Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Stockings as Evidence

Anne Meredith and Rhodes Davis were in Hercule Poirot's lecture room when Inspector Bart was traveling east across England by train. Annie received an invitation letter by mail in the morning, but she was unwilling to go to the appointment. It was with great difficulty that Luda persuaded her. "Annie, you are cowardly--yes, cowardly. It's no use burying your head in the sand like an ostrich. There's a murder and you're one of the suspects--perhaps the most unlikely--" Anne said with a touch of humor: "It's the worst kind of thing. It's usually done by the least like-looking people."

Luda said unmoved: "But you are one of them, don't turn your nose up and pretend that the murder case is too bad and has nothing to do with you." Anne kept saying: "I have nothing to do with it. I mean, I am willing to answer the police's questions, and this Hercule Poirot is an outsider." "If you don't cooperate and want to stay out of it, what will he think? He will think you are a guilty conscience." "Of course I'm not guilty," Anne said coldly. "Baby, I know, you can't kill. But the suspicious gringo doesn't know. I think we should just go to his house. Otherwise he will come here and try to talk about the servants."

"We have no servants." "We've got Sister Estwell. She's gossiping with everybody! Come on, Anne, let's go. It's gotta be fun." "I don't understand why he wants to see me." Annie was very stubborn. Rhoda said impatiently, "Trying to outwit the police, of course. They do that all the time—I mean amateur detectives, and they think the people at Scotland Yard are all stupid and brainless." "You think Poirot is a very clever man?" Rhoda said: "He doesn't look like Holmes. I think he was very good when he was young. Of course, he is old now. He must be sixty years old. Oh, come, Annie, let's meet this old man. He And perhaps tell of the horrible deeds of a few others."

Anne said, "Okay. Rhoda, you like these." Rhoda said, "Probably it's none of my business, that's what I do. Anne, you're a fool not to look up at the right moment. Otherwise you'll spend the rest of your life on blackmail and be as rich as the Duchess." So, at three o'clock that afternoon, Rhoda Davis and Anne Meredith sat in Poirot's tidy room, drinking blackberry juice from old-fashioned glasses, which they did not like, but which Sorry to say no. Poirot said: "Miss, it is very kind of you to be invited." Annie said vaguely, "I'll be happy to help you as much as I can."

"A little memory problem." "memory?" "Yes, I've asked Mrs. Lorrimer, Dr. Roberts, and Major Desper. Why, none of them have the answer I'm craving." Annie continued to eye him questioningly. "Miss, I want you to think back to Mr. Shaitana's living room that night." Annie's face showed a tired shadow.Could she never get rid of that nightmare? Poirot noticed her expression. He said pleasantly, "I know, ma'am, I know. Suffering, isn't it? It's only natural. You're young, and it's the first time you're exposed to something horrible. Perhaps you've never heard or seen a violent death."

Rhoda's feet were restless on the floor. "Oh?" said Annie. "Turn your head back. I want you to tell me what you remember about that room." Annie stared at him suspiciously. "I don't understand?" "You get the idea. Chairs, tables, decorations, wallpaper, curtains, poker tools...you saw it all. Can't you describe it?" Annie hesitated, frowning. "Oh, I see. It's hard. I don't think I can remember. I can't tell the color of the wallpaper, I think the walls were painted—the color isn't obvious. There's carpet on the floor. There's a piano." She shook her head. "I really can't say anything."

"Miss, you haven't tried it. You must remember some object, some ornament, some bric-a-brac?" Anne said slowly, "I remember a box of Egyptian jewels by the window." "Oh, it's just across the room, far from the table where the little dagger is." Annie looked at him. "I don't know which table the dagger was on." Poirot thought to himself: Don't be so stupid, or I wouldn't be Hercule Poirot!As long as she knows me a little better, she'll know that I've never laid such a thick trap! He said, "You mean a box of Egyptian jewels?"

Anne answered very enthusiastically. "Yes--some are charming. Blue and red; and enamel. A charming ring or two. And beetle-shaped stones--but I don't quite like them." Poirot muttered: "Mr. Shaitana, he is a great collector." Anne agreed, "Yes, it must be. The room is full of things. It's impossible to see them all at once." "Then you can't say anything that particularly catches your attention." Annie smiled and said, "There is only one bottle of chrysanthemums, who hasn't changed them for a long time." "Ah, yes, servants don't usually pay much attention to such things." Poirot was silent for a minute or two.

Anne said timidly, "I'm afraid I haven't noticed—what you want my attention to be." Bai Luoke smiled politely. "Never mind, boy. The chances are slim. Tell me, have you seen Major Despard lately?" He noticed a slight blush on the girl's face.She replied, "He said he would come to see me soon." "But he didn't come! Anne and I can be sure of that," said Rhoda impertinently. Poirot winked at them. "It's a blessing to be able to convince two such charming ladies of someone's innocence." Ruda thought, "Oh, my God, he's starting to look French, and it's embarrassing to me."

She stood up and looked at several etchings on the wall."It's fantastic," she said. "Not bad," replied Poirot. He hesitated for a while, looked at Annie, and finally said: "Miss, I wonder if I can ask you for a favor—oh, it has nothing to do with the murder case, it's completely private." Anne looked a little taken aback, and Poirot went on with feigned embarrassment: "Well, you know, Christmas is coming up. I have to buy presents for a lot of nieces and grandnieces. It's so hard to choose what the ladies like now." .Geez, I'm pretty out of date."

"Oh?" asked Anne cheerfully. "Silk stockings, well, aren't silk stockings a welcome gift?" "Yes, indeed. Nice to have stockings." "That puts me at ease. I want your help. I got some stockings of different colors, about fifteen or sixteen pairs in all. Could you go through them one by one and pick out for me the six pairs you think are the most flattering?" like?" Annie stood up with a smile and said, "Of course." Poirot explained: "I am sending the parcel in advance. Look, madam, here are the silk stockings. Please choose six pairs for me." He turned around and stopped Luda who was following him. "As for the lady, I'm going to show her something. Miss Meredith, I guess you don't want to." "What is it?" Rhoda exclaimed. He lowered his voice. "Miss, it's a knife—it was used by a dozen men to stab a man to death. I got it as a souvenir from Sleeper International." "Horror," cried Annie. "Wow! Let me see," said Rhoda. Poirot led her into another room, talking as he went. "The International Sleeping Car Company gave it to me because—" They had stepped out of the room. They returned in three minutes, and Anne went to meet them. "Mr. Poirot, I think these are the best of the six pairs. These are the perfect evening shades. The lighter ones will be quite pleasant in the evening sun when summer comes." "Thank you, miss." He offered them blackberry juice again, which they declined; at last he escorted the ladies to the door, talking as they walked.After the guests left, he went back to the room and straightened the messy table.The pile of stockings is still there in a mess.Poirot counted the six pairs selected, and then the other stockings. He bought nineteen pairs in all, and now only seventeen pairs remain.He nodded slowly.