"Something of that kind," I agreed. "But it must be quite dangerous. I mean, for Ginger to get ill like this." I mean, for Ginger to get ill like this."

"But it was your wife who was to be ill and die, wasn't it?"

"Yes," I said, accepting the role Ginger and Poppy had planted on me. "But it seems to have gone wrong - backfired." me. "But it seems to have gone wrong - backfired."

"You mean -" Poppy made a terrific mental effort. "Like when you plug an electric iron in wrong and you get a shock?" plug an electric iron in wrong and you get a shock?"

"Exactly," I said. "Just like that. Did you ever know that sort of thing happen before?" happen before?"

"Well, not that way -"

"What way, then?"

"Well, I mean if one didn't pay up - afterwards. A man I knew wouldn't." Her voice dropped in an awe-stricken fashion. "He was wouldn't." Her voice dropped in an awe-stricken fashion. "He was killed in the tube - fell off the platform in front of a train." killed in the tube - fell off the platform in front of a train."

"It might have been an accident."

"Oh, no," said Poppy, shocked at the thought. "It was THEM."

I poured some more champagne into Poppy's glass. Here, I felt, in front of me was someone who might be helpful if only you could tear front of me was someone who might be helpful if only you could tear out of her the disassociated facts that were flitting about in what out of her the disassociated facts that were flitting about in what she called her brain. She had heard things said, and assimilated she called her brain. She had heard things said, and assimilated about half of them, and got them jumbled up and nobody had been about half of them, and got them jumbled up and nobody had been very careful what they said because it was "only Poppy." very careful what they said because it was "only Poppy."

The maddening thing was that I didn't know what to ask her. If I said the wrong thing she would shut up in alarm like a clam and go dumb the wrong thing she would shut up in alarm like a clam and go dumb on me. on me.

"My wife," I said, "is still an invalid, but she doesn't seem any worse." worse."

"That's too bad," said Poppy sympathetically, sipping champagne.

"So what do I do next?"

Poppy didn't seem to know.

"You see it was Ginger who - I didn't make any of the arrangements. Is there anyone I could get at?" Is there anyone I could get at?"

"There's a place in Birmingham," said Poppy doubtfully.

"That's closed down," I said. "Don't you know anyone else who'd know anything about it?" know anything about it?"

"Eileen Brandon might know something - but I don't think so."

The introduction of a totally unexpected Eileen Brandon startled me. I asked who Eileen Brandon was. me. I asked who Eileen Brandon was.

"She's terrible really," said Poppy. "Very dim. Has her hair very tightly permed, and never wears stiletto heels. She's the end." She tightly permed, and never wears stiletto heels. She's the end." She added by way of explanation, "I was at school with her - but she was added by way of explanation, "I was at school with her - but she was pretty dim then. She was frightfully good at geography." pretty dim then. She was frightfully good at geography."

"What's she got to do with the Pale Horse?"

"Nothing really. It was only an idea she got. And so she chucked it up." up."

"Chucked what up?" I asked, bewildered.

"Her job with C.R.C."

"What's C.R.C.?"

"Well, I don't really know exactly. They just say C.R.C. Something about Customers' Reactions or Research. It's quite a small show." about Customers' Reactions or Research. It's quite a small show."

"And Eileen Brandon worked for them? What did she have to do?"

"Just go round and ask questions - about toothpaste or gas stoves, and what kind of sponges you used. Too too depressing and dull. I and what kind of sponges you used. Too too depressing and dull. I mean, who cares?" mean, who cares?"

"Presumably C.R.C." I felt a slight pricking of excitement.

It was a woman employed by an association of this kind who had been visited by Father Gorman on the fatal night. And - yes - of been visited by Father Gorman on the fatal night. And - yes - of course, someone of that kind had called on Ginger at the flat. course, someone of that kind had called on Ginger at the flat.

Here was a link of some kind.

"Why did she chuck up her job? Because she got bored?"

"I don't think so. They paid quite well. But she got a sort of idea about it - that it wasn't what it seemed." about it - that it wasn't what it seemed."

"She thought that it might be connected, in some way, with the Pale Horse? Is that it?" Horse? Is that it?"

"Well, I don't know. Something of that kind. Anyway, she's working in an Espresso coffee bar off Tottenham Court Road now." in an Espresso coffee bar off Tottenham Court Road now."

"Give me her address."

"She's not a bit your type."

"I don't want to make sexual advances to her," I said brutally. "I want some hints on Customers Research. I'm thinking of buying want some hints on Customers Research. I'm thinking of buying some shares in one of those things." some shares in one of those things."

"Oh, I see," said Poppy, quite satisfied with this explanation.

There was nothing more to be got out of her, so we finished up the champagne, and I took her home and thanked her for a lovely champagne, and I took her home and thanked her for a lovely evening. evening.

II.

I tried to ring Lejeune next morning but failed. However, after some difficulty I managed to get through to Jim Corrigan. difficulty I managed to get through to Jim Corrigan.

"What about that psychological pipsqueak you brought along to see me, Corrigan. What does he say about Ginger?" me, Corrigan. What does he say about Ginger?"

"A lot of long words. But I rather think, Mark, that he's truly baffled. And you know, people do get pneumonia. There's nothing And you know, people do get pneumonia. There's nothing mysterious or out of the way about that."

"Yes," I said. "And several people we know of, whose names were on a certain list, have died of bronchopneumonia, gastro-enteritis, on a certain list, have died of bronchopneumonia, gastro-enteritis, bulbar paralysis, tumour on the brain, epilepsy, paratyphoid and bulbar paralysis, tumour on the brain, epilepsy, paratyphoid and other well-authenticated diseases." other well-authenticated diseases."

"I know how you feel. But what can we do?"

"She's worse, isn't she?" I asked.

"Well - yes..."

"Then something's got to be done."

"Such as?"

"I've got one or two ideas. Going down to Much Deeping, getting hold of Thyrza Grey and forcing her, by scaring the living daylights hold of Thyrza Grey and forcing her, by scaring the living daylights out of her, to reverse the spell or whatever it is." out of her, to reverse the spell or whatever it is."

"Well - that might work."

"Or - I might go to Venables -"

Corrigan said sharply: "Venables? But he's out. How can he possibly have any connection with it? He's a cripple." with it? He's a cripple."

"I wonder. I might go there and snatch off that rug affair and see if this atrophied limbs business is true or false!" this atrophied limbs business is true or false!"

"We've looked into all that -"

"Wait. I ran into that little chemist chap, Osborne, down in Much Deeping. I want to repeat to you what he suggested to me." Deeping. I want to repeat to you what he suggested to me."

I outlined to him Osborne's theory of impersonation.

"That man's got a bee in his bonnet," said Corrigan. "He's the kind of man who has always got to be right." of man who has always got to be right."

"But, Corrigan, tell me, couldn't it be as he said? It's possible, isn't it?" it?"

After a moment or two Corrigan said slowly: "Yes. I have to admit it's possible... but several people would have to be in the know - and would have to be paid very heavily for to be in the know - and would have to be paid very heavily for holding their tongues." holding their tongues."

"What of that? He's rolling in money, isn't he? Has Lejeune found out yet how he's made all that money?" out yet how he's made all that money?"

"No. Not exactly... I'll admit this to you. There's something wrong about the fellow. He's got a past of some kind. The money's all very about the fellow. He's got a past of some kind. The money's all very cleverly accounted for, in a lot of ways. It isn't possible to check up cleverly accounted for, in a lot of ways. It isn't possible to check up on it all without an investigation which might take years. The police on it all without an investigation which might take years. The police have had to do that before - when they've been up against a have had to do that before - when they've been up against a financial crook who has covered his traces by a web of infinite financial crook who has covered his traces by a web of infinite complexity. I believe the Inland Revenue has been smelling around complexity. I believe the Inland Revenue has been smelling around Venables for some time. But he's clever. What do you see him as - Venables for some time. But he's clever. What do you see him as - the head of the show?" the head of the show?"

"Yes, I do. I think he's the man who plans it all."

"Perhaps. He sounds as though he'd have the kind of brains for that, I agree. But surely he wouldn't have done anything so crude as that, I agree. But surely he wouldn't have done anything so crude as killing Father Gorman himself!" killing Father Gorman himself!"

"He might have if there was sufficient urgency. Father Gorman might have had to be silenced before he could pass on what he had might have had to be silenced before he could pass on what he had learned from that woman about the activities of the Pale Horse. learned from that woman about the activities of the Pale Horse. Besides -" Besides -"

I stopped short.

"Hallo - you still there?"

"Yes, I was thinking... just an idea that occurred to me..."

"What was it?"

"I've not got it clear yet... just that real safety could only be achieved one way. I haven't worked it out yet. Anyway, I must go achieved one way. I haven't worked it out yet. Anyway, I must go now. I've got a rendez-vous at a coffee bar." now. I've got a rendez-vous at a coffee bar."

"Didn't know you were in the Chelsea coffee bar set!"

"I'm not. My coffee bar is in Tottenham Court Road, as a matter of fact." fact."

I rang off and glanced at the clock.

I started for the door when the telephone rang.

I hesitated. Ten to one, it was Jim Corrigan again, ringing back to know more about my idea. know more about my idea.

I didn't want to talk to Jim Corrigan just now.

I moved towards the door while the telephone rang on persistently, naggingly. naggingly.

Of course, it might be the hospital - Ginger - I couldn't risk that. I strode across impatiently and jerked the receiver off its hook. receiver off its hook.

"Hallo?"

"Is that you, Mark?"

"Yes, who is it?"

"It's me, of course," said the voice reproachfully. "Listen, I want to tell you something." tell you something."

"Oh, it's you." I recognized the voice of Mrs Oliver. "Look here, I'm in a great hurry, got to go out. I'll ring you back later." in a great hurry, got to go out. I'll ring you back later."

"That won't do at all," said Mrs Oliver, firmly. "You've got to listen to me now. It's important." me now. It's important."

"Well, you'll have to be quick. I've got an appointment. "

"Pooh," said Mrs Oliver. "You can always be late for an appointment. Everybody is. They'll think all the more of you." appointment. Everybody is. They'll think all the more of you."

"No, really, I've got to-"

"Listen, Mark. This is important. I'm sure it is. It must be!"

I curbed my impatience as best I could, glancing at the clock.

"Well?"

"My Milly had tonsillitis. She was quite bad and she's gone to the country - to her sister -" country - to her sister -"

I gritted my teeth.

"I'm frightfully sorry about that, but really -"

"Listen. I've not begun yet. Where was I? Oh yes. Milly had to go to the country and so I rang up the agency I always go to - the the country and so I rang up the agency I always go to - the Regency - such a silly name I always think - like a cinema -" Regency - such a silly name I always think - like a cinema -"

"I really must -"

"And said what could they send? And they said it was very difficult just now - which they always say as a matter of fact - but they'd do just now - which they always say as a matter of fact - but they'd do what they could -" what they could -"

Never had I found my friend Ariadne Oliver so maddening.