"I can't say I can quite subscribe to that idea, Inspector Sharpe. I'm old-fashioned in my views and believe that stealing is stealin,." "You think that Celia stole things because, frankly, she wanted to take them?" "Certainly I db." "Plain dishonest, in fact?" "I'm afraid so." "Ah!" said Inspector Sharpe, shaking his head.

"That's bad." "Yes, it's always upsetting when you feel you're disappointed in anyone." "There was a question, I understand, of our being called in-the police, I, mean." "Yes. That would have been the right thing to do, in my opinion." "Perliandps you think it ought to have been done anyway?" "I think it would have been the right thing. Yes, I don't think, you know, people ought to be allowed to get away with these things." "With calling oneself a kleptomaniac when one is really a thief, do you mean?" "Well, more or less, yes-that is what I mean." "Instead of which everything was ending happily and Miss Austin had wedding bells ahead." "Of course, one isn't surprised at anything Colin Mcationabb does," said Jean Tomlinson viciously. "I'm sure he's an atheist and a most disbelieving, mocking, unpleasant young man. He's rude to everybody. It's my opinion that he's a Communist!" "Ah!" said Inspeetor Sharpe. "Bad!" He shook his head.

"He backed up Celia, I think, because he hasn't got any proper feeling about property.

He probably thinks everyone should help themselves to everything they want." "Still, at any rate," said Inspector Sharpe, "Miss Austin did own up." "After she was found out. Yes," said Jean, sharply.

"Who found her out?" "That Mr.-what-was-his-name Poirot, who came." "But why do you think he found her out, Miss Tomlinson? He didn't say so. He just advised calling in the police." "He must have shown her that he knew. She obviously knew the game was up and rushed off to confess." "What about the ink on Elizabeth Johnston's papers?

Did she confess to that?" "I really don't know. I suppose so." "You suppose wrong," said Sharpe. "She denied most vehemently that she had anythin, to do with that." "Well, perhaps that may be so. I must say it doesn't seem very likely." "You think it is more likely that it was Nigel Chapman?" "No, I don't think Nigel would do that either.

I think it's much more likely to be Mr.

Akibombo." "Really? Why should he do it?" "Jealousy. All these coloured people are very jealous of each other and very hysterical." "That's interesting, Miss Tomlinson. When was the last time you saw Celia Austin?" "After dinner on Friday night."" "Who went up to bed first? Did she or did you?" "I did's "You did not go to her room or see her after you'd left the Common Room?" "No." "And you've no idea who could have introduced morphia into her coffee?-if it was given that way?" "No idea at all." "You never saw this morphia lying about the house or in anyone's room?" "No. No, I don't think so." "You don't think so? What do you mean by that, Miss Tomlinson?" "Well, I just wondered. There was that silly bet, you know." "What bet?" "One-oh, two or three of the boys were arguing-was "What were they arguing about?" "Murder, and ways of doing it. Poisoning in particular." "Who was concerned in the discussion?" "Well, I think Colin and Nigel started it, and then Len Bateson chipped in and Patricia was there too-was "Can you remember, as closely as possible, what was said on that occasion-how the argument went?" Jean Tomlinson reflected a few moments.