Christine said rather sharply:

“What are you hinting at, M. Poirot? What is the meaning of all this?”

For answer Poirot produced a small volume bound in faded brown calf. He said:

“Have you ever seen this before?”

“Why—I think—I’m not sure—yes, Linda was looking into it in the village lending library the other day. But she shut it up and thrust it back quickly when I came up to her. It made me wonder what it was.”

Silently Poirot displayed the title.

A History of Witchcraft, Sorcery and of the Compounding of Untraceable Poisons.

Christine said:

“I don’t understand. What does all this mean?”

Poirot said gravely.

“It may mean, Madame, a good deal.”

She looked at him inquiringly, but he did not go on. Instead he asked:

“One more question, Madame, did you take a bath that morning before you went out to play tennis?”

Christine stared again.

“A bath? No. I would have had no time and, anyway, I didn’t want a bath—not before tennis. I might have had one after.”

“Did you use your bathroom at all when you came in?”

“I sponged my face and hands, that’s all.”

“You did not turn on the bath at all?”

“No, I’m sure I didn’t.”

Poirot nodded. He said:

“It is of no importance.”

IV

Hercule Poirot stood by the table where Mrs. Gardener was wrestling with a jig-saw. She looked up and jumped.

“Why, M. Poirot, how very quietly you came up beside me! I never heard you. Have you just come back from the inquest? You know, the very thought of that inquest makes me so nervous, I don’t know what to do. That’s why I’m doing this puzzle. I just felt I couldn’t sit outside on the beach as usual. As Mr. Gardener knows, when my nerves are all upset, there’s nothing like one of these puzzles for calming me. There now, where does this white piece fit in? It must be part of the fur rug, but I don’t seem to see….”

Gently Poirot’s hand took the piece from her. He said:

“It fits, Madame, here. It is part of the cat.”

“It can’t be. It’s a black cat.”

“A black cat, yes, but you see the tip of the black cat’s tail happens to be white.”

“Why, so it does! How clever of you! But I do think the people who make puzzles are kind of mean. They just go out of their way to deceive you.”

She fitted in another piece and then resumed.