'Bother!' said Pat.
With a deepening frown she rummaged1 wildly in the silken trifle she called an evening bag. Twoyoung men and another girl watched her anxiously. They were all standing2 outside the closed doorof Patricia Garnett's flat.
'It's no good,' said Pat. 'It's not there. And now what shall we do?'
'What is life without a latchkey?' murmured Jimmy Faulkener.
He was a short, broad-shouldered young man, with good-tempered blue eyes.
Pat turned on him angrily. 'Don't make jokes, Jimmy. This is serious.'
'Look again, Pat,' said Donovan Bailey. 'It must be there somewhere.'
He had a lazy, pleasant voice that matched his lean, dark figure.
'If you ever brought it out,' said the other girl, Mildred Hope.
'Of course I brought it out,' said Pat. 'I believe I gave it to one of you two.' She turned on the manaccusingly. 'I told Donovan to take it for me.'
But she was not to find a scapegoat3 so easily. Donovan put in a firm disclaimer, and Jimmy backedhim up.
'I saw you put it in your bag, myself,' said Jimmy.
'Well, then, one of you dropped it out when you picked up my bag. I've dropped it once or twice.'
'Once or twice[' said Donovan. 'You've dropped it a dozen times at least, besides leaving it behindon every possible oc-casion.'
'I can't see why everything on earth doesn't drop out of it the whole time,' said Jimmy.
'The point is - how are we going to get in?' said Mildred.
She was a sensible girl, who kept to the point, but she was not nearly so attractive as the impulsiveand troublesome Pat.
All four of them regarded the closed door blankly.
'Couldn't the porter help?' suggested Jimmy. 'Hasn't he got a master key or something of thatkind?' Pat shook her head. There were only two keys. One was inside the flat hung up in thekitchen and the other was - or should be in the maligned4 bag.
'If only the flat were on the ground floor,' wailed5 Pat. 'We could have broken open a window orsomething. Donovan, you wouldn't like to be a cat burglar, would you?' Donovan declined firmlybut politely to be a cat burglar.
'A flat on the fourth floor is a bit of an undertaking,' said Jimmy.
'How about a fire-escape?' suggested Donovan.
'There isn't one.' 'There should be,' said Jimmy. 'A building five storeys high ought to have a fireescape.' 'I dare say,' said Pat. 'But what should be doesn't help us. How am I ever to get into myflat?' 'Isn't there a sort of thingummybob?' said Donovan. 'A thing the tradesmen send up chopsand brussels sprouts6 in?' 'The service lift,' said Pat. 'Oh yes, but it's only a sort of wire- basketthing. Oh wait - I know. What about the coal lift?' 'Now that,' said Donovan, 'is an idea.' Mildredmade a discouraging suggestion. 'It'll be bolted,' she said. 'In Pat's kitchen, I mean, on the inside.'
But the idea was instantly negatived.
'Don't you believe it,' said Donovan.
'Not in Pat's kitchen,' said Jimmy. 'Pat never locks and bolts things.' 'I don't think it's bolted,' saidPat. 'I took the dustbin off this morning, and I'm sure I never bolted it afterwards, and I don't thinkI've been near it since.' 'Well,' said Donovan, 'that fact's going to be very useful to us tonight, but,all the same, young Pat, let me point out to you that these slack habits are leaving you at the mercyof burglars -non-feline - every night.'
Pat disregarded these admonitions.
'Come on,' she cried, and began racing8 down the four flights of stairs. The others followed her. Patled them through a dark recess9, apparently10 full to overflowing11 of perambulators, and throughanother door into the well of the flats, and guided them to the right lift. There was, at the moment,a dustbin on it. Donovan lifted it off and stepped gingerly on to the platform in its place.
He wrinkled up his nose.
'A little noisome,' he remarked. 'But what of that? Do I go alone on this venture or is anyonecoming with me?'
'I'll come, too,' said Jimmy.
He stepped on by Donovan's side.
'I suppose the lift will bear me,' he added doubtfully.
'You can't weigh much more than a ton of coal,' said Pat, who had never been particularly strongon her weights-and-measures table.
'And, anyway, we shall soon find out,' said Donovan cheerfully, a he hauled on the rope.
With a grinding noise they disappeared from sight.
'This thing makes an awful noise,' remarked Jimmy, as they passed up through blackness. 'Whatwill the people in the other flats think?'
'Ghosts or burglars, I expect,' said Donovan. 'Hauling this rope is quite heavy work. The porter ofFriars Mansions13 does more work than I ever suspected. I say, Jimmy, old son, are you counting thefloors?'
'Oh, Lordl No. I forgot about it.'
'Well, I have, which is just as well. That's the third we're passing now. The next is ours.'
'And now, I suppose,' grumbled14 Jimmy, 'we shall find that Pat did bolt the door after all.'
But these fears were unfounded. The wooden door swung back at a touch, and Donovan andJimmy stepped out into the inky blackness of Pat's kitchen.
'We ought to have a torch for this wild night work,' explainedDonovan. 'If I know Pat, everything's on the floor, and we shall smash endless crockery before Ican get to the light switch. Don't move about, Jimmy, till I get the light on.' He felt his waycautiously over the floor, uttering one fervent15 'Damn? as a corner of the kitchen table took himunawares in the ribs16. He reached the switch, and in another moment another 'Damn!' floated out ofthe darkness.
'What's the matter?' asked Jimmy.
'Light won't come on. Dud bulb, I suppose. Wait a minute. I'll turn the sitting-room17 light on.' Thesitting-room was the door immediately across the passage.
Jimmy heard Donovan go out of the door, and presently fresh muffled18 curses reached him. Hehimself edged his way cautiously across the kitchen.
'What's the matter?' 'I don't know. Rooms get bewitched at night, I believe. Everything seems to bein a different place. Chairs and tables where you least expected them. Oh, hell! Here's another?
But at this moment Jimmy fortunately connected with the electric-light switch and pressed itdown. In another minute two young men were looking at each other in silent horror.
This room was not Pat's sitting-room. They were in the wrong flat.
To begin with, the room was about ten times more crowded than Pat's, which explained Donovan'spathetic bewilderment at repeatedly cannoning19 into chairs and tables. There was a large roundtable in the centre of the room covered with a baize cloth, and there was an aspidistra in thewindow. It was, in fact, the kind of room whose owner, the young men felt sure, would be difficultto explain to. With silent horror they gazed down at the table, on which lay a little pile of letters.
'Mrs Ernestine Grant,' breathed Donovan, picking them up and reading the name. 'Oh, helpl Doyou think she's heard us?' 'It's a miracle she hasn't heard you,' said Jimmy. 'What with yourlanguage and the way you've been crashing into the furniture.
Come on, for the Lord's sake, let's get out of here quickly.' They hastily switched off the light andretraced their steps on
tiptoe to the lift. Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief as they regained20 the fastness of its depths withoutfurther incident.
'I do like a woman to be a good, sound sleeper,' he said approvingly. 'Mrs Ernestine Grant has herpoints.' 'I see if now,' said Donovan; 'why we made the mistake in the floor, I mean. Out in thatwell we started up from the basement.'
He heaved on the rope, and the lift shot up. 'We're right this time.' 'I devoutly21 trust we are,' saidJimmy as he stepped out into anotherinky void. 'My nerves won't stand many more shocks of thiskind.' But no further nerve strain was imposed. The first click of the light showed them Pat'skitchen, and in another minute they were opening the front door and admitting the two girls whowere waiting outside.
'You have been a long time,' grumbled Pat. 'Mildred and I have been waiting here ages.' 'We'vehad an adventure,' said Donovan. 'We might have been hauled off to the police- station asdangerous malefactors.' Pat had passed on into the sitting-room, where she switched on the lightand dropped her wrap on the sofa. She listened with lively interest to Donovan's account of hisadventures.
'I'm glad she didn't catch you,' she commented. 'I'm sure she's an old curmudgeon22. I got a notefrom her this morning - wanted to see me some time - something she had to complain about - mypiano, I suppose. People who don't like pianos over their heads shouldn't come and live in flats. Isay, Donovan, you've hurt your hand. It's all over blood. Go and wash it under the tap.' Donovanlooked down at his hand in surprise. He went out of the room obediently and presently his voicecalled to Jimmy.
'Hullo,' said the other, 'what's up? You haven't hurt yourself badly, have you?' 'I haven't hurtmyself at all.' There was something so queer in Donovan's voice that Jimmy stared at him insurprise. Donovan held out his washed hand and Jimmy saw that there was no mark or cut of anykind on it.
'That's odd,' he said, frowning. 'There was quite a lot of blood.
Where did it come/rom?' And then suddenly he realized what his quicker-witted friend had alreadyseen. 'By Jove,' he said. 'It must have come from that flat' He stopped, thinking over thepossibilities his words implied. 'You're sure it was - er - blood?' he said. 'Not paint?' Donovanshook his head. 'It was blood, all right,' he said, and shivered.
They looked at each other. The same thought was clearly in each of their minds. It was Jimmywho voiced it first.
'I say,' he said awkwardly. 'Do you think we ought to - well go down again - and have - a - a lookaround? See it's all right, you know?' 'What about the girls?' 'We won't say anything to them. Pat'sgoing to put on an apron23 and make us an omelette. We'll be back by the time they wonder wherewe are.' 'Oh, well, come on,' said Donovan. 'I suppose we've got to go through with it. I dare saythere isn't anything really wrong.' But his tone lacked conviction. They got into the lift anddescended to the floor below. They found their way across the kitchen without much difficulty andonce more switched on the sitting-room light.
'It must have been in here,' said Donovan, 'that - that I got the stuff on me. I never touchedanything in the kitchen.' He looked round him. Jimmy did the same, and they both frowned.
Everything looked neat and commonplace and miles removed from any suggestion of violence orgore.
Suddenly Jimmy started violently and caught his companion's'Look!' Donovan followed the pointing finger, and in his turn uttered an exclamation24. Frombeneath the heavy rep curtains there protruded25 a foot - a woman's foot in a gaping26 patent-leathershoe.
Jimmy went to the curtains and drew them sharply apart. In the recess of the window a woman'shuddled body lay on the floor, a sticky dark pool beside it. She was dead, there was no doubt ofthat. Jimmy was attempting to raise her up when Donovan stopped him.
'You'd better not do that. She oughtn't to be touched till the police come.' 'The police. Oh, ofcourse. I say, Donovan, what a ghastly business. Who do you think she is? Mrs Ernestine Grant?'
'Looks like it. At any rate, if there's anyone else in the flat they're keeping jolly quiet.' 'What do wedo next?' asked Jimmy. 'Run out and get a policeman or ring up from Pat's flat?' 'I should thinkringing up would be best. Come on, we might as well go out the front door. We can't spend thewhole night going up and down in that evil-smelling lift.' Jimmy agreed. Just as they were passingthrough the door he hesitated. 'Look here; do you think one of us ought to stay - just to keep aneye on things - till the police come?' 'Yes, I think you're right. If you'll stay I'll run up andtelephone.' He ran quickly up the stairs and rang the bell of the flat above.
Pat came to open it, a very pretty Pat with a flushed face and a cooking apron on. Her eyeswidened in surprise.
'You? But how - Donovan, what is it? Is anything the matter?' He took both her hands in his. 'It'sall right, Pat - only we've made rather an unpleasant discovery in the flat below. A woman dead.'
'Oh!' She gave a little gasp27. 'How horrible. Has she had a fit or something?' 'No. It looks - well - itlooks rather as though she had been murdered.' 'Oh, Donovan!' 'I know. It's pretty beastly.' Herhands were still in his. She had left them there - was even clinging to him. Darling Pat - how heloved her. Did she care at all for him? Sometimes he thought shd did. Sometimes he was afraidthat Jimmy Faulkener - remembrances of Jimmy waiting patiently below made him start guiltily.
'Pat, dear, we must telephone to the police.' 'Monsieur is right,' said a voice behind him. 'And inthe mean156
time, while we are waiting their arrival, perhaps I can be of some slight assistance.' They had beenstanding in the doorway28 of the flat, and now they peered out on to the landing. A figure wasstanding on the stairs a little way above them. It moved down and into their range of vision.
They stood staring at a little man with a very fierce moustache and an egg-shaped head. He wore aresplendent dressing-gown and embroidered29 slippers30. He bowed gallantly31 to Patricia.
'Mademoisellel' he said. 'I am, as perhaps you know, the tenant32 of the flat above. I like to be uphigh - the air - the view over London. I take the flat in the name of Mr O'Connor. But I am not anIrishman. I have another name. That is why I venture to put myself at your service. Permit me.'
With a flourish he pulled out a card and handed it to Pat. She read it.
'M. Hercule Poirot. Oh!' She caught her breath. 'The M. Poirofl The great detective? And you willreally help?' 'That is my intention, mademoiselle. I nearly offered my help earlier in the evening.'
Pat looked puzzled.
'I heard you discussing how to gain admission to your flat Me, I am very clever at picking locks. Icould, without doubt, have opened your door for you, but I hesitated to suggest it. You would havehad the grave suspicions of me.' Pat laughed.
'Now, monsieur,' said Poirot to Donovan. 'Go in, I pray of you, and telephone to the police. I willdescend to the flat below.' Pat came down the stairs with him. They found Jimmy on guard, andPat explained Poirot's presence. Jimmy, in his turn, explained to Poirot his and Donovan'sadventures. The detective listened attentively33.
'The lift door was unbolted, you say? You emerged into the kitchen, but the light it would not turnon.' He directed his footsteps to the kitchen as he spoke34. His fingem pressed the switch.
'T/ensl Voild ce qui est curieuxl' he said as the light flashed on.
'It functions perfectly35 now. I wonder - ' He held up a finger to ensure silence and listened. A faintsound broke the stillness-the sound of an unmistakable snore. 'Ah!' said Poirot. 'La chambre dedomestique.'
He tiptoed across the kitchen into a little pantry, out of which led a door. He opened the door andswitched on the light. The room was the kind of dog kennel36 designed by the builders of flats toaccommodate a human being. The floor space was almost entirely37 occupied by the bed. In the bedwas a rosy-cheeked girl lying on her back with her mouth wide-open, snoring placidly38.
Poirot switched off the light and beat a retreat.
'She will not wake,' he said. 'We will let her sleep till the police come.'
He went back to the sitting-room. Donovan had joined them.
'The police will be here almost immediately, they say,' he said breathlessly. 'We are to touchnothing.'
Poirot nodded. 'We will not touch,' he said. 'We will look, that is all.'
He moved into the room. Mildred had come down with Donovan, and all four young people stoodin the doorway and watched him with breathless interest.
'What I can't understand, sir, is this,' said Donovan. 'I never went near the window - how did theblood come on my hand?'
'My young friend, the answer to that stares you in the face. Of what colour is the tablecloth39? Red,is it not? and doubtless you did put your hand on the table.'
'Yes, I did. Is that -' He stopped.
Poirot nodded. He was bending over the table. He indicated with his hand a dark patch on the red.
'It was here that the crime was committed,' he said solemnly.
'The body was moved afterwards.'
Then he stood upright and looked slowly round the room. He did not move, he handled nothing,but nevertheless the four watching felt as though every object in that rather frowsty place gave upits secret to his observant eye.
Hercule Poirot nodded his head as though satisfied. A little sigh escaped him. 'I see,' he said.
'You see what?' asked Donovan curiously40.
'I see,' said Poirot, 'what you doubtless felt - that the room is overfull of furniture.' Donovan smiledruefully. 'I did go barging about a bit,' he confessed. 'Of course, everything was in a different placeto Pat's room, and I couldn't make it out.' 'Not everything,' said Poirot.
Donovan looked at him inquiringly.
'I mean,' said Poirot apologetically, 'that certain things are alway fixed41. In a block of flats the door,the window, the fireplace - they are in the same place in the rooms which are below each other.'
'Isn't that rather splitting hairs?' asked Mildred. She was looking at Poirot with faint disapproval42.
'One should always speak with absolute accuracy. That is a little - how do you say? - fad43 of mine.'
There was the noise of footsteps on the stairs, and three men came in. They were a policeinspector, a constable45, and the divisional surgeon. The inspector44 recognized Poirot and greetedhim in an almost reverential manner. Then he turned to the others.
'I shall want statements from everyone,' he began, 'but in the first place - ' Poirot interrupted. 'Alittle suggestion. We will go back to the flat upstairs and mademoiselle here shall do what she wasplanning to do - make us an omelette. Me, I have a passion for the omelettes.
Then, M. l'Inspecteur, when you have finished here, you will mount to us and ask questions atyour leisure.' It was arranged accordingly, and Poirot went up with them.
'M. Poirot,' said Pat, 'I think you're a perfect dear. And you shall have a lovely omelette. I reallymake omelettes frightfully well.' 'That is good. Once, mademoiselle, I loved a beautiful youngEnglish girl, who resembled you greatly - but alasl - she could not cook. So perhaps everythingwas for the best.' There was a faint sadness in his voice, and Jimmy Faulkener looked at himcuriously.
Once in the flat, however, he exerted himself to please and amuse. The grim tragedy below wasalmost forgotten.
The omelette had been consumed and duly praised by the time that Inspector Rice's footsteps wereheard. He came in accom-panied by the doctor, having left the constable below.
'Well, Monsieur Poirot,' he said. 'It all seems clear and above-board - not much in your line,though we may find it hard to catch the man. I'd just like to hear how the discovery came to bemade.'
Donovan and Jimmy between them recounted the happenings of the evening. The inspector turnedreproachfully to Pat.
'You shouldn't leave your lift door unbolted, miss. You really shouldn't.'
'I shan't again,' said Pat, with a shiver. 'Somebody might come in and murder me like that poorwoman below.'
'Ah, but they didn't come in that way, though,' said the inspector.
'You will recount to us what you have discovered, yes?' said Poirot.
'I don't know as I ought to - but seeing it's you, M. Poirot -'
'Pricisdment,' said Poirot. 'And these young people - they will be discreet47.'
'The newspapers will get hold of it, anyway, soon enough,' said the inspector. 'There's no realsecret about the matter. Well, the dead woman's Mrs Grant, all right. I had the porter up to identifyher. Woman of about thirty-five. She was sitting at the table, and she was shot with an automaticpistol of small calibre, probably by someone sitting opposite her at table. She fell forward, andthat's how the bloodstain came on the table.'
'But wouldn't someone have heard the shot?' asked Mildred.
'The pistol was fitted with a silencer. No, you wouldn't hear anything. By the way, did you hear thescreech the maid let out when we told her her mistress was dead? No. Well, that just shows howunlikely it was that anyone would hear the other.'
'Has the maid no story to tell?' asked Poirot.
'It was her evening out. She's got her own key. She came in about ten o'clock. Everything wasquiet. She thought her mistress had gone to bed.'
'She did not look in the sitting-room, then?'
'Yes, she took the letters in there which had come by theevening post, but she saw nothing unusual - any more than Mr Faulkener and Mr Bailey did. Yousee, the murderer had concealed48 the body rather neatly49 behind the curtains.'
'But it was a curious thing to do, don't you think?'
Poirot's voice was very gentle, yet it held something that made the inspector look up quickly.
'Didn't want the crime discovered till he'd had time to make his getaway.'
'Perhaps, perhaps - but continue with what you were saying.' 'The maid went out at five o'clock.
The doctor here puts the time of death as - roughly - about four to five hours ago. That's right, isn'tit?'
The doctor, who was a man of few words, contented50 himself with jerking his head affirmatively.
'It's a quarter to twelve now. The actual time can, I think, be narrowed down to a fairly definitehour.'
He took out a crumpled51 sheet of paper.
'We found this in the pocket of the dead woman's dress. You needn't be afraid of handling it. Thereare no fingerprints52 on it.'
Poirot smoothed out the sheet. Across it some words were printed in small, prim53 capitals.
I WILL COME TO SEE YOU THIS EVIING AT HALF PAST SEVEN.
'A compromising document to leave behind,' commented Poirot, as he handed it back.
'Well, he didn't know she'd got it in her pocket,' said the inspector. 'He probably thought she'ddestroyed it. We've evidence that he was a careful man, though. The pistol she was shot with wefound under the body - and there again no fingerprints.
They'd been wiped off very carefully with a silk handkerchief.'
'How do you know,' said Poirot, 'that it was a silk handker-chief?'
'Because we found it,' said the inspector triumphantly54. 'At the last, as he was drawing the curtains,he must have let it fall unnoticed.'
He handed across a big white silk handkerchief - a good-quality handkerchief. It did not need theinspector's finger to draw Poirot's attention to the mark on it in the centre. It was neatly markedand quite legible. Poirot read the name out.
'John Fraser.' 'That's it,' said the inspector. 'John Fraser - J.F. in the note.
We know the name of the man we have to look for, and I dare say when we find out a little aboutthe dead woman, and her relations come forward, we shall soon get a line on him.' 'I wonder,' saidPoirot. 'No, mon cher, somehow I do not think he will be easy to find, your John Fraser. He is astrange man-careful, since he marks his handkerchiefs and wipes the pistol with which he hascommitted the crime - yet careless since he loses his handkerchief and does not search for a letterthat might incriminate him.' 'Flurried, that's what he was,' said the inspector.
'It is possible,' said Poirot. 'Yes, it is possible. And he was not seen entering the building?' 'Thereare all sorts of people going in and out at the time. These are big blocks. I suppose none of you - '
he addressed the four collectively - 'saw anyone coming out of the flat?' Pat shook her head. 'Wewent out earlier - about seven o'clock.' 'I see.' The inspector rose. Poirot accompanied him to thedoor.
'As a little favour, may I examine the flat below?' 'Why, certainly, M. Poirot. I know what theythink of you at headquarters. I'll leave you a key. I've got two. It will be empty.
The maid cleared out to some relatives, too scared to stay there'I thank you,' said M. Poirot. He went back into the flat, thoughtful.
'You're not satisfied, M. Poirot?' said Jimmy.
'No,' said Poirot. 'I am not satisfied.' Donovan looked at him curiously. 'What is it that - well,worries you?' Poirot did not answer. He remained silent for a minute or two, frowning, as thoughin thought, then he made a sudden impatient movement of shoulders.
'I will say good night to you, mademoiselle. You must be tired You have had much cooking to do -eh?' Pat laughed. 'Only the omelette. I didn't do dinner. Donova and Jimmy came and called for us,and we went out to a littl place in Soho.' 'And then without doubt, you went to a theatre?' 'Yes. TheBrown Eyes of Caroline.' 'Ahl' said Poirot. 'It should have been blue eyes - the blue eye: ofmademoiselle.' He made a sentimental55 gesture, and then once more wished Pa good night, alsoMildred, who was staying the night by special request, as Pat admitted frankly56 that she would getthe horrors, if left alone on this particular night.
The two young men accompanied Poirot. When the door wa., shut, and they were preparing to saygoodbye to him on th{ landing, Poirot forestalled57 them.
'My young friends, you heard me say that I was not satisfiedl Eh bien, it is true - I am not. I gonow to make some little investiga. tions of my own. You would like to accompany me - yes?' Aneager assent58 greeted this proposal. Poirot led the way to th flat below and inserted the key theinspector had given him in th4 lock. On entering, he did not, as the others had expected, ente thesitting-room. Instead he went straight to the kitchen. In a litth recess which served as a scullery abig iron bin7 was standing.
Poirot uncovered this and, doubling himself up, began to rootk in it with the energy of a ferociousterrier.
Both Jimmy and Donovan stared at him in amazement59.
Suddenly with a cry of triumph he emerged. In his hand he held aloft a small stoppered bottle.
'Voild!' he said. 'I find what I seek.' He sniffed60 at it delicately.
'Alas46! I am enrhurad - I have the cold in the head.' Donovan took the bottle from him and sniffedin his turn, bm could smell nothing. He took out the stopper and held the bottk to his nose beforePoirot's warning cry could stop him.
Immediately he fell like a log. Poirot, by springing forward: partly broke his fall.
'Imbecile!' he cried. 'The idea. To remove the stopper in that foolhardy mannerl Did he not observehow delicately I handled it? Monsieur - Faulkener - is it not? Will you be so good as to get me alittle brandy? I observed a decanter in the sitting-room.'
Jimmy hurried off, but by the time he returned, Donovan was sitting up and declaring himselfquite all right again. He had to listen to a short lecture from Poirot on the necessity of caution insniffmg at possibly poisonous substances.
'I think I'll be off home,' said Donovan, rising shakily to his feet. 'That is, if I can't be any more usehere. I feel a bit wonky still.'
'Assuredly,' said Poirot. 'That is the best thing you can do.
M. Faulkener, attend me here a little minute. I will return on the instant.'
He accompanied Donovan to the door and beyond. They remained outside on the landing talkingfor some minutes When Poirot at last re-entered the flat he found Jimmy standing in the sitting-rom gazing round him with puzzled eyes.
'Well, M. Poirot,' he said, 'what next?' 'There is nothing next. The case is finished.' 'What?'
'I know everything - now.'
Jimmy stared at him. 'That little bottle you found?'
'Exactly. That little bottle.'
Jimmy shook his head. 'I can't make head or tail of it. For some reason or other I can see you aredissatisfied with the evidence against this John Fraser, whoever he may be.'
'Whoever he may be,' repeated Poirot softly. 'If he is anyone at all - well, I shall be surprised.'
'I don't understand.'
'He is a name - that is all - a name carefully marked on a handkerchiefl'
'And the letter?'
'Did you notice that it was printed? Now, why? I will tell you.
Handwriting might be recognized, and a typewritten letter ia more easily traced than you wouldimagine - but if a real John Fraser wrote that letter those two points would not have appealed tohiml No, it was written on purpose, and put in the dead woman's pocket for us to find. There is nosuch person as John Fraser.' Jimmy looked at him inquiringly.
'And so,' went on Poirot, 'I went back to the point that first struck me. You heard me say thatcertain things in a room were always in the same place under given circumstances. I gave threeinstances. I might have mentioned a fourth - the electric-light switch, my friend.' Jinuny still stareduncomprehendingly. Poirot went on.
'Your friend Donovan did not go near the window - it was by resting his hand on this table that hegot it covered in bloodl But I asked myself at once - why did he rest it there? What was he doinggroping about this room in darkness? For remember, my friend, the electric-light switch is alwaysin the same place - by the door. Why, when he came to this room, did he not at once feel for thelight and turn it on? That was the natural, the normal thing to do. According to him, he tried toturn on the light in the kitchen, but failed. Yet when I tried the switch it was in perfect workingorder. Did he, then, not wish the light to go on just then? If it had gone on you would both haveseen at once that you were in the wrong flat. There would have been no reason to come into thisroom.' 'What are you driving at, M. Poirot? I don't understand. What do you mean?' 'I mean - this.'
Poirot held up a Yale door key.
'The key of this flat?' 'N0, mon ami, the key of the flat above. Mademoiselle Patricia's key, whichM. Donovan Bailey abstracted from her bag some time during the evening.' 'But why - why?'
'Parbleul So that he could do what he wanted to do - gain admission to this flat in a perfectlyunsuspicious manner. He made sure that the lift door was unbolted earlier in the evening.' 'Wheredid you get the key?' P0irot's smile broadened. 'I found it just now - where I looked for it- in M.
Donovan's pocket. See you, that little bottle I pretended to find was a ruse61. M. Donovan is takenin. He doe
what I knew he would do - unstoppers it and sniffs62. And in that little bottle is ethyl chloride, a verypowerful instant anaesthetic.
It gives me just the moment or two of unconsciousness I need. I take from his pocket the twothings that I knew would be there.
This key was one of them - the other ' He stopped and then went on.
'I questioned at the time the reason the inspector gave for the body being concealed behind thecurtain. To gain time? No, there was more than that. And so I thought of just one thing the post,my friend. The evening post that comes at half past nine or thereabouts. Say the murderer does notfind something he expects to find, but that something may be delivered by post later.
Clearly, then, he must come back. But the crime must not be discovered by the maid when shecomes in, or the police would take possession of the flat, so he hides the body behind the curtain.
And the maid suspects nothing and lays the letters on the table as usual.' 'The letters?' 'Yes, theletters.' Poirot drew something from his pocket. 'This is the second article I took from M. Donovanwhen he was unconscious.' He showed the superscription - a typewritten envelope addressed toMrs Ernestine Grant. 'But I will ask you one thing first, M. Faulkener, before we look at thecontents of this letter. Are you or are you not in love with Mademoiselle Patricia?' 'I care for Patdamnably - but I've never thought I had a chance.' 'You thought that she cared for M. Donovan? Itmay be that she had begun to care for him - but it was only a beginning, my friend. It is for you tomake her forget - to stand by her in her trouble.' 'Trouble?' said Jimmy sharply.
'Yes, trouble. We will do all we can to keep her name out of it, but it will be impossible to do soentirely. She was, you see, the motive63.' He ripped open the envelope that he held. An enclosurefell out. The covering letter was brief, and was from a firm of solicitors64.
Dear Madam, The document you enclose is quite in order, and the fact of the marriage havingtaken place in a foreign country does not invalidate it in any way.
Yours truly, etc.
Poirot spread out the enclosure. It was a certificate of marriage Ietween Donovan Bailey andErnestine Grant, dated eight years go.
'Oh, my God!' said Jimmy. 'Pat said she'd had a letter from the Xtoman asking to see her, but shenever dreamed it was anything i mp0rtant.' poirot nodded. 'M. Donovan knew - he went to see hiswife t:his evening before going to the flat above - a strange irony65, by the ray, that led theunfortunate woman to come to this building where her rival lived - he murdered her in cold blood,and then vent12 on to his evening's amusement. His wife must have told him tzhat she had sent themarriage certificate to her solicitors and was expecting to hear from them. Doubtless he himselfhad tried to nake her believe that there was a flaw in the marriage.' 'Ie seemed in quite good spirits,too, all the evening. M. oir0t, you haven't let him escape?' Jimmy shuddered66.
'There is no escape for him,' said Poirot gravely. 'You need not Ileear.' 'It's Pat I'm thinking aboutmostly,' said Jimmy. 'You don't tthin - she really cared.' '3fon ami, that is your part,' said Poirotgently. 'To make her tturnto you and forget. I do not think you will find it very difficult!'
what I knew he would do - unstoppers it and sniffs. And in that little bottle is ethyl chloride, a verypowerful instant anaesthetic.
It gives me just the moment or two of unconsciousness I need. I take from his pocket the twothings that I knew would be there.
This key was one of them - the other ' He stopped and then went on.
'I questioned at the time the reason the inspector gave for the body being concealed behind thecurtain. To gain time? No, there was more than that. And so I thought of just one thing the post,my friend. The evening post that comes at half past nine or thereabouts. Say the murderer does notfind something he expects to find, but that something may be delivered by post later.
Clearly, then, he must come back. But the crime must not be discovered by the maid when shecomes in, or the police would take possession of the flat, so he hides the body behind the curtain.
And the maid suspects nothing and lays the letters on the table as usual.' 'The letters?' 'Yes, theletters.' Poirot drew something from his pocket. 'This is the second article I took from M. Donovanwhen he was unconscious.' He showed the superscription - a typewritten envelope addressed toMrs Ernestine Grant. 'But I will ask you one thing first, M. Faulkener, before we look at thecontents of this letter. Are you or are you not in love with Mademoiselle Patricia?' 'I care for Patdamnably - but I've never thought I had a chance.' 'You thought that she cared for M. Donovan? Itmay be that she had begun to care for him - but it was only a beginning, my friend. It is for you tomake her forget - to stand by her in her trouble.' 'Trouble?' said Jimmy sharply.
'Yes, trouble. We will do all we can to keep her name out of it, but it will be impossible to do soentirely. She was, you see, the motive.' He ripped open the envelope that he held. An enclosurefell out. The covering letter was brief, and was from a firm of solicitors.
Dear Madam,
The document you enclose is quite in order, and the fact of the marriage having taken place in aforeign country does not invalidate it in any way.
Yours truly, etc.
Poirot spread out the enclosure. It was a certificate of marriage between Donovan Bailey andErnestine Grant, dated eight years ago.
'Oh, my Godl' said Jimmy. 'Pat said she'd had a letter from the woman asking to see her, but shenever dreamed it was anything important.'
Poirot nodded. 'M. Donovan knew - he went to see his wife this evening before going to the flatabove - a strange irony, by the way, that led the unfortunate woman to come to this building whereher rival lived - he murdered her in cold blood, and then went on to his evening's amusement. Hiswife must have told him that she had sent the marriage certificate to her solicitors and waexpecting to hear from them. Doubtless he himself had tried to make her believe that there was aflaw in the marriage.'
'He seemed in quite good spirits, too, all the evening. M.
Poirot, you haven't let him escape?' Jimmy shuddered.
'There is no escape for him,' said Poirot gravely. 'You need not fear.'
'It's Pat I'm thinking about mostly,' said Jimmy. 'You don't think - she really cared.'
'Mort ami, that is your part,' said Poirot gently. 'To make her turn to you and forget. I do not thinkyou will find it very diflicult!'
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1
rummaged
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 )； 已经海关检查 | |
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2
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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3
scapegoat
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| n.替罪的羔羊，替人顶罪者；v.使…成为替罪羊 | |
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4
maligned
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| vt.污蔑，诽谤（malign的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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5
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
sprouts
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| n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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7
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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8
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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9
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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10
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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11
overflowing
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| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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12
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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13
mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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14
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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15
fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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16
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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17
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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18
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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19
cannoning
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| vi.与…猛撞（cannon的现在分词形式） | |
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20
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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21
devoutly
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| adv.虔诚地，虔敬地，衷心地 | |
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22
curmudgeon
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| n. 脾气暴躁之人，守财奴，吝啬鬼 | |
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23
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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24
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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25
protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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27
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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28
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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29
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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30
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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31
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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32
tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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33
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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34
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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35
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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36
kennel
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| n.狗舍，狗窝 | |
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37
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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38
placidly
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| adv.平稳地，平静地 | |
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39
tablecloth
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| n.桌布，台布 | |
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40
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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41
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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42
disapproval
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| n.反对，不赞成 | |
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43
fad
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| n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好 | |
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44
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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45
constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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46
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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47
discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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48
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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49
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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50
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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51
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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52
fingerprints
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| n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 ) | |
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53
prim
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| adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
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54
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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55
sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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56
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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57
forestalled
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| v.先发制人，预先阻止( forestall的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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59
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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60
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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61
ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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62
sniffs
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的第三人称单数 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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63
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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64
solicitors
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| 初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 ) | |
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65
irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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66
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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