The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (Poirot)

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Desmond Lee-Wortley bent down. He touched the arm–the wrist. "There"s no pulse . . ." He stared at Poirot. "Her arm's still. Good God, she really is dead!" Poirot points out that the footprints in the snow look like Lee-Wortley's and that her hand is clutching the ruby found in the pudding. Lee-Wortley is dumbfounded, but takes the ruby and offers to ring for the police. Claiming to Diana that the phone is dead, he drives off to fetch them.

Revolving these things in her mind, Mrs Lacey went on: "Edwina said she thought perhaps you might help us . . . I'm sure I don't know quite how, but she said that friends of yours had once found you very helpful in–in a case something like ours. I–well, perhaps you don't know what I'm talking about?" A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", 1823) attributed to Clement Clarke Moore You were splendid, my child," said Poirot. "Splendid. But see, all the others are still in the fog. Last night I went to Mademoiselle Bridget. I told her that I knew about your little complot and I asked her if she would act a part for me. She did it very cleverly. She made the footprints with a pair of Mr Lee-Wortley"s shoes." Mrs Ross sighed. "Well, I'm glad you say so, sir, but of course I haven't the help now that I used to have. Not skilled help, that is. The girls nowadays–" she lowered her voice slightly,"– they mean very well and they're very willing but they've not been trained, sir, if you understand what I mean." Miss Marple has a hypothesis: that the Miss Greenshaw that Louise met over her two days work was actually Mrs Cresswell in disguise. Miss Greenshaw was unconscious at the time that she was stabbed with the arrow, and the dying person on the lawn that Louise saw was Mrs Cresswell with a false arrow. The first "policeman" who arrived at the house was really Nathaniel Fletcher, Mrs Cresswell's accomplice. Fletcher is an actor who plays the policeman in a staging of the play by James Barrie, A Kiss for Cinderella, and wears his costume from the play. A few minutes later, he appears at the house as himself, acting unaware of the death.McLaren, playing records for the people to dance to, nipped behind the screen, knowing that Clayton was staring out of one of the holes in the chest, and murdered Clayton. Poirot feels certain that if the theory is put to McLaren he will confess. [3] The Under Dog [ edit ] I think," said Poirot, "that at the moment it is mentioned I arrive, the young lady was in the kitchen with the rest of you, all laughing and talking and stirring the Christmas puddings. The Christmas puddings are put into bowls and the young lady she hides the ruby, pressing it down into one of the pudding bowls. Not the one that we are going to have on Christmas Day. Oh no, that one she knows is in a special mould. She put it in the other one, the one that is destined to be eaten on New Year"s Day. Before then she Because," said Michael breathlessly, "you had given it to Bridget. That's what you mean. And so that's why–but I don't understand quite–I mean–Look here, what did happen?" Oh, no, no," said Bridget, "it must be me. It"s got to be a girl. It's more exciting. Beautiful girl lying lifeless in the snow."

But look here, M. Poirot." Colin was frowning. "How did you know about the show we were going to put on for you?" Mrs Lacey drew herself up. "I do not consider it a sacrifice, M. Poirot," she said. "I married my husband with the wish to make him happy. He has been a good husband to me and made me very happy all these years, and I wish to give happiness to him."

It's–it's Bridget. She's out there in the snow. I think–she doesn't move or speak and–oh, you'd better come and look for yourself. I'm terribly afraid–she may be dead." Hercule Poirot shivered. The thought of the English countryside at this season of the year did not attract him. Poirot's attention is caught by newspaper headlines which tell of the latest developments in the "Spanish Chest Mystery". At his request Miss Lemon prepares a précis of the case. A Major Charles Rich held a small party at his flat. The guests were a Mr and Mrs Clayton, a Mr and Mrs Spence and a Commander McLaren. At the last minute, Edward Clayton received an urgent telegram summoning him to Scotland that night on business and did not attend the party. Shortly before the party, he had a drink with McLaren at their club where he explained his coming absence and then before going to the station, took a taxi to Rich's to offer his apologies. Rich was out but Burgess – Rich's manservant – let him in and left Clayton to scribble a note in the sitting room while he carried on his preparations in the kitchen. Again Poirot shivered. The thought of a fourteenth-century English manor house filled him with apprehension. He had suffered too often in the historic country houses of England. He looked round appreciatively at his comfortable modern flat with its radiators and the latest patent devices for excluding any kind of draught. Desmond Lee-Wortley wheeled round. "What on earth–Are you accusing me? ME? You're crazy! Why on earth should I want to kill the girl?"

Hm," grunted Colonel Lacey, as Poirot departed. "Flowery sort of fellow. Still–he appreciates you." The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding" was adapted under the American name "The Theft of the Royal Ruby". The story was slightly altered. The entire family, including the thieves, discovers the ruby in the pudding during Christmas dinner, and Poirot, pretending that it is a fake, takes it to safeguard it in his room. When Bridget is apparently murdered, Poirot places the real ruby, not a paste one, in the supposedly dead girl's hand. Lee-Wortley makes off with it, together with Iris Moffat, a girlfriend who has been pretending to be his sister Gloria. (Moffatt had previously stolen the jewel while on a date with Prince Farouk of Egypt.) Lee-Wortley does not abandon Moffatt to "face the music", as he does in the story. The two thieves try to make their getaway in a private plane which crashes into a field after a pursuit from David (who mistakenly believes Sarah is running off with Lee-Wortley). Poirot and the police are also there. The criminals, unhurt, are both arrested on the spot and the ruby is returned to the Prince. It is only afterwards that Poirot explains what has really been going on to the family. Bridget says goodbye to him at the end along with the others, but does not kiss him under the mistletoe.Poirot helped himself appreciatively to hard sauce. "Swiped my best brandy again, eh Em?" said the colonel good-humouredly from the other end of the table. Mrs Lacey twinkled at him.