Chapter 6 Section 6

Inspector Japp saw Hercule Ben approaching and grinned at him. "Hey, old man," said Japp, "you almost got sent to jail." "I'm afraid," said Poirot gravely, "that such a thing will affect my professional reputation." "Some books say that detectives sometimes become criminals." A tall and thin man came over, and Japp introduced to Poirot: "This is Mr. Fournier from the Paris Police Department. He has come to assist in this case." "I still remember the privilege of meeting you a few years ago, M. Poirot." Fournier stepped forward to shake his hand.

"I propose," said Poirot, "that the two gentlemen be invited to the abode for a light meal. I have also invited Mette Alexander. I hope you don't mind." "Very well then," Japp patted Poirot on the shoulder enthusiastically, "you've already made arrangements anyway." "It's an honor," said the French policeman politely. "I have just spoken to a beautiful and charming girl," said Poirot, "and I hope to clear myself of the suspicion as soon as possible." "The jury doesn't like the way you look," said Japp. "I haven't heard of such a big joke in a long time."

While the friends were enjoying the sumptuous meals served by the little Belgian, they agreed not to bring up the case.Fournier and Alexander raved about the sumptuous dinner. "It's kind of French, and it's delicious," said Japp. "Now, let's get down to business. Mr. Alexander has an appointment. Use the time to consult him first." "It has been an honor to be of service to all of you. I speak much more freely here than in court. I had a brief conversation with Mr. Japp before my appearance and he told me to keep as quiet as possible." "Yes," said Japp, "otherwise it would be slipping. Now tell me more about this Giselle woman."

"To be honest, I don't know much about her. Everyone knows that she is a famous person. As for her personal situation, Mr. Fournier may know more than I do. But I will say that Madame Giselle is unique. No, I see her as a pretty girl in her youth, disfigured by smallpox. I get the impression that a woman of power, shrewd in business, will never allow any Emotions shaped her career. Her reputation was based on discretion and candor." He saw Fournier nodded approvingly, and continued: "However, her honesty cannot stand the test of the law." "what do you mean……?"

"Extortion. Yes, a special form of extortion. She is very careful about the amount of money she lends and the method of repayment. It should be noted that a whole set of methods is used to make the borrower pay the debt." Poirot leaned forward and listened carefully. "Mr. Alexander said this morning that Mrs. Giselle's clients are mainly upper-class and professional people, and public opinion does not favor people of this class. Mrs. Giselle has her own intelligence agency. For large amounts of loans, she has to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the borrowers."

"You mean," said Poirot, "that this kind of secret investigation is a guarantee and a prerequisite for her business?" "Exactly. In this way, she has become almost inhuman. However, she has paid off, and it is very rare for her to write off a debt. We understand her business activities, but the specifics The practice is unknown.” "You mentioned," said Poirot, "that she had, after all, written off her debts. Under what circumstances?" Fournier thought for a while and said, "Her information was leaked, or the information was sent to the debtor."

"Financially speaking," said Poirot, "it does her no good." "But it should be said that there is an indirect benefit to her," Japp said, "because this debt will be paid by someone else?" "Exactly," Fournier said. "It's called a relative effect." "That gives an excellent insight into the motives of this case," said Japp, pinching his nose to Alexander. "Should find out to whom she credited. I think you can help me in that." "She has a daughter," continued Fournier, "perhaps her mother has not seen her since the day she was born. However, some years ago, Mrs. Giselle left a will, except for a small part Except for her personal servants, the rest is left to her daughter Anne Morisot. As far as I know, this is her only will."

"How much does she have?" asked Poirot. "About eight or nine hundred francs." Poirot pursed his lips and whistled. "Eight or nine million pounds! Miss Anne Morisot is going to be rich." "But she wasn't on the plane," said Japp grimly. "But maybe she got impatient and killed her mother. How old is she?" "About twenty-four or five." "But that doesn't explain the problem. Everyone on the plane says they don't know Mrs. Giselle, but one person is lying. We have to find out who he is. Maybe we can search her private papers. Fournier?"

"As soon as I had spoken to the Metropolitan Police," said the French police officer, "I went to her apartment. Her private papers were in a safe. When I arrived, they were all burned. " "Burn it? How...?" "Mrs. Giselle has a personal servant named Elise. According to Giselle's instructions, if anything happens to her, Elise will immediately burn the documents in the safe." "It's unbelievable," said Japp, startled. Fournier continued: "Madame Giselle has a secret set of contacts. She's ruthless, but she keeps her word."

The four of them fell silent at the same time, thinking about the strange character of the deceased. Alexander got up and said, "I'm sorry, gentlemen, I have an appointment to go. If you need any information from me, please feel free to come to me." He shook everyone's hand politely and left the room.