vii

japp came into poirot’s sitting room and slammed down his bowler hat with such force that the

table rocked.

he said:

“what the devil made you think of it?”

“my good japp, i do not know what you are talking about.”

japp said slowly and forcefully:

“what gave you the idea that the body wasn’t miss sainsbury seale’s body?”

poirot looked worried. he said:

“it was the face that worried me. why smash up a dead woman’s face?”

japp said:

“my word, i hope old morley’s somewhere where he can know about it. it’s just possible, you

know, that he was put out of the way on purpose—so that he couldn’t give evidence.”

“it would certainly be better if he could have given evidence himself.”

“leatheran will be all right. morley’s successor. he’s a thoroughly capable man with a good

manner and the evidence is unmistakable.”

the evening papers came out with a sensation the next day. the dead body found in the

battersea flat, believed to be that of miss sainsbury seale, was positively identified as that of mrs.

albert chapman.

mr. leatheran, of 58, queen charlotte street, unhesitatingly pronounced it to be mrs. chapman

on the evidence of the teeth and jaw, full particulars of which were recorded in the late mr.

morley’s professional chart.

miss sainsbury seale’s clothes had been found on the body and miss sainsbury seale’s

handbag with the body—but where was miss sainsbury seale herself?