II

Hercule Poirot sat at his handsome modern desk. He liked modern furniture. Its squareness andsolidity were more agreeable to him than the soft contours of antique models.

In front of him was a square sheet of paper with neat headings and comments. Against some ofthem were query marks.

First came:

Amberiotis. Espionage. In England for that purpose? Was in India last year.

During period of riots and unrest. Could be a Communist agent.

There was a space, and then the next heading:

Frank Carter? Morley thought him unsatisfactory. Was discharged from hisemployment recently. Why?

After that came a name with merely a question mark:

Howard Raikes?

Next came a sentence in inverted commas.

“But that’s absurd!” ???

Hercule Poirot’s head was poised interrogatively. Outside the window a bird was carrying atwig to build its nest. Hercule Poirot looked rather like a bird as he sat there with his egg-shapedhead cocked to one side.

He made another entry a little farther down:

Mr. Barnes?

He paused and then wrote:

Morley’s office? Mark on carpet. Possibilities.

He considered that last entry for some time.

Then he got up, called for his hat and stick and went out.