Hercule Poirot's Casebook

I'm sure it's frightfully bad for me.'

-Commander Chantry said across her to the other man:

'That your missus in the sea?'

'Yes. Expect it's about time I joir;ed her.'

Valentine murmured:

'But it's so lovely here in the sun. You mustn't go into the sea

yet. Tony darling, I don't think I shall actually bathe today not

my first day. I might get a chill or something. But why

don't you go in now, Tony darling? Mr - Mr Gold will stay and

keep me company while you're in.'

Chantry said rather grimly:

'No, thanks. Shan't go in just yet. Your wife seems to be

waving to you, Gold.'

Valentine said:

'How well your wife swims. I'm sure she's one of those

terribly efficient women who do everything well. They always

frighten me so because I feel they despise me. I'm so frightfully

bad at everything - an absolute duffe?, aren't I, Tony darling?'

But again Commander Chantry only grunted.

His wife murmured affectionately:

'You're too sweet to admit it. Men are so wonderfully loyal - that's what I like about them. I do think men are so much more loyal than women - and they never say nasty things.

Women, I always think, are rather petty.'

Sarah Blake rolled over on her side towards Poirot.

She murmured between her teeth.

'Examples of pettiness, to suggest that dear Mrs Chantry is

in any way not absolute perfection! What a complete idiot the

woman is I I really do think Valentine Chantry is very nearly the

most idiotic woman I ever met. She can't do anything but say,

"Tony, darling," and roll her eyes. I should fancy she'd got

cottonwool padding instead of brains.'

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Poirot raised his expressive eyebrows.

'Un peu sbore,t'

'Oh, yes. Put it down as pure "Cat," if you like. She certainly

has her methods! Can't she leave any man alone? Her

husband's looking like thunder.'

Looking out to sea, Poirot remarked:

'Mrs Gold swims well.'

'Yes, she isn't like us who f'md it a nuisance to get wet. I

wonder if Mrs Chantry will ever go into the sea at all while she's

out here.'

'Not she,' said General Barnes huskily. 'She won't risk that

make-up of hers coming off. Not that she isn't a f'me-looking

woman although perhaps a bit long in the tooth.'

'She's looking your way, General,' said Sarah wickedly.

'And you're wrong about the make-up. We're all waterproof

and kissproof nowadays.'

'Mrs Gold's coming out,' announced Pamela.

'Here we go gathering nuts and may,' hummed Sarah. 'Here

comes his wife to fetch him away - fetch him away - fetch him

away...'

Mrs Gold came straight up the beach. She had quite a pretty

figure but her plain, waterproof cap was rather too serviceable

to be attractive.

'Aren't you coming, Douglas?' she demanded impatiently.

'The sea is lovely and warm.'

'Rather.'

Douglas Gold rose hastily to his feet. He paused a moment

and as he did so Valentine Chantry looked up at him with a

sweet smile.

'Au revolt,' she said.

Gold and his wife went down the beach.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Pamela said critically:

'I don't think, you know, that that was wise. To snatch your

husband away from another woman is always bad policy. It

makes you seem so possessive. And husbands hate that.'

'You seem to know a lot about husbands, Miss Pamela,' said

General Barnes.

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'Other people's - not my own!'

'Ah! that's where the difference comes in.'

'Yes, but General, I shall have learnt a lot of Do Nots.'

'Well, darling,' said Sarah, 'I shouldn't wear a cap like that

for one thing...'

'Seems very sensible to me,' said the General. 'Seems a nice,

sensible little woman altogether.'

'You've hit it exactly, General,' said Sarah. 'But you know

there's a limit to the sensibleness of sensible women. I have a

feeling she won't be so sensible when it's a case of Valentine

Chantry.'

She turned her head and exclaimed in a low, excited

whisper:

'Look at him now. Just like thunder. That man looks as

though he had got the most frightful temper...'

Commander Chantry was indeed scowling after the retreating

husband and wife in a singularly unpleasant fashion.

Susan looked up at Poirot.

'Well?' she said. 'What do you make of all this?'

Hercule Poirot did not reply in words, but once again his

forefinger traced a design in the sand. The same design - a triangle.

'The eternal triangle,' mused Susan. 'Perhaps you're right.

If so, we're in for an exciting time in the next few weeks.'

CHAPTER2

M. Hercule Poirot was disappointed with Rhodes. He had

come to Rhodes for a rest and for a holiday. A holiday,

especially, from crime. In late October, so he had been told,

Rhodes would be nearly empty. A peaceful, secluded spot.

That, in itself, was true enough. The Chantrys, the Golds,

Pamela and Susan, the General and himself and two Italian

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couples were the only guests. But within that restricted circle the intelligent brain of M. Poirot perceived the inevitable

shaping of events to come.

'It is that I am criminal-minded,' he told himself reproachfully.

'I have the indigestion! I imagine things.'

But still he worried.

One morning he came down to fred Mrs Gold sitting on the

terrace doing needlework.

As he came up to her he had the impression that there was