Hercule Poirot's Casebook

Clapperton herself say so.'

'We?'

'Miss Mooney, Miss Cregan, Colonel Clapl2rton md

myself.'

198

Ellie Henderson tapped a neatly shod foot. She did not speak

for a moment or two. Then she said in a slightly irritable tone:

'Well - what exactly do you deduce from that? If Mss

Clapperton could lock the door she could unlock it too, I

suppose.'

'Precisely, precisely.' Poirot turned a beaming face upon

her. 'And you see where that leaves us. MrsClapperton unlocked

t& door and let the murderer in. Now would she be likely to do

that for a bead seller?'

Ellie objected: 'She might not have known who it was. He

may have knocked - she got up and opened the door - and he

forced his way in and killed her.'

Poirot shook his head. 'Au contraire. She was 'lying peace-fully

in bed when she was stabbed.'

Miss Henderson stared at him. 'What's your idea?' she asked

abruptly.

Poirot smiled. 'Well, it looks, does it not, as though she knew

the person she admitted...'

'You mean,' said Miss Henderson and her voice sounded a

little harsh, 'that the murderer is a passenger on the sh)?'

Poirot nodded. 'It seems indicated.'

'And the string of beads left on the floor was a blind?'

'Precisely.'

'The theft of the money also?'

'Exactly.'

There was a pause, then Miss Henderson said slowly: 'I

thought Mrs Clapperton a very unpleasant woman and I don't

think anyone on board really liked her - but there wasn't

anyone who had any reason to kill her.'

'Except her husband, perhaps,' said Poirot.

'You don't really think -' She stopped.

'It is the opinion of every person on this ship that Colonel

Clapperton would have been quite justified in "taking a

hatchet to her". That was, I think, the expression used.'

Ellie Henderson looked at him - waiting.

'But I am bound to say,' went on Poirot, 'that I myself have

not noted any signs of exasperation on the good Colonel's part.

Also what is more important, he had an alibi. He was with those

199

two girls all day and did not return to the ship till four o'clock By then, Mrs Clapperton had been dead many hours.'

There was another minute of silence. Ellie Henderson said

softly: 'But you still think - a passenger on the ship?'

Poirot bowed his head.

Ellie Henderson laughed suddenly - a reckless defmnt laugh.

'Your theory may be difficult to prove, M. Poirot. There area

good many passengers on this ship.'

Poirot bowed to her. 'I will use a phrase from one o;

detective stories. "I have my methods, Watson." '

The following evening, at dinner, every passenger fed a

typewritten slip by his plate requesting him to be h the ,nain

lounge at 8.30. When the company were assembled, the

Captain stepped on to the raised platform where the orccstra

usually played and addressed them.

'Ladies and gentlemen, you all know of the tragedy ".:,¥ich

took place yesterday. I am sure you all wish to co-oper:e in

bringing the perpetrator of that foul crime to justice ' He

paused and cleared his throat. 'We have on board with '¢,, M.

Hercule Poirot who is probably known to you all as a man who

has had wide experience in - er - such matters. I hope you will

listen carefully to what he has to say.'

It was at this moment that Colonel Clappenon, who had not

been at dinner, came in and sat down next to General Forbes.

He looked like a man bewildered by sorrow - not at all like a

man conscious of great relief. Either he was a very good

actor or else he had been genuinely fond of his disagreeable

wife.

'M. Hercule Poirot,' said the Captain and stepped down.

Poirot took his place. He looked comically self-important as he

beamed on his audience.

'Messieurs, mesdames,' he began. 'It is most kind of you. be

so indulgent as to listen to me. M. le Gapitaine has told you ;at

I have had a certain experience in these matters. I have, t is

true, a little idea of my own about how to get to the botto ': of

this particular case.' He made a sign and a steward pu.ed

200

forward and passed on to him a bulky, shapeless object

vrapped in a sheet.

'What I am about to do may surprise you a little,' Poirot

vamed them. 'It may occur to you that I am eccentric, perhaps

mad. Nevertheless I assure you that behind my madness there

is - as you English say - a method.'

His eyes met those of Miss Henderson for just a minute. He

began unwrapping the bulky object.

'I have here, messieurs and mesdames, an important witness to

the truth of who killed Mrs Clapperton.' With a deft hand he

whisked away the last enveloping cloth, and the object it

concealed was revealed - an almost life-sized wooden doll,

dressed in a velvet suit and lace collar.

'Now, Arthur,' said Poirot and his voice changed subtly - it

was no longer foreign - it had instead a confident English, a

slightly Cockney inflection. 'Can you tell me - I repeat - can

you tell me - anything at all about the death of Mrs

Clapperton?'

The doll's neck oscillated a little, its wooden lower jaw

dropped and wavered and a shrill high-pitched woman's voice.

spoke:

'What is it, John? The door's locked. I don't want to be

disturbed by the stewards...'

There was a cry - an overturned chair - a man stood