Chapter 7 Chapter Seven Radium Stealers

Halliday slept in the room next to ours the night of his release, and all night I heard him moaning and protesting in his sleep. Undoubtedly, his experience at that villa had terrified him.We had no way of getting any information from him the next morning.He just repeatedly said that the magic power of the four big devils is boundless, and that if the truth is revealed, their revenge will definitely follow. After lunch, he parted ways with us.He returned to England to join his wife, while Poirot and I remained in Paris.I was actively wanting to do anything, so Poirot's standing still and watching irritated me.

"For goodness' sake, Poirot," I urged him, "let us stand up and aim our arrows at them!" "Very well said, my friend! Where to stand up? What is the arrow aiming at? Be more specific, please." "Of course it's aimed at the four big devils." "Good point, but how do you go about doing it?" "Police." I placed my bet with a little confidence. Poirot smiled. "They'll accuse us of thinking too hard. Right now, we have nothing to start with - nothing. We'll have to wait." "Waiting for what?"

"Wait for them to act first. Look, you Brits love boxing and know the rules of boxing. If one side doesn't act; the other side has to try to make a move. The advantage of letting the other side move first is that we can get to know them better. That's what we do. The best strategy is to let the opponent attack first." "Do you think they will?" I asked skeptically. "I'm confident they will. You see, at first they tried to lure me out of the UK. That time. They failed. Then we intervened in the Dartwood affair and rescued the innocent scapegoat and made him Save the gallows. Yesterday, we once again thwarted their plans. They'll never hang things there."

As I was thinking about these things, there was a knock on the door.Before we could answer, a man opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind him.He was tall and thin, with a pale face and a slightly hooked nose.He wore a coat that buttoned up to his chin and a fedora that covered his eyes. "Gentlemen, please forgive my intrusion," he said in a soft voice, "but my mission is not very traditional." He walked to the table with a smile and sat down.I was on the verge of jumping up, but Poirot made a gesture and told me not to act rashly. "It shows that, as you said yourself, it's really a bit presumptuous for you to try so hard, can you tell us the purpose of your coming here?"

"My dear M. Poirot, the matter is very simple. You have been harassing my friend." "How to say?" "Why! M. Poirot. You're not really asking me, are you? You know as well as I do." "It depends, sir, on who your friends are." The visitor took out a cigarette case from his pocket without saying a word, took out four cigarettes and threw them on the table, then picked them up again, put them back into the cigarette case, and put them in his pocket. "Aha!" said Poirot. "It's like that, isn't it? What's my friend's opinion?"

"Sir, they suggest that you should apply your talent--your very distinguished talent--to the investigation of crimes in general--and go back to your business, solving problems for the ladies of London society." "A peace plan," said Poirot. "And what if I don't agree?" The man made an expressive gesture. "Of course we shall be sorry, very sorry," he said, "and all the friends and admirers of the great Mr. Hercule Poirot. Resurrected alone." "Very nerve-wracking," said Poirot, nodding. "And what if I accept their opinion?"

"In that case, I am authorized to give you—compensation." He took out his wallet, took out ten bundles of notes, ten thousand francs each, and threw them on the table. "That's only our good faith bond," he said. "We'll pay you ten times that amount." "Jesus!" I yelled, jumping to my feet, "how dare you think—!" "Sit down, Hastings," said Poirot authoritarianly. "Take control of your good and honest nature and sit down. What I want to tell you, sir, is that my friend can prevent your escape, and in this What's going to stop me from calling the police and having you arrested?"

"Of course you can, if you think it's sensible," said our visitor calmly. "Oh! Listen, Poirot," I roared. "I can't stand it. Just call the police." I stood up quickly, strode to the door, and stood with my back against the door. "It seems obvious what to do," whispered Poirot, as if calculating carefully. "But you don't believe in the obvious, do you?" our visitor smiled. "Come on, Poirot," I urged him. "Then it's up to you, my friend." When he picked up the phone, the man jumped up and looked at me like a cat.I have already prepared.In an instant, we were tangled up in a ball, dangling around the room.Suddenly, I felt that he was about to fall, and I seized this favorable moment.He fell in front of me.However, at the time of this victory, a very unusual thing happened.I feel myself flying forward.Head forward, hitting the wall.I stood up immediately, but the door was closed by my opponent.I rushed forward and knocked hard on the door, however, the door was locked from the outside.I snatched the phone from Poirot.

"Office? Block a man who is going out. Stands tall, wears a button-front coat and fedora. He's wanted by the police." A few minutes later, we heard voices in the hallway outside our door.Someone turned the key, the door was flung open, and the manager himself stood in the doorway. "That man—did you catch him?" I asked aloud. "No, sir. Nobody going down." "You must have missed him." "Nobody passed by at all! Show. It's amazing how he got away." "I think you must have let someone through," said Poirot mildly. "Perhaps the hotel staff?"

"Only one waiter with a tray in his hand, sir." "Ah!" said Poirot, with a great deal of meaning in it. "That's why he's wearing a coat, buttoned up to his chin," he mused when we finally got the excited manager out. "I'm sorry, Poirot," I said dejectedly. "I thought I could cover him." "Yes, I think it's a Japanese trick. Don't lose heart, my friend. All this is going according to plan—his plan, and that's what I want." "What's this?" I yelled, grabbing the brown object on the floor.

It was a slender brown leather purse that had apparently fallen out of the pocket of our visitor while he was fighting with me.Courtesy of two billing receipts that say Felix Laon, and a folded note that makes my heart beat faster.It was half a piece of note paper with some very important words scrawled on it: "Next meeting, Friday, 34 Rue Asher, eleven o'clock." Signed in big Arabic characters 4 below. It was Friday, and the clock on the mantelpiece was nearly ten-thirty. "My God! What luck!" I exclaimed. "Fate is now in our hands. But we must act now. What a stroke of luck!" "That's why he came," whispered Poirot. "I understand now." "Understand what? Tell me quickly, Bob, and stop daydreaming there." Poirot scolded me, shaking his head and laughing. "'Would you like to come into my drawing room?' said the spider to the fly. 'It's your English nursery rhyme, isn't it? You're wrong—they're cunning—but not as wily as I, Hercule Poirot.' "What the hell are you talking about, Poirot?" "My friend, I have been thinking about the reason for this man's visit this morning. Does this visitor really hope to bribe me? Or is he trying to frighten me into quitting the job myself? As it happened, Neither of these reasons seemed right. So why did he come? Now that I know the whole plan—clean—beautiful—the ostensible reason was to bribe me or intimidate me—he devised a must The purse fell out in a very natural and logical way—at last—a trap! Eleven o'clock on Ascher Road? My friend! I'm not going! No one could have caught Hercule Poe so easily. Lo's." "Jesus!" I gasped. Poirot frowned. "There's one more thing I don't quite understand." "What's up?" "Time, Hastings—time. If they're going to trap me, it's obviously better at night? Why so early? Is there something going on this morning? Something they don't want Hercule Poirot to know?" He shook his head. "We'll find out. I'll just sit here, my friend, and I'm not going anywhere this morning, and we'll be here waiting for something to come." At eleven thirty, the call really came.A little blue letter, which Poirot tore open and handed to me, was sent by Madame Olivier, whom we interviewed yesterday for the disappearance of Halliday, and she Ask us to go to Bath at once. We rushed there without delay.Mrs. Olivier had received us in the same small living room, and I was once again overwhelmed by the profound power of this slender, nun-like face and shining eyes-the heir of Belle Real and the Curie couple. Stopped, she got straight to the point. "Gentlemen, you came here yesterday in connection with the disappearance of Mr. Halliday. I only now know that you came back here and asked to see my secretary, Ini Fronor. She went out with you, but she arrived at Haven't come back yet." "Is that the thing, ma'am?" "No, sir, it's not just this matter. Last night, someone broke into the laboratory and stole some important documents and records. The thieves also wanted to steal some more valuable things, but luckily they couldn't open the big safe .” "Ma'am, I'm telling you the truth. Your secretary, Mrs. Fronor, is in fact the Countess Ruthcoff, an expert theft. She was responsible for Mr. Halliday's disappearance. How long has she been with you?" ?” "Five months, sir. I was surprised by what you just said." "It's true, though. Are these documents easy to find again? Or, do you think it will reveal inner secrets?" "I'm surprised the thief knew how to find those things. You think Ennie—" "Yes, I am convinced that it was Yi Ni who gave them the information. But what is the valuable thing that the thieves did not find? Jewelry?" Madame Olivier shook her head with a faint smile. "More precious than that, sir," she said, looking around, and then, leaning forward, lowering her voice, "it's radium, sir." "radium?" "Yes, sir. My experiment is at a critical moment, and I have a little radium of my own—mostly lent to me for the running of my experiment. Although the real amount is very small, it is Already a large part of the world's reserves, worth millions of francs." "Where did you put it?" "In the lead box of a large safe--this large safe is purposely worn and worn out, but it is the work of the safemaker, and that is probably why the thief cannot open it." "How long do you want to keep this radium?" "Just two more days, sir. At that point, my experiment will be over." Poirot's eyes shone. "Is Ine Frollo aware of this? Well—then our thief friends will surely return. Don't tell anyone what I say, madam. But don't worry, I'll keep the radium for you. Do you have the key to the door from the laboratory to the garden?" "Adventure, that is. I have another, and this is the key to the door in the garden that leads to the narrow alley between the two villas." "Thank you, ma'am. You go to bed peacefully this evening, as usual, and don't be afraid, I'll take care of everything as usual. Don't tell anyone about it, though--don't tell your two assistants--they're Cleric. Miss Lauder and Mr Henry, don't you?—don't ever confide a word to them." Poirot rubbed his hands contentedly as he left the villa. "What are you going to do now?" I asked. "And now, Hastings, we're leaving Paris—to England." "what?" "Let's pack up our things first, have lunch, and then drive to the train station in the north." "Then what about radium?" "I said we were going to England—I didn't say we were getting there! Think back, Hastings. We must be being followed now. Our enemies must have thought we were going back to England, but , they won't believe it unless they see us getting on the train and setting off." "You think we're going to sneak out again at the last minute?" "No, Hastings. Our enemies won't be satisfied if we don't really go." "But the train doesn't stop until Calais." "If someone pays it to stop, it will." "Ah! Come on! Poirot—you can't pay for a direct train—they'll refuse." "My dear friend, have you not noticed the various little chances--listening signs--a hundred francs for non-official use, I suppose?" "Ah! You want to pull that?" "It's supposed to be a friend of mine, Biel Campbell, who does that. When he gets into a public argument with the driver, and the whole train is buzzing, you and I can sneak away without anyone noticing it." gone." We successfully carried out Poirot's plan.Poirot's old friend, Billy Campbell, evidently understood my thin little friend's schemes perfectly, and performed them impeccably.When the train reached the outskirts, the emergency call cable inside the car was pulled.Campbell became known for his performance, which would have applauded the French, and Poirot and I slipped off the train unnoticed.We first made a change to our appearance.Poirot had brought the necessary alterations in a small travel case.Two rascals in dirty blue shirts appeared.We ate dinner at an unnamed inn and hurried back to Paris. Around eleven o'clock, we arrived near Madame Olivier's villa.After looking around, he slipped into the narrow alley.The whole area was dead silent.We're sure no one is following us. "I don't think they will come here yet," whispered Poirot to me. "Tomorrow night, perhaps. But they know that Radium will only be there for two more nights." We carefully inserted the key into the keyhole of the garden gate, and quietly entered the garden. A stick swung down suddenly.We were surrounded, then gagged and bound hand and foot.There were at least ten men waiting for us, and resistance was useless.We were lifted up and carried away like two bales.What surprised me even more was that they took us towards the house instead of away.They unlocked the door with a key, entered the laboratory, and brought us in as well.There's a hot guy bending over the big safe.Then the door was flung open and I was numb, were they going to stuff us in and let us slowly suffocate there? However, quite unexpectedly, I saw a staircase leading to the floor in the safe, and we were thrown down this narrow staircase into a spacious basement, where a tall woman stood, imposing, with a mask covering her face. Black velvet mask.Clearly she was the one running the show and directing everything.Those guys threw us on the floor and left us -- with that masked figure.I know who she is, she is an unknown French woman - the third of the four evils. She ran down to remove what was stuffed in our mouths, but did not let go of the rope for us, then stood up and faced us, and quickly took off the mask. She is Madame Olivier. "Mr. Poirot," she said in a low mocking tone, "the great, wonderful, incomparable M. Poirot. I sent you a warning note yesterday morning, and you ignored it—you thought you could Outwit us. Now, here you are." She was filled with a kind of indifference and viciousness, and I seemed to freeze even the marrow of my bones.This is in contrast to the fire in her eyes.She's crazy--mad genius. Poirot said nothing.His chin grew, staring straight at her. "Okay," she said softly, "this is the end, and we won't allow our plans to be disturbed. Any final requests?" I have never felt so close to death. Poirot looked composed. He neither flinched nor turned pale, but just stared at her with undiminished interest. "I'm interested in your psychology, ma'am," he said calmly. "Unfortunately, I only have such a short time to study you. Yes, I have a request. I think a condemned man on his deathbed Surely you can have a cigarette, I have a cigarette case with me, if you allow—" He looked down at the binding rope. "Ah, yes!" she laughed. "You want me to let go of your hand, don't you? You are very clever, Mr. Hercule Poirot. I know your tricks, and I won't let go of your hand— —I'll find you a cigarette, though." She knelt beside him, took out his cigarette case, and held a cigarette between his lips. "Now, Matches," she said, standing up. "No, ma'am." There was something in his voice that surprised me, and she froze too. "Don't move, please don't move, ma'am. If you do, you will regret it. Do you know the poison of quill? The Indians in South America use it as poison on arrows, just touch it Death. Some tribes make little darts out of it—so do I, my little dart looks like a cigarette in appearance, and all I have to do is blow...Ah! You move a step, don't move, Madame. The mechanism of this cigarette is ingenious. I just hang down - a small needle like a fishbone will fly out - to find the target. Ma'am, you don't want to die, so please let go of my friend Black Stings' rope, I can't use my hands, but my head can turn freely--so you are still in danger, madam, please do no more wrong." The muscles of her face were convulsed with rage and hatred, and she stooped, releasing the rope with trembling hands, and I was free, Poirot's voice instructed me. "Now, bind this lady with the same rope that binds you, Hastings, and that's it, is it tight? Then, come and untie me, we're lucky, she sends her men away Now, we should be able to find a way out." In an instant Poirot was standing beside me, bowing to the lady. "Hercule Poirot will not be killed so easily, madam. Good night." The gag in her mouth prevented her from answering, but the murderous look in her eyes frightened me, and I sincerely hoped that we would not fall into her power again. Three minutes later we were out of the villa and hurried through the gardens.There was silence on the road outside, so let's get out of there quickly. Then Poirot cried out suddenly. "I deserved being called by that woman. I'm a poor animal, three times stupider than a fool, and thirty-six times stupider than an idiot. I'm also proud that I didn't fall into their trap. And that's not enough Qualified as a trap - I fell for it. They knew I'd see through it was a trap - they relied on that. That said it all - they made Halliday yield easily - everything. Madame Olivier is the controlling spirit—Vera Ruskoff is only an assistant. Madame needs Halliday’s ideas—she has enough talent to untangle him. Yes, Black Stings, we now know who number three is - probably the woman who is the greatest scientist in the world! Think about it, wisdom from the east, science from the west - there are two more we don't know who. But, We must find out, and we will go back to London to-morrow and set to work on it." "Aren't you going to tell the police everything about Madame Olivier?" "They won't believe us. This woman is a French idol. Besides, we have no way to prove it. We are lucky that she didn't sue us." "what?" "Think about it. We were found in her house at night with the keys in her hand. Can she deny that she ever gave it to us? She frightened us in the safe, and we ended up gagging her and tying her up." She, ran away again. Don't think about it, Hastings, it will be self-defeating—is that the idiom you use to describe the situation?"