"
"I'd forgotten that," I admitted. "But it was only for a
moment."
"Long enough."
"Long enough for what?"
Poirot's smile became rather enigmatical.
"Long enough for a gentleman who had once studied medicine to
gratify a very natural interest and curiosity."
Our eyes met. Poirot's were pleasantly vague. He got up and
hummed a little tune. I watched him suspiciously.
"Poirot," I said, "what was in this particular little bottle?"
Poirot looked out of the window.
"Hydro-chloride of strychnine," he said, over his shoulder,
continuing to hum.
"Good heavens!" I said it quite quietly. I was not surprised. I
had expected that answer.
"They use the pure hydro-chloride of strychnine very little--
only occasionally for pills. It is the official solution, Liq.
Strychnine Hydro-clor. that is used in most medicines. That is
why the finger-marks have remained undisturbed since then."
"How did you manage to take this photograph?"
"I dropped my hat from the balcony," explained Poirot simply.
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