"Quite," said Carbury. "You satisfy me of what really happened, then it's up to me to decide whether action is possible or not—having regard to the International aspects. Anyway it will be cleared up—no mess. Don't like a mess."

Poirot smiled.

"One more thing," said Carbury. "I can't give you much time. Can't detain these people here indefinitely."

Poirot said quietly: "You can detain them twenty-four hours. You shall have the truth by tomorrow night."

Colonel Carbury stared hard at him. "Pretty confident, aren't you?" he asked.

"I know my own ability," murmured Poirot.

Rendered uncomfortable by this un-British attitude, Colonel Carbury looked away and fingered his untidy moustache. "Well," he mumbled. "It's up to you."

"And if you succeed, my friend," said Dr. Gerard, "you are indeed a marvel!"

4

Sarah King looked long and searchingly at Hercule Poirot. She saw the egg-shaped head, the gigantic moustaches, the dandified appearance and the suspicious blackness of his hair. A look of doubt crept into her eyes.

"Well, Mademoiselle, are you satisfied?"

Sarah flushed as he met the amused ironical glance of his eyes. "I beg your pardon," she said awkwardly.

"Du tout! To use an expression I have recently learnt, you give me the one over, is it not so?"

Sarah smiled a little. "Well, at any rate you can do the same to me," she said.

"Assuredly. I have not neglected to do so."

She glanced at him sharply. Something in his tone— But Poirot was twirling his moustaches complacently and Sarah thought (for the second time), "The man's a mountebank!"

Her self-confidence restored, she sat up a little straighter and said inquiringly: "I don't think I quite understand the object of this interview?"

"The good Dr. Gerard did not explain?"

Sarah said, frowning: "I don't understand Dr. Gerard. He seems to think—"

"That there is something rotten in the state of Denmark." quoted Poirot. "You see, I know your Shakespeare."

Sarah waved aside Shakespeare. "What exactly is all this fuss about?" she demanded.

"Eh bien, one wants, does one not, to get at the truth of this affair?"

"Are you talking about Mrs. Boynton's death?"

"Yes."

"Isn't it rather a fuss about nothing? You, of course, are a specialist, M. Poirot. It is natural for you—"

Poirot finished the sentence for her. "It is natural for me to suspect crime whenever I can possibly find an excuse for doing so?"

"Well—yes—perhaps."

"You have no doubt yourself as to Mrs. Boynton's death?"

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "Really, M. Poirot, if you had been to Petra you would realize that the journey there is a somewhat strenuous business for an old woman whose cardiac condition was unsatisfactory."

"It seems a perfectly straightforward business to you?"

"Certainly. I can't understand Dr. Gerard's attitude. He didn't even know anything about it. He was down with fever. I'd bow to his superior medical knowledge naturally, but in this case he had nothing whatever to go on. I suppose they can have a p.m. in Jerusalem if they like, if they're not satisfied with my verdict."