" "My dear Horace, we were all disappointed" ""not to see you at our conference in Berlin." ""England is in danger of becoming isolated, you know." ""Many interesting developments were discussed," ""in particular," ""Sir Rueben Astwell's new Astoprene compound." ""It's rumored that Farben's over here" ""will manufacture it under license, but then, you know what gossips scientists can be."" " You." "Help me." " Oh, you're not trying, Mr. Poirot." " Miss Lemon, I am aware that you are fully qualified in the practice of the hypnotics, and I do not dismiss that, but, you know, with a person whose character is so forceful and whose intellect is so powerful..." " But think how useful it'd be to you in your investigations." " Very well, if it will please you, proceed." " Relax." "Relax." "Your eyes are feeling heavy." "You are going to sleep." " What on Earth's going on?" "Please, Captain Hastings." " Oh, sorry." "I just wanted to know what time he wanted to leave in the morning for the Captain's Plate at Abbot's Cross." " Mr. Poirot didn't tell me about that." " I did tell you, Miss Lemon." "You simply forgot to enter it." " Mr. Poirot, I am trying to be helpful." " Miss Lemon, I am very grateful to you, but really, I have no need of the hypnotics." "I prefer to use my little gray cells." "Hastings, thank you for coming." "I thought we might make an early start in the morning." " What's this Captain's Plate?" " Well, it's a golf trophy, of course, two-day event." "A friend of mine, Charles Leverson, has invited me to partner him." " Surely you're far too busy to attend golf matches, Mr. Poirot." " Yes, I am, Miss Lemon, but there is another invitation I could not resist." "The uncle of Monsieur Leverson is Sir Rueben Astwell, and we have been invited to dine with him." "He has the finest collection of Belgian miniature bronzes in Europe." "And Belgian miniature bronzes, they are the finest in the world." " Why is that?" " Because they are the largest." "Truly, Sir Rueben Astwell must be a man of exquisite taste and sensitivity." " I want that letter off to I.G. Farben today." " I've been thinking, Rueben," "I'm not sure we're doing the right thing." " I'll do any thinking that's necessary." " As your partner, I'm entitled to my opinion." " As my junior partner, you're entitled to do what I say." "Victor, don't think you can take liberties just because you're my brother." "Well, this is a right mess, isn't it?" " I'm afraid so" " Don't tell me it was an accident." "More like damn carelessness." " No, sir." "It wasn't an accident." " Are you sure it was him?" " There's no question, Sir Rueben." "I saw his face quite clearly." " Then we know what he was after." " Yes, I've put it in your brother's office." " I think this will be safer with me." " Monsieur Poirot?" "You're in room 12." "Mr. Hastings, room 13." " Thank you." " Merci beaucoup." "Thank you, sir." " Well, I'd have to say we've got some pretty stiff competition, Charles." " Don't worry, old boy." "I've been putting in hours of practice, and I know these greens like the back of my hand." " Such dedication." " Do you play, Mr. Poirot?" " Rarely, Monsieur Leverson." "I must confess, I owe my presence here more to art than to sport." " Charles." " Ah." " Here I am." "Good luck." " Thanks, Lily." "Miss Lily Margrave, my aunt's companion." "Let me introduce my partner, Captain Hastings." " How do you do, Miss Margrave?" " How do you do?" " And this is Mr. Hercule Poirot." " Enchanté, mademoiselle." " How do you do, Mr. Poirot?" "When Charles told me you were coming to dinner," "I was so excited." " Ah." " Did the fire cause much damage, then?" " Nothing that can't be repaired." "I've got Trefusis coming down this weekend to discuss what needs to be done." "He's staying for dinner." " We've already got dinner guests." " Well, that's damned inconvenient." " I did tell you." "They're friends of Charles'." " Charles takes too much for granted." " Oh, very." " Excuse me, sir." "Sir Rueben would like a word with you." " Ugh." " He's in the billiard room." " Thank you, Parsons." "Daft." " You wanted to see me, Uncle?" " Yes, and you know what about." "You've had all week to think it over." " Well, I did think it over, but, well, I mean, working for the firm, it's not really my cup of tea, is it?" " Oh, no, and what exactly is your cup of tea?" " Well, actually, I had some idea of becoming a golf professional." " Playing golf?" "That's your idea of a job?" " Well, I hadn't really thought it through." "I mean, earlier on today, I" " Last year, you wanted to become a photographer." " Well, if you'd loaned me the money in the first place" " You have had all the money you're going to get." " Lady Astwell thought she might have left her reading glasses on your desk." " Did she?" " Well, she must have made a mistake." " She's not the only one who's mistaken, Miss Margrave." "And this isn't the first time I've caught you in here messing around with my papers." " I don't know what you're talking about." " No?" " Please let go of my arm." " I want you out of this house first thing on Monday morning." "Your services are no longer required." " Lily." "Over here." "I found it." " Where?" " It's in his study." " War, Poirot." "That's what I said, and war is what I mean." "And it's coming soon, you mark my words." " With anyone in particular, Sir Rueben?" " Germany, of course." "They're rearming." "They've remilitarized the Rhineland." "They'll be all over Europe before you know it." "Probably start with your place, um, Belgium." "Shouldn't take them long." " You will forgive me, Sir Rueben, if I do not view the prospect with such sangfroid." "I myself have experienced it firsthand, the horror and destruction of war with Germany." " Well, I'm not saying that war is a nice business." "But business it is." " War and chemicals go hand in glove." " There are more important things than business." " Business will not be the only beneficiary." "Think of the great strides that science will make:" "new fuels, new alloys" " And it'll do wonders for the economy." "Do you know how many unemployed we have today?" "More than a million." "More than a million scrounging on the dole." " War seems a pretty drastic solution." " I think I agree with Victor." " As well you would, Nancy." "Never could face facts." "Always the great actress." " Could we talk about something a little more pleasant?" " Exquisite." "Parfait." "Oh, mon dieu." "Hastings, this is undoubtedly the work of Auguste Clouet." "And Auguste Clouet, he is one of the finest craftsmen in Liège." " Fascinating." " Oh, magnifique." "C'est incroyable." "A Tindemann?" "A genuine Jules Tindemann?" "The whole collection, it is magnificent." " Is it?" "I got it at a knockdown price." "I'm hoping to sell it for a profit." " But how can you bear the sacrifice?" " Sacrifice?" "Oh, as far as I'm concerned, whoever buys them can melt them down for scrap." " Never, Hastings." "Never have I met a man so obnoxious, and I swear, that wine he to gave us, he manufactured in his chemical factory." "Not the most pleasant evening, I'll agree." "Sorry about the bronzes." " That such a philistine should have them in his custody, it is an offense against art and justice." " I say..." "I thought I'd walk you back to your hotel." "I could do with a spot of fresh air." " Oh, right." " Yes, I think I should retire now." "Thank you for a most enjoyable evening, Lady Astwell." " Good night, Mr. Trefusis." "That'll be all, Parsons." " Very good, your ladyship." " Tell me, Monsieur Leverson, in order to deserve a knighthood, your uncle must have rendered some service most special, n'est-ce pas?" " Bought and paid for, like everything else." "The man's a monster, a bully, and a liar." "A liar, Mr. Poirot." " I'm surprised at Lady Astwell putting up with it." " Well, I'm not going to work in his blasted factory." "I'll show him." " I don't want to hear any more of this sentimental, patriotic claptrap." "We're in business to make money, and the Germans are willing to pay it." " No, what we are selling them will be used for military purposes." " Victor." " He's insufferable." " About Lily." " I've told you, Nancy, she's going, and that's all there is to it." " Don't I have any say in the matter?" " Hired help are ten a penny." "You can get another one." " Oh." "I've just about had as much as I'm going to take." "My God." "No harm done." "Good night." " Nothing at all." "Stay in the grass." "Mind yourselves." "Stay in the grass." "Let's go." " Quick blow to the head saw him off, I'd say." "There's the murder weapon." " If I might ask, sir, in what condition was Mr. Leverson when he left you last night?" " In a state of the most regrettable inebriations." "Why do you ask?" " Well, it sounds as though he was the last one to see his uncle alive." "Parsons, the butler, heard Mr. Leverson having an argument with his uncle." "Couldn't hear exactly what they were saying." " You have, of course, questioned Monsieur Leverson himself." " I did, sir." "He admitted that they'd had a quarrel." "But he says they patched it up." " Well, suppose I can say good-bye to the golf tournament." " It would be indecent to do otherwise." " Oh, excuse me, sir." "I'll do your room." " If you please, Monsieur Astwell, at what time did you leave the study of Sir Rueben last night?" " About 11:15." "We'd been discussing some business matters." " Excuse me, your ladyship." "Mr. Leverson's bedroom door appears to be locked." "He's run for it." "He can't have gone far." "Right, in the cars." "Whoa." " Come on, then." "This way." " All right, grab him." " Got him, Sergeant." " Come on, be sensible." " Chin up, Nancy." "If he did it in a sudden temper, it would be treated as manslaughter." " But he didn't do it, Victor." " Oh, excuse me." " You don't believe it either, do you, Mr. Poirot?" " Believe what, Lady Astwell?" " That Charles murdered my husband." " Well..." " No, I know." "I know all the facts are against him, but I tell you, Mr. Poirot, I tell you he's innocent." " And the reason for your certainty, Lady Astwell?" " Intuition." " Ah, yes, the female intuition, huh?" "Lady Astwell, if you'd be so kind, the will of your husband and his estate, to whom was it left?" " Uh, half to me, half to Victor." " And Monsieur Leverson?" " Well, his mother, Rueben's sister, knew that he was a bit scatterbrained, so she left her estate in Rueben's hands on condition that he made Charles a reasonable allowance." "It was almost a deathbed promise." " Which he kept?" " Until yesterday..." "Well, my husband threatened to cut Charles off without a penny unless he took a job with the firm." " I see." "Tell me, Lady Astwell, last night, you came to the study to see your husband." "About what?" " Oh, oh, that was just some domestic matter." " You had a quarrel." " He was making the most absurd allegations against Lily, accusing her of interfering with his private papers, spying." "Lily's a dear girl." "I regard her as I would a favorite niece." "Charles is very fond of her." "You know she came with excellent references." " Might I see these references?" " Is that really necessary?" " Just to satisfy my curiosity." " I've come to see Mr. Naylor." " Mr. Naylor appears to be out at the moment, miss." "I don't know when he'll be back." "Can I take a message?" " Oh, well." "Please give him this when he returns." "He's expecting it." " Certainly, miss." " I don't know what things are coming to, Gladys." "Policemen and detectives all over the place." "Expect it will be the press next." " Oh, well, do you think" "I'll get my picture in the paper, Mr. Parsons?" " Monsieur Parsons, a word with you, if I may?" " Certainly, sir." " Excuse me." "Monsieur Parsons," "I understand that last night you heard Monsieur Leverson having the arguments with Sir Rueben." " Yes, sir, I heard him cry out." "Then there was a heavy thud." "Mr. Leverson shouted, "My God."" " Did you try to ascertain the reason for this disturbance?" " I did, sir." "I went out of my room and listened at the foot of the back stairs." "I heard Mr. Leverson call out, "No harm done,"" "and then he went off, whistling, as cheery as you like, sir." " Ow!" " What have you done now, girl?" " Cut myself." "There's a bit of metal sticking out of the table." " Allow me, mademoiselle." "Voilà." "Monsieur Parsons, have you noticed if any of your cutlery, it is damaged?" " As it happens, one of the knives is missing its point, sir." " Hm, I think you will find it here, embedded in the table." " Oh, thank you, sir." "I'll see to it." "And you get a bandage around that, Gladys." " Yes, Mr. Parsons." "I'll wash your handkerchief for you, sir." " No, no, no, no, Mademoiselle Gladys, thank you." "There is no need." "You are most kind." " Oh." " Your business discussion last night with Sir Rueben, your brother, it was friendly?" " Why should it have been otherwise?" " Because I detected at the dinner table a certain tension." " Yes, well, we did have a disagreement." " A quarrel?" " I wouldn't call it that." "A heated argument." "It was over this." "We have developed a synthetic rubber, Astoprene." "Remarkable stuff, made from oil." "Amazing properties." "Strong as mild steel." "High abrasion factor." "Ideal for motor tires." "Rueben intended to license its manufacture to I.G. Farben." "You've heard of them?" " Yes, of course." "They are the largest chemical manufacturers in Germany." "Do you have the objections?" " It's all academic now." "I'm canceling the transaction." " I will be with you in just a moment, Monsieur Poirot." " Please, Monsieur Trefusis, do not hurry yourself." "We both know how important it is to weigh things most carefully, huh?" " I am at your disposal." " Merci." "I am trying to establish where everyone was at the time of the murder of Sir Rueben." " I was sound asleep in bed." "I retired shortly after you left." " And you departed early in the morning?" " Yes, before breakfast." " Last night, you talked at dinner about the scientific developments in Germany." " Did I?" " You are fluent in the language?" " Well, I should be." "I worked and studied in Germany for a number of years." " You have there a number of friends?" " Oh, I keep in touch with colleagues." "Well, if you have no further questions, Monsieur Poirot..." " Thank you, Monsieur Trefusis." "I am very sorry to have disturbed you." "A vintage year, you would say?" " This is the parcel you've been waiting for, sir." " Thank you." "I've enjoyed my stay." "My car is just outside." " "Exhibition Road, London."" " So you say this Monsieur Naylor took the parcel with him when he left the hotel?" " Yes." " Thank you, Hastings." " Is that blood, Poirot?" " Yes, Hastings, but it is not mine." "Gladys, the maid, she cut her finger when she found the tip of a knife embedded in the table where Victor Astwell, he was seated." " You don't suspect him, do you?" " It is by no means certain that your friend Charles is the murderer, Hastings." "Indeed, Lady Astwell is deeply convinced that he is not." " I've never known you to place much faith in intuition." " Intuition, Hastings, often describes some fact that is so deeply buried in the subconscious that the subject is not aware of its existence." " What fact?" "Et bien, Hastings." "If I knew that, the case, it would be solved." " Lily Margrave's references." "Lady Astwell sent them by special delivery." " Thank you, Miss Lemon." "It is indeed most fulsome in its presence." "Exactement, that is the crest of the Noble Duchess of Perthshire." "How interesting." " Tell the truth, Charles." "What have you got to lose?" " Oh." "When I arrived back from the golf club," "I went up to his study." "I was in a bit of a temper, and I wanted to have it out with the old devil." "I went into his study, and he was sitting at his desk." "Well, at least that's how it looked." "I've just about had as much as I'm going to take of you, you swine." "Do you hear?" "Oh, don't like it when someone stands up to you, do you?" "...When someone stands up to you, do you?" "Nothing to say?" "Oh." "Oh, God." " So when you found him," "Monsieur Astwell was, in fact, already dead." " But why on Earth did you make a run for it?" " Well, when the maid saw the blood, I..." "I just panicked." "You see, I knew you wouldn't believe me." "I mean, who would?" " Poirot might." " You do realize" "I can't guarantee any results, Mr. Poirot." " I have the most complete faith in you, Miss Lemon." " You are sleepy." "Very sleepy." " Your eyelids are heavy." "They are closing...closing..." " This really is quite absurd." " Relax." "You are going to sleep." " Lady Astwell, you are now asleep." "You can hear me, and you can answer my questions." " I can hear you." "I can answer your questions." " It is the night of the murder." "You are seated at the dining table." "Describe to me what you saw and what you felt." " I..." "I'm in great distress, worried about Lily." "Victor's looking at Rueben in an angry way." " Tell me about Victor." " Such a dear man." "We love each other very much." " It is later in the evening." " We're in business to make money." " You go to the study." "Is Victor there?" " No, he's just coming out." "He looks pale and angry." " He's insufferable." " You enter the study." "You have a terrible scene with your husband." " ..." "Is going, and that's all there is to it." " Don't I have any say in the matter?" " Paid companions are ten a penny." "You can get another one." " Very soon, he will be murdered." "Do you know who murdered your husband, Lady Astwell?" " It wasn't Charles." " How do you know?" " Because of the curtain." "Don't I have any say in the matter?" " Paid companions are ten a penny." " Curtain?" "What about the curtain?" "The shape." " Shape?" " The..." " Is there someone behind the curtain?" "Who is behind the curtain, Lady Astwell?" " Really, Mr. Poirot, this has gone on long enough." " S'il vous plaît, mademoiselle." " She's in distress." "Can't you see that?" " Lady Astwell, the curtain." "Is there someone behind the curtain?" " Oh." " Oh, it's too late." "She's coming out of it." " Have I been having a nap?" " That's it, just a little nap." " Did I..." "Did I say anything?" " Not as much as I could have wished." "On the evening of the tragedy," "I understand that you had retired to bed before Lady Astwell went to the study, is that not so?" " Yes." " Did you, by any chance, leave your room again?" " No." " Did you go into the study at any time during the evening?" " No, not at any time." " How curious." " In what way, Mr. Poirot?" " As I recall, that evening you wore a dress of green chiffon." "Such a pity it has been torn." "Where did you find that?" " Did you go into the study again after dinner?" " No." "Yes." "I may have." "Yes, I remember now." "I was in the study the previous evening, and I was wearing the same dress." " Ah, the same dress." " Hmm." " Ah." "How sad that you appear to have spilled onto it some of Sir Rueben's most excellent wine." "Or is it blood?" " She's making a run for it, Poirot." " It must have something to do with that parcel." " I think I know where she's going." "Exhibition Road." "She'll catch the 1:15." " You are sure of the timetable, Hastings?" " Absolutely positive." " Bon, then we have just the time." "But you must drive like the winds." " I'm depending on you to navigate." " When's the next train to London?" " Exhibition Road, please." " Where is this Exhibition Road, Hastings?" " It should be up here on the right." "It's full of museums and colleges." " But for us, only one that matters." "Vite, Hastings." "Vite." "A hurried departure, Mademoiselle Margrave?" "If that is indeed your name." " My real name is Lily Naylor." "Humphrey's my brother." " And you, Monsieur Naylor, are a research fellow here at the Imperial College?" " Yes, in polymer chemistry." "The molecular forms of repeating units" " We are talking about synthetic rubber." " In this instance, yes." "I made a breakthrough with one compound." "It wasn't perfect, but it was nearly there." "The trouble was that it needed commercial investment to develop its potential." "So I approached Astwell Chemicals." "At first, they showed some interest in my work." "Then, after a while," "Sir Rueben told me that they had lost interest entirely." " Sorry, Naylor, we're not prepared to go that far." " I believed them at first." "Then my suspicions became aroused by odd little reports in scientific journals." "They wouldn't have meant much to anyone who wasn't expert in the subject." "Hello, George?" "Yes, have you seen the current issue..." "I made certain inquiries and became convinced that Astwell's were using my basic research." "He was swindling me." "But..." "I had no proof." " And you, Mademoiselle..." "Naylor and your references?" "They are genuine?" " Oh, yes, completely so." "I was employed by the Duchess of Perthshire." "The Astwells would have recognized the name Naylor, and so I changed my name on the references." " And by this subterfuge, you were able to obtain the Astoprene file." "Monsieur Astwell, would you be so kind as to tell us about Monsieur Naylor?" "I understand you and your brother stole his research." " I tried to argue with Rueben, but he said that Naylor's work was unproven." "Our labs took over the whole thing." " Well, I agree there were some problems still to be solved" " Let us, if you please, go back to the night of the murder of Sir Rueben." "Lady Astwell, when you were in the trance of the hypnotics, you said that you saw something behind the curtain." " Not--not the window curtains." "It was that curtain." "Oh, my God." " Calm yourself, madame." "Captain Hastings." "Thank you." "Perhaps you can tell us who was hiding behind the curtain," "Monsieur Naylor?" " It wasn't me." "I told you, after I'd met Lily in the garden," "I went back to my hotel." " But there was indeed an intruder." "And on first entering the study, this intruder had no thought of murder." "It was solely for the purpose of making the search." "But suddenly..." " All I'm saying..." " There was the sound of approaching voices and footsteps." "And there was to be found only one place to hide, the small bedroom attached to the study that Monsieur Astwell uses when he works late at night." " I don't want to hear any more of this sentimental..." " Monsieur Victor Astwell and Sir Rueben enter the study." "They do not see anybody hiding behind the curtain, and the two men quarrel violently." " What we are selling them will be used for military purposes." " Victor." " Monsieur Victor Astwell leaves in anger." "But for our intruder, there's no way to escape." "What a dilemma." "If Sir Rueben decides to spend the night in the little bedroom, discovery must surely follow." "Lady Astwell enters the study to protest at the dismissal of Mademoiselle Naylor." " That's all there is to it." " Well, don't I have any say" " Paid companions are ten a penny." "You can get another one." " When Lady Astwell leaves, Sir Rueben, he is alone." "Now is the only moment for our intruder to escape without detection." "But Sir Rueben hears a noise." " What the..." " Et voilà." " An act of impulse followed by blind panic." "Now our intruder must escape." "But it is not to be." "Is there no way out of this accursed room?" "Monsieur Charles Leverson enters the study." " ..." "When someone stands up to you, do you?" "Nothing to say?" " And on seeing that Sir Rueben is dead, he leaves." "Then Mademoiselle Naylor enters the study, and finding the body of Sir Rueben, seizes her opportunity to take a file that is so important to her brother." " Lily's told you what happened." "He was trying to cheat me." "But she didn't murder him." " Mesdames et messieurs," "I am a student of the psychology, and throughout this case," "I have been looking not for a man or woman who has the bad temper, because the bad temper is, in itself, a safety valve." "No, I have been looking for a person who has the patience, who has for too long played the part of the underdog, who crept into the study of Sir Rueben, who hid behind the curtain," "who became trapped and finally committed the act of violence that had been harbored for so long." "It was you who was hiding behind the curtain." "It was you who murdered Sir Rueben Astwell," "Monsieur Trefusis." "You waited until the house was silent and empty." "You then crept back to your bedroom, leaving a dead man on the floor." " This is absolute nonsense." "Why should I want to kill him?" " In the Astoprene file," "I noticed a contract that bears your signature." "It would appear that you were instrumental in the development of the invention by Monsieur Naylor." "You were to become a very rich man, if it was produced by the Astwell Company." "But if the process was to be licensed elsewhere, as it was told to you by your German colleagues, of what value then would be your contract?" " Of no value at all." " He was a bully, a liar, and a swindler." " I think there will be few people who would disagree with your analysis of the character of Sir Rueben." "So tell me, Mademoiselle Naylor, your brother, he is happy with the terms offered by Monsieur Victor Astwell?" " Well, they really are quite generous." " Shh-shh-shh." " Captain Hastings?" "A hole in one, Captain Hastings." "A hole in one." " Miss Lemon, Captain Hastings possesses far too much of the intellectual strength" " Quite right, Poirot." "I say."