‘Well,’ he said. ‘I know what I’m going to do next. What about you?’

‘Eh bien,’ said Poirot. ‘I shall complete my search for the unimportant. There is still the dustbin.’

He skipped nimbly out of the room. Japp looked after him with an air of disgust.

‘Potty,’ he said. ‘Absolutely potty.’

Inspector Jameson preserved a respectful silence. His face said with British superiority: ‘Foreigners!’

Aloud he said:

‘So that’s Mr Hercule Poirot! I’ve heard of him.’

‘Old friend of mine,’ explained Japp. ‘Not half as balmy as he looks, mind you. All the same he’s getting on now.’

‘Gone a bit gaga as they say, sir,’ suggested Inspector Jameson. ‘Ah well, age will tell.’

‘All the same,’ said Japp, ‘I wish I knew what he was up to.’

He walked over to the writing-table and stared uneasily at an emerald green quill pen.

Chapter 5

Japp was just engaging his third chauffeur’s wife in conversation when Poirot, walking noiselessly as a cat, suddenly appeared at his elbow.

‘Whew, you made me jump,’ said Japp. ‘Got anything?’

‘Not what I was looking for.’

Japp turned back to Mrs James Hogg.

‘And you say you’ve seen this gentleman before?’

‘Oh, yes sir. And my husband too. We knew him at once.’

‘Now look here, Mrs Hogg, you’re a shrewd woman, I can see. I’ve no doubt that you know all about everyone in the mews. And you’re a woman of judgment—unusually good judgment, I can tell that—’ Unblushingly he repeated this remark for the third time. Mrs Hogg bridled slightly and assumed an expression of superhuman intelligence. ‘Give me a line on those two young women—Mrs Allen and Miss Plenderleith. What were they like? Gay? Lots of parties? That sort of thing?’

‘Oh, no sir, nothing of the kind. They went out a good bit—Mrs Allen especially—but they’re class, if you know what I mean. Not like some as I could name down the other end. I’m sure the way that Mrs Stevens goes on—if she is a Mrs at all which I doubt—well I shouldn’t like to tell you what goes on there—I…’

‘Quite so,’ said Japp, dexterously stopping the flow. ‘Now that’s very important what you’ve told me. Mrs Allen and Miss Plenderleith were well liked, then?’

‘Oh yes, sir, very nice ladies, both of them—especially Mrs Allen. Always spoke a nice word to the children, she did. Lost her own little girl, I believe, poor dear. Ah well, I’ve buried three myself. And what I say is…’

‘Yes, yes, very sad. And Miss Plenderleith?’

‘Well, of course she was a nice lady too, but much more abrupt if you know what I mean. Just go by with a nod, she would, and not stop to pass the time of day. But I’ve nothing against her—nothing at all.’

‘She and Mrs Allen got on well together?’

‘Oh, yes sir. No quarrelling—nothing like that. Very happy and contented they were—I’m sure Mrs Pierce will bear me out.’

‘Yes, we’ve talked to her. Do you know Mrs Allen’s fiancé by sight?’