Elephants Can Remember

They might have done something to make things better, or have tried to do so, only they couldn't. Oh, I'm putting it all so badly." "No," said Poirot, "you are doing it very well, and I am interested and I think you have something definite in your mind. Tell me, does Celia Ravenscroft agree with you?" "I haven't said too much to her. You see, she was very fond of Maddy and of Zeiie." "Maddy and Zeiie?" "Oh, well, that's their names. Oh, I must explain. I haven't done it very well. You see, when Celia was quite a child-at the time when I first knew her, as I say, when we were living next door in the country-she had a French sort of-well, I suppose nowadays we call it an au pair girl, but it was called a governess then. You know, a French governess. A mademoiselle.

And you see, she was very nice. She played with all of us children and Celia always called her Maddy for short-and all the family called her Maddy." "Ah, yes. The mademoiselle." "Yes, you see being French, I thought-I thought perhaps she would tell you things that she knew and wouldn't wish to speak about to other people." "Ah. And the other name you mentioned?" "Zeiie. The same sort of thing, you see. A mademoiselle.

Maddy was there, I think, for about two or three years and then, later, she went back to France, or Switzerland I think it was, and this other one came. Younger than Maddy was and, we didn't call her Maddy. Celia called her Zeiie. All the \ family called her Zeiie. She was very young, pretty and great ' fun. We were all frightfully fond of her. She played games with us and we all loved her. The family did. And General Ravenscroft was very taken with her. They used to play games together, picquet, you know, and lots of things." "And Lady Ravenscroft?" "Oh, she was devoted to Zeiie too, and Zeiie was devoted to her. That's why she came back again after she'd left." "Came back?" "Yes, when Lady Ravenscroft was ill, and had been in hospital, Zeiie came back and was sort of companion to her and looked after her. I don't know, but I believe, I think, I'm almost sure that she was there when it-the tragedy- happened. And so, you see she'd know-what really happened." "And you know her address? You know where she is now?" "Yes. I know where she is. I've got her address. I've got both their addresses. I thought perhaps you could go and see her, or both of them. I know it's a lot to ask-" He broke off.

Poirot looked at him for some minutes. Then he said: "Yes, it is a possibility-certainly-a possibility." Book Two Long Shadows

Chapter XI. Superintendent Garroway And Poirot Compare Notes

Superintendent Garroway looked across the table at Poirot. His eyes twinkled. At his side George delivered a whisky and soda. Passing on to Poirot, he put down a glass filled with a dark purple liquid.

"What's your tipple?" said Superintendent Garroway with some interest.

"A syrup of black currant," said Poirot.

"Well, well," said Superintendent Garroway, "everyone to their own taste. What was it Spence told me? He told me you used to drink something called a tisane, wasn't it? What's that, a variant of French piano or something?" "No," said Poirot, "it's useful for reducing fevers." "Ah. Invalid 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!" He shook 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 in one of your stories by Mr.

Kipling. I suffer from insatiable curiosity." "Insatiable curiosity," said Superintendent Garroway. "Nice stories he wrote, Kipling. Knew his stuff, too. They told me once that that man could go for one short tour round a destroyer and know more 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 ask questions. I am afraid that I sent you rather a long list of questions." "What intrigued me," said Superintendent Garroway, "is the way you jumped from one thing to another. Psychiatrists, doctors' reports, how money was left, who had money, who got money. Who expected money and didn't get money, particulars of ladies' hairdressing, wigs, name of the supplier of wigs, charming rose-colored cardboard boxes they came in, by the way." "You knew all these things," said Poirot. "That has amazed me, I can assure you." "Ah, well, it was a puzzling case and of course we made full notes on the subject. None of this was any good to us, but we kept the files and it was all there if one wanted to look for it." He pushed a piece of paper across the table.

"Here you are. Hairdressers. Bond Street, Expensive firm.

Eugene and Rosentelle was the name of it. They moved later.