as far as the family go, that's where the matter
stands. They're awaiting the result of the postmortem.
We've got a bit farther. The doctor gave
us the tip right away--he and the police surgeon
did the autopsy together--and the result is in no
doubt whatever. The old lady died of a large dose
of strychnine."
"Aha!"
"That's right. Very nasty bit of work. Point is,
who gave it to her? It must have been administered
very shortly before death. First idea was it was
given to her in her food at dinner--but, frankly,
that seems to be a washout. They had artichoke
soup, served from a tureen, fish pie and apple
tart."
"'They' being?"
"Miss Barrowby, Mr. Delafontaine and Mrs.
Delafontaine. Miss Barrowby had a kind of nurse-attendant--a
half Russian girl--but she didn't eat
with the family. She had the remains as they came out from the dining room. There's a maid, but it
was her night out. She left the soup on the stove
and the fish pie in the oven, and the apple tart was
cold. All three of them ate the same thing--and,
apart from that, I don't think you could get
strychnine down anyone's throat that way. Stuff's
66
Agatha Christie
as bitter as gall. The doctor told me you could
taste it in a solution of one in a thousand, or something
like that."