‘The whole thing is impossible,’ declared Lord Alloway impatiently. ‘But I beg, M. Poirot, that you will not dream of suspecting Fitzroy. Consider for one moment – had he wished to take the plans, what could have been easier for him than to take a tracing of them without going to the trouble of stealing them?’ ‘There, milor’,’ said Poirot with approval, ‘you make a remark bn juste – I see that you have a mind orderly and methodical. L’,dngleterre is happy in possessing you.’ Lord Alloway looked rather embarrassed by this sudden burst of praise. Poirot returned to the matter in hand.
‘The room in which you had been sitting all the evening – ‘ ‘The drawing-room? Yes?’
‘That also has a window on the terrace, since I remember your aying you went out that way. Would it not be possible for someone to come out by the drawing-room window and irt by this one while Mr Fitzroy was out of the room, and return the same way?’ ‘But we’d have seen them,’ objected the Admiral.
‘Not if you had your backs turned, walking the other way.’ ‘Fitzroy was only out of the room a few minutes, the time it would take us to walk to the end and back.’ ‘No matter – it is a possibility – in fact, the only one as thing stand.’ ‘But there was no one in the drawing-room when we went out,’ said the Admiral.
‘They may have come there afterwards.’ ‘You mean,’ said Lord Alloway slowly, ‘that when Fitzroy heard the maid scream and went out, someone was already concealed in the drawing-room, that they darted in and out through the windows, and only left the drawing-room when Fitzroy had returned to this room?’ ‘The methodical mind again,’ said Poirot, bowing.
‘You express the matter perfectly.’ ‘One of the servants, perhaps?’ ‘Or a guest. It was Mrs Conrad’s maid who screamed. What exactly can you tell me of Mrs Conrad?’ Lord Alloway considered for a minute.
‘I told you that she is a lady well known in society. Thst is true in the sense that she gives large parties, and goes everywhere.
But very little is known as to where she really comes from, and what her past life has been. She is a lady who frequents diplomatic and Foreign Oce circles as much as possible. The Secret Service is inclined to ask – why?’ ‘I see,’ said Poirot. ‘And she was asked here this week-end – ‘ ‘$o that – shall we say? – we might observe her at close quarters.’ ‘ParfaitemenH It is possible that she has turned the tables on you rathe neatly.’ Lord Alloway looked discomfited, and Poirot continued: ‘Tell me, tailor’, was any reference made in her hearing to the subjects you and the Admiral were going to discuss together?’
‘Yes,’ admitted the other. ‘Sir Harry said: “And now for our submarinel To workl” or something of that sort. The others had left the room, but she had come back for a book.’
‘I see,’ said Poirot thoughtfully. ‘Milor’, it is very late – but this is an urgent affair. I would like to question the members of this house-party at once if it is possible.’
‘It can be managed, of course,’ said Lord Ailoway. ‘The awk-ward thing is, we don’t want to let it get about more than can be helped. Of course, Lady Juliet Weardale and young Leonard are all right – but Mrs Conrad, if she is not guilty, is rather a different proposition. Perhaps you could just state that an important paper is missing, without specifying what it is, or going into any of the circumstances of the disappearance?’
‘Exactly what I was about to propose myself,’ said Poirot, beaming. ‘In fact, in all three cases. Monsieur the Admiral will pardon me, but even the best of wives – ‘
‘No offence,’ said Sir Harry. ‘All women talk, bless ’em! I wish Juliet would talk a little more and play bridge a little less. But women are like that nowadays, never happy unless they’re dancing or gambling. I’ll get Juliet and Leonard up, shall I, Ailoway?’
‘Thank you. I’ll call the French maid. M. Poirot will want to see her, and she can rouse her mistress. I’ll attend to it now. In the meantime, I’ll send Fitzroy along.’