Chapter 8

The List

‘I’m a man of my word, I am,’ said Japp.

He grinned and dived his hand into his pocket, bringing out a mass of closely-typewritten paper.

‘Here you are. It’s all here—down to the minutest detail! And I’ll admit that there is one rathercurious thing in it. I’ll talk to you about it when you’ve finished reading the stuff.’

Poirot spread out the sheets on the table and began to read. Fournier moved up and read themover his shoulder:

James Ryder.

Pockets.—Linen¹ handkerchief marked J. Pigskin notecase—seven ?1 notes, threebusiness cards. Letter from partner George Ebermann hoping ‘loan has beensuccessfully negotiated…otherwise we’re in Queer Street’. Letter signed Maudiemaking appointment Trocadero following evening (cheap paper, illiteratehandwriting). Silver cigarette-case. Match-folder. Fountain-pen. Bunch of keys.

Yale door key. Loose change in French and English money.

Attaché Case. — Mass of papers concerning dealings in cement. Copy ofBootless Cup (banned in this country). A box of ‘Immediate Cold Cures’.

Dr Bryant.

Pockets.—Two linen handkerchiefs. Notecase containing ?20 and 500 francs.

Loose change in French and English money. Engagement book. Cigarette-case.

Lighter³. Fountain-pen. Yale door key. Bunch of keys. Flute⁴ in case. CarryingMemoirs of Benvenuto Cellini and Les Maux de l’Oreille.

Norman Gale⁵.

Pockets.—Silk handkerchief. Wallet containing ?1 in English and 600 francs.

Loose change. Business cards of two French firms — makers⁶ of dentalinstruments. Bryant & May matchbox—empty. Silver lighter. Briar pipe. Rubbertobacco pouch⁷. Yale door key.

Attaché Case. — White linen coat. Two small dental mirrors. Dental rolls ofcottonwool. La Vie Parisienne. The Strand⁸ Magazine. The Autocar.

Armand Dupont.

Pockets.—Wallet containing 1000 francs and ?10 in English. Spectacles in case.

Loose change in French money. Cotton handkerchief. Packet of cigarettes, match-folder. Cards in case. Toothpick.

AttachéCase.—Manuscript of proposed address to Royal Asiatic Society. TwoGerman archaeological publications. Two sheets of rough sketches⁹ of pottery¹¹.

Ornamented¹² hollow tubes (said to be Kurdish pipe stems). Small basket-worktray. Nine unmounted photographs—all of pottery.

Jean Dupont.

Pockets. — Notecase containing ?5 in English and 300 francs. Cigarette- case.

Cigarette-holder¹³ (ivory). Lighter. Fountain-pen. Two pencils. Small notebook fullof scribbled¹⁴ notes. Letter in English from L. Marriner giving invitation to lunch atrestaurant near Tottenham Court Road. Loose change in French.

Daniel Clancy.

Pockets. — Handkerchief (ink- stained). Fountain- pen (leaking). Notecasecontaining ?4 and 100 francs. Three newspaper cuttings dealing² with recentcrimes (one poisoning by arsenic¹⁵ and two embezzlement). Two letters from houseagents with details of country properties. Engagement book. Four pencils. Pen-knife. Three receipted and four unpaid¹⁶ bills. Letter from ‘Gordon’ headed S.S.

Minotaur. Half- done crossword¹⁷ puzzle cut from Times. Notebook containingsuggestions for plots. Loose change in Italian, French, Swiss and English money.

Receipted hotel bill, Naples. Large bunch of keys.

In overcoat pocket. — Manuscript notes of Murder on Vesuvius. ContinentalBradshaw. Golf ball. Pair of socks. Toothbrush. Receipted hotel bill, Paris.

Miss Kerr.

Vanity bag.—Lipstick¹⁸. Two cigarette-holders (one ivory and one jade). Flapjack.

Cigarette-case. Match-folder. Handkerchief. ?2 English. Loose change. One halfletter of credit. Keys.

Dressing-case.—Shagreen fitted. Bottles, brushes, combs, etc. Manicure outfit¹⁹.

Washing bag containing toothbrush, sponge, toothpowder, soap. Two pairs ofscissors. Five letters from family and friends in England. Two Tauchnitz novels.

Photograph of two spaniels.

Carried Vogue²⁰ and Good Housekeeping.

Miss Grey.

Handbag. — Lipstick, rouge²¹, flapjack. Yale key and one trunk key. Pencil.

Cigarette-case. Holder. Match-folder. Two handkerchiefs. Receipted hotel bill, LePinet. Small book, French Phrases. Notecase, 100 francs and 10s. Loose Frenchand English change. One Casino counter value 5 francs.

In pocket of travelling coat.—Six postcards of Paris, two handkerchiefs andsilk scarf. Letter signed ‘Gladys’. Tube of aspirin²².

Lady Horbury.

Vanity bag.—Two lipsticks²³, rouge, flapjack. Handkerchief. Three mille notes. ?6English. Loose change (French). A diamond ring. Five French stamps. Twocigarette-holders. Lighter with case.

Dressing-case.—Complete makeup²⁴ outfit. Elaborate manicure set (gold). Smallbottle labelled (in ink) Boracic Powder.

As Poirot came to the end of the list, Japp laid his finger on the last item.

‘Rather smart of our man. He thought that didn’t seem quite in keeping with the rest. Boracicpowder my eye! The white powder in that bottle was cocaine²⁵.’

Poirot’s eyes opened a little. He nodded his head slowly.

‘Nothing much to do with our case, perhaps,’ said Japp. ‘But you don’t need me to tell you thata woman who’s got the cocaine habit hasn’t got much moral restraint. I’ve an idea anyway that herladyship wouldn’t stick at much to get what she wanted, in spite of all that helpless femininebusiness. All the same, I doubt if she’d have the nerve to carry a thing like this through; and,frankly, I can’t see that it was possible for her to do it. The whole thing is a bit of a teaser.’

Poirot gathered up the loose typewritten sheets and read them through once again. Then he laidthem down with a sigh.

‘On the face of it,’ he said, ‘it seems to point very plainly to one person as having committedthe crime. And yet, I cannot see why, or even how.’

Japp stared at him.

‘Are you pretending that by reading all this stuff you’ve got an idea who did it?’

‘I think so.’

Japp seized the papers from him and read them through, handing each sheet over to Fournier ashe had finished with it. Then he slapped them down on the table and stared at Poirot.

‘Are you pulling my leg, Moosior Poirot?’

‘No, no. Quelle idée!’

The Frenchman in his turn laid down the sheets.

‘What about you, Fournier?’

The Frenchman shook his head. ‘I may be stupid,’ he said, ‘but I cannot see that this listadvances us much.’

‘Not by itself,’ said Poirot. ‘But taken in conjunction with certain features of the case, no? Well,it may be that I am wrong—quite wrong.’

‘Well, come out with your theory,’ said Japp. ‘I’ll be interested to hear it at all events.’

Poirot shook his head.

‘No, as you say it is a theory—a theory only. I hoped to find a certain object on that list. Ehbien, I have found it. It is there; but it seems to point in the wrong direction. The right clue on thewrong person. That means there is much work to be done, and truly there is much that is stillobscure to me. I cannot see my way; only certain facts seem to stand out, to arrange themselves ina significant pattern. You do not find it so? No, I see you do not. Let us then each work to his ownidea. I have no certainty, I tell you, only a certain suspicion…’

‘I believe you’re just talking through your hat,’ said Japp. He rose. ‘Well, let’s call it a day. Iwork the London end, you return to Paris, Fournier—and what about our M. Poirot?’

‘I still wish to accompany M. Fournier to Paris—more than ever now.’

‘More than ever—? I’d like to know just what kind of maggot you’ve got in your brain.’

‘Maggot? Ce n’est pas joli, c?a! ’

Fournier shook hands ceremoniously.

‘I wish you good evening, with many thanks for your delightful²⁶ hospitality. We will meet thenat Croydon tomorrow morning?’

‘Exactly. A demain.’

‘Let us hope,’ said Fournier, ‘that nobody will murder us en route.’

The two detectives departed.

Poirot remained for a time as in a dream. Then he rose, cleared away any traces of disorder,emptied the ashtrays²⁷ and straightened the chairs.

He went to a side table and picked up a copy of the Sketch¹⁰. He turned the pages until he came tothe one he sought.

‘Two Sun Worshippers,’ it was headed. ‘The Countess of Horbury and Mr RaymondBarraclough at Le Pinet.’ He looked at the two laughing figures in bathing-dresses, their armsentwined.

‘I wonder,’ said Hercule Poirot. ‘One might do something along those lines…Yes, one might.’

 

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