The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (Hercule Poirot 21)

"Coffee?"

"Coffee's more like it, but the old lady never

took coffee."

"I see your point. Yes, it seems an insuperable

difficulty. What did she drink at the meal?"

"Water."

"Worse and worse."

'!Bit of a teaser, isn't it?"

"She had money, the old lady?"

"Very well to do, I imagine. Of course, we

haven't got exact details yet. The Delafontaines

are pretty badly off, from what I can make out.

The old lady helped with the upkeep of the

house."

Poirot smiled a little. He said, "So you suspect

the Delafontaines. Which of them?"

"I don't exactly say I suspect either of them in

particular. But there it is; they're her only near

relations, and her death brings them a tidy sum of

money, I've no doubt. We all know what human

nature is I"

"Sometimes inhuman--yes, that is very true.

And there was nothing else the old lady ate or

drank?"

"Well, as a matter of fact--"'

"Ah, voild! I felt that you had something, as

you say, up your sleeve--the soup, the fish pie, the

apple tart--a btise! Now we come to the hub of

the affair."

"I don't know about that. But as a matter of