Hercule Poirot's Casebook

'Alas, there are few leaves left on the trees now! A week ago

the woods were magnificent.'

'It was quite lovely today.'

'Good afternoon, Miss Plenderleith,' said Japp formally.

'I'll let you know when there's anything de£mite. As a matter of

fact we have got a man detained on suspicion.'

'What man?'

She looked at them eagerly.

'Major Eustace.'

She nodded and turned away, stooping down to put a match

to the fire.

'Well?' said Japp as the car turned the corner of the mews.

Poirot grinned.

'It was quite simple. The key was in the door this time.'

'And-?'

Poirot smiled.

'Eh,/den, the golf clubs had gone'

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'Naturally. The girl isn't a fool, whatever else she is. Anything else gone?'

Poirot nodded his head.

'Yes, my friend - the little attache-case!'

The accelerator leaped under Japp's foot.

'Damnation!' he said. 'I knew there was something. But what

the devil is it? I searched that case pretty thoroughly.'

'My poor Japp - but it is - how do you say, "obvious, my

dear Watson"?'

Japp threw him an exasperated look.

'Where are we going?' he asked.

Poirot consulted his watch.

'It is not yet four o'clock. We could get to Wentworth, I

think, before it is dark.'

'Do you think she really went there?'

'I think so - yes. She would know that we might make

inquiries. Oh, yes, I think we will f'md that she has been there.'

Japp grunted.

'Oh well, come on.' He threaded his way dexterously

through the traffic. 'Though what this attachi-case business

has to do with the crime I can't imagine. I can't see that it's got

anything at all to do with it.'"

'Predsely, my friend, I agree with you - it has nothing to do

with it.'

'Then why - No, don't tell me! Order and method and

everything nicely rounded offi Oh, well, it's a f'me day.'

The car was a fast one. They arrived at Wentworth Golf

Club a little after half-past four. There was no great congestion

there on a week day.

Poirot went straight to the caddie-master and asked for Miss

Plenderleith's dubs. She would be playing on a different

course tomorrow, he explained.

The caddie-master raised his voice and a boy sorted through

some golf dubs standing in a corner. He finally produced a bag

bearing the initials, J.P.

'Thank you,' said Poirot. He moved away, then turned

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carelessly and asked, 'She did not leave with you a small

attache-case also, did she?'

'Not today, sir. May have left it in the clubhouse.'

'She was down here today?'

'Oh, yes, I saw her.'

'Which caddie did she have, do you know? She's mislaid an

attache-case and can't remember where she had it last.'

'She didn't take a caddie. She came in here and bought a

couple of balls. Just took out a couple of irons. I rather fancy

she had a little case in her hand then.'

Poirot turned away with a word of thanks. The two men

walked round the clubhouse. Poirot stood a moment admiring

the view.

'It is beautiful, is it not, the dark pine trees - and then rile

lake. Yes, the lake -'

Japp gave him a quick glance.

'That's the idea, is it?'

Poirot smiled.

'I think it possible that someone may have seen something.

I should set the inquiries in motion if I were you.'

CHAPTER 10

Poirot stepped back, his head a little on one side as he surveyed

the arrangement of the room. A chair here - another chair

there. Yes, that was very nice. And now a ring at the bell - that

would be Japp.

The Scotland Yard man came in alertly. '

'Quite right, old cock! Straight from the horse's mouth. A

young woman was seen to throw something into the lake at

Wentworth yesterday. Description of her answers to Jane

Plenderleith. We managed to fish it up without much ditticulty.

A lot of reeds just there.'

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'And it was?'

'It was the attache-case all right! But why, in heaven's name?

Well, it beats me! Nothing inside it - not even the magazines.

Why a presumably sane young woman should want to fling an

expensively-fitted dressing-case into a lake - d'you know, I

worried all night because I couldn't get the hang of it.'

'Mort patwreJaFp! But you need worry no longer. Here is the

answer coming. The bell has just rung.'

George, Poirot's immaculate man-servant, opened the door

and announced:

'Miss Plenderleith.'

The girl came into the room with her usual air of complete

self-assurance. She greeted the two men.

'I asked you to come here -' explained Poirot. 'Sit here, will

you not, and you here, Japp - because I have certain news to

give you.'

· The girl sat down. She looked from one to the other, pushing

aside her hat. She took it off and laid it aside impatiently.

'Well,' she said. 'Major Eustace has been arrested.'

'You saw that, I expect, in the morning paper?'

'Yes.'

'He is at the moment charged with a minor offence,' were on

Poirot. 'In the meantime we are gathering evidence in

connection with the murder.'

'It was murder, then?'

The girl asked it eagerly.

Poirot nodded his head.

'Yes,' he said. 'It was murder. The wilful destruction of one

human being by another human being.'

She shivered a little.

'Don't,' she murmured. 'It sounds horrible when you say it

like that.'

'Yes - but it is horrible!'

He paused - then he said: