Epilepto

epilepto

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The relation of love to pain is one of the most difficult problems

Epilepsy, a noncommunicable chronic disorder has affected the lives of millions across the world. According to , it is the world’s common neurological disorder with about 50 million people affected by the same. It is highly prevalent in young children aged less than 5. Moreover, it is commonly found in low and middle income countries where there is stigma attached to its occurrence. Nevertheless, thanks to the medical breakthroughs that have helped control the illness. World Health Organisation’s (WHOs) study on epilepsy Apart from medications and therapy, technology innovations have also enabled the detection of seizures and to take timely preventive measures. Below are some of the most recent innovations in . medical equipments to track epilepsy seizures Medical devices for Seizure Alert As epilepsy is highly prevalent in adolescents and young children aged 5 or less, it becomes difficult for parents and families to monitor their health and to quickly respond. Moreover, seizures or involuntary movement of parts of body or the entire body vary from person to person. While some have temporary lapses that last only for a few seconds also called absence seizures other have convulsions and prolonged seizures. Though one cannot stop seizures from happening but knowing well in advance about its occurence can help protect against serious side effects. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared two medical devices that are breakthroughs in Epilepsy preventive care. SmartWatches For Alerts SmartWatches have been developed to detect the incidence of seizure in a person. These watches offer a number of features that have helped save lives of many. While some watches have the feature of alarm during seizures, the other can send messages using GPS to alert the caretaker. One such device has been developed by Inc.. The same got approved by the FDA after successfully testing its features. The watch has been developed using artificial intelligence algorithms that records the electrodermal activity. Thus, it help improve the diagnostics and characterisation of seizures in Epileptic patients. The watch raises an alarm in case it detects involuntary movements in body. Empatica Another watch called the SmartMonitor has in-built GPS facility that can send message about the location to the caretaker incase a person is having seizure. Though these devices cannot control seizures but can alert the onset of convulsions and gives adequate response time. Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy Also referred to as pacemaker of the brain, has been developed to treat focal or partial seizures in case the person do not respond to medications. This stimulation therapy device is placed below the skin near the check and a wire is attached to the vagus nerve in the neck. The device works as a neuromodulator that changes the way how brain cells work. The changes are caused by electrical stimulations of the part of the brain that causes seizures. Research has shown that VNS therapy increase the blood flow in the part of the brain as well as raise levels of neurotransmitters that are related to controlling seizures. Besides, the therapy is particularly useful in controlling electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns of the brain. vagus nerve Monitoring Cameras Apart from smartwatches and VNS therapy device, cameras are another technological breakthrough that helps monitor involuntary activity of the brain. The camera with infrared eye detects the movements such as shaking movements while sleeping and raises an alarm. SAMi is one such device that send signals t o phone and records videos of the person. Thus, the devices enables the doctors to look at the seizures and accurately gauge the situation of the person to determine the next course of action. Devices for Mattresses Sensory devices have been developed that can record vibrations occurs on bed if a person has seizures. These vibrations are recorded and an alarm is raised. For instance, Medpage Movement alarm is one such mattress device that is place right under the mattress of the epileptic patient to monitor movement and sent out signals. How AI helps in Detecting Seizures Most of the medical devices that have come to the fore such as smartwatches, bracelets use AI or machine learning technology for early detection of seizures. The technology has been developed by using comprehensive EEG dataset of number of patients that reveal the pattern of functioning of electrodes and are used to form AI Algorithms. These algorithms are used to self train the stages of brain functioning thus easily detecting the seizures that are unique to a person. These algorithms can also be updated or upgraded so as to provide patients the flexibility to control how advanced the warning of seizure is. Besides, a lot of research is being done to understand the individual manifestations of seizures and how imminent it can be. Outlook The many technology innovations and the way AI has changed our lives is laudable. But still there is need to research and develop devices that can help control the seizures as these might lead to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. To save lives, more innovations are the need of the hour.

Technological Breakthroughs to Track Epileptic Seizures

THE CONTENT OF THE PSYCHOSES

There's been a lot of fuss about the dangers lurking within the advancement in tech, and the impact it can have in various fields across the human-job-sphere. Well, evidently so due to the recent loss of jobs for 'manual workers' or carefully put, displacement of most manual workers with machines. However, we can not ignore the formidable synergy from the man/machine merger that has pierced into uncharted historical territories, pushing the frontier of innovation, imagination, and human possibilities. This synergy is the birthplace of almost every breathtaking innovation. Among several realms of scientific innovations being birthed, only a few fields hold as much intrigue and promise as neuroprosthetics. Neuroprosthetics can be seen as one of the perfect scenarios where technology heavily overlaps medicine as it pushes the bandwidth of possibilities even further. Stephen Hawking once opined, We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain But with the advent and advancement of neuroprosthetics, it is evident that this connection is becoming more literal than metaphorical. What is Neuroprosthetics? Neuroprosthetics is an intersectoral field of neuroscience and engineering that employs technological innovation with scientific baselines to develop devices that can restore the lost function of the nervous system. These devices called Neuroprostheses can restore or modulate varieties of neurally-mediated functions for the treatment of a range of conditions caused by neurodegenerative diseases, congenital anomalies, infections, and accidents. These conditions include spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease, stroke, blindness, deafness, and others caused by accidents and attacks on the battlefield. History of Neuroprosthetics We can not categorically pinpoint the genesis of neuroprosthetics but history has a record of ancient Egyptians using leather and wood to construct artificial limbs as far back as 950 B.C. Several other prostheses like the Cairo Toe (700-950 B.C.), the Cartonnage Toe ( 600 B.C. ), and the Roman artificial leg (300 B.C. ) were discovered in ancient tombs and graveyards. In retrospect, it can be observed that ancient scientific knowledge was limited to artificial limb construction. However, this was a building block for a more sophisticated system as presented today. To understand how we got to this level of sophistication, it is pertinent to lean back to memory lane and understand the chronological progression of neuroprosthetics. The following are some major historical strides in neuroprosthetics: 1579 - Ambroise Paré designed prosthetic limbs with mechanical components 1791 - Lurgi Galvani discovered that electrical stimulation of the nerve can use muscle contraction. This discovery was a huge milestone in the study of the nervous system, laying the framework for the creation of neuroprosthetics. 1860s - Gustav Fritsch and Eduard Hitzig via an experiment discovered that electrical stimulation of a certain part of the cerebrum causes involuntary muscular contractions of specific parts of the body. This discovery paved the way for advancement in BCIs. 1950s - José Manuel Rodriguez Delgado orchestrated the brain electrode implantation that uses electricity to stimulate specific brain areas for the treatment of epilepsy and other types of mental conditions. 1957 - The creation of the first cochlear implant as a hearing aid. 1960 - Testing and subsequent commercialization of neuroprosthesis for the treatment of drop-foot. 1977 - The development of the first Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) for deaf patients who are not eligible for cochlear implants. 1981 - Implantation of a peripheral nerve bridge in the spinal cord of a rat as a conduit for regenerating nerve fibers. 1988 - Development of the lumbar anterior root implant and Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) for the treatment of paraplegia. 1990 - Approval of the first Cochlear implant in children by FDA. 1999 - John Chapin and his team experimented to demonstrate the feasibility of using brain activity for real-time control by simultaneous neuronal population recordings in experimental rats. 2010s - The development of close-looped neuroprosthetics that allowed for more effective and precise control of neuroprosthesis. The 21st century has undoubtedly witnessed astronomical-paced development in neuroprosthetics, as there have been several remarkable advancements and sophistication of BCIs and other neuroprosthetics. For instance; The development of Brain-controlled robotic limbs for individuals with limb amputations. The design of retinal implants and visual neuroprosthetics to restore vision. The ongoing development of neurotrophic factors which are proteins predicted to be a potent treatment of spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders by facilitating and enhancing the growth of neurons. The ongoing development of a novel type of BCI called Neural Dust anchored by Elon Musk’s Neuralink. Classes of Neuroprotheses Neuroprotheses are classified into two classes which include implantable and non-invasive neuroprotheses. These devices are surgically buried in the body for direct interaction with the spinal cord, brain, peripheral nerves, or at times the entire nervous system. The design of these devices enables them to either record neural activities in the nervous system, stimulate neurons, or foster communication between neural circuits and external devices. Examples include brain stimulators, cochlear implants, retinal prostheses, and others. Implantable Neuroprotheses: These are brain-computer interface and myoelectric prostheses which are worn on the body and as such do not have any direct interaction with the nervous system. Non-Invasive Neuroprotheses: Types of Neuroprostheses All types of neuroprostheses share a similar mode of operation irrespective of their type. They create a neural link between the brain and a computer, enabling a patient to use his/her nervous system to control sensory organs or limbs. The primary types of neuroprostheses include the sensory, motor, and neuromodulation neuroprostheses. Sensory Neuroprostheses These types of devices convert light, sound, and other physical stimuli to electrical signals that the brain can interpret to enhance lost sensory modalities. Examples of Sensory neuroprostheses include: These devices stimulate the photoreceptor cells in the degenerated retinal cells to send visual information to the brain. Example: the retinal implants. Visual Prostheses: These devices bypass the damaged cochlea and directly stimulate the auditory nerves to enable the patient to hear sounds. Example: Cochlear implants Auditory Prostheses: Motor Neuroprostheses These devices interpret the patient’s intended movements via signals from the muscle or brain to act. Examples of Motor prostheses include: Controlled by the myoelectric signals, prosthetic limbs are artificial limbs that replace missing or amputated body parts to provide mobility and support. They are mechanical devices that get electrical signals from the user’s muscles via the myoelectric signals to control movements. Prosthetic Limbs: These are electrodes that utilize electrical currents to stimulate muscles and nerves directly to enhance or restore the functions of the muscles and nerves marred by neurological conditions or perhaps paralysis. These electrodes are placed externally on the skin or implanted surgically into the skin. Paralytic patients on FES devices can move their limbs with ease. Functional Electrical Simulation (FES) Devices: These are implantable neuroprostheses that use brain signals to enable users to control external devices like wheelchairs or robotic arms. These devices work by capturing and analyzing the electrical activities of the brain’s neurons and utilizing this information to control external devices. can also be non-invasive like Electroencephalography (EEG) which is used to record signals from the scalp. Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs): BCI Neuromodulation Neuroprosthetics These devices use electrical signals to regulate and modulate the activities of the nervous system to treat a plethora of abnormalities like neurological diseases, movement disorders, and diseases. Examples of these devices include; These are brain implantable devices that deliver electrical stimulation to specific areas to modulate neural activities in these areas. They are used to treat a variety of conditions including dystonia, Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and Tourette syndrome. Deep Brain Stimulators ( ): DBS They are non-invasive neuromodulation devices that use strong magnetic fields to stimulate brain nerve cells. They treat medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and migraines. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulators (TMS): This device mimics the spinal cord by modulating the signal transmitted between the brain and the body and sending the same to the spinal cords to aid people with spinal injuries and to treat chronic pains like neuropathic pains and back pains. Spinal Cord Stimulator: These devices are implanted in the vagus nerve to stimulate this nerve to treat conditions such as epilepsy, depression, and migraine. The Vagus nerve connects the brain to the rest of the body and plays an active role in regulating various functions in the body. Vagus Nerve Stimulators (VNS): These devices are implanted next to one of the peripheral nerves. They function by using electric currents to alter the central processing of pain signals for the treatment of total knee arthroplasty, chronic knee pains, and back pain. Peripheral Nerve Stimulators (PMS): These devices establish bi-directional communication (that is: a real-time sensing and feedback mechanism) with the nervous system to enable a deeper level of interaction for a more precise neuromodulation. An example is a Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) Device used on epileptic patients to prevent seizures. Closed-loop neuroprosthetics: Ethical Consideration in Neuroprosthetics Neurodiversity is defined as the variation in neural and mental functions arising naturally from the interactions between genetic, neurobiological, and environmental factors. These functions are believed to exist on a spectrum that ranges from the normal to the abnormal. While some regard functions in the abnormal axis as disabilities, others choose to perceive them as identities that should be recognized, respected, and preserved. This viewpoint is premised on the fact that a person with abnormal (pathological, to be precise) neural sense has created a world around the abnormality. Besides, it is believed that the absence of a sensory capability triggers a supernatural functionality of one or more sensory capabilities to compensate for this loss. In an instance where the lost sensory capability is restored, it is difficult to adequately predict the effect this will have on the already enhanced capacities. Moreover, the radical psychological and lifestyle adjustment necessary for the integration into a new experiential world might be difficult as the patient has to reshape his perception of the world and other realities he was previously denied. This is why critics argue that to measure the entire worth of the prosthesis, psychological, social, and cultural elements related to a sensory capability must be examined alongside the neurophysiological ability to use that sense organ. Although neurodiversity is usually mentioned in the debate on the use of neuroprosthetics on patients with autism spectrum disorder to modulate neural circuits, its core values and concepts can be stretched to cover other neurological and psychiatric conditions. For conditions such as bipolar or unipolar, patients may choose to resist treatment and identify with the cognitive and affective states of the disorder. This identification is believed to have influenced legal reasons against forcibly using neuroprosthetics or psychotropic drugs to treat symptoms of these disorders. For neuromodulating prosthetics like DBS, BCI, and Hippocampal prosthetics, controlling symptoms is not the only assessment metric to quantify its effectiveness. Other factors such as the patient's overall experience after using the prosthetics are also considered. In using DBS to treat psychiatric disorders, there have been ethical concerns and questions such as; Did the person receiving the treatment give consent to undergo the procedure? During the modulation of an unconscious patient’s mental function, who is the supreme controller of the patient’s action? The patient or the machine? Is the patient still acting in his free will? How detrimental or beneficial are the neural changes induced by DBS? What is the net gain or net loss? In the case of using BCIs to treat a variety of neurological disorders, which is basically by predicting the intended action of the patients, several authors and researchers have expressed concerns about behavior control. The questions border on the free will of the patients and the algorithm’s functionality to follow the patient’s intentions to the latter. Another general concern stems from the fear that this level of development prevalent in the neuroprosthetic field catalyzed by the advancement in AI, will birth ultra-sophisticated neuroprosthetics that will replace the neural circuit in the brain, making the brain a completely artificial organ. The implication of this can not be overestimated as humans can easily be turned into cyborgs, a stage no one wants to get to. Therefore while neuroprosthetics is gradually advancing its capabilities to completely eradicate neural disorders, there is a need to develop and implement stringent measures of laid-down principles and ethical guidelines to streamline and curb its possibilities of impending doom. End Notes For the past 5 centuries, neuroprosthetics has experienced tremendous evolution from being a practice revolving around a set of crude and rudimentary mechanical devices to highly advanced technologies and innovations that directly interfere with the nervous system. These advancements have improved the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and continue to hold promise for the future, as interdisciplinary research, deep work, and technological innovations propel the field forward. Though not without challenges, this field of science and technology has shown intriguing possibilities for a new reality.

Neuroprosthetics: The Journey So Far

THE DEATH OF JEAN

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . Hercule Poirot on the Case! XXI. Hercule Poirot on the Case! In a measured voice, Poirot began his exposition. “It seems strange to you, mon ami, that a man should plan his own death? So strange, that you prefer to reject the truth as fantastic, and to revert to a story that is in reality ten times more impossible. Yes, M. Renauld planned his own death, but there is one detail that perhaps escapes you—he did not intend to die.” I shook my head, bewildered. “But no, it is all most simple really,” said Poirot kindly. “For the crime that M. Renauld proposed a murderer was not necessary, as I told you, but a body was. Let us reconstruct, seeing events this time from a different angle. “Georges Conneau flies from justice—to Canada. There, under an assumed name he marries, and finally acquires a vast fortune in South America. But there is a nostalgia upon him for his own country. Twenty years have elapsed, he is considerably changed in appearance, besides being a man of such eminence that no one is likely to connect him with a fugitive from justice many years ago. He deems it quite safe to return. He takes up his headquarters in England, but intends to spend the summers in France. And ill fortune, that obscure justice which shapes men’s ends, and will not allow them to evade the consequences of their acts, takes him to Merlinville. There, in the whole of France, is the one person who is capable of recognizing him. It is, of course, a gold mine to Madame Daubreuil, and a gold mine of which she is not slow to take advantage. He is helpless, absolutely in her power. And she bleeds him heavily. “And then the inevitable happens. Jack Renauld falls in love with the beautiful girl he sees almost daily, and wishes to marry her. That rouses his father. At all costs, he will prevent his son marrying the daughter of this evil woman. Jack Renauld knows nothing of his father’s past, but Madame Renauld knows everything. She is a woman of great force of character, and passionately devoted to her husband. They take counsel together. Renauld sees only one way of escape—death. He must appear to die, in reality escaping to another country where he will start again under an assumed name, and where Madame Renauld, having played the widow’s part for a while, can join him. It is essential that she should have control of the money, so he alters his will. How they meant to manage the body business originally, I do not know—possibly an art student’s skeleton—and a fire or something of the kind, but long before their plans have matured an event occurs which plays into their hands. A rough tramp, violent and abusive, finds his way into the garden. There is a struggle, M. Renauld seeks to eject him, and suddenly the tramp, an epileptic, falls down in a fit. He is dead. M. Renauld calls his wife. Together they drag him into the shed—as we know, the event had occurred just outside—and they realize the marvellous opportunity that has been vouchsafed them. The man bears no resemblance to M. Renauld, but he is middle-aged, of a usual French type. That is sufficient. “I rather fancy that they sat on the bench up there, out of earshot from the house, discussing matters. Their plan was quickly made. The identification must rest solely on Madame Renauld’s evidence. Jack Renauld and the chauffeur (who had been with his master two years) must be got out of the way. It was unlikely that the French women servants would go near the body, and in any case Renauld intended to take measures to deceive any one not likely to appreciate details. Masters was sent off, a telegram despatched to Jack, Buenos Ayres being selected to give credence to the story that Renauld had decided upon. Having heard of me, as a rather obscure elderly detective, he wrote his appeal for help knowing that, when I arrived, the production of the letter would have a profound effect upon the examining magistrate—which, of course, it did. “They dressed the body of the tramp in a suit of M. Renauld’s and left his ragged coat and trousers by the door of the shed, not daring to take them into the house. And then, to give credence to the tale Madame Renauld was to tell, they drove the aeroplane dagger through his heart. That night, M. Renauld will first bind and gag his wife, and then, taking a spade, will dig a grave in that particular spot of ground where he knows a—how do you call it? bunkair?—is to be made. It is essential that the body should be found—Madame Daubreuil must have no suspicions. On the other hand, if a little time elapses, any dangers as to identity will be greatly lessened. Then, M. Renauld will don the tramp’s rags, and shuffle off to the station, where he will leave, unnoticed, by the 12:10 train. Since the crime will be supposed to have taken place two hours later, no suspicion can possibly attach to him. “You see now his annoyance at the inopportune visit of the girl Bella. Every moment of delay is fatal to his plans. He gets rid of her as soon as he can, however. Then, to work! He leaves the front door slightly ajar to create the impression that the assassins left that way. He binds and gags Madame Renauld, correcting his mistake of twenty-two years ago, when the looseness of the bonds caused suspicion to fall upon his accomplice, but leaving her primed with essentially the same story as he had invented before, proving the unconscious recoil of the mind against originality. The night is chilly, and he slips on an overcoat over his underclothing, intending to cast it into the grave with the dead man. He goes out by the window, smoothing over the flower bed carefully, and thereby furnishing the most positive evidence against himself. He goes out on to the lonely golf links, and he digs—and then—” “Yes?” “And then,” said Poirot gravely, “the justice that he has so long eluded overtakes him. An unknown hand stabs him in the back. … Now, Hastings, you understand what I mean when I talk of two crimes. The first crime, the crime that M. Renauld, in his arrogance, asked us to investigate (ah, but he made a famous mistake there! He misjudged Hercule Poirot!) is solved. But behind it lies a deeper riddle. And to solve that will be difficult—since the criminal in his wisdom, has been content to avail himself of the devices prepared by M. Renauld. It has been a particularly perplexing and baffling mystery to solve. A young hand, like Giraud, who does not place any reliance on the psychology, is almost certain to fail.” “You’re marvellous, Poirot,” I said, with admiration. “Absolutely marvellous. No one on earth but you could have done it!” I think my praise pleased him. For once in his life, he looked almost embarrassed. “Ah, then you no longer despise poor old Papa Poirot? You shift your allegiance back from the human foxhound?” His term for Giraud never failed to make me smile. “Rather. You’ve scored over him handsomely.” “That poor Giraud,” said Poirot, trying unsuccessfully to look modest. “Without doubt it is not all stupidity. He has had la mauvaise chance once or twice. That dark hair coiled round the dagger, for instance. To say the least, it was misleading.” “To tell you the truth, Poirot,” I said slowly, “even now I don’t quite see—whose hair was it?” “Madame Renauld’s of course. That is where la mauvaise chance came in. Her hair, dark originally, is almost completely silvered. It might just as easily have been a grey hair—and then, by no conceivable effort could Giraud have persuaded himself it came from the head of Jack Renauld! But it is all of a piece. Always the facts must be twisted to fit the theory! Did not Giraud find the traces of two persons, a man and a woman, in the shed? And how does that fit in with his reconstruction of the case? I will tell you—it does not fit in, and so we shall hear no more of them! I ask you, is that a methodical way of working? The great Giraud! The great Giraud is nothing but a toy balloon—swollen with its own importance. But I, Hercule Poirot, whom he despises, will be the little pin that pricks the big balloon—comme ça!” And he made an expressive gesture. Then, calming down, he resumed: “Without doubt, when Madame Renauld recovers, she will speak. The possibility of her son being accused of the murder never occurred to her. How should it, when she believed him safely at sea on board the Anzora? Ah! voilà une femme, Hastings! What force, what self-command! She only made one slip. On his unexpected return: ‘It does not matter—now.’ And no one noticed—no one realized the significance of those words. What a terrible part she has had to play, poor woman. Imagine the shock when she goes to identify the body and, instead of what she expects, sees the actual lifeless form of the husband she has believed miles away by now. No wonder she fainted! But since then, despite her grief and her despair, how resolutely she has played her part, and how the anguish of it must wring her. She cannot say a word to set us on the track of the real murderers. For her son’s sake, no one must know that Paul Renauld was Georges Conneau, the criminal. Final and most bitter blow, she has admitted publicly that Madame Daubreuil was her husband’s mistress—for a hint of blackmail might be fatal to her secret. How cleverly she dealt with the examining magistrate when he asked her if there was any mystery in her husband’s past life. ‘Nothing so romantic, I am sure, M. le juge.’ It was perfect, the indulgent tone, the soupçon of sad mockery. At once M. Hautet felt himself foolish and melodramatic. Yes, she is a great woman! If she loved a criminal, she loved him royally!” Poirot lost himself in contemplation. “One thing more, Poirot, what about the piece of lead piping?” “You do not see? To disfigure the victim’s face so that it would be unrecognizable. It was that which first set me on the right track. And that imbecile of a Giraud, swarming all over it to look for match ends! Did I not tell you that a clue of two feet long was quite as good as a clue of two inches?” “Well, Giraud will sing small now,” I observed hastily, to lead the conversation away from my own shortcomings. “As I said before, will he? If he has arrived at the right person by the wrong method, he will not permit that to worry him.” “But surely—” I paused as I saw the new trend of things. “You see, Hastings, we must now start again. Who killed M. Renauld? Some one who was near the Villa just before twelve o’clock that night, some one who would benefit by his death—the description fits Jack Renauld only too well. The crime need not have been premeditated. And then the dagger!” I started, I had not realized that point. “Of course,” I said. “The second dagger we found in the tramp was Mrs. Renauld’s. There were two, then.” “Certainly, and, since they were duplicates, it stands to reason that Jack Renauld was the owner. But that would not trouble me so much. In fact I have a little idea as to that. No, the worst indictment against him is again psychological—heredity, mon ami, heredity! Like father, like son—Jack Renauld, when all is said or done, is the son of Georges Conneau.” His tone was grave and earnest, and I was impressed in spite of myself. “What is your little idea that you mentioned just now?” I asked. For answer, Poirot consulted his turnip-faced watch, and then asked: “What time is the afternoon boat from Calais?” “About five, I believe.” “That will do very well. We shall just have time.” “You are going to England?” “Yes, my friend.” “Why?” “To find a possible—witness.” “Who?” With a rather peculiar smile upon his face, Poirot replied: “Miss Bella Duveen.” “But how will you find her—what do you know about her?” “I know nothing about her—but I can guess a good deal. We may take it for granted that her name is Bella Duveen, and since that name was faintly familiar to M. Stonor, though evidently not in connection with the Renauld family, it is probable that she is on the stage. Jack Renauld was a young man with plenty of money, and twenty years of age. The stage is sure to have been the home of his first love. It tallies, too, with M. Renauld’s attempt to placate her with a cheque. I think I shall find her all right—especially with the help of this.” And he brought out the photograph I had seen him take from Jack Renauld’s drawer. “With love from Bella,” was scrawled across the corner, but it was not that which held my eyes fascinated. The likeness was not first rate—but for all that it was unmistakable to me. I felt a cold sinking, as though some unutterable calamity had befallen me. It was the face of Cinderella. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Agatha Christie (2019). The Murder on the Links. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/58866/pg58866-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

Hercule Poirot on the Case!

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . An Amazing Statement XX. An Amazing Statement The next moment Poirot embraced me warmly. “Enfin! You have arrived. And all by yourself. It is superb! Continue your reasoning. You are right. Decidedly we have done wrong to forget Georges Conneau.” I was so flattered by the little man’s approval that I could hardly continue. But at last I collected my thoughts and went on. “Georges Conneau disappeared twenty years ago, but we have no reason to believe that he is dead.” “Aucunement,” agreed Poirot. “Proceed.” “Therefore we will assume that he is alive.” “Exactly.” “Or that he was alive until recently.” “De mieux en mieux!” “We will presume,” I continued, my enthusiasm rising, “that he has fallen on evil days. He has become a criminal, an apache, a tramp—a what you will. He chances to come to Merlinville. There he finds the woman he has never ceased to love.” “Eh eh! The sentimentality,” warned Poirot. “Where one hates one also loves,” I quoted or misquoted. “At any rate he finds her there, living under an assumed name. But she has a new lover, the Englishman, Renauld. Georges Conneau, the memory of old wrongs rising in him, quarrels with this Renauld. He lies in wait for him as he comes to visit his mistress, and stabs him in the back. Then, terrified at what he has done, he starts to dig a grave. I imagine it likely that Madame Daubreuil comes out to look for her lover. She and Conneau have a terrible scene. He drags her into the shed, and there suddenly falls down in an epileptic fit. Now supposing Jack Renauld to appear. Madame Daubreuil tells him all, points out to him the dreadful consequences to her daughter if this scandal of the past is revived. His father’s murderer is dead—let them do their best to hush it up. Jack Renauld consents—goes to the house and has an interview with his mother, winning her over to his point of view. Primed with the story that Madame Daubreuil has suggested to him, she permits herself to be gagged and bound. There, Poirot, what do you think of that?” I leaned back, flushed with the pride of successful reconstruction. Poirot looked at me thoughtfully. “I think that you should write for the Kinema, mon ami,” he remarked at last. “You mean—?” “It would make a good film, the story that you have recounted to me there—but it bears no sort of resemblance to everyday life.” “I admit that I haven’t gone into all the details, but—” “You have gone further—you have ignored them magnificently. What about the way the two men were dressed? Do you suggest that after stabbing his victim, Conneau removed his suit of clothes, donned it himself, and replaced the dagger?” “I don’t see that that matters,” I objected rather huffily. “He may have obtained clothes and money from Madame Daubreuil by threats earlier in the day.” “By threats—eh? You seriously advance that supposition?” “Certainly. He could have threatened to reveal her identity to the Renaulds, which would probably have put an end to all hopes of her daughter’s marriage.” “You are wrong, Hastings. He could not blackmail her, for she had the whip hand. Georges Conneau, remember, is still wanted for murder. A word from her and he is in danger of the guillotine.” I was forced, rather reluctantly, to admit the truth of this. “Your theory,” I remarked acidly, “is doubtless correct as to all the details?” “My theory is the truth,” said Poirot quietly. “And the truth is necessarily correct. In your theory you made a fundamental error. You permitted your imagination to lead you astray with midnight assignations and passionate love scenes. But in investigating crime we must take our stand upon the commonplace. Shall I demonstrate my methods to you?” “Oh, by all means let us have a demonstration!” Poirot sat very upright and began, wagging his forefinger emphatically to emphasize his points. “I will start as you started from the basic fact of Georges Conneau. Now the story told by Madame Beroldy in court as to the ‘Russians’ was admittedly a fabrication. If she was innocent of connivance in the crime, it was concocted by her, and by her only as she stated. If, on the other hand, she was not innocent, it might have been invented by either her or Georges Conneau. “Now in this case we are investigating, we meet the same tale. As I pointed out to you, the facts render it very unlikely that Madame Daubreuil inspired it. So we turn to the hypothesis that the story had its origin in the brain of Georges Conneau. Very good. Georges Conneau, therefore, planned the crime with Madame Renauld as his accomplice. She is in the limelight, and behind her is a shadowy figure whose alias is unknown to us. “Now let us go carefully over the Renauld Case from the beginning, setting down each significant point in its chronological order. You have a notebook and pencil? Good. Now what is the earliest point to note down?” “The letter to you?” “That was the first we knew of it, but it is not the proper beginning of the case. The first point of any significance, I should say, is the change that came over M. Renauld shortly after arriving in Merlinville, and which is attested to by several witnesses. We have also to consider his friendship with Madame Daubreuil, and the large sums of money paid over to her. From thence we can come directly to the 23rd May.” Poirot paused, cleared his throat, and signed to me to write. “23rd May. M. Renauld quarrels with his son over latter’s wish to marry Marthe Daubreuil. Son leaves for Paris. “24th May. M. Renauld alters his will, leaving entire control of his fortune in his wife’s hands. “7th June. Quarrel with tramp in garden, witnessed by Marthe Daubreuil. “Letter written to M. Hercule Poirot, imploring assistance. “Telegram sent to Jack Renauld, bidding him proceed by the Anzora to Buenos Ayres. “Chauffeur, Masters, sent off on a holiday. “Visit of a lady, that evening. As he is seeing her out, his words are ‘Yes, yes—but for God’s sake go now. …’ ” Poirot paused. “There, Hastings, take each of those facts one by one, consider them carefully by themselves and in relation to the whole, and see if you do not get new light on the matter.” I endeavoured conscientiously to do as he had said. After a moment or two, I said rather doubtfully: “As to the first points, the question seems to be whether we adopt the theory of blackmail, or of an infatuation for this woman.” “Blackmail, decidedly. You heard what Stonor said as to his character and habits.” “Mrs. Renauld did not confirm his view,” I argued. “We have already seen that Madame Renauld’s testimony cannot be relied upon in any way. We must trust to Stonor on that point.” “Still, if Renauld had an affair with a woman called Bella, there seems no inherent improbability in his having another with Madame Daubreuil.” “None whatever, I grant you, Hastings. But did he?” “The letter, Poirot. You forget the letter.” “No, I do not forget. But what makes you think that letter was written to M. Renauld?” “Why it was found in his pocket and—and—” “And that is all!” cut in Poirot. “There was no mention of any name to show to whom the letter was addressed. We assumed it was to the dead man because it was in the pocket of his overcoat. Now, mon ami, something about that overcoat struck me as unusual. I measured it, and made the remark that he wore his overcoat very long. That remark should have given you to think.” “I thought you were just saying it for the sake of saying something,” I confessed. “Ah, quelle idée! Later you observed me measuring the overcoat of M. Jack Renauld. Eh bien, M. Jack Renauld wears his overcoat very short. Put those two facts together with a third, namely that M. Jack Renauld flung out of the house in a hurry on his departure for Paris, and tell me what you make of it!” “I see,” I said slowly, as the meaning of Poirot’s remarks bore in upon me. “That letter was written to Jack Renauld—not to his father. He caught up the wrong overcoat in his haste and agitation.” Poirot nodded. “Précisement! We can return to this point later. For the moment let us content ourselves with accepting the letter as having nothing to do with M. Renauld père, and pass to the next chronological event.” “May 23rd,” I read, “M. Renauld quarrels with his son over latter’s wish to marry Marthe Daubreuil. Son leaves for Paris. I don’t see anything much to remark upon there, and the altering of the will the following day seems straightforward enough. It was the direct result of the quarrel.” “We agree, mon ami—at least as to the cause. But what exact motive underlay this procedure of M. Renauld’s?” I opened my eyes in surprise. “Anger against his son of course.” “Yet he wrote him affectionate letters to Paris?” “So Jack Renauld says, but he cannot produce them.” “Well, let us pass from that.” “Now we come to the day of the tragedy. You have placed the events of the morning in a certain order. Have you any justification for that?” “I have ascertained that the letter to me was posted at the same time as the telegram was despatched. Masters was informed he could take a holiday shortly afterwards. In my opinion the quarrel with the tramp took place anterior to these happenings.” “I do not see that you can fix that definitely—unless you question Mademoiselle Dabreuil again.” “There is no need. I am sure of it. And if you do not see that, you see nothing, Hastings!” I looked at him for a moment. “Of course! I am an idiot. If the tramp was Georges Conneau, it was after the stormy interview with him that Mr. Renauld apprehended danger. He sent away the chauffeur, Masters, whom he suspected of being in the other’s pay, he wired to his son, and sent for you.” A faint smile crossed Poirot’s lips. “You do not think it strange that he should use exactly the same expressions in his letter as Madame Renauld used later in her story? If the mention of Santiago was a blind, why should Renauld speak of it, and—what is more—send his son there?” “It is puzzling, I admit, but perhaps we shall find some explanation later. We come now to the evening, and the visit of the mysterious lady. I confess that that fairly baffles me, unless it was Madame Daubreuil, as Françoise all along maintained.” Poirot shook his head. “My friend, my friend, where are your wits wandering? Remember the fragment of cheque, and the fact that the name Bella Duveen was faintly familiar to Stonor, and I think we may take it for granted that Bella Duveen is the full name of Jack’s unknown correspondent, and that it was she who came to the Villa Geneviève that night. Whether she intended to see Jack, or whether she meant all along to appeal to his father we cannot be certain, but I think we may assume that this is what occurred. She produced her claim upon Jack, probably showed letters that he had written her, and the older man tried to buy her off by writing a cheque. This she indignantly tore up. The terms of her letter are those of a woman genuinely in love, and she would probably deeply resent being offered money. In the end he got rid of her, and here the words that he used are significant.” “ ‘Yes, yes, but for God’s sake go now,’ ” I repeated. “They seem to me a little vehement, perhaps, that is all.” “That is enough. He was desperately anxious for the girl to go. Why? Not only because the interview was unpleasant. No, it was the time that was slipping by, and for some reason time was precious.” “Why should it be?” I asked, bewildered. “That is what we ask ourselves. Why should it be? But later we have the incident of the wrist watch—which again shows us that time plays a very important part in the crime. We are now fast approaching the actual drama. It is half-past ten when Bella Duveen leaves, and by the evidence of the wrist watch we know that the crime was committed, or at any rate that it was staged, before twelve o’clock. We have reviewed all the events anterior to the murder, there remains only one unplaced. By the doctor’s evidence, the tramp, when found, had been dead at least forty-eight hours—with a possible margin of twenty-four hours more. Now, with no other facts to help me than those we have discussed, I place the death as having occurred on the morning of June 7th.” I stared at him, stupefied. “But how? Why? How can you possibly know?” “Because only in that way can the sequence of events be logically explained. Mon ami, I have taken you step by step along the way. Do you not now see what is so glaringly plain?” “My dear Poirot, I can’t see anything glaring about it. I did think I was beginning to see my way before, but I’m now hopelessly fogged.” Poirot looked at me sadly, and shook his head. “Mon Dieu! But it is triste! A good intelligence—and so deplorably lacking in method. There is an exercise most excellent for the development of the little grey cells. I will impart it to you—” “For Heaven’s sake, not now! You really are the most irritating of fellows, Poirot. For goodness’ sake, get on and tell me who killed M. Renauld.” “That is just what I am not sure of as yet.” “But you said it was glaringly clear?” “We talk at cross-purposes, my friend. Remember, it is two crimes we are investigating—for which, as I pointed out to you, we have the necessary two bodies. There, there, ne vous impatientez pas! I explain all. To begin with, we apply our psychology. We find three points at which M. Renauld displays a distinct change of view and action—three psychological points therefore. The first occurs immediately after arriving in Merlinville, the second after quarrelling with his son on a certain subject, the third on the morning of June 7th. Now for the three causes. We can attribute No. 1 to meeting Madame Daubreuil. No. 2 is indirectly connected with her since it concerns a marriage between M. Renauld’s son and her daughter. But the cause of No. 3 is hidden from us. We have to deduce it. Now, mon ami, let me ask you a question; who do we believe to have planned this crime?” “Georges Conneau,” I said doubtfully, eyeing Poirot warily. “Exactly. Now Giraud laid it down as an axiom that a woman lies to save herself, the man she loves, and her child. Since we are satisfied that was Georges Conneau who dictated the lie to her, and as Georges Conneau is not Jack Renauld, follows that the third case is put out of court. And, still attributing the crime to Georges Conneau, the first is equally so. So we are forced to the second—that Madame Renauld lied for the sake of the man she loved—or in other words, for the sake of Georges Conneau. You agree to that.” “Yes,” I admitted. “It seems logical enough.” “Bien! Madame Renauld loves Georges Conneau. Who, then, is Georges Conneau?” “The tramp.” “Have we any evidence to show that Madame Renauld loved the tramp?” “No, but—” “Very well then. Do not cling to theories where facts no longer support them. Ask yourself instead who Madame Renauld did love.” I shook my head perplexed. “Mais, oui, you know perfectly. Who did Madame Renauld love so dearly that when she saw his dead body, she fell down in a swoon?” I stared dumbfounded. “Her husband?” I gasped. Poirot nodded. “Her husband—or Georges Conneau, whichever you like to call him.” I rallied myself. “But it’s impossible.” “How ‘impossible?’ Did we not agree just now that Madame Daubreuil was in a position to blackmail Georges Conneau?” “Yes, but—” “And did she not very effectively blackmail M. Renauld?” “That may be true enough, but—” “And is it not a fact that we know nothing of M. Renauld’s youth and upbringing? That he springs suddenly into existence as a French Canadian exactly twenty-two years ago?” “All that is so,” I said more firmly, “but you seem to me to be overlooking one salient point.” “What is it, my friend?” “Why, we have admitted Georges Conneau planned the crime. That brings us to the ridiculous statement that he planned his own murder!” “Eh bien, mon ami,” said Poirot placidly, “that is just what he did do!” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Agatha Christie (2019). The Murder on the Links. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/58866/pg58866-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

An Amazing Statement

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . A Photograph XV. A Photograph The doctor’s words were so surprising that we were all momentarily taken aback. Here was a man stabbed with a dagger which we knew to have been stolen only twenty-four hours previously, and yet Dr. Durand asserted positively that he had been dead at least forty-eight hours! The whole thing was fantastic to the last extreme. We were still recovering from the surprise of the doctor’s announcement, when a telegram was brought to me. It had been sent up from the hotel to the Villa. I tore it open. It was from Poirot, and announced his return by the train arriving at Merlinville at 12:28. I looked at my watch and saw that I had just time to get comfortably to the station and meet him there. I felt that it was of the utmost importance that he should know at once of the new and startling developments in the case. Evidently, I reflected, Poirot had had no difficulty in finding what he wanted in Paris. The quickness of his return proved that. Very few hours had sufficed. I wondered how he would take the exciting news I had to impart. The train was some minutes late, and I strolled aimlessly up and down the platform, until it occurred to me that I might pass the time by asking a few questions as to who had left Merlinville by the last train on the evening of the tragedy. I approached the chief porter, an intelligent looking man, and had little difficulty in persuading him to enter upon the subject. It was a disgrace to the Police, he hotly affirmed, that such brigands of assassins should be allowed to go about unpunished. I hinted that there was some possibility they might have left by the midnight train, but he negatived the idea decidedly. He would have noticed two foreigners—he was sure of it. Only about twenty people had left by the train, and he could not have failed to observe them. I do not know what put the idea into my head—possibly it was the deep anxiety underlying Marthe Daubreuil’s tones—but I asked suddenly: “Young M. Renauld—he did not leave by that train, did he?” “Ah, no, monsieur. To arrive and start off again within half an hour, it would not be amusing, that!” I stared at the man, the significance of his words almost escaping me. Then I saw. … “You mean,” I said, my heart beating a little, “that M. Jack Renauld arrived at Merlinville that evening?” “But yes, monsieur. By the last train arriving the other way, the 11:40.” My brain whirled. That, then, was the reason of Marthe’s poignant anxiety. Jack Renauld had been in Merlinville on the night of the crime! But why had he not said so? Why, on the contrary, had he led us to believe that he had remained in Cherbourg? Remembering his frank boyish countenance, I could hardly bring myself to believe that he had any connection with the crime. Yet why this silence on his part about so vital a matter? One thing was certain, Marthe had known all along. Hence her anxiety, and her eager questioning of Poirot to know whether any one were suspected. My cogitations were interrupted by the arrival of the train, and in another moment I was greeting Poirot. The little man was radiant. He beamed and vociferated and, forgetting my English reluctance, embraced me warmly on the platform. “Mon cher ami, I have succeeded—but succeeded to a marvel!” “Indeed? I’m delighted to hear it. Have you heard the latest here?” “How would you that I should hear anything? There have been some developments, eh? The brave Giraud, he has made an arrest? Or even arrests perhaps? Ah, but I will make him look foolish, that one! But where are you taking me, my friend? Do we not go to the hotel? It is necessary that I attend to my moustaches—they are deplorably limp from the heat of travelling. Also, without doubt, there is dust on my coat. And my tie, that I must rearrange.” I cut short his remonstrances. “My dear Poirot—never mind all that. We must go to the Villa at once. There has been another murder!” I have frequently been disappointed when fancying that I was giving news of importance to my friend. Either he has known it already or he has dismissed it as irrelevant to the main issue—and in the latter case events have usually proved him justified. But this time I could not complain of missing my effect. Never have I seen a man so flabbergasted. His jaw dropped. All the jauntiness went out of his bearing. He stared at me open-mouthed. “What is that you say? Another murder? Ah, then, I am all wrong. I have failed. Giraud may mock himself at me—he will have reason!” “You did not expect it, then?” “I? Not the least in the world. It demolishes my theory—it ruins everything—it—ah, no!” He stopped dead, thumping himself on the chest. “It is impossible. I cannot be wrong! The facts, taken methodically and in their proper order admit of only one explanation. I must be right! I am right!” “But then—” He interrupted me. “Wait, my friend. I must be right, therefore this new murder is impossible unless—unless—oh, wait, I implore you. Say no word—” He was silent for a moment or two, then, resuming his normal manner, he said in a quiet assured voice: “The victim is a man of middle-age. His body was found in the locked shed near the scene of the crime and had been dead at least forty-eight hours. And it is most probable that he was stabbed in a similar manner to M. Renauld, though not necessarily in the back.” It was my turn to gape—and gape I did. In all my knowledge of Poirot he had never done anything so amazing as this. And, almost inevitably, a doubt crossed my mind. “Poirot,” I cried, “you’re pulling my leg. You’ve heard all about it already.” He turned his earnest gaze upon me reproachfully. “Would I do such a thing? I assure you that I have heard nothing whatsoever. Did you not observe the shock your news was to me?” “But how on earth could you know all that?” “I was right then? But I knew it. The little grey cells, my friend, the little grey cells! They told me. Thus, and in no other way, could there have been a second death. Now tell me all. If we go round to the left here, we can take a short cut across the golf links which will bring us to the back of the Villa Geneviève much more quickly.” As we walked, taking the way he had indicated, I recounted all I knew. Poirot listened attentively. “The dagger was in the wound, you say? That is curious. You are sure it was the same one?” “Absolutely certain. That’s what make it so impossible.” “Nothing is impossible. There may have been two daggers.” I raised my eyebrows. “Surely that is in the highest degree unlikely? It would be a most extraordinary coincidence.” “You speak as usual, without reflection, Hastings. In some cases two identical weapons would be highly improbable. But not here. This particular weapon was a war souvenir which was made to Jack Renauld’s orders. It is really highly unlikely, when you come to think of it, that he should have had only one made. Very probably he would have another for his own use.” “But nobody has mentioned such a thing,” I objected. A hint of the lecturer crept into Poirot’s tone. “My friend, in working upon a case, one does not take into account only the things that are ‘mentioned.’ There is no reason to mention many things which may be important. Equally, there is often an excellent reason for not mentioning them. You can take your choice of the two motives.” I was silent, impressed in spite of myself. Another few minutes brought us to the famous shed. We found all our friends there and, after an interchange of polite amenities, Poirot began his task. Having watched Giraud at work, I was keenly interested. Poirot bestowed but a cursory glance on the surroundings. The only thing he examined was the ragged coat and trousers by the door. A disdainful smile rose to Giraud’s lips, and, as though noting it, Poirot flung the bundle down again. “Old clothes of the gardener’s?” he queried. “Exactly,” said Giraud. Poirot knelt down by the body. His fingers were rapid but methodical. He examined the texture of the clothes, and satisfied himself that there were no marks on them. The boots he subjected to special care, also the dirty and broken finger-nails. Whilst examining the latter he threw a quick question at Giraud. “You saw these?” “Yes, I saw them,” replied the other. His face remained inscrutable. Suddenly Poirot stiffened. “Dr. Durand!” “Yes?” The doctor came forward. “There is foam on the lips. You observed it?” “I didn’t notice it, I must admit.” “But you observe it now?” “Oh, certainly.” Poirot again shot a question at Giraud. “You noticed it without doubt?” The other did not reply. Poirot proceeded. The dagger had been withdrawn from the wound. It reposed in a glass jar by the side of the body. Poirot examined it, then he studied the wound closely. When he looked up, his eyes were excited, and shone with the green light I knew so well. “It is a strange wound, this! It has not bled. There is no stain on the clothes. The blade of the dagger is slightly discoloured, that is all. What do you think, M. le docteur?” “I can only say that it is most abnormal.” “It is not abnormal at all. It is most simple. The man was stabbed after he was dead.” And, stilling the clamour of voices that arose with a wave of his hand, Poirot turned to Giraud and added, “M. Giraud agrees with me, do you not, monsieur?” Whatever Giraud’s real belief, he accepted the position without moving a muscle. Calmly and almost scornfully he replied: “Certainly I agree.” The murmur of surprise and interest broke out again. “But what an idea!” cried M. Hautet. “To stab a man after he is dead! Barbaric! Unheard of! Some unappeasable hate, perhaps.” “No, M. le juge,” said Poirot. “I should fancy it was done quite cold-bloodedly—to create an impression.” “What impression?” “The impression it nearly did create,” returned Poirot oracularly. M. Bex had been thinking. “How, then, was the man killed?” “He was not killed. He died. He died, M. le juge, if I am not much mistaken, of an epileptic fit!” This statement of Poirot’s again aroused considerable excitement. Dr. Durand knelt down again, and made a searching examination. At last he rose to his feet. “Well, M. le docteur?” “M. Poirot, I am inclined to believe that you are correct in your assertion. I was misled to begin with. The incontrovertible fact that the man had been stabbed distracted my attention from any other indications.” Poirot was the hero of the hour. The examining magistrate was profuse in compliments. Poirot responded gracefully, and then excused himself on the pretext that neither he nor I had yet lunched, and that he wished to repair the ravages of the journey. As we were about to leave the shed, Giraud approached us. “One more thing, M. Poirot,” he said, in his suave mocking voice. “We found this coiled round the handle of the dagger. A woman’s hair.” “Ah!” said Poirot. “A woman’s hair? What woman’s, I wonder?” “I wonder also,” said Giraud. Then, with a bow, he left us. “He was insistent, the good Giraud,” said Poirot thoughtfully, as we walked towards the hotel. “I wonder in what direction he hopes to mislead me? A woman’s hair—h’m!” We lunched heartily, but I found Poirot somewhat distrait and inattentive. Afterwards we went up to our sitting-room and there I begged him to tell me something of his mysterious journey to Paris. “Willingly, my friend. I went to Paris to find this.” He took from his pocket a small faded newspaper cutting. It was the reproduction of a woman’s photograph. He handed it to me. I uttered an exclamation. “You recognize it, my friend?” I nodded. Although the photo obviously dated from very many years back, and the hair was dressed in a different style, the likeness was unmistakable. “Madame Daubreuil!” I exclaimed. Poirot shook his head with a smile. “Not quite correct, my friend. She did not call herself by that name in those days. That is a picture of the notorious Madame Beroldy!” Madame Beroldy! In a flash the whole thing came back to me. The murder trial that had evoked such world-wide interest. The Beroldy Case. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Agatha Christie (2019). The Murder on the Links. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/58866/pg58866-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

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