Inspector Raglan is Confident

           Welookedateachother.

           "You’llhaveinquiriesmadeatthestation,ofcourse?"Isaid.

           "Naturally,butI’mnotoversanguineastotheresult.

           Youknowwhatthatstationislike."Idid.King’sAbbotisamerevillage,butitsstationhappenstobeanimportantjunction.Mostofthebigexpressesstopthere,andtrainsareshunted,re-sorted,andmadeup.Ithastwoorthreepublictelephoneboxes.Atthattimeofnight,threelocaltrainscomeincloseuponeachother,tocatchtheconnectionwiththeexpressforthenorthwhichcomesinat10.19andleavesat10.23.Thewholeplaceisinabustle,andthechancesofoneparticularpersonbeingnoticedtelephoningorgettingintotheexpressareverysmallindeed.

           "Butwhytelephoneatall?"demandedMelrose."ThatiswhatIfindsoextraordinary.Thereseemsnorhymeorreasoninthething."Poirotcarefullystraightenedachinaornamentononeofthebookcases.

           "Besuretherewasareason,"hesaidoverhisshoulder.

           "Butwhatreasoncoulditbe?""Whenweknowthat,weshallknoweverything.Thiscaseisverycuriousandveryinteresting."Therewassomethingalmostindescribableinthewayhesaidthoselastwords.Ifeltthathewaslookingatthecasefromsomepeculiarangleofhisown,andwhathesawIcouldnottell.

           Hewenttothewindowandstoodtherelookingout.