Twenty-one
Poirot went on up the hill. Suddenly he no longer felt the pain of his feet. Something had come tohim. The fitting together of the things he had thought and felt, had known they were connected,but had not seen how they were connected. He was conscious now of danger—danger that mightcome to someone any minute now unless steps were taken to prevent it. Serious danger.
Elspeth McKay came out to the door to meet him. “You look fagged out,” she said. “Come andsit down.”
“Your brother is here?”
“No. He’s gone down to the station. Something’s happened, I believe.”
“Something has happened?” He was startled. “So soon? Not possible.”
“Eh?” said Elspeth. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Nothing. Something has happened to somebody, do you mean?”
“Yes, but I don’t know who exactly. Anyway, Tim Raglan rang up and asked for him to godown there. I’ll get you a cup of tea, shall I?”
“No,” said Poirot, “thank you very much, but I think—I think I will go home.” He could notface the prospect¹ of black bitter tea. He thought of a good excuse that would mask any signs ofbad manners. “My feet,” he explained. “My feet. I am not very suitably attired² as to footwear forthe country. A change of shoes would be desirable.”
Elspeth McKay looked down at them. “No,” she said. “I can see they’re not. Patent leatherdraws the feet. There’s a letter for you, by the way. Foreign stamps on it. Come from abroad—c/oSuperintendent Spence, Pine Crest³. I’ll bring it to you.”
She came back in a minute or two, and handed it to him.
“If you don’t want the envelope, I’d like it for one of my nephews—he collects stamps.”
“Of course.” Poirot opened the letter and handed her the envelope. She thanked him and wentback into the house.
Poirot unfolded the sheet and read.
Mr. Goby’s foreign service was run with the same competence⁴ that he showed in his Englishone. He spared no expense and got his results quickly.
True, the results did not amount to much—Poirot had not thought that they would.
Olga Seminoff had not returned to her hometown. She had had no family still living. She hadhad a friend, an elderly woman, with whom she had corresponded

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