Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot SSC - The Casebook of Hercule Poirot (1989) Read online

  HERCULE POIROT'S CASEBOOK

  Agatha Christie is known throughout the world

  as the Queen of Crime. Her seventy-six detective

  novels and books of stories have been translated

  into every major language, and her sales are

  calculated

  in tens of millions.

  She began writing at the end of the First

  World War, when she created Hercule Poirot,

  the little Belgian detective with the egg-shaped

  head and the passion for order - the most

  popular sleuth in fiction since Sherlock Holmes.

  Poirot, Miss Marple and her other detectives

  have appeared in films, radio programmes,

  television films and stage plays based on her

  books.

  Agatha Christie also wrote six romantic novels

  under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, several

  plays and a book of poems; as well, she assisted

  her archaeologist.husband Sir Max Mallowan on

  many expeditions to the Middle East. She was

  awarded the DBE in 1971.

  Postern of Fate was the last book she wrote

  before her death in 1976, but since its

  publication two books Agatha Christie wrote in

  the 1940s have appeared: Curtain: Poirot's Last

  Case and Sleeping Murder, the last Miss Marple

  book.

  Agatha Christie's Autobiography was

  published by Fontana in 1978.

  Available in Fontana by the same author

  The ABC Murders

  At Bertram's Hotel

  The Body in the Library

  By the Pricking of My Thumbs

  The Clocks

  Dead Man's Folly

  Death Comes as the End

  Destination Unknown

  Elephants Can Remember

  Endless Night

  Evil Under the Sun

  Hallowe'en Party

  Hickory Dickory Dock

  The Hollow

  The Labours of Hercules

  Lord Edgware Dies

  The Moving Finger

  The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

  Murder in Mesopotamia

  Murder is Easy

  The Mysterious Mr Quin

  The Mystery of the Blue Train

  One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

  Parker Pyne Investigates

  Partners in Crime

  A Pocket Full of Rye

  Postern of Fate

  Sad Cypress

  Sleeping Murder

  Taken at the Flood

  And Then There Were None

  The Thirteen Problems

  Three Act Tragedy

  and many others

  AGATHA CHRISTIE

  Hercule Poirot's

  Casebook

  FONTANA/CoIIins

  This collection first published by Fontana Paperbacks 1989

  This collection © Agatha Christie 1989

  'The Incredible Theft', 'Murder in the Mews' and 'Triangle at Rhodes'

  were first published in Murder in the Mews, 1937; 'The Dream' and 'Four

  and Twenty Blackbirds' were first published in The Adventures of the

  Christmas Pudding, 1960; and 'Problem at Sea', 'The Third-floor Flat',

  'The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly', 'The King of Clubs' and 'The

  Adventure of the Clapham Cook' were first published in Poirot's Early

  Cases, 1947.

  Printed and bound in Great Britain by

  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd, Glasgow

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall

  not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired

  out or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior

  consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in

  which it is published and without a similar condition

  including this condition being imposed on the subsequent

  purchaser.

  CONTENTS

  The Incredible Theft

  Murder in the Mews

  Triangle at Rhodes

  The Dream

  Four and Twenty Blackbirds

  Problem at Sea

  The Third-floor Flat

  The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly

  The King of Clubs

  The Adventure of the Clapham Cook

  THE

  INCREDIBLE THEFT

  CHAPTERI

  As the butler handed round the souffle, Lord Mayfield leaned

  confidentially towards his neighbour on the right, Lady Julia

  Carrington. Known as a perfect host, Lord Mayfield took

  trouble to live up to his reputation. Although unmarried, he

  was always charming to women.

  Lady Julia Carrington was a woman of forty, tall, dark and

  vivacious. She was very thin, but still beautiful. Her hands and

  feet in particular were exquisite. Her manner was abrupt and

  restless, that of a woman who lived on her nerves.

  About opposite to her at the round table sat her husband, Air

  Marshal Sir George Carrington. His career had begun in the

  Navy, and he still retained the bluff breeziness of the ex-Naval

  man. He was laughing and chaffing the beautiful Mrs

  Vanderlyn, who was sitting on the other side of her host.

  Mrs Vanderlyn was an extremely good-looking blonde. Her

  voice held a soupcon of American accent, just enough to be

  pleasant without undue exaggeration.

  On the other side of Sir George Carrington sat Mrs Macatta,

  M.P. Mrs Macatta was a great authority on Housing and

  Infant Welfare. She barked out short sentences .rather than

  spoke them, and was generally of somewhat alarming aspect. It

  was perhaps natural that the Air Marshal would fred his right-hand

  neighbour the pleasanter to talk to.

  Mrs Macatta, who always talked shop wherever she was,

  barked out short spates of information on her special subjects

  to her left-hand neighbour, yomag Reggie Carrington.

  Reggie Carrington was twenty-one, and completely uninter-ested

  in Housing, Infant Welfare, and indeed any political

  7

  subject. He said at intervals, 'How frightful!' and 'I absolutely

  agree with you,' and his mind was clearly elsewhere. Mr

  Carlile, Lord Mayfield's private secretary, sat between young

  Reggie and his mother. A pale young man with pince-nez and

  an air of intelligent reserve, he talked little, but was always

  ready to fling himself into any conversational breach. Noticing

  that Reggie Carrington was struggling with a yawn, he leaned

  forward and adroitly asked Mrs Macatta a question about her

  'Fitness for Children' scheme.

  Round the table, moving silently in the subdued amber light,

  a butler and two footmen offered dishes and ffiled up wine-glasses.

  Lord Mayfield paid a very high salary to his chef, and

  was noted as a connoisseur of wines.

  The table was a round one, but there was no mistaking who

  was the host. Where Lord Mayfield sat was so very decidedly

  the head of the table. A big man, square-shouldered, with thick

  silvery hair, a big straight n
ose and a slightly prominent chin.

  It was a face that lent itself easily to caricature. As Sir Charles

  McLaughlin, Lord Mayfield had combined a political career

  with being the head of a big engineering firm. He was himself

  a first-class engineer. His peerage had come a year ago, and at

  the same time he had been created first Minister of Arma-ments,

  a new ministry which had only just come into being.

  The dessert had been placed on the table. The port had

  circulated once. Catching Mrs Vanderlyn's eye, Lady Julia

  rose. The three women left the room.

  The port passed once more, and Lord Mayfield referred

  lightly to pheasants. The conversation for five minutes or so

  was sporting. Then Sir George said:

  'Expect you'd like to join the others in the drawing-room,

  Reggie, my boy. Lord Mayfield won't mind.'

  The boy took the hint easily enough.

  'Thanks, Lord Mayfield, I think I will.'

  Mr Carlile mumured:

  'If you'll excuse me, Lord Mayfield - certain memoranda

  and other work to get through...'

  Lord Mayfield nodded. The two young men left the. room.

  8

  The servants had retired some time before. The Minister for

  Armaments and the head of the Air Force were alone.

  After a minute or two, Carrington said:

  'Well - O.K.?'

  'Absolutely! There's nothing to touch this new bomber in

  any country in Europe.'

  'Make rings round 'em, eh? That's what I thought.'

  'Supremacy of the air,' said Lord Mayfield decisively.

  Sir George Carrington gave a deep sigh.

  'Ab°ut time! You know, Charles, we've been through a

  ticklish spell. Lots of gunpowder everywhere all over Europe.

  And we weren't ready, damn it! We've had a narrow squeak.

  And we're not out of the wood yet, however much we hurry on

  construction.'

  Lord Mayfield murmured:

  'Nevetheless, George, there are some advantages in starting

  late. A lot of the European stuff is out of date already - and

  they're perilously near bankruptcy.'

  'I don't believe that means anything,' said Sir George

  gloomily. 'One's always hearing this nation and that is

  bankrupt! But they carry on just the same. You know, fmance

  is an absolute mystery to me.'

  Lord Mayfield's eyes twinkled a little. Sir George Caning-ton

  was always so very much the old fashioned 'bluff, honest

  old sea dog'. There were people who said that it was a pose he

  deliberately adopted.

  Changing the subject, Carrington said in a slightly over-casual

  manner:

  'Attractive woman, Mrs Vandefiyn - eh?'

  Lord Mayfield said:

  'Are you wondering what she's doing here?'

  His eyes were amused.

  Carrington looked a little confused.

  'Not at all - not at all.'

  'Oh, yes, you were! Don't be an old humbug, George. You

  were wondering, in a slightly dismayed fashion, whether I was

  the latest victim!'

  Carrington said slowly:

  'I'll admit that it did seem a trifle odd to me that she should

  be here - well, this particular weekend.'

  Lord Mayfield nodded.

  'Whre the carcass is, there are the vultures gathered

  together. We've got a very del'mite carcass, and Mrs Vanderlyn

  might be described as Vulture No. 1.'

  The Air Marshal said abruptly:

  'Know anything about this Vanderlyn woman?'

  Lord Mayfield clipped off the end of a cigar, lit it with

  precision and, throwing his head back, dropped out his words

  with careful deliberation.

  'What do I know about Mrs Vanderlyn? I know that she's an

  American subject. I know that she's had three husbands, one

  Italian, one German and one Russian, and that in consequence

  she has made useful what I think are called "contacts" in three

  countries. I know that she manages to buy very expensive

  clothes and live in a very luxurious manner, and that there is

  some slight uncertainty as to where the income comes from

  which permits her to do so.'

  With a grin, Sir George Cardngton murmured:

  'Your spies have not been inactive, Charles, I see.'

  'I know,' Lord Mayfield continuecl, 'that in addition to

  having a seductive type of beauty, Mrs ¥anderlyn is also a very

  good listener, and that she can display a fascinating interest in

  what we call "shop". That is to say, a man can tell her all about

  his job and feel that he is being intensely interesting to the lady!

  Sundry young officers have gone a little too far in their zeal to

  be interesting, and their careers have suffered in consequence.

  They have told Mrs Vanderlyn a little rnore than they should

  have done. Nearly all the lady's friends are in the Services - but

  last winter she was hunting in a certain county near one of our

  largest armament firms, and she formed various friendships

  not at all sporting in character. Tm put it briefly, Mrs

  Vanderlyn is a very useful person to...' 2I-Ie described a circle in

  the air with his cigar. 'Perhaps we had ietter not say to whom!

  10

  We will just say to a European power - and perhaps to more

  than one European power.'

  Carrington drew a deep breath.

  'You take a great load off my mind, Charles.'

  'You thought I had fallen for the siren? My dear George!

  Mrs Vanderlyn is just a little too obvious in her methods for a

  wary old bird like me. Besides, she is, as they say, not quite so

  young as she once was. Your young squadron leaders wouldn't

  notice that. But I am fifty-six, my boy. In another four years I

  shall probably be a nasty old man continually haunting the

  society of unwilling debutantes.'

  'I was a fool,' said Carrington apologetically, 'but it seemed

  a bit odd '

  'It seemed to you odd that she should be here, in a somewhat

  intimate family party just at the moment when you and I were

  to hold an unofficial conference over a discovery that will

  probably revolutionize the whole problem of air defence?'

  Sir George Carrington nodded.

  Lord Mayfield said, smiling:

  'That's exactly it. That's the bait.'

  'The bait?'

  'You see, George, to use the language of the movies, we've

  nothing actually "on" the woman. And we want something!

  She's got away with rather more than she should in the past.

  But she's been careful - damnably careful. We know what she's

  been up to, but we've got no definite proof of it. We've got to

  tempt her with something big.'

  'Something big being the specification of the new bomber?'

  'Exactly. It's got to be something big enough to induce her

  to take a risk - to come out into the open. And then - we've got her!'

  Sir George grunted.

  'Oh, well,' he said. 'I dare say it's all right. But suppose she

  won't take the risk?'

  'That would be a pity,' said Lord Mayfield. Then he added:

  'But I think she will...'

  He rose.

  11

  'Shall we join the ladies in the drawing-room? We mustn't

  deprive your wife of
her bridge.'

  Sir George grunted:

  'Julia's a damned sight too fond of her bridge. Drops a

  packet over it. She can't afford to play as high as she does, and

  I've told her so. The trouble is, Julia's a born gambler.'

  Coming round the table to join his host, he said:

  'Well, I hope your plan comes off, Charles.'

  CHAPTER 2

  In the drawing-room conversation had flagged more than

  once. Mrs Vanderlyn was usually at a disadvantage when left

  alone with members of her own sex. That channing sympa-thetic

  manner of hers, so much appreciated by members of the

  male sex, did not for some reason or other commend itself to

  women. Lady Julia was a woman whose manners were either

  very good or very bad. On this occasion she disliked Mrs

  Vanderlyn, and was bored by Mrs Macatta, and made no secret

  of her feelings. Conversation languished, and might have

  ceased altogether but for the latter.

  Mrs Macatta was a woman of great earnestness of purpose.

  Mrs Vanderlyn she dismissed immediately as a useless and

  parasitic type. Lady Julia she tried to interest in a forthcoming

  charity entertainment which she was organizing. Lady Julia

  answered vaguely, stifled a yawn or two and retired into her

  own inner preoccupation. Why didn't Charles and George

  come? How tiresome men were. Her comments became even

  more perfunctory as she became absorbed in her (;wn thoughts

  and worries.

  The three women were sitting in silence when the men

  finally entered the room.

  Lord Mayfield thought to himself:

  12

  'Julia looks ill tonight. What a mass of nerves the woman is.'

  Aloud he said:

  'What about a rubber - eh?'

  Lady Julia brightened at once. Bridge was as the breath of

  life to her.

  Reggie Carrington entered the room at that minute, and a

  four was arranged. Lady Julia, Mrs Vanderlyn, Sir George and

  young Reggie sat down to the card-table. Lord Mayfield

  devoted himself to the task of entertaining Mrs Macatta.

  When two rubbers had been played, Sir George looked

  ostentatiously at the clock on the mantelpiece.

  'Hardly worth while beginning another,' he remarked.

  His wife looked annoyed.

  'It's only a quarter to eleven. A short one.'

  'They never are, my dear,' said Sir George good