Chapter 30 Chapter 29 At Scotland Yard

Another meeting. The meeting was attended by the Assistant Minister, Inspector Crome, Poirot and myself. The assistant to the director is saying: "Mr. Poirot, you are doing well in investigating a large stocking sale." Poirot spread his hands. "This shows that the man is not a regular dealer, he sells but does not solicit orders." "Is everything clear now, Inspector?" "Yes, sir." Inspector Crome looked at a file. "May I give you an overview of progress so far?" "Yes, please." "I've checked Cheston, Paignton and Torquay and got a list of people he went to sell his stockings to. I must say he's done a pretty thorough job. He lives in Pitt and it was a The little hotel next to the Torre station in the middle, probably took the 9:57 train from Chesston and arrived in Torre at 10:20. No one on the train or in the station noticed anything like his Kind of a guy. But that Friday happened to be the Dartmouth Regatta, and the train back from Kingsville was quite full."

"It was much the same with Bexhill. He stayed at the Globe Hotel under his name, and sold socks to a dozen places, including Mrs. Barnard and the Yellow Cat. He left the hotel early at night, and the next day Returned to London about eleven-thirty in the morning. Same procedure at Andover. He stayed at the Feathers Hotel and sold socks to Mrs. Ascher's neighbour, Mrs. Fowler, and to several people in that street. .The pair of socks I got from Mrs. Ascher's niece (named Drauer) are the same pair that Custer sells." "Okay." said the Assistant Director. "According to the information we have," said the Inspector, "I went to the address Mr. Hartinger gave me, and found that Mr. Custer had left about half an hour ago. I am told that he had received a telephone call, This is the first time something like this has happened and it was told to me by his landlord."

"Is it an accomplice?" the assistant director reminded. "Not quite," said Poirot. "It is very strange—unless—" We all looked at him curiously when he stopped. He shook his head, and the Inspector went on. "I examined the room in which he lived carefully, and the examination made it clear. I found a collection of note paper, which was the same paper on which the letter was written. There were a large number of socks - hidden in the back of the cupboard - and the same shape. And the size of a pack, and it's not socks - it's eight new ABC Railway Guidebooks."

"This is enough to prove it." The assistant minister said. "I've found some other items," said the Inspector, his voice suddenly human and triumphant, "only this morning, sir, before I had time to report. He doesn't have knives in the house." sign--" "It would be an imbecility to bring a knife home," said Poirot. "After all he's not a reasonable man," commented the Inspector. "Anyway, it occurred to me that he might take the knife home and then realize the danger of keeping it in the room (as M. pointed out), and looked elsewhere. Where would he have chosen to hide the knife? I found it in no time. The coat rack—no one touched the coat rack. The hat rack moves away from the wall—it's there."

"Is it a knife?" "It's a knife. It has dried blood on it, no doubt." "Good job, Crome." The assistant director appreciated, "Now we just need one more thing." "What is it?" "The man himself." "We'll catch him, sir. Don't worry." The Inspector's tone was confident. "What do you think, M. Poirot?" Poirot awoke with a start from his contemplation. "Please say it again." "We're saying it's only a matter of time before we get that guy. Do you agree?" "Oh, that—yes, without a doubt."

His tone was so absent-minded that others looked at him in amazement. "Have you anything to worry about, M. Poirot?" "One thing that worries me a lot is why? It's motivation." "But, my dear friend, that man is crazy," said the assistant minister impatiently. "I understand what Poirot means." Crome said politely. "He's quite right. There must be something confusing him. I think we'll find it in a strong sense of inferiority." The source of the problem may also be a persecutor, in which case he may associate it with M. Poirot. He may mistakenly believe that M. Poirot is a special detective hired to catch him."

"Well," said the assistant minister, "that's the jargon that's being talked about these days. In my time, if a man was crazy, he was crazy, and we didn't look to scientific concepts to soften it up. I think a thoroughly modern doctor would recommend putting a guy like ABC in a nursing home, tell him what a nice guy he is for forty-five days, and then let him out as a socially responsible people." Poirot laughed, but he said nothing. The meeting broke up. "Well," said the assistant minister. "As you say, Crome, it's only a matter of time before he's captured."

"If he wasn't so plain-looking, we'd have him. We've scared enough innocent people." "I wonder where he is at the moment," said the assistant director.