"Well," said Norman, "how did you get on?"
"Miss Grey," said Poirot, "has proved herself the supersecretary."
"I don't think I did so very well," said Jane. "He spotted my stuff when he passed behind me. You know, he must be very observant."
"Ah, you noticed that?
This good Mr Clancy is not quite so absent-minded as one might imagine."
"Did you really want those addresses?" asked Jane.
"I think they might be useful, yes."
"But if the police -"
"Ah, the police!
I should not ask the same questions as the police have asked.
Though, as a matter of fact, I doubt whether the police have asked any questions at all. You see, they know that the blow-pipe found in the plane was purchased in Paris by an American."
"In Paris? An American?
But there wasn't any American in the aeroplane."
Poirot smiled kindly on her.
"Precisely.
We have here an American just to make it more difficult.
Voilа tout."
"But it was bought by a man?" said Norman.
Poirot looked at him with rather an odd expression.
"Yes," he said, "it was bought by a man."
Norman looked puzzled.
"Anyway," said Jane, "it wasn't Mr Clancy. He'd got one blowpipe already, so he wouldn't want to go about buying another."
Poirot nodded his head.
"That is how one must proceed.
Suspect everyone in turn and then wipe him or her off the list."
"How many have you wiped off so far?" asked Jane.
"Not so many as you might think, mademoiselle," said Poirot with a twinkle. "It depends, you see, on the motive."
"Has there been -" Norman Gale stopped, and then added apologetically: "I don't want to butt in on official secrets, but is there no record of this woman's dealings?"
Poirot shook his head.
"All the records are burned."
"That's unfortunate."
"Кvidemment!
But it seems that Madame Giselle combined a little blackmailing with her profession of money lending, and that opens up a wider field.
Supposing, for instance, that Madame Giselle had knowledge of a certain criminal offense - say, attempted murder on the part of someone."
"Is there any reason to suppose such a thing?"
"Why, yes," said Poirot slowly, "there is. One of the few pieces of documentary evidence that we have in this case."
He looked from one to the other of their interested faces and gave a little sigh.
"Ah, well," he said. "That is that. Let us talk of other matters - for instance, of how this tragedy has affected the lives of you two young people."
"It sounds horrible to say so, but I've done well out of it," said Jane.
She related her rise of salary.
"As you say, mademoiselle, you have done well, but probably only for the time being.
Even a nine days' wonder does not last longer than nine days, remember."
Jane laughed.
"That's very true."
"I'm afraid it's going to last more than nine days in my case," said Norman.
He explained the position.
Poirot listened sympathetically.
"As you say," he observed thoughtfully, "it will take more than nine days, or nine weeks, or nine months. Sensationalism dies quickly, fear is long-lived."
"Do you think I ought to stick it out?"
"Have you any other plan?"