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  attract Lord Mayfield's attention. He sat up a little straighter,

  his monocle dropped. It was as though a new alertness came to

  him.

  'I beg your pardon, M. Poirot?'

  'I said, Lord Mayfield, that the facts were all very conve-nient

  - for the thief. By the way, you are sure it was a man you

  saw?'

  Lord Mayfield shook his head.

  'That I couldn't say. It was just a - shadow. In fact, I was

  almost doubtful if I had seen anyone.'

  Poirot transferred his gaze to the Air Marshal.

  'And you, Sir George? Could you say if it was a man or a

  woman?'

  'I didn't see anyone myself.'

  Poirot nodded thoughtfully. Then he skipped suddenly to

  his feet and went over to the writing-table.

  'I can assure you that the plans are not there,' said Lord

  Mayfield. 'We have all three been through those papers half a

  dozen times.'

  'All three? You mean, your secretary also?'

  21

  'Yes, Carlile.'

  Poirot turned suddenly.

  'Tell me, Lord Mayfield, which paper was on top when you

  went over to the desk?'

  Mayfield frowned a little in the effort of remembrance.

  'Let me see - yes, it was a rough memorandum of some sort

  of our air defence positions.'

  Deftly, Poirot nipped out a paper and brought it over.

  'Is this the one, Lord Mayfield?'

  Lord Mayfield took it and glanced over it.

  'Yes, that's the one.'

  Poirot took it over to Carrington.

  'Did you notice this paper on the desk?'

  Sir George took it, held it away from him, then slipped on his

  pincenez.

  'Yes, that's right. I looked through them too, with Carlile

  and Mayfield. This was on top.'

  Poirot nodded thoughtfully. He replaced the paper on the

  desk. Mayfield looked at him in a slightly puzzled manner.

  'If there are any other questions -' he began.

  'But yes, certainly there is a question. Carlile. Carlile is the

  question!'

  Lord Mayfield's colour rose a little.

  'Carlile, M. Poirot, is quite above suspicion! He has been my

  confidential secretary for nine years. He has access to all my

  private papers, and I may point out to you that he could have

  made a copy of the plans and a tracing of the spedfications

  quite easily without anyone being the wiser.'

  'I appreciate your point,' said Poirot. 'If he had been guilty

  there would be no need for him to stage a clumsy robbery.'

  'In any case,' said Lord Mayfield, 'I am sure of Carlile. I will

  guarantee him.'

  'Carlile,' said Carrington gruffly, 'is all right.'

  Poirot spread out his hands gracefully.

  'And this Mrs Vanderlyn - she is all wrong?'

  'She's a wrong 'un all right,' said Sir George.

  Lord Mayfield said in more measured tones:

  22

  'I think, M. Poirot, that there can be no doubt of Mrs

  Vanderlyn's - well - activities. The Foreign Office can give you

  more precious data as to that.'

  'And the maid, you take it, is in with her mistress?'

  'Not a doubt of it,' said Sir George.

  'It seems to me a plausible assumption,' said Lord Mayfield

  more cautiously.

  There was a pause. Poirot sighed, and absent-mindedly rearranged

  one or two articles on a table at his right hand. Then he said:

  'I take it that these papers represented money? That is, the

  stolen papers would be definitely worth a large sum in cash.'

  'If presented in a certain quarter - yes.'

  'Such as?'

  Sir George mentioned the names of two European powers.

  Poirot nodded.

  'That fact would be known to anyone, I take it?'

  'Mrs Vanderlyn would know it all right.'

  'I said to anyone?' 'I suppose so, yes.'

  'Anyone with a minimum of intelligence would appreciate

  the Cash value of the plans?'

  'Yes, but M. Poirot -' Lord Mayfield was looking rather

  uncomfortable.'

  Poirot held up a hand.

  'I do what you call explore all the avenues.'

  Suddenly he rose again, stepped nimbly out of the window

  and with a flashlight examined the edge of the grass at the

  farther side of the terrace.

  The two men watched him.

  He came in again, sat down and said:

  'Tell me, Lord Mayfield, this malefactor, this skulker in the

  shadows, you do not have him pursued?'

  Lord Mayfield shrugged his shoulders.

  'At the bottom of the garden he could make his way out to a

  main road. If he had a car waiting there, he would soon be out

  of reach '

  23

  'But there are the police - the A.A. scouts '

  Sir George interrupted.

  'You forget, M. Poirot. We cannot risk publicity. If it were to

  get out that these plans had been stolen, the result would be

  extremely unfavourable to the Party.'

  'Ah, yes,' said Poirot. 'One must remember La Politique. The great discretion must be observed. You send instead for

  me. Ah well, perhaps it is simpler.'

  'You are hopeful of success, M. Poirot?' Lord Mayfield

  sounded a trifle incredulous.

  The little man shrugged his shoulders.

  'Why not? One has only to reason - to reflect.'

  He paused a moment and then said:

  'I would like now to speak to Mr Carlile.'

  'Certainly.' Lord Mayfield rose. 'I asked him to wait up. He

  will be somewhere at hand.'

  He went out of the room.

  Poirot looked at Sir George.

  'Eh bien,' he said. 'What about this man on the terrace?'

  'My dear M. Poirot. Don't ask me! I didn't see him, and I

  can't describe him.'

  Poirot leaned forward.

  'So you have already said. But it is a little different from that

  is it not?'

  'what d'you mean?' asked Sir George abruptly.

  'How shall I say it? Your disbelief, it is more profomaxt.'

  Sir George started to speak, then stopped.

  'But yes,' said Poirot encouragingly. 'Tell me. You are both

  at the end of the terrace. Lord Mayfield sees a shadow slip from

  the window and across the grass. Why do you not see that

  shadow?'

  Carrington stared at him.

  'You've hit it, M. Poirot. I've been worrying about that ever

  since. You see, I'd swear that no one did leave this window. I

  though Mayfield had imagined it - branch of a tree waving something

  of that kind. And then when we came in here and

  24

  found there had been a robbery, it seemed as though Mayfield

  must have been right and I'd been wrong. And yet -'

  Poirot smiled.

  'And yet you still in your heart of hearts believe in the

  evidence (the negative evidence) of your own eyes?'

  'You're right, M. Poirot, I do.'

  Poirot gave a sudden smile.

  'How wise you are.'

  Sir George said sharply:

  'There were no footprints on the grass edge?'

  Poirot nodded.

  'Exactly. Lord Mayfield, he fancies he sees a shadow. Then

  there comes the robbery and he is sure - but sure! It is no

  longer a fancy - he actually saw th
e man. But that is not so. Me,

  I do not concern myself much with footprints and such things

  but for what it is worth we have that negative evidence. There

  were no footprints on the grass. It had rained heavily this

  evening. If a man had crossed the terrace to the grass this

  evening his footprints would have shown.'

  Sir George said, staring: 'But then - but then '

  'It brings us back to the house. To the people in the house.'

  He broke off as the door opened and Lord Maytield entered

  with Mr Carlile.

  Though still looking very pale and worried, the secretary had

  regained a certain composure of manner. Adjusting his pincenez

  he sat down and looked at Poirot inquiringly.

  'How long had you been in this room when you heard the

  scream, monsieur?'

  Carlile considered.

  'Between five and' ten minutes, I should say.'

  'And before that there had been no disturbance of any kind?'

  'No.'

  'I understand that the house-party had been in one room for

  the greater part of the evening.'

  'Yes, the drawing-room.'

  Poirot consulted his notebook.

  'Sir George Carrington and his wife. Mrs Macatta. Mrs

  25

  Vandedyn. Mr Reggie Carrington. Lord Mayfield and your-self.

  Is that right?'

  'I myself was not in the drawing-room. I was working here

  the greater part of the evening.'

  Poirot turned to Lord Mayfield.

  'Who went up to bed first?'

  'Lady Julia Carrington, I think. As a matter of fact, the three

  ladies went out together.'

  'And then?'

  'Mr Carlile came in and I told him to get out the papers as

  Sir George and I would be along in a minute.'

  'It was then that you decided to take a turn on the terrace?'

  'It was.'

  'Was anything said in Mrs Vanderlyn's hearing as to your

  working in the study?'

  'The matter was mentioned, yes.'

  'But she was not in the room when you irtstnacted Mr Carlile

  to get out the papers?'

  'No.'

  'Excuse me, Lord Mayfield,' said Carlile. 'Just after you had

  said that, I collided with her in the doorway. She had come

  back for a book.'

  'So you think she might have overheard?'

  'I think it quite possible, yes.'

  'She came back for a book,' mused Poirot, 'IDid you fred her

  her book, Lord Mayfield?'

  'Yes, Reggie gave it to her.'

  'Ah, yes, it is what you call the old gasp - no,, pardon, the old

  wheeze - that - to come back for a book. It is; often useful!'

  'You think it was deliberate?'

  Poirot shrugged his shoulders.

  'And after that, you two gentlemen [go outr on the terrace.

  And Mrs Vandedyn?'

  'She went off with her book.'

  'And the young M. Reggie. He went to bectt also?'

  'Yes.'

  'And Mr Carlile he comes here and smraetirme between five

  26

  and ten minutes later he heard a scream. Continue, M. Carlile.

  you heard a scream and you went out into the hall. Ah, perhaps

  it would be simplest if you reproduced exactly your actions.'

  Mr Carlile got up a little awkwardly.

  '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.'