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I looked cautiously round, and lowered my voice

"Dr Bauerstein!" I whispered

"Impossible!"

"Not at all"

"But what earthly interest could he have in my mother's death?"

"That I don't see," I confessed, "but I'll tell you this: Poirot thinks so"

"Poirot? Does he? How do you know?"

I told hi that Dr Bauerstein had been at Styles on the fatal night, and added: "He said twice: 'That alters everything' And I've been thinking You know Inglethorp said he had put down the coffee in the hall? Well, it was just then that Bauerstein arrived Isn't it possible that, as Inglethorp brought hi into the coffee in passing?"

"H'm," said John "It would have been very risky"

"Yes, but it was possible"

"And then, how could he knoas her coffee? No, old fellow, I don't think that ash"

But I had reht That wasn't hoas done Listen" And I then told him of the coco sample which Poirot had taken to be analysed

John interrupted just as I had done

"But, look here, Bauerstein had had it analysed already?"

"Yes, yes, that's the point I didn't see it either until now Don't you understand? Bauerstein had it analysed--that's just it! If Bauerstein's thecould be simpler than for him to substitute some ordinary coco for his sample, and send that to be tested And of course they would find no strychnine! But no one would drea another sanition

"Yes, but what about the bitter taste that coco won't disguise?"

"Well, we've only his word for that And there are other possibilities He's adists----"

"One of the world's greatest what? Say it again"

"He knows more about poisons than almost anybody," I explained "Well,strychnine tasteless Or itno one has ever heard of, which produces ht be," said John "But look here, how could he have got at the coco? That wasn't downstairs?"

"No, it wasn't," I admitted reluctantly