Hercule Poirot's Casebook

'Here I scream,' said Poirot helpfully. He opened his mouth

and emitted a shrill bleat. Lord Mayfield turn his head away to

hide a smile and Mr Carlile looked extremely uncomfortable.

'Allez! Forward! March!' cried Poirot. 'It is your cue that I

give you there.'

Mr Carlile walked stiffly to the door, opened it and went out.

Poirot followed him. The other two came behind.

'The door, did you close it after you or leave it open?'

'I can't really remember. I think I must have left it open.'

'No matter. Proceed.'

Still with extreme stiffness, ,Mr Carlile walked to the bottom

of the staircase and stood there looking up.

Poirot said:

'The maid, you say, was on the stairs. Whereabouts?'

'About half-way up.'

'And she,was looking upset.'

'Definitely so.'

'Eh bien, me, I am the maid.' Poirot ran nimbly up the stairs.

'About here?'

'A step or two higher.'

'Like this?'

Poirot struck an attitude.

'Well - er - not quite like that.'

'How then?'

'Well, she had her hands to her head.'

'Ah, her hands to her lead. That is very interesting. Like

this?' Poirot raised his arms, his hands rested on his head just

above each ear.

'Yes that's it.'

'Aha! And tell me, M. Carlile, she was a pretty girl - yes?'

'Really, I didn't notice.'

Carlile's voice was repressive.

'Aha, you did not notice? But you are a young man. Does not

a young man notice when a girl is pretty?'

'Really, M. Poirot, I can only repeat that I did not do so.)

Carlile cast an agonized glance at his employer. Sir Georg

Carrington gave a sudden chuckle.

'M. Poirot seems determined to make you out a gay dog

Carlile,' he remarked.

The, I always notice when a girl is pretty,' announced Poiro

as he descended the stairs.

The silence with which Mr Carlile greeted this remark wa,

somewhat pointed. Poirot went on:

'And it was then she told this tale of having seen a ghost?'

'Yes.'

'Did you believe the story?'

'Well, hardly, M. Poirot?

'I do not mean, do you believe in ghosts. I mean, did it strike

you that the girl herself really thought she had seen

something?'

'Oh, as to that, I couldn't say. She was certainly breathing

fast and seemed upset.'

'You did not see or hear anything of her mistress?'

'Yes, as a matter of fact I did. She came out of her room in

the gallery above and called, "Leonie."'

'And then?'

'The girl ran up to her and I went back to the study.'

'Whilst you were standing at the foot of tile stairs here, could

anyone have entered the study by the door you had left open?'

Carlile shook his head.

'Not without passing me. The study door is at the end of the

passage, as you see.'

Poirot nodded thoughtfully. Mr Carlile went on in his

careful, precise voice.

'I may say that I am very thankful that Lorel Mayfield

actually saw the thief leaving the window. Otherwise I myself

should be in a very unpleasant position.'

'Nonsense, my dear Carlile,' broke in Lord Mayfield

impatiently. 'No suspicion could possibly attach to you.'

28

'It is very kind of you to say so, Lord Mayfield, but facts are

facts, and I can quite see that it looks badly for me. In any case

I hope that my belongings and myself may be searched.'

'Nonsense, my dear fellow,' said Mayfield.

Poirot murmured:

'You are serious in wishing that?'

'I should infinitely prefer it.'

Poirot looked at him thoughtfully for a minute or two and

murmured, 'I see.'

Then he asked:

'Where is Mrs Vandedyn's room situated in regard to the

study?'

'It is directly over it.'

'With a window looking out over the terrace?'

'Yes.'

Again Poirot nodded. Then he said:

'Let us go to the drawing-room.'

Here he wandered round the room, examined the fastenings

of the windows, glanced at the scorers on the bridge table and

then finally addressed Lord Mayfield.

'This affair,' he said, 'is more complicated than it appears.

But one thing is quite certain. The stolen plans have not left

this house.'

Lord Mayfield stared at him.

'But, my dear M. Poirot, the man I saw leaving the study-'

There was no man.

'But I saw him -'

q With the greatest respect, Lord Myfield, you imagined

iou saw him. The shadow cast by the branch of a tree deceived

you. The fact that a robbery occurred naturally seemed a proof

that what you had imagined was true.'

'Really, M. Poirot, the evidence of my own eyes '

'Back my eyes against yours any day, old boy,' put in Sir

i

orge.

::(! You must permit me, Lord Mayfield, to be very definite on

,;,-t point. No one crossed the terrace to the grass.

: Looking very pale and speaking stiffly, Mr Carlile said:

29

'In that case, if M. Poirot is correct, suspicion autoz 'i, 41y

attaches itself to me. I am the only person who could

have committed the robbery.'

' tly

Lord Mayfield sprang up.

'Nonsense. Whatever M. Poirot thinks about it, I don't

agree with him. I am convinced of your innocence, r%, ,tear

Carlile. In fact, I'm willing to guarantee it.'

Poirot murmured mildly:

'But I have not said that I suspect M. Carlile.'

Carlile answered:

'No, but you've made it perfectly clear that no one else had

a chance to commit the robbery.'

'Du tout[ Du tout['

'But I have told you nobody passed me in the hall to get to

the study door.'