it. The murderer, he planned wellmbut Hercule
Poirot he was one move ahead. He had to think
fast, and to whisper quickly in Mademoiselle's ear
when the lights went down. She is very quick and
clever, Mademoiselle Pauline, .she played her part
well. Mademoiselle, will you be so kind as to show
us that you are not dead after all?"
Pauline sat up. She gave an unsteady laugh.
"Resurrection of Pauline," she said.
"Pauline-- darling."
"Tony!"
"My sweet."
"Angel."
Barton Russell gasped.
"I--I don't understand .... "
"I will help you to understand, Mr. Barton
Russell. Your plan has miscarried."
122
Agatha Christie
"My plan?"
"Yes, your plan. Who was the only man who
had an alibi during the darkness. The man who
left the table--you, Mr. Barton Russell. But you
returned to it under cover of the darkness, circling
round it, with a champagne bottle, filling up
glasses, putting cyanide in Pauline's glass and
dropping the half empty packet in Carter's pocket
as you bent over him to remove a glass. Oh, yes, it
is easy to play the part of a waiter in darkness
when the attention of everyone is elsewhere. That