Sixteen MR. GOBY REPORTS
Mr. Goby came into the room and sat, as indicated by Poirot, in his usual chair. He glanced aroundhim before choosing what particular piece of furniture or part of the room he was about to address.
He settled, as often before, for the electric fire, not turned on at this time of year. Mr. Goby hadnever been known to address the human being he was working for directly. He selected always thecornice, a radiator¹, a television set, a clock, sometimes a carpet or a mat. Out of a briefcase² he tooka few papers.
“Well,” said Hercule Poirot, “you have something for me?”
“I have collected various details,” said Mr. Goby.
Mr. Goby was celebrated³ all over London, indeed possibly all over England and even further, asa great purveyor⁴ of information. How he performed these miracles nobody ever really quite knew.
He employed a not excessive staff. Sometimes he complained that his legs, as he sometimes calledthem, were not as good as they used to be. But his results were still able to astonish people whohad commissioned them.
“Mrs. Burton- Cox,” he said, announcing the name much as though he had been the localchurchwarden having his turn at reading the lessons. He might equally have been saying “Thirdverse, fourth chapter, the book of Isaiah.”
“Mrs. Burton-Cox,” he said again. “Married Mr. Cecil Aldbury, manufacturer of buttons on alarge scale. Rich man. Entered politics, was MP for Little Stansmere. Mr. Cecil Aldbury waskilled in a car accident four years after their marriage. The only child of the marriage died in anaccident shortly afterwards. Mr. Aldbury’s estate was inherited by his wife, but was not as muchas had been expected since the firm had not been doing well of late years. Mr. Aldbury also leftquite a considerable sum of money to a Miss Kathleen Fenn, with whom it seemed he had beenhaving intimate relations quite unknown to his wife. Mrs. Burton-Cox continued her politicalcareer. Some three years after that she adopted a child which had been born to Miss KathleenFenn. Miss Kathleen Fenn insisted that the child was the son of the late Mr. Aldbury. This, fromwhat I have been able to learn in my enquiries, is somewhat difficult to accept,” continued Mr.
Goby. “Miss Fenn had had many relationships, usually with gentlemen of ample means andgenerous

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