[ 296 ] "No, no-leave me. I'd rather be alone. Let me just be quiet for a minute or two. Go down to the others."

[ 297 ] I obeyed her reluctantly. John and Lawrence were in the dining-room. I joined them. We were all silent, but I suppose I voiced the thoughts of us all when I at last broke it by saying:

[ 298 ] "Where is Mr. Inglethorp?"

[ 299 ] John shook his head.

[ 300 ] "He's not in the house."

[ 301 ] Our eyes met. Where *WAS Alfred Inglethorp? His absence was strange and inexplicable. I remembered Mrs. Inglethorp's dying words. What lay beneath them? What more could she have told us, if she had had time?

[ 302 ] At last we heard the doctors descending the stairs. Dr. Wilkins was looking important and excited, and trying to conceal an inward exultation under a manner of decorous calm. Dr. Bauerstein remained in the background, his grave bearded face unchanged. Dr. Wilkins was the spokesman for the two. He addressed himself to John:

[ 303 ] "Mr. Cavendish, I should like your consent to a postmortem."

[ 304 ] "Is that necessary?" asked John gravely. A spasm of pain crossed his face.

[ 305 ] "Absolutely," said Dr. Bauerstein.

[ 306 ] "You mean by that--?"

[ 307 ] "That neither Dr. Wilkins nor myself could give a death certificate under the circumstances."

[ 308 ] John bent his head.

[ 309 ] "In that case, I have no alternative but to agree."

[ 310 ] "Thank you," said Dr. Wilkins briskly. "We propose that it should take place to-morrow night-or rather to-night." And he glanced at the daylight. "Under the circumstances, I am afraid an inquest can hardly be avoided-these formalities are necessary, but I beg that you won't distress yourselves."

[ 311 ] There was a pause, and then Dr. Bauerstein drew two keys from his pocket, and handed them to John.

[ 312 ] "These are the keys of the two rooms. I have locked them and, in my opinion, they would be better kept locked for the present."

[ 313 ] The doctors then departed.

[ 314 ] I had been turning over an idea in my head, and I felt that the moment had now come to broach it. Yet I was a little chary of doing so. John, I knew, had a horror of any kind of publicity, and was an easygoing optimist, who preferred never to meet trouble half-way. It might be difficult to convince him of the soundness of my plan. Lawrence, on the other hand, being less conventional, and having more imagination, I felt I might count upon as an ally. There was no doubt that the moment had come for me to take the lead.

[ 315 ] "John," I said, "I am going to ask you something."

"Well?"

[ 316 ] "You remember my speaking of my friend Poirot? The Belgian who is here? He has been a most famous detective."

"Yes."

[ 317 ] "I want you to let me call him in-to investigate this matter."

[ 318 ] "What-now? Before the post-mortem?"

[ 319 ] "Yes, time is an advantage if-if-there has been foul play."

[ 320 ] "Rubbish!" cried Lawrence angrily. "In my opinion the whole thing is a mare's nest of Bauerstein's! Wilkins hadn't an idea of such a thing, until Bauerstein put it into his head. But, like all specialists, Bauerstein's got a bee in his bonnet. Poisons are his hobby, so of course he sees them everywhere."

[ 321 ] I confess that I was surprised by Lawrence's attitude. He was so seldom vehement about anything.

[ 322 ] John hesitated.

[ 323 ] "I can't feel as you do, Lawrence," he said at last. "I'm inclined to give Hastings a free hand, though I should prefer to wait a bit. We don't want any unnecessary scandal."

[ 324 ] "No, no," I cried eagerly, "you need have no fear of that. Poirot is discretion itself."

[ 325 ] "Very well, then, have it your own way. I leave it in your hands. Though, if it is as we suspect, it seems a clear enough case. God forgive me if I am wronging him!"