IV
Gladys Nevill was a tall, fair, somewhat anemic girl of about twenty-eight. Though obviously very
upset, she at once showed that she was capable and intelligent.
Under the pretext¹ of looking through Mr. Morley’s papers, Japp got her away from Miss Morley
down to the little office next door to the surgery.
She repeated more than once:
“I simply cannot believe it! It seems quite incredible that Mr. Morley should do such a thing!”
She was emphatic² that he had not seemed troubled or worried in any way.
Then Japp began:
“You were called away today, Miss Nevill—”
She interrupted him.
“Yes, and the whole thing was a wicked practical joke! I do think it’s awful of people to do
things like that. I really do.”
“What do you mean, Miss Nevill?”
“Why, there wasn’t anything the matter with Aunt at all. She’d never been better. She couldn’t
understand it when I suddenly turned up. Of course I was ever so glad—but it did make me mad.
Sending a telegram like that and upsetting me and everything.”
“Have you got that telegram, Miss Nevill?”
“I threw it away, I think, at the station. It just said, Your aunt had a stroke last night. Please
come at once.”
“You are quite sure—well—” Japp coughed delicately—“that it wasn’t your friend, Mr. Carter,
who sent that telegram?”
“Frank? Whatever for? Oh! I see, you mean—a put-up job between us? No, indeed, Inspector³—
neither of us would do such a thing.”
Her indignation seemed genuine enough and Japp had a little trouble in soothing⁴ her down. But
a question as to the patients on this particular morning restored her to her competent self.
“They are all here in the book. I daresay you have seen it already. I know about most of them.
Ten o’clock, Mrs. Soames—that was about her new plate. Ten thirty, Lady Grant—she’s an
elderly lady—lives in Lowndes Square. Eleven o’clock, M. Hercule Poirot, he comes regularly—
oh, of course this is him—sorry, M. Poirot, but I really am so upset! Eleven thirty, Mr. Alistair
Blunt—that’s the banker, you know—a short appointment, because Mr. Morley had prepared the

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