24-08-05 Twelve IFor once in her life Ruth Chevenix-Gorenow Ruth Lakecame down to breakfast in good time. Hercule Poirot was in the hall and drew her aside before she went into the dining room. I have a question to ask you, madame. Yes? You were in the garde...

24-08-05 Eleven It was just after dawn when Hercule Poirot awoke on the following morning. He had been given abedroom on the east side of the house. Getting out of bed, he drew aside the window blind and satisfied himself that the sun hadrisen, and that it w...

24-08-05 Ten Of the two of them, Captain Lake looked far the more embarrassed. This is a great surprise, Miss?Chevenix-GoreMrs.?Lake, I should say, said Major Riddle. Did no one know of this marriage of yours? No, we kept it quite dark. John didnt like that...

24-08-05 Nine That evening Poirot had only given Susan Cardwell a fleeting glance. He examined her now moreattentively. An intelligent face, he thought, not strictly good-looking, but possessing an attractionthat a merely pretty girl might envy. Her hair was...

24-08-05 Eight The Colonel dropped into a chair, shook his head, sighed and said: Terrible business, this, Riddle. Lady Chevenix-Gore is being wonderfulwonderful. Grandwoman! Full of courage! Coming softly back to his chair, Poirot said: You have known her v...

24-08-05 Seven Hard work, that, said Major Riddle, as the lawyer left the room. Extracting information fromthese old-fashioned legal wallahs takes a bit of doing. The whole business seems to me to centreabout the girl. It would seem soyes. Ah, here comes Bur...

24-08-05 Six After the difficulties of getting a direct statement from Lady Chevenix-Gore, Major Riddle foundconsiderable relief in dealing with a shrewd lawyer like Forbes. Mr.?Forbes was extremely guarded and cautious in his statements, but his replies wer...

24-08-05 Five Sit down, Snell, said Major Riddle in a friendly tone. Ive a good many questions to ask you,and I expect this has been a shock to you. Oh, it has indeed, sir. Thank you, sir. Snell sat down with such a discreet air that it waspractically the sa...

24-08-05 Four Well? said Major Riddle. It was twenty minutes later. The chief constables interrogative Well? was addressed to thepolice surgeon, a lank elderly man with grizzled hair. The latter shrugged his shoulders. Hes been dead over half an hourbut not...

24-08-05 Three For a moment or two the group in the doorway stood motionless, staring at the scene. Then Poirotstrode forward. At the same moment Hugo Trent said crisply: My God, the Old Mans shot himself! And there was a long, shuddering moan from Lady Chev...