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other side rang off. It's curious, that, you know. Not that it's got anything to do with it."
"Perhaps not - but it is interesting. Was it a man or a woman who rang up?"
"A woman, I think she said."
"Curious," said Poirot thoughtfully.
"Never mind that," said Japp impatiently. "Let's get back to the important part. The whole evening went
exactly as she said. She got there at a quarter to nine, left at half-past eleven and got back here at a
quarter to twelve. I've seen the chauffeur who drove her he's one of Daimler's regular people. And the
people at the Savoy saw her come in and confirm the time."
"Eh bien, that seems very conclusive."
"Then what about those two in Regent Gate? It isn't only the butler. Lord Edgware's secretary saw her
too. They both swear by all that's holy that it was Lady Edgware who came there at ten o'clock."
"How long has the butler been there?"
"Six months. Handsome chap, by the way."
"Yes, indeed. Eh bien, my friend, if he has only been there six months he cannot have recognised Lady
Edgware since he had not seen her before."
"Well, he knew her from her pictures in the papers. And anyway the secretary knew her. She's been with
Lord Edgware five or six years, and she's the only one who's absolutely positive."
"Ah!" said Poirot. "I should like to see the secretary."
"Well, why not come along with me now?"
"Thank you, mon ami, I should be delighted to do so. You include Hastings in your invitation, I hope?"
Japp grinned.
"What do you think? Where the master goes, there the dog follows," he added in what I could not think
was the best of taste.
"Reminds me of the Elizabeth Canning Case," said Japp. "You remember? How at least a score of
witnesses on either side swore they had seen the gipsy, Mary Squires, in two different parts of England.
Good reputable witnesses, too. And she with such a hideous face there couldn't be two like it. That
mystery was never cleared up. It's very much the same here. Here's a separate lot of people prepared to
swear a woman was in two different places at the same time. Which of 'em is speaking the truth?"
"That ought not to be difficult to find out?"
"So you say - but this woman - Miss Carroll, really knew Lady Edgware. I mean she'd lived in the house
with her day after day. She wouldn't be likely to make a mistake."
"We shall soon see."
"Who comes into the title?" I asked.
"A nephew, Captain Ronald Marsh. Bit of a waster, I understand."
"What does the doctor say as to the time of death?" asked Poirot.
"We'll have to wait for the autopsy to be exact, you know. See where the dinner had got to." Japp's way
of putting things was, I'm sorry to say, far from refined. "But ten o'clock fits in well enough. He was last
seen alive at a few minutes past nine when he left the dinner table and the butler took whiskey and soda
into the library. At eleven o'clock when the butler went up to bed the light was out - so he must have
been dead then. He wouldn't have been sitting in the dark."
Poirot nodded thoughtfully. A moment or two later we drew up to the house, the blinds of which were
now down.
The door was opened to us by the handsome butler.
Japp took the lead and went in first. Poirot and I followed. The door opened to the left, so that the butler
stood against the wall on that side. Poirot was on my right and, being smaller than I was, it was only just
as we stepped into the hall that the butler saw him. Being close to him, I heard the sudden intake of his
breath and looked sharply at the man to find him staring at Poirot with a kind of startled fear visible on
his face. I put the fact away in my mind for what it might be worth. Japp marched into the dining-room,
which lay on our right, and called the butler in after him.
"Now then, Alton, I want to go into this again very carefully. It was ten o'clock when this lady came?"
"Her ladyship? Yes, sir."
"How did you recognise her?" asked Poirot.
"She told her name, sir, and besides I've seen her portrait in the papers. I've seen her act, too."
Poirot nodded.
"How was she dressed?"
"In black sir. Black walking dress, and a small black hat. A string of pearls and grey gloves."
Poirot looked a question at Japp.
"White taffeta evening dress and ermine wrap," said the latter succinctly.
The butler proceeded. His tale tallied exactly with that which Japp had already passed on to us.
"Did anybody else come to see your master that evening?" asked Poirot.
"No, sir."
"How was the front door fastened?"
"It has a Yale lock, sir. I usually draw the bolts when I go to bed, sir. At eleven, that is. But last night
Miss Geraldine was at the Opera so it was left unbolted."
"How was it fastened this morning?"
"It was bolted, sir. Miss Geraldine had bolted it when she came in."
"When did she come in? Do you know?"
"I think it was about a quarter to twelve, sir."
"Then during the evening until a quarter to twelve, the door could not be opened from the outside
without a key? From the inside it could be opened by simply drawing back the handle."
"Yes, sir."
"How many latchkeys were there?"
"His lordship had his, sir, and there was another key in the hall drawer which Miss Geraldine took last
night. I don't know if there were any others."
"Does nobody else in the house have a key?"
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