Book Two
LONG SHADOWS
Eleven SUPERINTENDENT¹ GARROWAY AND POIROT COMPARE NOTES
Superintendent Garroway looked across the table at Poirot. His eyes twinkled. At his side Georgedelivered a whisky and soda². Passing on to Poirot, he put down a glass filled with a dark purpleliquid.
“What’s your tipple³?” said Superintendent Garroway, with some interest.
“A syrup⁴ of black currant,” said Poirot.
“Well, well,” said Superintendent Garroway, “everyone to their own taste. What was it Spencetold me? He told me you used to drink something called a tisane, wasn’t it? What’s that, a variantof French piano or something?”
“No,” said Poirot, “it’s useful for reducing fevers.”
“Ah. Invalid⁵ dope of some kind.” He drank from his glass. “Well,” he said, “here’s to suicide!”
“It was suicide?” Poirot asked.
“What else can it be?” said Superintendent Garroway. “The things you wanted to know!” Heshook his head. His smile grew more pronounced.
“I am sorry,” said Poirot, “to have troubled you so much. I am like the animal or the child inone of your stories by Mr. Kipling. I Suffer from Insatiable Curiosity.”
“Insatiable curiosity,” said Superintendent Garroway. “Nice stories he wrote, Kipling. Knew hisstuff, too. They told me once that that man could go for one short tour round a destroyer and knowmore about it than one of the top engineers in the Royal Navy.”
“Alas,” said Hercule Poirot. “I do not know everything. Therefore, you see, I have to askquestions. I am afraid that I sent you rather a long list of questions.”
“What intrigued⁶ me,” said Superintendent Garroway, “is the way you jumped from one thing toanother. Psychiatrists⁷, doctors’ reports, how money was left, who had money, who got money.

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