Everyone listened, rapt, as Nancy Ducane told the story of Patrick Ive: her forbidden love for him, her illicit visits to the vicarage at night, the wicked lies about his taking money from parishioners and, in exchange, passing on communications from their dead loved ones. She did not mention Jennie Hobbs by name when she referred to the rumor that had started all the trouble.

Nancy described how she finally spoke out, at the King’s Head Inn, and told the villagers of Great Holling about her love affair with Patrick Ive, which was not chaste, though she had pretended at the time that it was. Her voice shook as she told of the tragic deaths by poisoning of Patrick and Frances Ive. I noted that that was all she said about the cause of death: poisoning. She did not specify accident or suicide. I wondered if Poirot had asked her not to, for the sake of Ambrose Flowerday and Margaret Ernst.

Before sitting down, Nancy said, “I am as devoted to Patrick now as I ever was. I will never stop loving him. One day, he and I will be reunited.”

“Thank you, Madame Ducane.” Poirot bowed. “I must now without delay tell you something that I have recently discovered, for I believe it will be a comfort to you. Before his death, Patrick wrote . . . a letter. In it, he asked for you to be told that he loved you and always would.”

“Oh!” Nancy clapped her hands over her mouth and blinked many times. “Monsieur Poirot, you cannot imagine how happy you have made me.”

“Au contraire, madame. I can imagine only too well. The loving message, conveyed after the death of the loved one . . . It is an echo, is it not, of the untrue rumors about Patrick Ive: that he conveyed messages from beyond the grave? And who, I ask you, would not wish to receive such a message from one they have loved very much and lost?”

Nancy Ducane made her way back to her chair and sat down. Louisa Wallace patted her arm.

“And now,” said Poirot, “another woman who knew and loved Patrick Ive will speak: his former servant, Jennie Hobbs. Mademoiselle Hobbs?”