One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

Three, Four, Shut the Door

It was a quarter to three when the telephone rang.

Hercule Poirot was sitting in an easy-chair happily digesting an excellent lunch.

He did not move when the bell rang but waited for the faithful George to come and take the call.

‘Eh bien?’ he said, as George, with a ‘Just a minute, sir,’ lowered the receiver.

‘It’s Chief Inspector Japp, sir.’

‘Aha?’

Poirot lifted the receiver to his ear.

‘Eh bien, mon vieux,’ he said. ‘How goes it?’

‘That you, Poirot?’

‘Naturally.’

‘I hear you went to the dentist this morning? Is that so?’

Poirot murmured:

‘Scotland Yard knows everything!’

‘Man of the name of Morley. 58, Queen Charlotte Street?’

‘Yes.’ Poirot’s voice had changed. ‘Why?’

‘It was a genuine visit, was it? I mean you didn’t go to put the wind up him or anything of that sort?’

‘Certainly not. I had three teeth filled if you want to know.’

‘What did he seem like to you—manner much as usual?’

‘I should say so, yes. Why?’

Japp’s voice was rigidly unemotional.

‘Because not very much later he shot himself.’

‘What?’

Japp said sharply:

‘That surprises you?’

‘Frankly, it does.’

Japp said:

‘I’m not too happy about it myself … I’d like to have a talk with you. I suppose you wouldn’t like to come round?’

‘Where are you?’

‘Queen Charlotte Street.’

Poirot said:

‘I will join you immediately.’

It was a police constable who opened the door of 58. He said respectfully:

‘M. Poirot?’

‘It’s I, myself.’

‘The Chief Inspector is upstairs. Second floor—you know it?’

Hercule Poirot said:

‘I was there this morning.’

There were three men in the room. Japp looked up as Poirot entered.

He said:

‘Glad to see you, Poirot. We’re just going to move him. Like to see him first?’

A man with a camera who had been kneeling near the body got up.

Poirot came forward. The body was lying near the fireplace.

In death Mr Morley looked very much as he had looked in life. There was a little blackened hole just below his right temple. A small pistol lay on the floor near his outflung right hand.

Poirot shook his head gently.

Japp said:

‘All right, you can move him now.’

They took Mr Morley away. Japp and Poirot were left alone.

Japp said:

‘We’re through all the routine. Finger-prints, etc.’

Poirot sat down. He said:

‘Tell me.’

Japp pursed his lips. He said:

‘He could have shot himself. He probably did shoot himself. There are only his finger-prints on the gun—but I’m not quite satisfied.’

‘What are your objections?’

‘Well, to begin with, there doesn’t seem to be any reason why he should shoot himself … He was in good health, he was making money, he hadn’t any worries that anyone knew of. He wasn’t mixed up with a woman—at least,’ Japp corrected himself cautiously, ‘as far as we know he wasn’t. He hasn’t been moody or depressed or unlike himself. That’s partly why I was anxious to hear what you said. You saw him this morning, and I wondered if you’d noticed anything.’

Poirot shook his head.

‘Nothing at all. He was—what shall I say—normality itself.’

‘Then that makes it odd, doesn’t it? Anyway, you wouldn’t think a man would shoot himself in the middle of business hours, so to speak. Why not wait till this evening? That would be the natural thing to do.’

Poirot agreed.

‘When did the tragedy occur?’

‘Can’t say exactly. Nobody seems to have heard the shot. But I don’t think they would. There are two doors between here and the passage and they have baize fitted round the edges—to deaden the noise from the victims of the dental chair, I imagine.’

‘Very probably. Patients under gas sometimes make a lot of noise.’

‘Quite. And outside, in the street, there’s plenty of traffic, so you wouldn’t be likely to hear it out there.’

‘When was it discovered?’

‘Round about one-thirty—by the page-boy, Alfred Biggs. Not a very bright specimen, by all accounts. It seems that Morley’s twelve-thirty patient kicked up a bit of a row at being kept waiting. About one-ten the boy came up and knocked. There was no answer and apparently he didn’t dare come in. He’d got in a few rows already from Morley and he was nervous of doing the wrong thing. He went down again and the patient walked out in a huff at one-fifteen. I don’t blame her. She’d been kept waiting three-quarters of an hour and she wanted her lunch.’

‘Who was she?’

Japp grinned.

‘According to the boy she was Miss Shirty—but from the appointment book her name was Kirby.’

‘What system was there for showing up patients?’

‘When Morley was ready for his next patient he pressed that buzzer over there and the boy then showed the patient up.’

‘And Morley pressed the buzzer last?’

‘At five minutes past twelve, and the boy showed up the patient who was waiting. Mr Amberiotis, Savoy Hotel, according to the appointment book.’

A faint smile came to Poirot’s lips. He murmured:

‘I wonder what our page-boy made of that name!’

‘A pretty hash, I should say. We’ll ask him presently if we feel like a laugh.’

Poirot said:

‘And at what time did this Mr Amberiotis leave?’

‘The boy didn’t show him out, so he doesn’t know … A good many patients just go down the stairs without ringing for the lift and let themselves out.’

Poirot nodded.

Japp went on:

‘But I rang up the Savoy Hotel. Mr Amberiotis was quite precise. He said he looked at his watch as he closed the front door and it was then twenty-five minutes past twelve.’

‘He could tell you nothing of importance?’

‘No, all he could say was that the dentist had seemed perfectly normal and calm in his manner.’

‘Eh bien,’ said Poirot. ‘Then that seems quite clear. Between five-and-twenty past twelve and half-past one something happened—and presumably nearer the former time.’

‘Quite. Because otherwise—’

‘Otherwise he would have pressed the buzzer for the next patient.’

‘Exactly. The medical evidence agrees with that for what it’s worth. The divisional surgeon examined the body—at twenty past two. He wouldn’t commit himself—they never do nowadays—too many individual idiosyncrasies, they say. But Morley couldn’t have been shot later than one o’clock, he says—probably considerably earlier—but he wouldn’t be definite.’

Poirot said thoughtfully:

‘Then at twenty-five minutes past twelve our dentist is a normal dentist, cheerful, urbane, competent. And after that? Despair—misery—what you will—and he shoots himself?’

‘It’s funny,’ said Japp. ‘You’ve got to admit, it’s funny.’

‘Funny,’ said Poirot, ‘is not the word.’

‘I know it isn’t really—but it’s the sort of thing one says. It’s odd, then, if you like that better.’

‘Was it his own pistol?’

‘No, it wasn’t. He hadn’t got a pistol. Never had had one. According to his sister there wasn’t such a thing in the house. There isn’t in most houses. Of course he might have bought it if he’d made up his mind to do away with himself. If so, we’ll soon know about it.’

Poirot asked:

‘Is there anything else that worries you?’

Japp rubbed his nose.

‘Well, there was the way he was lying. I wouldn’t say a man couldn’t fall like that—but it wasn’t quite right somehow! And there was just a trace or two on the carpet—as though something had been dragged along it.’

‘That, then, is decidedly suggestive.’

‘Yes, unless it was that dratted boy. I’ve a feeling that he may have tried to move Morley when he found him. He denies it, of course, but then he was scared. He’s that kind of young ass. The kind that’s always putting their foot in it and getting cursed, and so they come to lie about things almost automatically.’

Poirot looked thoughtfully round the room.

At the wash-basin on the wall behind the door, at the tall filing cabinet on the other side of the door. At the dental chair and surrounding apparatus near the window, then along to the fireplace and back to where the body lay; there was a second door in the wall near the fireplace.

Japp had followed his glance. ‘Just a small office through there.’ He flung open the door.

It was as he had said, a small room, with a desk, a table with a spirit lamp and tea apparatus and some chairs. There was no other door.

‘This is where his secretary worked,’ explained Japp. ‘Miss Nevill. It seems she’s away today.’

His eyes met Poirot’s. The latter said:

‘He told me, I remember. That again—might be a point against suicide?’

‘You mean she was got out of the way?’

Japp paused. He said:

‘If it wasn’t suicide, he was murdered. But why? That solution seems almost as unlikely as the other. He seems to have been a quiet, inoffensive sort of chap. Who would want to murder him?’

Poirot said:

‘Who could have murdered him?’

Japp said:

‘The answer to that is—almost anybody! His sister could have come down from their flat above and shot him, one of the servants could have come in and shot him. His partner, Reilly, could have shot him. The boy Alfred could have shot him. One of the patients could have shot him.’ He paused and said, ‘And Amberiotis could have shot him—easiest of the lot.’

Poirot nodded.

‘But in that case—we have to find out why.’

‘Exactly. You’ve come round again to the original problem. Why? Amberiotis is staying at the Savoy. Why does a rich Greek want to come and shoot an inoffensive dentist?’

‘That’s really going to be our stumbling block. Motive!’

Poirot shrugged his shoulders. He said:

‘It would seem that death selected, most inartistically, the wrong man. The Mysterious Greek, the Rich Banker, the Famous Detective—how natural that one of them should be shot! For mysterious foreigners may be mixed up in espionage and rich bankers have connections who will benefit by their deaths and famous detectives may be dangerous to criminals.’

‘Whereas poor old Morley wasn’t dangerous to anybody,’ observed Japp gloomily.

‘I wonder.’

Japp whirled round on him.

‘What’s up your sleeve now?’

‘Nothing. A chance remark.’

He repeated to Japp those few casual words of Mr Morley’s about recognizing faces, and his mention of a patient.

Japp looked doubtful.

‘It’s possible, I suppose. But it’s a bit far-fetched. It might have been someone who wanted their identity kept dark. You didn’t notice any of the other patients this morning?’

Poirot murmured:

‘I noticed in the waiting-room a young man who looked exactly like a murderer!’

Japp said, startled: ‘What’s that?’

Poirot smiled:

‘Mon cher, it was upon my arrival here! I was nervous, fanciful—enfin, in a mood. Everything seemed sinister to me, the waiting-room, the patients, the very carpet on the stairs! Actually, I think the young man had very bad toothache. That was all!’

‘I know what it can be,’ said Japp. ‘However, we’ll check up on your murderer all the same. We’ll check up on everybody, whether it’s suicide or not. I think the first thing is to have another talk with Miss Morley. I’ve only had a word or two. It was a shock to her, of course, but she’s the kind that doesn’t break down. We’ll go and see her now.’

Tall and grim, Georgina Morley listened to what the two men had said and answered their questions. She said with emphasis:

‘It’s incredible to me—quite incredible—that my brother should have committed suicide!’

Poirot said:

‘You realize the alternative, Mademoiselle?’

‘You mean—murder.’ She paused. Then she said slowly: ‘It is true—that alternative seems nearly as impossible as the other.’

‘But not quite as impossible?’

‘No—because—oh, in the first case, you see, I am speaking of something I know—that is: my brother’s state of mind. I know he had nothing on his mind—I know that there was no reason—no reason at all why he should take his own life!’

‘You saw him this morning—before he started work?’

‘At breakfast—yes.’

‘And he was quite as usual—not upset in any way?’

‘He was upset—but not in the way you mean. He was just annoyed!’

‘Why was that?’

‘He had a busy morning in front of him, and his secretary and assistant had been called away.’

‘That is Miss Nevill?’

‘Yes.’

‘What used she to do for him?’

‘She did all his correspondence, of course, and kept the appointment book, and filed all the charts. She also saw to the sterilizing of the instruments and ground up his fillings and handed them to him when he was working.’

‘Had she been with him long?’

‘Three years. She is a very reliable girl and we are—were both very fond of her.’

Poirot said:

‘She was called away owing to the illness of a relative, so your brother told me.’

‘Yes, she got a telegram to say her aunt had had a stroke. She went off to Somerset by an early train.’

‘And that was what annoyed your brother so much?’

‘Ye-es.’ There was a faint hesitation in Miss Morley’s answer. She went on rather hurriedly. ‘You—you mustn’t think my brother unfeeling. It was only that he thought—just for a moment—’

‘Yes, Miss Morley?’

‘Well, that she might have played truant on purpose. Oh! Please don’t misunderstand me—I’m quite certain that Gladys would never do such a thing. I told Henry so. But the fact of the matter is, that she has got herself engaged to rather an unsuitable young man—Henry was very vexed about it—and it occurred to him that this young man might have persuaded her to take a day off.’

‘Was that likely?’

‘No, I’m sure it wasn’t. Gladys is a very conscientious girl.’

‘But it is the sort of thing the young man might have suggested?’

Miss Morley sniffed.

‘Quite likely, I should say.’

‘What does he do, this young fellow—what is his name, by the way?’

‘Carter, Frank Carter. He is—or was—an insurance clerk, I believe. He lost his job some weeks ago and doesn’t seem able to get another. Henry said—and I dare say he was right—that he is a complete rotter. Gladys had actually lent him some of her savings and Henry was very annoyed about it.’

Japp said sharply:

‘Did your brother try to persuade her to break her engagement?’

‘Yes, he did, I know.’

‘Then this Frank Carter would, quite possibly, have a grudge against your brother.’

The Grenadier said robustly:

‘Nonsense—that is if you are suggesting that Frank Carter shot Henry. Henry advised the girl against young Carter, certainly; but she didn’t take his advice—she is foolishly devoted to Frank.’

‘Is there anyone else you can think of who had a grudge against your brother?’

Miss Morley shook her head.

‘Did he get on well with his partner, Mr Reilly?’

Miss Morley replied acidly:

‘As well as you can ever hope to get on with an Irishman!’

‘What do you mean by that, Miss Morley?’

‘Well, Irishmen have hot tempers and they thoroughly enjoy a row of any kind. Mr Reilly liked arguing about politics.’

‘That was all?’

‘That was all. Mr Reilly is unsatisfactory in many ways, but he was very skilled in his profession—or so my brother said.’

Japp persisted:

‘How is he unsatisfactory?’

Miss Morley hesitated, then said acidly:

‘He drinks too much—but please don’t let that go any further.’

‘Was there any trouble between him and your brother on that subject?’

‘Henry gave him one or two hints. In dentistry,’ continued Miss Morley didactically, ‘a steady hand is needed, and an alcoholic breath does not inspire confidence.’

Japp bowed his head in agreement. Then he said:

‘Can you tell us anything of your brother’s financial position?’

‘Henry was making a good income and he had a certain amount put by. We each had a small private income of our own left to us by our father.’

Japp murmured with a slight cough:

‘You don’t know, I suppose, if your brother left a will?’

‘He did—and I can tell you its contents. He left a hundred pounds to Gladys Nevill, otherwise everything comes to me.’

‘I see. Now—’

There was a fierce thump on the door. Alfred’s face then appeared round it. His goggling eyes took in each detail of the two visitors as he ejaculated:

‘It’s Miss Nevill. She’s back—and in a rare taking. Shall she come in, she wants to know?’

Japp nodded and Miss Morley said:

‘Tell her to come here, Alfred.’

‘O.K.,’ said Alfred, and disappeared. Miss Morley said with a sigh and in obvious capital letters:

‘That Boy is a Sad Trial.’

Gladys Nevill was a tall, fair, somewhat anaemic girl of about twenty-eight. Though obviously very upset, she at once showed that she was capable and intelligent.

Under the pretext of looking through Mr Morley’s papers, Japp got her away from Miss Morley down to the little office next door to the surgery.

She repeated more than once:

‘I simply cannot believe it! It seems quite incredible that Mr Morley should do such a thing!’

She was emphatic that he had not seemed troubled or worried in any way.

Then Japp began:

‘You were called away today, Miss Nevill—’

She interrupted him.

‘Yes, and the whole thing was a wicked practical joke! I do think it’s awful of people to do things like that. I really do.’

‘What do you mean, Miss Nevill?’

‘Why, there wasn’t anything the matter with Aunt at all. She’d never been better. She couldn’t understand it when I suddenly turned up. Of course I was ever so glad—but it did make me mad. Sending a telegram like that and upsetting me and everything.’

‘Have you got that telegram, Miss Nevill?’

‘I threw it away, I think, at the station. It just said, Your aunt had a stroke last night. Please come at once.’

‘You are quite sure—well—’ Japp coughed delicately—‘that it wasn’t your friend, Mr Carter, who sent that telegram?’

‘Frank? Whatever for? Oh! I see, you mean—a put-up job between us? No, indeed, Inspector—neither of us would do such a thing.’

Her indignation seemed genuine enough and Japp had a little trouble in soothing her down. But a question as to the patients on this particular morning restored her to her competent self.

‘They are all here in the book. I dare say you have seen it already. I know about most of them. Ten o’clock, Mrs Soames—that was about her new plate. Ten-thirty, Lady Grant—she’s an elderly lady—lives in Lowndes Square. Eleven o’clock, M. Hercule Poirot, he comes regularly—oh, of course this is him—sorry, M. Poirot, but I really am so upset! Eleven-thirty, Mr Alistair Blunt—that’s the banker, you know—a short appointment, because Mr Morley had prepared the filling last time. Then Miss Sainsbury Seale—she rang up specially—had toothache and so Mr Morley fitted her in. A terrible talker, she is, never stops—the fussy kind, too. Then twelve o’clock, Mr Amberiotis—he was a new patient—made an appointment from the Savoy Hotel. Mr Morley gets quite a lot of foreigners and Americans. Then twelve-thirty, Miss Kirby. She comes up from Worthing.’

Poirot asked:

‘There was here when I arrived a tall military gentleman. Who would he be?’

‘One of Mr Reilly’s patients, I expect. I’ll just get his list for you, shall I?’

‘Thank you, Miss Nevill.’

She was absent only a few minutes. She returned with a similar book to that of Mr Morley.

She read out:

‘Ten o’clock, Betty Heath (that’s a little girl of nine). Eleven o’clock, Colonel Abercrombie.’

‘Abercrombie!’ murmured Poirot. ‘C’etait ça!’

‘Eleven-thirty, Mr Howard Raikes. Twelve o’clock, Mr Barnes. That was all the patients this morning. Mr Reilly isn’t so booked up as Mr Morley, of course.’

‘Can you tell us anything about any of these patients of Mr Reilly’s?’

‘Colonel Abercrombie has been a patient for a long time, and all Mrs Heath’s children come to Mr Reilly. I can’t tell you anything about Mr Raikes or Mr Barnes, though I fancy I have heard their names. I take all the telephone calls, you see—’

Japp said:

‘We can ask Mr Reilly ourselves. I should like to see him as soon as possible.’

Miss Nevill went out. Japp said to Poirot:

‘All old patients of Mr Morley’s except Amberiotis. I’m going to have an interesting talk with Mr Amberiotis presently. He’s the last person, as it stands, to see Morley alive, and we’ve got to make quite sure that when he last saw him, Morley was alive.’

Poirot said slowly, shaking his head:

‘You have still to prove motive.’

‘I know. That’s what is going to be the teaser. But we may have something about Amberiotis at the Yard.’ He added sharply: ‘You’re very thoughtful, Poirot!’

‘I was wondering about something.’

‘What was it?’

Poirot said with a faint smile:

‘Why Chief Inspector Japp?’

‘Eh?’

‘I said, “Why Chief Inspector Japp?” An officer of your eminence—is he usually called in to a case of suicide?’

‘As a matter of fact, I happened to be nearby at the time. At Lavenham’s—in Wigmore Street. Rather an ingenious system of frauds they’ve had there. They telephoned me there to come on here.’

‘But why did they telephone you?’

‘Oh, that—that’s simple enough. Alistair Blunt. As soon as the Divisional Inspector heard he’d been here this morning, he got on to the Yard. Mr Blunt is the kind of person we take care of in this country.’