The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (Hercule Poirot 21)

Marguerita Clayton. There was also a pocket-knife,

a gold pencil and a cumbersome wooden

tool.

It was on this latter that Poirot swooped. He

unscrewed it and several small blades fell out.

"You see, Hastings, a gimlet and all the rest of

it. Ah! it would be a matter of a very few minutes

to bore a few holes in the chest with this.'

"Those holes we saw?"

"Precisely."

"You mean it was Clayton who bored them

himself?''

"Mais, ouimrnais, oui! What did they suggest

to you, those holes? They were not to see through,

because they were at the back of the chest. What

were they for, then? Clearly for air? But you do

not make air holes for a dead body, so clearly they

were not made by the murderer. They suggest one

thing--and one thing only--that a man was going

to hide in that chest. And at once, on that hypoth

48

Agatha Christie

esis, things become ifitelligible. Mr. Clayton is

jealous of his wife and Rich. He plays the old, old

trick of pretending to go away. He watches Rich

go out, then he gains admission, is left alone to

write a note, quickly bores those holes and hides

inside the chest. His wife is coming there that

night. Possibly Rich will put the others off, possi-bly

she will remain after the others have gone, or