Chapter 21 The Three Clues

When Japp got back to Scotland Yard, he was told that M. Hercule Poirot was waiting to see him.
Japp greeted his friend heartily¹.
"Well, M. Poirot, and what brings you along? Any news?"
"I came to ask you for news, my good Japp."
"If that isn't just like you. Well, there isn't much and that's the truth. The dealer² fellow in Paris has identified the blowpipe all right. Fournier's been worrying the life out of me from Paris about his moment psychologique. I've questioned those stewards³ till I'm blue in the face and they stick to it that there wasn't a moment psychologique. Nothing startling or out of the way happened on the voyage."
"It might have occurred when they were both in the front car."
"I've questioned the passengers too. Everyone can't be lying."
"In one case I investigated everyone was!"
"You and your cases! To tell the truth. M. Poirot, I'm not very happy. The more I look into things the less I get. The chief's inclined to look on me rather coldly. But what can I do? Luckily, it's one of those semi- foreign cases. We can put it on the Frenchmen over here, and in Paris they say it was done by an Englishman and that it's our business."
"Do you really believe the Frenchman did it?"
"Well, frankly⁴, I don't. As I look at it, an archaeologist is a poor kind of fish. Always burrowing⁵ in the ground and talking through his hat about what happened thousands of years ago, and how do they know, I should like to know? Who's to contradict them? They say some rotten string of beads⁶ is five thousand three hundred and twenty-two years old, and who's to say it isn't? Well, there they are, liars⁷ perhaps - though they seem to believe it themselves - but harmless. I had an old chap in here the other day who'd had a scarab pinched. Terrible state he was in - nice old boy, but helpless as a baby in arms. No, between you and me, I don't think for a minute that pair of French archaeologists did it."

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