Page 128 (1/1)

"I aed as to how exactly the bromide business was done," I remarked

"Bon! I will reconstruct for you as far as possible I am inclined to think that Miss Hoas thethat her father was a doctor? Possibly she dispensed his medicines for him, or sheabout when Made for her exam Anyway, she was familiar with the fact that the addition of a bro strychnine would cause the precipitation of the latter Probably the idea calethorp had a box of broht What could be easier than quietly to dissolve one or e sized bottle of medicine when it caedy will not take place until nearly a fortnight later If anyone has seen either of theotten it by that tiineered her quarrel, and departed from the house The lapse of time, and her absence, will defeat all suspicion Yes, it was a clever idea! If they had left it alone, it is possible the criht home to them But they were not satisfied They tried to be too clever--and that was their undoing"

Poirot puffed at his tiny cigarette, his eyes fixed on the ceiling

"They arranged a plan to throw suspicion on John Cavendish, by buying strychnine at the village che

"On Monday Mrs Inglethorp will take the last dose of her lethorp arranges to be seen by a nue Miss Howard has previously made up a cock and bull story about hiue afterwards At six o'clock, Miss Howard, disguised as Alfred Inglethorp, enters the che, obtains the strychnine, and writes the na, which she had previously studied carefully

"But, as it will never do if John, too, can prove an alibi, she writes hi --which takes hily unlikely that anyone will see hiha that can compromise him in any way, since it is Miss Hoho has the strychnine, which, after all, is only wanted as a blind to throw suspicion on John Cavendish