Poirot's Early Cases hp-38 Read online

Page 5


  'There is nothing extraordinary about that - it is completely ordinary. If you read the papers carefully, you will find that often a nice respectable woman of that age leaves a husband she has lived with for twenty years, and sometimes a whole family of children as well, in order to link her life with that of a young man considerably her junior. You admire les femmes, Hastings; you prostrate yourself before all of them who are good-looking and have the good taste to smile upon you; but psychologically you know nothing whatever about them. In the autumn of a woman's life, there comes always one mad moment when she longs for romance, for adventure - before it is too late. It comes none the less surely to a woman because she is the wife of a respectable dentist in a country town?

  'And you think ' 'That a clever man might take advantage of such a moment.' 'I shouldn't call Pengelley so clever,' I mused. 'He's got the whole town by the ears. And yet I suppose you're right. The only two men who know anything, Radnor and the doctor, both want to hush it up. He's managed that somehow. I wish we'd seen the fellow.' I

  'You can indulge your wish. Return by the next train and invent an aching molar.' looked at him keenly.

  II wish I knew what you considered so interesting about the case.' i 'My interest is very aptly summed up by a remark of yours,

  Hastings. After interviewing the maid, you observed that for i

  someone who was not going to say a word, she had said a good d ''h!' I said doubtfully; then I harped back to my original criticism: 'I wonder why you made no attempt to see Pen gelley?'

  ยท 'Mon ami, I give him just three months. Then I shall see him

  for as long as I please - in the dock.'

  For once I thought Poirot's prognostications were going to be proved wrong. The time went by, and nothing transpired as to our Cornish case. Other matters occupied us, and I had nearly forgotten the Pengelley tragedy when it was suddenly recalled to me by a short paragraph in the paper which stated that an order to exhume the body of Mrs Pengelley had been obtained from the Home Secretary.

  A few days later, and 'The Cornish Mystery' was the topic of every paper. It seemed that gossip had never entirely died down, and when the engagement of the widower to Miss Marks, his secretary, was announced, the tongues burst out again louder than

  ever. Finally a petition was sent to the Home Secretary; the body was exhumed; large quantities of arsenic were discovered; and Mr Pengelley was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife.

  Poirot and I attended the preliminary proceedings. The evidence was much as might have been expected. Dr Adams admitted that the symptoms of arsenical poisoning might easily be mistaken for those of gastritis. The Home Office expert gave his evidence; the maid Jessie poured out a flood of voluble information, most of which was rejected, but which certainly strengthened the case against the prisoner. Freda Stanton gave evidence as to her aunt's being worse whenever she ate food prepared by her husband.

  Jacob Radnor told how he had dropped in unexpectedly on the day of Mrs Pengelley's death, and found Pengelley replacing the bottle of weed-killer on the pantry sheff, Mrs Pengelley's gruel being on the table close by. Then Miss Marks, the fair-haired secretary, was called, and wept and went into hysterics and admitted that there had been 'passages' between her and her employer, and that he had promised to marry her in the event of anything happening to his wife. Pengelley reserved his defence and was sent for trial.

  Jacob Radnor walked back with us to our lodgings.

  'You see, M. Radnor,' said Poirot, 'I was right. The voice of the people spoke - and with no uncertain voice. There was to be no hushing up of this case.' 'You were quite right,' sighed Radnor. 'Do you see any chance of his getting off?' 'Well, he has reserved his defence. He may have something up the sleeve, as you English say. Come in with us, will you not?' Radnor accepted the invitation. I ordered two whiskies and sodas and a cup of chocolate. The last order caused consternation, and I much doubted whether it would ever put in an appearance.

  'Of course,' continued Poirot, 'I have a good deal of experience in matters of this kind. And I see only one loophole of escape for our friend.'

  'What is it?' 'That you should sign this paper.' With the suddenness of a conjuror, he produced a sheet of paper covered with writing.

  'What is it?' 'A confession that you murdered Mrs Pengelley.' There was a moment's pause; then Radnor laughed.

  'You must be madl' 'No, no, my friend, I am not mad. You came here; you started a little business; you were short of money. Mr Pengelley was a man very well-to-do. You met his niece; she was inclined to smile upon you. But the small allowance that Pengelley might have given her upon her marriage was not enough for you. You must get rid of both the uncle and the aunt; then the money would come to her, since she was the only relative. How cleverly you set about it! You made love to that plain middle-aged woman until she was your slave. You implanted in her doubts of her husband.

  She discovered first that he was deceiving her - then, under your guidance, that he was trying to poison her. You were often at the house; you had opportunities to introduce the arsenic into her food. But you were careful never to do so when her husband was away. Being a woman, she did not keep her suspicions to herself.

  She talked to her niece; doubtless she talked to other women friends. Your only difficulty was keeping up separate relations with the two women, and even that was not so difficult as it looked.

  You explained to the aunt that, to allay the suspicions of her husband, you had to pretend to pay court to the niece. And the younger lady needed little convincing - she would never seriously consider her aunt as a rival.

  'But then Mrs Pengelley made up her mind, without saying anything to you, to consult me. If she could be really assured, beyond any possible doubt, that her husband was trying to poison her, she would feel justified in leaving him, and linking her life with yours - which is what she imagined you wanted her to do.

  But that did not suit your book at all. You did not want a detective prying around. A favourable minute occurs. You are in the house when Mr Pengelley is getting some gruel for his wife, and you introduce the fatal dose. The rest is easy. Apparently anxious to hush matters up, you secretly foment them. But you reckoned without Hercule Poirot, my intelligent young friend.'

  Radnor was deadly pale, but he still endeavoured to carry off matters with a high hand.

  'Very interesting and ingenious, but why tell me all this?' 'Because, monsieur, I represent - not the law, but Mrs Pen-gelley.

  For her sake, I give you a chance of escape. Sign this paper, and you shall have twenty-four hours' start - twenty-four hours before I place it in the hands of the police.'

  Radnor hesitated.

  'You can't prove anything.'

  'Can't I? I am Hercule Poirot. Look out of the window, monsieur.

  There are two men in the street. They have orders not to lose sight of you.'

  Radnor strode across to the window and pulled aside the blind, then shrank back with an oath.

  'You see, monsieur? Sign - it is your best chance.'

  'What guarantee have I - '

  'That I shall keep faith? The word of Hercule Poirot. You will sign? Good. Hastings, be so kind as to pull that left-hand blind half-way up. That is the signal that Mr Radnor may leave unmolested.'

  White, muttering oaths. Radnor hurried from the room. Poirot nodded gently.

  'A cowardl I always knew it.'

  'It seems to me, Poirot, that you've acted in a criminal manner,' I cried angrily. 'You always preach against sentiment. And here you are letting a dangerous criminal escape out of sheer senti-mentality.'

  'That was not sentiment - that was business,' replied Poirot.

  'Do you not see, my friend, that we have no shadow of proof against him? Shall I get up and say to twelve stolid Cornishmen that/, Hercule Poirot, knova? They would laugh at me. The only chance was to frighten him and get a confession that way. Those two loafers that I noticed out:ide came in very useful. Pull down the blind again,
will you, Hastings? Not that there was

  any reason for raising it. It was part of the raise en scdne.

  'Well, well, we must keep our word. Twenty-four hours, did I say? So much longer for poor Mr Pengelley - and it is not more than he deserves; for mark you, he deceived his wife. I am very strong on the family life, as you know. Ah, well, twenty-four houri - and then? I have great faith in Scotland Yard. They will get him, raon ami; they will get him.'

  Chapter IV. The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly

  'You can understand the feelings of a mother,' said Mrs Waverly for perhaps the sixth time.

  She looked appealingly at Poirot. My little friend, always sympathetic to motherhood in distress, gesticulated reassuringly.

  'But yes, but yes, I comprehend perfectly. Have faith in Papa Poirot.'

  'The police - ' began Mr Waverly.

  His wife waved the interruption aside. 'I won't have anything more to do with the police. We trusted to them and look what happened! But I'd heard so much of M. Poirot and the wonderful things he'd done, that I felt he might possibly be able to help us.

  A mother's feelings -'

  Poirot hastily stemmed the reiteration with an eloquent gesture.

  Mrs Waverly's emotion was obviously genuine, but it assorted strangely with her shrewd, rather hard type of countenance. When I heard later that she was the daughter of a prominent steel manufacturer of Birmingham who had worked his way up in the world from an office boy to his present eminence, I realized that ahe had inherited many of the paternal qualities.

  Mr Waverly was a big, florid, jovial-looking man. He stood with his legs straddled wide apart and looked the type of the country squire.

  'I suppose you know all about this business, M. Poirot?'

  The question was almost superfluous. For some days past the paper had been full of the sensational kidnapping of little Johnnie Waverly, the three-year-old son and heir of Marcus Waverly, Esq., of Waverly Court, Surrey, one of the oldest families in England.

  'The main facts I know, of course, but recount to me the whole story, monsieur, I beg of you. And in detail if you please.'

  'Well, I suppose the beginning of the whole thing was about ten days ago when I got an anonymous letter - beastly things, anyway - that I couldn't make head or tail of. The writer had the impudence to demand that I should pay him twenty-five thousand pounds - twenty-five thousand pounds, M. Poirotl Failing my agreement, he threatened to kidnap Johnnie. Of course I threw the thing into the wastepaper basket without more ado. Thought it was some silly joke. Five days later I got another letter. "Unless you pay, your son will be kidnapped on the twenty-ninth." That was on the twenty-seventh. Ada was worried, but I couldn't bring myself to treat the matter seriously. Damn it all, we're in England.

  Nobody goes about kidnapping children and holding them up to ransom.'

  'It is not a common practice, certainly,' said Poirot. 'Proceed, monsieur.'

  'Well, Ada gave me no peace, so - feeling a bit of a fool - I laid the matter before Scotland Yard. They didn't seem to take the thing very seriously - inclined to my view that it was some silly joke. On the twenty-eighth I got a third letter. "You have not paid. Your son will be taken from you at twelve o'clock noon tomorrow, the twenty-ninth. It will cost you fifty thousand pounds to recover him." Up I drove to Scotland Yard again. This time they were more impressed. They inclined to the view that the letters were written by a lunatic, and that in all probability an attempt of some kind would be made at the hour stated. They aured me that they would take all due precautions. Inspector McNeil and a sufficient force would come down to Waverly on the morrow and take charge.

  'I went home much relieved in my mind. Yet we already had the feeling of being in a state of siege. I gave orders that no stranger was to be admitted, and that no one was to leave the house. The evening passed off without any untoward incident, but on the following morning my wife was seriously unwell. Alarmed by her condition, I sent for Doctor Dakers. Her symptoms appeared to puzzle him. While hesitating to suggest that she had been poisoned, I could see that that was what was in his mind. There was no danger, he assured me, but it would be a day or two

  before she would be able to get about again. Returning to my own room, I was startled and amazed to find a note pinned to my pillow. It was in the same handwriting as the others and contained just three words: "At twelve o'clock".

  'I admit, M. Po[rot, that then I saw redl Someone in the house was in this - one of the servants. I had them all up, blackguarded them right and left. They never split on each other; it was Miss Collins, my wife's companion, who informed me that she had seen Johnnie's nurse slip down the drive early that morning. I taxed her with it, and she broke down. She had left the child with the nursery maid and stolen out to meet a friend of hers - a manl Pretty goings onl She denied having pinned the note to my pillow - she may have been speaking the truth, I don't know. I felt I couldn't take the risk of the child's own nurse being in the plot. One of the servants was implicated - of that I was sure.

  Finally I lost my temper and sacked the whole bunch, nurse and all. I gave them an hour to pack their boxes and get out of the house.'

  Mr Waverly's red face was quite two shades redder as he remembered his just wrath.

  'Was not that a little injudicious, monsieur?' suggested Poirot.

  'For all you know, you might have been playing into the enemy's hands.'

  Mr Waverly stared at him. 'I don't see that. Send the whole lot packing, that was my idea. I wired to London for a fresh lot to be sent down that evening. In the meantime, there'd be only people I cod trust in the house: my wife's secretary, Miss Collins, and Tredwell, the butler, who has been with me since I was a boy.'

  'And this Miss Collins, how long has she been with you?'

  'Just a year,' said Mrs Waverly. 'She has been invaluable to me as a secretary-companion, and is also a very efficient housekeeper.' 'The nurse?'

  'She has been with me six months. She came to me with excellent references. All the same, I never really liked her, although Johnnie was quite devoted to her.'

  'Still, I gather she had already left when the catastrophe occurred.

  Perhaps, Monsieur Waverly, you will be so kind as to continue.' Mr Waverly resumed his narrative.

  'Inspector McNeil arrived about ten-thirty. The servants had all left by then. He declared himself quite satisfied with the internal arrangements. He had various men posted in the park outside, guarding all the approaches to the house, and he assured me that if the whole thing were not a hoax, we should undoubtedly catch my mysterious correspondent.

  'I had Johnnie with me, and he and I and the inspector went together into a room we call the council chamber. The inspector locked the door. There is a big grandfather clock there, and as the hands drew near to twelve I don't mind confessing that I was as nervous as a cat. There was a whirring sound, and the clock began to strike. I clutched lohnnie. I had a feeling a man might drop from the skies. The last stroke sounded, and as it did so, there was a great commotion outside - shouting and running. The inspector flung up the window, and a constable came running up.

  ' "We've got him, sir," he panted. "He was sneaking up through the bushes. He's got a whole dope outfit on him."

  'We hurried out on the terrace where two constables were holding a ruffianly-looking fellow in shabby clothes, who was twisting and turning in a vain endeavour to escape. One of the policemen held out an unrolled parcel which they had wrested from their captive. It contained a pad of cotton wool and a bottle of chloroform. It made my blood boil to see it. There was a note, too, addressed to me. I tore it open. It bore the following words: "You should have paid up. To ransom your son will now cost you fifty thousand. In spite of all your precautions he has been abducted at twelve o'clock on the twenty-ninth as I said."

  'I gave a great laugh, the laugh of relief, but as I did so I heard the hum of a motor and a shout. I turned my head. Racing down the drive towards the south lodge at a furious speed was a low,
long grey car. It was the man who drove it who had shouted, but that was not what gave me a shock of horror. It was the sight of Johnnie's flaxen curls. The child was in the car beside him.

  'The inspector ripped out an oath. "The child was here not a minute ago," he cried. His eyes swept over us. We were all there:

  myself, Tredwell, Miss Collins. "When did you see him last, Mr Waverly?"

  'I cast my mind back, trying to remember. When the constable had called us, I had run out with the inspector, forgetting all about Johnnie.

  'And then there came a sound that startled us, the chiming of a church clock from the village. With an exclamation the inspector pulled out his watch. It was exactly twelve o'clock. With one common accord we ran to the council chamber; the clock there marked the hour as ten minutes past. Someone must have deliber-ately tampered with it, for I have never known it gain or lose before. It is a perfect timekeeper.'

  Mr Waverly paused. Poirot smiled to himself and straightened a little mat which the anxious father had pushed askew.

  'A pleasing little problem, obscure and charming,' murmured Poirot. 'I will investigate it for you with pleasure. Truly it was planned d merveille.'

  Mrs Waverly looked at him reproachfully. 'But my boy,' she wailed.

  Poirot hastily composed his face and looked the picture of earnest sympathy again. 'He is safe, madame, he is unharmed.

  Rest assured, these miscreants will take the greatest care of him.

  I he not to them the turkey - no, the goose - that lays the golden egg?'

  'M. Poirot, I'm sure there's only one thing to be done - pay up.

  I was all against it at first - but hOWl A mother's feelings - '

  'But we have interrupted monsieur in his history,' cried Poirot hastily.

  'I expect you know the rest pretty well from the papers,' said Mr Waverly. 'Of course, Inspector McNeil got on to the telephone immediately. A description of the car and the man was circulated all round, and it looked at first as though everything was going to turn out all right. A car, answering to the description, with a man and a small boy, had passed through various villages, apparently making for London. At one place they had stopped, and it wa noticed that the child was crying and obviously afraid of his companion. When Inspector McNeil announced that the car had

 

    Murder in the Mews Read onlineMurder in the MewsPostern of Fate Read onlinePostern of FateThe Regatta Mystery and Other Stories Read onlineThe Regatta Mystery and Other StoriesSad Cypress Read onlineSad CypressWhy Didn't They Ask Evans? Read onlineWhy Didn't They Ask Evans?After the Funeral Read onlineAfter the FuneralAnd Then There Were None Read onlineAnd Then There Were NoneThe Witness for the Prosecution Read onlineThe Witness for the ProsecutionMurder on the Orient Express Read onlineMurder on the Orient ExpressThe Seven Dials Mystery Read onlineThe Seven Dials MysteryHercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories Read onlineHercule Poirot: The Complete Short StoriesThe Mysterious Affair at Styles Read onlineThe Mysterious Affair at StylesSleeping Murder Read onlineSleeping MurderHickory Dickory Dock Read onlineHickory Dickory DockThe Moving Finger Read onlineThe Moving FingerThe Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side Read onlineThe Mirror Crack'd From Side to SideOrdeal by Innocence Read onlineOrdeal by InnocenceMrs. McGinty's Dead Read onlineMrs. McGinty's DeadProblem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories Read onlineProblem at Pollensa Bay and Other StoriesDeath Comes as the End Read onlineDeath Comes as the EndEndless Night Read onlineEndless NightParker Pyne Investigates Read onlineParker Pyne InvestigatesPoirot's Early Cases: 18 Hercule Poirot Mysteries Read onlinePoirot's Early Cases: 18 Hercule Poirot MysteriesMurder Is Easy Read onlineMurder Is EasyAn Autobiography Read onlineAn AutobiographyOne, Two, Buckle My Shoe Read onlineOne, Two, Buckle My ShoeA Pocket Full of Rye Read onlineA Pocket Full of RyeThe Mysterious Mr. Quin Read onlineThe Mysterious Mr. QuinThe Mystery of the Blue Train Read onlineThe Mystery of the Blue TrainHercule Poirot's Christmas: A Hercule Poirot Mystery Read onlineHercule Poirot's Christmas: A Hercule Poirot MysteryCards on the Table (SB) Read onlineCards on the Table (SB)Three Act Tragedy Read onlineThree Act TragedyThe Secret Adversary Read onlineThe Secret AdversaryThe Body in the Library Read onlineThe Body in the LibraryThe Pale Horse Read onlineThe Pale HorseWhile the Light Lasts Read onlineWhile the Light LastsThe Golden Ball and Other Stories Read onlineThe Golden Ball and Other StoriesDouble Sin and Other Stories Read onlineDouble Sin and Other StoriesThe Secret of Chimneys Read onlineThe Secret of ChimneysFive Little Pigs Read onlineFive Little PigsMurder in Mesopotamia: A Hercule Poirot Mystery Read onlineMurder in Mesopotamia: A Hercule Poirot MysteryThe Mousetrap and Other Plays Read onlineThe Mousetrap and Other PlaysLord Edgware Dies Read onlineLord Edgware DiesThe Hound of Death Read onlineThe Hound of DeathThe Murder on the Links Read onlineThe Murder on the LinksA Caribbean Mystery Read onlineA Caribbean MysteryPeril at End House: A Hercule Poirot Mystery Read onlinePeril at End House: A Hercule Poirot MysteryThe Thirteen Problems Read onlineThe Thirteen ProblemsBy the Pricking of My Thumbs Read onlineBy the Pricking of My ThumbsMrs McGinty's Dead / the Labours of Hercules (Agatha Christie Collected Works) Read onlineMrs McGinty's Dead / the Labours of Hercules (Agatha Christie Collected Works)Appointment With Death Read onlineAppointment With DeathMurder Is Announced Read onlineMurder Is AnnouncedThe Big Four Read onlineThe Big FourThree Blind Mice and Other Stories Read onlineThree Blind Mice and Other StoriesHercule Poirot- the Complete Short Stories Read onlineHercule Poirot- the Complete Short StoriesPassenger to Frankfurt Read onlinePassenger to FrankfurtThey Do It With Mirrors Read onlineThey Do It With MirrorsPoirot Investigates Read onlinePoirot InvestigatesThe Coming of Mr. Quin: A Short Story Read onlineThe Coming of Mr. Quin: A Short Story4:50 From Paddington Read online4:50 From PaddingtonThe Last Seance Read onlineThe Last SeanceDead Man's Folly Read onlineDead Man's FollyThe Adventure of the Christmas Pudding Read onlineThe Adventure of the Christmas PuddingThe A.B.C. Murders Read onlineThe A.B.C. MurdersDeath in the Clouds Read onlineDeath in the CloudsTowards Zero Read onlineTowards ZeroThe Listerdale Mystery and Eleven Other Stories Read onlineThe Listerdale Mystery and Eleven Other StoriesHallowe'en Party Read onlineHallowe'en PartyMurder at the Vicarage Read onlineMurder at the VicarageCards on the Table Read onlineCards on the TableDeath on the Nile Read onlineDeath on the NileCurtain Read onlineCurtainPartners in Crime Read onlinePartners in CrimeThe Listerdale Mystery / the Clocks (Agatha Christie Collected Works) Read onlineThe Listerdale Mystery / the Clocks (Agatha Christie Collected Works)Taken at the Flood Read onlineTaken at the FloodDumb Witness Read onlineDumb WitnessThe Complete Tommy and Tuppence Read onlineThe Complete Tommy and TuppenceProblem at Pollensa Bay Read onlineProblem at Pollensa BayCat Among the Pigeons Read onlineCat Among the PigeonsAt Bertram's Hotel Read onlineAt Bertram's HotelNemesis Read onlineNemesisMiss Marple's Final Cases Read onlineMiss Marple's Final CasesThe Hollow Read onlineThe HollowMidwinter Murder Read onlineMidwinter MurderThey Came to Baghdad Read onlineThey Came to BaghdadThird Girl Read onlineThird GirlDestination Unknown Read onlineDestination UnknownHercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly Read onlineHercule Poirot and the Greenshore FollyPostern of Fate tat-5 Read onlinePostern of Fate tat-5Midsummer Mysteries Read onlineMidsummer MysteriesPoirot's Early Cases hp-38 Read onlinePoirot's Early Cases hp-38Sparkling Cyanide Read onlineSparkling CyanideStar over Bethlehem Read onlineStar over BethlehemBlack Coffee hp-7 Read onlineBlack Coffee hp-7Hercule Poirot's Casebook (hercule poirot) Read onlineHercule Poirot's Casebook (hercule poirot)Murder in Mesopotamia hp-14 Read onlineMurder in Mesopotamia hp-14A Pocket Full of Rye: A Miss Marple Mystery (Miss Marple Mysteries) Read onlineA Pocket Full of Rye: A Miss Marple Mystery (Miss Marple Mysteries)The Listerdale Mystery Read onlineThe Listerdale MysteryThe Complete Tommy & Tuppence Collection Read onlineThe Complete Tommy & Tuppence CollectionLord Edgware Dies hp-8 Read onlineLord Edgware Dies hp-8Death in the Clouds hp-12 Read onlineDeath in the Clouds hp-12Short Stories Read onlineShort StoriesThird Girl hp-37 Read onlineThird Girl hp-37Why Didn't They Ask Evans Read onlineWhy Didn't They Ask EvansAdventure of the Christmas Pudding and other stories Read onlineAdventure of the Christmas Pudding and other storiesCards on the Table hp-15 Read onlineCards on the Table hp-15The Mystery of the Blue Train hp-6 Read onlineThe Mystery of the Blue Train hp-6After the Funeral hp-29 Read onlineAfter the Funeral hp-29Poirot Investigates hp-3 Read onlinePoirot Investigates hp-3Murder on the Links hp-2 Read onlineMurder on the Links hp-2The Mysterious Mr Quin Read onlineThe Mysterious Mr QuinCurtain hp-39 Read onlineCurtain hp-39Hercule Poirot's Christmas hp-19 Read onlineHercule Poirot's Christmas hp-19Partners in Crime tat-2 Read onlinePartners in Crime tat-2The Clocks hp-36 Read onlineThe Clocks hp-36Murder, She Said Read onlineMurder, She SaidThe Clocks Read onlineThe ClocksThe Hollow hp-24 Read onlineThe Hollow hp-24Appointment with Death hp-21 Read onlineAppointment with Death hp-21Murder in the mews hp-18 Read onlineMurder in the mews hp-18The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd hp-4 Read onlineThe Murder Of Roger Ackroyd hp-4Dumb Witness hp-16 Read onlineDumb Witness hp-16The Sittaford Mystery Read onlineThe Sittaford MysteryMrs McGinty's Dead Read onlineMrs McGinty's DeadEvil Under the Sun Read onlineEvil Under the SunThe A.B.C. Murders hp-12 Read onlineThe A.B.C. Murders hp-12The Murder at the Vicarage mm-1 Read onlineThe Murder at the Vicarage mm-1The Body in the Library mm-3 Read onlineThe Body in the Library mm-3Miss Marple and Mystery Read onlineMiss Marple and MysterySleeping Murder mm-14 Read onlineSleeping Murder mm-14By the Pricking of My Thumbs tat-4 Read onlineBy the Pricking of My Thumbs tat-4A Pocket Full of Rye mm-7 Read onlineA Pocket Full of Rye mm-7Hickory Dickory Dock: A Hercule Poirot Mystery Read onlineHickory Dickory Dock: A Hercule Poirot MysteryThe Big Four hp-5 Read onlineThe Big Four hp-5The Labours of Hercules hp-26 Read onlineThe Labours of Hercules hp-26The Complete Miss Marple Collection Read onlineThe Complete Miss Marple CollectionThe Labours of Hercules Read onlineThe Labours of Hercules4.50 From Paddington Read online4.50 From PaddingtonA Murder Is Announced mm-5 Read onlineA Murder Is Announced mm-5Agahta Christie: An autobiography Read onlineAgahta Christie: An autobiographyHallowe'en Party hp-36 Read onlineHallowe'en Party hp-36Black Coffee Read onlineBlack CoffeeThe Mysterious Affair at Styles hp-1 Read onlineThe Mysterious Affair at Styles hp-1Three-Act Tragedy Read onlineThree-Act TragedyBest detective short stories Read onlineBest detective short storiesThree Blind Mice Read onlineThree Blind MiceNemesis mm-11 Read onlineNemesis mm-11The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side mm-8 Read onlineThe Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side mm-8The ABC Murders Read onlineThe ABC MurdersPoirot's Early Cases Read onlinePoirot's Early CasesThe Unexpected Guest Read onlineThe Unexpected GuestA Caribbean Mystery - Miss Marple 09 Read onlineA Caribbean Mystery - Miss Marple 09The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Read onlineThe Murder of Roger AckroydElephants Can Remember hp-39 Read onlineElephants Can Remember hp-39The Mirror Crack'd: from Side to Side Read onlineThe Mirror Crack'd: from Side to SideSad Cypress hp-21 Read onlineSad Cypress hp-21Peril at End House Read onlinePeril at End HouseElephants Can Remember Read onlineElephants Can RememberBest detective stories of Agatha Christie Read onlineBest detective stories of Agatha ChristieHercule Poirot's Christmas Read onlineHercule Poirot's ChristmasThe Body In The Library - Miss Marple 02 Read onlineThe Body In The Library - Miss Marple 02Evil Under the Sun hp-25 Read onlineEvil Under the Sun hp-25The Capture of Cerberus Read onlineThe Capture of CerberusThe Hound of Death and Other Stories Read onlineThe Hound of Death and Other StoriesThe Thirteen Problems (miss marple) Read onlineThe Thirteen Problems (miss marple)The Thirteen Problems-The Tuesday Night Club Read onlineThe Thirteen Problems-The Tuesday Night ClubSpider's Web Read onlineSpider's WebAt Bertram's Hotel mm-12 Read onlineAt Bertram's Hotel mm-12The Murder at the Vicarage (Agatha Christie Mysteries Collection) Read onlineThe Murder at the Vicarage (Agatha Christie Mysteries Collection)A Caribbean Mystery (miss marple) Read onlineA Caribbean Mystery (miss marple)A Murder Is Announced Read onlineA Murder Is AnnouncedClues to Christie Read onlineClues to ChristieThe Moving Finger mm-3 Read onlineThe Moving Finger mm-3The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories Read onlineThe Harlequin Tea Set and Other StoriesMurder on the Links Read onlineMurder on the LinksThe Murder at the Vicarage Read onlineThe Murder at the VicarageN or M tat-3 Read onlineN or M tat-3The Secret Adversary tat-1 Read onlineThe Secret Adversary tat-1The Burden Read onlineThe BurdenMrs McGinty's Dead hp-28 Read onlineMrs McGinty's Dead hp-28Dead Man's Folly hp-31 Read onlineDead Man's Folly hp-31Peril at End House hp-8 Read onlinePeril at End House hp-8Complete Short Stories Of Miss Marple mm-16 Read onlineComplete Short Stories Of Miss Marple mm-16Curtain: Poirot's Last Case Read onlineCurtain: Poirot's Last CaseThe Man in the Brown Suit Read onlineThe Man in the Brown SuitThey Do It With Mirrors mm-6 Read onlineThey Do It With Mirrors mm-6