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  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.'

  'I agree. But someone might have come in through the study

  window.'

  'But that is just what you said did not happen?'

  'I said that no one from outside could have come and left

  without leaving marks on the grass. But it could have been

  managed from inside the house. Someone could have gone

  from his room by one of these windows, slipped along the

  terrace, in at the study window, and back again in here.'

  Mr Carlile objected:

  'But Lord Mayfield and Sir George Carriugton were on

  terrace.'

  'They were on the terrace, yes, but they were en promenade:,

  Sir George Carrington's eyes may be of the most reliable'

  Poirot made a little bow - 'but he does not keep them in the

  back of his head! The study window is at the extreme left of tbs:

  terrace, the windows of this room come next, but the terrace

  continues to the right past one, two, three, perhaps foul'

  rooms?'

  'Dining-room, billiard-room, morning room and library,'

  said Lord Mayfield.

  ',And you walked up and down the terrace, how many times?'

  At least five or sin.

  30

  'You see, it ia easy enough, the thief has only to watch for the

  right moment!'

  Carlile said slowly:

  'You mean that when I was in the hall, talking to the French

  girl, the thief was waiting in the drawing-room?'

  'That is my suggestion. It is, of course, only a suggestion.'

  'It doesn't sound very probable to me,' said Lord Mayfield.

  'Too risky.'

  The Air Marshall demurred.

  'I don't agree with you, Charles. It's perfectly possible.

  Wonder I hadn't the wits to think of it for myself.'

  'So you see,' said Poirot, 'why I believe that the plans are still

  in the house. The problem now is to fred them?

  Sir George snorted.

  'That's simple enough. Search everybody.'

  Lord Mayfield made a movement of dissent, but Poirot

  spoke before he could.

  'No, no, it is not so simple as that. The person who took

  those plans will anticipate that a search will be made and will

  make quite sure that they are not found amongst his or her

  belongings. They will have been hidden in neutral ground.'

  'Do you suggest that we've got to go playing hide and seek all

  over the bally house?'

  Poirot smiled.

  'No, no, we need not be so crude as that. We can arrive at the

  hiding-place (or alternatively at the identify of the guilty

  person) by reflection. That will simplify matters. In the

  morning I would like an interview with every person in the

  house. It would, I think, be unwise to seek those interviews

  now.'

  Lord Mayfield nodded.

  'Cause too much comment,' he said, 'if we dragged everybody

  out of their beds at three in the morning. In any case you'll

  have to proceed with a good deal of camouflage, M. Poirot.

  This matter has got to be kept dark.'

  Poirot waved an airy hand.

  'Leave it to Hercule Poirot. The lies I invent are always most

  31

  delicate anq most convincing. Tomorrow, then, I conduct rn

  investigatio

  · . . ess. But tonight, I should like to begin b lntervlewtnb. , e;,

  , yuu, o, George and you, Lord Mayfield.'

  He bowett to them both.

  'You mean - alone?'

  'That wa my meaning.'

  ,L, ord Mabffield raised his eyes slightly, then he said:

  Certainly. I'll leave you alone with Sir George. When you want me, Yu'll find me in my study. Come, Carlile.'

  He and the secretary went out, shutting the door behind

  them.

  Sir George sat down, reaching mechanically for a cigarette.

  He turned a puzzled face to Poirot.

  'You knoN,, he said slowly. 'I don't quite get this.'

  'That is V%y simply explained,' said Poirot with a smile.

  two words, to be accurate. Mrs Vanderlyn!'

  'Oh,' said Carrington. 'I think I see. Mrs Vanderlyn?'

  'Precisely, It might be, you see, that it would not be ver'

  delicate to ak Lord Mayfield the question I want to ask. W

  Mrs Vanderlyn? This lady, she is known to be a suspicious

  character. Why, then, should she be here? I say to myself there

  are three explanations. One, that Lord Mayfield has a penchan

  for the lady (Mad that is why I seek to talk to you alone. I do not

  wish to embtrrass him). Two, that Mrs Vanderlyn is perhaps

  the dear friend of someone else in the house?'

  'You can %unt me out!' said Sir George with a grin.

  'Then, if reither of those cases is true, the question returns

  in redoubled l?orce. Why Mrs Vanderlyn? And it seems to me I

  perceive a sh.dowy answer. There was a reason. Her presence

  at this parttular juncture was definitely desired by Lord

  Mayfield for a special reason. Am I right?'

  Sir Georg nodded.

  foYou're quite right,' he said. 'Mayfield is too old a bird to

  r her wiles. He wanted her here for quite another reason. It

  was like this.

  He retaileq the conversation that had taken place at the

  dinner-table. Poirot listened attentively.

  32

  'Ah,' he said. 'I comprehend now. Nevertheless, it seems

  that the lady has turned the tables on you both rather neatly?

  Sir George swore freely.

  Poirot watched him with some slight amusement, then he

  said:

  'You do not doubt that this theft is her doing - I mean, that

  she is responsible for it, whether or no she played an active

  part?'

  Sir George stared.

  'Of course not! There isn't any doubt of that. Why, who else

  would have any interest in stealing those plans?'

  'Ah!' said Hercule Poirot. He leaned back and looked at the

  ceiling. 'And yet, Sir George, we agreed, not a quarter of an

  hour ago, that these papers represented very definitely money.

  Not perhaps, in quite so obvious a form as banknotes, or gold,

  or jewellery, but nevertheless they were potential money. If

  there were anyone here who was hard up '

  The other 'interrupted him with a snort.

  'Who isn't these days? I suppose I can say it without

  incriminating myself.'

  He smiled and Poirot smiled pofitely back at him and

  murmured:

  'Mais oui, you can say what you like, for you, Sir George,

  have the one unimpeachable alibi in this affair.'

  'But I'm danmed hard up myselfl.'

  Poirot shook his head sadly.

  'Yes, indeed, a man in your position has heavy living

  expenses. Then you have a young son at a most expensive age '

  Sir George groaned.

  'Education's bad enough, then debts on top of it. Mind you,

  this lad's not a bad lad.'

  Poirot listened sympathetically. He heard a lot of the Air

  M
arshal's accumulated grievances. The lack of grit and

  stamina in the younger generation, the fantastic way in which

  mothers spoilt their children and always took their side, the

  curse of gambling once it got hold of a woman, the folly of

  playing for higher stakes than you could afford. It was couched

  33

  in general terms, Sir George did not allude directly to either his

  wife or his son, but his natural transparency made his

  generalizations very easy to see through.

  He broke off suddenly.

  'Sorry, mustn't take up your time with something that's

  right off the subject, especially at this hour of the night - or

  rather, morning.'

  He stifled a yawn.

  'I suggest, Sir George, that you should go to bed. You have

  been most kind and helpful.'

  'Right, think I will mm in. You really think there is a chance

  of gettirsg the plans back?'

  Poirot shrugged his shoulders.

  'I mean to try. I do not see why not.'

  'Well, I'll be off. Goodight.'

  He left the room.

  Poirot remained in his chair staring thoughtfully at the

  ce'fling, then he took out a LITTLE notebook and turning to a clean

  page, he wrote:

  Mrs Vanderlyn?

  Lady Julia Carfington?

  /vlrs Macatta?

  Reggie Carrington?

  Mr Carlile?

  Underneath he wrote:

  Mrs

  Vanderlyn and Mr Reggie Carrington?

  Mrs

  Vandefiyn and Lady Julia?

  Mrs

  Vanderlyn and Mr Carlile?

  He shcok his head in a dissatisfied manner, murmuring:

  'C'est Mus simple que fa.'

  Then he added a few short sentences.

  Did Lord Mayfield see a 'shadow'? If not, why did he say he

  34

  did? Did Sir George see anything? He was positive he had seez

  nothing AFTER I examined flower-bed. Note: Lord Mayfield

  near-sighted can read without glasses but has to use a monocle tt

  look across a room. Sir George is long-sighted. Therefore, from

  far end of the terrace, his sight is more to be depended upon thaz,

  ::Lord Mayfield' s. Yet Lord Mayfield is very positive that he DID

  il see something and is quite unshaken by his friend's denial.

  : i, Can anyone be quite as above suspicion as Mr Carlile appears tt

  be? Lord Mayfield is very emphatic as to his innocence. Too muci.

  so. lYhy? Because he secretly suspects ban and is ashamed of h

  suspicions? Or because he definitely suspects some other person.;

  is to say, some person OTHER than Mrs Vanderlyn?

  He put the notebook away.

  Then, getting up, he were along to the study.

  CHAPTER5

  Lord Mayfield was seated at his desk when Poirot entered the

  study. He swung round, laid down his pen, and looked up

  inquiringly.

  'Well, M. Poirot, had your interview with Carrington?'

  Poirot smiled and sat down.

  'Yes, Lord Mayfield. He cleared up a point that had puzzled

  'What was that?'

  'The reason for Mrs Vanderlyn's presence here. You

  comprehend, I thought it possible -'

  Mayfield was quick to realize the cause of Poirot's somewhat

  exaggerated embarrassment.

  'You thought I had a weakness for the lady? Not at all. Far

  from it. Funnily enough, Carrington thought the same.'

  35

  'Yes, he has told me of the conversation he held with x,[

  the subject.'

  - '

  Lord Mayfield looked rather rueful.

  cM ·

  y little scheme didn't come off. Always annoying t I

  to admit that a Woman has got the better of you. '

  'Ah, but she has not got the better of you yet, Mayfield.'

  ·

  ou think we may yet win? Well, I'm glad to hear you

  so. I'd like to think it was true.'

  He sighed.

  'I feel I've acted like a complete fool - so pleased with my

  stratagem for entrapping the lady.'

  Hercule Poirot said, as he lit one of his tiny cigarettes:

  'What was your stratagem exactly, Lord Ma3rfield?'

  'Well,' Lord Mayfield hesitated. 'I hadn't exactly got down

  to details.'

  'You didn't discuss it with anyone?'

  'No.'

  'Not even with Mr Carlile?'

  'No.'

  Poirot smiled.

  'You prefer to play a lone hand, Lord Mayfield.'

  'I-have usually found it the best way,' said the other a little

  grimly.

  'Yes, you are wise. Trust no one. But you d/mention the

  matter to Sir George Carrinon'

  'Si ' '

  - --°- °

  reply tecause I realized that the dear fellow was seriously

  perturbed about nae.'

  Lord Mayfield smiled at the remembrance.

  'He is an old friend of yours?'

  'Yes. I have known him for over twenty years.'

  'And his wife?'

  'I have known his wife also, of course.'

  'But (pardon me if I am impertinent) you are not on the same

  terms of intimacy with her?'

  'I don't really see wheat my personal relationships to people

  has to do with the matter in hand, M. Poirot.'

  36

  'But I think, Lord Mayfield, that they may have a good deal

  to do with it. You agreed, did you not, that my theory of

  someone in the drawing-room was a possible one?'

  'Yes. In fact, I agree with you that that is what must have

  happened.'

  'We will not say "must." That is too self-confident a word.

  But if that theory of mine is true, who do you think the person

  in the drawing-room could have been?'

  . 'Obviously Mrs Vanderlyn. She had been back there once

  for a book. She could have come back for another book, or a

  handbag, or a dropped handkerchief- one of a dozen feminine

  excuses. She arranges with her maid to scream and get Carlile

  away from the study. Then she slips in and out by the windows

  as you said.'

  'You forget it could not have been Mrs Vanderlyn. Carlile

  heard her call the maid from upstairs while he was talking to the

  girl.'

  Lord Mayfield bit his lip.

  'True. I forgot that.' He looked thoroughly annoyed.

  'You see,' said Poirot gently. 'We progress. We have first the

  simple explanation of a thief who comes from outs/de and

  makes off with the booty. A very convenient theory as I said at

  the time, too convenient to be readily accepted. We have

  disposed of that. Then we come to the theory of the foreign

  agent, Mrs Vanderlyn, and that again seems to fit together

  beautifully up to a certain point. But now it looks as though

  that, too, was too easy - too convenient - to be accepted.'

  'You'd wash Mrs Vanderlyn out of it altogether?'

  'It was not Mrs Vanderlyn in the drawing-room. It may have

  been an ally of Mrs Vanderlyn's who committed the theft, but

  it is just possible that it was committed by another person

  altogether. If so, we have to consider the question of motive.'

  'Isn't this rather far-fetched, M. Po[rot?'

  'I do not think so. Now what motives could there be? There

  is the motive of money. The papers may have been stolen w
ith

  the object of turning them into cash. That is the simplest

  37

  motive to consider. But the motive might possibly be something

  quite different.'

  'Such as -'

  Poirot said slowly:

  'It might have been done definitely with the idea or

  damaging someone.'

  'Who.>'

  'Possibly Mr Carlile. He would be the obvious suspect. Bm

  there might be more to it than that. The men who control the

  destiny of a country, Lord Mayfield, are particularly vulnera-.

  hie to displays of popular feeling.'

  'Meaning that the theft was aimed at damaging me?'

  Poirot nodded.

  'I think I am correct in saying, Lord Mayfield, that about

  five years ago you passed through a somewhat trying time. You

  were suspected of friendship with a European Power at that

  time bitterly unpopular with the electorate of this country.'

  'Quite true, M. Poirot.'

  'A statesman in these days has a difficult task. He has to

  pursue the policy he deems advantageous to his country, but he

  has at the same time to recognize the force of popular feeling.

  Popular feeling is very often sentimental, muddle-headed, and

  eminently unsound, but it cannot be disregarded for all that.'

  'How well you express it! That is exactly the curse of a

  politician's life He has to bow to the country's feeling, however

  dangerous and foolhardy he knows it to be.'

  'That was your dilemma, I think. There were rumours that

  you had concluded an agreement with the country in question.

  This country and the newspapers were up in arms about it.

  Fortunately the Prime Minister was able categorically to deny

  the story, and you repudiated it, though s611 making no secret

  of the way your sympathies lay.'

  'All this is quite tree, M. Poirot, but why rake up past

  history?'

  'Because I consider it possible that an enemy, disappointed

  in the way you surmounted that crisis, might endeavour to

  stage a further dilemma. You soon regained public confidence.

  38