Agatha Christie - Poirot Investigates

Poirot Investigates

Agatha Christie

Contents

The Adventure of the 'Western Star'

The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor

The Adventure of the Cheap Flat

The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge

The Million Dollar Bond Robbery

The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb

The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan

The Kidnapped Prime Minister

The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim

The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman

The Case of the Missing Will

The Adventure of the 'Western Star'

I was standing at the window of Poirot's rooms looking out idly onthe street below.

'That's queer,' I ejaculated suddenly beneath my breath.

'What is, mon ami?' asked Poirot placidly, from the depths of hiscomfortable chair.

'Deduce, Poirot, from the following facts! Here is a young lady,richly dressed - fashionable hat, magnificent furs. She is comingalong slowly, looking up at the houses as she goes. Unknown toher, she is being shadowed by three men and a middle-agedwoman. They have just been joined by an errand boy who pointsafter the girl, gesticulating as he does so. What drama is this beingplayed? Is the girl a crook, and are the shadowers detectivespreparing to arrest her? Or are they the scoundrels, and are theyplotting to attack an innocent victim? What does the great detectivesay?'

'The great detective, mon ami, chooses, as ever, the simplestcourse. He rises to see for himself.' And my friend joined me at thewindow.

In a minute he gave vent to an amused chuckle.

'As usual, your facts are tinged with your incurable romanticism.That is Miss Mary Marvell, the film star. She is being followed by abevy of admirers who have recognized her. And, en passant, mydear Hastings, she is quite aware of the fact!'

I laughed.

'So all is explained! But you get no marks for that, Poirot. It was amere matter of recognition.'

'En vrit! And how many times have you seen Mary Marvell on thescreen, mon cher?'

I thought.

'About a dozen times perhaps.'

'And I - once! Yet I recognize her, and you do not.'

'She looks so different,' I replied rather feebly.

'Ah! Sacr!' cried Poirot. 'Is it that you expect her to promenadeherself in the streets of London in a cowboy hat, or with bare feet,and a bunch of curls, as an Irish colleen? Always with you it is thenon-essentials! Remember the case of the dancer. ValerieSaintclair.'

I shrugged my shoulders, slightly annoyed.

'But console yourself, mon ami,' said Poirot, calming down. 'Allcannot be as Hercule Poirot! I know it well.'

'You really have the best opinion of yourself of anyone I ever knew!'

I cried, divided between amusement and annoyance.

'What will you? When one is unique, one knows it! And others sharethat opinion - even, if I mistake not, Miss Mary Marvell.'

'What?'

'Without doubt. She is coming here.'

'How do you make that out?'

'Very simply. This street, it is not aristocratic, mon ami! In it there isno fashionable doctor, no fashionable dentist - still less is there afashionable milliner! But there is a fashionable detective. Oui, myfriend, it is true - I am become the mode, the dernier cri! One saysto another: 'Comment? You have lost your gold pencil-case? Youmust go to the little Belgian. He is too marvellous! Everyone goes!

Courez!' And they arrive! In flocks, mon ami! With problems of themost foolish!' A bell rang below. 'What did I tell you? That is MissMarvell.'

As usual, Poirot was right. After a short interval, the American filmstar was ushered in, and we rose to our feet.

Mary Marvell was undoubtedly one of the most popular actresseson the screen. She had only lately arrived in England in companywith her husband, Gregory B. Rolf, also a film actor. Their marriagehad taken place about a year ago in the States and this was theirfirst visit to England. They had been given a great reception.Everyone was prepared to go mad over Mary Marvell, herwonderful clothes, her furs, her jewels, above all one jewel, thegreat diamond which had been nicknamed, to match its owner, 'TheWestern Star.' Much, true and untrue, had been written about thisfamous stone which was reported to be insured for the enormoussum of fifty thousand pounds.

All these details passed rapidly through my mind as I joined withPoirot in greeting our fair client.

Miss Marvell was small and slender, very fair and girlish-looking,with the wide innocent blue eyes of a child.

Poirot drew forward a chair for her, and she commenced talking atonce.

'You will probably think me very foolish, Monsieur Poirot, but LordCronshaw was telling me last night how wonderfully you cleared upthe mystery of his nephew's death, and I felt that I just must haveyour advice. I dare say it's only a silly hoax - Gregory says so - butit's just worrying me to death.'

She paused for breath. Poirot beamed encouragement.

'Proceed, madame. You comprehend, I am still in the dark.'

'It's these letters.' Miss Marvell unclasped her handbag, and drewout three envelopes which she handed to Poirot.

The latter scrutinized them closely.

'Cheap paper - the name and address carefully printed. Let us seethe inside.' He drew out the enclosure.

I had joined him, and was leaning over his shoulder. The writingconsisted of a single sentence, carefully printed like the envelope.It ran as follows:

'The great diamond which is the left eye of the god must returnwhence it came.'

The second letter was couched in precisely the same terms, butthe third was more explicit:

'You have been warned. You have not obeyed. Now the diamond willbe taken from you. At the full of the moon, the two diamonds whichare the left and right eye of the god shall return. So it is written.'

'The first letter I treated as a joke,' explained Miss Marvell. 'When Igot the second, I began to wonder. The third one came yesterday,and it seemed to me that, after all, the matter might be moreserious than I had imagined.'

'I see they did not come by post, these letters.'

'No; they were left by hand - by a Chinaman. That is what frightensme.'

'Why?'

'Because it was from a Chink in San Francisco that Gregory boughtthe stone three years ago.'

'I see, madame, that you believe the diamond referred to to be - '

'"The Western Star,"' finished Miss Marvell. 'That's so. At the time,Gregory remembers that there was some story attached to thestone, but the Chink wasn't handing out any information. Gregorysays he seemed just scared to death, and in a mortal hurry to getrid of the thing. He only asked about a tenth of its value. It wasGreg's wedding present to me.'

Poirot nodded thoughtfully.

'The story seems of an almost unbelievable romanticism. And yet -who knows? I pray of you, Hastings, hand me my little almanac.'

I complied.

'Voyons!' said Poirot, turning the leaves. 'When is the date of the full