The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (Hercule Poirot 21)

in again immediately with a key, went to his room,

made himself up, and played the part of Benedict

Farley.

I "And so we come to this afternoon. The oppor-

176

Agatha Christie

tunity for which Mr. Cornworthy has been waiting

arrives. There are two witnesses on the landing to

swear that no one goes in or out of Benedict

Farley's room. Cornworthy waits until a Particu-larly

heavy batch of traffic is about to pass. Then

he leans out of his window, and with the lazytongs

which he has purloined from the desk next door he

holds an. object against the window of that room.

Benedict Farley comes to the window. Corn-worthy

snatches back the tongs and as Farley leans

out, and the lorries are passing outside, Corn-worthy

shoots him with the revolver that he has

ready. There is a blank wall opposite, remember.

There can be no witness of the crime. Cornworthy

waits for OVer half an hour, then gathers up some

papers, conceals the lazytongs and the revolver

between thea and goes out on to the landing and

into the next room. He replaces the tongs on the

desk, lays down the revolver after pressing the

dead man's fingers on it, and hurries out with the

news of Mr. Farley's 'suicide.'

"He arranges that the letter to me shall be

found and that I shall arrive with my story--the

story I hearl .from Mr. Farley's own lips--of his