedherhusband'sabsorbedface.SheadoredGreg.
ShesensedvaguelythatGregcaredforherlessthanshecaredforhim-butthatonlystrengthenedher

passion.Gregwashers,she'ddoanythingforhim.Anythingatall...

III

MaudeAbernethie,changingherdressfordinneratEnderby,(forshewasstayingthenight)wondered
ifsheoughttohaveofferedtostaylongertohelpHelenoutwiththesortingandclearingofthehouse.
There would be all Richard's personal things... There might be letters... All important papers, she
supposed,hadalreadybeentakenpossessionofbyMrEntwhistle.Anditreallywasnecessaryforherto
getbacktoTimothyassoonaspossible.Hefrettedsowhenshewasnottheretolookafterhim.She
hoped he would be pleased about the will and not annoyed. He had expected, she knew, that most of
Richard's fortune would come to him. After all, he was the only surviving Abernethie. Richard could
surely have trusted him to look after the younger generation. Yes, she was afraid Timothy would be
annoyed... And that was so bad for his digestion. And really, when he was annoyed, Timothy could
become quite unreasonable. There were times when he seemed to lose his sense of proportion... She
wonderedifsheoughttospeaktoDrBartonaboutit...Thosesleepingpills-Timothyhadbeentaking
fartoomanyofthemlately-hegotsoangrywhenshewantedtokeepthebottleforhim.Buttheycould
bedangerous-DrBartonhadsaidso-youcouldgetdrowsyandforgetyou'dtakenthem-andthen
takemore.Andthenanythingmighthappen!Therecertainlyweren'tasmanyleftinthebottleasthere
oughttobe...Timothywasreallyverynaughtyaboutmedicines.Hewouldn'tlistentoher...Hewasvery
difficultsometimes.

Shesighed-thenbrightened.Thingsweregoingtobemucheasiernow.Thegarden,forinstance-

IV

HelenAbernethiesatbythefireinthegreendrawing-roomwaitingforMaudetocomedowntodinner.

Shelookedroundher,rememberingolddaysherewithLeoandtheothers.Ithadbeenahappyhouse.
Butahouselikethisneededpeople.Itneededchildrenandservantsandbigmealsandplentyofroaring
firesinwinter.Ithadbeenasadhousewhenithadbeenlivedinbyoneoldmanwhohadlosthisson...

Whowouldbuyit,shewondered?Woulditbeturnedintoanhotel,oraninstitute,orperhapsoneof
thosehostelsforyoungpeople?Thatwaswhathappenedtothesevasthousesnowadays.Noonewould
buythemtolivein.Itwouldbepulleddown,perhaps,andthewholeestatebuiltover.Itmadehersadto
thinkofthat,butshepushedthesadnessasideresolutely.Itdidonenogoodtodwellonthepast.This
house,andhappydayshere,andRichard,andLeo,allthatwasgood,butitwasover.Shehadherown
activitiesandfriendsandinterests.Yes,herinterests...Andnow,withtheincomeRichardhadlefther,
shewouldbeabletokeeponthevillainCyprusanddoallthethingsshehadplannedtodo.

How worried she had been lately over money - taxation - all those investments going wrong... Now,
thankstoRichard'smoney,allthatwasover...

PoorRichard.Todieinhissleeplikethathadbeenreallyagreatmercy...Suddenlyonthe22nd-she
supposedthatthatwaswhathadputtheideaintoCora'shead.ReallyCorawasoutrageous!Shealways
had been. Helen remembered meeting her once abroad, soon after her marriage to Pierre Lansquenet.
Shehadbeenparticularlyfoolishandfatuousthatday,twistingherheadsidewaysandmakingdogmatic
statements about painting, and particularly about her husband's painting, which must have been most
uncomfortable for him. No man could like his wife appearing such a fool. And Cora was a fool! Oh,
well,poorthing,shecouldn'thelpit,andthathusbandofhershadn'ttreatedhertoowell.

Helen'sgazerestedabsentlyonabouquetofwaxflowersthatstoodonaroundmalachitetable.Cora
hadbeensittingbesideitwhentheyhadallbeensittingroundwaitingtostartforthechurch.Shehad
been full of reminiscences and delighted recognitions of various things and was clearly so pleased at
being back in her old home that she had completely lost sight of the reason for which they were
assembled.

"Butperhaps,"thoughtHelen,"shewasjustlessofahypocritethantherestofus..."

Cora had never been one for observing the conventions. Look at the way she had plumped out that
question:"Buthewasmurdered,wasn'the?"

Thefacesallround,startled,shocked,staringather!Suchavarietyofexpressionstheremusthavebeen
onthosefaces...

Andsuddenly,seeingthepictureclearlyinhermind,Helenfrowned...Therewassomethingwrongwith
thatpicture...

Something...?

Somebody...?

Wasitanexpressiononsomeone'sface?Wasthatit?Somethingthat-howcouldsheputit?-oughtnot
tohavebeenthere...?

Shedidn'tknow...shecouldn'tplaceit...buttherehadbeensomething-somewhere-wrong.

V

Meanwhile,inthebuffetatSwindon,aladyinwispymourningandfestoonsofjetwaseatingbathbuns
anddrinkingteaandlookingforwardtothefuture.Shehadnopremonitionsofdisaster.Shewashappy.

Thesecross-countryjourneyswerecertainlytiring.ItwouldhavebeeneasiertogetbacktoLytchettSt
MaryviaLondon-andnotsoverymuchmoreexpensive.Ah,butexpensedidn'tmatternow.Still,she
wouldhavehadtotravelwiththefamily-probablyhavingtotalkalltheway.Toomuchofaneffort.

No,bettergohomecross-country.Thesebathbunswerereallyexcellent.Extraordinaryhowhungrya
funeralmadeyoufeel.ThesoupatEnderbyhadbeendelicious-andsowasthecoldsoufflé.

Howsmugpeoplewere-andwhathypocrites!Allthosefaces-whenshe'dsaidthataboutmurder!The
waythey'dalllookedather!

Well,ithadbeentherightthingtosay.Shenoddedherheadinsatisfiedapprovalofherself.Yes,ithad
beentherightthingtodo.

Sheglancedupattheclock.Fiveminutesbeforehertrainwent.Shedrankuphertea.Notverygood
tea.Shemadeagrimace.

Foramomentortwoshesatdreaming.Dreamingofthefutureunfoldingbeforeher...Shesmiledlikea
happychild.

Shewasreallygoingtoenjoyherselfatlast...Shewentouttothesmallbranchlinetrainbusilymaking
plans...

Chapter4

MrEntwhistlepassedaveryrestlessnight.Hefeltsotiredandsounwellinthemorningthathedidnot
getup.

Hissisterwhokepthouseforhim,broughtuphisbreakfastonatrayandexplainedtohimseverelyhow
wronghehadbeentogogaddingofftotheNorthofEnglandathisageandinhisfrailstateofhealth.

MrEntwhistlecontentedhimselfwithsayingthatRichardAbernethiehadbeenaveryoldfriend.

"Funerals!"saidhissisterwithdeepdisapproval."Funeralsareabsolutelyfatalforamanofyourage!
You'll be taken off as suddenly as your precious Mr Abernethie was if you don't take more care of
yourself."

Theword"suddenly"madeMrEntwhistlewince.Italsosilencedhim.Hedidnotargue.

Hewaswellawareofwhathadmadehimflinchatthewordsuddenly.

CoraLansquenet!Whatshehadsuggestedwasdefinitelyquiteimpossible,butallthesamehewould
liketofindoutexactlywhyshehadsuggestedit.Yes,hewouldgodowntoLytchettStMaryandsee
her.Hecouldpretendthatitwasbusinessconnectedwithprobate,thatheneededhersignature.Noneed
toletherguessthathehadpaidanyattentiontohersillyremark.Buthewouldgodownandseeher-
andhewoulddoitsoon.

He finished his breakfast and lay back on his pillows and read The Times. He found The Times very
soothing.

Itwasaboutaquartertosixthateveningwhenhistelephonerang.

Hepickeditup.ThevoiceattheotherendofthewirewasthatofMrJamesParrott,thepresentsecond
partnerofBollard,Entwhistle,EntwhistleandBollard.

"Look here, Entwhistle," said Mr Parrott, "I've just been rung up by the police from a place called
LytchettStMary."

"LytchettStMary?"

"Yes. It seems -" Mr Parrott paused a moment. He seemed embarrassed. "It's about a Mrs Cora
Lansquenet.Wasn'tsheoneoftheheirsoftheAbernethieestate?"

"Yes,ofcourse.Isawheratthefuneralyesterday."

"Oh?Shewasatthefuneral,wasshe?"

"Yes.Whatabouther?"

"Well," Mr Parrott sounded apologetic. "She's - it's really most extraordinary - she's been well -
murdered."

MrParrottsaidthelastwordwiththeuttermostdeprecation.Itwasnotthesortofword,hesuggested,
thatoughttomeananythingtothefirmofBollard,Entwhistle,EntwhistleandBollard.

"Murdered?"

"Yes-yes-I'mafraidso.Well,Imean,there'snodoubtaboutit."

"Howdidthepolicegetontous?"

"Hercompanion,orhousekeeper,orwhateversheis-aMissGilchrist.Thepoliceaskedforthenameof
hernearestrelativeorofhersolicitors.AndthisMissGilchristseemedratherdoubtfulaboutrelatives
andtheiraddresses,butsheknewaboutus.Sotheygotthroughatonce."

"Whatmakesthemthinkshewasmurdered?"demandedMrEntwhistle.

MrParrottsoundedapologeticagain.

"Ohwell,itseemstherecan'tbeanydoubtaboutthat-Imeanitwasahatchetorsomethingofthatkind
-averyviolentsortofcrime."

"Robbery?"

"That'stheidea.Awindowwassmashedandtherearesometrinketsmissinganddrawerspulledoutand
allthat,butthepoliceseemtothinktheremightbesomething-well-phonyaboutit."

"Whattimedidithappen?"

"Sometimebetweentwoandfour-thirtythisafternoon."

"Wherewasthehousekeeper?"

"ChanginglibrarybooksinReading.Shegotbackaboutfiveo'clockandfoundMrsLansquenetdead.
The police want to know if we've any idea of who could have been likely to attack her. I said," Mr
Parrott'svoicesoundedoutraged,"thatIthoughtitwasamostunlikelythingtohappen."

"Yes,ofcourse."

"Itmustbesomehalf-wittedlocaloaf-whothoughttheremightbesomethingtostealandthenlosthis
headandattackedher.Thatmustbeit-eh,don'tyouthinkso,Entwhistle?"

"Yes,yes..."MrEntwhistlespokeabsentmindedly.

Parrottwasright,hetoldhimself.Thatwaswhatmusthavehappened...

ButuncomfortablyheheardCora'svoicesayingbrightly:

"Hewasmurderd,wasn'the?"

Such a fool, Cora. Always had been. Rushing in where angels fear to tread... Blurting out unpleasnt
truths...

Truths!

Thatblastedwordagain...

II

MrEntwhistleandInspectorMortonlookedateachotherappraisingly.

In his neat precise manner Mr Entwhistle had placed at the Inspector's disposal all the relevant facts
about Cora Lansquenet. Her upbringing, her marriage, her widowhood, her financial position, her

relatives.

"Mr Timothy Abernethie is her only surviving brother and her next of kin, but he is a recluse and an
invalid,andisquiteunabletoleavehome.Hehasempoweredmetoactforhimandtomakeallsuch
arrangementsasmaybencecessary."

The Inspector nodded. It was a relief for him to have this shrewd elderly solicitor to deal with.
Moreover he hoped that the lawyer might be able to give him some assistance in solving what was
beginningtolooklikearatherpuzzlingproblem.

Hesaid:

"I understand from Miss Gilchrist that Mrs Lansquenet had been North, to the funeral of an elder
brother,onthedaybeforeherdeath?"

"Thatisso,Inspector.Imyselfwasthere."

"Therewasnothingunusualinhermanner-nothingstrange-orapprehensive?"

MrEntwhistleraisedhiseyebrowsinwell-simulatedsurprise.

"Is it customary for there to be something strange in the manner of a person who is shortly to be
murdered?"heasked.

TheInspectorsmiledratherruefully.

"I'm not thinking of her being 'fey' or having a premonition. No, I'm just hunting around for -
something,well,somethingoutoftheordinary."

"Idon'tthinkIquiteunderstandyou,Inspector,"saidMrEntwhistle.

"It's not a very easy case to understand, Mr Entwhistle. Say someone watched the Gilchrist woman
comeoutofthehouseatabouttwoo'clockandgoalongtothevillageandthebusstop.Thissomeone
thendeliberatelytakesthehatchetthatwaslyingbythewoodshed,smashesthekitchenwindowwithit,
getsintothehouse,goesupstairs,attacksMrsLansquenetwiththehatchet-andattackshersavagely.

Six or eight blows were struck." Mr Entwhistle flinched - "Oh, yes, quite a brutal crime. Then the
intruderpullsoutafewdrawers,scoopsupafewtrinkets-worthperhapsatennerinall,andclearsoff."

"Shewasinbed?"

"Yes.ItseemsshereturnedlatefromtheNorththenightbefore,exhaustedandveryexcited.She'dcome
intosomelegacyasIunderstand?"

"Yes."

"She slept very badly and woke with a terrible headache. She had several cups of tea and took some
dopeforherheadandthentoldMissGilchristnottodisturbhertilllunch-time.Shefeltnobetterand
decidedtotaketwosleepingpills.ShethensentMissGilchristintoReadingbythebustochangesome
library books. She'd have been drowsy, if not already asleep, when this man broke in. He could have
taken what he wanted by means of threats, or he could easily have gagged her. A hatchet, deliberatly
takenupwithhimfromoutsideseemsexcessive."

"Hemayjusthavemeanttothreatneherwithit,"MrEntwhistlesuggested."Ifsheshowedfightthen-"

"Accordingtothemedicalevidencethereisnosignthatshedid.Everythingseemstoshowthatshewas
lyingonhersidesleepingpeacefullywhenshewasattacked."

MrEntwhistleshifteduneasilyinhischair.

"Onedoeshearofthesebrutalandrathersenselessmurders,"hepointedout.

"Oh, yes, yes, that's probably what it will turn out to be. There's an alert out, of course, for any
suspiciouscharacter.Nobodylocalisconcerned,we'reprettysureofthat.Thelocalsareallaccounted
forsatisfactorily.Mostpeopleareatworkatthattimeofday.Ofcoursehercottageisupalaneoutside
thevillageproper.Anyonecouldgetthereeasilywithoutbeingseen.There'samazeoflanesallround
the village. It was a fine morning and there has been no rain for some days, so there aren't any
distinctivecartrackstogoby-incaseanyonecamebycar."

"Youthinksomeonecamebycar?"MrEntwhistleaskedsharply.

TheInspectorshruggedhisshoulders."Idon'tknow.AllI'msayingistherearecuriousfeaturesabout

thecase.These,forinstance-"Heshovedacrosshisdeskahandfulofthings-atrefoil-shapedbrooch
withsmallpearls,abroochsetwithamethysts,asmallstringofseedpearls,andagarnetbracelet.

"Those are the things that were taken from her jewel box. They were found just outside the house
shovedintoabush."

"Yes-yes,thatisrathercurious.Perhapsifherassailantwasfrightenedatwhathehaddone-"

"Quite.Buthewouldprobablythenhaveleftthemupstairsinherroom.Ofcourseapanicmayhave
comeoverhimbetweenthebedroomandthefrontgate."

MrEntwhistlesaidquietly:

"Ortheymay,asyouaresuggesting,haveonlybeentakenasablind."

"Yes,severalpossibilities...OfcoursethisGilchristwomanmayhavedoneit.Twowomenlivingalone
together - you never know what quarrels or resentments or passions may have been aroused. Oh yes,
we'retakingthatpossibilityintoconsiderationaswell.Butitdoesn'tseemverylikely.Fromallaccounts
theywereonquiteamicableterms."Hepausedbeforegoingon."Accordingtoyou,nobodystandsto
gainbyMrsLansquenet'sdeath?"

Thelawyershifteduneasily.

"Ididn'tquitesaythat."

InspectorMortonlookedupsharply.

"I thought you said that Mrs Lansquenet's source of income was an allowance made to her by her
brotherandthatasfarasyouknewshehadnopropertyormeansofherown."

"Thatisso.Herhusbanddiedabankrupt,andfromwhatIknewofherasagirlandsince,Ishouldbe
surprisedifshehadeversavedoraccumulatedanymoney."

"Thecottageitselfisrented,notherown,andthefewsticksoffurniturearen'tanythingtowritehome
about,eveninthesedays.Somespurious'cottageoak'andsomeartypaintedstuff.Whoevershe'sleft

themtowon'tgainmuch-ifshe'smadeawill,thatistosay."

MrEntwhistleshookhishead.

"Iknownothingaboutherwill.Ihadnotseenherformanyyears,youmustunderstand."

"Thenwhatexactlydidyoumeanjustnow?Youhadsomethinginmind,Ithink?"

"Yes.Yes,Idid.Iwishedtobestrictlyaccurate."

"Wereyoureferringtothelegacyyoumentioned?Theonethatherbrotherlefther?Hadshethepower
todisposeofthatbywill?"

"No,notinthesenseyoumean.Shehadnopowertodisposeofthecapital.Nowthatsheisdead,itwill
bedividedamongstthefiveotherbeneficiariesofRichardAbernethie'swill.ThatiswhatImeant.All
fiveofthemwillbenefitautomaticallybyherdeath."

TheInspectorlookeddisappointed.

"Oh, I thought we were on to something. Well, there certainly seems no motive there for anyone to
comeandswipeherwithahatchet.Looksasthoughit'ssomechapwithascrewloose-oneofthese
adolescentcriminals,perhaps-alotofthemabout.Andthenhelosthisnerveandbushedthetrinkets
and ran... Yes, it must be that. Unless it's the highly respectable Miss Gilchrist, and I must say that
seemsunlikely."

"Whendidshefindthebody?"

"Notuntiljustaboutfiveo'clock.ShecamebackfromReadingbythe4.50bus.Shearrivedbackatthe
cottage,letherselfinbythefrontdoor,andwentintothekitchenandputthekettleonfortea.There
wasnosoundfromMrsLansquenet'sroom,butMissGilchristassumedthatshewasstillsleeping.Then
MissGilchristnoticedthekitchenwindow;theglasswasalloverthefloor.Eventhen,shethoughtat
first it might have been done by a boy with a ball or a catapult. She went upstairs and peeped very
gentlyintoMrsLansquenet'sroomtoseeifshewereasleeporifshewasreadyforsometea.Thenof
course, she let loose, shrieked, and rushed down the lane to the nearest neighbour. Her story seems
perfectlyconsistentandtherewasnotraceofbloodinherroomorinthebathroom,oronherclothes.
No,Idon'tthinkMissGilchristhadanythingtodowithit.Thedoctorgotthereathalf-pastfive.Heputs
thetimeofdeathnotlaterthanfour-thirty-andprobablymuchnearertwoo'clock,soitlooksasthough

whoeveritwas,washangingroundwaitingforMissGilchristtoleavethecottage.

Thelawyer'sfacetwitchedslightly.InspectorMortonwenton:"You'llbegoingtoseeMissGilchrist,I
suppose?"

"Ithoughtofdoingso."

"I should be glad if you would. She's told us, I think, everything that she can, but you never know.
Sometimes, in conversation, some point or other may crop up. She's a trifle old-maidish - but quite a
sensible,practicalwoman-andshe'sreallybeenmosthelpfulandefficient."

Hepausedandthensaid:

"Thebody'satthemortuary.Ifyouwouldliketoseeit."

MrEntwhistleassented,thoughwithnoenthusiasm.

SomefewminuteslaterhestoodlookingdownatthemortalremainsofCoraLansquenet.Shehadbeen
savagelyattackedandthehennadyedfringewasclottedandstiffenedwithblood.MrEntwhistle'slips
tightenedandhelookedawayqueasily.

PoorlittleCora.Howeagershehadbeenthedaybeforeyesterdaytoknowwhetherherbrotherhadleft
her anything. What rosy anticipations she must have had of the future. What a lot of silly things she
couldhavedone-andenjoyeddoing-withthemoney.

PoorCora...Howshortatimethoseanticipationshadlasted.

Noonehadgainedbyherdeath-noteventhebrutalassailantwhohadthrustawaythosetrinketsashe
fled.Fivepeoplehadafewthousandsmoreofcapital-butthecapitaltheyhadalreadyreceivedwas
probablymorethansufficientforthem.No,therecouldbenomotivethere.

Funny that murder should have been running in Cora's mind the very day before she herself was
murdered.

"Hewasmurdered,wasn'the?"

Such a ridiculous thing to say. Ridiculous! Quite ridiculous! Much too ridiculous to mention to
InspectorMorton.Ofcourse,afterhehadseenMissGilchrist...

SupposingthatMissGilchrist,althoughitwasunlikely,couldthrowanylightonwhatRichardhadsaid
toCora.

"Ithoughtfromwhathesaid-"WhathadRichardsaid?

"ImustseeMissGilchristatonce,"saidMrEntwhistletohimself.

III

Miss Gilchrist was a spare faded-looking woman with short, iron-grey hair. She had one of those
indeterminatefacesthatwomenaroundfiftysooftenacquire.

ShegreetedMrEntwhistlewarmly.

"I'msogladyouhavecome,MrEntwhistle.IreallyknowsolittleaboutMrsLansquenet'sfamily,and
ofcourseI'venever,neverhadanythingtodowithamurderbefore.It'stoodreadful!"

Mr Entwhistle felt quite sure that Miss Gilchrist had never before had anything to do with murder.
Indeed,herreactiontoitwasverymuchthatofhispartner.

"Onereadsaboutthem,ofcourse,"saidMissGilchrist,relegatingcrimestotheirpropersphere."And
eventhatI'mnotveryfondofdoing.Sosordid,mostofthem."

Followingherintothesitting-roomMrEntwhistlewaslookingsharplyabouthim.Therewasastrong
smellofoilpaint.Thecottagewasovercrowded,lessbyfurniture,whichwasmuchasInspectorMorton
haddescribedit,thanbypictures.Thewallswerecoveredwithpictures,mostlyverydarkanddirtyoil
paintings.Buttherewerewater-coloursketchesaswell,andoneortwostilllifes.Smallerpictureswere
stackedonthewindow-seat.

"Mrs Lansquenet used to buy them at sales," Miss Gilchrist explained. "It was a great interest to her,
poor dear. She went to all the sales round about. Pictures go so cheap, nowadays, a mere song. She
never paid more than a pound for any of them, sometimes only a few shillings, and there was a

wonderfulchance,shealwayssaid,ofpickingupsomethingworthwhile.Sheusedtosaythatthiswas
anItalianPrimitivethatmightbeworthalotofmoney."

MrEntwhistlelookedattheItalianPrimitivepointedouttohimdubiously.Cora,hereflected,hadnever
really known anything about pictures. He'd eat his hat if any of these daubs were worth a five pound
note!

"Ofcourse,"saidMissGilchrist,noticinghisexpression,andquicktosensehisreaction."Idon'tknow
muchmyself,thoughmyfatherwasapainter-notaverysuccessfulone,I'mafraid.ButIusedtodo
water-colours myself as a girl and I heard a lot of talk about painting and that made it nice for Mrs
Lansquenettohavesomeoneshecouldtalktoaboutpaintingandwho'dunderstand.Poordearsoul,she
caredsomuchaboutartisticthings."

"Youwerefondofher?"

Afoolishquestion,hetoldhimself.Couldshepossiblyanswer"no"?Cora,hethought,musthavebeen
atiresomewomantolivewith.

"Ohyes,"saidMissGilchrist."Wegotonverywelltogether.Insomeways,youknow,MrsLansquenet
was just like a child. She said anything that came into her head. I don't know that her judgment was
alwaysverygood-"

Onedoesnotsayofthedead-"Shewasathoroughlysillywoman"-MrEntwhistlesaid,"Shewasnot
inanysenseanintellectualwoman."

"No-no-perhapsnot.Butshewasveryshrewd,MrEntwhistle.Reallyveryshrewd.Itquitesurprised
mesometimes-howshemanagedtohitthenailonthehead."

MrEntwhistlelookedatMissGilchristwithmoreinterest.Hethoughtthatshewasnofoolherself.

"YouwerewithMrsLansquenetforsomeyears,Ithink?"

"Threeandahalf."

"You-er-actedascompanionandalsodidthe-er-well-lookedafterthehouse?"

Itwasevidentthathehadtouchedonadelicatesubject.MissGilchristflushedalittle.

"Oh yes, indeed. I did most of the cooking - I quite enjoy cooking - and did some dusting and light
housework. None of the rough, of course." Miss Gilchrist's tone expressed a firm principle. Mr
Entwhistlewhohadnoideawhat"therough"was,madeasoothingmurmur.

"MrsPanterfromthevillagecameinforthat.Twiceaweekregularly.Yousee,MrEntwhistle,Icould
nothavecontemplatedbeinginanywayaservant.Whenmylittletea-shopfailed-suchadisaster-it
wasthewar,youknow.Adelightfulplace.IcalledittheWillowTreeandallthechinawasbluewillow
pattern-sweetlypretty-andthecakesreallygood-I'vealwayshadahandwithcakesandscones.YesI
was doing really well and then the war came and supplies were cut down and the whole thing went
bankrupt - a war casualty, that is what I always say, and I try to think of it like that. I lost the little
moneymyfatherleftmethatIhadinvestedinit,andofcourseIhadtolookroundforsomethingtodo.
I'dneverbeentrainedforanything.SoIwenttooneladybutitdidn'tansweratall-shewassorudeand
overbearing - and then I did some office work - but I didn't like that at all, and then I came to Mrs
Lansquenetandwesuitedeachotherfromthestart-herhusbandbeinganartistandeverything."Miss
Gilchrist came to a breathless stop and added mournfully: "But how I loved my dear, dear little tea-
shop.Suchnicepeopleusedtocometoit!"

Looking at Miss Gilchrist, Mr Entwhistle felt a sudden stab of recognition - a composite picture of
hundreds of ladylike figures approaching him in numerous Bay Trees, Ginger Cats, Blue Parrots,
Willow Trees and Cosy Corners, all chastely encased in blue or pink or orange overalls and taking
ordersforpotsofchinateaandcakes.MissGilchristhadaSpiritualHome-alady-liketea-shopofYe
OldeWorldevarietywithasuitablegenteelclientele.Theremust,hethought,belargenumbersofMiss
Gilchristsalloverthecountry,alllookingmuchalikewithmildpatientfacesandobstinateupperlips
andslightlywispygreyhair.

MissGilchristwenton:

"But really I must not talk about myself. The police have been very kind and considerate. Very kind
indeed. An Inspector Morton came over from headquarters and he was most understanding. He even
arrangedformetogoandspendthenightatMrsLake'sdownthelanebutIsaid'No.'Ifeltitmyduty
to stay here with all Mrs Lansquenet's nice things in the house. They took the - the -" Miss Gilchrist
gulped a little - "the body away, of course, and locked up the room, and the Inspector told me there
would be a constable on duty in the kitchen all night - because of the broken window - it has been
reglazedthismorning,Iamgladtosay-wherewasI?Ohyes,soIsaidIshouldbequiteallrightinmy
ownroom,thoughImustconfessIdidpullthechestofdrawersacrossthedoorandputabigjugof
wateronthewindow-sill.Oneneverknows-andifbyanychanceitwasamaniac-onedoeshearof
suchthings..."

HereMissGilchristrandown.MrEntwhistlesaidquickly:

"Iaminpossessionofallthemainfacts.InspectorMortongavethemtome.Butifitwouldnotdistress
youtoomuchtogivemeyourownaccount?"

"Of course, Mr Entwhistle. I know just what you feel. The police are so impersonal, are they not?
Rightlyso,ofcourse."

"MrsLansquenetgotbackfromthefuneralthenightbeforelast,"MrEntwhistleprompted.

"Yes,hertraindidn'tgetinuntilquitelate.Ihadorderedataxitomeetitasshetoldmeto.Shewas
verytired,poordear-aswasonlynatural-butonthewholeshewasinquitegoodspirits."

"Yes,yes.Didshetalkaboutthefuneralatall?"

"Just a little. I gave her a cup of hot milk - she didn't want anything else - and she told me that the
churchhadbeenquitefullandlotsandlotsofflowers-oh!andshesaidthatshewassorrynottohave
seenherotherbrother-Timothy-wasit?"

"Yes,Timothy."

"Shesaiditwasovertwentyyearssinceshehadseenhimandthatshehopedhewouldhavebeenthere,
butshequiterealisedhewouldhavethoughtitbetternottocomeunderthecircumstances,butthathis
wife was there and that she'd never been able to stand Maude - oh dear, I do beg your pardon, Mr
Entwhistle-itjustslippedout-Inevermeant-"

"Notatall.Notatall,"saidMrEntwhistleencouragingly."Iamnorelation,youknow.AndIbelieve
thatCoraandhersister-in-lawneverhititoffverywell."

"Well,shealmostsaidasmuch.'IalwaysknewMaudewouldgrowintooneofthosebossyinterfering
women,'iswhatshesaid.Andthenshewasverytiredandsaidshe'dgotobedatonce-I'dgotherhot-
waterbottleinallready-andshewentup."

"Shesaidnothingelsethatyoucanrememberspecially?"

"Shehadnopremonition,MrEntwhistle,ifthatiswhatyoumean.I'msureofthat.Shewasreally,you
know,inremarkablygoodspirits-apartfromtirednessandthe-thesadoccasion.SheaskedmehowI'd
liketogotoCapri.ToCapri!OfcourseIsaiditwouldbetoowonderful-it'sathingI'dneverdreamed
I'deverdo-andshesaid,'We'llgo!'Justlikethat.Igathered-ofcourseitwasn'tactuallymentioned
thatherbrotherhadleftheranannuityorsomethingofthekind."

MrEntwhistlenodded.

"Poordear.Well,I'mgladshehadthepleasureofplanning-atallevents."MissGilchristsighedand
murmuredwistfully,"Idon'tsupposeIshallevergotoCaprinow..."

"Andthenextmorning?"MrEntwhistleprompted,obliviousofMissGilchrist'sdisappointments.

"ThenextmorningMrsLansquenetwasn'tatallwell.Really,shelookeddreadful.She'dhardlysleptat
all,shetoldme.Nightmares.'It'sbecauseyouwereovertiredyesterday,'Itoldher,andshesaidmaybeit
was.Shehadherbreakfastinbed,andshedidn'tgetupallthemorning,butatlunch-timeshetoldme
that she still hadn't been able to sleep. 'I feel so restless,' she said. 'I keep thinking of things and
wondering.' And then she said she'd take some sleeping tablets and try and get a good sleep in the
afternoon.AndshewantedmetogooverbybustoReadingandchangehertwolibrarybooks,because
she'd finished them both on the train journey and she hadn't got anything to read. Usually two books
lasted her nearly a week. So I went off just after two and that - and that - was the last time -" Miss
Gilchristbegantosniff."Shemusthavebeenasleep,youknow.shewouldn'thaveheardanythingand
theInspectorassuresmethatshedidn'tsuffer...Hethinksthefirstblowkilledher.Ohdear,itmakesme
quitesickeventothinkofit!"

"Please,please.I'venowishtotakeyouanyfurtheroverwhathappened.AllIwantedwastohearwhat
youcouldtellmeaboutMrsLansquenetbeforethetragedy."

"Verynatural,I'msure.Dotellherrelationsthatapartfromhavingsuchabadnight,shewasreallyvery
happyandlookingforwardtothefuture.

MrEntwhistlepausedbeforeaskinghisnextquestion.Hewantedtobecarefulnottoleadthewitness.

"Shedidnotmentionanyofherrelationsinparticular?"

"No,no,Idon'tthinkso."MissGilchristconsidered."Exceptwhatshesaidaboutbeingsorrynottosee
herbrotherTimothy."

"Shedidnospeakatallaboutherbrother'sdecease?The-er-causeofit?Anythinglikethat?"

"No."

TherewasnosignofalertnessinMissGilchrist'sface.MrEntwhistlefeltcertaintherewouldhavebeen
ifCorahadplumpedoutherverdictofmurder.

"He'dbeenillforsometime,Ithink,"saidMissGilchristvaguely,"thoughImustsayIwassurprisedto
hearit.Helookedsoveryvigorous."

MrEntwhistlesaidquickly:

"Yousawhim-when?"

"WhenhecamedownheretoseeMrsLansquenet.Letmesee-thatwasaboutthreeweeksago."

"Didhestayhere?"

"Oh-no-justcameforluncheon.Itwasquiteasurprise.MrsLansquenethadn'texpectedhim.Igather
therehadbeensomefamilydisagreement.Shehadn'tseenhimforyears,shetoldme."

"Yes,thatisso."

"Itquiteupsetherseeinghimagainandprobablyrealisinghowillhewas-"

"Sheknewthathewasill?"

"Ohyes,Irememberquitewell.BecauseIwonderedonlyinmyownmind,youunderstand-ifperhaps
MrAbernethiemightbesufferingfromsofteningofthebrain.Anauntofmine-"

MrEntwhistledeftlyside-trackedtheaunt.

"SomethingMrs,Lansquenetsaidcausedyoutothinkofsofteningofthebrain?"

"Yes.MrsLansquenetsaidsomethinglike'PoorRichard.Mortimer'sdeathmusthaveagedhimalot.
He sounds quite senile. All these fancies about persecution and that someone is poisoning him. Old
people get like that.' And of course, as I knew, that is only too true. This aunt that I was telling you
about - was convinced the servants were trying to poison her in her food and at last would eat only
boiledeggs-because,shesaid,youcouldn'tgetinsideaboiledeggtopoisonit.Wehumouredher,but
if it had been nowadays, I don't know what we should have done. With eggs so scarce and mostly
foreignatthat,sothatboilingisalwaysrisky."

MrEntwhistlelistenedtothesagaofMissGilchrist'sauntwithdeafears.Hewasverymuchdisturbed.

Hesaidatlast,whenMissGilchristhadtwitteredintosilence:

"IsupposeMrsLansquenetdidn'ttakeallthistooseriously?"

"Ohno,MrEntwhistle,shequiteunderstood."

MrEntwhistlefoundthatremarkdisturbingtoo,thoughnotquiteinthesenseinwhichMissGilchrist
hadusedit.

HadCoraLansquenetunderstood?Notthen,perhaps,butlater.Hadsheunderstoodonlytoowell?

MrEntwhistleknewthattherehadbeennosenilityaboutRichardAbernethie.Richardhadbeeninfull
possessionofhisfaculties.Hewasnotthemantohavepersecutionmaniainanyform.Hewas,ashe
alwayshadbeen,ahard-headedbusinessman-andhisillnessmadenodifferenceinthatrespect.

Itseemedextraordinarythatheshouldhavespokentohissisterinthetermsthathehad.Butperhaps
Cora,withheroddchildlikeshrewdnesshadreadbetweenthelines,andhadcrossedthet's'anddotted
thei'sofwhatRichardAbernethiehadactuallysaid.

Inmostways,thoughtMrEntwhistle,Corahadbeenacompletefool.Shehadnojudgment,nobalance,
andacrudechildishpointofview,butshehadalsothechild'suncannyknackofsometimeshittingthe
nailontheheadinawaythatseemedquitestartling.

MrEntwhistleleftitatthat.MissGilchrist,hethought,knewnomorethanshehadtoldhim.Heasked

whether she knew if Cora Lansquenet had left a will. Miss Gilchrist replied promptly that Mrs
Lansquenet'swillwasattheBank.

With that and after making certain further arrangements he took his leave. He insisted on Miss
Gilchrist'sacceptingasmallsumincashtodefraypresentexpensesandtoldherhewouldcommunicate
withheragain,andinthemeantimehewouldbegratefulifshewouldstayonatthecottagewhileshe
waslookingaboutforanewpost.Thatwouldbe,MissGilchristsaid,agreatconvenienceandreally
shewasnotatallnervous.

HewasunabletoescapewithoutbeingshownroundthecottagebyMissGilchrist,andintroducedto
various pictures by the late Pierre Lansquenet which were crowded into the small dining-room and
which made Mr Entwhistle flinch - they were mostly nudes executed with a singular lack of
draughtsmanship but with much fidelity to detail. He was also made to admire various small oil
sketchesofpicturesquefishingportsdonebyCoraherself.

"Polperro," said Miss Gilchrist proudly. "We were there last year and Mrs Lansquenet was delighted
withitspicturesqueness."

Mr Entwhistle, viewing Polperro from the south-west, from the north-west, and presumably from the
severalotherpointsofthecompass,agreedthatMrsLansquenethadcertainlybeenenthusiastic.

"MrsLansquenetpromisedtoleavemehersketches,"saidMissGilchristwistfully."Iadmiredthemso
much.Onecanreallyseethewavesbreakinginthisone,can'tone?Evenifsheforgot,Imightperhaps
havejustoneasasouvenir,doyouthink?"

"I'msurethatcouldbearranged,"saidMrEntwhistlegraciously.

HemadeafewfurtherarrangementsandthenlefttointerviewtheBankManagerandtohaveafurther
consultationwithInspectorMorton.

Chapter5

"Worn out, that's what you are," said Miss Entwhistle in the indignant and bullying tones adopted by
devotedsisterstowardsbrothersforwhomtheykeephouse."Youshouldn'tdoit,atyourage.What'sit
allgottodowithyou,I'dliketoknow?You'veretired,haven'tyou?"

MrEntwhistlesaidmildlythatRichardAbernethiehadbeenoneofhisoldestfriends.

"Idaresay.ButRichardAbernethie'sdead,isn'the?SoIseenoreasonforyoutogomixingyourselfup
inthingsthatarenoconcernofyoursandcatchingyourdeathofcoldinthesenastydraughtyrailway
trains.Andmurder,too!Ican'tseewhytheysentforyouatall."

"Theycommunicatedwithmebecausetherewasaletterinthecottagesignedbyme,tellingCorathe
arrangementsforthefuneral."

"Funerals!Onefuneralafteranother,andthatremindsme.AnotherofthesepreciousAbernethieshas
been ringing you up - Timothy, I think he said. From somewhere in Yorkshire - and that's about a
funeral,too!Saidhe'dringagainlater."

ApersonalcallforMrEntwhistlecamethroughthatevening.Takingit,heheardMaudeAbernethie's
voiceattheotherend.

"Thank goodness I've got hold of you at last! Timothy has been in the most terrible state. This news
aboutCorahasupsethimdreadfully."

"Quiteunderstandable,"saidMrEntwhistle.

"Whatdidyousay?"

"Isaiditwasquiteunderstandable."

"Isupposeso."Maudesoundedmorethandoubtful."Doyoumeantosayitwasreallymurder?"

("Itwasmurder,wasn'tit?"Corahadsaid.Butthistimetherewasnohesitationabouttheanswer.)

"Yes,itwasmurder,"saidMrEntwhistle.

"Andwithahatchet,sothepaperssay?"

"Yes."

"It seems quite incredible to me," said Maude, "that Timothy's sister - his own sister - can have been
murderedwithahatchet!"

ItseemednolessincredibletoMrEntwhistle.Timothy'slifewassoremotefromviolencethatevenhis
relations,onefelt,oughttobeequallyexempt.

"I'mafraidonehastofacethefact,"saidMrEntwhistlemildly.

"I am really very worried about Timothy. It's so bad for him all this! I've got him to bed now but he
insistsonmypersuadingyoutocomeupandseehim.Hewantstoknowahundredthings-whether
therewillbeaninquest,andwhooughttoattend,andhowsoonafterthatthefuneralcantakeplace,and
where,andwhatfundsthereare,andifCoraexpressedanywishaboutbeingcrematedorwhat,andif
sheleftawill-"

MrEntwhistleinterruptedbeforethecataloguegottoolong.

"Thereisawill,yes.SheleftTimothyherexecutor."

"Ohdear,I'mafraidTimothycan'tundertakeanything-"

"Thefirmwillattendtoallthenecessarybusiness.Thewill'sverysimple.Sheleftherownsketchesand
anamethystbroochtohercompanion,MissGilchrist,andeverythingelsetoSusan."

"ToSusan?NowIwonderwhySusan?Idon'tbelievesheeversawSusan-notsinceshewasababy
anyway."

"IimaginethatitwasbecauseSusanwasreportedtohavemadeamarriagenotwhollypleasingtothe
family."

Maudesnorted.

"EvenGregoryisagreatdealbetterthanPierreLansqueneteverwas!Ofcoursemarryingamanwho
serves in a shop would have been unheard of in my day - but a chemist's shop is much better than a
haberdasher's-andatleastGregoryseemsquiterespectable."Shepausedandadded:"Doesthismean
thatSusangetstheincomeRichardlefttoCora?"

"Ohno.ThecapitalofthatwillbedividedaccordingtotheinstructionsofRichard'swill.No,poorCora
hadonlyafewhundredpoundsandthefurnitureofhercottagetoleave.Whenoutstandingdebtsare
paid and the furniture sold I doubt if the whole thing will amount to more than at most five hundred
pounds."Hewenton:"Therewillhavetobeaninquest,ofcourse.ThatisfixedfornextThursday.If
Timothyisagreeable,we'llsenddownyoungLloydtowatchtheproceedingsonbehalfofthefamily.
Headdedapologetically:"I'mafraiditmayattractsomenotorietyowingtothe-er-circumstances."

"Howveryunpleasant!Havetheycaughtthewretchwhodidit?"

"Notyet."

"One of these dreadful half-baked young men who go about the country roving and murdering, I
suppose.Thepolicearesoincompetent."

"No, no," said Mr Entwhistle. "The police are by no means incompetent. Don't imagine that, for a
moment."

"Well,itallseemstomequiteextraordinary.AndsobadforTimothy.Isupposeyoucouldn'tpossibly
comedownhere,MrEntwhistle?Ishouldbemostgratefulifyoucould.IthinkTimothy'smindmight
besetatrestifyouwereheretoreassurehim."

MrEntwhistlewassilentforamoment.Theinvitationwasnotunwelcome.

"Thereissomethinginwhatyousay,"headmitted."AndIshallneedTimothy'ssignatureasexecutorto
certaindocuments.Yes,Ithinkitmightbequiteagoodthing."

"That is splendid. I am so relieved. Tomorrow? And you'll stay the night? The best train is the 11.20
fromStPancras."

"It will have to be an afternoon train, I'm afraid. I have," said Mr Entwhistle, "other business in the
morning..."

II

GeorgeCrossfieldgreetedMrEntwhistleheartilybutwith,perhaps,justashadeofsurprise.

MrEntwhistlesaid,inanexplanatoryway,althoughitreallyexplainednothing:

"I'vejustcomeupfromLytchettStMary."

"ThenitreallywasAuntCora?IreadaboutitinthepapersandIjustcouldn'tbelieveit.Ithoughtit
mustbesomeoneofthesamename."

"Lansquenetisnotacommonname."

"No,ofcourseitisn't.Isupposethereisanaturalaversiontobelievingthatanyoneofone'sownfamily
canbemurdered.SoundstomeratherlikethatcaselastmonthonDartmoor."

"Doesit?"

"Yes.Samecircumstances.Cottageinalonelyposition.Twoelderlywomenlivingtogether.Amountof
cashtakenreallyquitepitifullyinadequateonewouldthink."

"Thevalueofmoneyisalwaysrelative,saidMrEntwhistle."Itistheneedthatcounts."

"Yes-yes,Isupposeyoureright."

"If you need ten pounds desperately - then fifteen is more than adequate. And inversely also. If your
needisforahundredpounds,forty-fivewouldbeworsethanuseless.Andifit'sthousandsyouneed,
thenhundredsarenotenough."

Georgesaidwithasuddenflickeroftheeyes:"I'dsayanymoneycameinusefulthesedays.Everyone's
hardup."

"Butnotdesperate,"MrEntwhistlepointedout."It'sthedesperationthatcounts."

"Areyouthinkingofsomethinginparticular?"

"Ohno,notatall."Hepausedthenwenton:"Itwillbealittletimebeforetheestateissettled;wouldit

beconvenientforyoutohaveanadvance?"

"Asamatteroffact,Iwasgoingtoraisethesubject.However,IsawtheBankthismorningandreferred
themtoyouandtheywerequiteobligingaboutanoverdraft."

AgaintherecamethatflickerinGeorge'seyes,andMrEntwhistle,fromthedepthsofhisexperience,
recognisedit.George,hefeltcertain,hadbeen,ifnotdesperate,theninverysorestraitsformoney.He
knew at that moment, what he had felt subconsciously all along, that in money matters he would not
trust George. He wondered if old Richard Abernethie, who also had had great experience in judging
men,hadfeltthat.MrEntwhistlewasalmostsurethatafterMortimer'sdeath,RichardAbernethiehad
formed the intention of making George his heir. George was not an Abernethie, but he was the only
maleoftheyoungergeneration.HewasthenaturalsuccessortoMortimer.RichardAbernethiehadsent
forGeorge,hadhadhimstayinginthehouseforsomedays.Itseemedprobablethatattheendofthe
visittheoldermanhadnotfoundGeorgesatisfactory.Hadhefeltinstinctively,asMrEntwhistlefelt,
that George was not straight? George's father, so the family had thought, had been a poor choice on
Laura'spart.Astockbrokerwhohadhadotherrathermysteriousactivities.Georgetookafterhisfather
ratherthanaftertheAbernethies.

Perhapsmisinterpretingtheoldlawyer'ssilence,Georgesaidwithanuneasylaugh:

"Truthis,I'venotbeenveryluckywithmyinvestmentslately.Itookabitofariskanditdidn'tcome
off.Moreorlesscleanedmeout.ButI'llbeabletorecoupmyselfnow.Alloneneedsisabitofcapital.
ArdensConsolidatedareprettygood,don'tyouthink?"

Mr Entwhistle neither agreed nor dissented. He was wondering if by any chance George had been
speculatingwithmoneythatbelongedtoclientsandnotwithhisown?IfGeorgehadbeenindangerof
criminalprosecution-

MrEntwhistlesaidprecisely:

"Itriedtoreachyouthedayafterthefuneral,butIsupposeyouweren'tintheoffice."

"Didyou?Theynevertoldme.Asamatteroffact,IthoughtIwasentitledtoadayoffafterthegood
news!"

"Thegoodnews?"

Georgereddened.

"Oh look here, I didn't mean Uncle Richard's death. But knowing you've come into money does give
oneabitofakick.Onefeelsonemustcelebrate.AsamatteroffactIwenttoHurstPark.Backedtwo
winners.Itneverrainsbutitpours!Ifyourluck'sin,it'sin!Onlyamatteroffiftyquid,butitallhelps."

"Ohyes,"saidMrEntwhistle."Itallhelps.Andtherewillnowbeanadditionalsumcomingtoyouasa
resultofyourAuntCora'sdeath."

Georgelookedconcerned.

"Pooroldgirl,"hesaid."Itdoesseemrottenluck,doesn'tit?Probablyjustwhenshewasallsettoenjoy
herself."

"Letushopethepolicewillfindthepersonresponsibleforherdeath,"saidMrEntwhistle.

"I expect they'll get him all right. They're good, our police. They round up all the undesirables in the
neighbourhoodandgothrough'emwithatoothcomb-makethemaccountfortheiractionsatthetime
ithappened."

"Notsoeasyifalittletimehaselapsed,"saidMrEntwhistle.Hegaveawintrylittlesmilethatindicated
he was about to make a joke. "I myself was in Hatchard's bookshop at 3.30 on the day in question.
ShouldIrememberthatifIwerequestionedbythepoliceintendays'time?Iverymuchdoubtit.And
you,George,youwereatHurstPark.Wouldyourememberwhichdayyouwenttotheracesin-say-a
month'stime?"

"OhIcouldfixitbythefuneral-thedayafter."

"True-true.Andthenyoubackedacoupleofwinners.Anotheraidtomemory.Oneseldomforgetsthe
nameofahorseonwhichonehaswonmoney.Whichwerethey,bytheway?"

"Letmesee.GaymarckandFroggII.Yes,Ishan'tforgettheminahurry."

MrEntwhistlegavehisdrylittlecackleoflaughterandtookhisleave.

III

"It'slovelytoseeyou,ofcourse,"saidRosamundwithoutanymarkedenthusiasm."Butit'sfrightfully
earlyinthemorning."

Sheyawnedheavily.

"It'seleveno'clock,"saidMrEntwhistle.

Rosamundyawnedagain.Shesaidapologetically:

"Wehadthehellofapartylastnight.Fartoomuchtodrink.Michael'sgotaterriblehangoverstill."

Michael appeared at this moment, also yawning. He had a cup of black coffee in his hand and was
wearing a very smart dressing-gown. He looked haggard and attractive - and his smile had the usual
charm.Rosamundwaswearingablackskirt,aratherdirtyyellowpullover,andnothingelseasfaras
MrEntwhistlecouldjudge.

ThepreciseandfastidiouslawyerdidnotapproveatalloftheyoungShanes'wayofliving.Therather
ramshackleflatonthefirstfloorofaChelseahouse-thebottlesandglassesandcigaretteendsthatlay
aboutinprofusion-thestaleair,andthegeneralairofdustanddishevelment.

In the midst of this discouraging setting Rosamund and Michael bloomed with their wonderful good
looks.Theywerecertainlyaveryhandsomecoupleandtheyseemed,MrEntwhistlethought,veryfond
ofeachother.RosamundwascertainlyadoringlyfondofMichael.

"Darling,"shesaid."Doyouthinkjustateenysipofchampagne?Justtopullustogetherandtoastthe
future.Oh,MrEntwhistle,itreallyisthemostmarvellousluckUncleRichardleavingusallthatlovely
moneyjustnow-"

Mr Entwhistle noted the quick, almost scowling frown that Michael gave, but Rosamund went on
serenely:

"Because there's the most wonderful chance of a play. Michael's got an option on it. It's a most
wonderfulpartforhimandevenasmallpartforme,too.It'saboutoneoftheseyoungcriminals,you
know,thatarereallysaints-it'sabsolutelyfullofthelatestmodernideas."

"Soitwouldseem,"saidMrEntwhistlestiffly.

"Herobs,youknow,andhekills,andhe'shoundedbythepoliceandbysociety-andthenintheend,he
doesamiracle."

MrEntwhistlesatinoutragedsilence.Perniciousnonsensetheseyoungfoolstalked!Andwrote.

NotthatMichaelShanewastalkingmuch.Therewasstillafaintscowlonhisface.

"MrEntwhistledoesn'twanttohearallourrhapsodies,Rosamund,"hesaid."Shutupforabitandlet
himtelluswhyhe'scometoseeus."

"Therearejustoneortwolittlematterstostraightenout,"saidMrEntwhistle."Ihavejustcomeback
fromLytchettStMary."

"ThenitwasAuntCorawhowasmurdered?Wesawitinthepaper.AndIsaiditmustbebecauseit'sa
very uncommon name. Poor old Aunt Cora. I was looking at her at the funeral that day and thinking
whatafrumpshewasandthatreallyonemightaswellbedeadifonelookedlikethat-andnowsheis
dead.Theyabsolutelywouldn'tbelieveitlastnightwhenItoldthemthatthatmurderwiththehatchetin
thepaperwasactuallymyaunt!Theyjustlaughed,didn'tthey,Michael?"

MichaelShanedidnotreplyandRosamundwitheveryappearanceofenjoymentsaid:

"Twomurdersoneafteranother.It'salmosttoomuch,isn'tit?"

"Don'tbeafool,Rosamund,yourUncleRichardwasn'tmurdered."

"Well,Corathoughthewas."

MrEntwhistleintervenedtoask:

"YoucamebacktoLondonafterthefuneral,didn'tyou?"

"Yes,wecamebythesametrainasyoudid."

"Ofcourse...ofcourse.IaskbecauseItriedtogetholdofyou,"heshotaquickglanceatthetelephone
-"onthefollowingday-severaltimesinfact,andcouldn'tgetananswer."

"Ohdear-I'msosorry.Whatwerewedoingthatday?Thedaybeforeyesterday.Wewerehereuntil
abouttwelve,weren'twe?AndthenyouwentroundtotryandgetholdofRosenheimandyouwenton
tolunchwithOscarandIwentouttoseeifIcouldgetsomenylonsandroundtheshops.Iwastomeet
Janet but we missed each other. Yes, I had a lovely afternoon shopping - and then we dined at the
Castile.Wegotbackhereaboutteno'clock,Isuppose."

"Aboutthat,"saidMichael.HewaslookingthoughtfullyatMrEntwhistle."Whatdidyouwanttoget
holdofusfor,sir?"

"Oh!JustsomepointsthathadarisenaboutRichardAbernethie'sestate-paperstosign-allthat."

Rosamundasked:"Dowegetthemoneynow,ornotforages?"

"I'mafraid,"saidMrEntwhistle,"thatthelawispronetodelays."

"Butwecangetanadvance,can'twe?"Rosamundlookedalarmed."Michaelsaidwecould.Actually
it'sterriblyimportant.Becauseoftheplay."

Michaelsaidpleasantly:

"Oh,there'snorealhurry.It'sjustaquestionofdecidingwhetherornottotakeuptheoption."

"Itwillbequiteeasytoadvanceyousomemoney,"saidMrEntwhistle."Asmuchasyouneed."

"Thenthat'sallright."Rosamundgaveasighofrelief.Sheaddedasanafterthought:"DidAuntCora
leaveanymoney?"

"Alittle.SheleftittoyourCousinSusan."

"WhySusan,Ishouldliketoknow!Isitmuch?"

"Afewhundredpoundsandsomefurniture."

"Nicefurniture?"

"No,"saidMrEntwhistle.

Rosamundlostinterest."It'sallveryodd,isn'tit?"shesaid."TherewasCora,afterthefuneral,suddenly
comingoutwith'Hewasmurdered!'andthen,theverynextday,shegoesandgetsherselfmurdered?I
mean,itisodd,isn'tit?"

Therewasamoment'sratheruncomfortablesilencebeforeMrEntwhistlesaidquietly:

"Yes,itisindeedveryodd..."

IV

Mr Entwhistle studied Susan Banks as she leant forward across the table talking in her animated
manner.

None of the loveliness of Rosamund here. But it was an attractive face and its attraction lay, Mr
Entwhistledecided,initsvitality.Thecurvesofthemouthwererichandfull.Itwasawoman'smouth
andherbodywasverydecidedlyawoman's-emphaticallyso.YetinmanywaysSusanremindedhim
ofheruncle,RichardAbernethie.Theshapeofherhead,thelineofherjaw,thedeep-setreflectiveeyes.
ShehadthesamekindofdominantpersonalitythatRichardhadhad,thesamedrivingenergy,thesame
foresightedness and forthright judgment. Of the three members of the younger generation she alone
seemedtobemadeofthemetalthathadraisedupthevastAbernethiefortunes.HadRichardrecognised
inthisnieceakindredspirittohisown?MrEntwhistlethoughthemusthavedone.Richardhadalways
hadakeenappreciationofcharacter.Here,surely,wereexactlythequalitiesofwhichhewasinsearch.
And yet, in his will, Richard Abernethie had made no distinction in her favour. Distrustful, as Mr
Entwhistlebelieved,ofGeorge,passingoverthatlovelydimwit,Rosamund-couldhenothavefound
inSusanwhathewasseeking-anheirofhisownmettle?

Ifnot,thecausemustbe-yes,itfollowedlogically-thehusband...

MrEntwhistle'seyesslidgentlyoverSusan'sshouldertowhereGregoryBanksstoodabsentlywhittling
atapencil.

A thin, pale, nondescript young man with reddish sandy hair. So overshadowed by Susan's colourful
personalitythatitwasdifficulttorealisewhathehimselfwasreallylike.Nothingtotakeholdofinthe
fellow-quitepleasant,readytobeagreeable-a"yes"man,asthemoderntermwent.Andyetthatdid
not seem to describe him satisfactorily. There was something vaguely disquieting about the
unobtrusiveness of Gregory Banks. He had been an unsuitable match - yet Susan had insisted on
marryinghim-hadoverborneallopposition-why?Whathadsheseeninhim?

Andnow,sixmonthsafterthemarriage-"She'scrazyaboutthefellow,"MrEntwhistlesaidtohimself.
Heknewthesigns.Alargenumberofwiveswithmatrimonialtroubleshadpassedthroughtheofficeof
Bollard, Entwhistle, Entwhistle and Bollard. Wives madly devoted to unsatisfactory and often what
appeared quite unprepossessing husbands, wives contemptuous of, and bored by, apparently attractive
and impeccable husbands. What any woman saw in some particular man was beyond the
comprehensionoftheaverageintelligentmale.Itjustwasso.Awomanwhocouldbeintelligentabout
everything else in the world could be a complete fool when it came to some particular man. Susan,
thoughtMrEntwhistle,wasoneofthosewomen.ForhertheworldrevolvedaroundGreg.Andthathad
itsdangersinmorewaysthanone.

Susanwastalkingwithemphasisandindignation.

"- because it is disgraceful. You remember that woman who was murdered in Yorkshire last year?
Nobodywaseverarrested.Andtheoldwomaninthesweetshopwhowaskilledwithacrowbar.They
detainedsomeman,andthentheylethimgo!"

"Therehastobeevidence,mydear,"saidMrEntwhistle.

Susanpaidnoattention.

"Andthatothercase-aretirednurse-thatwasahatchetoranaxe-justlikeAuntCora."

"Dearme,youappeartohavemadequiteastudyofthesecrimes,Susan,"saidMrEntwhistlemildly.

"Naturallyoneremembersthesethings-andwhensomeoneinone'sownfamilyiskilled-andinvery
much the same way - well, it shows that there must be a lot of these sort of people going round the
countryside,breakingintoplacesandattackinglonelywomen-andthatthepolicejustdon'tbother!"

MrEntwhistleshookhishead.

"Don'tbelittlethepolice,Susan.Theyareaveryshrewdandpatientbodyofmen-persistent,too.Just
becauseitisn'tstillmentionedinthenewspapersdoesn'tmeanthatacaseisclosed.Farfromit."

"Andyettherearehundredsofunsolvedcrimeseveryyear."

"Hundreds?" Mr Entwhistle looked dubious. "A certain number, yes. But there are many occasions
when the police know who has committed a crime but where the evidence is insufficient for a
prosecution."

"I don't believe it," said Susan. "I believe if you knew definitely who committed a crime you could
alwaysgettheevidence."

"Iwondernow."MrEntwhistlesoundedthoughtful."Iverymuchwonder..."

"Havetheyanyideaatall-inAuntCora'scase-ofwhoitmightbe?"

"ThatIcouldn'tsay.NotasfarasIknow.Buttheywouldhardlyconfideinme-andit'searlydaysyet-
themurdertookplaceonlythedaybeforeyesterday,remember."

"It'sdefinitelygottobeacertainkindofperson,"Susanmused."Abrutal,perhapsslightlyhalf-witted
type-adischargedsoldieroragaolbird.Imean,usingahatchetlikethat."

Lookingslightlyquizzical,MrEntwhistleraisedhiseyebrowsandmurmured:

"LizzieBordenwithanaxe

Gaveherfatherfiftywhacks

Whenshesawwhatshehaddone

Shegavehermotherfifty-one."

"Oh," Susan flushed angrily, "Cora hadn't got any relations living with her - unless you mean the
companion.AndanywayLizzieBordenwasacquitted.Nobodyknowsforcertainshekilledherfather
andstepmother."

"Therhymeisquitedefinitelylibellous,"MrEntwhistleagreed.

"Youmeanthecompaniondiddoit?DidCoraleaveheranything?"

"Anamethystbroochofnogreatvalueandsomesketchesoffishingvillagesofsentimentalvalueonly."

"Onehastohaveamotiveformurder-unlessoneishalf-witted."

MrEntwhistlegavealittlechuckle.

"Asfarasonecansee,theonlypersonwhohadamotiveisyou,mydearSusan."

"What's that?" Greg moved forward suddenly. He was like a sleeper coming awake. An ugly light
showedinhiseyes.Hewassuddenlynolongeranegligiblefeatureinthebackground."What'sSuegot
todowithit?Whatdoyoumean-sayingthingslikethat?"

Susansaidsharply:

"Shutup,Greg.MrEntwhistledoesn'tmeananything-"

"Justmylittlejoke,"saidMrEntwhistleapologetically."Notinthebesttaste,I'mafraid.Coralefther
estate, such as it was, to you, Susan. But to a young lady who has just inherited several hundred
thousandpounds,anestate,amountingatthemosttoafewhundreds,canhardlybesaidtorepresenta
motiveformurder."

"Shelefthermoneytome?"Susansoundedsurprised."Howextraordinary.Shedidn'tevenknowme?
Whydidshedoit,doyouthink?"

"Ithinkshehadheardrumoursthattherehadbeenalittledifficulty-er-overyourmarriage."Greg,
backagainatsharpeninghispencil,scowled."Therehadbeenacertainamountoftroubleoverherown

marriage-andIthinksheexperiencedafellowfeeling."

Susanaskedwithacertainamountofinterest:

"Shemarriedanartist,didn'tshe,whomnoneofthefamilyliked?Washeagoodartist?"

MrEntwhistleshookhisheadverydecidedly.

"Arethereanyofhispaintingsinthecottage?"

"Yes."

"ThenIshalljudgeformyself,"saidSusan.

MrEntwhistlesmiledattheresolutetiltofSusan'schin.

"Sobeit.DoubtlessIamanoldfogeyandhopelesslyold-fashionedinmattersofart,butIreallydon't
thinkyouwilldisputemyverdict."

"I suppose I ought to go down there, anyway? And look over what there is. Is there anybody there
now?"

"IhavearrangedwithMissGilchristtoremainthereuntilfurthernotice."

Gregsaid:"Shemusthaveaprettygoodnerve-tostayinacottagewhereamurder'sbeencommitted."

"MissGilchristisquiteasensiblewoman,Ishouldsay.Besides,"addedthelawyerdryly,"Idon'tthink
shehasanywhereelsetogountilshegetsanothersituation."

"SoAuntCora'sdeathleftherhighanddry?Didshe-weresheandAuntCora-onintimateterms?"

MrEntwhistlelookedatherrathercuriously,wonderingjustexactlywhatwasinhermind.

"Moderatelyso,Iimagine,"hesaid."ShenevertreatedMissGilchristasaservant."

"Treatedher a damnedsight worse, Idare say," said Susan."These wretched socalled 'ladies' are the
oneswhogetittakenoutofthemnowadays.I'lltryandfindheradecentpostsomewhere.Itwon'tbe
difficult.Anyonewho'swillingtodoabitofhouseworkandcookisworththeirweightingold-she
doescook,doesn'tshe?"

"Ohyes.Igatheritissomethingshecalled,er,'therough'thatsheobjectedto.I'mafraidIdon'tquite
knowwhat'therough'is."

Susanappearedtobeagooddealamused.

MrEntwhistle,glancingathiswatch,said:"YourauntleftTimothyherexecutor."

"Timothy,"saidSusanwithscorn."UncleTimothyispracticallyamyth.Nobodyeverseeshim."

"Quite." Mr Entwhistle glanced at his watch. "I am travelling up to see him this afternoon. I will
acquainthimwith,yourdecisiontogodowntothecottage."

"It will only take me a day or two, I imagine. I don't want to be long away from London. I've got
variousschemesinhand.I'mgoingintobusiness."

Mr Entwhistle looked round him at the cramped sitting-room of the tiny flat. Greg and Susan were
evidently hard up. Her father, he knew, had run through most of his money. He had left his daughter
badlyoff.

"Whatareyourplansforthefuture,ifImayask?"

"I've got my eye on some premises in Cardigan Street. I suppose, if necessary, you can advance me
somemoney?Imayhavetopayadeposit."

"Thatcanbemanaged,"saidMrEntwhistle."Irangyouupthedayafterthefuneralseveraltimesbut
couldgetnoanswer.Ithoughtperhapsyoumightcareforanadvance.Iwonderedwhetheryoumight
perhapshavegoneoutofTown."

"Ohno,"saidSusanquickly."Wewereinallday.Bothofus.Wedidn'tgooutatall."

Gregsaidgently:"Youknow,Susan,Ithinkourtelephonemusthavebeenoutoforderthatday.You
rememberhowIcouldn'tgetthroughtoHardandCo.intheafternoon.Imeanttoreportit,butitwasall
rightthenextmorning."

"Telephones,"saidMrEntwhistle,"canbeveryunreliablesometimes."

Susansaidsuddenly:

"How did Aunt Cora know about our marriage? It was at a Registry Office and we didn't tell anyone
untilafterwards!"

"IfancyRichardmayhavetoldheraboutit.Sheremadeherwillaboutthreeweeksago(itwasformerly
infavouroftheTheosophicalSociety)-justaboutthetimehehadbeendowntoseeher."

Susanlookedstartled.

"DidUncleRichardgodowntoseeher?I'dnoideaofthat?"

"Ihadn'tanyideaofitmyself,"saidMrEntwhistle.

"Sothatwaswhen-"

"Whenwhat?"

"Nothing,"saidSusan.

Chapter6

"Verygoodofyoutocomealong,"saidMaudegruffly,asshegreetedMrEntwhistleontheplatformof
BayhamComptonstation."IcanassureyouthatbothTimothyandImuchappreciateit.Ofcoursethe
truthisthatRichard'sdeathwastheworstthingpossibleforTimothy."

MrEntwhistlehadnotyetconsideredhisfriend'sdeathfromthisparticularangle.Butitwas,hesaw,
theonlyanglefromwhichMrsTimothyAbernethiewaslikelytoregardit.

Astheyproceededtowardstheexit,Maudedevelopedthetheme.

"Tobeginwith,itwasashock-TimothywasreallyveryattachedtoRichard.Andthenunfortunatelyit
put the idea of death into Timothy's head. Being such an invalid has made him rather nervous about
himself.Herealisedthathewastheonlyoneofthebrothersleftalive-andhestartedsayingthathe'd
bethenexttogo-andthatitwouldn'tbelongnow-allverymorbidtalk,asItoldhim."

TheyemergedfromthestationandMaudeledthewaytoadilapidatedcarofalmostfabulousantiquity.

"Sorry about our old rattletrap," she said. "We've wanted a new car for years, but really we couldn't
affordit.Thishashadanewenginetwice-andtheseoldcarsreallystanduptoalotofhardwork.

"Ihopeitwillstart,"sheadded."Sometimesonehastowindit."

She pressed the starter several times but only a meaningless whirr resulted. Mr Entwhistle, who had
never wound a car in his life, felt rather apprehensive, but Maude herself descended, inserted the
starting handle and with a vigorous couple of turns woke the motor to life. It was fortunate, Mr
Entwhistlereflected,thatMaudewassuchapowerfullybuiltwoman.

"That'sthat,"shesaid."Theoldbrute'sbeenplayingmeuplately.DiditwhenIwascomingbackafter
thefuneral.Hadtowalkacoupleofmilestothenearestgarageandtheyweren'tgoodformuch-justa
villageaffair.Ihadtoputupatthelocalinnwhiletheytinkeredatit.OfcoursethatupsetTimothy,too.
IhadtophonethroughtohimandtellhimIcouldn'tbebacktillthenextday.Fussedhimterribly.One
triestokeepthingsfromhimasmuchaspossible-butsomethingsonecan'tdoanythingabout-Cora's
murder, for instance. I had to send for Dr Barton to give him a sedative. Things like murder are too
muchforamaninTimothy'sstateofhealth.IgatherCorawasalwaysafool."

MrEntwhistledigestedthisremarkinsilence.Theinferencewasnotquitecleartohim.

"Idon'tthinkI'dseenCorasinceourmarriage,"saidMaude."Ididn'tliketosaytoTimothyatthetime:
'Youryoungestsister'sbatty,'notjustlikethat.Butit'swhatIthought.Thereshewassayingthemost
extraordinarythings!Onedidn'tknowwhethertoresentthemorwhethertolaugh.Isupposethetruthis
shelivedinakindofimaginaryworldofherown-fullofmelodramaandfantasticideasaboutother
people.Well,poorsoul,she'spaidforitnow.Shedidn'thaveanyprotégés,didshe?"

"Protégés?Whatdoyoumean?"

"I just wondered. Some young cadging artist, or musician - or something of that kind. Someone she
might have let in that day, and who killed her for her loose cash. Perhaps an adolescent - they're so
queer at that age sometimes - especially if they're the neurotic arty type. I mean, it seems so odd to
breakinandmurderherinthemiddleoftheafternoon.Ifyoubreakintoahousesurelyyou'ddoitat
night."

"Therewouldhavebeentwowomentherethen."

"Ohyes,thecompanion.ButreallyIcan'tbelievethatanyonewoulddeliberatelywaituntilshewasout
ofthewayandthenbreakinandattackCora.Whatfor?Hecan'thaveexpectedshe'dhaveanycashor
stuff to speak of, and there must have been times when both the women were out and the house was
empty. That would have been much safer. It seems so stupid to go and commit a murder unless it's
absolutelynecessary."

"AndCora'smurder,youfeel,wasunnecessary?"

"Itallseemssostupid."

Should murder make sense? Mr Entwhistle wondered. Academically the answer was yes. But many
pointlesscrimeswereonrecord.Itdepended,MrEntwhistlereflected,onthementalityofthemurderer.

What did he really know about murderers and their mental processes? Very little. His firm had never
hadacriminalpractice.Hewasnostudentofcriminologyhimself.Murderers,asfarashecouldjudge,
seemedtobeofallsortsandkinds.Somehadhadover-weeningvanity,somehadhadalustforpower,
some,likeSeddon,hadbeenmeanandavaricious,others,likeSmithandRowsehadhadanincredible
fascinationforwomen;some,likeArmstrong,hadbeenpleasantfellowstomeet.EdithThompsonhad
livedinaworldofviolentunreality,NurseWaddingtonhadputherelderlypatientsoutofthewaywith
business-likecheerfulness.

Maude'svoicebrokeintohismeditations.

"IfIcouldonlykeepthenewspapersfromTimothy!Buthewillinsistonreadingthem-andthen,of
course, it upsets him. You do understand, don't you, Mr Entwhistle, that there can be no question of
Timothy'sattendingtheinquest?Ifnecessary,DrBartoncanwriteoutacertificateorwhateveritis."

"Youcansetyourmindatrestaboutthat."

"Thankgoodness!"

They turned in through the gates of Stansfield Grange, and up a neglected drive. It had been an
attractivesmallpropertyonce-buthadnowadolefulandneglectedappearance.Maudesighedasshe
said:

"Wehadtoletthisgotoseedduringthewar.Bothgardenerscalledup.Andnowwe'veonlygotoneold
man-andhe'snotmuchgood.Wageshavegoneupsoterribly.Imustsayit'sablessingtorealisethat
we'llbeabletospendalittlemoneyontheplacenow.We'rebothsofondofit.Iwasreallyafraidthat
wemighthavetosellit.NotthatIsuggestedanythingofthekindtoTimothy.Itwouldhaveupsethim-
dreadfully."

They drew up before the portico of a very lovely old Georgian house which badly needed a coat of
paint.

"Noservants,"saidMaudebitterly,assheledthewayin."Justacoupleofwomenwhocomein.We
hadaresidentmaiduntilamonthago-slightlyhunchbackedandterriblyadenoidalandinmanyways
not too bright, but she was there which was such a comfort - and quite good at plain cooking. And
wouldyoubelieveit,shegavenoticeandwenttoafoolofawomanwhokeepssixPekinesedogs(it'sa
larger house than this and more work) because she was 'so fond of little doggies,' she said. Dogs,
indeed!BeingsickandmakingmessesallthetimeI'venodoubt!Really,thesegirlsaremental!Sothere
weare,andifIhavetogooutanyafternoon,Timothyisleftquitealoneinthehouseandifanything
shouldhappen,howcouldhegethelp?ThoughIdoleavethetelephoneclosebyhischairsothatifhe
feltfainthecoulddialDrBartonimmediately."

Maudeledthewayintothedrawing-roomwhereteawaslaidreadybythefireplace,andestablishing
MrEntwhistlethere,disappeared,presumablytothebackregions.Shereturnedinafewminutes'time
with a teapot and silver kettle, and proceeded to minister to Mr Entwhistle's needs. It was a good tea
withhome-madecakeandfreshbuns.MrEntwhistlemurmured:

"WhataboutTimothy?"andMaudeexplainedbrisklythatshehadtakenTimothyhistraybeforesheset
outforthestation.

"Andnow,"saidMaude,"hewillhavehadhislittlenapanditwillbethebesttimeforhimtoseeyou.
Dotryandnotlethimexcitehimselftoomuch."

MrEntwhistleassuredherthathewouldexerciseeveryprecaution.

Studying her in the flickering firelight, he was seized by a feeling of compassion. This big, stalwart
matter-of-fact woman, so healthy, so vigorous, so full of common sense, and yet so strangely, almost
pitifully, vulnerable in one spot. Her love for her husband was maternal love, Mr Entwhistle decided.
MaudeAbernethiehadbornenochildandshewasawomanbuiltformotherhood.Herinvalidhusband
hadbecomeherchild,tobeshielded,guarded,watchedover.Andperhaps,beingthestrongercharacter
of the two, she had unconsciously imposed on him a state of invalidism greater than might otherwise
havebeenthecase.

"PoorMrsTim,"thoughtMrEntwhistletohimself.

II

"Goodofyoutocome,Entwhistle."

Timothy raised himself up in his chair as he held out a hand. He was a big man with a marked
resemblancetohisbrotherRichard.ButwhatwasstrengthinRichard,inTimothywasweakness.The
mouthwasirresolute,thechinveryslightlyreceding,theeyeslessdeep-set.Linesofpeevishirritability
showedonhisforehead.

His invalid status was emphasised by the rug across his knees and a positive pharmacopoeia of little
bottlesandboxesonatableathisrighthand.

"I mustn't exert myself," he said warningly. "Doctor's forbidden it. Keeps telling me not to worry!
Worry!Ifhe'dhadamurderinhisfamilyhe'ddoabitofworrying,Ibet!It'stoomuchforaman-first
Richard'sdeath-thenhearingallabouthisfuneralandhiswill-whatawill!-andontopofthatpoor
littleCorakilledwithahatchet.Hatchet!Ugh!Thiscountry'sfullofgangstersnowadays-thugs-left
overfromthewar!Goingaboutkillingdefencelesswomen.Nobody'sgotthegutstoputthesethings
down - to take a strong hand. What's the country coming to, I'd like to know? What's the damned
countrycomingto?"

MrEntwhistlewasfamiliarwiththisgambit.Itwasaquestionalmostinvariablyaskedsoonerorlater
byhisclientsforthelasttwentyyearsandhehadhisroutineforansweringit.Thenon-committalwords
heutteredcouldhavebeenclassifiedundertheheadingofsoothingnoises.

"It all began with that damned Labour Government," said Timothy. "Sending the whole country to

blazes. And the Government we've got now is no better. Mealy-mouthed, milk-and-water socialists!
Lookatthestatewe'rein!Can'tgetadecentgardener,can'tgetservants-poorMaudeherehastowork
herselftoashadowmessingaboutinthekitchen(bytheway,Ithinkacustardpuddingwouldgowell
withthesoletonight,mydear-andperhapsalittleclearsoupfirst?).I'vegottokeepmystrengthup-
DoctorBartonsaidso-letmesee,wherewasI?Ohyes,Cora.It'sashock,Icantellyou,toaman,
when he hears his sister - his own sister - has been murdered! Why, I had palpitations for twenty
minutes!You'llhavetoattendtoeverythingforme,Entwhistle.Ican'tgototheinquestorbebothered
bybusinessofanykindconnectedwithCora'sestate.Iwanttoforgetthewholething.Whathappens,
bytheway,toCora'sshareofRichard'smoney?Comestome,Isuppose?"

Murmuringsomethingaboutclearingawaytea,Maudelefttheroom.

Timothylayhackinhischairandsaid:

"Goodthingtogetridofthewomen.Nowwecantalkbusinesswithoutanysillyinterruptions."

"ThesumleftintrustforCora,"saidMrEntwhistle,"goesequallytoyouandtheniecesandnephew."

"Butlookhere,"Timothy'scheeksassumedapurplishhueofindignation."SurelyI'mhernextofkin?
Onlysurvivingbrother."

Mr Entwhistle explained with some care the exact provisions of Richard Abernethie's will, reminding
Timothygentlythathehadhadacopysenthim.

"Don'texpectmetounderstandallthatlegaljargon,doyou?"saidTimothyungratefully."Youlawyers!
Matteroffact,Icouldn'tbelieveitwhenMaudecamehomeandtoldmethegistofit.Thoughtshe'dgot
it wrong. Women are never clear headed. Best woman in the world, Maude - but women don't
understand finance. I don't believe Maude even realises that if Richard hadn't died when he did, we
mighthavehadtoclearoutofhere.Fact!"

"SurelyifyouhadappliedtoRichard-"

Timothygaveashortbarkofharshlaughter.

"That'snotmystyle.Ourfatherleftusallaperfectlyreasonableshareofhismoney-thatis,ifwedidn't
wanttogointothefamilyconcern.Ididn't.I'veasoulabovecorn-plasters,Entwhistle!Richardtookmy
attitudeabithard.Well,whatwithtaxes,depreciationofincome,onethingandanother-ithasn'tbeen

easytokeepthingsgoing.I'vehadtorealiseagooddealofcapital.Bestthingtodothesedays.Idid
hintoncetoRichardthatthisplacewasgettingabithardtorun.Hetooktheattitudethatwe'dbemuch
betteroffinasmallerplacealtogether.EasierforMaude,hesaid,morelaboursaving-laboursaving,
what a term! Oh no, I wouldn't have asked Richard for help. But I can tell you, Entwhistle, that the
worry affected my health most unfavourably. A man in my state of health oughtn't to have to worry.
Then Richard died and though of course naturally I was cut up about it - my brother and all that - I
couldn'thelpfeelingrelievedaboutfutureprospects.Yes,it'sallplainsailingnow-andagreatrelief.
Get the house painted - get a couple of really good men on the garden - you can get them at a price.
Restocktherosegardencompletely.And-wherewasI-"

"Detailingyourfutureplans."

"Yes, yes - but I mustn't bother you with all that. What did hurt me - and hurt me cruelly - were the
termsofRichard'swill."

"Indeed?"MrEntwhistlelookedinquiring."Theywerenot-asyouexpected?"

"I should say they weren't! Naturally, after Mortimer's death, I assumed that Richard would leave
everythingtome."

"Ah-didhe-ever-indicatethattoyou?"

"Heneversaidso-notinsomanywords.Reticentsortofchap,Richard.Butheaskedhimselfhere-
not long after Mortimer's death. Wanted to talk over family affairs generally. We discussed young
George-andthegirlsandtheirhusbands.Wantedtoknowmyviews-notthatIcouldtellhimmuch.
I'maninvalidandIdon'tgetabout,andMaudeandIliveoutoftheworld.Rottensillymarriagesboth
ofthosegirlsmade,ifyouaskme.Well,Iaskyou,Entwhistle,naturallyIthoughthewasconsultingme
astheheadofthefamilyafterhewasgoneandnaturallyIthoughtthecontrolofthemoneywouldbe
mine.Richardcouldsurelytrustmetodotherightthingbytheyoungergeneration.Andtolookafter
pooroldCora.Dashitall,Entwhistle,I'manAbernethie-thelastAbernethie.Fullcontrolshouldhave
beenleftinmyhands."

InhisexcitementTimothyhadkickedasidehisrugandhadsatupinhischair.Therewerenosignsof
weaknessorfragilityabouthim.Helooked,MrEntwhistlethought,aperfectlyhealthyman,evenifa
slightly excitable one. Moreover the old lawyer realised very clearly that Timothy Abernethie had
probably always been secretly jealous of his brother Richard. They had been sufficiently alike for
Timothytoresenthisbrother'sstrengthofcharacterandfirmgraspofaffairs.WhenRichardhaddied,
Timothyhadexultedintheprospectofsucceedingatthislatedatetothepowertocontrolthedestinies
ofothers.

RichardAbernethiehadnotgivenhimthatpower.Hadhethoughtofdoingsoandthendecidedagainst
it?

AsuddensquallingofcatsinthegardenbroughtTimothyupoutofhischair.Rushingtothewindowhe
threwupthesash,bawledout"Stopit,you!"andpickingupalargebookhurleditoutatthemarauders.

"Beastlycats,"hegrumbled,returningtohisvisitor."RuintheflowerbedsandIcan'tstandthatdamned
yowling."

Hesatdownagainandasked:

"Haveadrink,Entwhistle?"

"Notquitesosoon.Maudehasjustgivenmeanexcellenttea."

Timothygrunted.

"Capablewoman,Maude.Butshedoestoomuch.Evenhastomuckaboutwiththeinsideofthatold
carofours-she'squiteamechanicinherway,youknow."

"Ihearshehadabreakdowncomingbackfromthefuneral?"

"Yes.Carconkedout.Shehadthesensetotelephonethroughaboutit,incaseIshouldbeanxious,but
thatassofadailywomanofourswrotedownthemessageinawaythatdidn'tmakesense.Iwasout
gettingabitoffreshair-I'madvisedbythedoctortotakewhatexerciseIcanifIfeellikeit-Igot
backfrommywalktofindscrawledonabitofpaper:'Madam'ssorrycargonewronggottostaynight.'
NaturallyIthoughtshewasstillatEnderby.PutacallthroughandfoundMaudehadleftthatmorning.
Mighthavehadthebreakdownanywhere!Prettykettleoffish!Foolofadailywomanonlyleftmea
lumpymacaronicheeseforsupper.Ihadtogodowntothekitchenandwarmitupmyself-andmake
myselfacupoftea-tosaynothingofstokingtheboiler.Imighthavehadaheartattack-butdoesthat
classofwomancare?Notshe?Withanydecentfeelingsshe'dhavecomebackthateveningandlooked
aftermeproperly.Noloyaltyanymoreinthelowerclasses-"

Hebroodedsadly.

"Idon'tknowhowmuchMaudetoldyouaboutthefuneralandtherelatives,"saidMrEntwhistle."Cora
producedratheranawkwardmoment.SaidbrightlythatRichardhadbeenmurdered,hadn'the?Perhaps
Maudetoldyou."

Timothychuckledeasily.

"Ohyes,Iheardaboutthat.Everybodylookeddowntheirnosesandpretendedtobeshocked.Justthe
sortofthingCorawouldsay!Youknowhowshealwaysmanagedtoputherfootinitwhenshewasa
girl,Entwhistle?SaidsomethingatourweddingthatupsetMaude,Iremember.Maudenevercaredfor
herverymuch.Yes,MauderangmeupthateveningafterthefuneraltoknowifIwasallrightandif
MrsJoneshadcomeintogivememyeveningmealandthenshetoldmeithadallgoneoffverywell,
andIsaid'Whataboutthewill?'andshetriedtohedgeabit,butofcourseIhadthetruthoutofher.I
couldn'tbelieveit,andIsaidshemusthavemadeamistake,butshestucktoit.Ithurtme,Entwhistle-
it really wounded me, if you know what I mean. If you ask me, it was just spite on Richard's part. I
knowoneshouldn'tspeakillofthedead,but,uponmyword-"

Timothycontinuedonthisthemeforsometime.

ThenMaudecamebackintotheroomandsaidfirmly:

"I think, dear, Mr Entwhistle has been with you quite long enough. You really must rest. If you have
settledeverything-"

"Oh,we'vesettledthings.Ileaveitalltoyou,Entwhistle.Letmeknowwhentheycatchthefellow-if
theyeverdo.I'venofaithinthepolicenowadays-theChiefConstablesaren'ttherighttype.You'llsee
tothe-er-interment-won'tyou?Weshan'tbeabletocome,I'mafraid.Butorderanexpensivewreath
-andtheremustbeaproperstoneputupinduecourse-she'llbeburiedlocally,Isuppose?Nopointin
bringingherNorthandI'venoideawhereLansquenetisburied,somewhereinFranceIbelieve.Idon't
knowwhatoneputsonastonewhenit'smurder...Can'tverywellsay'enteredintorest'oranythinglike
that.Onewillhavetochooseatext-somethingappropriate.R.I.P.?No,that'sonlyforCatholics."

"OLord,thouhastseenmywrong.Judgethoumycase,"murmuredMrEntwhistle.

ThestartledglanceTimothybentonhimmadeMrEntwhistlesmilefaintly.

"From Lamentations," he said. "It seems appropriate if somewhat melodramatic. However, it will be
some time before the question of the Memorial stone comes up. The - er - ground has to settle, you
know.Nowdon'tworryaboutanything.Wewilldealwiththingsandkeepyoufullyinformed."

MrEntwhistleleftforLondonbythebreakfasttrainonthefollowingmorning.

Whenhegothome,afteralittlehesitation,herangupafriendofhis.

Chapter7

"Ican'ttellyouhowmuchIappreciateyourinvitation."

MrEntwhistlepressedhishost'shandwarmly.

HerculePoirotgesturedhospitablytoachairbythefire.

MrEntwhistlesighedashesatdown.

Ononesideoftheroomatablewaslaidfortwo.

"Ireturnedfromthecountrythismorning,"hesaid.

"Andyouhaveamatteronwhichyouwishtoconsultme?"

"Yes.It'salongramblingstory,I'mafraid."

"Thenwewillnothaveituntilafterwehavedined.Georges?"

TheefficientGeorgematerialisedwithsomePâtédeFoieGrasaccompaniedbyhottoastinanapkin.

"WewillhaveourPâtébythefire,"saidPoirot."Afterwardswewillmovetothetable."

It was an hour and a half later that Mr Entwhistle stretched himself comfortably out in his chair and
sighedacontentedsigh.

"Youcertainlyknowhowtodoyourselfwell,Poirot.TrustaFrenchman."

"I am a Belgian. But the rest of your remark applies. At my age the chief pleasure, almost the only
pleasurethatstillremains,isthepleasureofthetable.MercifullyIhaveanexcellentstomach."

"Ah,"murmuredMrEntwhistle.

They had dined off Sole Veronique, followed by Escalope de Veau Milanaise, proceeding to Poire
Flambéewithice-cream.

They had drunk a Pouilly Fuisse followed by a Corton, and a very good port now reposed at Mr
Entwhistle'selbow.Poirot,whodidnotcareforport,wassippingCrèmedeCacao.

"I don't know," murmured Mr Entwhistle reminiscently, "how you manage to get hold of an escalope
likethat!Itmeltedinthemouth!"

"I have a friend who is a Continental butcher. For him I solve a small domestic problem. He is
appreciative-andeversincethenheismostsympathetictomeinthematterofthestomach."

"Adomesticproblem."MrEntwhistlesighed."Iwishyouhadnotremindedme...Thisissuchaperfect
moment..."

"Prolong it, my friend. We will have presently the demi tasse and the fine brandy, and then, when
digestionispeacefullyunderway,thenyoushalltellwhyyouneedmyadvice."

The clock struck the half hour after nine before Mr Entwhistle stirred in his chair. The psychological
momenthadcome.Henolongerfeltreluctanttobringforthhisperplexities-hewaseagertodoso.

"Idon'tknow,"hesaid,"whetherI'mmakingthemostcolossalfoolofmyself.InanycaseIdon'tsee
thatthere'sanythingthatcanpossiblybedone.ButI'dliketoputthefactsbeforeyou,andI'dliketo
knowwhatyouthink."

Hepausedforamomentortwo,theninhisdrymeticulousway,hetoldhisstory.Histrainedlegalbrain
enabledhimtoputthefactsclearly,toleavenothingout,andtoaddnothingextraneous.Itwasaclear
succinct account, and as such appreciated by the little elderly man with the egg-shaped head who sat
listeningtohim.

Whenhehadfinishedtherewasapause.MrEntwhistlewaspreparedtoanswerquestions,butforsome
fewmomentsnoquestioncame.HerculePoirotwasreviewingtheevidence.

Hesaidatlast:

"It seems very clear. You have in your mind the suspicion that your friend, Richard Abernethie, may
have been murdered? That suspicion, or assumption, rests on the basis of one thing only - the words
spokenbyCoraLansquenetatRichardAbernethie'sfuneral.Takethoseaway-andthereisnothingleft.
Thefactthatsheherselfwasmurderedthedayafterwardsmaybethepurestcoincidence.Itistruethat
RichardAbernethiediedsuddenly,buthewasattendedbyareputabledoctorwhoknewhimwell,and
thatdoctorhadnosuspicionsandgaveadeathcertificate.WasRichardburiedorcremated?"

"Cremated-accordingtohisownrequest."

"Yes,thatisthelaw.Anditmeansthataseconddoctorsignedthecertificate-buttherewouldbeno
difficulty about that. So we come back to the essential point, what Cora Lansquenet said. You were
thereandyouheardher.Shesaid:'Buthewasmurdered,wasn'the?'"

"Yes."

"Andtherealpointis-thatyoubelieveshewasspeakingthetruth."

Thelawyerhesitatedforamoment,thenhesaid:"Yes,Ido."

"Why?"

"Why?"Entwhistlerepeatedtheword,slightlypuzzled.

"Butyes,why?Isitbecause,already,deepdown,youhadanuneasinessaboutthemannerofRichard's
death?"

Thelawyershookhishead."No,no,notintheleast."

"Thenitisbecauseofher-ofCoraherself.Youknewherwell?"

"Ihadnotseenherfor-oh-overtwentyyears."

"Wouldyouhaveknownherifyouhadmetherinthestreet?"

MrEntwhistlereflected.

"Imighthavepassedherbyinthestreetwithoutrecognisingher.ShewasathinslipofagirlwhenI
sawherlastandshehadturnedintoastout,shabby,middle-agedwoman.ButIthinkthatthemomentI
spoketoherfacetofaceIshouldhaverecognisedher.Sheworeherhairinthesameway,abangcut
straightacrosstheforeheadandshehadatrickofpeeringupatyouthroughherfringelikearathershy
animal,andshehadaverycharacteristic,abruptwayoftalking,andawayofputtingherheadonone
sideandthencomingoutwithsomethingquiteoutrageous.Shehadcharacter,yousee,andcharacteris
alwayshighlyindividual."

"Shewas,infact,thesameCorayouhadknownyearsago.Andshestillsaidoutrageousthings!The
things,theoutrageousthings,shehadsaidinthepast-weretheyusually-justified?"

"ThatwasalwaystheawkwardthingaboutCora.Whentruthwouldhavebeenbetterleftunspoken,she
spokeit."

"And that characteristic remained unchanged. Richard Abernethie was murdered - so Cora at once
mentionedthefact."

MrEntwhistlestirred.

"Youthinkhewasmurdered?"

"Oh,no,no,myfriend,wecannotgosofast.Weagreeonthis-Corathoughthehadbeenmurdered.
Shewasquitesurehehadbeenmurdered.Itwas,toher,moreacertaintythanasurmise.Andso,we
cometothis,shemusthavehadsomereasonforthebelief.Weagree,byyourknowledgeofher,thatit
wasnotjustabitofmischiefmaking.Nowtellme-whenshesaidwhatshedid,therewas,atonce,a
kindofchorusofprotest-thatisright?"

"Quiteright."

"Andshethenbecameconfused,abashed,andretreatedfromtheposition-saying-asfarasyoucan
remember,somethinglike'ButIthoughtfromwhathetoldme-'"

Thelawyernodded.

"IwishIcouldremembermoreclearly.ButIamfairlysureofthat.Sheusedthewords'hetoldme'or
'hesaid-'"

"And the matter was then smoothed over and everyone spoke of something else. You can remember,
lookingback,nospecialexpressiononanyone'sface?Anythingthatremainsinyourmemoryasshall
wesay-unusual?"

"No."

"Andtheverynextday,Coraiskilled-andyouaskyourself:'Canitbecauseandeffect?'"

Thelawyerstirred.

"Isupposethatseemstoyouquitefantastic?"

"Notatall,"saidPoirot."Giventhattheoriginalassumptioniscorrect,itislogical.Theperfectmurder,
the murder of Richard Abernethie, has been committed, all has gone off smoothly - and suddenly it
appearsthatthereisonepersonwhohasaknowledgeofthetruth!Clearlythatpersonmustbesilenced
asquicklyaspossible."

"Thenyoudothinkthatitwasmurder?"

Poirotsaidgravely:

"Ithink,moncher,exactlyasyouthought-thatthereisacaseforinvestigation.Haveyoutakenany
steps?Youhavespokenofthesematterstothepolice?"

"No."MrEntwhistleshookhishead."Itdidnotseemtomethatanygoodpurposecouldbeachieved.
MypositionisthatIrepresentthefamily.IfRichardAbernethiewasmurdered,thereseemsonlyone

methodbywhichitcouldbedone."

"Bypoison?"

"Exactly. And the body has been cremated. There is now no evidence available. But I decided that I,
myself,mustbesatisfiedonthepoint.Thatiswhy,Poirot,Ihavecometoyou."

"Whowasinthehouseatthetimeofhisdeath?"

"Anoldbutlerwhohasbeenwithhimforyears,acookandahousemaid.Itwouldseem,perhaps,as
thoughitmustnecessarilybeoneofthem-"

"Ah!donottrytopullthewooluponmyeyes.ThisCora,sheknowsRichardAbernethiewaskilled,yet
sheacquiescesinthehushingup.Shesays'Ithinkyouareallquiteright.Thereforeitmustbeoneofthe
familywhoisconcerned,someonewhomthevictimhimselfmightprefernottohaveopenlyaccused.
Otherwise,sinceCorawasfondofherbrother,shewouldnotagreetoletthesleepingmurdererlie.You
agreetothat,yes?"

"It was the way I reasoned - yes," confessed Mr Entwhistle. "Though how any of the family could
possibly-"

Poirotcuthimshort.

"Wherepoisonisconcernedthereareallsortsofpossibilities.Itmust,presumably,havebeenanarcotic
ofsomesortifhediedinhissleepandiftherewerenosuspiciousappearances.Possiblyhewasalready
havingsomenarcoticadministeredtohim."

"Inanycase,"saidMrEntwhistle,"thehowhardlymatters.Weshallneverbeabletoproveanything."

"InthecaseofRichardAbernethie,no.ButthemurderofCoraLansquenetisdifferent.Onceweknow
'who' then evidence ought to be possible to get." He added with a sharp glance, "You have, perhaps,
alreadydonesomething."

"Verylittle.Mypurposewasmainly,Ithink,elimination.Itisdistastefultometothinkthatoneofthe
Abernethie family is a murderer. I still can't quite believe it. I hoped that by a few apparently idle
questionsIcouldexoneratecertainmembersofthefamilybeyondquestion.Perhaps,whoknows,allof

them? In which case, Cora would have been wrong in her assumption and her own death could be
ascribed to some casual prowler who broke in. After all, the issue is very simple. What were the
membersoftheAbernethiefamilydoingontheafternoonthatCoraLansquenetwaskilled?"

"Ehbien,"saidPoirot,"whatweretheydoing?"

"George Crossfield was at Hurst Park races. Rosamund Shane was out shopping in London. Her
husband-foronemustincludehusbands-"

"Assuredly."

"Herhusbandwasfixingupadealaboutanoptiononaplay,SusanandGregoryBankswereathome
allday.TimothyAbernethie,whoisaninvalid,wasathishomeinYorkshire,andhiswifewasdriving
herselfhomefromEnderby."

Hestopped.

HerculePoirotlookedathimandnoddedcomprehendingly.

"Yes,thatiswhattheysay.Andisitalltrue?"

"Isimplydon'tknow,Poirot.Someofthestatementsarecapableofproofordisproof-butitwouldbe
difficulttodosowithoutshowingone'shandprettyplainly.Infacttodosowouldbetantamounttoan
accusation.Iwillsimplytellyoucertainconclusionsofmyown.GeorgemayhavebeenatHurstPark
races,butIdonotthinkhewas.Hewasrashenoughtoboastthathehadbackedacoupleofwinners.It
ismyexperiencethatsomanyoffendersagainstthelawruintheirowncasebysayingtoomuch.Iasked
him the name of the winners, and he gave the names of two horses without any apparent hesitation.
Bothofthem,Ifound,hadbeenheavilytippedonthedayinquestionandonehaddulywon.Theother,
thoughanoddsonfavourite,hadunaccountablyfailedeventogetaplace."

"Interesting.HadthisGeorgeanyurgentneedformoneyatthetimeofhisuncle'sdeath?"

"It is my impression that his need was very urgent. I have no evidence for saying so, but I strongly
suspectthathehasbeenspeculatingwithhisclients'fundsandthathewasindangerofprosecution.It
isonlymyimpressionbutIhavesomeexperienceinthesematters.Defaultingsolicitors,Iregrettosay,
arenotentirelyuncommon.IcanonlytellyouthatIwouldnothavecaredtoentrustmyownfundsto
George,andIsuspectthatRichardAbernethie,averyshrewdjudgeofmen,wasdissatisfiedwithhis

nephewandplacednorelianceonhim.

"Hismother,"thelawyercontinued,"wasagood-looking,ratherfoolishgirlandshemarriedamanof
whatIshouldcalldubiouscharacter."Hesighed."TheAbernethiegirlswerenotgoodchoosers."

Hepausedandthenwenton:

"AsforRosamund,sheisalovelynitwit.IreallycannotseehersmashingCora'sheadinwithahatchet!
Herhusband,MichaelShane,issomethingofadarkhorse-he'samanwithambitionandalsoamanof
overweening vanity I should say. But really I know very little about him. I have no reason to suspect
himofabrutalcrimeorofacarefullyplannedpoisoning,butuntilIknowthathereallywasdoingwhat
hesayshewasdoingIcannotrulehimout."

"Butyouhavenodoubtsaboutthewife?"

"No-no-thereisacertainratherstartlingcallousness...utno,Ireallycannotenvisagethehatchet.She
isafragilelookingcreature."

"Andbeautiful!"saidPoirotwithafaintcynicalsmile."Andtheotherniece?"

"Susan?SheisaverydifferenttypefromRosamund-agirlofremarkableability,Ishouldsay.Sheand
herhusbandwereathometogetherthatday.Isaid(falsely)thatIhadtriedtogetthemonthetelephone
ontheafternooninquestion.Gregsaidveryquicklythatthetelephonehadbeenoutoforderallday.He
hadtriedtogetsomeoneandfailed."

"Soagainitisnotconclusive...Youcannoteliminateasyouhopedtodo...Whatisthehusbandlike?"

"Ifindhimhardtomakeout.Hehasasomewhatunpleasingpersonalitythoughonecannotsayexactly
whyhemakesthisimpression.AsforSusan-"

"Yes?"

"Susan reminds me of her uncle. She has the vigour, the drive, the mental capacity of Richard
Abernethie.Itmaybemyfancythatshelackssomeofthekindlinessandthewarmthofmyoldfriend."

"Women are never kind," remarked Poirot. "Though they can sometimes be tender. She loves her
husband?"

"Devotedly,Ishouldsay.Butreally,Poirot,Ican'tbelieve-Iwon'tbelieveforonemomentthatSusan-
"

"You prefer George?" said Poirot. "It is natural! As for me, I am not so sentimental about beautiful
youngladies.Nowtellmeaboutyourvisittotheoldergeneration?"

MrEntwhistledescribedhisvisittoTimothyandMaudeatsomelength.Poirotsummarisedtheresult.

"SoMrsAbernethieisagoodmechanic.Sheknowsallabouttheinsideofacar.AndMrAbernethieis
not the invalid he likes to think himself. He goes out for walks and is, according to you, capable of
vigorous action. He is also a bit of an ego maniac and he resented his brother's success and superior
character."

"HespokeveryaffectionatelyofCora."

"Andridiculedhersillyremarkafterthefuneral.Whatofthesixthbeneficiary?"

"Helen?MrsLeo?Idonotsuspectherforamoment.Inanycase,herinnocencewillbeeasytoprove.
ShewasatEnderby.Withthreeservantsinthehouse."

"Ehbien,myfriend,"saidPoirot."Letusbepractical.Whatdoyouwantmetodo?"

"Iwanttoknowthetruth,Poirot."

"Yes.Yes,Ishouldfeelthesameinyourplace."

"Andyou'rethemantofinditoutforme.Iknowyoudon'ttakecasesanymore,butIaskyoutotake
thisone.Thisisamatterofbusiness.Iwillberesponsibleforyourfees.Comenow,moneyisalways
useful."

Poirotgrinned.

"Notifitallgoesinthetaxes!ButIwilladmit,yourprobleminterestsme!Becauseitisnoteasy...Itis
allsonebulous...Onething,myfriend,hadbetterbedonebyyou.Afterthat,Iwilloccupymyselfof
everything. But I think it will be best if you yourself seek out the doctor who attended Mr Richard
Abernethie.Youknowhim?"

"Slightly."

"Whatishelike?"

"Middle-agedG.P.Quitecompetent.OnveryfriendlytermswithRichard.Athoroughlygoodfellow."

"Then seek him out. He will speak more freely to you than to me. Ask him about Mr Abernethie's
illness.FindoutwhatmedicinesMrAbernethiewastakingatthetimeofhisdeathandbefore.Findout
ifRichardAbernethieeversaidanythingtohisdoctoraboutfancyinghimselfbeingpoisoned.Bythe
way,thisMissGilchristissurethatheusedthetermpoisonedintalkingtohissister?"

MrEntwhistlereflected.

"It was the word she used - but she is the type of witness who often changes the actual words used,
becausesheisconvincedsheiskeepingtothesenseofthem.IfRichardhadsaidhewasafraidsomeone
wanted to kill him, Miss Gilchrist might have assumed poison because she connected his fears with
thoseofanauntofherswhothoughtherfoodwasbeingtamperedwith.Icantakeupthepointwithher
againsometime."

"Yes.OrIwilldoso."Hepausedandthensaidinadifferentvoice:"Hasitoccurredtoyou,myfriend,
thatyourMissGilchristmaybeinsomedangerherself?"

MrEntwhistlelookedsurprised.

"Ican'tsaythatithad."

"But, yes. Cora voiced her suspicions on the day of the funeral. The question in the murderer's mind
will be, did she voice them to anybody when she first heard of Richard's death? And the most likely
personforhertohavespokentoaboutthemwillbeMissGilchrist.Ithink,moncher,thatshehadbetter
notremainaloneinthatcottage."

"IbelieveSusanisgoingdown."

"Ah,soMrsBanksisgoingdown?"

"ShewantstolookthroughCora'sthings."

"Isee...Isee...Well,myfriend,dowhatIhaveaskedofyou.YoumightalsoprepareMrsAbernethie-
Mrs Leo Abernethie, for the possibility that I may arrive in the house. We will see. From now on I

occupymyselfofeverything."

AndPoirottwirledhismoustacheswithenormousenergy.

Chapter8

MrEntwhistlelookedatDrLarrabythoughtfully.

Hehadhadalifetimeofexperienceinsummingpeopleup.Therehadbeenfrequentoccasionsonwhich
ithadbeennecessarytotackleadifficultsituationoradelicatesubject.MrEntwhistlewasanadeptby
nowintheartofhowexactlytomaketheproperapproach.HowwoulditbebesttotackleDrLarraby
on what was certainly a very difficult subject and one which the doctor might very well resent as
reflectinguponhisownprofessionalskill?

Frankness,MrEntwhistlethought-oratleastamodifiedfrankness.Tosaythatsuspicionshadarisen
becauseofahaphazardsuggestionthrownoutbyasillywomanwouldbeill-advised.DrLarrabyhad
notknownCora.

MrEntwhistleclearedhisthroatandplungedbravely.

"Iwanttoconsultyouonaverydelicatematter,"hesaid."Youmaybeoffended,butIsincerelyhope
not.Youareasensiblemanandyouwillrealise,I'msure,thata-er-preposteroussuggestionisbest
dealtwithbyfindingareasonableanswerandnotbycondemningitoutofhand.Itconcernsmyclient,
thelateMrAbernethie.I'llaskyoumyquestionflatout.Areyoucertain,absolutelycertain,thathedied
whatistermedanaturaldeath?"

DrLarraby'sgood-humoured,rubicundmiddle-agedfaceturnedinastonishmentonhisquestioner.

"Whatonearth-Ofcoursehedid.Igaveacertificate,didn'tI?IfIhadn'tbeensatisfied-"

MrEntwhistlecutinadroitly:

"Naturally,naturally.IassureyouthatIamnotassuminganythingtothecontrary.ButIwouldbeglad
tohaveyourpositiveassurance-infaceofthe-er-rumoursthatareflyingaround."

"Rumours?Whatrumours?"

"Onedoesn'tknowquitehowthesethingsstart,"saidMrEntwhistlemendaciously."Butmyfeelingis
thattheyshouldbestopped-authoritatively,ifpossible."

"Abernethie was a sick man. He was suffering from a disease that would have proved fatal within, I
shouldsay,attheearliest,twoyears.Itmighthavecomemuchsooner.Hisson'sdeathhadweakened
hiswilltolive,andhispowersofresistance.IadmitthatIdidnotexpecthisdeathtocomesosoon,or
indeed so suddenly, but there are precedents - plenty of precedents. Any medical man who predicts
exactlywhenapatientwilldie,orexactlyhowlonghewilllive,isboundtomakeafoolofhimself.The
humanfactorisalwaysincalculable.Theweakhaveoftenunexpectedpowersofresistance,thestrong
sometimessuccumb."

"I understand all that. I am not doubting your diagnosis. Mr Abernethie was, shall we say (rather
melodramatically,I'mafraid)undersentenceofdeath.AllI'maskingyouis,isitquiteimpossiblethata
man,knowingorsuspectingthatheisdoomed,mightofhisownaccordshortenthatperiodoflife?Or
thatsomeoneelsemightdoitforhim?"

DrLarrabyfrowned.

"Suicide,youmean?Abernethiewasn'tasuicidaltype."

"Isee.Youcanassureme,medicallyspeaking,thatsuchasuggestionisimpossible."

Thedoctorstirreduneasily.

"Iwouldn'tusethewordimpossible.Afterhisson'sdeathlifenolongerheldtheinterestforAbernethie
thatithaddone.Icertainlydon'tfeelthatsuicideislikely-butIcan'tsaythatit'simpossible."

"You are speaking from the psychological angle. When I said medically, I really meant: do the
circumstancesofhisdeathmakesuchasuggestionimpossible?"

"No,ohno.No,Ican'tsaythat.Hediedinhissleep,aspeopleoftendo.Therewasnoreasontosuspect
suicide,noevidenceofhisstateofmind.Ifoneweretodemandanautopsyeverytimeamanwhois
seriouslyilldiedinhissleep-"

Thedoctor'sfacewasgettingredderandredder.MrEntwhistlehastenedtointerpose.

"Ofcourse.Ofcourse.Butiftherehadbeenevidence-evidenceofwhichyouyourselfwerenotaware?
If,forinstance,hehadsaidsomethingtosomeone-"

"Indicatingthathewascontemplatingsuicide?Didhe?Imustsayitsurprisesme."

"Butifitwereso-mycaseispurelyhypothetical-couldyouruleoutthepossibility?"

DrLarrabysaidslowly:

"No-no-Icouldnotdothat.ButIsayagain,Ishouldbeverymuchsurprised."

MrEntwhistlehastenedtofollowuphisadvantage.

"If, then, we assume that his death was not natural - all this is purely hypothetical - what could have
causedit?Whatkindofadrug,Imean?"

"Several.Somekindofanarcoticwouldbeindicated.Therewasnosignofcyanosis,theattitudewas
quitepeaceful."

"Hehadsleepingdraughtsorpills?Somethingofthatkind."

"Yes.IhadprescribedSlumberyl-averysafeanddependablehypnotic.Hedidnottakeiteverynight.
Andheonlyhadasmallbottleoftabletsatatime.Threeorevenfourtimestheprescribeddosewould
nothavecauseddeath.Infact,Irememberseeingthebottleonhiswash-standafterhisdeathstillnearly
full."

"Whatelsehadyouprescribedforhim?"

"Variousthings-amedicinecontainingasmallquantityofmorphiatobetakenwhenhehadanattack
ofpain.Somevitamincapsules.Anindigestionmixture."

MrEntwhistleinterrupted.

"Vitamincapsules?IthinkIwasonceprescribedacourseofthose.Smallroundcapsulesofgelatine."

"Yes.Containingadexoline."

"Couldanythingelsehavebeenintroducedinto-say-oneofthosecapsules?"

"Somethinglethal,youmean?"Thedoctorwaslookingmoreandmoresurprised."Butsurelynoman
wouldever-lookhere,Entwhistle,whatareyougettingat?MyGod,man,areyousuggestingmurder?"

"Idon'tquiteknowwhatI'msuggesting...Ijustwanttoknowwhatwouldbepossible."

"Butwhatevidencehaveyouforevensuggestingsuchathing?"

"Ihaven'tanyevidence,"saidMrEntwhistleinatiredvoice."MrAbernethieisdead-andthepersonto
whomhespokeisalsodead.Thewholethingisrumour-vague,unsatisfactoryrumour,andIwantto
scotch it if I can. If you tell me that no one could possibly have poisoned Abernethie in any way
whatsoever,I'llbedelighted!Itwouldbeabigweightoffmymind,Icanassureyou."

DrLarrabygotupandwalkedupanddown.

"Ican'ttellyouwhatyouwantmetotellyou,"hesaidatlast."IwishIcould.Ofcourseitcouldhave
been done. Anybody could have extracted the oil from a capsule and replaced it with - say - pure
nicotineorhalfadozenotherthings.Orsomethingcouldhavebeenputinhisfoodordrink?Isn'tthat
morelikely?"

"Possibly.Butyousee,therewereonlytheservantsinthehousewhenhedied-andIdon'tthinkitwas
anyofthem-infactI'mquitesureitwasn't.SoI'mlookingforsomedelayedactionpossibility.There's
nodrug,Isuppose,thatyoucanadministerandthenthepersondiesweekslater?"

"A convenient idea - but untenable, I'm afraid," said the doctor dryly. "I know you're a responsible
person,Entwhistle,butwhoismakingthissuggestion?Itseemstomewildlyfarfetched."

"Abernethieneversaidanythingtoyou?Neverhintedthatoneofhisrelationsmightbewantinghimout
oftheway?"

Thedoctorlookedathimcuriously.

"No,heneversaidanythingtome.Areyousure,Entwhistle,thatsomebodyhasn'tbeen-well,playing
up the sensational? Some hysterical subjects can give an appearance of being quite reasonable and
normal,youknow."

"Ihopeitwaslikethat.Itmightwellbe."

"Letmeunderstand.SomeoneclaimsthatAbernethietoldher-itwasawoman,Isuppose?"

"Ohyes,itwasawoman."

"-toldherthatsomeonewastryingtokillhim?"

Cornered, Mr Entwhistle reluctantly told the tale of Cora's remark at the funeral. Dr Larraby's face
lightened.

"My dear fellow. I shouldn't pay any attention! The explanation is quite simple. The woman's at a
certaintimeoflife-cravingforsensation,unbalanced,unreliable-mightsayanything.Theydo,you
know."

Mr Entwhistle resented the doctor's easy assumption. He himself had had to deal with plenty of
sensation-huntingandhystericalwomen.

"Youmaybequiteright,"hesaid,rising."Unfortunatelywecan'ttackleheronthesubject,asshe'sbeen
murderedherself."

"What'sthat-murdered?"DrLarrabylookedasthoughhehadgravesuspicionsofMrEntwhistle'sown
stabilityofmind.

"You'veprobablyreadaboutitinthepaper.MrsLanquenetatLytchettStMaryinBerkshire."

"Of course - I'd no idea she was a relation of Richard Abernethie's!" Dr Larraby was looking quite
shaken.

Feelingthathehadrevengedhimselfforthedoctor'sprofessionalsuperiority,andunhappilyconscious
thathisownsuspicionshadnotbeenassuagedasaresultofthevisit,MrEntwhistletookhisleave.

II

BackatEnderby,MrEntwhistledecidedtotalktoLanscombe.

Hestartedbyaskingtheoldbutlerwhathisplanswere.

"MrsLeohasaskedmetostayonhereuntilthehouseissold,sir,andI'msureIshallbeverypleasedto
obligeher.WeareallveryfondofMrsLeo."Hesighed."Ifeelitverymuch,sir,ifyouwillexcuseme
mentioningit,thatthehousehastobesold.I'veknownitforsoverymanyyears,andseenalltheyoung
ladiesandgentlemengrowupinit.IalwaysthoughtthatMrMortimerwouldcomeafterhisfatherand
perhapsbringupafamilyhere,too.Itwasarranged,sir,thatIshouldgototheNorthLodgewhenIgot
pastdoingmyworkhere.Averynicelittleplace,theNorthLodge-andIlookedforwardtohavingit
veryspickandspan.ButIsupposethat'sallovernow."

"I'mafraidso,Lanscombe.Theestatewillallhavetobesoldtogether.Butwithyourlegacy-"

"OhI'mnotcomplaining,sir,andI'mverysensibleofMrAbernethie'sgenerosity.I'mwellprovidedfor,
butit'snotsoeasytofindalittleplacetobuynowadaysandthoughmymarriedniecehasaskedmeto
makemyhomewiththem,well,itwon'tbequitethesamethingaslivingontheestate."

"Iknow,"saidMrEntwhistle."It'sahardnewworldforusoldfellows.IwishI'dseenmoreofmyold
friendbeforehewent.Howdidheseemthoselastfewmonths?"

"Well,hewasn'thimself,sir.NotsinceMrMortimer'sdeath."

"No,itbrokehimup.Andthenhewasasickman-sickmenhavestrangefanciessometimes.Iimagine
Mr Abernethie suffered from that sort of thing in his last days. He spoke of enemies sometimes, of
somebodywishingtodohimharm-perhaps?Hemayevenhavethoughthisfoodwasbeingtampered
with?"

OldLanscombelookedsurprised-surprisedandoffended.

"Icannotrecallanythingofthatkind,sir."

Entwhistlelookedathimkeenly.

"You'reaveryloyalservant,Lanscombe,Iknowthat.Butsuchfancies,onMrAbernethie'spartwould
bequite-er-unimportant-anaturalsymptominsome-er-diseases."

"Indeed,sir?IcanonlysayMrAbernethieneversaidanythinglikethattome,orinmyhearing."

MrEntwhistleslidgentlytoanothersubject.

"Hehadsomeofhisfamilydowntostaywithhim,didn'the,beforehedied.Hisnephewandhistwo
niecesandtheirhusbands?"

"Yes,sir,thatisso."

"Washesatisfiedwiththosevisits?Orwashedisappointed?"

Lanscombe'seyesbecameremote,hisoldbackstiffened.

"Ireallycouldnotsay,sir."

"I think you could, you know," said Mr Entwhistle gently. "It's not your place to say anything of that
kind-that'swhatyoureallymean.Buttherearetimeswhenonehastodoviolencetoone'ssenseof
whatisfitting.Iwasoneofyourmaster'soldestfriends.Icaredforhimverymuch.Sodidyou.That's
whyI'maskingyouforyouropinionasaman,notasabutler."

Lanscombewassilentforamoment,thenhesaidinacolourlessvoice:

"Isthereanything-wrong,sir?"

MrEntwhistlerepliedtruthfully.

"Idon'tknow,"hesaid."Ihopenot.Iwouldliketomakesure.Haveyouyourselffeltthatsomething
was-wrong?"

"Onlysincethefuneral,sir.AndIcouldn'tsayexactlywhatitis.ButMrsLeoandMrsTimothy,too,
theydidn'tseemquitethemselvesthateveningaftertheothershadgone."

"Youknowthecontentsofthewill?"

"Yes,sir.MrsLeothoughtIwouldliketoknow.Itseemedtome,ifImaypermitmyselftocomment,a
veryfairwill."

"Yes, it was a fair will. Equal benefits. But it is not, I think, the will that Mr Abernethie originally
intendedtomakeafterhissondied.WillyouanswernowthequestionthatIaskedyoujustnow?"

"Asamatterofpersonalopinion-"

"Yes,yes,thatisunderstood."

"The master, sir, was very much disappointed after Mr George had been here. He had hoped, I think,
thatMrGeorgemightresembleMrMortimer.MrGeorge,ifImaysayso,didnotcomeuptostandard.
MissLaura'shusbandwasalwaysconsideredunsatisfactory,andI'mafraidMrGeorgetookafterhim."
Lanscombepausedandthenwenton,"Thentheyoungladiescamewiththeirhusbands.MissSusanhe
took to at once - a very spirited and handsome young lady, but it's my opinion he couldn't abide her
husband.Youngladiesmakefunnychoicesnowadays,sir."

"Andtheothercouple?"

"I couldn't say much about that. A very pleasant and good-looking young pair. I think the master
enjoyedhavingthemhere-butIdon'tthink-"Theoldmanhesitated.

"Yes,Lanscombe?"

"Well,themasterhadneverhadmuchtruckwiththestage.Hesaidtomeoneday,'Ican'tunderstand
why anyone gets stage-struck. It's a foolish kind of life. Seems to deprive people of what little sense
theyhave.Idon'tknowwhatitdoestoyourmoralsense.Youcertainlyloseyoursenseofproportion.'
Ofcoursehewasn'treferringdirectly-"

"No, no, I quite understand. Now after these visits, Mr Abernethie himself went away - first to his
brother,andafterwardstohissisterMrsLansquenet."

"ThatIdidnotknow,sir.ImeanhementionedtomethathewasgoingtoMrTimothyandafterwardsto
SomethingStMary."

"Thatisright.Canyourememberanythinghesaidonhisreturninregardtothosevisits?"

Lanscombereflected.

"Ireallydon'tknow-nothingdirect.Hewasgladtobeback.Travellingandstayinginstrangehouses
tiredhimverymuch-thatIdorememberhissaying."

"Nothingelse?Nothingabouteitherofthem?"

Lanscombefrowned.

"Themasterusedto-well,tomurmur,ifyougetmymeaning-speakingtomeandyetmoretohimself
-hardlynoticingIwasthere-becauseheknewmesowell."

"Knewyouandtrustedyou,yes."

"But my recollection is very vague as to what he said - something about he couldn't think what he'd
donewithhismoney-thatwasMrTimothy,Itakeit.Andthenhesaidsomethingabout'Womencanbe
foolsinninety-ninedifferentwaysbutbeprettyshrewdinthehundredth.'Ohyes,andhesaid,'Youcan
only say what you really think to someone of your own generation. They don't think you're fancying
thingsastheyoungeronesdo.'Andlaterhesaid-butIdon'tknowinwhatconnection-'It'snotvery
nicetohavetosettrapsforpeople,butIdon'tseewhatelseIcando.'ButIthinkitpossible,sir,thathe
mayhavebeenthinkingofthesecondgardener-aquestionofthepeachesbeingtaken."

ButMrEntwhistledidnotthinkthatitwasthesecondgardenerwhohadbeeninRichardAbernethie's
mind.AfterafewmorequestionsheletLanscombegoandreflectedonwhathehadlearned.Nothing,
really-nothing,thatis,thathehadnotdeducedbefore.Yetthereweresuggestivepoints.Itwasnothis
sister-in-law,Maude,buthissisterCoraofwhomhehadbeenthinkingwhenhemadetheremarkabout
womenwhowerefoolsandyetshrewd.Anditwastoherhehadconfidedhis"fancies."Andhehad
spokenofsettingatrap.Forwhom?

III

MrEntwhistlehadmeditatedagooddealoverhowmuchheshouldtellHelen.Intheendhedecidedto
takeherwhollyintohisconfidence.

First he thanked her for sorting out Richard's things and for making various household arrangements.
The house had been advertised for sale and there were one or two prospective buyers who would be
shortlycomingtolookoverit.

"Privatebuyers?"

"I'mafraidnot.TheYWCAareconsideringit,andthereisayoungpeople'sclub,andtheTrusteesof
theJeffersonTrustarelookingforasuitableplacetohousetheirCollection."

"It seems sad that the house will not be lived in, but of course it is not a practicable proposition
nowadays."

"Iamgoingtoaskyouifitwouldbepossibleforyoutoremainhereuntilthehouseissold.Orwouldit
beagreatinconvenience?"

"No - actually it would suit me very well. I don't want to go to Cyprus until May, and I much prefer
beingherethantobeinginLondonasIhadplanned.Ilovethishouse,youknow;Leolovedit,andwe
werealwayshappywhenwewereheretogether."

"ThereisanotherreasonwhyIshouldbegratefulifyouwouldstayon.Thereisafriendofmine,aman
calledHerculePoirot-"

Helensaidsharply:

"HerculePoirot?Thenyouthink-"

"Youknowofhim?"

"Yes.Somefriendsofmine-butIimaginedthathewasdeadlongago."

"Heisverymuchalive.Notyoung,ofcourse."

"No,hecouldhardlybeyoung."

Shespokemechanically.Herfacewaswhiteandstrained.Shesaidwithaneffort:

"Youthink-thatCorawasright?ThatRichardwas-murdered?"

MrEntwhistleunburdenedhimself.ItwasapleasuretounburdenhimselftoHelenwithherclearcalm
mind.

Whenhehadfinishedshesaid:

"Oneoughttofeelit'sfantastic-butonedoesn't.MaudeandI,thatnightafterthefuneral-itwasin
bothourminds,I'msure.SayingtoourselveswhatasillywomanCorawas-andyetbeinguneasy.And
then-Corawaskilled-andItoldmyselfitwasjustcoincidence-andofcourseitmaybe-butoh!if
onecanonlybesure.It'sallsodifficult."

"Yes, it's difficult. But Poirot is a man of great originality and he has something really approaching
genius.Heunderstandsperfectlywhatweneed-assurancethatthewholethingisamare'snest."

"Andsupposeitisn't?"

"Whatmakesyousaythat?"askedMrEntwhistlesharply.

"Idon'tknow.I'vebeenuneasy...NotjustaboutwhatCorasaidthatday-somethingelse.Something
thatIfeltatthetimetobewrong."

"Wrong?Inwhatway?"

"That'sjustit.Idon'tknow."

"Youmeanitwassomethingaboutoneofthepeopleintheroom?"

"Yes-yes-somethingofthatkind.ButIdon'tknowwhoorwhat...Ohthatsoundsabsurd-"

"Notatall.Itisinteresting-veryinteresting.Youarenotafool,Helen.Ifyounoticedsomething,that
somethinghassignificance."

"Yes,butIcan'trememberwhatitwas.ThemoreIthink-"

"Don'tthink.Thatisthewrongwaytobringanythingback.Letitgo.Soonerorlateritwillflashinto
yourmind.Andwhenitdoes-letmeknow-atonce."

"Iwill."

Chapter9

MissGilchristpulledherblackfelthatdownfirmlyonherheadandtuckedinawispofgreyhair.The
inquest was set for twelve o'clock and it was not quite twenty-past eleven. Her grey coat and skirt
lookedquitenice,shethought,andshehadboughtherselfablackblouse.Shewishedshecouldhave
been all in black, but that would have been far beyond her means. She looked round the small neat
bedroom and at the walls hung with representations of Brixham harbour, Cockington Forge, Anstey's
Cove, Kyance Cove, Polflexan harbour, Babbacombe Bay, etc., all signed in a dashing way, Cora
Lansquenet.HereyesrestedwithparticularfondnessonPolflexanharbour.Onthechestofdrawersa
fadedphotographcarefullyframedrepresentedtheWillowTeashop.MissGilchristlookedatitlovingly
andsighed.

Shewasdisturbedfromherreveriebythesoundofthedoorbellbelow.

"Dearme,"murmuredMissGilchrist,"Iwonderwho-"

She went out of her room and down the rather rickety stairs. The bell sounded again and there was a
sharpknock.

ForsomereasonMissGilchristfeltnervous.Foramomentortwoherstepsslowedup,thenshewent
ratherunwillinglytothedoor,adjuringherselfnottobesosilly.

Ayoungwomandressedsmartlyinblackandcarryingasmallsuitcasewasstandingonthestep.She
noticedthealarmedlookonMissGilchrist'sfaceandsaidquickly:

"MissGilchrist?IamMrsLansquenet'sniece-SusanBanks."

"Oh dear, yes, of course. I didn't know. Do come in, Mrs Banks. Mind the hall-stand - it sticks out a
little.Inhere,yes.Ididn'tknowyouwerecomingdownfortheinquest.I'dhavehadsomethingready-
somecoffeeorsomething."

SusanBankssaidbriskly:

"Idon'twantanything.I'msosorryifIstartledyou."

"Well, you know you did, in a way. It's very silly of me. I'm not usually nervous. In fact I told the
lawyer that I wasn't nervous, and that I wouldn't be nervous staying on here alone, and really I'm not
nervous.Only-perhapsit'sjusttheinquestand-andthinkingofthings,butIhavebeenjumpyallthis
morning.JustabouthalfanhouragothebellrangandIcouldhardlybringmyselftoopenthedoor-
whichwasreallyverystupidandsounlikelythatamurdererwouldcomeback-andwhyshouldhe?-
and actually it was only a nun, collecting for an orphanage - and I was so relieved I gave her two
shillingsalthoughI'mnotaRomanCatholicandindeedhavenosympathywiththeRomanChurchand
allthesemonksandnunsthoughIbelievetheLittleSistersofthePoordoreallydogoodwork.Butdo
pleasesitdown,Mrs-Mrs-"

"Banks."

"Yes,ofcourse,Banks.Didyoucomedownbytrain?"

"No, I drove down. The lane seemed so narrow I ran the car on a little way and found a sort of old
quarryIbackeditinto."

"Thislaneisverynarrow,butthere'shardlyeveranytrafficalonghere.It'sratheralonelyroad."

MissGilchristgavealittleshiverasshesaidthoselastwords.

SusanBankswaslookingroundtheroom.

"PooroldAuntCora,"shesaid."Sheleftwhatshehadtome,youknow."

"Yes,Iknow.MrEntwhistletoldme.Iexpectyou'llbegladofthefurniture.You'renewlymarried,I
understand,andfurnishingissuchanexpensenowadays.MrsLansquenethadsomeverynicethings."

Susandidnotagree.Corahadhadnotastefortheantique.Thecontentsvariedbetween"modernistic"
piecesandthe"arty"type.

"Ishan'twantanyofthefurniture,"shesaid."I'vegotmyown,youknow.Ishallputitupforauction.
Unless-isthereanyofityouwouldlike?I'dbeveryglad..."

Shestopped,alittleembarrassed.ButMissGilchristwasnotatallembarrassed.Shebeamed.

"Nowreally,that'sverykindofyou,MrsBanks-yes,verykindindeed.Ireallydoappreciateit.But
actually,youknow,Ihavemyownthings.Iputtheminstoreincase-someday-Ishouldneedthem.
Therearesomepicturesmyfatherlefttoo.Ihadasmalltea-shopatonetime,youknow-butthenthe
warcame-itwasallveryunfortunate.ButIdidn'tsellupeverything,becauseIdidhopetohavemy
ownlittlehomeagainoneday,soIputthebestthingsinstorewithmyfather'spicturesandsomerelics
ofouroldhome.ButIwouldlikeverymuch,ifyoureallywouldn'tmind,tohavethatlittlepaintedtea
tableofdearMrsLansquenet's.Suchaprettythingandwealwayshadteaonit."

Susan, looking with a slight shudder at a small green table painted with large purple clematis, said
quicklythatshewouldbedelightedforMissGilchristtohaveit.

"Thankyouwrymuch,MrsBanks.Ifeelalittlegreedy.I'vegotallherbeautifulpictures,youknow,
andalovelyamethystbrooch,butIfeelthatperhapsIoughttogivethatbacktoyou."

"No,no,indeed."

"You'llwanttogothroughherthings?Aftertheinquest,perhaps?"

"IthoughtI'dstayhereacoupleofdays,gothroughthings,andcleareverythingup."

"Sleephere,youmean?"

"Yes.Isthereanydifficulty?"

"Oh no, Mrs Banks, of course not. I'll put fresh sheets on my bed, and I can doss down here on the
couchquitewell."

"Butthere'sAuntCora'sroom,isn'tthere?Icansleepinthat."

"You-youwouldn'tmind?"

"Youmeanbecauseshewasmurderedthere?Ohno,Iwouldn'tmind.I'mverytough,MissGilchrist.It's
been-Imean-it'sallrightagain?"

MissGilchristunderstoodthequestion.

"Oh yes, Mrs Banks. All the blankets sent away to the cleaners and Mrs Panter and I scrubbed the
wholeroomoutthoroughly.Andthereareplentyofspareblankets.Butcomeupandseeforyourself."

SheledthewayupstairsandSusanfollowedher.

The room where Cora Lansquenet had died was clean and fresh and curiously devoid of any sinister
atmosphere. Like the sitting-room it contained a mixture of modern utility and elaborately painted
furniture. It represented Cora's cheerful tasteless personality. Over the mantelpiece an oil painting
showedabuxomyoungwomanabouttoenterherbath.

SusangaveaslightshudderasshelookedatitandMissGilchristsaid:

"ThatwaspaintedbyMrsLansquenet'shusband.Therearealotofmoreofhispicturesinthedining-
roomdownstairs."

"Howterrible."

"Well,Idon'tcareverymuchforthatstyleofpaintingmyself-butMrsLansquenetwasveryproudof
herhusbandasanartistandthoughtthathisworkwassadlyunappreciated."

"WhereareAuntCora'sownpictures?"

"Inmyroom.Wouldyouliketoseethem?"

MissGilchristdisplayedhertreasuresproudly.

SusanremarkedthatAuntCoraseemedtohavebeenfondofseacoastresorts.

"Ohyes.Yousee,shelivedformanyyearswithMrLansquenetatasmallfishingvillageinBrittany.
Fishingboatsarealwayssopicturesque,aretheynot?"

"Obviously,"Susanmurmured.Awholeseriesofpicturepostcardscould,shethought,havebeenmade
fromCoraLansquenet'spaintingswhichwerefaithfultodetailandveryhighlycoloured.Theygaverise
tothesuspicionthattheymightactuallyhavebeenpaintedfrompicturepostcards.

ButwhenshehazardedthisopinionMissGilchristwasindignant.MrsLansquenetalwayspaintedfrom
Nature!Indeed,onceshehadhadatouchofthesunfromreluctancetoleaveasubjectwhenthelight
wasjustright.

"MrsLansquenetwasarealartist,"saidMissGilchristreproachfully.

SheglancedatherwatchandSusansaidquickly:

"Yes,weoughttostartfortheinquest.Isitfar?ShallIgetthecar?"

It was only five minutes' walk, Miss Gilchrist assured her. So they set out together on foot. Mr
Entwhistle,whohadcomedownbytrain,metthemandshepherdedthemintotheVillageHall.

There seemed to be a large number of strangers present. The inquest was not sensational. There was
evidence of identification of the deceased. Medical evidence as to the nature of the wounds that had
killedher.Therewerenosignsofastruggle.Deceasedwasprobablyunderanarcoticatthetimeshe
wasattackedandwouldhavebeentakenquiteunawares.Deathwasunlikelytohaveoccurredlaterthan
four-thirty. Between two and four-thirty was the nearest approximation. Miss Gilchrist testified to
findingthebody.ApoliceconstableandInspectorMortongavetheirevidence.TheCoronersummed
upbriefly.Thejurymadenobonesabouttheverdict,"Murderbysomepersonorpersonsunknown."

It was over. They came out again into the sunlight. Half a dozen cameras clicked. Mr Entwhistle
shepherded Susan and Miss Gilchrist into the King's Arms, where he had taken the precaution to
arrangeforlunchtobeservedinaprivateroombehindthebar.

"Notaverygoodlunch,Iamafraid,"hesaidapologetically.

But the lunch was not at all bad. Miss Gilchrist sniffed a little and murmured that "it was all so
dreadful,"butcheeredupandtackledtheIrishstewwithappetiteafterMrEntwhistlehadinsistedon
herdrinkingaglassofsherry.HesaidtoSusan:

"I'dnoideayouwerecomingdowntoday,Susan.Wecouldhavecometogether."

"IknowIsaidIwouldn't.Butitseemedrathermeanfornoneofthefamilytobethere.IrangupGeorge
buthesaidhewasverybusyandcouldn'tpossiblymakeit,andRosamundhadanauditionandUncle
Timothy,ofcourse,isacrock.Soithadtobeme."

"Yourhusbanddidn'tcomewithyou?"

"Greghadtosettleupwithhistiresomeshop."

SeeingastartledlookinMissGilchrist'seye,Susansaid:"Myhusbandworksinachemist'sshop."

AhusbandinretailtradedidnotquitesquarewithMissGilchrist'simpressionofSusan'ssmartness,but
shesaidvaliantly:"Ohyes,justlikeKeats."

"Greg'snopoet,"saidSusan.

Sheadded:

"We'vegotgreatplansforthefuture-adouble-barrelledestablishment-CosmeticsandBeautyparlour
andalaboratoryforspecialpreparations."

"That will be much nicer," said Miss Gilchrist approvingly. Something like Elizabeth Arden who is

reallyaCountess,soIhavebeentold-oristhatHelenaRubinstein?Inanycase,"sheaddedkindly,"a
pharmacist'sisnotintheleastlikeanordinaryshop-adraper,forinstance,oragrocer."

"Youkeptatea-shop,yousaid,didn'tyou?"

"Yes,indeed,"MissGilchrist'sfacelitup.ThattheWillowTreehadeverbeen"trade"inthesensethata
shopwastrade,wouldneverhaveoccurredtoher.Tokeepatea-shopwasinhermindtheessenceof
gentility.ShestartedtellingSusanabouttheWillowTree.

Mr Entwhistle, who had heard about it before, let his mind drift to other matters. When Susan had
spokentohimtwicewithouthisansweringhehurriedlyapologised.

"Forgive me, my dear, I was thinking, as a matter of fact, about your Uncle Timothy. I am a little
worried."

"AboutUncleTimothy?Ishouldn'tbe.Idon'tbelievereallythere'sanythingthematterwithhim.He's
justahypochondriac."

"Yes-yes,youmayberight.Iconfessitwasnothishealththatwasworryingme.It'sMrsTimothy.
Apparently she's fallen downstairs and twisted her ankle. She's laid up and your uncle is in a terrible
state."

"Becausehe'llhavetolookafterherinsteadoftheotherwayabout?Dohimalotofgood,"saidSusan.

"Yes-yes,Idaresay.Butwillyourpoorauntgetanylookingafter?Thatisreallythequestion.Withno
servantsinthehouse."

"Lifeisreallyhellforelderlypeople,"saidSusan."TheyliveinakindofGeorgianManorhouse,don't
they?"

MrEntwhistlenodded.

TheycameratherwarilyoutoftheKing'sArms,butthePressseemedtohavedispersed.

AcoupleofreporterswerelyinginwaitforSusanbythecottagedoor.ShepherdedbyMrEntwhistle

shesaidafewnecessaryandnon-committalwords.ThensheandMissGilchristwentintothecottage
andMrEntwhistlereturnedtotheKing'sArmswherehehadbookedaroom.Thefuneralwastobeon
thefollowingday.

"Mycar'sstillinthequarry,"saidSusan."I'dforgottenaboutit.I'lldriveitalongtothevillagelater."

MissGilchristsaidanxiously:

"Nottoolate.Youwon'tgooutafterdark,willyou?"

Susanlookedatherandlaughed.

"Youdon'tthinkthere'samurdererstillhangingabout,doyou?"

"No-no,Isupposenot."MissGilchristlookedembarrassed.

"Butit'sexactlywhatshedoesthink,"thoughtSusan."Howamazing!"

MissGilchristhadvanishedtowardsthekitchen.

"I'msureyou'dliketeaearly.Inabouthalfanhour,doyouthink,MrsBanks?"

Susanthoughtthatteaathalf-pastthreewasoverdoingit,butshewascharitableenoughtorealisethat
"anicecupoftea"wasMissGilchrist'sideaofrestorationforthenervesandshehadherownreasons
forwishingtopleaseMissGilchrist,soshesaid:

"Wheneveryonlike,MissGilchrist."

AhappyclatterofkitchenimplementsbeganandSusanwentintothesitting-room.Shehadonlybeen
thereafewminuteswhenthebellsoundedandwassucceededbyaverypreciselittlerat-tat-tat.

Susan came out into the hall and Miss Gilchrist appeared at the kitchen door wearing an apron and
wipingflouryhandsonit.

"Ohdear,whodoyouthinkthatcanbe?"

"Morereporters,Iexpect,"saidSusan.

"Ohdear,howannoyingforyou,MrsBanks."

"Ohwell,nevermind,I'llattendtoit."

"Iwasjustgoingtomakeafewsconesfortea."

SusanwenttowardsthefrontdoorandMissGilchristhovereduncertainly.Susanwonderedwhethershe
thoughtamanwithahatchetwaswaitingoutside.

Thevisitor,howeverprovedtobeanelderlygentlemanwhoraisedhishatwhenSusanopenedthedoor
andsaid,beamingatherinavuncularstyle.

"MrsBanks,Ithink?"

"Yes."

"MynameisGuthrie-AlexanderGuthrie.Iwasafriend-averyoldfriend,ofMrsLansquenet's.You,I
think,areherniece,formerlyMissSusanAbernethie?"

"That'squiteright."

"Thensinceweknowwhoweare,Imaycomein?"

"Ofcourse."

MrGuthriewipedhisfeetcarefullyonthemat,steppedinside,divestedhimselfofhisovercoat,laidit
downwithhishatonasmalloakchestandfollowedSusanintothesitting-room

"Thisisamelancholyoccasion,"saidMrGuthrie,towhommelancholydidnotseemtocomenaturally,
hisowninclinationbeingtobeam."Yes,averymelancholyoccasion.Iwasinthispartoftheworldand
IfelttheleastIcoulddowastoattendtheinquest-andofcoursethefuneral.PoorCora-poorfoolish
Cora.Ihaveknownher,mydearMrsBanks,sincetheearlydaysofhermarriage.Ahigh-spiritedgirl-
andshetookartveryseriously-tookPierreLansquenetseriously,too-asanartist,Imean.Allthings
consideredhedidn'tmakehertoobadahusband.Hestrayed,ifyouknowwhatImean,yes,hestrayed-
butfortunatelyCoratookitaspartoftheartistictemperament.Hewasanartistandthereforeimmoral!
InfactI'mnotsureshedidn'tgofurther:hewasimmoralandthereforehemustbeanartist!Nokindof
senseinartisticmatters,poorCora-thoughinotherways,mindyou,Corahadalotofsense-yes,a
surprisinglotofsense."

"That'swhateverybodyseemstosay,"saidSusan."Ididn'treallyknowher."

"No, no, cut herself off from her family because they didn't appreciate her precious Pierre. She was
never a pretty girl - but she had something. She was good company! You never knew what she'd say
nextandyoueverknewifhernaivetéwasgenuineorwhethershewasdoingitdeliberately.Shemade
usalllaughagooddeal.Theeternalchild-that'swhatwealwaysfeltabouther.Andreallythelasttime
Isawher(IhaveseenherfromtimetotimesincePierredied)shestruckmeasstillbehavingverymuch
likeachild."

SusanofferedMrGuthrieacigarette,buttheoldgentlemanshookhishead.

"Nothankyou,mydear.Idon'tsmoke.YoumustwonderwhyI'vecome?TotellyouthetruthIwas
feeling rather conscience-stricken. I promised Cora to come and see her, some weeks ago. I usually
calleduponheronceayear,andjustlatelyshe'dtakenupthehobbyofbuyingpicturesatlocalsales,
andwantedmetolookatsomeofthem.Myprofessionisthatofartcritic,youknow.Ofcoursemostof
Cora'spurchaseswerehorribledaubs,buttakeitallinall,itisn'tsuchabadspeculation.Picturesgofor
nexttonothingatthesecountrysalesandtheframesaloneareworthmorethanyou,payforthepicture.
Naturallyanyimportantsaleisattendedbydealersandoneisn'tlikelytogetholdofmasterpieces.But
onlytheotherday,asmallCuypwasknockeddownforafewpoundsatafarmhousesale.Thehistory
ofitwasquite,interesting.Ithadbeengiventoanoldnursebythefamilyshehadservedfaithfullyfor
manyyears-theyhadnoideaofit'svalue.Oldnursegaveittofarmernephewwholikedthehorseinit
butthoughtitwasadirtyoldthing!Yes,yes,thesethingssometimeshappen,andCorawasconvinced
thatshehadaneyeforpictures.Shehadn't,ofcourse.WantedmetocomeandlookataRembrandtshe
hadpickedthelastyear.ARembrandt!Notevenarespectablecopyofone!Butshehadgotholdofa
quiteniceBartolozziengraving-dampspottedunfortunately.Isolditforherforthirtypoundsandof
coursethatspurredheron.ShewrotetomewithgreatgustoaboutanItalianPrimitiveshehadbought
atsomesaleandIpromisedI'dcomealongandseeit."

"That'sitoverthere,Iexpect,"saidSusan,gesturingtothewallbehindhim.

MrGuthriegotup,putonapairofspectacles,andwentovertostudythepicture.

"PoordearCora,"hesaidatlast.

"Therearealotmore,"saidSusan.

Mr Guthrie proceeded to a leisurely inspection of the art treasures acquired by the hopeful Mrs
Lansquenet.Occasionallyhesaid,"Tchk,Tchk,"occasionallyhesighed.

Finallyheremovedhisspectacles.

"Dirt," he said, "is a wonderful thing, Mrs Banks! It gives a patina of romance to the most horrible
examplesofthepainter'sart.I'mafraidthatBartolozziwasbeginner'sluck.PoorCora.Stillitgaveher
aninterestinlife.IamreallythankfulthatIdidnothavetodisillusionher."

"Therearesomepicturesin,thedining-room,"saidSusan,"butIthinktheyareallherhusband'swork."

MrGuthrieshudderedslightlyandheldupaprotestinghand.

"Donotforcemetolookatthoseagain.Lifeclasseshavemuchtoanswerfor!Ialwaystriedtospare
Cora'sfeelings.Adevotedwife-averydevotedwife.Well,dearMrsBanks,Imustnottakeupmoreof
yourtime."

"Oh,dostayandhavesometea.Ithinkit'snearlyready."

"Thatisverykindofyou."MrGuthriesatdownagainpromptly.

"I'lljustgoandsee."

Inthekitchen,MissGilchristwasjustliftingalastbatchofsconesfromtheoven.Thetea-traystood
readyandthekettlewasjustgentlyrattlingitslid.

"There'saMrGuthriehere,andI'veaskedhimtostayfortea."

"Mr Guthrie? Oh, yes, he was a great friend of dear Mrs Lansquenet's. He's the celebrated art critic.
How fortunate; I've made a nice lot of scones and that's some home-made strawberry jam, and I just
whippedupsomelittledropcakes.I'lljustmakethetea-I'vewarmedthepot.Oh,please,MrsBanks,
don'tcarrythatheavytray.Icanmanageeverything."

However,SusantookinthetrayandMissGilchristfollowedwithteapotandkettle,greetedMrGuthrie,
andtheysetto.

"Hot scones, that is a treat," said Mr Guthrie, "and what delicious jam! Really, the stuff one buys
nowadays."

MissGilchristwasflushedanddelighted.Thelittlecakeswereexcellentandsowerethescones,and
everyonedidjusticetothem.TheghostoftheWillowTreehungovertheparty.Here,itwasclear,Miss
Gilchristwasinherelement.

"Well, thank you, perhaps I will," said Mr Guthrie as he accepted the last cake, pressed upon him by
MissGilchrist."Idofeelratherguilty,though-enjoyingmyteahere,wherepoorCorawassobrutally
murdered."

MissGilchristdisplayedanunexpectedVictorianreactiontothis.

"Oh,butMrsLansquenetwouldhavewishedyoutotakeagoodtea.You'vegottokeepyourstrength
up."

"Yes,yes,perhapsyouareright.Thefactis,youknow,thatonecannotreallybringoneselftobelieve
thatsomeoneyouknew-actuallyknew-canhavebeenmurdered!"

"Iagree,"saidSusan."Itjustseems-fantastic."

"And certainly not by some casual tramp who broke in and attacked her. I can imagine, you know,
reasonswhyCoramighthavebeenmurdered."

Susansaidquickly,"Canyou?Whatreasons?"

"Well,shewasn'tdiscreet,"saidMrGuthrie."Corawasneverdiscreet.Andsheenjoyed-howshawI

putit-showinghowsharpshecouldbe?Likeachildwho'sgotholdofsomebody'ssecret.IfCoragot
holdofasecretshe'dwanttotalkaboutit.Evenifshepromisednotto,she'dstilldoit.Shewouldn'tbe
abletohelpherself."

Susandidnotspeak.MissGilchristdidnoteither.Shelookedworried.MrGuthriewenton:

"Yes,alittledoseofarsenicinacupoftea-thatwouldnothavesurprisedme,oraboxofchocolatesby
post.Butsordidrobberyandassault-thatseemshighlyincongruous.ImaybewrongbutIshouldhave
thoughtshehadverylittletotakethatwouldbeworthaburglar'swhile.Shedidn'tkeepmuchmoneyin
thehouse,didshe?"

MissGilchristsaid,"Verylittle."

MrGuthriesighedandrosetohisfeet.

"Ah!well,there'salotoflawlessnessaboutsincethewar.Timeshavechanged."

Thankingthemfortheteahetookapolitefarewellofthetwowomen.MissGilchristsawhimoutand
helpedhimonwithhisovercoat.Fromthewindowofthesitting-room,Susanwatchedhimtrotbriskly
downthefrontpathtothegate.

MissGilchristcamebackintotheroomwithasmallparcelinherhand.

"Thepostmanmusthavebeenwhilewewereattheinquest.Hepusheditthroughtheletter-boxandit
hadfalleninthecornerbehindthedoor.NowIwonder-why,ofcourse,itmustbeweddingcake."

HappilyMissGilchristrippedoffthepaper.Insidewasasmallwhiteboxtiedwithsilverribbon.

"Itis!"Shepulledofftheribbon,insidewasamodestwedgeofrichcakewithalmondpasteandwhite
icing."Hownice!Nowwho-"Sheconsultedthecardattached."JohnandMary.Nowwhocanthatbe?
Howsillytoputnosurname."

Susan,rousingherselffromcontemplation,saidvaguely:

"It's quite difficult sometimes with people just using Christian names. I got a postcard the other day

signedJoan.IcountedupIkneweightJoans-andwithtelephoningsomuch,oneoftendoesn'tknow
theirhandwriting."

MissGilchristwashappilygoingoverthepossibleJohnsorMarysofheracquaintance.

"ItmightbeDorothy'sdaughter-hernamewasMary,butIhadn'theardofanengagement,stilllessofa
marriage.Thenthere'slittleJohnBanfield-Isupposehe'sgrownupandoldenoughtobemarried-or
theEnfieldgirl-no,hernamewasMargaret.Noaddressoranything.Ohwell,Idaresayitwillcometo
me..."

Shepickedupthetrayandwentouttothekitchen.

Susanrousedherselfandsaid:

"Well-IsupposeI'dbettergoandputthecarsomewhere."

Chapter10

Susanretrievedthecarfromthequarrywhereshehadleftitanddroveitintothevillage.Therewasa
petrolpumpbutnogarageandshewasadvisedtotakeittotheKing'sArms.Theyhadroomforitthere
andsheleftitbyabigDaimlerwhichwaspreparingtogoout.Itwaschauffeurdrivenandinsideit,
verymuchmuffledup,wasanelderlyforeigngentlemanwithalargemoustache.

TheboytowhomSusanwastalkingaboutthecarwasstaringatherwithsuchraptattentionthehedid
notseemtobetakinginhalfofwhatshesaid.

Finallyhesaidinanawe-strickenvoice:

"You'reherniece,aren'tyou?"

"What?"

"You'rethevictim'sniece,"theboyrepeatedwithrelish.

"Oh-yes-yes,Iam."

"Ar!WonderedwhereI'dseenyoubefore."

"Ghoul,"thoughtSusanassheretracedherstepstothecottage.

MissGilchristgreetedherwith:

"Oh,you'resafelyback,"intonesofreliefwhichfurtherannoyedher.MissGilchristaddedanxiously:

"Youcaneatspaghetti,can'tyou?Ithoughtfortonight-"

"Ohyes,anything.Idon'twantmuch."

"IreallyflattermyselfthatIcanmakeaverytastyspaghettiaugratin."

The boast was not an idle one. Miss Gilchrist, Susan reflected, was really an excellent cook. Susan
offeredtohelpwashupbutMissGilchrist,thoughclearlygratifiedbytheoffer,assuredSusanthatthere
wasverylittletodo.

Shecameinalittlewhilelaterwithcoffee.Thecoffeewaslessexcellent,beingdecidedlyweak.Miss
GilchristofferedSusanapieceoftheweddingcakewhichSusanrefused.

"It's really very good cake," Miss Gilchrist insisted, tasting it. She had settled to her own satisfaction
thatitmusthavebeensentbysomeonewhomshealludedtoas"dearEllen'sdaughterwhoIknowwas
engagedtobemarriedbutIcan'trememberhername."

SusanletMissGilchristchirrupawayintosilencebeforestartingherownsubjectofconversation.This
moment,aftersupper,sittingbeforethefire,wasacompanionableone.

Shesaidatlast:

"MyUncleRichardcamedownherebeforehedied,didn'the?"

"Yes,hedid."

"Whenwasthatexactly?"

"Letmesee-itmusthavebeenone,two-nearlythreeweeksbeforehisdeathwasannounced."

"Didheseem-ill?"

"Well,no,Iwouldn'tsayheseemedexactlyill.Hehadaveryheartyvigorousmanner.MrsLansquenet
wasverysurprisedtoseehim.Shesaid,'Well,really,Richard,afteralltheseyears!'Andhesaid,'Icame
toseeformyselfexactlyhowthingsarewithyou.'AndMrsLansquenetsaid,'I'mallright.'Ithink,you
know, she was a teeny bit offended by his turning up so casually - after the long break. Anyway Mr
Abernethiesaid,'Nousekeepingupoldgrievances.YouandIandTimothyaretheonlyonesleft-and
nobodycantalktoTimothyexceptabouthisownhealth.'Andhesaid,'Pierreseemstohavemadeyou
happy,soitseemsIwasinthewrong.There,willthatcontentyou?'Verynicelyhesaidit.Ahandsome
man,thoughelderly,ofcourse."

"Howlongwashehere?"

"Hestayedforlunch.Beefolives,Imade.Fortunatelyitwasthedaythebutchercalled."

MissGilchrist'smemoryseemedtobealmostwhollyculinary.

"Theyseemedtobegettingonwelltogether?"

"Oh,yes."

Susanpausedandthensaid:

"WasAuntCorasurprisedwhen-hedied?"

"Ohyes,itwasquitesudden,wasn'tit?"

"Yes,itwassudden...Imeant-shewassurprised.Hehadn'tgivenheranyindicationhowillhewas."

"Oh-Iseewhatyoumean."MissGilchristpausedamoment."No,no,Ithinkperhapsyouareright.
Shedidsaythathehadgotveryold-Ithinkshesaidsenile..."

"Butyoudidn'tthinkhewassenile?"

"Well,nottolookat.ButIdidn'ttalktohimmuch,naturallyIleftthemalonetogether."

Susan looked at Miss Gilchrist speculatively. Was Miss Gilchrist the kind of woman who listened at
doors? She was honest, Susan felt sure, she wouldn't ever pilfer, or cheat over the housekeeping, or
open letters. But inquisitiveness can drape itself in a mantle of rectitude. Miss Gilchrist might have
found it necessary to garden near an open window, or to dust the hall... That would be within the
permittedlengths.Andthen,ofcourse,shecouldnothavehelpedhearingsomething...

"Youdidn'thearanyoftheirconversation?"Susanasked.

Tooabrupt.MissGilchristflushedangrily.

"No,indeed,MrsBanks.Ithasneverbeenmycustomtolistenatdoors!"

Thatmeansshedoes,thoughtSusan,otherwiseshe'djustsay"No."

Aloudshesaid:"I'msosorry,MissGilchrist.Ididn'tmeanitthatway.Butsometimes,inthesesmall
flimsilybuiltcottages,onesimplycan'thelphearingnearlyeverythingthatgoeson,andnowthatthey
are both dead, it's really rather important to the family to know just what was said at that meeting
betweenthem."

Thecottagewasanythingbutflimsilybuilt-itdatedfromasturdiereraofbuilding,butMissGilchrist
acceptedthebait,androsetothesuggestionheldout.

"Ofcoursewhatyousayisquitetrue,MrsBanks-thisisaverysmallplaceandIdoappreciatethatyou
would want to know what passed between them, but really I'm afraid I can't help very much. I think
theyweretalkingaboutMrAbernethie'shealth-andcertain-well,fancieshehad.Hedidn'tlookit,but
hemusthavebeenasickmanandasissooftenthecase,heputhisill-healthdowntooutsideagencies.
Acommonsymptom,Ibelieve.Myaunt-"

MissGilchristdescribedheraunt.

Susan,likeMrEntwhistle,side-trackedtheaunt.

"Yes,"shesaid."Thatisjustwhatwethought.Myuncle'sservantswereallveryattachedtohimand
naturallytheyareupsetbyhisthinking-"Shepaused.

"Oh,ofcourse!Servantsareverytouchy,aboutanythingofthatkind.Irememberthatmyaunt-"

AgainSusaninterrupted.

"Itwastheservantshesuspected,Isuppose?Ofpoisoninghim,Imean?"

"Idon'tknow...I-really-"

Susannotedherconfusion.

"Itwasn'ttheservants.Wasitoneparticularperson?"

"Idon'tknow,MrsBanks.ReallyIdon'tknow-"

But her eye avoided Susan's. Susan thought to herself that Miss Gilchrist knew more than she was
willingtoadmit.

ItwaspossiblethatMissGilchristknewagooddeal...

Decidingnottopressthepointforthemoment,Susansaid:

"Whatareyourownplansforthefuture,MissGilchrist?"

"Well,really,Iwasgoingtospeaktoyouaboutthat,MrsBanks.ItoldMrEntwhistleIwouldbewilling
tostayonuntileverythingherewasclearedup."

"Iknow.I'mverygrateful."

"AndIwantedtoaskyouhowlongthatwaslikelytobe,because,ofcourse,Imuststartlookingabout
foranotherpost."

Susanconsidered.

"There'sreallynotverymuchtobedonehere.InacoupleofdaysIcangetthingssortedandnotifiythe
auctioneer."

"Youhavedecidedtosellupeverything,then?"

"Yes.Idon'tsupposetherewillbeanydifficultyinlettingthecottage?"

"Oh,no-peoplewillqueueupforit,I'msure.Therearesofewcottagestorent.Onenearlyalwayshas
tobuy."

"Soit'sallverysimple,yousee."Susanhesitatedamomentbeforesaying,"Iwantedtotellyou-thatI
hopeyou'llacceptthreemonths'salary."

"That'sverygenerousofyou,I'msure,MrsBanks.Idoappreciateit.Andyouwouldbepreparedto-I
meanIcouldaskyou-ifnecessary-to-torecommendme?TosaythatIhadbeenwitharelationof
yoursandthatIhad-provedsatisfactory?"

"Oh,ofcourse."

"Idon'tknowwhetherIoughttoaskit."MissGilchrist'shandsbegantoshakeandshetriedtosteady
hervoice."Butwoulditbepossiblenotto-tomentionthecircumstances-oreventhename?"

Susanstared.

"Idon'tunderstand."

"That'sbecauseyouhaven'tthought,MrsBanks.It'smurder.Amurderthat'sbeeninthepapersandthat
everybodyhasreadabout.Don'tyousee?Peoplemightthink.'Twowomenlivingtogether,andoneof
them is killed - and perhaps the companion did it.' Don't you see, Mrs Banks? I'm sure that if I was
lookingforsomeone,I'd-well,I'dthinktwicebeforeengagingmyself-ifyouunderstandwhatImean.
Becauseoneneverknows!It'sbeenworryingmedreadfully,MrsBanks;I'vebeenlyingawakeatnight
thinkingthatperhapsI'llnevergetanotherjob-notofthiskind.AndwhatelseistherethatIcando?"

The question came out with unconscious pathos. Susan felt suddenly stricken. She realised the
desperationofthispleasant-spokencommonplacewomanwhowasdependentforexistenceonthefears
andwhimsofemployers.AndtherewasalotoftruthinwhatMissGilchristhadsaid.Youwouldn't,if
youcouldhelpit,engageawomantosharedomesticintimacywhohadfigured,howeverinnocently,in
amurdercase.

Susansaid:"Butiftheyfindthemanwhodidit-"

"Ohthen,ofcourse,itwillbequiteallright.Butwilltheyfindhim?Idon'tthink,myself,thepolice
havetheleastidea.Andifhe'snotcaught-well,thatleavesmeas-asnotquitethemostlikelyperson,
butasapersonwhocouldhavedoneit."

Susannoddedthoughtfully.ItwastruethatMissGilchristdidnotbenefitfromCoraLansquenet'sdeath
but who was to know that? And besides, there were so many tales - ugly tales - of animosity arising
betweenwomenwholivedtogether-strangepathologicalmotivesforsuddenviolence.Someonewho
hadnotknownthemmightimaginethatCoraLansquenetandMissGilchristhadlivedonthoseterms...

Susanspokewithherusualdecision.

"Don'tworry,MissGilchrist,"shesaid,speakingbrisklyandcheerfully."I'msureIcanfindyouapost
amongstmyfriends.Therewon'tbetheleastdifficulty."

"I'mafraid,saidMissGilchrist,regainingsomeofhercustomarymanner,"thatIcouldn'tundertakeany
reallyroughwork.Justalittleplaincookingandhousework-"

ThetelephonerangandMissGilchristjumped.

"Dearme,Iwonderwhothatcanbe."

"Iexpectit'smyhusband,"saidSusan,jumpingup."Hesaidhe'dringmetonight."

Shewenttothetelephone.

"Yes?-yes,thisisMrsBanksspeakingpersonally..."

Therewasapauseandthenhervoicechanged.Itbecamesoftandwarm."Hallo,darling-yes,it'sme...
Oh, quite well... Murder by someone unknown... the usual thing... Only Mr Entwhistle... What?... it's
difficulttosay,butIthinkso...Yes,justaswethought...Absolutelyaccordingtoplan...Ishallsellthe
stuff.There'snothingwe'dwant...Notforadayortwo...Absolutelyfrightful...Don'tfuss.Iknowwhat
I'm doing... Greg, you didn't... You were careful to... No, it's nothing. Nothing at all. Good night,
darling."

Sherangoff.ThenearnessofMissGilchristhadhamperedheralittle.MissGilchristcouldprobably
hearfromthekitchen,whereshehadtactfullyretired,exactlywhatwenton.Therewerethingsshehad
wantedtoaskGreg,butshehadn'tlikedto.

Shestoodbythetelephone,frowningabstractedly.Thensuddenlyanideacametoher.

"Ofcourse,"shemurmured."Justthething."

LiftingthereceiversheaskedforTrunkEnquiry.

Somequarterofanhourlaterawearyvoicefromtheexchangewassaying:

"I'mafraidthere'snoreply."

"Pleasegoonringingthem."

Susanspokeautocratically.Shelistenedtothefaroffbuzzingofatelephonebell.Then,suddenlyitwas
interruptedandaman'svoice,peevishandslightlyindignant,said:

"Yes,yes,whatisit?"

"UncleTimothy?"

"What'sthat?Ican'thearyou."

"UncleTimothy?I'mSusanBanks."

"Susanwho?"

"Banks.FormerlyAbernethie.YournieceSusan."

"Oh,you'reSusan,areyou?What'sthematter?Whatareyouringingupforatthistimeofnight?"

"It'squiteearlystill."

"Itisn't.Iwasinbed."

"Youmustgotobedveryearly.How'sAuntMaude?"

"Isthatallyouranguptoask?Youraunt'sinagooddealofpainandshecan'tdoathing.Notathing.
She'shelpless.We'reinanicemess,Icantellyou.Thatfoolofadoctorsayshecan'tevengetanurse.
HewantedtocartMaudeofftohospital.Istoodoutagainstthat.He'stryingtogetholdofsomeonefor
us.Ican'tdoanything-Idaren'teventry.There'safoolfromthevillagestayinginthehousetonightbut
she'smurmuringaboutgettingbacktoherhusband.Don'tknowwhatwe'regoingtodo."

"That'swhatIrangupabout.WouldyoulikeMissGilchrist?"

"Who'sshe?Neverheardofher."

"AuntCora'scompanion.She'sveryniceandcapable."

"Canshecook?"

"Yes,shecooksverywell,andshecouldlookafterAuntMaude."

"That's all very well, but when could she come? Here I am, all on my own, with only these idiots of
villagewomenpoppinginandoutatoddhours,andit'snotgoodforme.Myheart'splayingmeup."

"I'llarrangeforhertogetofftoyouassoonaspossible.Thedayaftertomorrow,perhaps?"

"Well,thanksverymuch,"saidthevoicerathergrudgingly."You'reagoodgirl,Susan-er-thankyou."

Susanrangoffandwentintothekitchen.

"WouldyoubewillingtogouptoYorkshireandlookaftermyaunt?Shefellandbrokeherankleand
myuncleisquiteuseless.He'sabitofapestbutAuntMaudeisaverygoodsort.Theyhavehelpin
fromthevillage,butyoucouldcookandlookafterAuntMaude."

MissGilchristdroppedthecoffeepotinheragitation.

"Oh,thankyou,thankyou-thatreallyiskind.IthinkIcansayofmyselfthatIamreallygoodinthe
sickroom,andI'msureIcanmanageyouruncleandcookhimnicelittlemeals.It'sreallyverykindof
you,MrsBanks,andIdoappreciateit."

Chapter11

Susanlayinbedandwaitedforsleeptocome.Ithadbeenalongdayandshewastired.Shehadbeen
quitesurethatshewouldgotosleepatonce.Sheneverhadanydifficultyingoingtosleep.Andyet
hereshelay,hourafterhour,wideawake,hermindracing.

Shehadsaidshedidnot,mindsleepinginthisroom,inthisbed.ThisbedwhereCoraAbernethie-

No,no,shemustputallthatoutofhermind.Shehadalwayspridedherselfonhavingnonerves.Why
think of that afternoon less than a week ago? Think ahead the future. Her future and Greg's. Those
premisesinCardiganStreet-justwhattheywanted.Thebusinessonthegroundfloorandacharming
flatupstairs.TheroomoutatthebackalaboratoryforGreg.Forpurposesofincometaxitwouldbean
excellent set-up. Greg would get calm and well again. There would be no more of those alarming
brainstorms. The times when he looked at her without seeming to know who she was. Once or twice
she'dbeenquitefrightened...AndoldMrCole-he'dhinted-threatened:"Ifthishappensagain..."And
itmighthavehappenedagain-itwouldhavehappenedagain.IfUncleRichardhadn'tdiedjustwhenhe
did...

UncleRichard-butreallywhylookatitlikethat?He'dnothingtolivefor.Oldandtiredandill.Hisson
dead.Itwasamercyreally.Todieinhissleepquietlylikethat.Quietly...inhissleep...Ifonlyshecould
sleep.Itwassostupidlyingawakehourafterhour...hearingthefurniturecreak,andtherustlingoftrees
andbushesoutsidethewindowandtheoccasionalqueermelancholyhoot-anowl,shesupposed.How
sinister the country was, somehow. So different from the big noisy indifferent town. One felt so safe
there-surroundedbypeople-neveralone.Whereashere...

Houseswhereamurderhadbeencommittedweresometimeshaunted.Perhapsthiscottagewouldcome
tobeknownasthehauntedcottage.HauntedbythespiritofCoraLansquenet...AuntCora.Odd,really,
howeversinceshehadarrivedshehadfeltasthoughAuntCorawerequiteclosetoher...withinreach.
Allnervesandfancy.CoraLansquenetwasdead,tomorrowshewouldbeburied.Therewasnoonein
thecottageexceptSusanherselfandMissGilchrist.Thenwhydidshefeelthattherewassomeonein
thisroom,someoneclosebesideher...

Shehadlainonthisbedwhenthehatchetfell...Lyingtheretrustinglyasleep...Knowingnothingtillthe
hatchetfell...Andnowshewouldn'tletSusansleep...

The furniture creaked again... was that a stealthy step? Susan switched on the light. Nothing. Nerves,
nothingbutnerves.Relax...closeyoureyes...

Surelythatwasagroan-agroanorafaintmoan...Someoneinpain-someonedying...

"Imustn'timaginethings,Imustn't,Imustn't,"Susanwhisperedtoherself.

Death was the end - there was no existence after death. Under no circumstances could anyone come
back.Orwassherelivingascenefromthepast-adyingwomangroaning...

Thereitwasagain...stronger...someonegroaninginacutepain...

But-thiswasreal.OnceagainSusanswitchedonthelight,satupinbedandlistened.Thegroanswere
realgroansandshewashearingthemthroughthewall.Theycamefromtheroomnextdoor.

Susan jumped out of bed, flung on a dressing-gown and crossed to the door. She went out on to the
landing,tappedforamomentonMissGilchrist'sdoorandthenwentin.MissGilchrist'slightwason.
Shewassittingupinbed.Shelookedghastly.Herfacewasdistortedwithpain.

"MissGilchrist,what'sthematter.Areyouill?"

"Yes. I don't know what - I -" she tried to get out of bed, was seized with a fit of vomiting and then
collapsedbackonthepillows.

Shemurmured:"Please-ringupdoctor.Musthaveeatensomething..."

"I'llgetyousomebicarbonate.Wecangetthedoctorinthemorningifyou'renotbetter."

MissGilchristshookherhead.

"No,getdoctornow.I-Ifeeldreadful."

"Doyouknowhisnumber?OrshallIlookinthebook?"

MissGilchristgaveherthenumber.Shewasinterruptedbyanotherfitofretching.

Susan'scallwasansweredbyasleepymalevoice.

"Who?Gilchrist?InMead'sLane.Yes,Iknow.I'llberightalong."

He was as good as his word. Ten minutes later Susan heard his car draw up outside and she went to
openthedoortohim.

Sheexplainedthecaseasshetookhimupstairs."Ithink,"shesaid,"shemusthaveeatensomethingthat
disagreedwithher.Butsheseemsprettybad."

The doctor had had the air of one keeping his temper in leash and who has had some experience of
being called out unnecessarily on more than one occasion. But as soon as he examined the moaning
woman his manner changed. He gave various curt orders to Susan and presently came down and
telephoned.ThenhejoinedSusaninthesitting-room.

"I'vesentforanambulance.Mustgetherintohospital."

"She'sreallybadthen?"

"Yes.I'vegivenherashotofmorphiatoeasethepain.Butitlooks-"Hebrokeoff."What'ssheeaten?"

"Wehadmacaroniaugratinforsupperandacustardpudding.Coffeeafterwards."

"Youhavethesamethings?"

"Yes."

"Andyou'reallright?Nopainordiscomfort?"

"No."

"She'stakennothingelse?Notinnedfish?Orsausages?"

"No.WehadlunchattheKing'sArms-aftertheinquest."

"Yes,ofcourse.You'reMrsLansquenet'sniece?"

"Yes."

"Thatwasanastybusiness.Hopetheycatchthemanwhodidit."

"Yes,indeed."

Theambulance came. MissGilchrist was takenaway and the doctorwent with her.He told Susan he
wouldringherupinthemorning.Whenhehadleftshewentupstairstobed.Thistimeshefellasleepas
soonasherheadtouchedthepillow.

II

Thefuneralwaswellattended.Mostofthevillagehadturnedout.SusanandMrEntwhistlewerethe
onlymourners,butvariouswreathshadbeensentbytheothermembersofthefamily.MrEntwhistle
asked where Miss Gilchrist was, and Susan explained the circumstances in a hurried whisper. Mr
Entwhistleraisedhiseyebrows.

"Ratheranoddoccurrence?"

"Oh,she'sbetterthismorning.Theyrangupfromthehospital.Peopledogetthesebiliousturns.Some
makemorefussthanothers."

MrEntwhistlesaidnomore.HewasreturningtoLondonimmediatelyafterthefuneral.

Susanwentbacktothecottage.Shefoundsomeeggsandmadeherselfanomelette.Thenshewentup
toCora'sroomandstartedtosortthroughthedeadwoman'sthings.

Shewasinterruptedbythearrivalofthedoctor.

Thedoctorwaslookingworried.HerepliedtoSusan'sinquirybysayingthatMissGilchristwasmuch
better.

"She'llbeoutandaroundinacoupleofdays,"hesaid."ButitwasluckyIgotcalledinsopromptly.
Otherwise-itmighthavebeenanearthing."

Susanstared."Wasshereallysobad?"

"Mrs Banks, will you tell me again exactly what Miss Gilchrist had to eat and drink yesterday.
Everything."

Susanreflectedandgaveameticulousaccount.Thedoctorshookhisheadinadissatisfiedmanner.

"Theremusthavebeensomethingshehadandyoudidn't?"

"Idon'tthinkso...Cakes,scones,jam,tea-andthensupper.No,Ican'trememberanything."

Thedoctorrubbedhisnose.Hewalkedupanddowntheroom.

"Wasitdefinitelysomethingsheate?Definitelyfoodpoisoning?"

Thedoctorthrewherasharpglance.Thenheseemedtocometoadecision.

"Itwasarsenic,"hesaid.

"Arsenic?"Susanstared."Youmeansomebodygaveherarsenic?"

"That'swhatitlookslike."

"Couldshehavetakenitherself?Deliberately,Imean?"

"Suicide?Shesaysnotandsheshouldknow.Besides,ifshewantedtocommitsuicideshewouldn'tbe
likely to choose arsenic. There are sleeping pills in this house. She could have taken an overdose of
them."

"Couldthearsenichavegotintosomethingbyaccident?"

"That'swhatI'mwondering.Itseemsveryunlikely,butsuchthingshavebeenknown.Butifyouand
sheatethesamethings-"

Susannodded.Shesaid,"Itallseemsimpossible-"thenshegaveasuddengasp."Why,ofcourse,the
weddingcake!"

"What'sthat?Weddingcake?"

Susanexplained.Thedoctorlistenedwithcloseattention.

"Odd.Andyousayshewasn'tsurewhosentit?Anyofitleft?Oristheboxitcameinlyingaround?"

"Idon'tknow.I'lllook."

Theysearchedtogetherandfinallyfoundthewhitecardboardboxwithafewcrumbsofcakestillinit
lyingonthekitchendresser.Thedoctorpackeditawaywithsomecare.

"I'lltakechargeofthis.Anyideawherethewrappingpaperitcameinmightbe?"

HeretheywerenotsuccessfulandSusansaidthatithadprobablygoneintotheIdealboiler.

"Youwon'tbeleavingherejustyet,MrsBanks?"

Histonewasgenial,butitmadeSusanfeelalittleuncomfortable.

"No,Ihavetogothroughmyaunt'sthings.Ishallbehereforafewdays."

"Good.Youunderstandthepolicewillprobablywanttoasksomequestions.Youdon'tknowofanyone
who-well,mighthavehaditinforMissGilchrist?"

Susanshookherhead.

"Idon'treallyknowmuchabouther.Shewaswithmyauntforsomeyears-that'sallIknow."

"Quite,quite.Alwaysseemedapleasantunassumingwoman-quiteordinary.Notthekind,you'dsay,to
haveenemiesoranythingmelodramaticofthatkind.Weddingcakethroughthepost.Soundslikesome
jealouswoman-butwho'dbejealousofMissGilchrist?Doesn'tseemtofit."

"No."

"Well,Imustbeonmyway.Idon'tknowwhat'shappeningtousinquietlittleLytchettStMary.Firsta
brutalmurderandnowattemptedpoisoningthroughthepost.Odd,theonefollowingtheother."

Hewentdownthepathtohiscar.ThecottagefeltstuffyandSusanleftthedoorstandingopenasshe
wentslowlyupstairstoresumehertask.

Cora Lansquenet had not been a tidy or methodical woman. Her drawers held a miscellaneous
assortmentofthings.Thereweretoiletaccessoriesandlettersandoldhandkerchiefsandpaintbrushes
mixed up together in one drawer. There were a few old letters and bills thrust in amongst a bulging
drawer of underclothes. In another drawer under some woollen jumpers was a cardboard box holding
two false fringes. There was another drawer full of old photographs and sketching books. Susan
lingered over a group taken evidently at some French place many years ago and which showed a
younger,thinnerCoraclingingtothearmofatalllankymanwithastragglingbearddressedinwhat
seemedtobeavelveteencoatandwhomSusantooktobethelatePierreLansquenet.

The photographs interested Susan, but she laid them aside, sorted all the papers she had found into a
heapandbegantogothroughthemmethodically.Aboutaquarterwaythroughshecameonaletter.She
readitthroughtwiceandwasstillstaringatitwhenavoicespeakingbehindhercausedhertogivea
cryofalarm.

"Andwhatmayyouhavegotholdofthere,Susan?Hallo,what'sthematter?"

Susanreddenedwithannoyance.Hercryofalarmhadbeenquiteinvoluntaryandshefeltashamedand
anxioustoexplain.

"George?Howyoustartledme!"

Hercousinsmiledlazily.

"Soitseems."

"Howdidyougethere?"

"Well,thedoordownstairswasopen,soIwalkedin.Thereseemedtobenobodyaboutontheground
floor,soIcameuphere.IfyoumeanhowdidIgettothispartoftheworld,Istarteddownthismorning
tocometothefuneral."

"Ididn'tseeyouthere?"

"Theoldbusplayedmeup.Thepetrolfeedseemedchoked.Itinkeredwithitforsometimeandfinally
itseemedtoclearitself.Iwastoolateforthefuneralbythen,butIthoughtImightaswellcomeon
down.Iknewyouwerehere."

Hepausedandthenwenton:

"Irangyouup,asamatteroffact-andGregtoldmeyou'dcomedowntotakepossession,asitwere.I
thoughtImightgiveyouahand."

Susansaid,"Aren'tyouneededintheoffice?Orcanyoutakedaysoffwheneveryoulike?"

"A funeral has always been a recognised excuse for absenteeism. And this funeral is indubitably
genuine.Besides,amurderalwaysfascinatespeople.Anyway,Ishan'tbegoingmuchtotheofficein
future-notnowthatI'mamanofmeans.Ishallhavebetterthingstodo."

Hepausedandgrinned,"SameasGreg,"hesaid.

SusanlookedatGeorgethoughtfully.Shehadneverseenmuchofthiscousinofhersandwhentheydid
meetshehadalwaysfoundhimratherdifficulttomakeout.

Sheasked,"Whydidyoureallycomedownhere,George?"

"I'mnotsureitwasn'ttodoalittledetectivework.I'vebeenthinkingagooddealaboutthelastfuneral
weattended.AuntCoracertainlythrewaspannerintotheworksthatday.I'vewonderedwhetheritwas
sheer irresponsibility and auntly joie de vivre that prompted her words, or whether she really had
somethingtogoupon.WhatactuallyisinthatletterthatyouwerereadingsoattentivelywhenIcame
in?"

Susansaidslowly,"It'saletterthatUncleRichardwrotetoCoraafterhe'dbeendownheretoseeher."

HowveryblackGeorge'seyeswere.She'dthoughtofthemasbrownbuttheywereblack,andtherewas
somethingcuriouslyimpenetrableaboutblackeyes.Theyconcealedthethoughtsthatlaybehindthem.

Georgedrawledslowly,"Anythinginterestinginit?"

"No,notexactly..."

"CanIsee?"

Shehesitatedforamoment,thenputtheletterintohisoutstretchedhand.

Hereadit,skimmingoverthecontentsinalowmonotone.

"Gladtohaveseenyouagainafteralltheseyears...lookingverywell...hadagoodjourneyhomeand
arrivedbacknottootired..."

Hisvoicechangedsuddenly,sharpened:

"Pleasedon'tsayanythingtoanyoneaboutwhatItoldyou.Itmaybeamistake.Yourlovingbrother,
Richard."

HelookedupatSusan."Whatdoesthatmean?"

"Itmightmeananything...Itmightbejustabouthishealth.Oritmightbesomegossipaboutamutual
friend."

"Ohyes,itmightbealotofthings.Itisn'tconclusive-butit'ssuggestive...WhatdidhetellCora?Does
anyoneknowwhathetoldher?"

"MissGilchristmightknow,"saidSusanthoughtfully."Ithinkshelistened."

"Oh,yes,theCompanionhelp.Whereisshe,bytheway?"

"Inhospital,sufferingfromarsenicpoisoning."

Georgestared.

"Youdon'tmeanit?"

"Ido.Someonesenthersomepoisonedweddingcake."

Georgesatdownononeofthebedroomchairsandwhistled.

"Itlooks,"hesaid,"asthoughUncleRichardwasnotmistaken."

III

OnthefollowingmorningInspectorMortoncalledatthecottage.

He was a quiet middle-aged man with a soft country burr in his voice. His manner was quiet and
unhurried,buthiseyeswereshrewd.

"You realise what this is about, Mrs Banks?" he said. "Dr Proctor has already told you about Miss
Gilchrist.Thefewcrumbsofweddingcakethathetookfromherehavebeenanalysedandshowtraces
ofarsenic."

"Sosomebodydeliberatelywantedtopoisonher?"

"That'swhatitlookslike.MissGilchristherselfdoesn'tseemabletohelpus.Shekeepsrepeatingthat
it'simpossible-thatnobodywoulddosuchathing.Butsomebodydid.Youcan'tthrowanylightonthe
matter?"

Susanshookherhead.

"I'm simply dumbfounded," she said. "Can't you find out anything from the postmark? Or the
handwriting?"

"You'veforgotten-thewrappingpaperwaspresumablyburnt.Andthere'salittledoubtwhetheritcame
through the post at all. Young Andrews, the driver of the postal van, doesn't seem able to remember
deliveringit.He'sgotabiground,andhecan'tbesure-butthereitis-there'sadoubtaboutit."

"But-what'sthealternative?"

"The alternative, Mrs Banks, is that an old piece of brown paper was used that already had Miss
Gilchrist'snameandaddressonitandacancelledstamp,andthatthepackagewaspushedthroughthe

letterboxordepositedinsidethedoorbyhandtocreatetheimpressionthatithadcomebypost."

Headdeddispassionately:

"It'squiteacleveridea,youknow,tochooseweddingcake.Lonelymiddle-agedwomenaresentimental
aboutweddingcake,pleasedathavingbeenremembered.Aboxofsweets,orsomethingofthatkind
mighthaveawakenedsuspicion."

Susansaidslowly:

"MissGilchristspeculatedagooddealaboutwhocouldhavesentit,butshewasn'tatallsuspicious-as
yousay,shewaspleasedandyes-flattered."

Sheadded:"Wasthereenoughpoisoninitto-kill?"

"That'sdifficulttosayuntilwegetthequantitativeanalysis.ItratherdependsonwhetherMissGilchrist
atethewholeofthewedge.Sheseemstothinkthatshedidn't.Canyouremember?"

"No-no,I'mnotsure.SheofferedmesomeandIrefusedandthensheatesomeandsaiditwasavery
goodcake,butIdon'trememberifshefinisheditornot."

"I'dliketogoupstairsifyoudon'tmind,MrsBanks."

"Ofcourse."

ShefollowedhimuptoMissGilchrist'sroom.Shesaidapologetically:

"I'mafraidit'sinaratherdisgustingstate.ButIdidn'thavetimetodoanythingaboutitwithmyaunt's
funeralandeverything,andthenafterDrProctorcameIthoughtperhapsIoughttoleaveitasitwas."

"Thatwasveryintelligentofyou,MrsBanks.It'snoteveryonewhowouldhavebeensointelligent."

Hewenttothebedandslippinghishandunderthepillowraiseditcarefully.Aslowsmilespreadover
hisface.

"Thereyouare,"hesaid.

Apieceofweddingcakelayonthesheetlookingsomewhattheworseforwear.

"Howextraordinary,"saidSusan.

"Ohno,it'snot.Perhapsyourgenerationdoesn'tdoit.Youngladiesnowadaysmayn'tsetsomuchstore
on getting married. But it's an old custom. Put a piece of wedding cake under your pillow and you'll
dreamofyourfuturehusband."

"ButsurelyMissGilchrist-"

"Shedidn'twanttotellusaboutitbecauseshefeltfoolishdoingsuchathingatherage.ButIhada
notionthat'swhatitmightbe."Hisfacesobered."Andifithadn'tbeenforanoldmaid'sfoolishness,
MissGilchristmightn'tbealivetoday."

"Butwhocouldhavepossiblywantedtokillher?"

Hiseyesmethers,acuriousspeculativelookinthemthatmadeSusanfeeluncomfortable.

"Youdon'tknow?"heasked.

"No-ofcourseIdon't."

"Itseemsthenasthoughweshallhavetofindout,"saidInspectorMorton.

Chapter12

Twoelderlymensattogetherinaroomwhosefurnishingswereofthemostmodernkind.Therewere
nocurvesintheroom.Everythingwassquare.AlmosttheonlyexceptionwasHerculePoirothimself
whowasfullofcurves.Hisstomachwaspleasantlyrounded,hisheadresembledanegginshape,and
hismoustachescurvedupwardsinaflamboyantflourish.

HewassippingaglassofsiropandlookingthoughtfullyatMrGoby.

Mr Goby was small and spare and shrunken. He had always been refreshingly nondescript in
appearanceandhewasnowsonondescriptaspracticallynottobethereatall.Hewasnotlookingat
PoirotbecauseMrGobyneverlookedatanybody.

Suchremarksashewasnowmakingseemedtobeaddressedtotheleft-handcornerofthechromium-
platedfireplacecurb.

MrGobywasfamousfortheacquiringofinformation.Veryfewpeopleknewabouthimandveryfew
employedhisservices-butthosefewwereusuallyextremelyrich.Theyhadtobe,forMrGobywas
very expensive. His speciality was the acquiring of information quickly. At the flick of Mr Goby's
doublejointedthumb,hundredsofpatientquestioningploddingmenandwomen,oldandyoung,ofall
apparentstationsinlife,weredespatchedtoquestion,andprobe,andachieveresults.

Mr Goby had now practically retired from business. But he occasionally "obliged" a few old patrons.
HerculePoirotwasoneofthese.

"I've got what I could for you," Mr Goby told the fire curb in a soft confidential whisper. "I sent the
boysout.Theydowhattheycan-goodlads-goodladsallofthem,butnotwhattheyusedtobeinthe
olddays.Theydon'tcomethatwaynowadays.Notwillingtolearn,that'swhatitis.Thinktheyknow
everythingafterthey'veonlybeenacoupleofyearsonthejob.Andtheyworktotime.Shockingthe
waytheyworktotime."

Heshookhisheadsadlyandshiftedhisgazetoanelectricplugsocket.

"It'stheGovernment,"hetoldit."Andallthiseducationracket.Itgivesthemideas.Theycomeback
and tell us what they think. They can't think, most of them, anyway. All they know is things out of
books.That'snogoodinourbusiness.Bringintheanswers-that'sallthat'sneeded-nothinking."

MrGobyflunghimselfbackinhischairandwinkedatalampshade.

"Mustn'tcrabtheGovernment,though!Don'tknowreallywhatwe'ddowithoutit.Icantellyouthat
nowadays you can walk in most anywhere with a notebook and pencil, dressed right, and speaking
BBC,andaskpeopleallthemostintimatedetailsoftheirdailylivesandalltheirbackhistory,andwhat
they had for dinner on November 23rd because that was a test day for middle-class incomes - or
whateverithappenstobe(makingitagradeabovetobutterthemup!)-ask'emanymortalthingyou
can;andninetimesoutoftenthey'llcomeacrosspat,andeventhetenthtimethoughtheymaycutup

rough,theywon'tdoubtforaminutethatyou'rewhatyousayyouare-andthattheGovernmentreally
wantstoknow-forsomecompletelyunfathomablereason!Icantellyou,M.Poirot,"saidMrGoby,
stilltalkingtothelampshade,"thatit'sthebestlinewe'veeverhad;muchbetterthantakingtheelectric
meter or tracing a fault in the telephone - yes, or than calling as nuns, or the Girl Guides or the Boy
Scoutsaskingforsubscriptions-thoughweuseallthosetoo.Yes,GovernmentsnoopingisGod'sgiftto
investigatorsandlongmayitcontinue!"

Poirotdidnotspeak.MrGobyhadgrownalittlegarrulouswithadvancingyears,buthewouldcometo
thepointinhisowngoodtime.

"Ar,"saidMrGobyandtookoutaveryscrubbylittlenotebook.Helickedhisfingerandflicked,over
thepages."Hereweare.MrGeorgeCrossfield.We'lltakehimfirst.Justtheplainfacts.Youwon'twant
toknowhowIgotthem.He'sbeeninQueerStreetforquiteawhilenow.Horses,mostly,andgambling
-he'snotagreatoneforwomen.GoesovertoFrancenowandthen,andMontetoo.Spendsalotof
time at the Casino. Too downy to cash cheques there, but gets hold of a lot more money than his
travellingallowancewouldaccountfor.Ididn'tgointothat,becauseitwasn'twhatyouwanttoknow.
Buthe'snotscrupulousaboutevadingthelaw-andbeingalawyerheknowshowtodoit.Somereason
tobelievethathe'sbeenusing,trustfundsentrusted,tohimtoinvest.Plungingprettywildlyoflate-on
theStockExchangeandonthegee-gees!Badjudgmentandbadluck.Beenoffhisfeedbadlyforthree
months.Worried,bad-temperedandirritableintheoffice.Butsincehisuncle'sdeaththat'sallchanged.
He'slikethebreakfasteggs(ifwehad'em).Sunnysideup!

"Now, as to particular information asked for. Statement that he was at Hurst Park races on day in
questionalmostcertainlyuntrue.Almostinvariablyplacesbetswithoneorotheroftwobookiesonthe
course.Theydidn'tseehimthatday.PossiblethatheleftPaddingtonbytrainfordestinationunknown.
Taxi-driverwhotookfaretoPaddingtonmadedoubtfulidentificationofhisphotograph.ButIwouldn't
backonit.He'saverycommontype-nothingoutstandingabouthim.Nosuccesswithporters,etc.,at
Paddington. Certainly didn't arrive at Cholsey Station - which is nearest for Lytchett St Mary. Small
station, strangers noticeable. Could have got out at Reading and taken bus. Buses there crowded,
frequentandseveralroutesgowithinamileorsoofLytchettStMaryaswellasthebusservicethat
goesrightintothevillage.Hewouldn'ttakethat-notifhemeantbusiness.Allinall,he'sadownycard.
Wasn't seen in Lytchett St Mary but he needn't have been. Other ways of approach than through the
village. Was in the OUDS at Oxford, by the way. If he went to the cottage that day he mayn't have
lookedquiteliketheusualGeorgeCrossfield.I'llkeep,himinmybook,shallI?There'sablackmarket
angleI'dliketoplayup."

"Youmaykeephimin,"saidHerculePoirot.

MrGobylickedhisfingerandturnedanotherpageofhisnotebook.

"MrMichaelShane.He'sthoughtquitealotofintheprofession.Hasanevenbetterideaofhimselfthan

otherpeoplehave.Wantstostarandwantstostarquickly.Fondofmoneyanddoinghimselfwell.Very
attractivetowomen.Theyfallforhimrightandleft.He'spartialtothemhimself-butbusinesscomes
first,asyoumightsay.He'sbeenrunningaroundwithSorrelDaintonwhowasplayingtheleadinthe
lastshowhewasin.Heonlyhadaminorpartbutmadequiteahitinit,andMissDainton'shusband
doesn't like him. His wife doesn't know about him and Miss Dainton. Doesn't know much about
anything,itseems.NotmuchofanactressIgather,buteasyontheeye.Crazyaboutherhusband.Some
rumourofabust-uplikelybetweenthemnotlongago,butthatseemsoutnow.OutsinceMrRichard
Abernethie'sdeath."

MrGobyemphasisedthelastpointbynoddinghisheadsignificantlyatacushiononthesofa.

"Onthedayinquestion,MrShanesayshewasmeetingaMrRosenheimandaMrOscarLewistofix
upsomestagebusiness.Hedidn'tmeetthem.Sentthemawiretosayhewasterriblysorryhecouldn't
make it. What he did do was to go to the Emeraldo Car people, who hire out drive yourself cars. He
hiredacarabouttwelveo'clockanddroveawayinit.Hereturneditaboutsixintheevening.According
to the speedometer it had been driven just about the right number of miles for what we're after. No
confirmationfromLytchettStMary.Nostrangecarseemstohavebeenobservedtherethatday.Lotsof
places it could be left unnoticed a mile or so away. And there's even a disused quarry a few hundred
yardsdownthelanefromthecottage.Threemarkettownswithinwalkingdistancewhereyoucanpark
insidestreets,withoutthepolicebotheringaboutyou.Allright,wekeepMrShanein?"

"Mostcertainly."

"NowMrsShane."MrGobyrubbedhisnoseandtoldhisleftcuffaboutMrsShane."Shesaysshewas
shopping. Just shopping..." Mr Goby raised his eyes to the ceiling. "Women who are shopping - just
scatty,that'swhattheyare.Andshe'dheardshe'dcomeintomoneythedaybefore.Naturallythere'dbe
noholdingher.Shehasoneortwochargeaccountsbutthey'reoverdrawnandthey'vebeenpressingher
forpaymentandshedidn'tputanymoreonthesheet.It'squiteonthecardsthatshewentinhereand
thereandeverywhere,tryingonclothes,lookingatjewellery,pricingthis,that,andtheother-andas
likelyasnot,notbuyinganything!She'seasytoapproach-I'llsaythat.Ihadoneofmyyoungladies
who's knowledgeable on the theatrical line do a hook up. Stopped by her table in a restaurant and
exclaimedthewaytheydo:'Darling,Ihaven'tseenyousinceWayDownUnder.Youwerewonderfulin
that!HaveyouseenHubertlately?'ThatwastheproducerandMrsShanewasabitofaflopintheplay
-butthatmakesitgoallthebetter.They'rechattingtheatricalstuffatonce,and,mygirlthrowstheright
namesabout,andthenshesays,IbelieveIcaughtaglimpseofyouatsoandso,onsoandso,giving
theday-andmostladiesfallforitandsay,'Ohno,Iwas-'whateveritmaybe.ButnotMrsShane.Just
looksvacantandsays,'Oh,Idaresay.'Whatcanyoudowithaladylikethat?"MrGobyshookhishead
severelyattheradiator.

"Nothing,"saidHerculePoirotwithfeeling."DoInothavecausetoknowit?NevershallIforgetthe
killing of Lord Edgware. I was nearly defeated - yes, I, Hercule Poirot - by the extremely simple
cunningofavacantbrain.Theverysimplemindedhaveoftenthegeniustocommitanuncomplicated

crimeandthen leaveitalone. Letushope thatourmurderer -if thereisa murdererinthis affair-is
intelligentandsuperiorandthoroughlypleasedwithhimselfandunabletoresistpaintingthelily.Enfin
-butcontinue."

OncemoreMrGobyappliedhimselftohislittlebook.

"Mr and Mrs Banks - who said they were at home all day. She wasn't, anyway! Went round to the
garage,gotouthercar,anddroveoffinitabout1o'clock.Destinationunknown.Backaboutfive.Can't
tellaboutmileagebecauseshe'shaditouteverydaysinceandit'sbeennobody'sbusinesstocheck.

"As to Mr Banks, we've dug up something curious. To begin with, I'll mention that on the day in
question we don't know what he did. He didn't go to work. Seems he'd already asked for a couple of
daysoffonaccountofthefuneral.Andsincethenhe'schuckedhisjob-withnoconsiderationforthe
firm.Nice,well-establishedsmallpharmacyitis.They'renottookeenonMasterBanks.Seemsheused
togetintoratherqueerexcitablestates.

"Well,asIsay,wedon'tknowwhathewasdoingonthedayofMrsL.'sdeath.Hedidn'tgowithhis
wife.Itcouldbethathestoppedintheirlittleflatallday.There'snoporterthere,andnobodyknows
whether tenants are in or out. But his back history is interesting. Up till about four months ago - just
before he met his wife, he was in a Mental Home. Not certified - just what they call a mental
breakdown. Seems he made some slip up in dispensing a medicine. (He was working with a Mayfair
firmthen.)Thewomanrecovered,andthefirmwerealloverthemselvesapologising,andtherewasno
prosecution.Afterall,theseaccidentalslipsdooccur,andmostdecentpeoplearesorryforapooryoung
chapwho'sdoneit-solongasthere'snopermanentharmdone,thatis.Thefirmdidn'tsackhim,buthe
resigned-saidithadshakenhisnerve.Butafterwards,itseems,hegotintoaverylowstateandtoldthe
doctorhewasobsessedbyguilt-thatithadallbeendeliberate-thewomanhadbeenoverbearingand
rude to him when she came into the shop, had complained that her last prescription had been badly
madeup-andthathehadresentedthisandhaddeliberatelyaddedanearlethaldoseofsomedrugor
other.Hesaid'Shehadtobepunishedfordaringtospeaktomelikethat!'Andthenweptandsaidhe
wastoowickedtoliveandalotofthingslikethat.Themedicoshavealongwordforthatsortofthing-
guilt complex or something - and don't believe it was deliberate at all, just carelessness, but that he
wantedtomakeitimportantandserious."

"Çasepeut,"saidHerculePoirot.

"Pardon?Anyway,hewentintothisSanitoriumandtheytreatedhimanddischargedhimascured,and
hemetMissAbernethieasshewasthen.Andhegotajobinthisrespectablebutratherobscurelittle
chemist's shop. Told them he'd been out of England for a year and a half, and gave them his former
referencefromsomeshopinEastbourne.Nothingagainsthiminthatshop,butafellowdispensersaid
he had a very queer temper and was odd in his manner sometimes. There's a story about a customer
sayingonceasajoke,'Wishyou'dsellmesomethingtopoisonmywife,haha!'AndBankssaystohim,

verysoftandquiet:'Icould...Itwouldcostyoutwohundredpounds.'Themanfeltuneasyandlaughed
itoff.Mayhavebeenallajoke,butitdoesn'tseemtomethatBanksisthejokingkind."

"Mon ami," said Hercule Poirot. "It really amazes me how you get your information! Medical and
highlyconfidentialmostofit!"

MrGoby'seyesswivelledrightroundtheroomandhemurmured,lookingexpectantlyatthedoor,that
therewereways...

"Now we come to the country department. Mr and Mrs Timothy Abernethie. Very nice place they've
got,butsadlyneedingmoneyspentonit.Verystraitenedtheyseemtobe,verystraitened.Taxationand
unfortunate investments. Mr Abernethie enjoys ill health and the emphasis is on the enjoyment.
Complains a lot and has everyone running and fetching and carrying. Eats hearty meals, and seems
quitestrongphysicallyifhelikestomaketheeffort.There'snooneinthehouseafterthedailywoman
goes and no one's allowed into Mr Abernethie's room unless he rings his bell. He was in a very bad
temperthemorningofthedayafterthefuneral.SworeatMrsJones.Ateonlyalittleofhisbreakfast
andsaidhewouldn'thaveanylunch-he'dhadabadnight.Hesaidthesuppershehadleftoutforhim
wasunfittoeatandagooddealmore.Hewasaloneinthehouseandunseenbyanybodyfrom9.30that
morninguntilthefollowingmorning."

"AndMrsAbernethie?"

"ShestartedofffromEnderbybycaratthetimeyoumentioned.Arrivedonfootatasmalllocalgarage
inaplacecalledCathstoneandexplainedhercarhadbrokendownacoupleofmilesaway.

"Amechanicdroveherouttoit,madeaninvestigationandsaidthey'dhavetotowitinanditwouldbe
alongjob-couldn'tpromisetofinishitthatday.Theladywasveryputout,butwenttoasmallinn,
arrangedtostaythenight,andaskedforsomesandwichesasshesaidshe'dliketoseesomethingofthe
countryside-it'sontheedgeofthemoorlandcountry.Shedidn'tcomebacktotheinntillquitelatethat
evening.Myinformantsaidhedidn'twonder.It'sasordidlittleplace!"

"Andthetimes?"

"Shegotthesandwichesateleven.Ifshe'dwalkedtothemainroad,amile,shecouldhavehitch-hiked
intoWallcasterandcaughtaspecialSouthCoastexpresswhichstopsatReadingWest.Iwon'tgointo
detailsofbusesetcetera.Itcouldjusthavebeendoneifyoucouldmakethe-er-attackfairlylateinthe
afternoon."

"Iunderstandthedoctorstretchedthetimelimittopossibly4.30."

"Mind you," said Mr Goby," I shouldn't say it was likely. She seems to be a nice lady, liked by
everybody.She'sdevotedtoherhusband,treatshimlikeachild."

"Yes,yes,thematernalcomplex."

"She'sstrongandhefty,chopsthewoodandoftenhaulsingreatbasketsoflogs.Prettygoodwiththe
insideofacar,too."

"Iwascomingtothat.Whatexactlywaswrongwiththecar?"

"Doyouwanttheexactdetails,M.Poirot?"

"Heavenforbid.Ihavenomechanicalknowledge."

"It was a difficult thing to spot. And also to put right. And it could have been done maliciously by
someonewithoutverymuchtrouble.Bysomeonewhowasfamiliarwiththeinsidesofacar."

"C'estmagnifique!"saidPoirotwithbitterenthusiasm."Allsoconvenient,allsopossible.Bondieu,can
weeliminatenobody?AndMrsLeoAbernethie?"

"She'saverynicelady,too.MrAbernethiedeceasedwasveryfondofher.Shecametheretostayabout
afortnightbeforehedied."

"AfterhehadbeentoLytchettStMarytoseehissister?"

"No,justbefore.Herincomeisagooddealreducedsincethewar.ShegaveupherhouseinEngland
andtookasmallflatinLondon.ShehasavillainCyprusandspendspartoftheyearthere.Shehasa
youngnephewwhomsheishelpingtoeducate,andthereseemstobeoneortwo,youngartistswhom
shehelpsfinanciallyfromtimetotime."

"StHelenoftheblamelesslife,"saidPoirot,shuttinghiseyes."Anditwasquiteimpossibleforherto
haveleftEnderbythatdaywithouttheservantsknowing?Saythatthatisso,Iimploreyou!"

Mr Goby brought his glance across to rest apologetically on Poirot's polished patent leather shoe, the
nearesthehadcometoadirectencounter,andmurmured:

"I'mafraidIcan'tsaythat,M.Poirot.MrsAbernethiewenttoLondontofetchsomeextraclothesand
belongingsasshehadagreedwithMrEntwhistletostayonandseetothings."

"Ilnemanquaitqueça!"saidPoirotwithstrongfeeling.

Chapter13

WhenthecardofInspectorMortonoftheBerkshireCountyPolicewasbroughttoHerculePoirot,his
eyebrowswentup.

"Showhimin,Georges,showhimin.Andbring-whatisitthatthepoliceprefer?"

"Iwouldsuggestbeer,sir."

"Howhorrible!ButhowBritish.Bringbeer,then."

InspectorMortoncamestraighttothepoint.

"IhadtocometoLondon,"hesaid."AndIgotholdofyouraddress,M.Poirot.Iwasinterestedtosee
youattheinquestonThursday."

"Soyousawmethere?"

"Yes.Iwassurprised-and,asIsay,interested.Youwon'tremembermebutIrememberyouverywell.
InthatPangbourneCase."

"Ah,youwereconnectedwiththat?"

"Onlyinaveryjunior,capacity.It'salongtimeagobutI'veneverforgottenyou."

"Andyourecognisedmeatoncetheotherday?"

"That wasn't difficult, sir." Inspector Morton repressed a slight smile. "Your appearance is - rather
unusual."

HisgazetookinPoirot'ssartorialperfectionandrestedfinallyonthecurvingmoustaches.

"Youstickoutinacountryplace,"hesaid.

"Itispossible,itispossible,"saidPoirotwithcomplacency.

"It interested me why you should be there. That sort of crime - robbery - assault - doesn't usually
interestyou."

"Wasittheusualordinarybrutaltypeofcrime?"

"That'swhatI'vebeenwondering."

"Youhavewonderedfromthebeginning,haveyounot?"

"Yes, M. Poirot. There were some unusual features. Since then we've worked along the routine lines.
Pulledinoneortwopeopleforquestioning,buteveryonehasbeenabletoaccountquitesatisfactorily
forhistimethatafternoon.Itwasn'twhatyou'dcallanordinarycrime,M.Poirot-we'requitesureof
that.TheChiefConstableagrees.Itwasdonebysomeonewhowishedtomakeitappearthatway.It
couldhavebeentheGilchristwoman,buttheredoesn'tseemtobeanymotive-andtherewasn'tany
emotionalbackground.MrsLansquenetwasperhapsabitmental-or'simple,'ifyonliketoputitthat
way, but it was a household of mistress and dogsbody with no feverish feminine friendship about it.
TherearedozensofMissGilchristsabout,andthe'renotusuallythemurderingtype."

Hepaused.

"So it looks as though we'd have to look farther afield. I came to ask if you could help us at all.
Somethingmusthavebroughtyoudownthere,M.Poirot."

"Yes,yes,somethingdid.AnexcellentDaimlercar.Butnotonlythat."

"Youhad-information?"

"Hardlyinyoursenseoftheword.Nothingthatcouldbeusedasevidence."

"Butsomethingthatcouldbeapointer?"

"Yes."

"Yousee,M.Poirot,therehavebeendevelopments."

Meticulously,indetail,hetoldofthepoisonedwedgeofweddingcake.

Poirottookadeep,hissingbreath.

"Ingenious-yes,ingenious...IwarnedMrEntwhistletolookafterMissGilchrist.Anattackonherwas
always a possibility. But I must confess that I did not expect poison. I anticipated a repetition of the
hatchetmotif.Imerelythoughtthatitwouldbeinadvisableforhertowalkaloneinunfrequentedlanes
afterdark."

"Butwhydidyouanticipateanattackonher?IthinkM.Poirot,yououghttotellmethat."

Poirotnoddedhisheadslowly.

"YesIwilltellyou.MrEntwhistlewillnottellyou,becauseheisalawyerandlawyersdonotliketo
speak of suppositions, of inferences made from the character of a dead woman, or from a few
irresponsiblewords.Buthewillnotbeaversetomytellingyou-no,hewillberelieved.Hedoesnot
wishtoappearfoolishororfanciful,buthewantstoknowwhatmay-onlymay-bethefacts."

PoirotpausedasGeorgesenteredwithaglassofbeer.

"Somerefreshment,Inspector.No,no,Iinsist."

"Won'tyoujoinme?"

"Idonotdrinkthebeer.ButIwillmyselfhaveaglassofsiropdecassis-theEnglishtheydonotcare
forit,Ihavenoticed."

InspectorMortonlookedgratefullyathisbeer.

Poirot,sippingdelicatelyfromhisglassofdarkpurplefluid,said:

"Itbegins,allthis,atafuneral.Orrather,tobeexact,afterthefuneral."

Graphically,withmanygestureshesetforththestoryasMrEntwhistlehadtoldittohim,butwithsuch
embellishmentsashisexuberantnaturesuggested.OnealmostfeltthatHerculePoirothadhimselfbeen
aneye-witnessofthescene.

InspectorMortonhadanexcellentclear-cutbrain.Heseizedatonceonwhatwere,forhispurposes,the
salientpoints.

"ThisMrAbernethiemayhavebeenpoisoned?"

"Itisapossibility."

"Andthebodyhasbeencrematedandthereisnoevidence?"

"Exactly."

InspectorMortonruminated.

"Interesting. There's nothing in it for us. Nothing, that is, to make Richard Abernethie's death worth
investigating.Itwouldbewasteoftime."

"Yes."

"Buttherearethepeople-thepeoplewhowerethere-thepeoplewhoheardCoraLansquenetsaywhat

shedid,andoneofwhommayhavethoughtthatshemightsayitagainandwithmoredetail."

"Assheundoubtedlywouldhave.Thereare,Inspector,asyousay,thepeople.AndnowyouseewhyI
wasattheinquest,whyIinterestmyselfinthecase-becauseitis,always,peopleinwhomIinterest
myself."

"ThentheattackonMissGilchrist-"

"Was always indicated. Richard Abernethie had been down to the cottage. He had talked to Cora. He
had, perhaps, actually mentioned a name. The only person who might possibly have known or
overheard something was Miss Gilchrist. After Cora is silenced, the murderer might continue to be
anxious.Doestheotherwomanknowsomething-anything?Ofcourse,ifthemurdereriswisehewill
let well alone, but murderers, Inspector, are seldom wise. Fortunately for us. They brood, they feel
uncertain,theydesiretomakesure-quitesure.Theyarepleasedwiththeirowncleverness.Andso,in
theend,theyprotrudetheirnecks,asyousay."

InspectorMortonsmiledfaintly.

Poirotwenton:

"ThisattempttosilenceMissGilchrist,alreadyitisamistake.Fornowtherearetwooccasionsabout
whichyoumakeinquiry.Thereisthehandwritingontheweddinglabelalso.Itisapitythewrapping
paperwasburnt."

"Yes,Icouldhavebeencertain,then,whetheritcamebypostorwhetheritdidn't."

"Youhavereasonforthinkingthelatter,yousay?"

"It'sonlywhatthepostmanthinks-he'snotsure.Iftheparcelhadgonethroughavillagepostoffice,it's
ten to one the postmistress would have noticed it, but nowadays the mail is delivered by van from
MarketKeynesandofcoursetheyoungchapdoesquitearoundanddeliversalotofthings.Hethinksit
waslettersonlyandnoparcelatthecottage-butheisn'tsure.Asamatteroffacthe'shavingabitof
girl trouble and he can't think about anything else. I've tested his memory and he isn't reliable in any
way.Ifhediddeliverit,itseemstomeoddthattheparcelshouldn'thavebeennoticeduntilafterthis
Mr-whats-his-name-Guthrie-"

"Ah,MrGuthrie."

InspectorMortonsmiled.

"Yes,M.Poirot.We'recheckinguponhim.Afterall,itwouldbeeasy,wouldn'tit,tocomealongwitha
plausibletaleofhavingbeenafriendofMrsLansquenet's.MrsBankswasn'ttoknowifhewasorhe
wasn't.Hecouldhavedroppedthatlittleparcel,youknow.It'seasytomakeathinglookasthoughit's
been through the post. Lamp black a little smudged, makes quite a good postmark cancellation mark
overastamp."

Hepausedandthenadded:

"Andthereareotherpossibilities."

Poirotnodded.

"Youthink-?"

"MrGeorgeCrossfieldwasdowninthatpartoftheworld-butnotuntilthenextday.Meanttoattend
thefuneral,buthadalittleenginetroubleontheway.Knowanythingabouthim,M.Poirot?"

"Alittle.ButnotasmuchasIwouldliketoknow."

"Likethat,isit?QuitealittlebunchinterestedinthelateMrAbernethie'swill,Iunderstand.Ihopeit
doesn'tmeangoingafterallofthem."

"Ihaveaccumulatedalittleinformation.Itisatyourdisposal.NaturallyIhavenoauthoritytoaskthese
peoplequestions.In,factitwouldnotbewiseformetodoso."

"Ishallgoslowlymyself.Youdon'twanttoflusteryourbirdtoosoon.Butwhenyoudoflusterit,you
wanttoflusteritwell."

"Averysoundtechnique.Foryouthen,myfriend,theroutine-withallthemachineryyouhaveatyour
disposal.Itisslow-butsure.Formyself-"

"Yes,M.Poirot?"

"For myself, I go North. As I have told you, it is people in whom I interest myself. Yes - a little
preparatorycamouflage-andIgoNorth.

"I intend," added Hercule Poirot, "to purchase a country mansion for foreign refugees. I represent
UNARCO."

"Andwhat'sUNARCO?"

"UnitedNationsAidforRefugeeCentresOrganisation.Itsoundswell,doyounotthink?"

InspectorMortongrinned.

Chapter14

HerculePoirotsaidtoagrim-facedJanet:

"Thankyouverymuch.Youhavebeenmostkind."

Janet,herlipsstillfixedinasourline,lefttheroom.Theseforeigners!Thequestionstheyasked.Their
impertinence! All very well to say that he was a specialist interested in unsuspected heart conditions

such as Mr Abernethie must have suffered from. That was very likely true - gone very sudden the
masterhad,andthedoctorhadbeensurprised.Butwhatbusinesswasitofsomeforeigndoctorcoming
alongandnosingaround?

AllverywellforMrsLeotosay:"PleaseanswerMonsieurPontarlier'squestions.Hehasagoodreason
forasking."

Questions.Alwaysquestions.Sheetsofthemsometimestofillinasbestyoucould-andwhatdidthe
Governmentoranyoneelsewanttoknowaboutyourprivateaffairsfor?Askingyourageatthatcensus
- downright impertinent and she hadn't told them, either! Cut off five years she had. Why not? If she
onlyfeltfifty-four,she'dcallherselffifty-four!

AtanyrateMonsieurPontarlierhadn'twantedtoknowherage.He'dhadsomedecency.Justquestions
about the medicines the master had taken, and where they were kept, and if, perhaps, he might have
takentoomuchofthemifhewasfeelingnotquitethething-orifhe'dbeenforgetful.Asthoughshe
could remember all that rubbish - the master knew what he was doing! And asking if any of the
medicineshetookwerestillinthehouse.Naturallythey'dallbeenthrownaway.Heartcondition-and
somelongwordhe'dused.Alwaysthinkingofsomethingnewtheywere,thesedoctors.Lookatthem
telling old Rogers he had a disc or some such in his spine. Plain lumbago, that was all that was the
matterwithhim.Herfatherhadbeenagardenerandhe'dsufferedfromlumbago.Doctors!

Theself-appointedmedicalmansighedandwentdownstairsinsearchofLanscombe.Hehadnotgot
verymuchoutofJanetbuthehadhardlyexpectedtodoso.Allhehadreallywantedtodowastocheck
suchinformationascouldunwillinglybeextractedfromherwiththatgivenhimbyHelenAbernethie
and which had been obtained from the same source - but with much less difficulty, since Janet was
ready to admit that Mrs Leo had a perfect right to ask such questions and indeed Janet herself had
enjoyeddwellingatlengthonthelastfewweeksofhermaster'slife.Illnessanddeathwerecongenial
subjectstoher.

Yes,Poirotthought,hecouldhavereliedontheinformationthatHelenhadgotforhim.Hehaddoneso
really.Butbynatureandlonghabithetrustednobodyuntilhehimselfhadtriedandprovedthem.

In any case the evidence was slight and unsatisfactory. It boiled down to the fact that Richard
Abernethie had been prescribed vitamin oil capsules. That these had been in a large bottle which had
beennearlyfinishedatthetimeofhisdeath.Anybodywhohadwantedto,couldhaveoperatedonone
ormoreofthosecapsuleswithahypodermicsyringeandcouldhaverearrangedthebottlesothatthe
fataldosewouldonlybetakensomeweeksafterthatsomebodyhadleftthehouse.Orsomeonemight
haveslippedintothehouseonthedaybeforeRichardAbernethiediedandhavedoctoredacapsulethen
-or,whichwasmorelikely-havesubstitutedsomethingelseforasleepingtabletinthelittlebottlethat
stoodbesidethebed.Oragainmighthavequitesimplytamperedwiththefoodordrink.

Hercule Poirot had made his own experiments. The front door was kept locked, but there was a side
door giving on the garden which was not locked until evening. At about quarter-past one, when the
gardeners had gone to lunch and when the household was in the dining-room, Poirot had entered the
grounds, come to the side door, and mounted the stairs to Richard Abernethie's bedroom without
meetinganybody.Asavarianthehadpushedthroughabaizedoorandslippedintothelarder.Hehad
heardvoicesfromthekitchenattheendofthepassagebutnoonehadseenhim.

Yes,itcouldhavebeendone.Buthaditbeendone?Therewasnothingtoindicatethatthatwasso.Not
thatPoirotwasreallylookingforevidence-hewantedonlytosatisfyhimselfastopossibilities.The
murderofRichardAbernethiecouldonlybeahypothesis.ItwasCoraLansquenet'smurderforwhich
evidencewasneeded.Whathewantedwastostudythepeoplewhohadbeenassembledforthefuneral
thatday,andtoformhisownconclusionsaboutthem.Healreadyhadhisplan,butfirsthewantedafew
morewordswitholdLanscombe.

Lanscombe was courteous but distant. Less resentful than Janet, he nevertheless regarded this upstart
foreignerasthematerialisationoftheWritingontheWall.ThiswasWhatWeareComingto!

HeputdowntheleatherwithwhichhewaslovinglypolishingtheGeorgianteapotandstraightenedhis
back.

"Yes,sir?"hesaidpolitely.

Poirotsatdowngingerlyonapantrystool.

"MrsAbernethietellsmethatyouhopedtoresideinthelodgebythenorthgatewhenyouretiredfrom
servicehere?"

"Thatisso,sir.Naturallyallthatischangednow.Whenthepropertyissold-"

Poirotinterrupteddeftly:

"Itmightstillbepossible.Therearecottagesforthegardeners.Thelodgeisnotneededfortheguestsor
theirattendants.Itmightbepossibletomakeanarrangementofsomekind."

"Well, thank you, sir, for the suggestion. But I hardly think - The majority of the - guests would be
foreigners,Ipresume?"

"Yes,theywillbeforeigners.AmongstthosewhofledfromEuropetothiscountryareseveralwhoare
oldandinfirm.Therecanbenofutureforthemiftheyreturntotheirowncountries,forthesepersons,
youunderstand,arethosewhoserelativestherehaveperished.Theycannotearntheirlivinghereasan
able-bodied man or woman can do. Funds have been raised and are being administered by the
organisation which I represent to endow various country homes for them. This place is, I think,
eminentlysuitable.Thematterispracticallysettled."

Lanscombesighed.

"You'll understand, sir, that it's sad for me to think that this won't be a private dwelling-house any
longer.ButIknowhowthingsarenowadays.Noneofthefamilycouldaffordtolivehere-andIdon't
thinktheyoungladiesandgentlemenwouldevenwanttodoso.Domestichelpistoodifficulttoobtain
thesedays,andevenifobtainedisexpensiveandunsatisfactory.Iquiterealisethatthesefinemansions
haveservedtheirturn."Lanscombesighedagain."Ifithastobean-aninstitutionofsomekind,I'llbe
gladtothinkthatit'sthekindyou'rementioning.Weweresparedinthiscountry,sir,owingtoourNavy
andAirForceandourbraveyoungmenandbeingfortunateenoughtobeanisland.IfHitlerhadlanded
herewe'dallhaveturnedoutandgivenhimshortshrift.Mysightisn'tgoodenoughforshooting,butI
could have used a pitchfork, sir, and I intended to do so if necessary. We've always welcomed the
unfortunateinthiscountry,sir,it'sbeenourpride.Weshallcontinuesotodo."

"Thankyou,Lanscombe,"saidPoirotgently."Yourmaster'sdeathmusthavebeenagreatblowtoyou."

"Itwas,sir.I'dbeenwiththemastersincehewasquiteayoungman.I'vebeenveryfortunateinmylife,
sir.Noonecouldhavehadabettermaster."

"Ihavebeenconversingwithmyfriendand-er-colleague,DrLarraby.Wewerewonderingifyour
mastercouldhavehadanyextraworry-anyunpleasantinterview-onthedaybeforehedied?Youdo
notrememberifanyvisitorscametothehousethatday?"

"Ithinknot,sir.Idonotrecallany."

"Noonecalledatalljustaboutthattime?"

"Thevicarwasheretoteathedaybefore.Otherwise-somenunscalledforasubscription-andayoung
man came to the back door and wanted to sell Marjorie some brushes and saucepan cleaners. Very
persistenthewas.Nobodyelse."

AworriedexpressionhadappearedonLanscombe'sface.Poirotdidnotpresshimfurther.Lanscombe
had already unburdened himself to Mr Entwhistle. He would be far less forthcoming with Hercule
Poirot.

WithMarjorie,ontheotherhand,Poirothadhadinstantsuccess.Marjoriehadnoneoftheconventions
of "good service." Marjorie was a first-class cook and the way to her heart lay through her cooking.
Poirot had visited her in the kitchen, praised certain dishes with discernment, and Marjorie, realising
thatherewassomeonewhoknewwhathewastalkingabout,hailedhimimmediatelyasafellowspirit.
HehadnodifficultyinfindingoutexactlywhathadbeenservedthenightbeforeRichardAbernethie
haddied.Marjorie,indeed,wasinclinedtoviewthematteras"ItwasthenightImadethatchocolate
souffléthatMrAbernethiedied.SixeggsI'dsavedupforit.Thedairymanhe'safriendofmine.Got
holdofsomecreamtoo.Betternotaskhow.Enjoyedit,MrAbernethiedid."Therestofthemealwas
likewisedetailed.Whathadcomeoutfromthedining-roomhadbeenfinishedinthekitchen.Readyas
Marjoriewastotalk,Poirothadlearnednothingofvaluefromher.

Hewentnowtofetchhisovercoatandacoupleofscarves,andthuspaddedagainsttheNorthCountry
airhewentoutontheterraceandjoinedHelenAbernethie,whowasclippingsomelateroses.

"Haveyoufoundoutanythingfresh?"sheasked.

"Nothing.ButIhardlyexpectedtodoso."

"Iknow.EversinceMrEntwhistletoldmeyouwerecoming,I'vebeenferretinground,butthere'sreally
beennothing."

Shepausedandsaidhopefully:

"Perhapsitisallamare'snest?"

"Tobeattackedwithahatchet?"

"Iwasn'tthinkingofCora."

"ButitisofCorathatIthink.Whywasitnecessaryforsomeonetokillher?MrEntwhistlehastoldme
that on that day, at the moment that she came out suddenly with her gaffe, you yourself felt that
somethingwaswrong.Thatisso?"

"Well-yes,butIdon'tknow-"

Poirotswepton.

"How'wrong'?Unexpected?Surprising?Or-whatshallwesay-uneasy?Sinister?"

"Oh no, not sinister. Just something that wasn't - oh, I don't know. I can't remember and it wasn't
important."

"But why cannot you remember - because something else put it out of your head - something more
important?"

"Yes - yes - I think you're right there. It was the mention of murder, I suppose. That swept away
everythingelse."

"Itwas,perhaps,thereactionofsomeparticularpersontotheword'murder'?"

"Perhaps...ButIdon'trememberlookingatanyoneinparticular.WewereallstaringatCora."

"Itmayhavebeensomethingyouheard-somethingdroppedperhaps...orbroken..."

Helenfrownedinaneffortofremembrance.

"No...Idon'tthinkso..."

"Ah well, someday it will come back. And it may be of no consequence. Now tell me, Madame, of
thosehere,whoknewCorabest?"

Helenconsidered.

"Lanscombe,Isuppose.Heremembersherfromachild.Thehousemaid,Janet,onlycameaftershehad
marriedandgoneaway."

"AndnexttoLanscombe?"

Helensaidthoughtfully:"Isuppose-Idid.Maudehardlyknewheratall."

"Then,takingyouasthepersonwhoknewherbest,whydoyouthinksheaskedthatquestionasshe
did?"

Helensmiled.

"ItwasverycharacteristicofCora!"

"WhatImeanis,wasitabêtisepureandsimple?Didshejustblurtoutwhatwasinhermindwithout
thinking?Orwasshebeingmalicious-amusingherselfbyupsettingeveryone?"

Helenreflected.

"You can't ever be quite sure about a person, can you? I never have known whether she was just
ingenuous-orwhethershecounted,childishly,onmakinganeffect.That'swhatyoumean,isn'tit?"

"Yes.Iwasthinking:SupposethisMrsCorasaystoherself'WhatfunitwouldbetoaskifRichardwas
murderedandseehowtheyalllook!'Thatwouldbelikeher,yes?"

Helenlookeddoubtful.

"It might be. She certainly had an impish sense of humour as a child. But what difference does it
make?"

"Itwouldunderlinethepointthatitisunwisetomakejokesaboutmurder,"saidPoirotdryly.

Helenshivered."PoorCora."

Poirotchangedthesubject.

"MrsTimothyAbernethiestayedthenightafterthefuneral?"

"Yes."

"DidshetalktoyouatallaboutwhatCorahadsaid?"

"Yes,shesaiditwasoutrageousandjustlikeCora!"

"Shedidn'ttakeitseriously?"

"Oh,no.No,I'msureshedidn't."

The second "no," Poirot thought, had sounded suddenly doubtful. But was not that almost always the
casewhenyouwentbackoversomethinginyourmind?

"Andyou,Madame,didyoutakeitseriously?"

HelenAbernethie,hereyeslookingveryblueandstrangelyyoungunderthesidewayssweepofcrisp
greyhair,saidthoughtfully:

"Yes,M.Poirot,IthinkIdid."

"Becauseofyourfeelingthatsomethingwaswrong?"

"Perhaps."

Hewaited-butasshesaidnothingmore,hewenton:

"Therehadbeenanestrangement,lastingmanyyears,betweenMrsLansquenetandherfamily?"

"Yes.Noneofuslikedherhusbandandshewasoffendedaboutit,andsotheestrangementgrew."

"Andthen,suddenly,yourbrother-in-lawwenttoseeher.Why?"

"I don't know - I suppose he knew, or guessed, that he hadn't very long to live and wanted to be
reconciledbutIreallydon'tknow."

"Hedidn'ttellyou?"

"Tellme?"

"Yes.Youwerehere,stayingwithhim,justbeforehewentthere.Hedidn'tevenmentionhisintention
toyou?"

Hethoughtaslightreservecameintohermanner.

"HetoldmethathewasgoingtoseehisbrotherTimothy-whichhedid.HenevermentionedCoraat
all.Shallwegoin?Itmustbenearlylunchtime."

She walked beside him carrying the flowers she had picked. As they went in by the side door, Poirot
said:

"Youaresure,quitesure,thatduringyourvisit,MrAbernethiesaidnothingtoyouaboutanymember
ofthefamilywhichmightberelevant?"

Afaintresentmentinhermanner,Helensaid:

"Youarespeakinglikeapoliceman."

"Iwasapoliceman-once.Ihavenostatus-norighttoquestionyou.Butyouwantthetruth-orsoI
havebeenledtobelieve?"

Theyenteredthegreendrawing-room.Helensaidwithasigh:

"Richard was disappointed in the younger generation. Old men usually are. He disparaged them in
various ways - but there was nothing - nothing, do you understand - that could possibly suggest a

motiveformurder."

"Ah,"saidPoirot.ShereachedforaChinesebowl,andbegantoarrangetherosesinit.Whentheywere
disposedtohersatisfactionshelookedroundforaplacetoputit.

"You arrange flowers admirably, Madame," said Hercule. "I think that anything you undertook you
wouldmanagetodowithperfection."

"Thankyou.Iamfondofflowers.Ithinkthiswouldlookwellonthatgreenmalachitetable."

There was a bouquet of wax flowers under a glass shade on the malachite table. As she lifted it off,
Poirotsaidcasually:

"DidanyonetellMrAbernethiethathisnieceSusan'shusbandhadcomeneartopoisoningacustomer
whenmakingupaprescription?Ah,pardon!"

Hesprangforward.

TheVictorianornamenthadslippedfromHelen'sfingers.Poirot'sspringforwardwasnotquickenough.
Itdroppedonthefloorandtheglassshadebroke.Helengaveanexpressionofannoyance.

"Howcarelessofme.However,theflowersarenotdamaged.Icangetanewglassshademadeforit.I'll
putitawayinthebigcupboardunderthestairs."

ItwasnotuntilPoirothadhelpedhertoliftitontoashelfinthedarkcupboardandhadfollowedher
backtothedrawing-roomthathesaid:

"Itwasmyfault.Ishouldnothavestartledyou."

"Whatwasitthatyouaskedme?Ihaveforgotten."

"Oh,thereisnoneedtorepeatmyquestion.Indeed-Ihaveforgottenwhatitwas."

Helencameuptohim.Shelaidherhandonhisarm.

"M. Poirot, is there anyone whose life would really bear close investigation? Must people's lives be
draggedintothiswhentheyhavenothingtodowith-with-"

"WiththedeathofCoraLansquenet?Yes.Becauseonehastoexamineeverything.Oh!itistrueenough
-itisanoldmaxim-everyonehassomethingtohide.Itistrueofallofus-itisperhapstrueofyou,
too,Madame.ButIsaytoyou,nothingcanbeignored.Thatiswhyyourfriend,MrEntwhistle,hehas
cometome.ForIamnotthepolice.IamdiscreetandwhatIlearndoesnotconcernme.ButIhaveto
know.Andsinceinthismatterisnotsomuchevidenceaspeople-thenitispeoplewithwhomIoccupy
myself.Ineed,madame,tomeeteveryonewhowashereonthedayofthefuneral.Anditwouldbea
greatconvenience-yes,anditwouldbestrategicallysatisfactory-ifIcouldmeetthemhere."

"I'mafraid,"Helensaidslowly,"thatthatwouldbetoodifficulty-"

"Notsodifficultasyouthink.AlreadyIhavedevisedameans.Thehouse,itissold.SoMrEntwhistle
willdeclare.(Entendu,sometimesthesethingsfallthrough!)Hewillinvitethevariousmemberofthe
family to assemble here and to choose what they will from the furnishings before it is all put up to
auction.Asuitableweekendcanbeselectedforthatpurpose."

Hepausedandthensaid:

"Yousee,itiseasy,isitnot?"

Helenlookedathim.Theblueeveswerecold-almostfrosty.

"Areyoulayingatrapforsomeone,M.Poirot?"

"Alas!IwishIknewenough.No,Ihavestilltheopenmind."

"Theremay,"HerculePoirotaddedthoughtfully,"becertaintests..."

"Tests?Whatkindoftests?"

"Ihavenotyetformulatedthemtomyself.Andinanycase,Madame,itwouldbebetterthatyoushould
notknowthem."

"SothatIcanbetestedtoo?"

"You,Madame,havebeentakenbehindthescenes.Nowthereisonethingthatisdoubtful.Theyoung
peoplewill,Ithink,comereadily.Butitmaybedifficult,mayitnot,tosecurethepresencehereofMr
TimothyAbernethie.Ihearthatheneverleaveshome."

Helensmiledsuddenly.

"I believe you may be lucky there, M. Poirot. I heard from Maude yesterday. The workmen are in
painting the house and Timothy is suffering terribly from the smell of the paint. He says that it is
seriouslyaffectinghishealth.IthinkthatheandMaudewouldbothbepleasedtocomehere-perhaps
foraweekortwo.Maudeisstillnotabletogetaboutverywell-youknowshebrokeherankle?"

"Ihadnotheard.Howunfortunate."

"Luckily they have got Cora's companion, Miss Gilchrist. It seems that she has turned out a perfect
treasure."

"Whatisthat?"PoirotturnedsharplyonHelen."DidtheyaskforMissGilchristtogotothem?Who
suggestedit?"

"IthinkSusanfixeditup.SusanBanks."

"Aha,"saidPoirotinacuriousvoice."SoitwasthelittleSusanwhosuggestedit.Sheisfondofmaking
thearrangements."

"Susanstruckmeasbeingaverycompetentgirl."

"Yes.Sheiscompetent.DidyouhearthatMissGilchristhadanarrowescapefromdeathwithapieceof
poisonedweddingcake?"

"No!" Helen looked startled. "I do remember now that Maude said over the telephone that Miss
GilchristhadjustcomeoutofhospitalbutI'dnoideawhyshehadbeeninhospital.Poisoned?But,M.
Poirot-why?"

"Doyoureallyaskthat?"

Helensaidwithsuddenvehemence:

"Oh!getthemallhere!Findoutthetruth!Theremustn'tbeanymoremurders."

"Soyouwillco-operate?"

"Yes-Iwillco-operate."

Chapter15

"Thatlinoleumdoeslooknice,MrsJones.Whatahandyouhavewithlino.Theteapot'sonthekitchen
table,sogoandhelpyourself.I'llbethereassoonasI'vetakenupMrAbernethie'selevenses."

Miss Gilchrist trotted up the staircase, carrying a daintily set out tray. She tapped on Timothy's door,
interpretedagrowlfromwithinasaninvitationtoenter,andtrippedbrisklyin.

"Morning coffee and biscuits, Mr Abernethie. I do hope you're feeling brighter today. Such a lovely
day."

Timothygruntedandsaidsuspiciously:

"Isthereskimonthatmilk?"

"Ohno,MrAbernethie.Itookitoffverycarefully,andanywayI'vebroughtupthelittlestrainerincase
itshouldformagain.Somepeoplelikeit,youknow,theysayit'sthecream-andsoitisreally."

"Idiots!"saidTimothy."Whatkindofbiscuitsarethose?"

"They'rethosenicedigestivebiscuits."

"Digestivetripe.Ginger-nutsaretheonlybiscuitswortheating."

"I'mafraidthegrocerhadn'tgotanythisweek.Butthesearereallyverynice.Youtrythemandsee."

"Iknowwhatthey'relike,thankyou.Leavethosecurtainsalone,can'tyou?"

"Ithoughtyoumightlikealittlesunshine.It'ssuchanicesunnyday."

"I want the room kept dark. My head's terrible. It's this paint. I've always been sensitive to paint. It's
poisoningme."

MissGilchristsniffedexperimentallyandsaidbrightly:

"Onereallycan'tsmellitmuchinhere.Theworkmenareoverontheotherside."

"You'renotsensitivelikeIam.MustIhaveallthebooksI'mreadingtakenoutofmyreach?"

"I'msosorry,MrAbernethie,Ididn'tknowyouwerereadingallofthem."

"Where'smywife?Ihaven'tseenherforoveranhour."

"MrsAbernethie'srestingonthesofa."

"Tellhertocomeandrestuphere."

"I'lltellher,MrAbernethie.Butshemayhavedroppedofftosleep.Shallwesayinaboutaquarterof
anhour?"

"No,tellherIwanthernow.Don'tmonkeyaboutwiththatrug.It'sarrangedthewayIlikeit."

"I'msosorry.Ithoughtitwasslippingoffthefarside."

"Ilikeitslippingoff.GoandgetMaude.Iwanther."

Miss Gilchrist departed downstairs and tiptoed into the drawing-room where Maude Abernethie was
sittingwithherlegupreadinganovel.

"I'msosorry,MrsAbernethie,"shesaidapologetically."MrAbernethieisaskingforyou."

Maudethrustasidehernovelwithaguilty,expression.

"Ohdear,"shesaid,"I'llgoupatonce."

Shereachedforherstick.

Timothyburstoutassoonashiswifeenteredtheroom:

"Sothereyouareatlast!"

"I'msosorry,dear,Ididn'tknowyouwantedme."

"That woman you've got into the house will drive me mad. Twittering and fluttering round like a
dementedhen.Realtypicaloldmaid,that'swhatsheis."

"I'msorrysheannoysyou.Shetriestobekind,that'sall."

"Idon'twantanybodykind.Idon'twantablastedoldmaidalwayschirrupingoverme.She'ssodamned
arch,too-"

"Justalittle,perhaps."

"TreatsmeasthoughIwasaconfoundedkid!It'smaddening."

"I'msureitmustbe.Butplease,please,Timothy,dotrynottoberudetoher.I'mreallyveryhelpless
stillandyouyourselfsayshecookswell."

"Her cooking's all right," Mr Abernethie admitted grudgingly. "Yes, she's a decent enough cook. But
keepherinthekitchen,that'sallIask.Don'tlethercomefussingroundme."

"No,dear,ofcoursenot.Howareyoufeeling?"

"Notatallwell.Ithinkyou'dbettersendforBartontocomeandhavealookatme.Thispaintaffects
myheart.Feelmypulse-theirregularwayit'sbeating."

Maudefeltitwithoutcomment.

"Timothy,shallwegotoanhoteluntilthehousepaintingisfinished?"

"Itwouldbeagreatwasteofmoney."

"Doesthatmattersomuchnow?"

"You'rejustlikeallwomen-hopelesslyextravagant!Justbecausewe'vecomeintoaridiculouslysmall
partofmybrother'sestate,youthinkwecangoandliveindefinitelyattheRitz."

"Ididn'tquitesaythat,dear."

"I can tell you that the difference Richard's money will make will be hardly appreciable. This
bloodsuckingGovernmentwillseetothat.Youmarkmywords,thewholelotwillgointaxation."

MrsAbernethieshookherheadsadly.

"This coffee's cold," said the invalid, looking with distaste at the cup which he had not as yet tasted.
"Whycan'tIevergetacupofreallyhotcoffee?"

"I'lltakeitdownandwarmitup."

InthekitchenMissGilchristwasdrinkingteaandconversingaffably,thoughwithslightcondescension,
withMrsJones.

"I'msoanxioustospareMrsAbernethieallIcan,"shesaid."Allthisrunningupanddownstairsisso
painfulforher."

"Waitsonhimhandandfoot,shedoes,"saidMrsJones,stirringthesugarinhercup.

"It'sverysadhisbeingsuchaninvalid."

"Not such an invalid either," Mrs Jones said darkly. "Suits him very well to lie up and ring bells and
havetraysbroughtupanddown.Buthe'swellabletogetupandgoabout.Evenseenhimoutinthe
village,Ihave,whenshe'sbeenaway.Walkingasheartyasyouplease.Anythinghereallyneeds-like
histobaccoorastamp-hecancomeandget.Andthat'swhywhenshewasoffatthatfuneralandgot
helduponthewayback,andhetoldmeI'dgottocomeinandstaythenightagain,Irefused.'I'msorry,
sir,'Isaid,'butI'vegotmyhusbandtothinkof.Goingouttoobligeinthemorningsisallverywell,but
I'vegottobetheretoseetohimwhenhecomesbackfromwork.'NorIwouldn'tbudge,Iwouldn't.Do
himgood,Ithought,togetaboutthehouseandlookafterhimselfforonce.Mightmakehimseewhata
lothegetsdoneforhim.SoIstoodfirm,Idid.Hedidn'thalfcreate."

MrsJonesdrewadeepbreathandtookalongsatisfyingdrinkofsweetinkytea."Ar,"shesaid.

ThoughdeeplysuspiciousofMissGilchrist,andconsideringherasafinickythinganda"regularfussy
oldmaid,"MrsJonesapprovedofthelavishwayinwhichMissGilchristdispensedheremployer'stea
andsugarration.

Shesetdownthecupandsaidaffably:

"I'll give the kitchen floor a nice scrub down and then I'll be getting along. The potatoes is all ready
peeled,dear,you'llfindthembythesink."

Though slightly affronted by the "dear," Miss Gilchrist was appreciative of the goodwill which had
divestedanenormousquantityofpotatoesoftheiroutercoverings.

Before she could say anything the telephone rang and she hurried out in the hall to answer it. The
telephone,inthestyleoffiftyoddyearsago,wassituatedinconvenientlyinadraughtypassagebehind
thestaircase.

MaudeAbernethieappearedatthetopofthestairswhileMissGilchristwasstillspeaking.Thelatter
lookedupandsaid:

"It'sMrs-Leo-isit?-Abernethiespeaking."

"TellherI'mjustcoming."

Maudedescendedthestairsslowlyandpainfully.

Miss Gilchrist murmured, "I'm so sorry you've had to come down again, Mrs Abernethie. Has Mr
Abernethiefinishedhiselevenses?I'lljustnipupandgetthetray."

ShetrottedupthestairsasMrsAbernethiesaidintothereceiver.

"Helen?ThisisMaudehere."

TheinvalidreceivedMissGilchristwithabalefulglare.Asshepickedupthetrayheaskedfretfully:

"Who'sthatonthetelephone?"

"MrsLeoAbernethie."

"Oh?Supposethey'llgogossipingforaboutanhour.Womenhavenosenseoftimewhentheygeton
thephone.Neverthinkofthemoneythey'rewasting."

MissGilchristsaidbrightlythatitwouldbeMrsLeowhohadtopay,andTimothygrunted.

"Justpullthatcurtainaside,willyou?No,notthatone,theotherone.Idon'twantthelightslapinmy
eyes.That'sbetter.NoreasonbecauseI'maninvalidthatIshouldhavetositinthedarkallday."

Hewenton:

"And you might look in that bookcase over there for a green - What's the matter now? What are you

rushingofffor?"

"It'sthefrontdoor,MrAbernethie."

"Ididn'thearanything.You'vegotthatwomandownstairs,haven'tyou?Lethergoandanswerit."

"Yes,MrAbernethie.Whatwasthebookyouwantedmetofind?"

Theinvalidclosedhiseyes.

"Ican'tremembernow.You'veputitoutofmyhead.You'dbettergo."

Miss Gilchrist seized the tray and hurriedly departed. Putting the tray on the pantry table she hurried
intothefronthall,passingMrsAbernethiewhowasstillatthetelephone.

Shereturnedinamomenttoaskinamutedvoice:

"I'm so sorry to interrupt. It's a nun. Collecting. The Heart of Mary Fund, I think she said. She has a
book.Halfacrownorfiveshillingsmostpeopleseemtohavegiven."

MaudeAbernethiesaid:

"Just a moment, Helen," into the telephone, and to Miss Gilchrist, "I don't subscribe to Roman
Catholics.WehaveourownChurchcharities."

MissGilchristhurriedawayagain.

Maudeterminatedherconversationafterafewminuteswiththephrase,"I'lltalktoTimothyaboutit."

She replaced the receiver and came into the front hall. Miss Gilchrist was standing quite still by the
drawing-roomdoor.ShewasfrowninginapuzzledwayandjumpedwhenMaudeAbernethiespoketo
her.

"There'snothingthematter,isthere,MissGilchrist?"

"Ohno,MrsAbernethie,I'mafraidIwasjustwoolgathering.Sostupidofmewhenthere'ssomuchto
bedone."

MissGilchristresumedherimitationofabusyantandMaudeAbernethieclimbedthestairsslowlyand
painfullytoherhusband'sroom.

"ThatwasHelenonthetelephone.ItseemsthattheplaceisdefinitelysoldsomeInstitutionforForeign
Refugees-"

ShepausedwhilstTimothyexpressedhimselfforcefullyonthesubjectofForeignRefugees,withside
issues as to the house in which he had been born and brought up. "No decent standards left in this
country.Myoldhome!Icanhardlybeartothinkofit."

Maudewenton.

"Helen quite appreciates what you - we - will feel about it. She suggests that we might like to come
there for a visit before it goes. She was very distressed about your health and the way the painting is
affecting it. She thought you might prefer coming to Enderby to going to an hotel. The servants are
therestill,soyoucouldbelookedaftercomfortably."

Timothy,whosemouthhadbeenopeninoutragedprotestshalf-waythroughthis,hadcloseditagain.
Hiseyeshadbecomesuddenlyshrewd.Henownoddedhisheadapprovingly.

"Thoughtful of Helen," he said. "Very thoughtful. I don't know, I'm sure, I'll have to think it over...
There'snodoubtthatthispaintispoisoningme-there'sarsenicinpaint,Ibelieve.Iseemtohaveheard
somethingofthekind.Ontheotherhandtheexertionofmovingmightbetoomuchforme.It'sdifficult
toknowwhatwouldbethebest."

"Perhaps you'd prefer an hotel, dear," said Maude. "A good hotel is very expensive, but where your
healthisconcerned-"

Timothyinterrupted.

"I wish I could make you understand, Maude, that we are not millionaires. Why go to an hotel when

HelenhasverykindlysuggestedthatweshouldgotoEnderby?Notthatit'sreallyforhertosuggest!
Thehouseisn'thers.Idon'tunderstandlegalsubtleties,butIpresumeitbelongstousequallyuntilit's
soldandtheproceedsdivided.ForeignRefugees!ItwouldhavemadeoldCorneliusturninhisgrave.
Yes,"hesighed,"IshouldliketoseetheoldplaceagainbeforeIdie."

Maudeplayedherlastcardadroitly.

"I understand that Mr Entwhistle has suggested that the members of the family might like to choose
certainpiecesoffurnitureorchinaorsomething-beforethecontentsareputupforauction."

Timothyheavedhimselfbrisklyupright.

"Wemustcertainlygo.Theremustbeaveryexactvaluationofwhatischosenbyeachperson.Those
menthegirlshavemarried-Iwouldn'ttrusteitherofthemfromwhatI'veheard.Theremightbesome
sharppractice.Helenisfartooamiable.Astheheadofthefamily,itismydutytobepresent!"

Hegotupandwalkedupanddowntheroomwithabriskvigoroustread.

"Yes,itisanexcellentplan.WritetoHelenandaccept.WhatIamreallythinkingaboutisyou,mydear.
Itwillbeanicerestandchangeforyou.Youhavebeendoingfartoomuchlately.Thedecoratorscan
getonwiththepaintingwhileweareawayandthatGillespiewomancanstayhereandlookafterthe
house."

"Gilchrist,"saidMaude.

Timothywavedahandandsaidthatitwasallthesame.

II

"Ican'tdoit,"saidMissGilchrist.

Maudelookedatherinsurprise.

MissGilchristwastrembling.HereyeslookedpleadinglyintoMaude's.

"It'sstupidofme,Iknow...ButIsimplycan't.Notstayhereallaloneinthehouse.Iftherewasanyone
whocouldcomeand-andsleepheretoo?"

Shelookedhopefullyattheotherwoman,butMaudeshookherhead.MaudeAbernethieknewonlytoo
wellhowdifficultitwastogetanyoneintheneighbourhoodto"livein."

MissGilchristwenton,akindofdesperationinhervoice."Iknowyou'llthinkitnervyandfoolish-
and I wouldn't have dreamed once that I'd ever feel like this. I've never been a nervous woman - or
fanciful.Butnowitallseemsdifferent.I'dbeterrified-yes,literallyterrified-tobeallalonehere."

"Ofcourse,"saidMaude."It'sstupidofme.AfterwhathappenedatLytchettStMary."

"Isupposethat'sit...It'snotlogical,Iknow.AndIdidn'tfeelitatfirst.Ididn'tmindbeingaloneinthe
cottageafter-afterithadhappened.Thefeeling'sgrownupgradually.You'llhavenoopinionofmeat
all, Mrs Abernethie, but even since I've been here I've been feeling it - frightened, you know. Not of
anythinginparticular-butjustfrightened...It'ssosillyandIreallyamashamed.It'sjustasthoughall
thetimeIwasexpectingsomethingawfultohappen...Eventhatnuncomingtothedoorstartledme.Oh
dear,Iaminabadway..."

"Isupposeit'swhattheycalldelayedshock,"saidMaudevaguely.

"Isit?Idon'tknow.Ohdear,I'msosorrytoappearso-soungrateful,andafterallyourkindness.What
youwillthink-"

Maudesoothedher.

"Wemustthinkofsomeotherarrangement,"shesaid.

Chapter16

GeorgeCrossfieldpausedirresolutelyforamomentashewatchedaparticularfemininebackdisappear
throughadoorway.Thenhenoddedtohimselfandwentinpursuit.

Thedoorwayinquestionwasthatofadouble-frontedshop-ashopthathadgoneoutofbusiness.The
plate-glasswindowsshowedadisconcertingemptinesswithin.Thedoorwasclosed,butGeorgerapped

onit.AvacuousfacedyoungmanwithspectaclesopeneditandstaredatGeorge.

"Excuseme,"saidGeorge."ButIthinkmycousinjustcameinhere."

TheyoungmandrewbackandGeorgewalkedin.

"Hallo,Susan,"hesaid.

Susan,whowasstandingonapacking-caseandusingafoot-rule,turnedherheadinsomesurprise.

"Hallo,George.Wheredidyouspringfrom?"

"Isawyourback.Iwassureitwasyours."

"Howcleverofyou.Isupposebacksaredistinctive."

"Muchmoresothanfaces.Addabeardandpadsinyourcheeksanddoafewthingstoyourhairand
nobodywillknowyouwhenyoucomefacetofacewiththem-butbewareofthemomentwhenyou
walkaway."

"I'llremember.CanyouremembersevenfeetfiveinchesuntilI'vegottimetowriteitdown."

"Certainly.Whatisthis,bookshelves?"

"No, cubicle space. Eight feet nine - and three seven..." The young man with the spectacles who had
beenfidgetingfromonefoottotheother,coughedapologetically.

"Excuseme,MrsBanks,butifyouwanttobehereforsometime-"

"Ido,rather,"saidSusan."Ifyouleavethekeys,I'lllockthedoorandreturnthemtotheofficewhenI
gopast.Willthatbeallright?"

"Yes,thankyou.Ifitweren'tthatwe'reshortstaffedthismorning-"

Susanacceptedtheapologeticintentofthehalf-finishedsentenceandtheyoungmanremovedhimself
totheouterworldofthestreet.

"I'm glad we've got rid of him," said Susan. "House agents are a bother. They will keep talking just
whenIwanttodosums."

"Ah,"saidGeorge."Murderinanemptyshop.Howexcitingitwouldbeforthepassers-bytoseethe
dead body of a beautiful young woman displayed behind plate glass. How they would goggle. Like
goldfish."

"Therewouldn'tbeanyreasonforyoutomurderme,George."

"Well,Ishouldgetafourthpartofyourshareofouresteemeduncle'sestate.Ifoneweresufficiently
fondofmoneythatshouldbeareason."

Susanstoppedtakingmeasurementsandturnedtolookathim.Hereyesopenedalittle.

"Youlookadifferentperson,George.It'sreally-extraordinary."

"Different?Howdifferent?"

"Likeanadvertisement.Thisisthesamemanthatyousawoverleaf,butnowhehastakenUppington's
HealthSalts."

Shesatdownonanotherpacking-caseandlitacigarette.

"YoumusthavewantedyourshareofoldRichard'smoneyprettybadly,George?"

"Nobodycouldhonestlysaythatmoneyisn'twelcomethesedays."

George'stonewaslight.

Susansaid:"Youwereinajam,weren'tyou?"

"Hardlyyourbusiness,isit,Susan?"

"Iwasjustinterested."

"Areyourentingthisshopasaplaceofbusiness?"

"I'mbuyingthewholehouse."

"Withpossession?"

"Yes.Thetwoupperfloorswereflats.One'semptyandwentwiththeshop.TheotherI'mbuyingthe
peopleout."

"Nicetohavemoney,isn'tit,Susan?"

TherewasamalicioustoneinGeorge'svoice.ButSusanmerelytookadeepbreathandsaid:

"AsfarasI'mconcerned,it'swonderful.Ananswertoprayer."

"Doesprayerkilloffelderlyrelatives?"

Susanpaidnoattention.

"Thisplaceisexactlyright.Tobeginwith,it'saverygoodpieceofperiodarchitecture.Icanmakethe
livingpartupstairssomethingquiteunique.Therearetwolovelymouldedceilingsandtheroomsarea
beautiful shape. This part down here which has already been hacked about I shall have completely
modern."

"Whatisthis?Adressbusiness?"

"No.Beautyculture.Herbalpreparations.Facecreams!"

"Thefullracket?"

"Theracketasbefore.Itpays.Italwayspays.Whatyouneedtoputitoverispersonality.Icandoit."

George looked at his cousin appreciatively. He admired the slanting planes of her face, the generous
mouth, the radiant colouring. Altogether an unusual and vivid face. And he recognised in Susan that
odd,indefinablequality,thequalityofsuccess.

"Yes,"hesaid,"Ithinkyou'vegotwhatittakes,Susan.You'llgetbackyouroutlayonthisschemeand
you'llgetplaceswithit."

"It'stherightneighbourhood,justoffmainshoppingstreetandyoucanparkacarrightinfrontofthe
door."

AgainGeorgenodded.

"Yes,Susan,you'regoingtosucceed.Haveyouhadthisinmindforalongtime?"

"Overayear?"

"Whydidn'tyouputituptooldRichard?Hemighthavestakedyou."

"Ididputituptohim."

"Andhedidn'tseehisway?Iwonderwhy.Ishouldhavethoughthe'dhaverecognisedthesamemettle
thathehimselfwasmadeof."

Susan did not answer, and into George's mind there leapt a swift bird's eye view of another figure. A
thin,nervous,suspicious-eyedyoungman.

"Wheredoes-what'shisname-Greg-comeinonallthis?"heasked."He'llgiveupdishingoutpills
andpowders,Itakeit?"

"Ofcourse.Therewillbealaboratorybuiltoutattheback.Weshallhaveourownformulasforface
creamsandbeautypreparations."

Georgesuppressedagrin.Hewantedtosay:"Sobabyistohavehisplaypen,"buthedidnotsayit.As
acousinhedidnotmindbeingspiteful,buthehadanuneasysensethatSusan'sfeelingforherhusband
wasathingtobetreatedwithcare.Ithadallthequalitiesofadangerousexplosive.Hewondered,ashe
hadwonderedonthedayofthefuneral,aboutthatqueerfish,Gregory.Somethingoddaboutthefellow.
Sonondescriptinappearance-andyet,insomeway,notnondescript...

HelookedagainatSusan,calmlyandradiantlytriumphant.

"You'vegotthetrueAbernethietouch,"hesaid."Theonlyoneofthefamilywhohas.Pityasfarasold
Richard was concerned that you're a woman. If you'd been a boy, I bet he'd have left you the whole
caboodle."

Susansaidslowly:"Yes,Ithinkhewould."

Shepausedandthenwenton:

"Hedidn'tlikeGreg,youknow..."

"Ah."Georgeraisedhiseyebrows."Hismistake."

"Yes."

"Oh,well.Anyway,thingsaregoingwellnow-allgoingaccordingtoplan."

AshesaidthewordshewasstruckbythefactthattheyseemedparticularlyapplicabletoSusan.

Theideamadehim,justforamoment,ashadeuncomfortable.

Hedidn'treallylikeawomanwhowassocold-bloodedlyefficient.

Changingthesubjecthesaid:

"Bytheway,didyougetaletterfromHelen?AboutEnderby?"

"Yes,Idid.Thismorning.Didyou?"

"Yes.Whatareyougoingtodoaboutit?"

"GregandIthoughtofgoinguptheweekendafternext-ifthatsuitseveryoneelse.Helenseemedto
wantusalltogether."

Georgelaughedshrewdly.

"Orsomebodymightchooseamorevaluablepieceoffurniturethansomebodyelse?"

Susanlaughed.

"Oh, I suppose there is a proper valuation. But a valuation for probate will be much lower than the
thingswouldbeintheopenmarket.Andbesides,I'dquiteliketohaveafewrelicsofthefounderofthe
family fortunes. Then I think it would be amusing to have one or two really absurd and charming
specimens of the Victorian age in this place. Make a kind of thing of them! That period's coming in
now. There was a green malachite table in the drawing-room. You could build quite a colour scheme
around it. And perhaps a case of stuffed humming birds - or one of those crowns made of waxed
flowers.Somethinglikethat-justasakey-note-canbeveryeffective."

"Itrustyourjudgment."

"You'llbethere,Isuppose?"

"Oh,Ishallbethere-toseefairplayifnothingelse."

Susanlaughed.

"Whatdoyoubettherewillbeagrandfamilyrow?"sheasked.

"Rosamundwillprobablywantyourgreenmalachitetableforastageset!"

Susandidnotlaugh.Insteadshefrowned.

"HaveyouseenRosamundlately?"

"IhavenotseenbeautifulCousinRosamundsinceweallcamebackthird-classfromthefuneral."

"I'veseenheronceortwice...She-sheseemedratherodd-"

"Whatwasthematterwithher?Tryingtothink?"

"No.Sheseemed-well-upset."

"Upsetaboutcomingintoalotofmoneyandbeingabletoputonsomeperfectlyfrightfulplayinwhich
Michaelcanmakeanassofhimself?"

"Oh, that's going ahead and it does sound frightful - but all the same, it may be a success. Michael's
good, you know. He can put himself across the footlights - or whatever the term is. He's not like
Rosamund,who'sjustbeautifulandham."

"PoorbeautifulhamRosamund."

"AllthesameRosamundisnotquitesodumbasonemightthink.Shesaysthingsthatarequiteshrewd,
sometimes.Thingsthatyouwouldn'thaveimaginedshe'devennoticed.It's-it'squitedisconcerting."

"QuitelikeourAuntCora-"

"Yes..."

A momentary uneasiness descended on them both - conjured up it seemed, by the mention of Cora
Lansquenet.

ThenGeorgesaidwitharatherelaborateairofunconcern:

"Talking of Cora - what about that companion woman of hers? I rather think something ought to be
doneabouther."

"Doneabouther?Whatdoyoumean?"

"Well,it'suptothefamily,sotospeak.ImeanI'vebeenthinkingCorawasourAunt-anditoccurredto
methatthiswomanmayn'tfinditeasytogetanotherpost."

"Thatoccurredtoyou,didit?"

"Yes. People are so careful of their skins. I don't say they'd actually think that this Gilchrist female
wouldtakeahatchettothem-butatthebackoftheirmindsthey'dfeelthatitmightbeunlucky.People
aresuperstitious."

"How odd that you should have thought of all that, George? How would you know about things like
that?"

Georgesaiddryly:

"YouforgetthatI'malawyer.Iseealotofthequeer,illogicalsideofpeople.WhatI'mgettingatis,that
Ithinkwemightdosomethingaboutthewoman,giveherasmallallowanceorsomething,totideher
over, or find some office post for her if she's capable of that sort of thing. I feel rather as though we
oughttokeepintouchwithher."

"You needn't worry," said Susan. Her voice was dry and ironic. "I've seen to things. She's gone to
TimothyandMaude."

Georgelookedstartled.

"Isay,Susan-isthatwise?"

"ItwasthebestthingIcouldthinkof-atthemoment."

Georgelookedathercuriously.

"You're very sure of yourself, aren't you, Susan? You know what you're doing and you don't have -
regrets."

Susansaidlightly:

"It'sawasteoftime-havingregrets."

Chapter17

MichaeltossedtheletteracrossthetabletoRosamund.

"Whataboutit?"

"Oh,we'llgo.Don'tyouthinkso?"

Michaelsaidslowly:

"Itmightbeaswell."

"Theremightbesomejewellery...Ofcourseallthethingsinthehousearequitehideous-stuffedbirds
andwaxflowers-ugh!"

"Yes. Bit of a mausoleum. As a matter of fact I'd like to make a sketch or two - particularly in that
drawing-room.Themantelpiece,forinstance,andthatveryoddshapedcouch.They'dbejustrightfor
TheBaronet'sProgress-ifwereviveit."

Hegotupandlookedathiswatch.

"Thatremindsme.ImustgoroundandseeRosenheim.Don'texpectmeuntilratherlatethisevening.
I'mdiningwithOscarandwe'regoingintothequestionoftakingupthatoptionandhowitfitsinwith
theAmericanoffer."

"DarlingOscar.He'llbepleasedtoseeyouafterallthistime.Givehimmylove."

Michaellookedathersharply.Henolongersmiledandhisfacehadanalertpredatorylook.

"Whatdoyoumean-afterallthistime?AnyonewouldthinkIhadn'tseenhimformonths."

"Well,youhaven't,haveyou?"murmuredRosamund.

"Yes,Ihave.Welunchedtogetheronlyaweekago."

"Howfunny.Hemusthaveforgottenaboutit.Herangupyesterdayandsaidhehadn'tseenyousince
thefirstnightofTillyLooksWest."

"Theoldfoolmustbeoffhishead."

Michaellaughed.Rosamund,hereyeswideandblue,lookedathimwithoutemotion.

"YouthinkI'mafool,don'tyou,Mick?"

Michaelprotested.

"Darling,ofcourseIdon't."

"Yes,youdo.ButI'mnotanabsolutenitwit.Youdidn'tgonearOscarthatday.Iknowwhereyoudid
go."

"Rosamunddarling-whatdoyoumean?"

"ImeanIknowwhereyoureallywere..."

Michael,hisattractivefaceuncertain,staredathiswife.Shestaredbackathim,placid,unruffled.

Howverydisconcerting,hesuddenlythought,areallyemptystarecouldbe.

Hesaidratherunsuccessfully:

"Idon'tknowwhatyou'redrivingat..."

"Ijustmeantit'srathersilly,tellingmealotoflies."

"Lookhere,Rosamund-"

Hehadstartedtobluster-buthestopped,takenabackashiswifesaidsoftly:

"Wedowanttotakeupthisoptionandputthisplayon,don'twe?"

"Wantto?It'sthepartI'vealwaysdreamedmustexistsomewhere."

"Yes-that'swhatImean."

"Justwhatdoyoumean?"

"Well-it'sworthagooddeal,isn'tit?Butonemustn'ttaketoomanyrisks."

Hestaredatherandsaidslowly:

"It'syourmoney-Iknowthat.Ifyoudon'twanttoriskit-"

"It'sourmoney,darling."Rosamundstressedit."Ithinkthat'sratherimportant."

"Listen,darling.ThepartofEileen-itwouldbearwritingup."

Rosamundsmiled.

"Idon'tthink-really-Iwanttoplayit."

"Mydeargirl."Michaelwasaghast."What'scomeoveryou?"

"Nothing."

"Yes,thereis,you'vebeendifferentlately-moody-nervous,whatisit?"

"Nothing.Ionlywantyoutobe-careful,Mick."

"Carefulaboutwhat?I'malwayscareful."

"No,Idon'tthinkyouare.Youalwaythinkyoucangetawaywiththingsandthateveryonewillbelieve
whateveryouwantthemto.YouwerestupidaboutOscarthatday."

Michaelflushedangrily.

"Andwhataboutyou?YousaidyouweregoingshoppingwithJane.Youdidn't.Jane'sinAmerica,has
beenforweeks."

"Yes,"saidRosamund."Thatwasstupid,too.IreallyjustwentforawalkinRegent'sPark."

Michaellookedathercuriously.

"Regent'sPark?YouneverwentforawalkinRegent'sParkinyourlife.What'sitallabout?Haveyou
gotaboyfriend?Youmaysaywhatyoulike,Rosamund,youhavebeendifferentlately.Why?"

"I'vebeen-thinkingaboutthings.Aboutwhattodo..."

Michaelcameroundthetabletoherinasatisfyingspontaneousrush.Hisvoiceheldfervourashecried:

"Darling-youknowIloveyoumadly!"

Sherespondedsatisfactorilytotheembrace,butastheydrewaparthewasstruckagaindisagreeablyby
theoddcalculationinthosebeautifuleyes.

"WhateverI'ddone,you'dalwaysforgiveme,wouldn'tyou?"hedemanded.

"Isupposeso,"saidRosamundvaguely."That'snotthepoint.Yousee,it'salldifferentnow.We'vegot
tothinkandplan."

"Thinkandplanwhat?"

Rosamund,frowning,said:

"Thingsaren'toverwhenyou'vedonethem.It'sreallyasortofbeginningandthenone'sgottoarrange
whattodonext,andwhat'simportantandwhatisnot."

"Rosamund..."

Shesat,herfaceperplexed,herwidegazeonamiddledistanceinwhichMichael,apparently,didnot
feature.

Atthethirdrepetitionofhername,shestartedslightlyandcameoutofherreverie.

"Whatdidyousay?"

"Iaskedyouwhatyouwerethinkingabout..."

"Oh? Oh yes, I was wondering if I'd go down to - what is it? - Lytchett St Mary, and see that Miss
Somebody-theonewhowaswithAuntCora."

"Butwhy?"

"Well,she'llbegoingawaysoon,won'tshe?Torelativesorsomeone.Idon'tthinkweoughttolether
goawayuntilwe'veaskedher."

"Askedherwhat?"

"AskedherwhokilledAuntCora."

Michaelstared.

"Youmean-youthinksheknows?"

Rosamundsaidratherabsently:

"Ohyes,Iexpectso...Shelivedthere,yousee."

"Butshe'dhavetoldthepolice."

"Oh, I don't mean she knows that way - I just mean that she's probably quite sure. Because of what
UncleRichardsaidwhenhewentdownthere.Hedidgodownthere,youknow,Susantoldmeso."

"Butshewouldn'thaveheardwhathesaid."

"Ohyes,shewould,darling."Rosamundsoundedlikesomeonearguingwithanunreasonablechild.

"Nonsense, I can hardly see old Richard Abernethie discussing his suspicions of his family before an
outsider."

"Well,ofcourse.She'dhavehearditthroughthedoor."

"Eavesdropping,youmean?"

"Iexpectso-infactI'msure.Itmustbesodeadlydullshutup,twowomeninacottageandnothing
everhappeningexceptwashingupandthesinkandputtingthecatoutandthingslikethat.Ofcourse

shelistenedandreadletters-anyonewould."

Michaellookedatherwithsomethingfaintlyapproachingdismay.

"Wouldyou?"hedemandedbluntly.

"Iwouldn'tgoandbeacompanioninthecountry."Rosamundshuddered."I'dratherdie."

"Imeant-wouldyoureadlettersand-andallthat?"

Rosamundsaidcalmly:

"IfIwantedtoknow,yes.Everybodydoes,don'tyouthinkso?"

Thelimpidgazemethis.

"One just wants to know," said Rosamund. "One doesn't want to do anything about it. I expect that's
howshefeels-MissGilchrist,Imean.ButI'mcertainsheknows."

Michaelsaidinastifledvoice:

"Rosamund,whodoyouthinkkilledCora?AndoldRichard?"

Onceagainthatlimpidbluegazemethis.

"Darling-don'tbeabsurd...YouknowaswellasIdo.Butit'smuch,muchbetternevertomentionit.
Sowewon't."

Chapter18

Fromhisseatbythefireplaceinthelibrary,HerculePoirotlookedattheassembledcompany.

HiseyespassedthoughtfullyoverSusan,sittingupright,lookingvividandanimated,overherhusband,
sittingnearher,hisexpressionrathervacantandhisfingerstwistingaloopofstring;theywentonto
GeorgeCrossfield,debonairanddistinctlypleasedwithhimself,talkingaboutcardsharpersonatlantic
cruisestoRosamund,whosaidmechanically,"Howextraordinary,darling.Butwhy?"inacompletely
uninterestedvoice;wentontoMichaelwithhisveryindividualtypeofhaggardgoodlooksandhisvery
apparent charm; to Helen, poised and slightly remote; to Timothy, comfortably settled in the best
armchairwithanextracushionathisback;andMaude,sturdyandthick-set,indevotedattendance,and
finallytothefiguresittingwithatingeofapologyjustbeyondtherangeofthefamilycircle-thefigure
of Miss Gilchrist wearing a rather peculiar "dressy" blouse. Presently, he judged, she would get up,
murmur an excuse and leave the family gathering and go up to her room. Miss Gilchrist, he thought,
knewherplace.Shehadlearneditthehardway.

HerculePoirotsippedhisafter-dinnercoffeeandbetweenhalf-closedlidsmadehisappraisal.

Hehadwantedthemthere-alltogether,andhehadgotthem.Andwhat,hethoughttohimself,washe
goingtodowiththemnow?Hefeltasuddenwearydistasteforgoingonwiththebusiness.Whywas
that,hewondered?WasittheinfluenceofHelenAbernethie?Therewasaqualityofpassiveresistance
about her that seemed unexpectedly strong. Had she, while apparently graceful and unconcerned,
managedtoimpressherownreluctanceuponhim?Shewasaversetothisrakingupofthedetailsofold
Richard's death, he knew that. She wanted it left alone, left to die out into oblivion. Poirot was not
surprisedbythat.Whatdidsurprisehimwashisowndispositiontoagreewithher.

Mr Entwhistle's account of the family had, he realised, been admirable. He had described all these
people shrewdly and well. With the old lawyer's knowledge and appraisal to guide him, Poirot had
wantedtoseeforhimself.Hehadfanciedthat,meetingthesepeopleintimately,hewouldhaveavery
shrewdidea-notofhowandwhen-(thosewerequestionswithwhichhedidnotproposetoconcern
himself.Murderhadbeenpossible-thatwasallheneededtoknow!)butofwho.ForHerculePoirot
hadalifetimeofexperiencebehindhim,andasamanwhodealswithpicturescanrecognisetheartist,
so Poirot believed he could recognise a likely type of the amateur criminal who will - if his own
particularneedarisesbepreparedtokill.

Butitwasnottobesoeasy.

Becausehecouldvisualisealmostallofthosepeopleasapossible-thoughnotaprobable-murderer.
George might kill - as the cornered rat kills. Susan calmly - efficiently - to further a plan. Gregory
because he had that queer morbid streak which discounts and invites, almost craves, punishment.
Michaelbecausehewasambitiousandhadamurderer'scocksurevanity.Rosamundbecauseshewas
frighteninglysimpleinoutlook.Timothybecausehehadhatedandresentedhisbrotherandhadcraved
thepowerhisbrother'smoneywouldgive.MaudebecauseTimothywasherchildandwhereherchild
wasconcernedshewouldberuthless.EvenMissGilchrist,hethought,mighthavecontemplatedmurder
ifitcouldhaverestoredtohertheWillowTreeinitsladylikeglory!

AndHelen?HecouldnotseeHelenascommittingmurder.Shewastoocivilised-tooremovedfrom
violence.AndsheandherhusbandhadsurelylovedRichardAbernethie.

Poirotsighedtohimself.Thereweretobenoshortcutstothetruth,Insteadhewouldhavetoadopta
longer,butareasonablysuremethod.Therewouldhavetobeconversation.Muchconversation.Forin
thelongrun,eitherthroughalie,orthroughtruth,peoplewereboundtogivethemselvesaway...

HehadbeenintroducedbyHelentothegathering,andhadsettoworktoovercomethealmostuniversal
annoyancecausedbyhispresence-aforeignstranger!-inthisfamilygathering.Hehadusedhiseyes
and his ears. He had watched and listened - openly and behind doors! He had noticed affinities,
antagonisms, the unguarded words that arose as always when property was to be divided. He had
engineeredadroitlytête-à-têtes,walksupontheterrace,andhadmadehisdeductionsandobservations.
He had talked with Miss Gilchrist about the vanished glories of her tea-shop and about the correct
compositionofbriochesandchocolateéclairsandhadvisitedthekitchengardenwithhertodiscussthe
properuseofherbsincooking.Hehadspentsomelonghalf-hourslisteningtoTimothytalkingabout
hisownhealthandabouttheeffectuponitofpaint.

Paint?Poirotfrowned.Somebodyelsehadsaidsomethingaboutpaint-MrEntwhistle?

There had also been discussion of a different kind of painting. Pierre Lansquenet as a painter. Cora
Lansquenet's paintings, rapturised over by Miss Gilchrist, dismissed scornfully by Susan. "Just like
picturepostcards,"shehadsaid."Shedidthemfrompostcards,too."

Miss Gilchrist had been quite upset by that and had said sharply that dear Mrs Lansquenet always
paintedfromNature.

"ButIbetshecheated,"saidSusantoPoirotwhenMissGilchristhadgoneoutoftheroom."InfactI
knowshedid,thoughIwon'tupsettheoldpussybysayingso."

"Andhowdoyouknow?"

PoirotwatchedthestrongconfidentlineofSusan'schin.

"Shewillalwaysbesure,thisone,"hethought."Andperhapssometime,shewillbetoosure..."

Susanwasgoingon.

"I'lltellyou,butdon'tpassitontotheGilchrist.OnepictureisofPolflexan,thecoveandthelighthouse
andthepier-theusualaspectthatallamateurartistssitdownandsketch.Butthepierwasblownupin
thewar,andsinceAuntCora'ssketchwasdoneacoupleofyearsago,itcan'tverywellbefromNature,
can it? But the postcards they sell there still show the pier as it used to be. There was one in her
bedroom drawer. So Aunt Cora started her 'rough sketch' down there, I expect, and then finished it
surreptitiouslylaterathomefromapostcard!It'sfunny,isn'tit,thewaypeoplegetcaughtout?"

"Yes,itis,asyousay,funny."Hepaused,andthenthoughtthattheopeningwasagoodone.

"Youdonotrememberme,Madame,"hesaid,"butIrememberyou.ThisisnotthefirsttimethatIhave
seenyou."

Shestaredathim.Poirotnoddedwithgreatgusto.

"Yes,yes,itisso.Iwasinsideanautomobile,wellwrappedupandfromthewindowIsawyou.You
weretalkingtooneofthemechanicsinthegarage.Youdonotnoticeme-itisnaturalIaminsidethe
car-anelderlymuffled-upforeigner!ButInoticeyou,foryouareyoungandagreeabletolookatand
youstandthereinthesun.SowhenIarrivehere,Isaytomyself,'Tiens!whatacoincidence!'"

"Agarage?Where?Whenwasthis?"

"Oh,alittletimeago-aweek-no,more.Forthemoment,"saidPoirotdisingenuouslyandwithafull
recollectionoftheKing'sArmsgarageinhismind,"Icannotrememberwhere.Itravelsomuchallover
thiscountry."

"Lookingforasuitablehousetobuyforyourrefugees?"

"Yes. There is so much to take into consideration, you see. Price - neighbourhood - suitability for
conversion."

"Isupposeyou'llhavetopullthehouseaboutalot?Lotsofhorriblepartitions."

"In the bedrooms, yes, certainly. But most of the ground floor rooms we shall not touch." He paused
before going on. "Does it sadden you, Madame, that this old family mansion of yours should go this
way-tostrangers?"

"Of course not." Susan looked amused. "I think it's an excellent idea. It's an impossible place for
anybodytothinkoflivinginasitis.AndI'venothingtobesentimentalabout.It'snotmyoldhome.My
motherandfatherlivedinLondon.WejustcamehereforChristmassometimes.ActuallyI'vealways
thoughtitquitehideous-analmostindecenttempletowealth."

"The altars are different now. There is the building in, and the concealed lighting and the expensive
simplicity.Butwealthstillhasitstemples,Madame.Iunderstand-Iamnot,Ihope,indiscreet-thatyou
yourselfareplanningsuchanedifice?Everythingdeluxe-andnoexpensespared."

Susanlaughed.

"Hardlyatemple-it'sjustaplaceofbusiness."

"Perhapsthenamedoesnotmatter...Butitwillcostmuchmoney-thatistrue,isitnot?"

"Everything'swickedlyexpensivenowadays.Buttheinitialoutlaywillbeworthwhile,Ithink."

"Tell me something about these plans of yours. It amazes me to find a beautiful young woman so
practical,socompetent.Inmyyoungdays-alongtimeago,Iadmit-beautifulwomenthoughtonlyof
theirpleasures,ofcosmetics,oflatoilette."

"Womenstillthinkagreatdealabouttheirfaces-that'swhereIcomein."

"Tellme."

And she had told him. Told him with a wealth of detail and with a great deal of unconscious self-
revelation. He appreciated her business acumen, her boldness of planning and her grasp of detail. A
goodboldplanner,sweepingallsideissuesaway.Perhapsalittleruthlessasallthosewhoplanboldly
mustbe...

Watchingher,hehadsaid:

"Yes,youwillsucceed.Youwillgoahead.Howfortunatethatyouarenotrestricted,assomanyare,by
poverty.Onecannotgofarwithoutthecapitaloutlay.Tohavehadthesecreativeideasandtohavebeen
frustratedbylackofmeans-thatwouldhavebeenunbearable."

"Icouldn'thaveborneit!ButI'dhaveraisedmoneysomehoworother-gotsomeonetobackme."

"Ah!ofcourse.Youruncle,whosehousethiswas,wasrich.Evenifhehadnotdied,hewould,asyou
expressit,have'staked'you."

"Ohno,hewouldn't.UncleRichardwasabitofastick-in-the-mudwherewomenwereconcerned.IfI'd
beenaman-"Aquickflashofangersweptacrossherface."Hemademeveryangry."

"Isee-yes,Isee..."

"Theoldshouldn'tstandinthewayoftheyoung.I-oh,Ibegyourpardon."

HerculePoirotlaughedeasilyandtwirledhismoustache.

"Iamold,yes.ButIdonotimpedeyouth.Thereisnoonewhoneedstowaitformydeath."

"Whatahorrididea."

"Butyouarearealist,Madame.Letusadmitwithoutmoreadothattheworldisfulloftheyoung-or
eventhemiddle-aged-whowait,patientlyorimpatiently,forthedeathofsomeonewhosedeceasewill
givethemifnotaffluence-thenopportunity."

"Opportunity!"Susansaid,takingadeepbreath."That'swhatoneneeds."

Poirotwhohadbeenlookingbeyondher,saidgaily:

"And here is your husband come to join our little discussion We talk, Mr Banks, of opportunity.
Opportunitythegolden-opportunity,whomustbegraspedwithbothhands.Howfarinconsciencecan
onego?Letushearyourviews?"

ButhewasnotdestinedtoheartheviewsofGregoryBanksonopportunityoronanythingelse.Infact
he had found it next to impossible to talk to Gregory Banks at all. Banks had a curious fluid quality.
Whetherbyhisownwish,orbythatofhiswife,heseemedtohavenolikingfortête-à-têtesorquiet

discussions.No,"conversation"withGregoryhadfailed.

PoirothadtalkedwithMaudeAbernethie-alsoaboutpaint(thesmellof)andhowfortunateithadbeen
that Timothy had been able to come to Enderby, and how kind it had been of Helen to extend an
invitationtoMissGilchristalso.

"For really she is most useful. Timothy so often feels like a snack - and one cannot ask too much of
otherpeople'sservantsbutthereisagasringinalittleroomoffthepantry,sothatMissGilchristcan
warm up Ovaltine or Benger's there without disturbing anybody. And she's so willing about fetching
things,she'squitewillingtorunupanddownstairsadozentimesaday.Ohyes,Ifeelthatitwasreally
quiteprovidentialthatsheshouldhavelosthernerveaboutstayingaloneinthehouseasshedid,though
Iadmititvexedmeatthetime."

"Losthernerve?"Poirotwasinterested.

HelistenedwhilstMaudegavehimanaccountofMissGilchrist'ssuddencollapse.

"Shewasfrightened,yousay?Andyetcouldnotexactlysaywhy?Thatisinteresting.Veryinteresting."

"Iputitdownmyselftodelayedshock."

"Perhaps."

"Once,duringthewar,whenabombdroppedaboutamileawayfromus,IrememberTimothy-"

PoirotabstractedhismindfromTimothy.

"Hadanythingparticularhappenedthatday?"heasked.

"Onwhatday?"Maudelookedblank.

"ThedaythatMissGilchristwasupset."

"Oh,that-no,Idon'tthinkso.ItseemstohavebeencomingoneversincesheleftLychettStMary,or

soshesaid.Shedidn'tseemtomindwhenshewasthere."

Andtheresult,Poirotthought,hadbeenapieceofpoisonedweddingcake.Notsoverysurprisingthat
Miss Gilchrist was frightened after that. And even when she had removed herself to the peaceful
country round Stansfield Grange, the fear had lingered. More than lingered. Grown. Why grown?
SurelyattendingonanexactinghypochondriaclikeTimothymustbesoexhaustingthatnervousfears
wouldbelikelytobeswallowedupinexasperation?

ButsomethinginthathousehadmadeMissGilchristafraid.What?Didsheknowherself?

Finding himself alone with Miss Gilchrist for a brief space before dinner, Poirot had sailed into the
subjectwithanexaggeratedforeigncuriosity.

"Impossible,youcomprehend,formetomentionthematterofmurdertomembersofthefamily.ButI
amintrigued.Whowouldnotbe?Abrutalcrime-asensitiveartistattackedinalonelycottage.Terrible
for her family. But terrible, also, I imagine, for you. Since Mrs Timothy Abernethie gives me to
understandthatyouwerethereatthetime?"

"Yes,Iwas.Andifyou'llexcuseme,M.Pontarlier,Idon'twanttotalkaboutit."

"Iunderstand-ohyes,Icompletelyunderstand."

Havingsaidthis,Poirotwaited.And,ashehadthought,MissGilchristimmediatelydidbegintotalk
aboutit.

Heheardnothingfromherthathehadnotheardbefore,butheplayedhispartwithperfectsympathy,
utteringlittlecriesofcomprehensionandlisteningwithanabsorbedinterestwhichMissGilchristcould
notbuthelpenjoy.

Notuntilshehadexhaustedthesubjectofwhatsheherselfhadfelt,andwhatthedoctorhadsaid,and
howkindMrEntwhistlehadbeen,didPoirotproceedcautiouslytothenextpoint.

"Youwerewise,Ithink,nottoremainalonedowninthatcottage."

"Icouldn'thavedoneit,M.Pontarlier.Ireallycouldn'thavedoneit."

"No. I understand even that you were afraid to remain alone in the house of Mr Timothy Abernethie
whilsttheycamehere?"

MissGilchristlookedguilty.

"I'mterriblyashamedaboutthat.Sofoolishreally.ItwasjustakindofpanicIhad-Ireallydon'tknow
why."

"Butofcourseoneknowswhy.Youhadjustrecoveredfromadastardlyattempttopoisonyou-"

MissGilchristheresighedandsaidshesimplycouldn'tunderstandit.Whyshouldanyonetrytopoison
her?

"Butobviously,mydearlady,becausethiscriminal,thisassassin,thoughtthatyouknewsomethingthat
mightleadtohisapprehensionbythepolice."

"ButwhatcouldIknow?Somedreadfultramp,orsemi-crazedcreature."

"Ifitwasatramp.Itseemstomeunlikely-"

"Oh,please,M.Pontarlier-"MissGilchristbecamesuddenlyveryupset."Don'tsuggestsuchthings.I
don'twanttobelieveit."

"Youdonotwanttobelievewhat?"

"Idon'twanttobelievethatitwasn't-Imean-thatitwas-"

Shepaused,confused.

"Andyet,"saidPoirotshrewdly,"youdobelieve."

"Oh,Idon't.Idon't!"

"ButIthinkyoudo.Thatiswhyyouarefrightened...Youarestillfrightened,areyounot?"

"Oh,no,notsinceIcamehere.Somanypeople.Andsuchanicefamilyatmosphere.Oh,no,everything
seemsquiteallrighthere."

"Itseemstome-youmustexcusemyinterest-Iamanoldman,somewhatinfirmandagreatpartof
mytimeisgiventoidlespeculationonmatterswhichinterestme-itseemstomethattheremusthave
been some definite occurrence at Stansfield Grange which, so to speak, brought your fears to a head.
Doctorsrecognisenowadayshowmuchtakesplaceinoursubconscious."

"Yes,yes-Iknowtheysayso."

"And I think your subconscious fears might have been brought to a point by some small concrete
happening,something,perhaps,quiteextraneous,serving,shallwesay,asafocalpoint."

MissGilchristseemedtolapthisupeagerly.

"I'msureyouareright,"shesaid.

"Nowwhat,shouldyouthink,wasthis-er-extraneouscircumstance?"

MissGilchristponderedamoment,andthensaid,unexpectedly:

"Ithink,youknow,M.Pontarlier,itwasthenun."

BeforePoirotcouldtakethisup,Susanandherhusbandcamein,closelyfollowedbyHelen.

"Anun,"thoughtPoirot..."Nowwhere,inallthis,haveIheardsomethingaboutanun?"

Heresolvedtoleadtheconversationontonunssometimeinthecourseoftheevening.

Chapter19

ThefamilyhadallbeenpolitetoM.Pontarlier,therepresentativeofUNARCOAndhowrighthehad
beentohavechosentodesignatehimselfbyinitials.EveryonehadacceptedUNARCOasamatterof
course - had even pretended to know all about it! How averse human beings were ever to admit
ignorance!AnexceptionhadbeenRosamund,whohadaskedhimwonderingly:"Butwhatisit?Inever
heardofit?"Fortunatelynooneelsehadbeenthereatthetime.Poirothadexplainedtheorganisationin
suchawaythatanyonebutRosamundwouldhavefeltabashedathavingdisplayedignoranceofsucha
well-known,world-wideinstitution.Rosamund,however,hadonlysaidvaguely,"Oh!refugeesallover
again. I'm so tired of refugees." Thus voicing the unspoken reaction of many, who were usually too
conventionaltoexpressthemselvessofrankly.

M.Pontarlierwas,therefore,nowaccepted-asanuisancebutalsoasanonentity.Hehadbecome,asit
were, a piece of foreign décor. The general opinion was that Helen should have avoided having him
herethisparticularweekend,butashewasheretheymustmakethebestofit.Fortunatelythisqueer
littleforeignerdidnotseemtoknowmuchEnglish.Quiteoftenhedidnotunderstandwhatyousaidto
him,andwheneveryonewasspeakingmoreorlessatonceheseemedcompletelyatsea.Heappeared
to be interested only in refugees and post-war conditions, and his vocabulary only included those
subjects. Ordinary chit-chat appeared to bewilder him. More or less forgotten by all, Hercule Poirot
leant back in his chair, sipped his coffee and observed, as a cat may observe, the twitterings, and
comingsandgoingsofaflockofbirds.Thecatisnotreadyyettomakeitsspring.

Aftertwenty-fourhoursofprowlingroundthehouseandexaminingitscontents,theheirsofRichard
Abernethiewerereadytostatetheirpreferences,and,ifneedbe,tofightforthem.

The subject of conversation was, first, a certain Spode dinner dessert service off which they had just
beeneatingdessert.

"Idon'tsupposeIhavelongtolive,"saidTimothyinafaintmelancholyvoice."AndMaudeandIhave
no children. It is hardly worth while our burdening ourselves with useless possessions. But for
sentiment'ssakeIshouldliketohavetheolddessertservice.Irememberitinthedearolddays.It'sout
offashion,ofcourse,andIunderstanddessertserviceshaveverylittlevaluenowadays-butthereitis.I
shallbequitecontentwiththat-andperhapstheBouleCabinetintheWhiteBoudoir."

"You'retoolate,Uncle,"Georgespokewithdebonairinsouciance."IaskedHelentomarkofftheSpode
servicetomethismorning."

Timothybecamepurpleintheface.

"Markitoff-markitoff?Whatdoyoumean?Nothing'sbeensettledyet.Andwhatdoyouwantwitha
dessertservice.You'renotmarried."

"AsamatteroffactIcollectSpode.Andthisisreallyasplendidspecimen.Butit'squiteallrightabout
theBouleCabinet,Uncle.Iwouldn'thavethatasagift."

TimothywavedasidetheBouleCabinet.

"Nowlookhere,youngGeorge.Youcan'tgobuttingin,inthisway.I'manoldermanthanyouare-and
I'mRichard'sonlysurvivingbrother.Thatdessertserviceismine."

"WhynottaketheDresdenservice,Uncle?AveryfineexampleandI'msurejustasfullofsentimental
memories.Anyway,theSpode'smine.Firstcome,firstserved."

"Nonsense-nothingofthekind!"Timothyspluttered.

Maudesaidsharply:

"Please don't upset your uncle, George. It's very bad for him. Naturally he will take the Spode if he
wantsto!Thefirstchoiceishis,andyouyoungpeoplemustcomeafterwards.HewasRichard'sbrother,
ashesays,andyouareonlyanephew."

"AndIcantellyouthis,youngman."Timothywasseethingwithfury."IfRichardhadmadeaproper
will,thedisposalofthecontentsofthisplacewouldhavebeenentirelyinmyhands.That'sthewaythe
propertyshouldhavebeenleft,andifitwasn't,Icanonlysuspectundueinfluence.Yes-andIrepeatit-
undueinfluence."

Timothyglaredathisnephew.

"Apreposterouswill,"hesaid."Preposterous!"

Heleantback,placedahandtohisheart,andgroaned:

"Thisisverybadforme.IfIcouldhave-alittlebrandy."

MissGilchristhurriedtogetitandreturnedwiththerestorativeinasmallglass.

"Hereyouare,MrAbernethie.Please-pleasedon'texciteyourself.Areyousureyououghtn'ttogoup
tobed?"

"Don'tbeafool."Timothyswallowedthebrandy."Gotobed?Iintendtoprotectmyinterests."

"Really,George,I'msurprisedatyou,"saidMaude."Whatyourunclesaysisperfectlytrue.Hiswishes
comefirst.IfhewantstheSpodedessertserviceheshallhaveit!"

"It'squitehideousanyway,"saidSusan.

"Holdyourtongue,Susan,"saidTimothy.

ThethinyoungmanwhosatbesideSusanraisedhishead.Inavoicethatwasalittleshrillerthanhis
ordinarytones,hesaid:

"Don'tspeaklikethattomywife!"

Hehalfrosefromhisseat.

Susansaidquickly:"It'sallright,Greg.Idon'tmind."

"ButIdo."

Helen said: "I think it would be graceful on your part, George, to let your uncle have the dessert
service."

Timothysplutteredindignantly:"There'sno'letting'aboutit!"

ButGeorge,withaslightbowtoHelensaid,"Yourwishislaw,AuntHelen.Iabandonmyclaim."

"Youdidn'treallywantit,anyway,didyou?"saidHelen.

Hecastasharpglanceather,thengrinned:

"Thetroublewithyou,AuntHelen,isthatyou'retoosharpbyhalf!Youseemorethanyou'remeantto
see.Don'tworry,UncleTimothy,theSpodeisyours.Justmyideaoffun."

"Fun,indeed."MaudeAbernethiewasindignant."Yourunclemighthavehadaheartattack!"

"Don'tyoubelieveit,"saidGeorgecheerfully."UncleTimothywillprobablyoutliveusall.He'swhatis
knownasacreakinggate."

Timothyleanedforwardbalefully.

"Idon'twonder,"hesaid,"thatRichardwasdisappointedinyou."

"What'sthat?"ThegoodhumourwentoutofGeorge'sface.

"YoucameuphereafterMortimerdied,expectingtostepintohisshoes-expectingthatRichardwould
makeyouhisheir,didn'tyou?Butmypoorbrothersoontookyourmeasure.Heknewwherethemoney
would go if you had control of it. I'm surprised that he even left you a part of his fortune. He knew
whereitwouldgo.Horses,Gambling,MonteCarlo,foreignCasinos.Perhapsworse.Hesuspectedyou
ofnotbeingstraight,didn'the?"

George,awhitedintappearingeachsideofhisnose,saidquietly:

"Hadn'tyoubetterbecarefulofwhatyouaresaying?"

"I wasn't well enough to come here for the funeral," said Timothy slowly, "but Maude told me what
Corasaid.Coraalwayswasafool-buttheremayhavebeensomethinginit.Andifso,IknowwhoI'd
suspect-"

"Timothy!"Maudestoodup,solid,calm,atowerofforcefulness."Youhavehadaverytryingevening.
Youmustconsideryourhealth.Ican'thaveyougettingillagain.Comeupwithme.Youmusttakea
sedativeandgostraighttobed.TimothyandI,Helen,willtaketheSpodedessertserviceandtheBoule
CabinetasmomentoesofRichard.Thereisnoobjectiontothat,Ihope?"

Her glance swept round the company. Nobody spoke, and she marched out of the room supporting
Timothywithahandunderhiselbow,wavingasideMissGilchristwhowashoveringhalf-heartedlyby

thedoor.

Georgebrokethesilenceaftertheyhaddeparted.

"Femme formidable!" he said. "That describes Aunt Maude exactly. I should hate ever to impede her
triumphalprogress."

MissGilchristsatdownagainratheruncomfortablyandmurmured:

"MrsAbernethieisalwayssokind."

Theremarkfellratherflat.

MichaelShanelaughedsuddenlyandsaid:"Youknow,I'menjoyingallthis!'TheVoyseyInheritance'to
thelife.Bytheway,RosamundandIwantthatmalachitetableinthedrawing-room."

"Oh,no,"criedSusan."Iwantthat."

"Herewegoagain,"saidGeorge,raisinghiseyestotheceiling.

"Well,weneedn'tgetangryaboutit,"saidSusan."ThereasonIwantitisformynewBeautyshop.Just
anoteofcolour-andIshallputagreatbouquetofwaxflowersonit.Itwouldlookwonderful.Ican
findwaxflowerseasilyenough,butagreenmalachitetableisn'tsocommon."

"But,darling,"saidRosamund,"that'sjustwhywewantit.Forthenewset.Asyousay,anoteofcolour
- and so absolutely period. And either wax flowers or stuffed humming birds. It will be absolutely
right."

"Iseewhatyoumean,Rosamund,"saidSusan."ButIdon'tthinkyou'vegotasgoodacaseasIhave.
Youcouldeasilyhaveapaintedmalachitetableforthestage-itwouldlookjustthesame.Butformy
salonI'vegottohavethegenuinething."

"Now,ladies,"saidGeorge."Whataboutasportingdecision?Whynottossforit?Orcutthecards?All
quiteinkeepingwiththeperiodofthetable."

Susansmiledpleasantly.

"RosamundandIwilltalkaboutittomorrow,"shesaid.

Sheseemed,asusual,quitesureofherself.Georgelookedwithsomeinterestfromherfacetothatof
Rosamund.Rosamund'sfacehadavague,ratherfar-awayexpression.

"Which one will you back, Aunt Helen?" he asked. "An even money chance, I'd say. Susan has
determination,butRosamundissowonderfullysingle-minded."

"Orperhapsnothummingbirds,"saidRosamund."OneofthosebigChinesevaseswouldmakealovely
lamp,withagoldshade."

MissGilchristhurriedintoplacatingspeech.

"This house is full of so many beautiful things," she said. "That green table would look wonderful in
your new establishment, I'm sure, Mrs Banks. I've never seen one like it. It must be worth a lot of
money."

"Itwillbedeductedfrommyshareoftheestate,ofcourse,"saidSusan.

"I'msosorry-Ididn'tmean-"MissGilchristwascoveredwithconfusion.

"Itmaybedeductedfromourshareoftheestate,"Michaelpointedout."Withthewaxflowersthrown
in."

"Theylooksorightonthattable,"MissGilchristmurmured."Reallyartistic.Sweetlypretty."

ButnobodywaspayinganyattentiontoMissGilchrist'swell-meanttrivialities.

Gregsaid,speakingagaininthathighnervousvoice:

"Susanwantsthattable."

Therewasamomentarystirofunease,asthough,byhiswords,Greghadsetadifferentmusicalkey.

Helensaidquickly:

"Andwhatdoyoureallywant,George?LeavingouttheSpodeservice."

Georgegrinnedandthetensionrelaxed.

"Rather a shame to bait old Timothy," he said. "But he really is quite unbelievable. He's had his own
wayineverythingsolongthathe'sbecomequitepathologicalaboutit."

"Youhavetohumouraninvalid,MrCrossfield,"saidMissGilchrist.

"Ruddyoldhypochondriac,that'swhatheis,"saidGeorge.

"Ofcourseheis,"Susanagreed."Idon'tbelievethere'sanythingwhateverthematterwithhim,doyou,
Rosamund?"

"What?"

"AnythingthematterwithUncleTimothy."

"No-no,Ishouldn'tthinkso."Rosamundwasvague.Sheapologised."I'msorry.Iwasthinkingabout
whatlightingwouldberightforthetable."

"Yousee?"saidGeorge."Awomanofoneidea.Yourwife'sadangerouswoman,Michael.Ihopeyou
realiseit."

"Irealiseit,"saidMichaelrathergrimly.

Georgewentonwitheveryappearanceofenjoyment.

"TheBattleoftheTable!Tobefoughttomorrow-politely-butwithgrimdetermination:Weoughtall
totakesides.IbackRosamundwholookssosweetandyieldingandisn't.Husbands,presumablyback
theirownwives.MissGilchrist?OnSusan'sside,obviously."

"Oh,really,MrCrossfield,Iwouldn'tventureto-"

"AuntHelen?"GeorgepaidnoattentiontoMissGilchrist'sflutterings."Youhavethecastingvote.Oh,
er-Iforgot.M.Pontarlier?"

"Pardon?"HerculePoirotlookedblank.

Georgeconsideredexplanations,butdecidedagainstit.Thepooroldboyhadn'tunderstoodawordof
whatwasgoingon.Hesaid:"Justafamilyjoke."

"Yes,yes,Icomprehend."Poirotsmiledamiably.

"Soyoursisthecastingvote,AuntHelen.Whosesideareyouon?"

Helensmiled.

"PerhapsIwantitmyself,George."

Shechangedthesubjectdeliberately,turningtoherforeignguest.

"I'mafraidthisisallverydullforyou,M.Pontarlier?"

"Not at all, Madame. I consider myself privileged to be admitted to your family life -" he bowed. "I
wouldliketosay-Icannotquiteexpressmymeaning-myregretthatthishousehadtopassoutofyour
handsintothehandsofstrangers.Itiswithoutdoubt-agreatsorrow."

"No,indeed,wedon'tregretatall,"Susanassuredhim.

"Youareveryamiable,Madame.Itwillbe,letmetellyou,perfectionhereformyelderlysufferersof
persecution.Whatahaven!Whatpeace!Ibegyoutorememberthat,whentheharshfeelingscometo

you as assuredly they must. I hear that there was also the question of a school coming here - not a
regular school, a convent - run by religieuses - by 'nuns,' I think you say? You would have preferred
that,perhaps?"

"Notatall,"saidGeorge.

"The Sacred Heart of Mary," continued Poirot. "Fortunately, owing to the kindness of an unknown
benefactorwewereabletomakeaslightlyhigheroffer."HeaddressedMissGilchristdirectly."Youdo
notlikenuns,Ithink?"

MissGilchristflushedandlookedembarrassed.

"Oh,really,MrPontarlier,youmustn't-Imean,it'snothingpersonal.ButIneverdoseethatit'srightto
shutyourselfupfromtheworldinthatway-notnecessary,Imean,andreallyalmostselfish,though
not teaching ones, of course, or the ones that go about amongst the poor - because I'm sure they're
thoroughlyunselfishwomenanddoalotofgood."

"Isimplycan'timaginewantingtobeanun,"saidSusan.

"It'sverybecoming,"saidRosamund."Youremember-whentheyrevivedTheMiraclelastyear.Sonia
Wellslookedabsolutelytooglamorousforwords."

"What beats me," said George, "is why it should be pleasing to the Almighty to dress oneself up in
medieval dress. For after all, that's all a nun's dress is. Thoroughly cumbersome, unhygienic and
impractical."

"Anditmakesthemlooksoalike,doesn'tit?"saidMissGilchrist."It'ssilly,youknow,butIgotquitea
turnwhenIwasatMrsAbernethie'sandanuncametothedoor,collecting.Igotitintomyheadshe
was the same as a nun who came to the door on the day of the inquest on poor Mrs Lansquenet at
LychettStMary.Ifelt,youknow,almostasthoughshehadbeenfollowingmeround!"

"Ithoughtnunsalwayscollectedincouples,"saidGeorge."Surelyadetectivestoryhingedonthatpoint
once?"

"There was only one this time," said Miss Gilchrist. "Perhaps they've got to economise," she added
vaguely."Andanywayitcouldn'thavebeenthesamenun,fortheotheronewascollectingforanorgan
for St - Barnabas, I think - and this one was for something quite different - some thing to do with

children."

"But they both had the same type of features?" Hercule Poirot asked. He sounded interested. Miss
Gilchristturnedtohim.

"Isupposethatmustbeit.Theupperlip-almostasthoughshehadamoustache.Ithinkyouknow,that
that is really what alarmed me - being in a rather nervous state at the time, and remembering those
storiesduringthewarofnunswhowerereallymenandintheFifthColumnandlandedbyparachute.
Ofcourseitwasveryfoolishofme.Iknewthatafterwards."

"Anunwouldbeagooddisguise,"saidSusanthoughtfully."Ithidesyourfeet."

"Thetruthis,"saidGeorge,"thatoneveryseldomlooksproperlyatanyone.That'swhyonegetssuch
wildly differing accounts of a person from different witnesses in court. You'd be surprised. A man is
oftendescribedastall-short;thin-stout;fair-dark;dressedinadark-light-suit;andsoon.There's
usuallyonereliableobserver,butonehastomakeupone'smindwhothatis."

"Another queer thing," said Susan, "is that you sometimes catch sight of yourself in a mirror
unexpectedlyanddon'tknowwhoitis.Itjustlooksvaguelyfamiliar.Andyousaytoyourself,'Thats
somebodyIknowquitewell',andthensuddenlyrealiseit'syourself!"

Georgesaid:"Itwouldbemoredifficultstillifyoucouldreallyseeyourself-andnotamirrorimage."

"Why?"askedRosamund,lookingpuzzled.

"Because,don'tyousee,nobodyeverseesthemselves-astheyappeartootherpeople.Theyalwayssee
themselvesinaglass-thatis-asareversedimage."

"Butdoesthatlookanydifferent?"

"Oh, yes," said Susan quickly. "It must. Because people's faces aren t the same both sides. Their
eyebrowsaredifferent,andtheirmouthsgouponeside,andtheirnosesaren'treallystraight.Youcan
seewithapencil-who'sgotapencil?"

Somebody produced a pencil, and they experimented, holding a pencil each side of the nose and
laughingtoseetheridiculousvariationinangle.

Theatmospherenowhadlightenedagooddeal.Everybodywasinagoodhumour.Theywerenolonger
theheirsofRichardAbernethiegatheredtogetherforadivisionofproperty.Theywereacheerfuland
normalsetofpeoplegatheredtogetherforaweekendinthecountry.

OnlyHelenAbernethieremainedsilentandabstracted.

Withasigh,HerculePoirotrosetohisfeetandbadehishostessapolitegoodnight.

"And perhaps, Madame, I had better say good-bye. My train departs itself at nine o'clock tomorrow
morning.Thatisveryearly.SoIwillthankyounowforallyourkindnessandhospitality.Thedateof
possession-thatwillbearrangedwiththegoodMrEntwhistle.Tosuityourconvenience,ofcourse."

"Itcanbeanytimeyouplease,M.Pontarlier.I-IhavefinishedallthatIcameheretodo."

"YouwillreturnnowtoyourvillaatCyprus?"

"Yes."AlittlesmilecurvedHelenAbernethie'slips.

Poirotsaid:

"Youareglad,yes.Youhavenoregrets?"

"AtleavingEngland?Orleavinghere,doyoumean?"

"Imeant-leavinghere?"

"No-no.It'snogood,isit,toclingontothepast?Onemustleavethatbehindone."

"If one can." Blinking his eyes innocently Poirot smiled apologetically round on the group of polite
facesthatsurroundedhim.

"Sometimes, is it not, the Past will not be left, will not suffer itself to pass into oblivion? It stands at
one'selbow-itsays'Iamnotdonewithyet.'"

Susangavearatherdoubtfullaugh.Poirotsaid:

"ButIamserious-yes."

"Youmean,"saidMichael,"thatyourrefugeeswhentheycomeherewillnotbeabletoputtheirpast
sufferingscompletelybehindthem?"

"IdidnotmeanmyRefugees."

"Hemeantus,darling,"saidRosamund."HemeansUncleRichardandAuntCoraandthehatchet,and
allthat."

SheturnedtoPoirot.

"Didn'tyou?"

Poirotlookedatherwithablankface.Thenhesaid:

"Whydoyouthinkthat,Madame?"

"Becauseyou'readetective,aren'tyou?That'swhyyou'rehere.NARCO,orwhateveryoucallit,isjust
nonsense,isn'tit?"

Chapter20

There was a moment of extraordinary tenseness. Poirot felt it, though he himself did not remove his
eyesfromRosamund'slovelyplacidface.

Hesaidwithalittlebow,"Youhavegreatperspicacity,Madame."

"Notreally,"saidRosamund."Youwerepointedouttomeonceinarestaurant.Iremembered."

"Butyouhavenotmentionedit-untilnow?"

"Ithoughtitwouldbemorefunnotto,"saidRosamund

Michaelsaidinanimperfectlycontrolledvoice:

"My-deargirl."

Poirotshiftedhisgazethentolookathim.

Michaelwasangry.Angryandsomethingelse-apprehensive?

Poirot'seyeswentslowlyroundallthefaces.Susan's,angryandwatchful;Gregory'sdeadandshutin;
MissGilchrist's,foolish,hermouthwideopen;George,wary;Helen,dismayedandnervous...

Allthoseexpressionswerenormalonesunderthecircumstances.Hewishedhecouldhaveseentheir
facesasplitsecondearlier,whenthewords"adetective"fellfromRosamund'slips.Fornow,inevitably,
itcouldnotbequitethesame...

Hesquaredhisshouldersandbowedtothem.Hislanguageandhisaccentbecamelessforeign.

"Yes,"hesaid."Iamadetective."

GeorgeCrossfieldsaid,thewhitedintsshowingoncemoreeachsideofhisnose,"Whosentyouhere?"

"IwascommissionedtoinquireintothecircumstancesofRichardAbernethie'sdeath."

"Bywhom?"

"Forthemoment,thatdoesnotconcernyou.Butitwouldbeanadvantage,woulditnot,ifyoucouldbe
assuredbeyondanypossibledoubtthatRichardAbernethiediedanaturaldeath?"

"Ofcoursehediedanaturaldeath.Whosaysanythingelse?"

"CoraLansquenetsaidso.AndCoraLansquenetisdeadherself."

Alittlewaveofuneasinessseemedtosighthroughtheroomlikeanevilbreeze.

"Shesaidithere-inthisroom,"saidSusan."ButIdidn'treallythink-"

"Didn'tyou,Susan?"GeorgeCrossfieldturnedhissardonicglanceuponher."Whypretendanymore?
Youwon'ttakeM.Pontarlierin?"

"Weallthoughtsoreally,"saidRosamund.

"Andhisnameisn'tPontarlierit'sHerculessomething."

"HerculePoirot-atyourservice."

Poirotbowed.

There were no gasps of astonishment or of apprehension. His name seemed to mean nothing at all to
them.

Theywerelessalarmedbyitthantheyhadbeenbythesingleword"detective."

"MayIaskwhatconclusionsyouhavecometo?"askedGeorge.

"Hewon'ttellyou,darling,"saidRosamund."Orifhedoestellyou,whathesayswon'tbetrue."

Aloneofthecompanysheappearedtobeamused.

HerculePoirotlookedatherthoughtfully.

II

HerculePoirotdidnotsleepwellthatnight.Hewasperturbed,andhewasnotquitesurewhyhewas
perturbed.Elusivesnatchesofconversation,variousglances,oddmovements-allseemedfraughtwith
a tantalising significance in the loneliness of the night. He was on the threshold of sleep, but sleep
would not come. Just as he was about to drop off, something flashed into his mind and woke him up
again. Paint - Timothy and paint. Oil paint - the smell of oil paint - connected somehow with Mr
Entwhistle. Paint and Cora. Cora's paintings - picture postcards... Cora was deceitful about her
painting...No,backtoMrEntwhistle-somethingMrEntwhistlehadsaid-orwasitLanscombe?Anun
who came to the house on the day that Richard Abernethie died. A nun with a moustache. A nun at
StansfieldGrange-andatLytchettStMary.Altogethertoomanynuns!Rosamundlookingglamorous
asanunonthestage.Rosamund-sayingthathewasadetective-andeveryonestaringatherwhenshe
said it. That was the way that they must all have stared at Cora that day when she said "But he was
murdered, wasn't he?" What was it Helen Abernethie had felt to be "wrong" on that occasion? Helen
Abernethie-leavingthepastbehind-goingtoCyprus...Helendroppingthewaxflowerswithacrash
whenhehadsaid-whatwasithehadsaid?Hecouldn'tquiteremember...

Hesleptthen,andasheslepthedreamed...

Hedreamedofthegreenmalachitetable.Onitwastheglass-coveredstandofwaxflowers-onlythe
whole thing had been painted over with thick crimson oil paint. Paint the colour of blood. He could
smell the paint, and Timothy was groaning, was saying "I'm dying - dying... this is the end." And
Maude,standingby,tallandstern,withalargeknifeinherhandwasechoinghim,saying"Yes,it'sthe
end..." The end - a deathbed, with candles and a nun praying. If he could just see the nun's face, he

wouldknow...

HerculePoirotwokeup-andhedidknow!

Yes,itwastheend...

Thoughtherewasstillalongwaytogo.

Hesortedoutthevariousbitsofthemosaic.

MrEntwhistle,thesmellofpaint,Timothy'shouseandsomethingthatmustbeinit-ormightbeinit...
thewaxflowers...Helen...Brokenglass...

III

HelenAbernethie,inherroom,tooksometimeingoingtobed.Shewasthinking.

Sittinginfrontofherdressing-table,shestaredatherselfunseeinglyintheglass.

ShehadbeenforcedintohavingHerculePoirotinthehouse.Shehadnotwantedit.ButMrEntwhistle
hadmadeithardforhertorefuse.Andnowthewholethinghadcomeoutintotheopen.Noquestion
anymoreoflettingRichardAbernethieliequietinhisgrave.AllstartedbythosefewwordsofCora's...

That day after the funeral... How had they all looked, she wondered? How had they looked to Cora?
Howhadsheherselflooked?

WhatwasitGeorgehadsaid?Aboutseeingoneself?

Therewassomequotation,too.Toseeourselvesasothersseeus...Asothersseeus.

Theeyesthatwerestaringintotheglassunseeinglysuddenlyfocused.Shewasseeingherself-butnot
reallyherself-notherselfasotherssawher-notasCorahadseenherthatday.

Herright-no,herlefteyebrowwasarchedalittlehigherthantheright.Themouth?No,thecurveof
the mouth was symmetrical. If she met herself she would surely not see much difference from this
mirrorimage.NotlikeCora.

Cora-thepicturecamequiteclearly...Cora,onthedayofthefuneral,herheadtiltedsideways-asking
herquestion-lookingatHelen...

SuddenlyHelenraisedherhandstoherface.Shesaidtoherself."Itdoesn'tmakesense...itcan'tmake
sense...."

IV

Miss Entwhistle was aroused from a delightful dream in which she was playing Piquet with Queen
Mary,bytheringingofthetelephone.

Shetriedtoignoreit-butitpersisted.Sleepilysheraisedherheadfromthepillowandlookedatthe
watchbesideherbed.Fiveminutestoseven-whoonearthcouldberingingupatthathour?Itmustbe
awrongnumber.

Theirritatingding-dingcontinued.MissEntwhistlesighed,snatchedupadressing-gownandmarched
intothesitting-room.

"ThisisKensington675498,"shesaidwithasperityasshepickedupthereceiver.

"ThisisMrsAbernethiespeaking.MrsLeoAbernethie.CanIspeaktoMrEntwhistle?"

"Oh,goodmorning,MrsAbernethie."The"goodmorning"wasnotcordial."ThisisMissEntwhistle.
MybrotherisstillasleepI'mafraid.Iwasasleepmyself."

"I'm so sorry," Helen was forced to the apology. "But it's very important that I should speak to your
brotheratonce."

"Wouldn'titdolater?"

"I'mafraidnot."

"Oh,verywellthen."

MissEntwhistlewastart.

Shetappedatherbrother'sdoorandwentin.

"ThoseAbernethiesagain!"shesaidbitterly.

"Eh!TheAbernethies?"

"MrsLeoAbernethie.Ringingupbeforeseveninthemorning!Really!"

"MrsLeo,isit?Dearme.Howremarkable.Whereismydressing-gown?Ah,thankyou."

Presentlyhewassaying:

"Entwhistlespeaking.Isthatyou,Helen?"

"Yes.I'mterriblysorrytogetyououtofbedlikethis.Butyoudidtellmeoncetoringyouupatonceif
I remembered what it was that struck me as having been wrong somehow on the day of the funeral
whenCoraelectrifiedusallbysuggestingthatRichardhadbeenmurdered."

"Ah!Youhaveremembered?"

Helensaidinapuzzledvoice:

"Yes,butitdoesn'tmakesense."

"Youmustallowmetobethejudgeofthat.Wasitsomethingyounoticedaboutoneofthepeople?"

"Yes."

"Tellme."

"Itseemsabsurd."Helen'svoicesoundedapologetic."ButI'mquitesureofit.ItcametomewhenIwas
lookingatmyselfintheglasslastnight.Oh..."

Thelittlestartledhalfcrywassucceededbyasoundthatcameoddlythroughthewires-adullheavy
soundthatMrEntwhistlecouldn'tplaceatall.

Hesaidurgently:

"Hallo-hallo-areyouthere?Helen,areyouthere?...Helen..."

Chapter21

It was not until nearly an hour later that Mr Entwhistle, after a great deal of conversation with
supervisorsandothers,foundhimselfatlastspeakingtoHerculePoirot.

"Thankheaven!"saidMrEntwhistlewithpardonableexasperation."TheExchangeseemstohavehad
thegreatestdifficultyingettingthenumber."

"Thatisnotsurprising.Thereceiverwasoffthehook."

TherewasagrimqualityinPoirot'svoicewhichcarriedthroughtothelistener.

MrEntwhistlesaidsharply:

"Hassomethinghappened?"

"Yes. Mrs Leo Abernethie was found by the housemaid about twenty minutes ago lying by the
telephoneinthestudy.Shewasunconscious.Aseriousconcussion."

"Doyoumeanshewasstruckonthehead?"

"I think so. It is just possible that she fell and struck her head on a marble doorstop, but me I do not
thinkso,andthedoctor,hedoesnotthinksoeither."

"Shewastelephoningtomeatthetime.Iwonderedwhenwewerecutoffsosuddenly.

"Soitwastoyoushewastelephoning?Whatdidshesay?"

"ShementionedtomesometimeagothatontheoccasionwhenCoraLansquenetsuggestedherbrother
hadbeenmurdered,sheherselfhadafeelingofsomethingbeingwrong-odd-shedidnotquiteknow
howtoputit-unfortunatelyshecouldnotrememberwhyshehadthatimpression."

"Andsuddenly,shedidremember?"

"Yes."

"Andrangyouuptotellyou?"

"Yes."

"Ehbien?"

"There'snoehbienaboutit,"saidMrEntwhistletestily."Shestartedtotellme,butwasinterrupted."

"Howmuchhadshesaid?"

"Nothingpertinent."

"Youwillexcuseme,monami,butIamthejudgeofthat,notyou.Whatexactlydidshesay?"

"SheremindedmethatIhadaskedhertoletmeknowatonceifsherememberedwhatitwasthathad
struckheraspeculiar.Shesaidshehadremembered-butthatit'didn'tmakesense.'

"Iaskedherifitwassomethingaboutoneofthepeoplewhoweretherethatday,andshesaid,yes,it
was.Shesaidithadcometoherwhenshewaslookingintheglass-"

"Yes?"

"Thatwasall."

"Shegavenohintasto-whichofthepeopleconcerneditwas?"

"Ishouldhardlyfailtoletyouknowifshehadtoldmethat,"saidMrEntwhistleacidly.

"Iapologise,monami.Ofcourseyouwouldhavetoldme."

MrEntwhistlesaid:

"Weshalljusthavetowaituntilsherecoversconsciousnessbeforeweknow."

Poirotsaidgravely:

"Thatmaynotbeforaverylongtime.Perhapsnever."

"Isitasbadasthat?"MrEntwhistle'svoiceshookalittle.

"Yes,itisasbadasthat."

"But-that'sterrible,Poirot."

"Yes, it is terrible. And it is why we cannot afford to wait. For it shows that we have to deal with
someonewhoiseithercompletelyruthlessorsofrightenedthatitcomestothesamething."

"Butlookhere,Poirot,whataboutHelen?Ifeelworried.AreyousureshewouldbesafeatEnderby?"

"No,shewouldnotbesafe.SosheisnotatEnderby.Alreadytheambulancehascomeandistakingher
to a nursing home where she will have special nurses and where no one, family or otherwise, will be
allowedtoseeher."

MrEntwhistlesighed.

"Yourelievemymind!Shemighthavebeenindanger."

"Sheassuredlywouldhavebeenindanger!"

MEntwhistle'svoicesoundeddeeplymoved.

"IhaveagreatregardforHelenAbernethie.Ialwayshavehad.Awomanofveryexceptionalcharacter.
Shemayhavehadcertain-whatshallIsay?-reticencesinherlife."

"Ah,therewerereticences?"

"Ihavealwayshadanideathatsuchwasthecase."

"HencethevillainCyprus.Yes,thatexplainsagooddeal..."

"Idon'twantyoutobeginthinking"

"Youcannotstopmethinking.Butnow,thereisalittlecommissionthatIhaveforyou.Onemoment."

Therewasapause,thenPoirot'svoicespokeagain.

"Ihadtomakesurethatnobodywaslistening.Alliswell.NowhereiswhatIwantyoutodoforme.
Youmustpreparetomakeajourney."

"A journey?" Mr Entwhistle sounded faintly dismayed "Oh, I see - you want me to come down to
Enderby?"

"Notatall.Iaminchargehere.No,youwillnothavetotravelsofar.Yourjourneywillnottakeyou
veryfarfromLondon.YouwilltraveltoBuryStEdmunds-(Mafoi!whatnamesyourEnglishtowns
have!) and there you will hire a car and drive to Forsdyke House. It is a Mental Home. Ask for Dr
Penrithandinquireofhimparticularsaboutapatientwhowasrecentlydischarged."

"Whatpatient?Anyway,surely-"

Poirotbrokein:

"ThenameofthepatientisGregoryBanks.Findoutforwhatformofinsanityhewasbeingtreated."

"DoyoumeanthatGregoryBanksisinsane?"

"Sh! Be careful what you say. And now - I have not yet breakfasted and you, too, I suspect have not
breakfasted?"

"Notyet.Iwastooanxious-"

"Quite so. Then, I pray you, eat your breakfast, repose yourself. There is a good train to Bury St
Edmundsattwelveo'clock.IfIhaveanymorenewsIwilltelephoneyoubeforeyoustart."

"Becarefulofyourself,Poirot,"saidMrEntwhistlewithsomeconcern.

"Ahthat,yes!Me,Idonotwanttobehitontheheadwithamarbledoorstop.YoumaybeassuredthatI
willtakeeveryprecaution.Andnow-forthemoment-good-bye."

Poirotheardthesoundofthereceiverbeingreplacedattheotherend,thenheheardaveryfaintsecond
click-andsmiledtohimself.Somebodyhadreplacedthereceiveronthetelephoneinthehall.

He went out there. There was no one about. He tiptoed to the cupboard at the back of the stairs and
lookedinside.AtthatmomentLanscombecamethroughtheservicedoorcarryingatraywithtoastand
asilvercoffeepot.HelookedslightlysurprisedtoseePoirotemergefromthecupboard.

"Breakfastisreadyinthedining-room,sir,"hesaid.

Poirotsurveyedhimthoughtfully.

Theoldbutlerlookedwhiteandshaken.

"Courage," said Poirot, clapping him on the shoulder. "All will yet be well. Would it be too much
troubletoservemeacupofcoffeeinmybedroom?"

"Certainly,sir.IwillsendJanetupwithit,sir."

LanscombelookeddisapprovinglyatHerculePoirot'sbackasthelatterclimbedthestairs.Poirotwas
attiredinanexoticsilkdressing-gownwithapatternoftrianglesandsquares.

"Foreigners!" thought Lanscombe bitterly. "Foreigners in the house! And Mrs Leo with concussion! I
don'tknowwhatwe'recomingto.Nothing'sthesamesinceMrRicharddied."

Hercule Poirot was dressed by the time he received his coffee from Janet. His murmurs of sympathy
werewellreceived,sincehestressedtheshockherdiscoverymusthavegivenher.

"Yes,indeed,sir,whatIfeltwhenIopenedthedoorofthestudyandcameinwiththeHooverandsaw
MrsLeolyingthereInevershallforget.Thereshelay-andImadesureshewasdead.Shemusthave
been taken faint as she stood at the phone - and fancy her being up at that time in the morning! I've
neverknownherdosuchathingbefore."

"Fancy,indeed!"Headdedcasually:"Nooneelsewasup,Isuppose?"

"Asithappens,sir,MrsTimothywasupandabout.She'saveryearlyriseralways-oftengoesfora
walkbeforebreakfast."

"Sheisofthegenerationthatrisesearly,"saidPoirotnoddinghishead."Theyoungerones,now-they
donotgetupsoearly?"

"No,indeed,sir,allfastasleepwhenIbroughtthemtheirtea-andverylateIwas,too,whatwiththe
shockandgettingthedoctortocomeandhavingtohaveacupfirsttosteadymyself."

ShewentoffandPoirotreflectedonwhatshehadsaid.

MaudeAbernethiehadbeenupandabout,andtheyoungergenerationhadbeeninbed-butthat,Poirot
reflected, meant nothing at all. Anyone could have heard Helen's door open and close, and have
followedherdowntolisten-andwouldafterwardshavemade,apointofbeingfastasleepinbed.

"ButifIamright,"thoughtPoirot."Andafterall,itisnaturaltometoberight-itisahabitIhave!-
thenthereisnoneedtogointowhowashereandwhowasthere.First,ImustseekaproofwhereIhave
deducedtheproofmaybe.Andthen-Imakemylittlespeech.AndIsitbackandseewhathappens...

AssoonasJanethadlefttheroom,Poirotdrainedhiscoffeecup,putonhisovercoatandhishat,lefthis
room, ran nimbly down the back stairs and left the house by the side door. He walked briskly the
quarter-miletothepostofficewherehedemandedatrunkcall.Presentlyhewasoncemorespeakingto
MrEntwhistle.

"Yes, it is I yet again! Pay no attention to the commission with which I entrusted you. C'était une
blague! Someone was listening. Now, mon viex, to the real commission. You must, as I said, take a
train.ButnottoBuryStEdmunds.IwantyoutoproceedtothehouseofMrTimothyAbernethie."

"ButTimothyandMaudeareatEnderby."

"Exactly.ThereisnooneinthehousebutawomanbythenameofJoneswhohasbeenpersuadedby
theofferofconsiderablelargessetoguardthehousewhilsttheyareabsent.WhatIwantyoutodoisto
takesomethingoutofthathouse!"

"MydearPoirot!Ireallycan'tstooptoburglary!"

"Itwillnotseemlikeburglary.YouwillsaytotheexcellentMrsJoneswhoknowsyou,thatyouhave
beenaskedbyMrorMrs,AbernethietofetchthisparticularobjectandtakeittoLondon.Shewillnot
suspectanythingamiss."

"No,no,probablynot.ButI'don'tlikeit."MrEntwhistlesoundedmostreluctant."Whycan'tyougoand
getwhateveritisyourself."

"Because,myfriend,Ishouldbeastrangerofforeignappearanceandassuchasuspiciouscharacter,
andMrsJoneswouldatonceraisethedifficulties!Withyou,shewillnot."

"No,no-Iseethat.ButwhatonearthareTimothyandMaudegoingtothinkwhentheyhearaboutit?I
haveknownthemforfortyoddyears."

"AndyouknewRichardAbernethieforthattimealso!AndyouknewCoraLansquenetwhenshewasa
littlegirl!"

InamartyredvoiceMrEntwhistleasked:

"You'resurethisisreallynecessary,Poirot?"

"Theoldquestiontheyaskedinthewartimeontheposters.Isyourjourneyreallynecessary?Isayto
you,itisnecessary.Itisvital!"

"AndwhatisthisobjectI'vegottogetholdof?"

Poirottoldhim.

"Butreally,Poirot,Idon'tsee-"

"Itisnotnecessaryforyoutosee.Iamdoingtheseeing."

"Andwhatdoyouwantmetodowiththedamnedthing?"

"YouwilltakeittoLondon,toanaddressinElmParkGardens.Ifyouhaveapencil,noteitdown."

Havingdoneso,MrEntwhistlesaid,stillinhismartyredvoice:

"Ihopeyouknowwhatyouaredoing,Poirot?"

Hesoundedverydoubtful-butPoirot'sreplywasnotdoubtfulatall.

"OfcourseIknowwhatIamdoing.Wearenearingtheend."

MrEntwhistlesighed:

"IfwecouldonlyguesswhatHelenwasgoingtotellme."

"Noneedtoguess.Iknow."

"Youknow?ButmydearPoirot-"

"Explanationsmustwait.Butletmeassureyouofthis.IknowwhatHelenAbernethiesawwhenshe
lookedinhermirror."

II

Breakfasthadbeenanuneasymeal.NeitherRosamundnorTimothyhadappeared,buttheotherswere
thereandhadtalkedinrathersubduedtonesandeatenalittlelessthantheynormallywouldhavedone.

Georgewasthefirstonetorecoverhisspirits.Histemperamentwasmercurialandoptimistic.

"IexpectAuntHelenwillbeallright,"hesaid."Doctorsalwaysliketopullalongface.Afterall,what's
concussion?Oftenclearsupcompletelyinacoupleofdays."

"A woman I knew had concussion during the war," said Miss Gilchrist conversationally. "A brick or
somethinghitherasshewaswalkingdownTottenhamCourtRoad-itwasduringflybombtime-and
she never felt anything at all. Just went on with what she was doing - and collapsed in a tram to
Liverpool twelve hours later. And would you believe it, she had no recollection at all of going to the
stationandcatchingthetrainoranything.Shejustcouldn'tunderstanditwhenshewokeupinhospital.
Shewastherefornearlythreeweeks."

"WhatIcan'tmakeout,"saidSusan,"iswhatHelenwasdoingtelephoningatthatunearthlyhour,and
whoshewastelephoningto?"

"Felt ill," said Maude with decision. "Probably woke up feeling queer and came down to ring up the
doctor.Thenhadagiddyfitandfell.That'stheonlythingthatmakessense."

"Badluckhittingherheadonthatdoorstop,"saidMichael."Ifshe'djustpitchedoverontothatthick
pilecarpetshe'dhavebeenallright."

ThedooropenedandRosamundcamein,frowning.

"Ican'tfindthosewaxflowers,shesaid."Imeantheonesthatwerestandingonthemalachitetablethe
dayofUncleRichard'sfuneral."ShelookedaccusinglyatSusan."Youhaven'ttakenthem?"

"OfcourseIhaven't!Really,Rosamund,you'renotstillthinkingaboutmalachitetableswithpoorold
Helencartedofftohospitalwithconcussion?"

"Idon'tseewhyIshouldn'tthinkaboutthem.Ifyou'vegotconcussionyoudon'tknowwhat'shappening
anditdoesn'tmattertoyou.Wecan'tdoanythingforAuntHelen,andMichaelandIhavegottoget
backtoLondonbytomorrowlunch-timebecausewe'reseeingJackieLygoaboutopeningdatesforThe
Baronet'sProgress.SoI'dliketofixupdefinitelyaboutthetable.ButI'dliketohavealookatthose
waxflowersagain.There'sakindofChinesevaseonthetablenow-nice-butnotnearlysoperiod.I
dowonderwheretheyare-perhapsLanscombeknows."

Lanscombehadjustlookedintoseeiftheyhadfinishedbreakfast.

"We'reallthrough,Lanscombe,"saidGeorgegettingup."What'shappenedtoourforeignfriend?"

"Heishavinghiscoffeeandtoastservedupstairs,sir."

"PetitdejeunerforNARCO."

"Lanscombe, do you know where those wax flowers are that used to be on that green table in the
drawing-room?"askedRosamund.

"I understand Mrs Leo had an accident with them, ma'am. She was going to have a new glass shade
made,butIdon'tthinkshehasseenaboutityet."

"Thenwhereisthething?"

"It would probably be in the cupboard behind the staircase, ma'am. That is where things are usually

placedwhenawaitingrepair.ShallIascertainforyou?"

"I'llgoandlookmyself.Comewithme,Michaelsweetie.It'sdarkthere,andI'mnotgoinginanydark
cornersbymyselfafterwhathappenedtoAuntHelen."

Everybodyshowedasharpreaction.Maudedemandedinherdeepvoice:

"Whatdoyoumean,Rosamund?"

"Well,shewascoshedbysomeone,wasn'tshe?"

GregoryBankssaidsharply:

"Shewastakensuddenlyfaintandfell."

Rosamundlaughed.

"Didshetellyouso?Don'tbesilly,Greg,ofcourseshewascoshed."

Georgesaidsharply:

"Youshouldn'tsaythingslikethat,Rosamund."

"Nonsense," said Rosamund. "She must have been. I mean, it all adds up. A detective in the house
lookingforclues,andUncleRichardpoisoned,andAuntCorakilledwithahatchet,andMissGilchrist
givenpoisonedweddingcake,andnowAuntHelenstruckdownwithabluntinstrument.You'llsee,it
willgoonlikethat.Oneafteranotherofuswillbekilledandtheonethat'sleftwillbeIt-themurderer,
Imean.Butit'snotgoingtobeme-who'skilled,Imean."

"Andwhyshouldanyonewanttokillyou,beautifulRosamund?"askedGeorgelightly.

Rosamundopenedhereyesverywide.

"Oh,"shesaid."BecauseIknowtoomuch,ofcourse."

"Whatdoyouknow?"MaudeAbernethieandGregoryBanksspokealmostinunison.

Rosamundgavehervacantandangelicsmile.

"Wouldn'tyouallliketoknow?"shesaidagreeably."Comeon,Michael."

Chapter22

At eleven o'clock, Hercule Poirot called an informal meeting in the library. Everyone was there and
Poirotlookedthoughtfullyroundthesemi-circleoffaces.

"Lastnight,"hesaid,"MrsShaneannouncedtoyouthatIwasaprivatedetective.Formyself,Ihoped
toretainmy-camouflage,shallwesay?-alittlelonger.Butnomatter!Today-oratmostthedayafter
-Iwouldhavetoldyouthetruth.PleaselistencarefullynowtowhatIhavetosay.

"Iaminmyownlineacelebratedperson-Imaysayamostcelebratedperson.Mygifts,infact,are
unequalled!"

GeorgeCrossfieldgrinnedandsaid:

"That'sthestuff,M.Pont-no,it'sM.Poirot,isn'tit?Funny,isn'tit,thatI'veneverevenheardofyou?"

"Itisnotfunny,"saidPoirotseverely."Itislamentable!Alas,thereisnopropereducationnowadays.
Apparentlyonelearnsnothingbuteconomics-andhowtosetIntelligenceTests!Buttocontinue.Ihave
beenafriendformanyyearsofMrEntwhistle's-"

"Sohe'stheniggerinthewoodpile-"

"Ifyouliketoputitthatway,MrCrossfield.MrEntwhistlewasgreatlyupsetbythedeathofhisold
friend,MrRichardAbernethie.Hewasparticularlyperturbedbysomewordsspokenonthedayofthe
funeralbyMrAbernethie'ssister,MrsLansquenet.Wordsspokeninthisveryroom."

"Verysilly-andjustlikeCora,"saidMaude."MrEntwhistleshouldhavehadmoresensethantopay
attentiontothem!"

Poirotwenton:

"MrEntwhistlewasevenmoreperturbedafterthe-thecoincidence,shallIsay?-ofMrsLansquenet's
death. He wanted one thing only - to be assured that that death was a coincidence. In other words he
wantedtofeelassuredthatRichardAbernethiehaddiedanaturaldeath.Tothatendhecommissioned
metomakethenecessaryinvestigations."

Therewasapause.

"Ihavemadethem..."

Againtherewasapause.Noonespoke.

Poirotthrewbackhishead.

"Eh bien, you will all be delighted to hear that as a result of my investigations there is absolutely no
reason to believe that Mr Abernethie died anything but a natural death. There is no reason at all to
believe that he was murdered!" He smiled. He threw out his hands in a triumphant gesture. "That is
goodnews,isitnot?"

Ithardlyseemedtobe,bythewaytheytookit.Theystaredathimandinallbuttheeyesofoneperson
therestillseemedtobedoubtandsuspicion.

TheexceptionwasTimothyAbernethie,whowasnoddinghisheadinviolentagreement.

"Of course Richard wasn't murdered," he said angrily. "Never could understand why anybody even
thoughtofsuchathingforamoment!JustCorauptohertricks,thatwasall.Wantingtogiveyoualla
scare. Her idea of being funny. Truth is that although she was my own sister, she was always a bit
mental,poorgirl.Well,Mrwhateveryournameis,I'mgladyou'vehadthesensetocometotheright
conclusion, though if you ask me, I call it damned cheek of Entwhistle to go commissioning you to
comepryingandpokingabout.Andifhethinkshe'sgoingtochargetheesttewithyourfee,Icantell
youhewon'tgetawaywithit!Damnedcheek,andmostuncalledfor!Who'sEntwhistletosethimself
up?Ifthefamily'ssatisfied-"

"Butthefamilywasn't,UncleTimothy,"saidRosamund.

"Hey-what'sthat?"

Timothypeeredatherunderbeetlingbrowsofdispleasure.

"Weweren'tsatisfied.AndwhataboutAuntHelenthismorning?"

Maudesaidsharply:

"Helen'sjusttheagewhenyou'reliabletogetastroke.That'sallthereistothat."

"Isee,"saidRosamund."Anothercoincidence,youthink?"

ShelookedatPoirot.

"Aren'tthererathertoomanycoincidences?"

"Coincidences,"sidHerculePoirot,"dohappen."

"Nonsense,"saidMaude."Helenfeltill,camedownandrangupthedoctor,andthen-"

"Butshedidn'tringupthedoctor,"saidRosamund."Iaskedhim-"

Susansaidsharply:

"Whodidsheringup?"

"I don't know," said Rosamund, a shade of vexation passing over her face. "But I dare say I can find
out,"sheaddedhopefully.

II

HerculePoirotwassittingintheVictoriansummer-house.Hedrewhislargewatchfromhispocketand
laiditonthetableinfrontofhim.

Hehadannouncedthathewasleavingbythetwelveo'clocktrain.Therewasstillhalfanhourtogo.
Halfanhourforsomeonetomakeuptheirmindsandcometohim.Perhapsmorethanoneperson...

Thesummer-housewasclearlyvisiblefrommostofthewindowsofthehouse.Surely,soon,someone
wouldcome?Ifnot,hisknowledgeofhumannaturewasdeficient,andhismainpremisesincorrect.

Hewaited-andabovehisheadaspiderinitswebwaitedforafly.

ItwasMissGilchristwhocamefirst.Shewasflusteredand,upsetandratherincoherent.

"Oh, Mr Pontarlier - I can't remember your other name," she said. "I had to come and speak to you
althoughIdon'tlikedoingit-butreallyIfeelIoughtto.Imean,afterwhathappenedtopoorMrsLeo
thismorning-andIthinkmyselfMrsShanewasquitsright-andnotcoincidence,andcertainlynota
stroke - as Mrs Timothy suggested, because my own father had a stroke and it was quite a different
appearance,andanywaythedoctorsaidconcussionquiteclearly!"

Shepaused,tookbreathandlookedatPoirotwithappealingeyes.

"Yes,"saidPoirotgentlyandencouragingly."Youwanttotellmesomething?

"AsIsay,Idon'tlikedoingit-becauseshe'sbeensokind.ShefoundmethepositionwithMrsTimothy
and everything. She's been really very kind. That's why I feel so ungrateful. And even gave me Mrs
Lansquenet's musquash jacket which is really most handsome and fits beautifully because it never
matters if fur is a little on the large side. And when I wanted to return her the amethyst brooch she
wouldn'thearofit"

"Youarereferring,"saidPoirotgently,"toMrsBanks?"

"Yes, you see..." Miss Gilchrist looked down, twisting her fingers unhappily. She looked up and said
withasuddengulp:

"Yousee.Ilistened!"

"Youmeanyouhappenedtooverhearaconversation-"

"No."MissGilchristshookherheadwithanairofheroicdetermination."I'dratherspeakthetruth.And
it'snotsobadtellingyoubecauseyou'renotEnglish."

HerculePoirotunderstoodherwithouttakingoffence.

"You mean that to a foreigner it is natural that people should listen at doors and open letters, or read
lettersthatareleftabout?"

"Oh,I'dneveropenanybodyelse'sletters,"saidMissGilchristinashockedtone."Notthat.ButIdid
listen that day - the day that Mr Richard Abernethie came down to see his sister. I was curious, you
know,abouthisturningupsuddenlyafterallthoseyears.AndIdidwonderwhy-and-youseewhen
you haven't much life of your own or very many friends, you do tend to get interested - when you're
livingwithanybody,Imean."

"Mostnatural,"saidPoirot.

"Yes,Idothinkitwasnatural...Thoughnot,ofcourse,atallright.ButIdidit!AndIheardwhathe
said!"

"YouheardwhatMrAbernethiesaidtoMrsLansquenet?"

"Yes. He said something like - 'It's no good talking to Timothy. He pooh-poohs everything. Simply
won'tlisten.ButIthoughtI'dliketogetitoffmychesttoyou,Cora.Wethreearetheonlyonesleft.
Andthoughyou'vealwayslikedtoplaythesimpletonyou'vegotalotofcommonsense.Sowhatwould
youdoaboutit,ifyouwereme?'

"Icouldn'tquitehearwhatMrsLansquenetsaid,butIcaughtthewordpolice-andthenMrAbernethie
burstoutquiteloud,andsaid,'Ican'tdothat.Notwhenit'saquestionofmyownniece.'AndthenIhad
toruninthekitchenforsomethingboilingoverandwhenIgotbackMrAbernethiewassaying,'Evenif
IdieanunnaturaldeathIdon'twantthepolicecalledin,ifitcanpossiblybeavoided.Youunderstand
that,don'yyou,mydeargirlButdon'tworry.NowthatIknow,Ishalltakeallpossibleprecautions.And
hewenton,sayinghe'dmadeanewwill,andthatshe,Cora,wouldbequiteallright.Andthenhesaid

aboutherhavingbeenhappywithherhusbandandhowperhapshe'dmadeamistakeoverthatinthe
past."

MissGilchriststopped.

Poirotsaid:"Isee-Isee..."

"ButIneverwantedtosay-totell.Ididn'tthinkMrsLansquenetwouldhavewantedmeto...Butnow-
afterMrsLeobeingattackedthismorning-andthenyousayingsocalmlyitwascoincidence.But,oh,
M.Pontarlier,itwasn'tcoincidence!"

Poirotsmiled.Hesaid:

"No, it wasn't coincidence... Thank you, Miss Gilchrist, for coming to me. It was very necessary that
youshould."

III

HehadalittledifficultyingettingridofMissGilchrist,anditwasurgentthatheshould,forhehoped
forfurtherconfidences.

Hisinstinctwasright.MissGilchristhadhardlygonebeforeGregoryBanks,stridingacrossthelawn,
cameimpetuouslyintothesummer-house.Hisfacewaspaleandtherewerebeadsofperspirationonhis
forehead.Hiseyeswerecuriouslyexcited.

"Atlast!"hesaid."Ithoughtthatstupidwomanwouldnevergo.You'reallwronginwhatyousaidthis
morning.You'rewrongabouteverything.RichardAbernethiewaskilled.Ikilledhim."

HerculePoirotlethiseyesmoveupanddownovertheexcitedyoungman.Heshowednosurprise.

"Soyoukilledhim,didyou?How?"

GregoryBankssmiled.

"It wasn't difficult for ms. You can surely realise that. There were fifteen or twenty different drugs I
couldlaymyhandsonthatwoulddoit.Themethodofadministrationtookrathermorethinkingout,
butIhitonaveryingeniousideaintheend.ThebeautyofitwasthatIdidn'tneedtobeanywherenear
atthetime."

"Clever,"saidPoirot.

"Yes." Gregory Banks cast his eyes down modestly. He seemed pleased. "Yes - I do think it was
ingenious."

Poirotaskedwithinterest:

"Whydidyoukillhim?Forthemoneythatwouldcometoyourwife?"

"No. No, of course not." Greg was suddenly excitedly indignant. "I'm not a money grubber. I didn't
marrySusanforhermoney!"

"Didn'tyou,MrBanks?"

"That's what he thought," Greg said with sudden venom. "Richard Abernethie! He liked Susan, he
admired her, he was proud of her as an example of Abernethie blood! But he thought she'd married
beneathher-hethoughtIwasnogood-hedespisedme!IdaresayIhadn'ttherightaccent-Ididn't
wearmyclothestherightway.Hewasasnob-afilthysnob!"

"Idon'tthinkso,"saidPoirotmildly."FromallIhaveheard,RichardAbernethiewasnosnob."

"Hewas.Hewas."Theyoungmanspokewithsomethingapproachinghysteria."Hethoughtnothingof
me.Hesneeredatme-alwaysverypolitebutunderneathIcouldseethathedidn'tlikeme!"

"Possibly."

"People can't treat me like that and get away with it! They've tried it before! A woman who used to
comeandhavehermedicinesmadeup.Shewasrudetome.DoyouknowwhatIdid?"

"Yes,"saidPoirot.

Gregorylookedstartled."Soyouknowthat?""Yes."

"She nearly died." He spoke in a satisfied manner. "That shows you I'm not the sort of person to be
trifledwith!RichardAbernethiedespisedme-andwhathappenedtohim?Hedied."

"Amostsuccessfulmurder,"saidPoirotwithgravecongratulation.

Headded:"Butwhycomeandgiveyourselfaway-tome?"

"Becauseyousaidyouwerethroughwithitall!Yousaidhehadn'tbeenmurdered.Ihadtoshowyou
thatyou'renotascleverasyouthinkyouare-andbesides-besides-"

"Yes,"saidPoirot."Andbesides?"

Gregcollapsedsuddenlyontothebench.Hisfacechanged.Ittookonasuddenecstaticquality.

"Itwaswrong-wicked...Imustbepunished...Imustgobackthere-totheplaceifpunishment...to
atone...Yes,toatone!Repentance!Retribution!"

His face was alight now with a kind of glowing ecstasy. Poirot studied him for a moment or two
curiously.

Thenheasked:

"Howbadlydoyouwanttogetawayfromyourwife?"

Gregory'sfacechanged.

"Susan?Susaniswonderful-wonderful!"

"Yes.Susaniswonderful.Thatisagraveburden.Susanlovesyoudevotedly.Thatisaburden,too?"

Gregorysatlookinginfrontofhim.Thenhesaid,ratherinthemannerofasulkychild:

"Whycouldn'tsheletmealone?"

Hesprangup.

"She'scomingnow-acrossthelawn.I'llgonow.Butyou'lltellherwhatItoldyou?TellherI'vegone
tothepolicestation.Toconfess."

IV

Susancameinbreathlessly.

"Where'sGreg?Hewashere!Isawhim."

"Yes." Poirot paused a moment - before saying: "He came to tell me that it was he who poisoned
RichardAbernethie..."

"Whatabsolutenonsense!Youdidn'tbelievehim,Ihope?"

"WhyshouldInotbelievehim?"

"Hewasn'tevennearthisplacewhenUncleRicharddied!"

"Perhapsnot.WherewashewhenCoraLansquenetdied?"

"InLondon.Webothwere."

HerculePoirotshookhishead.

"No,no,thatwillnotdo.You,forinstance,tookoutyourcarthatdayandwereawayalltheafternoon.I
thinkIknowwhereyouwent.YouwenttoLytchettStMary."

"Ididnosuchthing!"

Poirotsmiled.

"WhenImetyouhere,Madame,itwasnot,asItoldyou,thefirsttimeIhadseenyou.Aftertheinquest
onMrsLansquenetyouwereinthegarageoftheKing'sArms.Youtalktheretoamechanicandclose
byyouisacarcontaininganelderlyforeigngentleman.Youdidnotnoticehim,buthenoticedyou."

"Idon'tseewhatyoumean.Thatwasthedayoftheinquest."

"Ah,butrememberwhatthatmechanicsaidtoyou!Heaskedyouifyouwerearelativeofthevictim,
andyousaidyouwereherniece."

"Hewasjustbeingaghoul.They'reallghouls."

"And his next words were, 'Ah, wondered where I'd seen you before.' Where did he see you before,
Madame?ItmusthavebeeninLytchettStMary,sinceinhismindhisseeingyoubeforewasaccounted
for by your being Mrs Lansquenet's niece. Had he seen you near her cottage? And when? It was a
matter, was it not, that demands inquiry. And the result of the inquiry is, that you were there - in
Lytchett St Mary - on the afternoon Cora Lansquenet died. You parked your car in the same quarry
whereyouleftitthemorningoftheinquest.Thecarwasseenandthenumberwasnoted.Bythistime
InspectorMortonknowswhosecaritwas."

Susanstaredathim.Herbreathcameratherfast,butsheshowednosignsofdiscomposure.

"You'retalkingnonsense,M.Poirot.Andyou'remakingmeforgetwhatIcameheretosay-Iwantedto
tryandfindyoualone-"

"Toconfesstomethatitwasyouandnotyourhusbandwhocommittedthemurder?"

"No,ofcoursenot.WhatkindofafooldoyouthinkIam?AndI'vealreadytoldyouthatGregorynever
leftLondonthatday."

"A fact which you cannot possibly know since you were away yourself. Why did you go down to
LytchettStMary,MrsBanks?"

Susandrewadeepbreath.

"Allright,ifyoumusthaveit!WhatCorasaidatthefuneralworriedme.Ikeptonthinkingaboutit.
FinallyIdecidedtorundowninthecarandseeher,andaskherwhathadputtheideaintoherhead.
Gregthoughtitasillyidea,soIdidn'teventellhimwhereIwasgoing.Igotthereaboutthreeo'clock,
knockedandrang,buttherewasnoanswer,soIthoughtshemustbeoutorgoneaway.That'sallthere
istoit.Ididn'tgoroundtothebackofthecottage.IfIhad,Imighthaveseenthebrokenwindow.Ijust
wentbacktoLondonwithoutthefaintestideatherewasanythingwrong."

Poirot'sfacewasnon-committal.Hesaid:

"Whydoesyourhusbandaccusehimselfofthecrime?"

"Becausehe's-"awordtrembledonSusan'stongueandwasrejected.Poirotseizedonit.

"Youweregoingtosay'becauseheisbatty'speakinginjest-butthejestwastoonearthetruth,wasit
not?"

"Greg'sallright.Heis.Heis."

"I know something of his history," said Poirot. "He was for some months in Forsdyke House Mental
Homebeforeyoumethim."

"Hewasnevercertified.Hewasavoluntarypatient."

"Thatistrue.Heisnot,Iagree,tobeclassedasinsane.Butheis,verydefinitely,unbalanced.Hehasa
punishmentcomplexhashadit,Isuspect,sinceinfancy."

Susanspokequicklyandeagerly:

"Youdon'tunderstand,M.Poirot.Greghasneverhadachance.That'swhyIwantedUncleRichard's
moneysobadly.UncleRichardwassomatter-of-fact.Hecouldn'tunderstand.IknewGreghadgotto
set up for himself. He had got to feel he was someone - not just a chemist's assistant, being pushed
around. Everything will be different now. He will have his own laboratory. He can work out his own
formulas."

"Yes, yes - you will give him the earth - because you love him. Love him too much for safety or for
happiness.Butyoucannotgivetopeoplewhattheyareincapableofreceiving.Attheendofitall,he
willstillbesomethingthathedoesnotwanttobe..."

"What'sthat?"

"Susan'shusband."

"Howcruelyouare!Andwhatnonsenseyoutalk!"

"Where Gregory Banks is concerned you are unscrupulous. You wanted your uncle's money - not for
yourself-butforyourhusband.Howbadlydidyouwantit?"

Angrily,Susanturnedanddashedaway.

V

"Ithought,"saidMichaelShanelightly,"thatI'djustcomealongandsaygood-bye."

Hesmiled,andhissmilehadasingularlyintoxicatingquality.

Poirotwasawareoftheman'svitalcharm.

HestudiedMichaelShaneforsomemomentsinsilence.Hefeltasthoughheknewthismanleastwell
ofallthehouseparty,forMichaelShaneonlyshowedthesidehewantedtoshow.

"Yourwife,"saidPoirotconversationally,"isaveryunusualwoman."

Michaelraisedhiseyebrows.

"Doyouthinkso?She'salovely,Iagree.Butnot,orsoI'vefound,conspicuousforbrains."

"Shewillnevertrytobetooclever,"Poirotagreed."Butsheknowswhatshewants."Hesighed."So
fewpeopledo."

"Ah!"Michael'ssmilebrokeoutagain."Thinkingofthemalachitetable?"

"Perhaps."Poirotpausedandadded:"Andofwhatwasonit."

"Thewaxflowers,youmean?"

"Thewaxflowers."

Michaelfrowned.

"Idon'talwaysquiteunderstandyou,M.Poirot."However,thesmilewasswitchedonagain,"I'mmore
thankfulthanIcansaythatwe'realloutofthewood.It'sunpleasanttosaytheleastofit,togoaround
withthesuspicionthatsomehoworotheroneofusmurderedpooroldUncleRichard."

"Thatishowheseemedtoyouwhenyoumethim?"Poirotinquired."PooroldUncleRichard?"

"Ofcoursehewasverywellpreservedandallthat-"

"Andinfullpossessionofhisfaculties-"

"Ohyes."

"And,infact,quiteshrewd?"

"Idaresay."

"Ashrewdjudgeofcharacter."

Thesmileremainedunaltered.

"Youcan'texpectmetoagreewiththat,M.Poirot.Hedidn'tapproveofme."

"Hethoughtyou,perhaps,theunfaithfultype?"Poirotsuggested.

Michaellaughed.

"Whatanold-fashionedidea!"

"Butitistrue,isn'tit?"

"NowIwonderwhatyoumeanbythat?"

Poirotplacedthetipsofhisfingerstogether.

"Therehavebeeninquiriesmade,youknow,"hemurmured.

"Byyou?"

"Notonlybyme."

Michael Shane gave him a quick searching glance. His reactions, Poirot noted, were quick. Michael
Shanewasnofool.

"Youmean-thepoliceareinterested?"

"Theyhaveneverbeenquitesatisfied,youknow,toregardthemurderofCoraLansquenetasacasual
crime."

"Andthey'vebeenmakinginquiriesaboutme?"

Poirotsaidprimly:

"TheyareinterestedinthemovementsofMrsLansquenet'srelationsonthedaythatshewaskilled."

"That'sextremelyawkward."Michaelspokewithacharmingconfidentialruefulair.

"Isit,MrShane?"

"More so than you can imagine! I told Rosamund, you see, that I was lunching with a certain Oscar
Lewisonthatday."

"When,inactualfact,youwerenot?"

"No.ActuallyImotoreddowntoseeawomancalledSorrelDainton-quiteawell-knownactress.Iwas
withherinherlastshow.Ratherawkward,youseeforthoughit'squitesatisfactoryasfarasthepolice
areconcerned,itwon'tgodownverywellwithRosamund."

"Ah!"Poirotlookeddiscreet."Therehasbeenalittletroubleoverthisfriendshipofyours?"

"Yes...Infact-RosamundmademepromiseIwouldn'tseeheranymore."

"Yes,Icanseethatmaybeawkward...Entrenous,youhadanaffairwiththelady?"

"Oh,justoneofthosethings!It'snotasthoughIcaredforthewomanatall."

"Butshecaresforyou?"

"Well,she'sbeenrathertiresome...Womendoclingso.However,asyousay,thepoliceatanyratewill
besatisfied."

"Youthinkso?"

"Well, I could hardly be taking a hatchet to Cora if I was dallying with Sorrel miles and miles away.
She'sgotacottageinKent."

"Isee-Isee-andthisMissDainton,shewilltestifyforyou?"

"Shewon'tlikeit-butasit'smurder,Isupposeshe'llhavetodoit."

"Shewilldoit,perhaps,evenifyouwerenotdallyingwithher."

"Whatdoyoumean?"Michaellookedsuddenlyblackasthunder.

"Theladyisfondofyou.Whentheyarefond,womenwillsweartowhatistrue-andalsotowhatis
untrue."

"Doyoumeantosaythatyoudon'tbelieveme?"

"ItdoesnotmatterifIbelieveyouornot.ItisnotIyouhavetosatisfy."

"Whothen?"

Poirotsmiled.

"InspectorMorton-whohasjustcomeoutontheterracethroughthesidedoor."

MichaelShanewheeledroundsharply.

Chapter23

"Iheardyouwerehere,M.Poirot,"saidInspectorMorton.

Thetwomenwerepacingtheterracetogether.

"I came over with Superintendent Parwell from Matchfield. Dr Larraby rang him up about Mrs Leo
Abernethieandhe'scomeoverheretomakeafewinquiries.Thedoctorwasn'tsatisfied."

"Andyou,myfriend,"inquiredPoirot,"wheredoyoucomein?Youarealongwayfromyournative
Berkshire."

"I wanted to ask a few questions - and the people I wanted to ask them of seemed very conveniently
assembledhere."Hepausedbeforeadding,"Yourdoing?"

"Yes,mydoing."

"AndasaresultMrsLeoAbernethiegetsknockedout."

"You must not blame me for that. If she had come to me... But she did not. Instead she rang up her
lawyerinLondon."

"Andwasinprocessofspillingthebeanstohimwhen-Wonk!"

"When-asyousay-Wonk!"

"Andwhathadshemanagedtotellhim?"

"Verylittle.Shehadonlygotasfarastellinghimthatshewaslookingatherselfintheglass."

"Ah! well," said Inspector Morton philosophically. "Women will do it." He looked sharply at Poirot.
"Thatsuggestssomethingtoyou?"

"Yes,IthinkIknowwhatitwasshewasgoingtotellhim."

"Wonderfulguesser,aren'tyou?Youalwayswere.Well,whatwasit?"

"Excuseme,areyouinquiringintothedeathofRichardAbernethie?"

"Officially,no.Actually,ofcourse,ifithasabearingonthemurderofMrsLansquenet-"

"Ithasabearingonthat,yes.ButIwillaskyou,myfriend,togivemeafewmorehours.Ishallknow
bythenifwhatIhaveimagined-imaginedonly,youcomprehend-iscorrect.Ifitis-"

"Well,ifitis?"

"ThenImaybeabletoplaceinyourhandsapieceofconcreteevidence."

"Wecouldcertainlydowithit,"saidInspectorMortonwithfeeling.HelookedaskanceatPoirot."What
haveyoubeenholdingback?"

"Nothing.Absolutelynothing.SincethepieceofevidenceIhaveimaginedmaynotinfactexist.Ihave
only deduced its existence from various scraps of conversation. I may," said Poirot in a completely
unconvincedtone,"bewrong."

Mortonsmiled.

"Butthatdoesn'toftenhappentoyou?"

"No.ThoughIwilladmit-yes,Iamforcedtoadmit-thatithashappenedtome."

"ImustsayI'mgladtohearit!Tobealwaysrightmustbesometimesmonotonous."

"Idonotfinditso,"Poirotassuredhim.

InspectorMortonlaughed.

"Andyou'reaskingmetoholdoffwithmyquestioning?"

"No,no,notatall.Proceedasyouhadplannedtodo.Isupposeyouwerenotactuallycontemplatingan
arrest?"

Mortonshookhishead.

"Much too flimsy for that. We'd have to get a decision from the Public Prosecutor first - and we're a
longwayfromthat.No,juststatementsfromcertainpartiesoftheirmovementsonthedayinquestion-
inonecasewithacaution,perhaps."

"Isee.MrsBanks?"

"Smart,aren'tyou?Yes.Shewastherethatday.Hercarwasparkedinthatquarry."

"Shewasnotseenactuallydrivingthecar?"

"No."

TheInspectoradded,"It'sbad,youknow,thatshe'sneversaidawordaboutbeingdowntherethatday.
She'sgottoexplainthatsatisfactorily."

"Sheisquiteskillfulatexplanations,"saidPoirotdryly."Yes.Cleveryounglady.Perhapsathoughttoo
clever."

"Itisneverwisetobetooclever.Thatishowmurderersgetcaught.Hasanythingmorecomeupabout
GeorgeCrossfield?"

"Nothing definite. He's a very ordinary type. There are a lot of young men like him going about the
countryintrainsandbusesoronbicycles.Peoplefindithardtorememberwhenaweekorsohasgone
byifitwasWednesdayorThursdaywhentheywereatacertainplaceornoticedacertainperson."

Hepausedandwenton:"We'vehadonepieceofrathercuriousinformation-fromtheMotherSuperior
ofsomeconventorother.Twoofhernunshadbeenoutcollectingfromdoortodoor.Itseemsthatthey
wenttoMrsLansquenet'scottageonthedaybeforeshewasmurdered,butcouldn'tmakeanyonehear
whentheyknockedandrang.That'snaturalenough-shewasupNorthattheAbernethiefuneraland
GilchristhadbeengiventhedayoffandhadgoneonanexcursiontoBournemouth.Thepointisthat
theysaytherewassomeoneinthecottage.Theysaytheyheardsighsandgroans.I'vequeriedwhetherit
wasn'tadaylaterbuttheMotherSuperiorisquitedefinitethatthatcouldn'tbeso.It'sallenteredupin
some book. Was there someone searching for something in the cottage that day, who seized the
opportunity of both the women being away? And did that somebody not find what he or she was
lookingforandcomebackthenextday?Idon'tsetmuchstoreonthesighsandstilllessonthegroans.
Even nuns are suggestible and a cottage where murder has occurred positively asks for groans. The
pointis,wastheresomeoneinthecottagewhoshouldn'thavebeenthere?Andifso,whowasit?Allthe
Abernethiecrowdwereatthefuneral."

Poirotaskedaseeminglyirrelevantquestion:

"Thesenunswhowerecollectinginthatdistrict,didtheyreturnatallatalaterdatetotryagain?"

"As a matter of fact they did come again - about a week later. Actually on the day of the inquest, I
believe."

"Thatfits,"saidHerculePoirot."Thatfitsverywell."

InspectorMortonlookedathim."Whythisinterestinnuns?"

"TheyhavebeenforcedonmyattentionwhetherIwillorno.Itwillnothaveescapedyourattention,
Inspector,thatthevisitofthenunswasthesamedaythatpoisonedweddingcakefounditswayintothat
cottage."

"Youdon'tthink-Surelythat'saridiculousidea?"

"Myideasareneverridiculous,"saidHerculePoirotseverely."Andnow,moncher,Imustleaveyouto
yourquestionsandtotheinquiriesintotheattackonMrsAbernethie.Imyselfmustgoinsearchofthe
lateRichardAbernethie'sniece."

"NowbecarefulwhatyougosayingtoMrsBanks."

"IdonotmeanMrsBanks.ImeanRichardAbernethie'sotherniece."

II

PoirotfoundRosamundsittingonabenchoverlookingalittlestreamthatcascadeddowninawaterfall
andthenflowedthroughrhododendronthickets.Shewasstaringintothewater.

"I do not, I trust, disturb an Ophelia," said Poirot as he took his seat beside her. "You are, perhaps,
studyingtherôle?"

"I've never played in Shakespeare," said Rosamund. "Except once in Rep. I was Jessica in The
Merchant.Alousypart."

"Yet not without pathos. 'I am never merry when I hear sweet music.' What a load she carried, poor
Jessica,thedaughterofthehatedanddespisedJew.Whatdoubtsofherselfshemusthavehadwhenshe
broughtwithherherfather'sducatswhensheranawaytoherlover.Jessicawithgoldwasonething-
Jessicawithoutgoldmighthavebeenanother."

Rosamundturnedherheadtolookathim.

"I thought you'd gone," she said with a touch of reproach. She glanced down at her wrist-watch. "It's
pasttwelveo'clock."

"Ihavemissedmytrain,"saidPoirot.

"Why?"

"YouthinkImisseditforareason?"

"Isupposeso.You'reratherprecise,aren'tyou?Ifyouwantedtocatchatrain,Ishouldthinkyou'dcatch
it."

"Your judgment is admirable. Do you know, Madame, I have been sitting in the little summer-house
hopingthatyouwould,perhaps,paymeavisitthere?"

Rosamundstaredathim.

"WhyshouldI?Youmoreorlesssaidgood-byetousallinthelibrary."

"Quiteso.Andtherewasnothing-youwantedtosaytome?"

"No."Rosamundshookherhead."IhadalotIwantedtothinkabout.Importantthings."

"Isee."

"I don't often do much thinking," said Rosamund. "It seems a waste of time. But this is important. I
thinkoneoughttoplanone'slifejustasonewantsittobe."

"Andthatiswhatyouaredoing?"

"Well,yes...Iwastryingtomakeadecisionaboutsomething."

"Aboutyourhusband?"

"Inaway."

Poirotwaitedamoment,thenhesaid:

"InspectorMortonhasjustarrivedhere."HeanticipatedRosamund'squestionbygoingon:"Heisthe
police officer in charge of the inquiries about Mrs Lansquenet's death. He has come here to get
statementsfromyouallaboutwhatyouweredoingonthedayshewasmurdered."

"Isee.Alibis,"saidRosamundcheerfully.

Herbeautifulfacerelaxedintoanimpishglee.

"That will be hell for Michael," she said. "He thinks I don't really know he went off to be with that
womanthatday."

"Howdidyouknow?"

"It was obvious from the way he said he was going to lunch with Oscar. So frightfully casually, you
know,andhisnosetwitchingjustatinybitlikeitalwaysdoeswhenhetellslies."

"HowdevoutlythankfulIamIamnotmarriedtoyou,Madame!"

"Andthen,ofcourse,ImadesurebyringingupOscar,"continuedRosamund."Menalwaystellsuch
sillylies."

"Heisnot,Ifear,averyfaithfulhusband?"Poirothazarded.

Rosamund,however,didnotrejectthestatement.

"Butyoudonotmind?"

"Well, it's rather fun in a way," said Rosamund. "I mean, having a husband that all the other women
want to snatch away from you. I should hate to be married to a man that nobody wanted - like poor
Susan.ReallyGregissocompletelywet!"

Poirotwasstudyingher.

"Andsupposesomeonedidsucceed-insnatchingyourhusbandawayfromyou?"

"Theywon't,"saidRosamund."Notnow,"sheadded.

"Youmean-"

"Not now that there's Uncle Richard's money. Michael falls for these creatures in a way - that Sorrel
Daintonwomannearlygotherhooksintohim-wantedhimforkeeps-butwithMichaeltheshowwill
alwayscomefirst.Hecanlaunchoutnowinabigway-puthisownshowson.Dosomeproductionas
wellasacting.He'sambitious,youknow,andhereallyisgood.Notlikeme,Iadoreacting-butI'm
ham,thoughIlooknice.No,I'mnotworriedaboutMichaelanymore.Becauseit'smymoney,yousee."

Her eyes met Poirot's calmly. He thought how strange it was that both Richard Abernethie's nieces
should have fallen deeply in love with men who were incapable of returning that love. And yet
RosamundwasunusuallybeautifulandSusanwasattractiveandfullofsexappeal.Susanneededand
clungtotheillusionthatGregorylovedher.Rosamund,clear-sighted,hadnoillusionsatall,butknew
whatshewanted.

"Thepointis,"saidRosamund,"thatI'vegottomakeabigdecision-aboutthefuture.Michaeldoesn't
knowyet."

Herfacecurvedintoasmile."HefoundoutthatIwasn'tshoppingthatdayandhe'smadlysuspicious

aboutRegent'sPark."

"WhatisthisaboutRegent'sPark?"Poirotlookedpuzzled.

"Iwentthere,yousee,afterHarleyStreet.Justtowalkaboutandthink.NaturallyMichaelthinksthatif
Iwentthereatall,Iwenttomeetsomeman!"

Rosamundsmiledbeatificallyandadded:

"Hedidn'tlikethatatall!"

"ButwhyshouldyounotgotoRegent'sPark?"askedPoirot.

"Justtowalkthere,youmean?"

"Yes.Haveyouneverdoneitbefore?"

"Never.WhyshouldI?WhatistheretogotoRegent'sParkfor?"

Poirotlookedatherandsaid:

"Foryou-nothing."

Headded:

"Ithink,Madame,thatyoumustcedethegreenmalachitetabletoyourcousinSusan."

Rosamund'seyesopenedverywide.

"WhyshouldI?Iwantit."

"Iknow.Iknow.Butyou-youwillkeepyourhusband.AndthepoorSusan,shewilllosehers."

"Losehim?DoyoumeanGreg'sgoingoffwithsomeone?Iwouldn'thavebelieveditofhim.Helooks
sowet."

"Infidelityisnottheonlywayoflosingahusband,Madame."

"Youdon'tmean?"Rosamundstaredathim."You'renotthinkingthatGregpoisonedUncleRichardand
killedAuntCoraandconkedAuntHelenonthehead?That'sridiculous.EvenIknowbetterthanthat."

"Whodid,then?"

"George,ofcourse.Georgeisawrongun,youknow,he'smixedupinsomesortofcurrencyswindle-I
heardaboutitfromsomefriendsofminewhowereinMonte.IexpectUncleRichardgottoknowabout
itandwasjustgoingtocuthimoutofhiswill."

Rosamundaddedcomplacently:

"I'vealwaysknownitwasGeorge."

Chapter24

Thetelegramcameaboutsixo'clockthatevening.

As specially requested it was delivered by hand, not telephoned, and Hercule Poirot, who had been
hovering for some time in the neighbourhood of the front door, was at hand to receive it from
Lanscombeasthelattertookitfromthetelegraphboy.

Hetoreitopenwithsomewhatlessthanhisusualprecision.Itconsistedofthreewordsandasignature.

Poirotgaveventtoanenormoussighofrelief.

Thenhetookapoundnotefromhispocketandhandedittothedumbfoundedboy.

"Therearemoments,"hesaidtoLanscombe,"wheneconomyshouldbeabandoned."

"Verypossibly,sir,"saidLanscombepolitely.

"WhereisInspectorMorton?"askedPoirot.

"Oneofthepolicegentlemen,"Lanscombespokewithdistaste-andindicatedsubtlythatsuchthingsas
namesforpoliceofficerswereimpossibletoremember-"hasleft.Theotheris,Ibelieve,inthestudy."

"Splendid,"saidPoirot."Ijoinhimimmediately."

HeoncemoreclappedLanscombeontheshoulderandsaid:

"Courage,weareonthepointofarriving!"

Lanscombelookedslightlybewilderedsincedepartures,andnotarrivals,hadbeeninhismind.

Hesaid:

"Youdonot,then,proposetoleavebythenine-thirtytrainafterall,sir?"

"Donotlosehope,"Poirottoldhim.

Poirotmovedaway,thenwheelinground,heasked:

"Iwonder,canyourememberwhatwerethefirstwordsMrsLansquenetsaidtoyouwhenshearrived
hereonthedayofyourmaster'sfuneral?"

"I remember very well, sir," said Lanscombe, his face lighting up. "Miss Cora - I beg pardon, Mrs
Lansquenet-IalwaysthinkofherasMissCora,somehow-"

"Verynaturally."

"She said to me: 'Hallo, Lanscombe. It's a long time since you used to bring us out meringues to the
huts.'Allthechildrenusedtohaveahutoftheirown-downbythefenceinthePark.Insummer,when
therewasgoingtobeadinnerparty,Iusedtotaketheyoungladiesandgentlemen-theyoungerones,
youunderstand,sir-somemeringues.MissCora,sir,wasalwaysveryfondofherfood."

Poirotnodded.

"Yes,"hesaid,"thatwasasIthought.Yes,itwasverytypical,that."

HewentintothestudytofindInspectorMortonandwithoutawordhandedhimthetelegram.

Mortonreaditblankly.

"Idontunderstandawordofthis."

"Thetimehascometotellyouall."

InspectorMortongrinned.

"You sound like a young lady in a Victorian melodrama. But it's about time you came across with
something. I can't hold out on this set-up much longer. That Banks fellow is still insisting that he
poisoned Richard Abernethie and boasting that we can't find out how. What beats me is why there's
alwayssomebodywhocomesforwardwhenthere'samurderandyellsoutthattheydidit!Whatdothey
thinkthereisinitforthem?I'veneverbeenabletofathomthat."

"In this case, probably shelter from the difficulties of being responsible for oneself - in other words -
ForsdykeSanatorium."

"MorelikelytobeBroadmoor."

"Thatmightbeequallysatisfactory."

"Didhedoit,Poirot?TheGilchristwomancameoutwiththestoryshe'dalreadytoldyouanditwould
fit with what Richard Abernethie said about his niece. If her husband did it, it would involve her.
Somehow, you know, I can't visualise that girl committing a lot of crimes. But there's nothing she

wouldn'tdototryandcoverhim."

"Iwilltellyouall-"

"Yes,yes,tellmeall!AndfortheLord'ssakehurryupanddoit!"

II

Thistimeitwasinthebigdrawing-roomthatHerculePoirotassembledhisaudience.

There was amusement rather than tension in the faces that were turned towards him. Menace had
materialised in the shape of Inspector Morton and Superintendent Parwell. With the police in charge,
questioning,askingforstatements,HerculePoirot,privatedetective,ladrecededintosomethingclosely
resemblingajoke.

Timothywasnotfarfromvoicingthegeneralfeelingwhenheremarkedinanaudiblesottovocetohis
wife:

"Damnedlittlemountebank!Entwhistlemustbegaga!-that'sallIcansay."

ItlookedasthoughHerculePoirotwouldhavetoworkhardtomakehispropereffect.

Hebeganinaslightlypompousmanner.

"For the second time, I announce my departure! This morning I announced it for the twelve o'clock
train. This evening I announce it for the nine-thirty - immediately, that is, after dinner. I go because
thereisnothingmorehereformetodo."

"Couldhavetoldhimthatallalong."Timothy'scommentarywasstillinevidence."Neverwasanything
forhimtodo.Thecheekofthesefellows!"

"Icamehereoriginallytosolveariddle.Theriddleissolved.Letme,first,gooverthevariouspoints
whichwerebroughttomyattentionbytheexcellentMrEntwhistle.

"First, Mr Richard Abernethie dies suddenly. Secondly, after his funeral, his sister Cora Lansquenet
says,'Hewasmurdered,wasn'the?'ThirdlyMrsLansquenetiskilled.Thequestionis,arethosethree
things part of a sequence? Let us observe what happens next! Miss Gilchrist, the dead woman's
companion,istakenillaftereatingapieceofweddingcakewhichcontainsarsenic.That,then,isthe
nextstepinthesequence.

"Now,asItoldyouthismorning,inthecourseofmyinquiriesIhavecomeacrossnothing-nothingat
all,tosubstantiatethebeliefthatMrAbernethiewaspoisoned.Equally,Imaysay,Ihavefoundnothing
to prove conclusively that he was not poisoned. But as we proceed, things become easier. Cora
Lansquenetundoubtedlyaskedthatsensationalquestionatthefuneral.Everyoneagreesuponthat.And
undoubtedly, on the following day, Mrs Lansquenet was murdered - a hatchet being the instrument
employed.Nowletusexaminethefourthhappening.Thelocalpostvandriverisstronglyofthebelief-
thoughhewillnotdefinitelysweartoit-thathedidnotdeliverthatparcelofweddingcakeintheusual
way. And if that is so, then the parcel was left by hand and though we cannot exclude a 'person
unknown' - we must take particular notice of those people who were actually on the spot and in a
position to put the parcel where it was subsequently found. Those were: Miss Gilchrist herself, of
course;SusanBankswhocamedownthatdayfortheinquest;MrEntwhistle(butyes,wemustconsider
Mr Entwhistle; he was present, remember, when Cora made her disquieting remark!) And there were
twootherpeople.AnoldgentlemanwhorepresentedhimselftobeaMrGuthrie,anartcritic,andanun
ornunswhocalledearlythatmorningtocollectasubscription.

"NowIdecidedthatIwouldstartontheassumptionthatthepostalvandriver'srecollectionwascorrect.
Thereforethelittlegroupofpeopleundersuspicionmustbeverycarefullystudied.MissGilchristdid
not benefit in any way by Richard Abernethie's death and in only a very minute degree by Mrs
Lansquenet's - in actual fact the death of the latter put her out of employment and left her with the
possibility of finding it difficult to get new employment. Also Miss Gilchrist was taken to hospital
definitelysufferingfromarsenicalpoisoning.

"Susan Banks did benefit from Richard Abernethie's death, and in a small degree from Mrs
Lansquenet's-thoughherehermotivemustalmostcertainlyhavebeensecurity.Shemighthavevery
goodreasontobelievethatMissGilchristhadoverheardaconversationbetweenCoraLansquenetand
herbrotherwhichreferredtoher,andshemightthereforedecidethatMissGilchristmustbeeliminated.
Sheherself,remember,refusedtopartakeoftheweddingcakeandalsosuggestednotcallinginadoctor
untilthemorning,whenMissGilchristwastakenillinthenight.

"Mr Entwhistle did not benefit by either of the deaths - but he had had considerable control over Mr
Abernethie'saffairs,andthetrustfunds,andtheremightwellbesomereasonwhyRichardAbernethie
shouldnotlivetoolong.But-youwillsay-ifitisMrEntwhistlewhowasconcerned,whyshouldhe
cometome?

"AndtothatIwillanswer-itisnotthefirsttimethatamurdererhasbeentoosureofhimself.

"WenowcometowhatImaycallthetwooutsiders.MrGuthrieandanun.IfMrGuthrieisreallyMr
Guthrie, the art critic, then that clears him. The same applies to the nun, if she is really a nun. The
questionis,arethesepeoplethemselves,oraretheysomebodyelse?

"AndImaysaythatthereseemstobeacurious-motif-onemightcallit-ofanunrunningthrough
thisbusiness.AnuncomestothedoorofMrTimothyAbernethie'shouseandMissGilchristbelievesit
is the same nun she has seen at Lychett St Mary. Also a nun, or nuns, called here the day before Mr
Abernethiedied..."

GeorgeCrossfieldmurmured,"Threetoone,thenun."

Poirotwenton:

"So he we have certain pieces of our pattern - the death of Mr Abernethie, the murder of Cora
Lansquenet,thepoisonedweddingcake,the'motif'ofthe'nun.'

"Iwilladdsomeotherfeaturesofthecasethatengagedmyattention:

"The visit of an art critic, a smell of oil paint, a picture postcard of Polflexan harbour, and finally a
bouquetofwaxflowersstandingonthatmalachitetablewhereaChinesevasestandsnow.

"Itwasreflectingonthesethingsthatledmetothetruth-andIamnowabouttotellyouthetruth.

"ThefirstpartofitItoldyouthismorning.RichardAbernethiediedsuddenly-buttherewouldhave
beennoreasonatalltosuspectfoulplayhaditnotbeenforthewordsutteredbyhissisterCoraathis
funeral. The whole case for the murder of Richard Abernethie rests upon those words. As a result of
them,youallbelievedthatmurderhadtakenplace,andyoubelievedit,notreallybecauseofthewords
themselvesbutbecauseofthecharacterofCoraLansquenetherself.ForCoraLansquenethadalways
beenfamousforspeakingthetruthatawkwardmoments.SothecaseforRichard'smurderrestednot
onlyuponwhatCorahadsaidbutuponCoraherself.

"AndnowIcometothequestionthatIsuddenlyaskedmyself:

"HowwelldidyouallknowCoraLansquenet?"

Hewassilentforamoment,andSusanaskedsharply,"Whatdoyoumean?"

Poirotwenton:

"Not well at all - that is the answer! The younger generation had never seen her at all, or if so, only
when they were very young children. There were actually only three people present that day who
actually knew Cora. Lanscombe, the butler, who is old and very blind; Mrs Timothy Abernethie who
hadonlyseenherafewtimesroundaboutthedateofherownwedding,andMrsLeoAbernethiewho
hadknownherquitewell,butwhohadnotseenherforovertwentyyears.

"SoIsaidtomyself:'SupposingitwasnotCoraLansquenetwhocametothefuneralthatday?'"

"DoyoumeanthatAuntCora-wasn'tAuntCora?"Susandemandedincredulously."Doyoumeanthat
itwasn'tAuntCorawhowasmurdered,butsomeoneelse?"

"No,no,itwasCoraLansquenetwhowasmurdered.ButitwasnotCoraLansquenetwhocametheday
beforetoherbrother'sfuneral.Thewomanwhocamethatdaycameforonepurposeonly-toexploit,
onemaysay,thefactthatRicharddiedsuddenly.Andtocreateinthemindsofhisrelationsthebelief
thathehadbeenmurdered.Whichshemanagedtodomostsuccessfully!"

"Nonsense!Why?Whatwasthepointofit?"Maudespokebluffly.

"Why?Todrawattentionawayfromtheothermurder.FromthemurderofCoraLansquenetherself.For
ifCorasaysthatRichardhasbeenmurderedandthenextdaysheherselfiskilled,thetwodeathsare
boundtobeatleastconsideredaspossiblecauseandeffect.ButifCoraismurderedandhercottageis
broken into, and if the apparent robbery does not convince the police, then they will look - where?
Closeathome,willtheynot?Suspicionwilltendtofallonthewomanwhosharesthehousewithher."

MissGilchristprotestedinatonethatwasalmostbright:

"Ohcome-really-MrPontarlier-youdon'tsuggestI'dcommitamurderforanamethystbroochanda
fewworthlesssketches?"

"No," said Poirot. "For a little more than that. There was one of those sketches, Miss Gilchrist, that
representedPolflexanharbourandwhich,asMrsBankswascleverenoughtorealise,hadbeencopied
fromapicturepostcardwhichshowedtheoldpierstillinposition.ButMrsLansquenetpaintedalways
fromlife.IrememberedthenthatMrEntwhistlehadmentionedtherebeingasmellofoilpaintinthe

cottagewhenhefirstgotthere.Youcanpaint,can'tyou,MissGilchrist?Yourfatherwasanartistand
youknowagooddealaboutpictures.SupposingthatoneofthepicturesthatCorapickedupcheaplyat
asalewasavaluablepicture.Supposingthatsheherselfdidnotrecogniseitforwhatitwas,butthat
youdid.Youknewshewasexpecting,veryshortly,avisitfromanoldfriendofherswhowasawell-
knownartcritic.Thenherbrotherdiessuddenly-andaplanleapsintoyourhead.Easytoadministera
sedative to her in her early cup of tea that will keep her unconscious for the whole of the day of the
funeralwhilstyouyourselfareplayingherpartatEnderby.YouknowEnderbywellfromlisteningto
hertalkaboutit.Shehastalked,aspeopledowhentheygetoninlife,agreatdealaboutherchildhood
days.EasyforyoutostartoffbyaremarktooldLanscombeaboutmeringuesandhutswhichwillmake
him quite sure of your identity in case he was inclined to doubt. Yes, you used your knowledge of
Enderbywellthatday,withallusionstothisandthat,andrecallingmemories.Noneofthemsuspected
youwerenotCora.Youwerewearingherclothes,slightlypadded,andsincesheworeafalsefrontof
hair,itwaseasyforyoutoassumethat.NobodyhadseenCorafortwentyyears-andintwentyyears
people change so much that one often hears the remark: 'I would never have known her!' But
mannerisms are remembered, and Cora had certain very definite mannerisms, all of which you had
practisedcarefullybeforetheglass.

"Anditwasthere,strangelyenough,thatyoumadeyourfirstmistake.Youforgotthatamirrorimageis
reversed. When you saw in the glass the perfect reproduction of Cora's bird-like sidewise tilt of the
head,youdidn'trealisethatitwasactuallythewrongwayround.Yousaw,letussay,Coraincliningher
headtotheright-butyouforgotthatactuallyyourownheadwasinclinedtothelefttoproducethat
effectintheglass.

"That was what puzzled and worried Helen Abernethie at the moment when you made your famous
insinuation.Somethingseemedtoher'wrong.'IrealisedmyselftheothernightwhenRosamundShane
made an unexpected remark what happens on such an occasion. Everybody inevitably looks at the
speaker. Therefore, when Mrs Leo felt something was 'wrong,' it must be that something was wrong
withCoraLansquenet.Theotherevening,aftertalkaboutmirrorimagesand'seeingoneself'IthinkMrs
Leoexperimentedbeforealooking-glass.Herownfaceisnotparticularlyasymmetrical.Sheprobably
thoughtofCora,rememberedhowCorausedtoinclineherheadtotheright,didso,andlookedinthe
glasswhen,ofcourse,theimageseemedtoher'wrong'andsherealised,inaflash,justwhathadbeen
wrongonthedayofthefuneral.Shepuzzleditout-eitherCorahadtakentoincliningherheadinthe
oppositedirection-mostunlikely-orelseCorahadnotbenCora.Neitherwayseemedtohertomake
sense. But she determined to tell Mr Entwhistle of her discovery at once. Someone who was used to
gettingupearlywasalreadyabout,andfollowedherdown,andfearfulofwhatrevelationsshemightbe
abouttomakestruckherdownwithaheavydoorstop."

Poirotpausedandadded:

"Imayaswelltellyounow,MissGilchrist,thatMrsAbernethie'sconcussionisnotserious.Shewill
soonbeabletotellusherownstory."

"Ineverdidanythingofthesort,"saidMissGilchrist."Thewholethingisawickedlie."

"It was you that day," said Michael Shane suddenly. He had been studying Miss Gilchrist's face. "I
oughttohaveseenitsooner-IfeltinavaguekindofwayIhadseenyoubeforesomewhere-butof
courseoneneverlooksmuchat-"hestopped.

"No,onedoesn'tbothertolookatamerecompanion-help,"saidMissGilchrist.Hervoiceshookalittle.
"Adrudge,adomesticdrudge!Almostaservant!Butgoon,M.Poirot.Goonwiththisfantasticpiece
ofnonsense!"

"Thesuggestionofmurderthrownoutatthefuneralwasonlythefirststep,ofcourse,"saidPoirot."You
hadmoreinreserve.Atanymomentyouwerepreparedtoadmittohavinglistenedtoaconversation
betweenRichardandhissister.Whatheactuallytoldher,nodoubt,wasthefactthathehadnotlongto
live, and that explains a cryptic phrase in the letter he wrote her after getting home. The 'nun' was
another of your suggestions. The nun - or rather nuns - who called at the cottage on the day of the
inquest suggested to you a mention of a nun who was 'following you round,' and you used that when
you were anxious to hear what Mrs Timothy was saying to her sister-in-law at Enderby. And also
becauseyouwishedtoaccompanyherthereandfindoutforyourselfjusthowsuspicionsweregoing.
Actuallytopoisonyourself,badlybutnotfatally,witharsenic,isaveryolddevice-andImaysaythat
itservedtoawakenInspectorMorton'ssuspicionsofyou."

"Butthepicture?"saidRosamund."Whatkindofapicturewasit?"

Poirotslowlyunfoldedatelegram.

"ThismorningIrangupMrEntwhistle,aresponsibleperson,togotoStansfieldGrangeand,actingon
authorityfromMrAbernethiehimself-"(herePoirotgaveahardstareatTimothy)"tolookamongstthe
pictures in Miss Gilchrist's room and select the one of Polflexan Harbour on pretext of having it
reframedasasurpriseforMissGilchrist.HewastotakeitbacktoLondonandcalluponMrGuthrie
whomIhadwarnedbytelegram.ThehastilypaintedsketchofPolflexanHarbourwasremovedandthe
originalpictureexposed."

Heheldupthetelegramandread:

"DefinitelyaVermeer.Guthrie."

Suddenly,withelectrifyingeffect,MissGilchristburstintospeech.

"IknewitwasaVermeer.Iknewit!Shedidn'tknow!TalkingaboutRembrandtsandItalianPrimitives
andunabletorecogniseaVermeerwhenitwasunderhernose!AlwayspratingaboutArt-andreally
knowingnothingaboutit!Shewasathoroughlystupidwoman.Alwaysmaunderingonaboutthisplace
-aboutEnderby,andwhattheydidthereaschildren,andaboutRichardandTimothyandLauraandall
therestofthem.Rollinginmoneyalways!Alwaysthebestofeverythingthosechildrenhad.Youdon't
knowhowboringitislisteningtosomebodygoingonaboutthesamethings,hourafterhourandday
after day. And saying, 'Oh yes, Mrs Lansquenet' and 'Really, Mrs Lansquenet?' Pretending to be
interested.Andreallybored-bored-bored...Andnothingtolookforwardto...Andthen-aVermeer!I
sawinthepapersthataVermeersoldtheotherdayforoverfivethousandpounds!"

"Youkilledher-inthatbrutalway-forfivethousandpounds?"Susan'svoicewasincredulous.

"Fivethousandpounds,"saidPoirot,"wouldhaverentedandequippedatea-shop..."

MissGilchristturnedtohim.

"At least," she said. "You do understand. It was the only chance I'd ever get. I had to have a capital
sum." Her voice vibrated with the force and obsession of her dream. "I was going to call it the Palm
Tree.Andhavelittlecamelsasmenuholders.Onecanoccasionallygetquitenicechina-exportrejects
- not that awful white utility stuff. I meant to start it in some nice neighbourhood where nice people
wouldcomein.IhadthoughtofRye...OrperhapsChichester...I'msureIcouldhavemadeasuccessof
it."Shepausedaminute,thenaddedmusingly,"Oaktables-andlittlebasketchairswithstripedredand
whitecushions"

Forafewmoments,thetea-shopthatwouldneverbe,seemedmorerealthantheVictoriansolidityof
thedrawing-roomatEnderby...

ItwasInspectorMortonwhobrokethespell.

MissGilchristturnedtohimquitepolitely.

"Oh,certainly,"shesaid."Atonce.Idon'twanttogiveanytrouble,I'msure.Afterall,ifIcan'thavethe
PalmTree,nothingreallyseemstomatterverymuch..."

ShewentoutoftheroomwithhimandSusansaid,hervoicestillshaken:

"I'veneverimaginedalady-likemurderer.It'shorrible..."

Chapter25

"ButIdon'tunderstandaboutthewaxflowers,"saidRosamund.

ShefixedPoirotwithlargereproachfulblueeyes.

TheywereatHelen'sflatinLondon.HelenherselfwasrestingonthesofaandRosamundandPoirot
werehavingteawithher.

"Idon'tseethatwaxflowershadanythingtodowithit,"saidRosamund."Orthemalachitetable."

"Themalachitetable,no.ButthewaxflowerswereMissGilchrist'ssecondmistake.Shesaidhownice
theylookedonthemalachitetable.Andyousee,Madame,shecouldnothaveseenthemthere.Because
theyhadbeenbrokenandputawaybeforeshearrivedwiththeTimothyAbernethies.Soshecouldonly
haveseenthemwhenshewasthereasCoraLansquenet."

"Thatwasstupidofher,wasn'tit?"saidRosamund.

Poirotshookaforefingerather.

"It shows you, Madame, the dangers of conversation. It is a profound belief of mine that if you can
induceapersontotalktoyouforlongenough,onanysubjectwhatever,soonerorlatertheywillgive
themselvesaway.MissGilchristdid."

"Ishallhavetobecareful,"saidRosamundthoughtfully.Thenshebrightenedup.

"Didyouknow?I'mgoingtohaveababy."

"Aha!SothatisthemeaningofHarleyStreetandRegent'sPark?"

"Yes.Iwassoupset,youknow,andsosurprised-thatIjusthadtogosomewhereandthink."

"Yousaid,Iremember,thatthatdoesnotveryoftenhappen."

"Well,it'smucheasiernotto.ButthistimeIhadtodecideaboutthefuture.AndI'vedecidedtoleave
thestageandjustbeamother."

"Arôlethatwillsuityouadmirably.AlreadyIforeseedelightfulpicturesintheSketchandtheTatler."

Rosamundsmiledhappily.

"Yes,it'swonderful.Doyouknow,Michaelisdelighted.Ididn'treallythinkhewouldbe."

Shepausedandadded:

"Susan'sgotthemalachitetable.Ithought,asIwashavingababy-"

Sheleftthesentenceunfinished.

"Susan'scosmeticbusinesspromiseswell,"saidHelen."Ithinksheisallsetforabigsuccess."

"Yes,shewasborntosucceed,"saidPoirot."Sheislikeheruncle."

"YoumeanRichard,Isuppose,"saidRosamund."NotTimothy?"

"AssuredlynotlikeTimothy,"saidPoirot.

Theylaughed.

"Greg'sawaysomewhere,"saidRosamund."HavingarestcureSusansays?"

ShelookedinquiringlyatPoirotwhosaidnothing.

"Ican'tthinkwhyhekeptonsayinghe'dkilledUncleRichard,"saidRosamund."Doyouthinkitwasa
formofExhibitionism?"

Poirotrevertedtotheprevioustopic.

"I received a very amiable letter from Mr Timothy Abernethie," he said. "He expressed himself as
highlysatisfiedwiththeservicesIhadrenderedthefamily."

"IdothinkUncleTimothyisquiteawful,saidRosamund.

"I'mgoingtostaywiththemnextweek,"saidHelen."Theyseemtobegettingthegardensintoorder,
butdomestichelpisstilldifficult."

"TheymisstheawfulGilchrist,Isuppose,"saidRosamund."ButIdaresayintheend,she'dhavekilled
UncleTimothytoo.Whatfunifshehad!"

"Murderhasalwaysseemedfuntoyou,Madame."

"Oh!notreally,"saidRosamund,vaguely."ButIdidthinkitwasGeorge."Shebrightenedup."Perhaps
hewilldoonesomeday."

"Andthatwillbefun,"saidPoirotsarcastically.

"Yes,won'tit?"Rosamundagreed.

Sheateanotheréclairfromtheplateinfrontofher.

PoirotturnedtoHelen.

"Andyou,Madame,areofftoCyprus?"

"Yes,inafortnight'stime."

"Thenletmewishyouahappyjourney."

Hebowedoverherhand.Shecamewithhimtothedoor,leavingRosamunddreamilystuffingherself
withcreampastries.

Helensaidabruptly:

"Ishouldlikeyoutoknow,M.Poirot,thatthelegacyRichardleftmemeantmoretomethantheirsdid
toanyoftheothers."

"Asmuchasthat,Madame?"

"Yes.Yousee-thereisachildinCyprus...MyhusbandandIwereverydevoteditwasagreatsorrow
toustohavenochildren.Afterhediedmylonelinesswasunbelievable.WhenIwasnursinginLondon
attheendofthewar,Imetsomeone...HewasyoungerthanIwasandmarried,thoughnotveryhappily.
Wecametogetherforalittlewhile.Thatwasall.HewentbacktoCanada-tohiswifeandhischildren.
Heneverknewabout-ourchild.Hewouldnothavewantedit.Idid.Itseemedlikeamiracletome-a
middle-aged woman with everything behind her. With Richard's money I can educate my so-called
nephew,andgivehimastartinlife."Shepaused,thenadded,"InevertoldRichard.Hewasfondofme
andIofhim-buthewouldnothaveunderstood.YouknowsomuchaboutusallthatIthoughtIwould
likeyoutoknowthisaboutme."

OnceagainPoirotbowedoverherhand.

Hegothometofindthearmchairontheleftofthefireplaceoccupied.

"Hallo,Poirot,"saidMrEntwhistle."I'vejustcomebackfromtheAssizes.Theybroughtinaverdictof
Guilty,ofcourse.ButIshouldn'tbesurprisedifsheendsupinBroadmoor.She'sgonedefinitelyover
theedgesinceshe'sbeeninprison.Quitehappy,youknow,andmostgracious.Shespendsmostofher
timemakingthemostelaborateplanstorunachainoftea-shops.Hernewestestablishmentistobethe
LilacBush.She'sopeningitinCromer."

"Onewondersifshewasalwaysalittlemad?Butme,Ithinknot."

"GoodLord,no!SaneasyouandIwhensheplannedthatmurder.Carrieditoutincoldblood.She'sgot
agoodheadonher,youknow,underneaththefluffymanner."

Poirotgavealittleshiver.

"Iamthinking,"hesaid,"ofsomewordsthatSusanBankssaid-thatshehadneverimaginedalady-
likemurderer."

"Whynot?"saidMrEntwhistle."Ittakesallsorts."

Theyweresilent-andPoirotthoughtofmurderersheknown...