Mrs. Clapperton's voice floated out through the
smoking-room window.
"No--I don't think I will play another rubber.
So stuffy. I think I'll go up and get some air on the
boat deck."
"Good-night," said Miss Henderson. "I'm
going to bed." She disappeared abruptly.
Poirot strolled forward to the lounge--deserted
save for Colonel Clapperton and the two girls. He
was doing card tricks for them, and noting the
dexterity of his shuffling and handling of the
cards, Poirot remembered the General's story of a
career on the music hall stage.
"I see you enjoy the cards even though you do
PROBLEM AT SEA
203
not play bridge,'' he remarked.
"I've my reasons for not playing bridge," said
Clapperton, his charming smile breaking out. "I'll
show you. We'll play one hand."
He dealt the cards rapidly. "Pick up your
hands. Well, what about it?" He laughed at the
bewildered expression on Kitty's face. He laid
down his hand and the others followed suit. Kitty
held the entire club suit, M. Poirot the hearts,
Pam the diamonds and Colonel Clapperton the
spades.
"You see?" he said. "A man who can deal his
partner and his adversaries any hand he pleases
had better stand aloof from a friendly game! If the
luck goes too much his way, ill-natured things
might be said."
"Oh!" gasped Kitty. "How could you do that? ·
It all looked perfectly ordinary."
"The quickness of the hand deceives the eye,"
said Poirot sententiously--and caught the sudden
change in the C6lonel's expression.
It was as though he realized that he had been off
his guard for a moment or two.
Poirot smiled. The conjuror had shown himself
through the mask of the pukka sahib.
The ship reached Alexandria at dawn the fol-
,. morning.
As Poirot came up from breakfast he found the
girls all ready to go on shore. They were talk-to
Colonel Clapperton.
"We ought to get off now," urged Kitty. "The
passport people will be going off the ship presently.
You'll come with us, won't you? You
204
Agatha Christie
wouldn't let us go ashore all by ourselves? Awful
things might happen to us."
"I certainly don't think you ought to go by
yourselves," said Clapperton, smiling. "But I'm
not sure my wife feels up to it."
"That's too bad," said Pam. "But she can have
a nice long rest."
Colonel Clapperton looked a little irresolute.
Evidently the desire to play truant was strong
upon him. He noticed Poirot.
"Hullo, M. Poirotmyou going ashore?"
"No, I think not," M. Poirot replied.
"I'llmI'll--just have a word with Adeline,"
decided Colonel Clapperton.
"We'll come with you," said Pam. She flashed
a wink at Poirot. "Perhaps we can persuade her to
come too," she added gravely.
Colonel Clapperton seemed to welcome this
suggestion. He looked decidedly relieved.
"Come along then, the pair of you," he said
lightly. They all three went along the passage of B
deck together.
Poirot, whose cabin was just opposite the Clap-pertons,
followed them out of curiosity.
Colonel Clapperton rapped a little nervously at
the cabin door.
"Adeline, my dear, are you up?"
The sleepy voice of Mrs. Clapperton from
within replied: "Oh, bother--what is it?"
"It's John. What about going ashore?"
"Certainly not." The voice was shrill and de-cisive.
"I've had a very bad night. I shall stay in
bed most of the day."
Para nipped in quickly, "Oh, Mrs. Clapperton,
PROBLEM AT SEA
205
I'm so sorry. We did so want you to come with us.
Are you sure you're not up to it?"
"I'm quite certain." Mrs. Clapperton's voice
sounded even shriller.
The Colonel was turning the door-handle with-out
result.
"What is it, John? The door's locked. I don't
want to be disturbed by the stewards."
"Sorry, my dear, sorry. Just wanted my
Baedeker."
"Well, you can't have it," snapped Mrs. Clap-perton.
"I'm not going to get out of bed. Do go
away, John, and let me have a little peace."
"Certainly, certainly, my dear." The Colonel
backed away from the door. Pam and Kitty closed
in on him.
"Let's start at once. Thank goodness your hat's
on your head. Oh! gracious--your passport isn't
in the cabin, is it?"
"As a matter of fact it's in my pocket--" began
the Colonel.
Kitty squeezed his arm. "Glory be!" she ex-claimed.
"Now, come on."
Leaning over the rail, Poirot watched the three
of them leave the ship. He heard a faint intake of
breath beside him and turned his head to see Miss
HenderSon. Her eyes were fastened on the three
retreating figures.
i"So they've gone ashore," she said flatly.
.r. Yes. Are you going?
She had a shade hat, he noticed, and a smart
bag and shoes. There was a shore-going appear-ance
about her. Nevertheless, after the most in-finitesimal
of pauses, she shook her head.
206 Agatha Chtie
No, she sd. I thnki,
havre alot of letters to write.', stay on board. I
S heturnd and left him.
P'uffing after his mornin t
rounds of the deck, Geneur of forty-eight
I e "A,- ,,
I IF bes
p a . nae exclaimed or took her
retreating figure9 of the Col0 s his eyes noted the
"Sthat's the gme Where'sh1 and the two girls.
M
"
Pirot explained that Mrs. . adam.
ing quiet day i bed.
lerton was have "on't
you blieve it" T
one knowing eye. "She'll be Old warrior closed
the oor devil's (ound to be or tiffinand if
ther'll be ructionS."
bsent without leave,
Bt the General's prognt
fulfille. Mrs Clerton diftions were not
q0t a
and by the time the Colenel ppear at lunch
damgs returned to the ship ¥ad his attendant
Bad otshown heself,
t four o'clock, she
Poirot was in his cabin and he
slightly guilty knock on his cay ard the husband's
gnoc repeaed the cabin don door. Heard the
Beard the Colonel'S call to a st% tred, and finally
"Look here, I can't get an ard.
gey?"
'SWer. Have you a
Poirot rose quickly from his
jato the passage,
hunk and came out
The news went like wildfir
With horrified incredulity peolI round the ship.
glappert0n had been found dee. heard that Mrs.
;ative dagger drive through he,? in her bunk--a
:;tuber beads was found on the fl hear
t. A string of
Rumor succeeded rumor. Alit)?r of her cabin.
tead sellers who
PROBLE .M AT SEA
207
had been allowed on baard that day were being
rounded up and questi0.ned! A large sum in cash
had disappeared from a drawer in the cabin! The
notes had been traced! 71hey had not been traced!
Jewelry worth a fortUne had been taken! No
jewelry had been taken at all! A steward had been
arrested and had confesMed to the murder!
"What is the truth of it all?" demanded Miss
Ellie Henderson, wayla.3,ing Poirot. Her face was
pale and troubled.
"My dear lady, how %hould I know?"
"Of course you kno,,, said Miss Henderson.
It was late in the e,'vening. Most people had
retired to their cabins, llVliss Henderson led Poirot
to a couple of deck chatirs on the sheltered side of
the ship. "Now tell me,",, she commanded.
Poirot surveyed her thoughtfully' "It's an interesting
case," he said.
"Is it true that sh% had some very valuable
jewelry stolen?"
Poirot shook his he:ad. "No. No jewelry was
taken. A small amount of loose cash that was in a
drawer has disappearedl, though."
"I'll never feel safe n a ship again," said Miss
Henderson with a shiver. "Any clue as to which of
those coffee-colored hr.utes did it?"
"No," said Hercule i Poirot. "The whole thing is
rather--strange."
"What do you mean ?,, asked Ellie sharply.
Poirot spread out his hands. "Eh bien--take the facts. Mrs. Clappe,rton had been dead at least
five hours when she Was found. Some money had'
disappeared. A string %f beads was on the floor by
her bed. The door Was locked and the key was
208
Agatha Christie
missing. The window--windov, not port-hole--gives
on the deck and was open."
"Well?" asked the woman impatiently.
"Do you not think it is curious for a murder
to be committed under those particular circum-stances?
Remember that the postcard sellers,
money changers and bead sellers who are allowed
on board are all well known to the police."
"The stewards usually lock your cabin, all the
same,', Ellie pointed out.
"Yes, to prevent any chance of petty pilfering.
But this--was murder."
"What exactly are you thinking of, M. Poirot?"
Her Voice sounded a little breathless.
"I am thinking of the locked door."
Miss Henderson considered this. "I don't see
anything in that. The man left by the door, locked
it and took the key with him so as to avoid having
the murder discovered too soon. Quite intelligent
of hire, for it wasn't discovered until four o'clock
in the afternoon."
"No, no, Mademoiselle, you don't appreciate
the POint I'm trying to make. I'm not worried as
to how he got out, but as to how he got in."
"The window of course."
"C'est possible. But it would be a very narrow
fit--arid there were people passing up and down
the deck all the time, remember."
"Then through the door," said Miss Henderson
impatiently.
"But you forget, Mademoiselle. Mrs. Clapper-ton
had locked the door on the inside. She had
done so before Colonel Clapperton left the boat
this raorning. He actually tried it--so we know
that is so."
PROBLEM AT SEA
209
"Nonsense. It probably stuck--or he didn't
turn the handle properly."
"But it does not rest on his word. We actually
heard Mrs. Clapperton herself say so."
"We?"
"Miss Mooney, Miss Cregan, Colonel Clapper-.
ton and myself."
Ellie Henderson tapped a neatly shod foot. She
did not speak for a moment or two. Then she said
in a slightly irritable tone:
"Well--what exactly do you deduce from that?
If Mrs. Clappcrton could lock the door she could
unlock it too, I suppose."
"Precisely, precisely." Poirot turned a beaming
face upon her. "And you see where that leads us. Mrs. Clapperton unlocked the door and let the
murderer in. Now would she be likely to do that for a bead seller?"
Ellic objected: "She might not have known who
it was. He may have knocked--she got up and
opened the door--and he forced his way in and
killed her."
POirot shook his head. "Au contraire. She was
lying peacefully in bed when she was stabbed."
Miss Henderson stared at him. "What's your
idea?" she asked abruptly.
Poirot smiled. "Well, it looks, does it not, as
though she knew the person she admitted .... "
"You mean," said Miss Henderson and her
voice sounded a little harsh, "that the murderer is
a passenger on the ship?"
Poirot nodded. "It seems indicated."
"And the string of beads left on the floor was a
blind?"
"Precisely."
210
Agatha Christie
"The theft of the money also?"
"Exactly."
There was a pause, then Miss Henderson said
slowly: "I thought Mrs. Clapperton a very unpleasant
woman and I don't think anyone on
board really liked her--but there wasn't anyone
who had any reason to kill her."
"Except her husband, perhaps," said Poirot.
"You don't really think--" She stopped.
"It is the opinion of every person on this ship
that Colonel Clapperton would have been quite
justified in 'taking a hatchet to her.' That was, I
think, the expression used."
Ellie Henderson looked at him--waiting.
"But I am bound to say," went on Poirot,
"that I myself have not noted any signs of exasperation
on the good Colonel's part. Also, what
is more important, he had an alibi. He was with
those two girls all day and did not return to the
ship till four o'clock. By then, Mrs. Clapperton
had been dead many hours."
There Was another minute of silence. Ellie Henderson
said softly: "But you still think--a passenger
on the ship?"
Poirot bowed his head.
Ellie Henderson laughed suddenly--a reckless
defiant laugh. "Your theory may be difficult to
prove, M. Poirot. There are a good many passengers
on this ship."
Poirot bowed to her. "I will use a phrase from
one of your detective story writers. 'I have my
methods, Watson.'" The
following evening, at dinner, every passen-
PROBLEM AT SEA
211
ger found a typewritten slip by his plate requesting
him to be in the main lounge at 8:30. When the
company were assembled, the Captain stepped
onto the raised platform where the orchestra
usually played and addressed them.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, you all know of the
tragedy which took place yesterday. I am sure you
all wish to co-operate in bringing the perpetrator
/> of that foul crime to justice." He paused and
cleared his throat. "We have on board with us M.
Hercule Poirot who is probably known to you all
as a man who has had wide experience in--erin
such matters. I hope you will listen carefully to
what he has to say."
It was at this minute that Colonel Clapperton
who had not been at dinner came in and sat down
next to General Forbes. He looked like a man
bewildered by sorrow--not at all like a man con-scious
of great relief. Either he was a very good
actor or else he had been genuinely fond of his
disagreeable wife.
"M. Hercule Poirot," said the Captain and
stepped down. Poirot took his place. He looked
comically self-important as he beamed on his au-dience.
"Messieurs, Mesdames," he began. "It is most
kind of you to be so indulgent as to listen to me.
M. !e Capitaine has told you that I have had a cer-tain
experience in these matters. I have, it is true, a
little idea of my own about how to get to the bot-tom
of this particular case." He made a sign and a
steward pushed forward and passed up to him a
bulky, shapeless object wrapped in a sheet.
"What I am about to do may surprise you a
212
Agatha Christie
little," Poirot warned them. "It may occur to you
that I am eccentric, perhaps mad. Nevertheless I
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