Poirot murmured: "How long exactly?"

Gerard said slowly: "I do not think that Miss King paid much attention to that point. She did not, I presume, think it of any importance."

"One can say, at least, when she was last definitely known to be alive?" said Poirot.

Colonel Carbury cleared his throat and referred to an official-looking document. "Mrs. Boynton was spoken to by Lady Westholme and Miss Pierce shortly after four P.M.. Lennox Boynton spoke to his mother about four-thirty. Mrs. Lennox Boynton had a long conversation with her about five minutes later. Carol Boynton had a word with her mother at a time she is unable to state precisely—but which, from the evidence of others, would seem to have been about ten minutes past five."

"Jefferson Cope, an American friend of the family, returning to the camp with Lady Westholme and Miss Pierce, saw her asleep. He did not speak to her. That was about twenty to six. Raymond Boynton, the younger son, seems to have been the last person to see her alive. On his return from a walk he went and spoke to her at about ten minutes to six. The discovery of the body was made at six-thirty when a servant went to tell her dinner was ready."

"Between the time that Mr. Raymond Boynton spoke to her and half-past six did no one go near her?" asked Poirot.

"I understand not."

"But someone might have done so?" Poirot persisted.

"Don't think so. From close on six and up to six-thirty servants were moving about the camp, people were going to and from their tents. No one can be found who saw anyone approaching the old lady."

"Then Raymond Boynton was definitely the last person to see his mother alive?" said Poirot.

Dr. Gerard and Colonel Carbury interchanged a quick glance. Colonel Carbury drummed on the table with his fingers.

"This is where we begin to get into deep waters," he said. "Go on, Gerard. This is your pigeon."

Dr. Gerard said: "As I mentioned just now, Sarah King, when she examined Mrs. Boynton, saw no reason for determining the exact time of death. She merely said that Mrs. Boynton had been dead 'some little time'; but when, on the following day for reasons of my own, I endeavored to narrow things down and happened to mention that Mrs. Boynton was last seen alive by her son, Raymond, at a little before six, Miss King, to my great surprise, said point blank that that was impossible, that at that time Mrs. Boynton must already have been dead."

Poirot's eyebrows rose. "Odd. Extremely odd. And what does M. Raymond Boynton say to that?"

Colonel Carbury said abruptly: "He swears that his mother was alive. He went up to her and said: 'I'm back. Hope you have had a nice afternoon?' Something of that kind. He says she just grunted 'Quite all right,' and he went on to his tent."

Poirot frowned perplexedly. "Curious," he said. "Extremely curious. Tell me—it was growing dusk by then?"