"Two-shot on two." "Ten seconds from now." "Starting the two-shot." "We stay on two for the applause." "That's great." "Terrific!" "It's been great having you with us." "Tell me, before you go, when can we expect to see our favorite onscreen detective in his next Jake Slagle movie?" "Well, actually, David, as you know, that's why I'm in London." "We're starting shooting the next one right now." "So, I would imagine that it will be out sometime next year." "Oh, well, that's terrific." "We look forward to it." "Mr. Bryan Martin, ladies and gentlemen." "Thank you." "Ba ck to three." "Right, frame out, Phil." "And take three." "To mention his name to the criminal community would be a bit like waving a fistful of garlic in front of a starving vampire." "He's looking straight at me." "...here is the key..." " Where is he?" "You're on." "You're on now." "...the man coming out..." " I don't understand anything here." "You'll be all right." "When he says your name you go on." "...off-screen detective." "Will you welcome..." " Oh, that must be me." "Yes." "Monsieur Hercule Poirot!" "Just leave me alone." "I shan't forget this." "It's a pleasure, a pleasure to meet you." "Monsieur Poirot, it's a very great privilege to have you making your television debut here with us all tonight." "Do you watch much television?" "Because you'd like it, you know." "Because it's full of crime and detection, you know." "And very reassuring, the good guys always win." "Unlike the news summary on my clock radio where the bad guys always seem to win." " Pretty good, Monsieur Poirot." "Absolutely." "Tell me, have you seen any of Bryan's Jake Slagle films?" " Who's that?" " Jake Slagle." " This is Mr. Slagle." " Well, Bryan." "I play a character..." " We have already met, I think." " Yes, friend." "No, I don't go to the cinema very often, I'm afraid." "The last cinema I saw was Casablanca." "I was invited to the premier in Antwerp." "In Antwerp?" "Really?" "I didn't know it premiered in Antwerp." "Do you spend much time in Belgium?" "No, because there's so little crime." "You know that I'm very patriotic." "I believe in Belgium very profoundly, but crime is practically nonexistent." "Did you ever nearly get into anything else at all?" "No, not really." "I could've gone into crime because it's similar as a profession." "It's the same..." "it's the other side of the same coin." "Heads or tails?" "Oh, crime!" "No, I think not." "And now it's time to introduce our next guest." "And our next guest is going to come as a surprise not to Monsieur Poirot, but to Bryan over there because it's the co-star of his new movie." "Yes, will you welcome, please, Miss Jane Wilkinson!" "Hello!" "Hello, everybody." "It's so nice to be here." "And so nice to be me." "Do sit down, please." "Jane." " Are you surprised, Bryan?" " Yeah, I'm astounded." "Well, the element of surprise has always been my forte." "Good word." "But tell me, Bryan." "I mean, how would you describe Jane here?" "Would you call her unpredictable?" "Would you call her irresistible?" "Call me anytime." "That's weird." "Weird is the word." "Even uncanny." "This young lady looks like your famous co-star, Bryan, but in fact, ladies and gentlemen," "I'd like you to take another look at..." "Just because I never went to high school you act like I haven't got a brain in my head." "The star of the Club Carlyle," "Miss Carlotta Adams!" "Fantastic!" "I'll bet that threw him." "Thank you." "Ellis, get Bryan on the phone." "I want to talk to him." "Let's have them over here, that detective and the girl." " For dinner." " Yes." " How wonderful." " Yes." "Got it!" " Hello, Jane." " Hi." "How good of you all to come." "Jane, this is Hercule Poirot." " Mr. Poirot, it's an honor." " Madam." "Thank you." " This is Arthur Hastings." " I'm delighted to meet you." "It's nice to meet you." "Go on in, please." "Thank you." "Arthur." "This is my friend Ronny." " Pleasure." " I need a drink." "Ellis, will you pour the drinks?" "You're talking to an ex-bartender here, not just a pretty face." "I'll do it." "I was watching you..." "Hey. it's so nice to be here." "And so nice to be you." "Where did you get that dumb hand gesture?" "You'll help..." "You'll help me?" "Terrific!" "What's the next one to be called?" " Hoses are Dead." " And I play Rose." "Mr. Poirot, could I steal you for a minute?" " Yes, I..." " Just for one second." "Hercule, you're a detective, you know, I wonder if you could help me." "Oh, it would be an honor." "Well, I've just got to get rid of my husband." "I'm not very good at getting rid of husbands." "I think you need a lawyer." "Not a lawyer." "I've given up on them." "He just won't give me a divorce." " And your husband is?" " Lord Edgware." "Yes, you're speaking to Lady Edgware, if you can believe that." "And why is it so important to be rid of his lordship?" " So I can get married again, why else?" " Yes, why, indeed?" "George is a..." "He's kind of strange." "Well, scary, really." "I mean, he's like a freeway with no off-ramps, you know?" "I mean, we've been separated two years." "His first wife left him, too." "Ages ago." "She walked out on him and their three-month-old daughter, who is still living with him." " She's grown up, now." " I hope so." "She's a little disturbed, to put it politely." "Anyway, I want to get married again, so I got to divorce George first, right?" "Might I know the identity of your intended?" " The Duke of Merton." " The Duke of Merton?" "I guess I got this thing for English guys with titles." "It's my only vice." "But I understood the duke was rather monkish." "Yeah, that's him." "He's like a dreamy kind of monk." "So serious and reverent." "Oh, how about it, Hercule?" "Come on." "I mean, you could just talk to him about a divorce, huh?" "I mean, you want me to be happy." "don't you?" "I want everybody to be happy." "No, I wasn't thinking about everybody." "I was just thinking about me." "Dinner's ready." "Everybody, come on." " Good." "I'm starved." " Yes." "Let's eat." "You better help the lady out." "I don't think she understands the word "No"." "Perhaps she's never come across it." "You don't..." "No, I must say I've never managed with a horse." "I would have been strictly a foot regiment on that..." "I say, have we met?" "Yes, earlier." "My name is Hastings." "You're not Spencer Jones who loaned me £20 at the club the other night?" "No." "You could correct that oversight, now, if you would." " Or a 50, if you've got it?" " Gee, Ronny, it's time to go." "Debt creates a bond between men, don't you think?" "Ronny?" "Hey." "It's really been a thrill to meet you, Miss Wilkinson." "It's really been a thrill to meet you, Miss Wilkinson." "Call me Jane." "Yes, thanks awfully for an absolutely delightful repast, Aunt Jane." "Smashing." "Smashing." "Well, Hercule, how about it?" "Will you talk to George about a divorce?" "Or do I have to jump in a cab, go over there and waste him?" " Jane, you shouldn't joke like that." " Who's joking?" "Yes." "Well, Charles and I had better be running along." "Me, too." "I've got an early call." " What is "waste"?" " What?" "Oh, don't ask me, old man." "Haven't a clue." "I haven't understood a word anybody said all evening." "I remember seeing you at the Cafe Carlyle." "Thank you." "Marvelous." " Listen, what... 12:30 tomorrow." "12:30 tomorrow?" "Lovely evening, darling." " Take care." " You, too." "Bye, kid." "Thank you so much." "You are..." "You don't escape until I get an answer." "I agree to speak with Lord Edgware on your behalf." "You do?" "Wonderful." "You're a darling!" "isn't he a darling?" "It numbs the senses." " I can't thank you enough." "Thank you." " That's all right." " Thanks for coming." " Arthur." "Yes, sir." " Bye, Hercule." " Bye." "Thank you very much." "Poirot, you astound me." "My dear Hastings, the most beautiful woman in the world could not possibly influence Hercule Poirot." "I'm just mildly interested that..." "You must realize that nothing more intriguing is happening at the moment." "Mr. Poirot!" "Perhaps I spoke too soon." " Hey, Mr. Poirot." " Hello." "Listen, hey, I got a problem I wanted to talk to you about, if you don't mind." " Shall we walk?" " Yeah." "Yeah." "See, I think somebody's following me." " I see no one." " Not now." "Just sometimes." " Would you tell me about it?" " I'd like to, but I really can't." "You see, there's a woman involved..." "I can't really tell you too much unless I check..." "A woman involved, but is there a crime involved?" "You know, a good crime, sir, is like a fine omelet." "It is plain on the outside, you only discover the first clue when you put your fork in it." "Yeah, yeah." "Well, I guess..." "I guess you could say there's a crime involved." " I see." "A serious crime?" " Pretty serious." "Yeah." "A serious crime." "The ultimate crime, of course, is murder." "And the solving of murders is like a breath of air to me." "Murder." "Yeah." "Listen, by the way, did Jane talk you into going to see her old man?" "You know, a little champagne, such a beautiful woman..." "Poirot?" "Yeah, she is that." "She is beautiful." " Yes." " But I believe her." "About what?" "About bumping the old guy off." "I think she'd really do it." " The ultimate crime, murder?" " Yeah." "You see, Jane and I go back a long way, if you know what I mean." "Jane Wilkinson has got one interest in mind, Jane Wilkinson." "I hate to say it, but right and wrong mean zip to this lady if she's going after something that she wants." "I can see her blowing old Georgie away, and then feeling very offended if they caught her." "Yeah." "You know, she acts like she's got a lot of class, with the champagne and the dinner parties, but there's still a very good reason why she plays the dumb blond so well, you know what I mean?" "Hey, listen, I really got to run." " The early call?" " Yeah." "Yeah." "Listen, I'll get back to you on that other matter, okay?" " Yeah." " You've been a great help to me." "I mean it." "I'm serious." "I love you, you know?" "You're okay." "I say, Poirot, you really are acting very strangely tonight." "I mean, what's all that about "a breath of air"" "and "sticking the fork in the omelet"?" "You know, the many years you stayed behind a desk in military intelligence have left you entirely innocent." "Oh, you observed me tonight a little, out of force of habit, but you failed to observe the professional actor acting." " When did he do that?" " Just now." ""Love you" "To stroll through life so entirely unobservant." " You know, I envy you." " No, you don't." "Now, you're observant." "Bravo!" ""Love you." Come." "I didn't mean to offend you." "Hello, is that Lord Edgware's..." "Oh, it is." "I'm speaking on behalf of Monsieur Hercule Poirot." "Yes, yes." "He'd like to make an appointment to see his lordship, if that's convenient." "Yes, I'll hold on." "She seemed to know your name." "Yes, just a minute." "He's going to Paris tomorrow, but he could see you on his return or today if it's urgent." " Now." "Now." " Hello." "Today would be splendid..." "Yeah." "Right." "Thank you." "Fierce lady." "We've got an appointment to see his lordship midday today." "Monsieur Poirot and Hastings for Lord Edgware." "Come in, sir." "I am, of course, familiar with your name, Monsieur Poirot." "Also with Hastings." "I can't imagine why you wished to see me." "Our mission is a somewhat painful one, your lordship." "It concerns your wife." "Indeed." "For some time, you must know that her ladyship has been asking for a divorce." "She wants to marry some film actor." "She suggested that you and I might discuss the matter." " There is nothing to discuss." " You refuse to grant her a divorce?" "Certainly not." "You do not refuse to grant her a divorce?" "I am at a loss to understand your astonishment, Monsieur Poirot." "I wrote to her six months ago that I would no longer contest a divorce." "I had refused until then, but I changed my mind." "My reasons are my own." "Now, is there anything else?" "This way, gentlemen, please." "That's fantastic!" "You mean, I'm free?" "I can't believe it." "Now, concentrate for a moment, please." "His lordship told me that six months ago he wrote to you conceding a divorce." " I never got a letter." " Does that not strike you as odd?" "Well, yeah, but you know, I mean, who cares?" "I'm free!" "Mr. Poirot, you're a genius!" "What can I do to repay you?" "No, your gratitude is quite adequate a reward." "Come." "Come." " So glad to have been of assistance." " That's all right." " Bye, Hercule." "Thank you." " Madam." "It's odd that Lady Edgware should be without any curiosity whatever about that missing letter." "For which, incidentally, there are four possible explanations." " Four?" " Four." "One, the letter was never posted." "Two, Lord Edgware is lying when he said he sent it." "Three, Lady Edgware is lying when she said that she never received it." "And four, someone interfered with that letter either at four "a", the sending or four the receiving end." " And which do you suspect?" " I..." "Poirot." "Oh, Japp." "Dear Japp." "Come up." "Oh, no." "Not the pride of Scotland Yard." "I bet he's come to pick your brains again." "Look, don't let him, Poirot." "Please don't let him." "The picking does not hurt me physically." " JaPP, what brings you out so early?" " Early?" "I've been up for hours on business." "Murder." "Poirot." "And who pray has been murdered?" "Lord Edgware." "Stabbed to death last night by his wife." "Stabbed to death by Lady Edgware." "She's Jane Wilkinson, the American actress." " What makes you think she did it?" " Think?" "I know." "She arrived last night around 10:00 in a blinking cab, announced herself to the butler like she was dropping in for tea and this morning, there was his lordship with a neat little hole straight through the cistern into the medulla." " Why should she do a thing like that?" " Wanted to marry another bloke." "And she actually said she meant to "call round in a cab and waste him"." "You are extremely well informed." "Someone has been most obliging." "I'm also informed that you met Lord Edgware yesterday." "You'd like to tell me about that?" "I would like someone else to hear my reply." "You actually spoke to Lady Edgware?" "No, I've seen her, but she won't say a word without her solicitor." "And till he shows up, my men are staying right on top of her." "In a manner of speaking." "He's up on the roof!" "He's got a bead on him." "Look out, Freddie." "Watch it, boys." "He's coming down the wall." "Cue Bryan!" "Stuntman all right?" " Cut it!" " Nice work." " Cut." " Bring him in." " Wonderful, wonderful!" " Felt good." "Felt good." "Macho." "Real macho." "You know, I did this same stunt about a year ago." "Bryan, if only we had British actors like you." " Someday." " I'll set up the next shot." "Poirot, what's up?" "Lord Edgware has been murdered." "You mean, she really went and did it?" "May I present Inspector Japp from Scotland Yard, who is in charge of these enquiries?" "Look, damn it, I'm sorry, but I warned you just the other night." "I remember what you said." "It is no doubt for that reason that you think that Lady Edgware is responsible for her husband's murder." "You mean she didn't do it?" "No, no, Mr. Martin, she did it all right." "Well, that makes sense." "She wanted a divorce so she could go off and marry some duke or a count or, I don't know, whatever they call themselves these days." "But he wouldn't let her go." "So..." "I suppose that means now I'm gonna have to replace her in the picture." "But she would let him go." "I spoke to Lord Edgware only yesterday." "Japp, that is the reason for my visit." "Well, why didn't you tell her before she killed the old guy?" " I did tell her." " You did?" "Yes. it's extraordinary, isn't it?" "Yes. it's extraordinary, isn't it?" "Here is a woman who is willing to state publicly that she will kill in order to gain her freedom." "She gains her freedom and she still kills." "My poor Japp." "I'm afraid your presentation of the case revolts the intelligence." "It doesn't revolt mine." "I've got to get back to her flat." "I've got a few more questions for her ladyship now." " Hastings and I will accompany you." " I don't want you to." " It is on our way." " I don't..." "Resign yourself to the fact that from now on everywhere you go is on our way." "I hate this suit." "Yeah. it's a poof suit." "Wardrobe!" "Harry, come on, get that wardrobe!" "Hi, Hercule." "Inspector." "Hercule, tell me what you think." "I sent over to Harrods to get some mourning outfits, but I hate black." "Do you think a lavender would be inappropriate?" "Either black or nothing." "You can't wear that. it's impossible." "This is my lawyer, Mr. Moxon." "That man thinks I killed George." "Inspector, when exactly did this unfortunate occurrence take place?" "10:00 p.m. last night." "See?" "I was at a dinner last night." "I shouldn't have said that." "But I asked you before about your activities last evening." "You're right." "You said last evening." "No, but last night," "I was at Sir Montague Corner's house in Chiswick." "I was there from, what, about 8:45, wasn't it?" "Until 11:30." "You could ask Sir Montague, you know, if you don't believe me." "You could ask everybody there." "As a matter of fact, there were 13 of us for dinner." "Right." "I'll check it out." " Where are you going?" " Going with you." " You don't know where I'm going." " Where are you going?" " To Lord Edgware's house." "It's on our way." "Come on." "Come on." "Hercule, could I borrow you for just a minute?" "Tell me." "Listen, I don't think that Scotland Yard guy likes me." " He's just trying to do his duty." " You think?" "It's lucky that I changed my mind about going to that party." " You changed your mind?" " Yeah." "I had a terrible headache yesterday afternoon and I was just going to send my regrets." " Did you say this to anyone?" " Yeah." "Yeah, I was out at the film set, you know, just to say hi before I start to work next week." "We were all sitting around having a tea, the way they do here, and I said, "You know, I've got a terrible headache" ""and I'm going home to bed."" "And why did you reconsider?" " Ellis." " Ellis?" "She got onto me about breaking my engagements, so I went." "Poirot." "Goodbye." "Thank you very much for the information." "JaPP. wait for me." "You look irresistible in your widow weed." "Absolutely." "No need to add to it." "She arrived a few minutes after 10:00, saying that there was no need to announce her and went directly through to the library." "About 10 minutes later, I heard the front door shut." "At 11:00, I glanced in on my way to bed, but it was dark, so I assumed that his lordship had already retired." "The housemaid found his body there this morning." "Excusez-moi, but how long have you worked here?" "Only six months, sir." "I recognized her ladyship from her films, as did Miss Carroll, his lordship's secretary." "I was standing up there..." "How was Lady Edgware dressed?" "Black dress, black hat, pearls." "Excuse me." "Inspector, have we established an exact time of death?" "No." "We have to wait for the autopsy, see where his dinner had got to." "What a charming way of putting it." "Inspector, who inherits the title?" "A nephew, Ronald Marsh." " Bit of a waster, I hear." "lnspector, it's for you." "Now, Miss Carroll," "I understand that his lordship's daughter lives here, is that right?" "Lady Geraldine." "Yes." "I think the inspector would probably like to speak with her." "I've given her a sedative." "He must speak to her later." "A sedative?" "Damned if Lady Edgware wasn't where she said she was." "The other guests swear she never left the table, only to take a phone call and even then she was never out of the butler's sight." "That's impossible." "I tell you, she was here at 10:00." "I saw her face distinctly." "Miss Carroll, where did you see her face from, please?" "I was standing" "right here." "Then, her ladyship was wearing her hat, you say." "She would've come in through the front door made her way to the library in this direction." "Did you see my face?" "No, but I swear it was that dreadful woman." "Perhaps yes." "Perhaps no." "Listen, Poirot, explain to me how Lady Edgware could be in two places at the same time." "That would be difficult even for her." "But let us say that the murderer was banking on the fact that she would not go out last night." "This would give him the opportunity to kill Lord Edgware and to incriminate her ladyship by the use of an imposter." "An imposter?" "Yes, a talented imitator of some sort." "Someone who'd wear black, a color which Jane abhors." "Someone like..." "Like Carlotta Adams." "Steady on, old man." "I mean, I know her clothes are a bit outré, but surely a charming girl like that wouldn't get involved in murder?" "No." "These are only suppositions, Arthur, please." "Let us assume that she went to Lord Edgware without for a moment realizing the reason for her visit." "In that case, she'd wake up this morning and she'd see the news of Edgware's death and then she'd get onto the..." "I have been a fool." "I have been an imbecile!" "Hang on, old man." "What's this?" "We must reach her as quickly as possible." " We haven't got her number." " That place where she works." " They will have the number." "The club." " Yes, the club." " Café!" "Café." " Club..." " Go and find a taxi." "Carlyle!" " Carlyle!" "That's it." "Taxi!" " Did you get hold of her all right?" " Her number is engaged." "Quick." "Go." "Queensberry Gardens as fast as you can." "Are you the police?" "We're friends of Miss Adams." "Can we speak with her?" "Oh, dear Lord, she's dead!" "Too late." "She looks like a sleeping child." " Veronal." " What's that?" "It's a strong sedative." "Death from an overdose, I wouldn't be surprised." "The one comfort I derive from all this is that we could not have saved her." "She was dead by the time we found out about Lord Edgware's murder." "Do you think this was a murder, too?" "In my experience the first murder is often accomplished against great qualms of conscience." "Then, if the danger persists the second one is that much easier, the third easier still and..." "Like most things in life murder becomes a habit." "You think perhaps the two are connected?" "Yes." "She gave one last performance as Jane Wilkinson." "Miss Bennett was Carlotta Adams' secretary." "Did Miss Adams use drugs to facilitate sleep, for instance?" "Carlotta took no drugs whatsoever." " Did she go out last night?" " Yes." "I was here when she returned about 12:00." "She seemed exhausted and went straight to bed." "Today when I came in she was still there, all cold and..." "No, no, no, no, no." "Tell me about her day." "Did she invite people to..." "Did she leave the flat yesterday?" "She had lunch with Jenny Driver, the fashion designer." "They were best friends." "She went out again about 7:00." "All giddy and excited, like a little girl up to mischief." " And who was she going to see?" " I've no idea, sir." " How was she dressed?" " She wore a black dress." " And any jewelry?" " Only the pearls she always wore." "And she took her make-up case, which was odd because she was off last night." "Can you identify this small mother-of-pearl box?" " No, sir." " No?" "Veronal." "Those aren't Carlotta's." "She doesn't..." "Didn't wear glasses." "And did you stay long here after she returned home last night?" "No, only just a moment." "She gave me a letter to post that she'd been carrying all day and had forgotten, and then I left." " And you posted it on your way home?" " Yes, sir." "To whom was it addressed?" "Can you recall that?" "Yes, to her sister in America." "They corresponded regularly." "It's there somewhere." "Oh, this is it." "I beg you to be brief." "Miss Driver is preparing her spring collection." "There's so much work." "Absolutely horrifying." "Jenny, these are the gentlemen." "No." "No, no, no. it's all wrong." "Listen, can you get me that soft board?" "Please." "Thanks." "Yes, my assistant tells me that you want to talk to me about Carlotta." "I regret to inform you that Miss Adams is dead." "What?" "I mean, you see, she can't be." "I had lunch with her yesterday." "It is about that that I would like to talk with you." "Yes." " What happened?" " She died in her sleep." "You know, I can't believe it." "I mean, it was just yesterday she was so excited about..." "About?" "I don't know." "Some sort of hoax, I think." "A hoax?" "Well, she didn't talk about it, but I got the impression it involved a lot of money." "Poirot, this has been very well worthwhile." " She's pretty quick off the mark." " You noticed?" "No more wool." "What..." "What do we do now?" "We must decide who the death of Lord Edgware would benefit." " The heirs, the daughter, the nephew..." " Lady Edgware." " Bravo." "And the Duke of..." " Merton." "Quiet, please, we're taking pictures." "Not bad." "Tea!" "I'd rather have tea." "What?" "To work!" "My ass." "It's like a miracle." "You know, the way things happen." "George's death." "No need for a messy divorce." "But have you not asked yourself who could have killed your husband and probably, Carlotta Adams?" "I'm sorry about the girl." "I liked her." "But you know, whoever it was did me a favor." "I guess the police will figure everything out anyway, huh?" "I'm told you received a phone call during Sir Montague Corner's dinner." "A joke, I guess." "A joke?" "Yeah." "The butler called me to the phone, you know." "And this voice said, was I Lady Edgware, and I said, "Yeah, that's right."" " And she hung up." " She?" "Yeah, it was a woman's voice." "Lady Edgware, do me a favor." "Who killed your husband?" "If I was guessing, I would say his daughter, Geraldine, did it." "Monsieur Poirot, I'm Geraldine Marsh, Lord Edgware's daughter." "Yeah." "Welcome." "Your housekeeper said I should wait here as I'd very much like to speak with you." "Well, that is entirely mutual." "Come in, please." "Sit down anywhere." "Oh, perhaps over there is..." "Now, how can I be useful to you?" "Why did my father send for you yesterday?" "Send for me?" "Look, I'm his daughter," "I have a right to know what you talked about." "Was it about the family?" "Was he afraid of something?" "What did he say to you?" "What passed between Lord Edgware and myself was of a confidential nature." "Look, I insist you tell me." "Were you fond of your father?" "Fond of him?" "No, I was not fond of my father." "I hated him." "I'm sure whoever killed him had his own reasons, but I could add 100 of my own." " Even if it caused more innocent victims?" " What do you mean?" "I have reason to believe that the killer has struck again." " Another murder?" "Who?" "It was..." "No, no." "In view of the fact, I have no proof" "I think you should disregard that last remark for the time being." "Hello?" "Who is it?" " Lord Edgware?" " Yes, that's my cousin, Ronald Marsh." " Oh, the new Lord Edgware." "Come in." " Yes, he drove me here." "Inspector, we meet again." " What a pleasure it must be for you." "indeed." " Come and sit down." " Thank you." "So, Carlotta Adams' escort, no?" "Oui, Monsieur Poirot." "So that when you referred to Lady Edgware as your aunt, a remark she seemed to resent somewhat, it was not just the rude remark of a drunken young man." "Well, I mean, I'd never met my aunt, the film star, before." "It was sort of a bit of a giggle, really." " Ronald, I think we should go home, now." " Home, yes." "Pauper one day, lord of the manor the next." "My late unlamented uncle kicked me out three years ago and now I return." "To murder, which has transformed me from the creditor's despair to the tradesman's hope." "God bless Aunt Jane." "Don't look at me with those accusing detective eyes." "I've got an alibi." "You, too?" "Sorry, I was at dinner and the opera with the Dortheimers and their boring daughter, Rachel." "Disappointed, Poirot?" "How long had you known Carlotta Adams?" "A few months." "Why?" " And you liked her?" " Yes, very much." "Why are we talking in the past tense?" "Why?" "Because she died last night." "How?" "An overdose of drugs, which I believe was not self-inflicted." "Let's go home now." "Dear, oh dear, oh dear." "Enough motives and alibis for a dozen murders." "A dozen?" "I hope not as many as that, Hastings." "I hope not." " Sir Montague Corner's residence?" " Yes, sir." "We found it at last." "Sir Montague is out on the lawn with his guests." "I see." "Excuse me." "Was it you, sir, that answered the telephone call intended for Lady Edgware at Sir Montague's dinner the other night?" " Yes, sir." " And what can you tell me about it?" "Very little, sir." "I interrupted her at dinner to tell her she had a telephone call." "Don't misunderstand me, but did you overhear any of the conversation?" "She said "hello" and "that's right" and hung up, remarking that the party had rung off." " It was a woman's voice, I believe?" " Yes, sir." " Possibly foreign." " Foreign?" "Thank you very much in any case..." "Monsieur Poirot, how very nice to see you." " How are you, sir?" " And Mr. Hastings." "Let me introduce you to the Wildburn's." " We've met before." " Yes." "Yes, we have, yes." "This is Donald Ross, a marvelous actor, who's gonna be a major, major star." " Well!" " Monsieur." " How do you do?" " Hello." "But we interrupt your game." "We're so sorry." "Oh, not at all." "Please join us, if £50 a game doesn't frighten you." " You're welcome to take my place." " Well..." "Well, £50." "Be careful, he cheats." "I invited a delightful variety of people for the dinner to meet Lady Edgware." " A fine social mixture is a real work of art." " Yes." "And art is my passion." "That's a good shot." "That's going to be Sir Montague..." "Even that Green-Roman travesty over there has a certain splendid arrogance about it, don't you agree?" "Yes, it has a splendid arrogance." "Bad luck." "I'll see you at the next hoop." "What is your impression of Lady Edgware?" "Charming, very intelligent." "More so than I expected from an actress and an American." "Actually taught me a thing or two about Greek art." "About Greek art?" "Now, here I must concentrate." "And now..." "Damn it!" "Thank you." "Thank you very much." "And one more, I think." "Thank you very much." "Perhaps..." "Could somebody phone for a taxi for us?" "I'd be happy to give you a lift back to the town if you like." " Really?" " Certainly." " You are mobile?" "You have a car?" " Yes, I've got my car here." " Probably enough room." " I didn't even know how to drive." " That seems extraordinary." " Well, neither do I." " A member of the younger generation..." " You'd take your life in your hands." " I see." " That was a brilliant game." "Mr. Hastings, did you see me in lvanavat the Lyric?" "Did I?" "What?" "No, I didn't." "No, sorry." "I'm afraid not." " Well, it was a short run." " There will be many of those." " Where can I drop you, Mr. Poirot?" " At Scotland Yard." "Right." "You know I got to meet Jane Wilkinson here the other day." " You were invited to that famous party?" " Yes." "Terribly exciting." " Jane has such presence." " Yes." "Something you can't learn." "I'm told I have the same thing, you know." " Really?" " A certain indefinable presence." "Indefinable." "Yes." "Sta rt the motor." " Are you a good driver?" " Appalling." " Thank you very much." " Thank you very much." " I'm sorry." "It's all right." " I'll tell you one odd thing, Mr. Poirot." " Yes?" "There were 13 of us at dinner that night." "Some bloke failed to show up at the last moment." "And it wasn't until we were moving into the library that I remembered that old superstition about bad luck hitting the first person to get up" "from a table of 13." " And who did get up first?" "Me." " Well, cheerio." " Bye." "If I'd known that I wouldn't have accepted a lift from him." "Damn it, now the Edgwares' butler's disappeared along with £3,000 in French francs." "His lordship had it lying about for a nip over to Paris." "What do you want, Poirot?" "My only ambition is to be helpful to Scotland Yard, which by now will have concluded its investigation into the death of one Carlotta Adams, an American performer." "Poirot, buzz off like a good chap, will you?" "I've got bigger fish to fry." "In a good bouillabaisse, the little fish are often tastier than the big ones." "What are you talking about?" "Add poison however, and the whole soup is polluted." "Then the size of the fish are immaterial." " What's fish got to do with it?" "It was your own metaphor." " I didn't bring the fish up." " I didn't either..." "Stop the fish then." "Let's leave it out." "Listen to me." "Did you know that in Carlotta Adams' repertoire, there was an admirable impression of Jane Wilkinson?" " No." " Yes." "And on the night of the murder" "Carlotta Adams was dressed in black with a string of pearls, which is exactly what his lordship's secretary, Miss Carroll, said her ladyship was wearing when she visited his lordship." " By Jove, you're right." " And that's not all." " By Jove, you're right." " And that's not all." "Carlotta Adams had a make-up case which contained, among other things, a wig made so as to resemble exactly" "Jane Wilkinson's coiffure." "Poirot, you've done it again." "I'll have her picked up immediately." "She's been picked up already, my friend." "She's dead." "Yeah, yeah." "That's right." "She is." "What was the cause of death?" "Your report will no doubt say it was an overdose of Veronal." "Well, there you are." "Look, she goes to Edgware in her Jane Wilkinson get-up, right?" "Yes." "Why?" "Well, I don't know, do I?" "I'm hearing this for the first time." "She kills him perhaps by accident, impulsively." "Then, overcome by guilt or fear, she takes a drug overdose." " It makes sense, Poirot." " Great minds think alike." "I withdraw my comment." "All right, come on." "Come on." "It's a better angle than "the butler did it"." "And the rest are all accounted for." "Look, the nephew was at the opera." "The daughter was at the opera." "The wife was at the dinner, right?" "You've hit on it, Poirot." "Just a pity there's no motive." "Hastings." "It's all right." "A little spade work will soon bring it to light, I expect." "Well, while you're at your excavations, perhaps you'd dig up the letters Carlotta Adams sent to her sister in America." "And by the way, find the taxi driver who accepted a fare..." "No, two fares from Covent Garden to Regent's Park at 10:40 on the day of the murder." "10:40." "Because my friend, this case is not yet closed." "All right." "I'll fish around." "No." "No more fish, please." "It's Bryan Martin." "He wants you to go to his film set." "No doubt in order to inform me he no longer requires my services." "Pay attention, Bryan." "All right." "Cut." " Check this, old man." " I wouldn't like to do that for a living." "Yes." "Neither would I." " Print that." " Right, can it, cut and start canning." "That was terrific, Bryan." "A shot like that..." " I want another one." " Why?" "What's the matter?" "I don't know." "It just wasn't good." " I mean, when he was coming..." " That was terrific." "It was great." "Don't tell me the explosion wasn't big enough." "That's why I want another one." " Going again." " Have one more an that bays." "Look, I talked to that lady about the personal matter we discussed." " Yes?" " She wants to keep a low profile on the whole thing so I don't think I can put you to work on it." "Sorry." "How on earth could you have foreseen that, Poirot?" " A supposition." " Well, wait a minute." "You knew I wouldn't need you?" "Well, you must be very gratified in any case, that Lady Edgware will now appear in your film." "Yeah, yeah." "But I don't understand how you knew that I..." "Sa pristi." "We're extremely late." "Best of luck with the rest of the filming." "As they say in the show business, "Break a leg."" "Right." "Thanks." "But I still don't understand how..." "What..." "What are we late for?" "An unannounced visit to the Duke of Merton." "I don't care who they are, I shan't see them without an appointment." "But Your Grace, Mr. Poirot threatens to remain here all day if he must." "All right, send them in." "Mr. Poirot and Mr. Hastings." "What is the reason for this interruption?" "We are investigating the circumstances of the death of Lord Edgware." "I was not acquainted with him." "No, but perhaps you are acquainted with Lady Edgware." "That is correct." "Then I will ask you point blank, Your Grace, do you intend to marry Lady Edgware?" "When I'm engaged to marry anyone, the fact will be formally announced." "I consider your question an impertinence." "Good day." "I wait for the formal announcement" "with breath which is bated." " Good day." "Good day." "That didn't go too well." " I achieved my purpose." " What was that?" "Lady Edgware is an emotional woman who says whatever comes to her mind at any given moment." "She is quite capable of announcing to the world that she will marry the Duke of Merton, and the wretched Duke is the last man in the world to find out about it." "Well, he certainly put you in your place." " I don't agree." " How do you mean?" "One of the many diplomas I got at police college was one for speed-reading upside down." "And the letter on the Duke's desk read," ""My dearest Jane, I cannot wait." ""Oh my adored one, my angel..."" " Poirot." " You ought to be ashamed of yourself." " I know." "I feel absolutely awful." "Let us expiate my sin with an omelet and a bottle of good wine." "Upside down." "No, my friend." "You are wrong to arrest Ronald Marsh." "Really?" "Well, you just listen to this." "Now, this is a transcript of the letter" "Carlotta Adams sent to her sister in America." "Now..." "And by the way, thanks for the lead, Poirot." "That was the clincher." " Don't mention it." " Right." "Here we are." ""You remember Ronald Marsh I told you about." ""He loved my Jane Wilkinson impression," ""said it would fool Lord Edgware himself, and offered me £10,000 to try." ""Something about some bet." "Can you believe it?" ""Now I can bail myself out of that tax mess" ""my business manager managed to get me into." ""Anyway, I'm visiting his lordship tonight as Jane." ""Will let you know how it turns out next week."" "I'm sorry." "It just doesn't ring true." "You said yourself that she could easily have been drawn into it quite innocently." " Well, there's your proof." " Here." "And that's not all." "We found a cabbie who picked up a couple outside Covent Garden at the last interval right before 11:00, like you said." "He took them to Regent Gate and then back before the last interval." "And he identified Ronald Marsh from the photo." "Much as it distresses me to agree with the learned inspector here," "I must admit it does look to me frightfully like "case closed."" "Well, can you think of a motive for Carlotta Adams' death?" "Yeah." "Accident." "She came home all excited, took some Veronal to calm down, some more to go to sleep, and..." "Then some more Veronal, and a little more, and..." "No, I'm sorry." "Too many questions are still asked which do not satisfy the little gray cells." "For instance, who was the companion of Ronald Marsh on that cab trip from Regents Park during the intermission of the opera?" "If he's here, I'd like to speak to Mr. Ronald Marsh." "Yes." "Ronald is here." "I'll go and get him." "Thank you." "Come on, boy." "Walker, behave." "Mr. Marsh is going to miss all this, isn't he?" "Or you'll have to release him tomorrow, Japp, you know that." " Yeah." " I must say I'm not sure it's in the best of taste going hunting after a murder in the family." "Well, I don't think taste has anything to do with it, Hastings." " I don't suppose you would." " Look..." "Great minds falling out with each other's." "So..." "My little alibi gone bust, what?" "We know of your whereabouts on the evening in question." "But I didn't go to my uncle's to kill him." "Well, why did you?" "And who was the woman with you?" "I'd rather not say." "It's all right, Ronald, we should have told them the truth from the beginning." " It was me." " Well, I'll ask you again." " What was the reason for your visit?" " Money, what else?" " We went to get my mother's pearls." " For me to pawn, a very generous offer of Dina's which I swore to repay even if it meant getting a job." "The taxi parked across the road and I went in..." "While I waited, when I thought I saw a man I recognized." "That actor chap, Bryan..." " Martin?" " That's him." "Yes." "Well, I was very surprised, I remember, because he strode over to the house," "and let himself in with a key." " Just as I was coming out with the pearls." " Gave me quite a fright." " Of course, I trotted over to investigate." "And then we hurried away." "And we were back in Covent Garden without being missed." "And then, when we learned of the murder..." "Well, I thought it best to keep Dina and myself out of it all." "I obviously assumed that Aunt Jane had done it, so why muddy the waters with our little escapade?" "Well, that's all very well thought out, I must say." "But you couldn't have seen Bryan Martin that evening." "He was having dinner with Jenny Driver, the designer." "Was he?" "Yes." "You're not the only one with interesting little tidbits, Poirot." "And you've neglected to mention the £10,000 you offered Carlotta Adams." "I don't know what you're talking about." "We're still playing the little innocent on that one, are we?" "I don't know what you mean." "Where would I get £10,000?" "I was flat broke until my uncle's murder." "For which you are under arrest." " Read him his rights and take him away." " No." " You can't." " No, please." "Satisfied now, Poirot?" "Yes, I had dinner with Bryan the night of Lord Edgware's murder." "Why?" "Well, I was surprised you didn't talk to me about that before." "Well, it didn't seem important." "So there is nothing between you and Mr. Martin which would constitute "an item", as they say in the press?" "We are "just good friends", as they say in the press." "Yes." "I rather wish you had something to tell me that they do not say in the press." "Yes." "Well, I can't think what it'd be, love." "Sorry." "Actually, yes, there was some..." "There was something." "You know you were talking before about men in Carlotta's life." " Yes?" " Yes." "Well, there was someone she was talking about with increasing regard." "I suppose it's too much to hope that you remember who it is." " Marsh." "Ronald Marsh." " What a coincidence." "He's just been arrested for the murder of Lord Edgware." " Hastings?" "How did you guess?" " Never mind." "Come up." " Righto." "Well, I must say, Poirot, your powers of guesswork are absolutely..." "Good grief." "What have we here?" "Letters from a dead girl to her sister in America." " Carlotta Adams?" " Yes." "You know, I was not satisfied with a mere typescript of the last letter, especially not when read aloud by Japp." "I had to hold it and to really feel it and..." "Owing to the kindness of the sister, she sent this, and also some previous letters for comparison." "Come here." "It's quite interesting." "You see, this is the last letter, and these are the previous ones." "Can you see a difference?" "No, no." "You can do it with the naked eye." "These, without exception, are all folded like a book, whereas this one has been torn." "Is that significant?" "I don't know yet." "But one thing is clear." "The murderer did not anticipate" "Lady Edgware's presence at Sir Montague's dinner and had absolutely no knowledge of the existence of this letter which states quite clearly, the extent of Carlotta Adams' involvement which states quite clearly, the extent of Carlotta Adams' involvement" "in the hoax." "You see, it's rather moving." "This letter is in fact the dead woman talking to us in her own voice." "Yeah, but saying that Ronald Marsh is guilty, I mean..." "Sit down there." "Keep quiet." " Please." "I'm working." " Yes." "All right." "All right." "Of course." "Hastings?" "Please, come here." "Look, I want you to look at this." ""You remember the Ronald Marsh I told you about."" "It goes on to another page." ""He loved my Jane Wilkinson impression."" "Well, all these letters are very carefully written." "And there's something about their transition which worried me." "And then I suddenly realized." "An entire page has been torn out between these two." " What?" " Yes." "You see, the murderer must have discovered this letter by chance and found he was named on that page." "But by also cleverly removing it, he could give the impression that Ronald Marsh was in fact the instigator of the hoax." "That's devilishly clever if it's true." "Yeah, well, the murderer is certainly extremely clever, which practically eliminates the young gentleman in prison" "at the moment." " Well, how can you be sure of that?" " I know." "The little gray cells." " Yes." "...doubt about it." "Thomas Rowlandson was a superb pictorial journalist." " They did something..." " Real sharks?" "With real sharks." "They did something to aggravate them." "I don't know if they poked sticks at them best in the world." "Then, when we get to the love scene, the director wants me to do it nude." " Can you imagine?" " Not even the lovely hat?" "A superb pictorial journalist." "Direct descendant of Hogarth." "I mean, sweeping on towards Gillray." "This detective stuff is really hot in American TV this year." "I mean, it's really hot." "Now, I'll be honest with you, and hey, honest is what I do best." "Ask anybody." "Here's honest." "I'm a very talented producer, you're a very famous detective." "What does that spell?" "Miniseries." "You've got a miniseries in you." "I doubt that." "I don't even have my tonsils anymore." "I'm sorry about that, but listen, if you like to deal, give my people a call." "The Wildburns know my number," "I'm Mickey the G. We'll do lunch." "Ciao, chickee baby." " Well, what did he say?" " What language was he talking?" "I don't know." "He sounded a bit Oriental, old man, though." "I see the great actor and the clothes designer are reconciled." "The Duke of Merton seems to be steering well clear of his betrothed." "I don't think we're going to get an announcement very soon." "Listen, it's a most glamorous occasion." "I haven't understood a word since I arrived here." "I have a previous engagement, however." "I will leave you to give them my adieus, my dear Hastings." " Hey, Poirot." "Poirot!" "Come back." " Good night, Hastings." "You can't leave me here with these arty people." " Hello." " Hello." "Have we met?" "I feel sure I know you." "I don't think so." "I'm not much of a man for parties." " I've seen you at one last week." " Did you?" "No..." "I must thank you, Miss Carroll, for sparing me some of your valuable time." "Lady Geraldine requested that I stay on until I put the family affairs in order." "I suppose this is part of it." "Lady Geraldine seems very fond of her cousin, Ronald Marsh, doesn't she?" "Much too fond, in my opinion." " Oh, you do not share her enthusiasm?" " Most decidedly not." "But I don't believe he belongs in jail." "Lady Edgware murdered his lordship." "I know it." "She should never have been admitted back into this house." "Lady Edgware, I'd be delighted to have your opinion." "We were just discussing The Judgment of Paris and I feel..." "They have terrible judgment in Paris, don't you think?" "I mean, the way they treat Americans so rudely. it's bad business." "No, no, I meant Paris, the prince whose abduction of Helen led to the Trojan War." "Trojan War?" "Must've been before my time." "I barely even remember Korea." " Isn't she amusing?" " I daresay." "Very stylish, too." "You know what I mean." "Thank you again for your great kindness." "Forgive me." " My glasses." " My dear..." "My poor lady." " Are they broken?" " I don't think so." "No, I don't think so." "I think they're intact." "I bought these new shoes, you know." "They are so slippery." "And I'm clumsy by nature." "Forgive me." " Certainly." " Yes." "One moment." "Monsieur Poirot, these are not my glasses." "But how is that possible?" "I have my own, of course, but they're not very..." "They are. isn't that extraordinary." "How extraordinary." " Yes." "These are mine." " Good." " Goodbye." " Good day, Monsieur Poirot." "Mr. Hastings?" " Yes, excuse me." " Excuse me." "Could I have a word?" " Has Mr. Poirot gone?" " I'm afraid he has." "Yes." " Did you want to talk to him?" " Well, I think I should." "It concerns Lord Edgware's death." "What Jane said earlier about Paris..." "Yes?" "Could you ask him to phone me as soon as possible?" "Yes." "I think the thing to do is to telephone him at his flat" "just about 5:00, teatime, you know." " Thank you." "All right." "Poirot, I must say I rather resent your abandoning me like that." "Don't go on..." "I had my reasons." "That'll be Donald Ross," "the young actor who gave us a lift." " In the open car?" "Oh, my heavens." " Yes." " Hello?" "Poirot." "Yes, Mr. Ross, what can I do for you?" "What?" "Of course." "I'll wait." "He's been called to his own front door." "What did he want?" "He wanted to talk to you about Lord Edgware's death and what Lady Edgware said about Paris." " Paris?" " Yes." "I'll explain later." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Do we know where he lives?" "Yes." "I've got his card." "We must hurry." "I'm afraid." "You go that way." "I'll go this way." "He's dead." "Stabbed at the base of the skull." "I blame myself." "I mean, if I possessed a tenth of your deductive abilities," "I should have known that boy was in danger." "My poor Hastings, you don't know how lucky you are." "If you had my suspicious nature, I dread to think..." "But what is it that Lady Edgware could have possibly said to that young man which so offended him about Paris, of all things?" "I have no idea." "I mean, the thing was, Sir Montague was pontificating about The Judgment of Paris and she misunderstood, and thought he was talking about the city." "But I mean, that's hardly surprising." "I mean she obviously has "little Latin and less Greek," as they say." "Yes." "The other Paris?" "Can I have been wrong all the time?" "I don't think so." "I'm not usually wrong, not to that extent." "Who are you telephoning?" " Lady Edgware." " That's no good." "She said that she'd be having costume fittings all the afternoon." "So much the better." "I really wish to speak to..." "Hello." "Is Lady Edgware there, please?" "Costume fitting?" "But, Ellis, is that you?" "You don't recognize my voice?" "Poirot." "Oh, that's nice." "Thank you." "It's very important that I see you at once." "As soon as possible." "Could you come around here, do you think?" "You know my address?" "Yes, but 52." "Fifty-two, that's right." "I will see you presently then." "Thank you." "It's through here, Miss Ellis." "My dear Miss Ellis, how good of you to come." "I know how little time you have." "All that will pass here is confidential, of course." "I just wanted to ask you a few questions." "For instance, how long have you been in Lady Edgware's service?" " Seven years, sir." " Seven years." "In other words, there was adequate time for you to have known about her affairs." "No." "I chose the word badly." "I mean, her acquaintances, her enemies." "Yeah, I'd say so." "And so you would also know that in less than a year ago she and Mr. Bryan Martin were more than mere friends?" " Yes." "How did you..." " And in fact she would have married" "Bryan Martin had Lord Edgware given his consent." " Yes, but..." " But then..." "But then the Duke of Merton made his somewhat monkish appearance." "He sure did." "Yes, well, you've confirmed what I thought." "That's really..." "Have one of these..." "Confounded carpet." "I'm so sorry." "I told you to fix it." "Oh, my dear." "I'm so sorry about that." "Yes." " There, that's all right." " Perhaps..." "What?" "My glasses." "If your glasses are broken, I will, of course, reimburse you." "Oh, they're all right." "Would you please look and see whether they're all right?" " They're fine." "Thank you." "Yes." " Are they?" "That's wonderful, wonderful." "Well, that's really all." "Thank you very much, my dear." "Get her a taxi, will you, please?" "Poirot." "You are up to something." "I've never known you to be clumsy." "Clumsy, am I?" "These are Miss Ellis' glasses." " You gave them back to her." " Yes, indeed." "The pair I discovered in Carlotta Adams' make-up case." "She saw through them perfectly well." "This must be her spare pair." "That is the degree of my clumsiness." "You know, Hastings, I have been a fool." "You know, Hastings, I have been a fool." "Yes." "Yes." "But now is the time for the gathering of those responsible." "Cut." "Marvelous, Jane." "Great." "Thank you, everybody." "Lunch." "One hour." "I want another one." " What do you mean you want another one?" " I want another one." " But that was perfect." " No, it was not perfect." "Look, Jake Slagle would..." "Well, he'd do it a lot better." " Okay, Bryan, we'll talk after lunch." " Thanks." "Hello, Poirot, what are you doing here?" "The investigation is nearly over." "You will find out soon enough." "I hope it doesn't take long." "I usually get a massage at lunch." "Yes." "I will be brief as possible, once the others have arrived." "Others?" "What others?" "Japp, I find myself having to admit" "that I've made a mistake in this case." " Well, that's very big of you, I'm sure." "But we've got the murderer locked up, so why waste everybody's time?" "No, bear with me for a moment longer and I will show you how I was misled." "From the beginning of this case," "I suspected Monsieur Martin." "That amuses you?" "Well, be generous, Mr. Martin." "Share your amusement." "Perhaps with Lady Edgware." "May I tell her the day after your party this romantic actor waylaid me in order to try and convince me that your "wasting" of Lord Edgware" "was not a joke." " What?" "Look, I just wanted to talk to you about a personal matter." "Yes." "And what could be more personal than to incriminate Lady Edgware, but I was disturbed about the motive of this." "What should it be?" "And then I remembered that Lord Edgware had told me himself in a tone of bitterness, that his wife had left him hoping to marry, and I quote, "Some actor."" "But then, of course, this adorable creature is tempted once again." "She changed her mind." "And instead of marrying some actor, she desired to marry some duke." "Well, of course, the idol of millions was furious." "He was humiliated that there should be such a reflection on his drawing power." "And he planned a revenge." "And the revenge took the form of killing Lord Edgware while making it seem that Lady Edgware was the guilty person." "Now wait a minute." "You were seen entering the building." "You had a motive to commit the murder." "And you had the opportunity for the crime." "Yeah, but I didn't do it." "All right." "Look, I admit I wanted to get back at Jane for dumping me." "But I swear to you, that night that I talked to you, I had no idea that the next day the old man would be killed." "All I know is, is that I didn't do it." "Of course you didn't do it." "But what you wished to do was to use Hercule Poirot, as you use a stuntman to do everything that is dramatic, that is unusual, that is imaginative or dangerous in your work." "Yes, sir." "Your were followed, were you?" "And you were close to a crime, the ultimate crime." "Murder." "You did everything you could in order to excite my curiosity." " It was an egregious performance." " A what?" ""Love you" "Mr. Marsh, I have never seen your moving picture or whatever you call it." "But if that night by the side of the river was anything to go by," " I would rather stand in line for a dentist." " Now, wait a minute, fellow." "So the ego of the actor is offended." "Well, the ego of Hercule Poirot is offended also." "You thought that you could actually influence me by such things?" "Of course you didn't commit a murder." "Poirot, I really don't think..." "No, this gentleman, everything he says is written for him." "Everywhere he moves, someone else does it for him." "All he's capable of doing is standing still and loving people." "Of course you didn't commit a murder." "But now I will tell you who did commit the murder." "As you know, I suspected Monsieur Martin from the beginning." "But there were a couple of things that worried me." "What was the nature of the female voice that spoke to Lady Edgware at Lord Montague's dinner." "And to whom did those ladies' glasses belong," "that we found in Carlotta's bag?" " Glasses?" "Woman's glasses?" " Please." "No, please." " What's the significance of glasses?" "Wait, and you will be told." "Then I received Carlotta's letter to her sister, one thing was clear at once, a page was missing, probably the page on which the identity of the murderer was revealed." "But there were other significant changes." "It had been tampered with." "One letter was missing, significantly." "On top of the page, where it said, "He loved my Jane Wilkinson impression."" "Now what if that missing letter had been an "S"?" "In other words," ""She loved my Jane Wilkinson impression."" "Could it be that Lady Edgware were guilty after all?" "Or Geraldine who so hated her father." "Or Miss Carroll who wore powerful glasses." "Or Miss Driver who was so jealous of Lady Edgware." " Or else..." " Poirot." "Please, please." "Before I grow old, retire, and move to Brighton." "Who is it?" "Bear with me and I will reveal to you the fruit of my contemplation." "Around 7:00, Carlotta Adams leaves her ?" "at, taking a taxi to an obscure hotel in a remote part of the city, where she has been instructed to register under an assumed name." "She carries her makeup case and is wearing a pair of glasses given her as a disguise." "An hour or two later there is a knock an the door." "Carlotta opens it to admit Lady Edgware." " Hi." "This is gonna be fun." "It's gonna be great." "The two women exchange clothes" "Jane's white gown and ermine wrap for Carlotta's black dress and pearls." "Then, in her Jane Wilkinson wig," "Carlotta leaves the hotel to exercise he!" "talent for impersonation at Sir Montague's dinner." "She impresses both him and Donald Ross with her knowledge of Greek art." "None of the guests knew each other, owing to Sir Montague's delight in presenting people to each other not previously acquainted." "And in these circumstances," "Carlotta Adams with her golden hair, with her voice, with her mannerisms, passed herself off very convincingly as Jane Wilkinson." "And even if she hadn't, there was provision for that." "With a dark wig cut to resemble Carlotta's hair, and in the black dress and glasses," "Jane calls the Montague house asking for Lady Edgware." "If Carlotta has not been found out, she is to answer simply, "That's right."" "That's right." "Hearing those words, Jane departs to go about her work." "Outside his lordship's house, she removes and conceals wig and glasses." "Then she rings the bell." "The butler answers and admits her." "And she crosses the hall, observed by Miss Carroll from the gallery, goes into the library, and there she stabbed her husband." " But I don't have to listen to this." " Yes, I think you do." "You have a great imagination." "And you are a great storyteller." "But I didn't have any reason to kill my husband." "He was giving me a divorce." "Now, you told me that yourself." "As you knew I would." "But, you know, circumstances had changed." "You were going to marry an actor." "Now you were going to marry a duke." "An aristocrat who cannot be seen to be marrying a divorcee." "Although, of course, a widow under certain circumstances would be acceptable." "Where was I?" "Oh, yes." "Her errand completed, Jane returns to the hotel room where she places a small mother-of-pearl box, with traces of Verona!" "in it, inside Carlotta's make-up case." "But what does she find there?" "A letter mentioning her name and revealing everything." "Probably her first reaction is panic." "It must be destroyed." "But then on re-reading it, she notices something." "By tearing one folded page just so, she can eliminate any mention of herself and shift the responsibility for the plot to Ronald Marsh." "Even if he has an alibi, it will still read as the accusation of a man." "Pleased with herself, she tears the other pages to make the letter look consistent, and she replaces it." "She settles back to await Carlotta's return, unaware that she has inadvertently dropped the eyeglasses into the make-up case, glasses she had taken from Ellis, her maid." "That was your only mistake." "If I had not found those glasses in Carlotta's bag," "I would never have been able to trace the crime to you." "Meanwhile, back at Lord Edgware's, the butler enters the library to find his master dead." "He goes to the desk to phone the police but he finds there £3,000 in French francs just lying around." "The temptation is too great." "He rushes out into the night to hide the money, or to leave it with a friend, planning to let someone else discover the body the next morning." "Returning, it is he, not Bryan Martin, whom Ronald Marsh sees entering the house." "Later, when Scotland Yard starts checking into his past, the butler gets the cold feet and he disappears." "It is after 11:00 now, and Carlotta returns to the hotel room, flushed with the success of her masquerade." "They exchange clothes again." "Jane has brought champagne." "She insists that they toast their escapade until the bottle is empty and Carlotta has consumed a lethal dose of Veronal." "Before midnight, Carlotta Adams will be in bed, asleep and dying." "asleep and dying." "Two murders." "There will be one more." "At the Wildburns' luncheon, Jane joins a conversation about The Judgment of Paris." "This draws the attention of young Donald Ross." "The Jane Wilkinson he had met at Si!" "Montague's dinner was quite conversant in history and art." "But for reasons he cannot comprehend, this Jane Wilkinson seems a stranger to him, a different woman." "As they are leaving, he approaches Hastings, my associate." "Jane overhears their exchange and is shrewd enough to realize that in some way or other she has given herself away." "Later that day, just as Monsieur Ross is phoning me," "there is a knock at his door." "Jane." "Naturally he is surprised to see Jane Wilkinson." "But he is not afraid." "Unfortunately for him, he is not afraid." "ls my story accurate, Miss Wilkinson?" "Close enough, Hercule." "I guess it's close enough." "Poirot, I don't know how you do it." "The little gray cells." "I think you better come with me, miss." " Keep them back." "Come on." " Get back, please." "Clear well back." "Clear well back." "Stop pushing." "Stand back." "Keep it clear." "Keep it clear." " Hello." " Move back, please." "Jane!" "One for the papers, Jane." "Go back, please." "Jane." "What awful news, Jane." "Did you wait to wave me goodbye, Hercule?" "Make no mistake, madame." "I derive no pleasure from any of this." "Thanks for the sympathy." "Hey, I don't want you to think I'm mad at you." "I mean, you just did what you had to do, right?" "At your invitation, madame." "Yeah." "Hey, it's okay." "You know, all I ever got to play was dumb blonds." "But I can be smart when I want to, right?" " I almost fooled you." " Almost." "Please, Miss Wilkinson, I got a tall one." "I just loved you..." "Thank you." "You know, I'm sorry about what happened." "And not about George." "He deserved it." "I dug up some stuff on him that you wouldn't believe." "Miss Wilkinson, can I have your autograph, please?" "Sure." "You know something?" "I'll probably be more famous for my murders than my movies." "I don't know, knowing you a little bit now, and also your public," "I think you may be famous for the movies of your murders." "You think?" "I can think of no other leading man" "I'd rather play with than you." "See you, Hercule." "Excuse me, Poirot." " We love you, Jane." " We love you, Jane." "After you, your ladyship." "Thank you, Inspector Japp." "Bye, Jane, we love you." " Bye." " All right." "One more." "Get her while she's in the car." "'BYE-bye, Jane!" " Bye!" "Come on." " May I have your autograph, please?" " Why, certainly." "You ever been to America?" "Oh, dear." "What a performance." "And what a beautiful woman, don't you think so, Poirot?" "Beautiful." "Yes, Hastings." "Yet no one influences Hercule Poirot."