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"They are a very astute and unscrupulous pair While suspicion was to be directed against hi quiet preparations for a very different denoue items in her possession No suspicion attaches to her No notice is paid to her colasses in John's room She puts the beard in the attic She will see to it that sooner or later they are duly discovered"

"I don't quite see why they tried to fix the blame on John," I re the crime home to Lawrence"

"Yes, but that was ainst him arose out of pure accident Itto the pair of schehtfully

"Yes You realize, of course, as at the back of that?"

"No"

"You did not understand that he believed Madeuilty of the crime?"

"No," I exclaimed, astonished "Impossible!"

"Not at all I myself nearly had the same idea It was in my mind when I asked Mr Wells that first question about the will Then there were the bromide powders which she had made up, and her clever male impersonations, as Dorcas recounted theainst her than anyone else"

"You are joking, Poirot!"

"No Shall I tell you what made Monsieur Lawrence turn so pale when he first entered his ht? It was because, whilst his mother lay there, obviously poisoned, he saw, over your shoulder, that the door into Mademoiselle Cynthia's room was unbolted"

"But he declared that he saw it bolted!" I cried