the doctor says positively that he was dead at least
two hours before that. That only leaves one alter-native."
"Yes, rnon ami?" said Poirot.
"That in the five minutes Clayton was alone in
the sitting room, someone else came in and killed
him. But there we have the same objection. Only
someone with a key could come in without the
valet's knowing, and in the same way the mur-derer
on leaving would have had to bang the door,
and that again the valet would have heard."
"Exactly," said Poirot. "And therefore--"
"And therefore--nothing," I said. "I can see
no other solution."
"It is a pity," murmured Poirot. "And it is
THE MYSTERY OF THE BAGDAD CHEST
47
really so exceedingly simple--as the clear blue eyes
of Madame Clayton."
"You really believe--"
"I believe nothing--until I have got proof. One
little proof will convince me."
He took up the telephone and called japp at
Scotland Yard.
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Twenty minutes later we were standing before a
little heap of assorted objects laid out on a table.
They were the contents of the dead man's pockets.
There was a handkerchief, a handful of loose
change, a pocketbook containing three pounds ten
shillings, a couple of bills and a worn snapshot of