25-05-08 Anybody noticed anything at all odd about Richs manner that evening?Oh well, you know what people are. Once a thing has happened, people think they noticed a lotof things I bet they never saw at all. Mrs. Spence, now, she says he was distrait all th...

25-05-08 Do not think. This business that took your husband to Scotland, how much do you know aboutthat?Not very much. There was some dispute over the restrictions on selling a piece of land whichbelonged to my husband. The sale had apparently gone through a...

25-05-08 Abbie says you will help me - She looked at him gravely and inquiringly. For a moment he stood quite still, scrutinizing her closely. There was nothing ill-bred in hismanner of doing it. It was more the kind but searching look that a famous consulta...

25-05-08 He had been severe with ce cher Hastings on this point, and now here he was, behaving much ashis friend might have done, obsessed with beautiful women, crimes of passion, jealousy, hatred,and all the other romantic causes of murder! He wanted to kno...

25-05-08 The papers vary a good deal in their accounts. I shouldnt like to guarantee that the facts as statedare more than sixty per cent accurate.That is probably a conservative estimate, murmured Poirot. Thank you, Miss Lemon, for thetrouble you have taken...

25-05-08 THE MYSTERY OF THE SPANISH CHEST Punctual to the moment, as always, Hercule Poirot entered the small room where Miss Lemon, hisefficient secretary, awaited her instructions for the day. At first sight Miss Lemon seemed to be composed entirely of ang...

25-04-18 V The end of Christmas Day was like the end of most Christmas Days. The tree was lighted, a splendid Christmas cake came in for tea, was greeted with approval but was partaken of only moderately. There was cold supper. Both Poirot and his host and h...

25-04-18 IV Christmas dinner took place at 2 p.m. and was a feast indeed. Enormous logs crackled merrily in the wide fireplace and above their crackling rose the babel of many tongues talking together. Oyster soup had been consumed, two enormous turkeys had...

25-04-18 III The evening was a busy one. Holly and mistletoe had been brought in in large quantities and a Christmas tree had been set up at one end of the dining-room. Everyone helped to decorate it, to put up the branches of holly behind pictures and to ha...

25-04-18 II The temperature in the long drawing- room at Kings Lacey was a comfortable sixty- eight as Hercule Poirot sat talking to Mrs Lacey by one of the big mullioned windows. Mrs Lacey was engaged in needlework. She was not doing petit point or embroide...