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‘Going to clear out, so she says. Apparently she has had enough of her English relations.’

Poirot wheeled round.

He said to Sugden:

‘Come!’

As the two men emerged into the hall, there was the sound of a heavy crash and a far-away shriek.

Poirot cried:

‘Quick…Come…’

They raced along the hall and up the far staircase. The door of Pilar’s room was open and a man stood in the doorway. He turned his head as they ran up. It was Stephen Farr.

He said:

‘She’s alive…’

Pilar stood crouched against the wall of her room. She was staring at the floor where a big stone cannon ball was lying.

She said breathlessly:

‘It was on top of my door, balanced there. It would have crashed down on my head when I came in, but my skirt caught on a nail and jerked me back just as I was coming in.’

Poirot knelt down and examined the nail. On it was a thread of purple tweed. He looked up and nodded gravely.

‘That nail, mademoiselle,’ he said, ‘saved your life.’

The superintendent said, bewildered:

‘Look here, what’s the meaning of all this?’

Pilar said:

‘Someone tried to kill me!’

She nodded her head several times.

Superintendent Sugden glanced up at the door.

‘Booby trap,’ he said. ‘An old-fashioned booby trap—and its purpose was murder! That’s the second murder planned in this house. But this time it didn’t come off!’

Stephen Farr said huskily:

‘Thank God you’re safe.’

Pilar flung out her hands in a wide, appealing gesture.

‘Madre de Dios,’ she cried. ‘Why should anyone wish to kill me? What have I done?’

Hercule Poirot said slowly:

‘You should rather ask, mademoiselle, what do I know?’

She stared.

‘Know? I do not know anything.’

Hercule Poirot said:

‘That is where you are wrong. Tell me, Mademoiselle Pilar, where were you at the time of the murder? You were not in this room.’

‘I was. I have told you so!’

Superintendent Sugden said with deceptive mildness:

‘Yes, but you weren’t speaking the truth when you said that, you know. You told us you heard your grandfather scream—you couldn’t have heard that if you were in here—Mr Poirot and I tested that yesterday.’

‘Oh!’ Pilar caught her breath.

Poirot said:

‘You were somewhere very much nearer his room. I will tell you where I think you were, mademoiselle. You were in the recess with the statues quite close to your grandfather’s door.’

Pilar said, startled:

‘Oh…How did you know?’

Poirot said with a faint smile:

‘Mr Farr saw you there.’

Stephen said sharply:

‘I did not. That’s an absolute lie!’

Poirot said:

‘I ask your pardon, Mr Farr, but you did see her. Remember your impression that there were three statues in that recess, not two. Only one person wore a white dress that night, Mademoiselle Estravados. She was the third white figure you saw. That is so, is it not, mademoiselle?’

Pilar said, after a moment’s hesitation: ‘Yes, it is true.’

Poirot said gently: ‘Now tell us, mademoiselle, the whole truth. Why were you there?’

Pilar said:

‘I left the drawing-room after dinner and I thought I would go and see my grandfather. I thought he would be pleased. But when I turned into the passage I saw someone else was there at his door. I did not want to be seen because I knew my grandfather had said he did not want to see anyone that night. I slipped into the recess in case the person at the door turned round.’

‘Then, all at once, I heard the most horrible sounds, tables—chairs’—she waved her hands—‘everything falling and crashing. I did not move. I do not know why. I was frightened. And then there was a terrible scream’—she crossed herself—‘and my heart it stopped beating, and I said, “Someone is dead…” ’

‘And then?’

‘And then people began coming running along the passage and I came out at the end and joined them.’

Superintendent Sugden said sharply:

‘You said nothing of all this when we first questioned you. Why not?’

Pilar shook her head. She said, with an air of wisdom:

‘It is not good to tell too much to the police. I thought,