. . Now what I would ask of you, Madame, is to sit down now, when you have the leisure, that is . .
.” “I daresay when I’ve got Mrs.
Nicoletis to bed with a sedative and calmed down Geronimo and Maria, I shall have a little time. What is it you want me to do?” “Sit down and try to put down, as nearly as you can, the chronological order in which the various incidents occurred.” “Certainly, Mr. Poirot. The rucksack, I believe, was the first and the electric light bulbs-wh I really didn’t think had any connection with the other things comand then the bracelet and the compact, no-the evening shoe. But there, you don’t want to hear me speculate about it. I’ll put them down as best I can.” “Thank you, Madame. I shall be much obliged to you.” Poirot hung up the phone.
“I am vexed with myself,” he said to Miss Lemon. “I have departed from the principles of order and method. I should have made quite sure from the start, the exact order in which these thefts occurred.” “Dear, dear,” said Miss Lemon, mechanically. “Are you going to finish these letters now, Mr. Poirot?” But once again Poirot waved her impatiently away.
On arrival back at Hickory Road with a search warrant on Saturday morning, Inspector Sharpe had demanded an interview with Mrs.
Nicoletis who always came on Saturday to do accounts with Mrs.
Hubbard. He had explained what he was about to do.
Mrs. Nicoletis prggytested with vigour.
“But it is an insult, that!- My students they will leave-they will all leave. I shall be ruined . . .” “No, no, Madam. I’m sure they wt be sensible. After all, this is a case of murder.” “It is not murder-it is suicide.” “And I’m sure once I’ve explained, no one will object . . .” Mrs. Hubbard put in a soothing word.
“I’m sure,” she said, “everyone will be sensible except,” she added thoughtfully, “perhaps Mr. Ahmed Ali and Mr. Chandra Lal.” “Pah!” said Mrs. Nicoletis. “Who cares about them?” “Thank you, Madam,” said the Inspector.
“Then I’ll make a start here, in your sitting room.” An immediate and violent protest came from Mrs.
Nicoletis at the suggestion.
“You search where you please,” she said, “but here, no! I refuse.” “I’m sorry, Mrs. Nicoletis, but I have to go through the house from top to bottom.” “That is right, but not in my room. I am above the law.” “No one’s above the law. I’m afraid I shall have to ask you to stand aside.” “It is an outrage,” Mrs. Nicoletis screamed with fury. “You are officious busybodies. I will write to everyone. I will write to my Member of Parliament. I will write to the papers.” “Write to anyone you please, Madam,” said Inspector Sharpe, “I’m going to search this room.” He started straight away upon the bureau. A large carton of confectionery, a mass of papers, and a large variety of assorted junk rewarded his search.
He moved from there to a cupboard in the corner of the room.
“This is locked. Can I have the key, please?” “Never!” screamed Mrs. Nicoletis.
“Never, never, never shall,; you have the key! Beast and pig of a policeman, I spit at you. I spit!
I spit! I spit!” “You might just as well give me the key,” said Inspector Sharpe. “If not, I shall simply prise the door open.” “I will not give you the key! You will have to tear my clothes off me before you get the key! And that that will be a scandal.” “Get a chisel, Cobb,” said Inspector Sharpe resignedly.
Mrs. Nicoletis uttered a scream of fury.
Inspector Sharpe paid no attention. The chisel was brought. Two sharp cracks and the door of the cupboard came open. As it swung forward, a large consignment of empty brandy bottles poured out of the cupboard.
“Beast! Pig! Devil!” screamed Mrs.
Nicoletis.
“Thank you, Madam,” said the Inspector politely. “We’ve finished in here.” Mrs. Hubbard tactfully replaced the bottles while Mrs. Nicoletis had hysterics.
One mystery, the mystery of Mrs.
Nicoletis’s tempers, was now cleared up.
Poirot’s telephone call came through just as Mrs. Hubbard was pouring out an appropriate dose of sedative from the private medicine cupboard in her sitting room. After replacing the receiver she went back to Mrs. Nicoletis whom she had left screaming and kicking her heels on the sofa in her sitting room.