The girl flushed.

"Don't be stupid. I meant — that wasn't

really your reason — "

She turned on her sister.

"Why don't you say something, Sheila ?"

Sheila started. She said:

"It wasn't — it wasn't anything to do

with Tony Hawker ?"

"Why should it be ?" asked Poirot.

Sheila flushed and went back across the

room to the others.

Pam said with sudden vehemence but

in a lowered voice:

"I don't like Tony Hawker. There—

there's something sinister about him — and

about her — Mrs. Larkin, I mean. Look

at them now."

Poirot followed hex glance.

Hawker's head was close to that of his

hostess. He appeared to be soothing her.

Her voice rose for a minute.

cc — but I can't wait. I want it now\"

Poirot said with a little smile:

"Les femmes — whatever it is — they

always want it now, do they not ?"

317

But Pam Grant did not respond. Her face

was cast down. She was nervously pleating

and repleating her tweed skirt.

Poirot murmured conversationally:

"You are quite a different type from your

sister. Mademoiselle."

She flung her head up, impatient of

banalities. She said:

"M. Poirot. What's the stuff Tony's

been giving Sheila ? What is it that's been

making her — different ?"

He looked straight at her. He asked:

"Have you ever taken cocaine. Miss

Grant ?"

She shook her head.

"Oh no! So that's it? Cocaine? But

isn't that very dangerous ?55

Sheila Grant had come over to them,

a fresh drink in her hand. She said:

"What's dangerous ?"

Poirot said:

"We are talking of the effects of drugtaking.

Of the slow death of the mind and

spirit — the destroying of all that is true

and good in a human being.35

Sheila Grant caught her breath. The

drink in her hand swayed and spilled on

the floor. Poirot went on:

318

"Dr. Stoddart has, I think, made clear

to you just what that death in life entails.

It is so easily done—so hard to undo.

The person who deliberately profits from

the degradation and misery of other people

is a vampire preying on flesh and blood."

He turned away. Behind him he heard

Pam Grant's voice say: "Sheila!" and

caught a whisper—a faint whisper—

from Sheila Grant. It was so low he hardly

heard it.

"The flask . . ."

Hercule Poirot said good-bye to Mrs.

Larkin and went out into the hall. On the

hall table was a hunting flask lying with a

crop and a hat. Poirot picked it up. There

were initials on it: A.H.

Poirot murmured to himself:

"Tony's flask is empty ?"

He shook it gently. There was no sound

of liquor. He unscrewed the top.

Tony Hawker's flask was not empty. It

was full — of white powder. . . .

VI

Hercule Poirot stood on the terrace of Lady

CarmichaeFs house and pleaded with a girl.

He said:

319

"You are very young. Mademoiselle. It