"Quite
reasonable," aid Miss Lemon. "Quite
reasonable for a Russian, that is. Personally, I
should never take a post as a companion. I like my
duties clearly defined. And of course I should not
dream of murdering anyone."
Poirot sighed. "How I miss my friend Hastings.
He had such an imagination. Such a romantic
mind! It is true that he always imagined wrong--but
that in itself was a guide."
Miss Lemon was silent. She had heard about
Captain Hastings before, and Was not interested.
She looked longingly at the typewritten sheet in
front of her.
"So it seems to you reasonable," mused Poirot.
"Doesn't it to you?"
"I am almost afraid it does," sighed Poirot.
The telephone rang and Miss Lemon went out
of the room to answer it. She came back to say,
"It's Inspector Sims again."
Poirot hurried to the instrument." 'Allo, 'allo.
What is that you say?"
Sims repeated his statement. "We've fotmd
a packet of strychnine in the girl's bedroom--
,/
72
Agatha ©6rill
s. The sergeant's
tucked underneath the rattr about clinches it,
just come in with the news, TiP