"Claudia?" Restarick laid his hand on her arm. "What is it you know about Norma? There's something. Something that you're holding back." "Nothing! What should I know about her?" "You think she's off her head, don't you?" said Dr. Stillingfleet in a conversational voice. "And so does the girl with the black hair. And so do you.," he added, turning suddenly on Restarick. "All of us behaving nicely and avoiding the subject and thinking the same thing!

Except, that is, the chief inspector. He's not thinking anything. He's collecting facts: mad or a murderess. What about you. Madam?" "Me?" Mrs. Oliver jumped. "I - don't know." "You reserve judgement? I don't blame you. It's difficult. On the whole, most people agree on what they think. They use different terms for it - that's all. Bats in the Belfry. Scatty. Wanting in the top storey. Off her onion. Mental Delusions.

Does anyone think that girl is sane?" "Miss Battersby," said Poirot.

"Who the devil is Miss Battersby?" "A schoolmistress." "If I ever have a daughter I shall send her to that school… Of course I'm in a different category. I know. I know everything about that girl!" Norma's father stared at him.

"Who is this man?" he demanded of Neele. "What can he possibly mean by saying that he knows everything about my daughter?" "I know about her," said Stillingfleet, "because she's been under my professional care for the last ten days." "Dr. Stillingfleet," said Chief Inspector Neele, "is a highly qualified and reputable psychiatrist." "And how did she come into your clutches - without someone getting my consent first?" "Ask Moustaches," said Dr. Stillingfleet, nodding to Poirot.

"You-you…" Restarick could hardly speak he was so angry.

Poirot spoke placidly.

"I had your instructions. You wanted care and protection for your daughter when she was found. I found her-and I was able to interest Dr. Stillingfleet in her case.

She was in danger, Mr. Restarick, very grave danger." "She could hardly be in any more danger than she is now! Arrested on a charge of murder!" "Technically she is not yet charged," murmured Neele.

He went on: "Dr. Stillingfleet, do I understand that you are willing to give your professional opinion as to Miss Restarick's mental condition, and as to how well she knows the nature and meaning of her acts?" "We can save the M'Naughten act for court," said Stillingfleet. "What you want to know now is, quite simply, if the girl is mad or sane? All right, I'll tell you. That girl is sane - as sane as any one or you sitting here in this room!"

Chapter Twenty-Four

"THEY stared at him.

"Didn't expect that, did you?" Restarick said angrily: "You're wrong. That girl doesn't even know what she's done. She's innocent-completely innocent. She can't be held responsible for what she doesn't know she's done." "You let me talk for a while. I know what I'm talking about. You don't. That girl is sane and responsible for her actions. In a moment or two we'll have her in and let her speak for herself. She's the only one who hasn't had the chance of speaking for herself! Oh yes, they've got her here still - locked up with a police matron in her bedroom. But before we ask her a question or two, I've got something to say that you'd better hear first.

"When that girl came to me she was full ofdrugs.," "And he gave them to her!" shouted Restarick. "That degenerate, miserable boy." "He started her on them, no doubt." "Thank God," said Restarick. "Thank God for it." "What are you thanking God for?" "I misunderstood you. I thought you were going to throw her to the lions when you kept harping on her being sane. I misjudged you. It was the drugs that did it.

Drugs that made her do things she would never have done of her own volition, and left her with no knowledge of having done them." Stillingfleet raised his voice: "If you let me talk instead of talking so much yourself, and being so sure you know all about everything, we might get on a bit.

First of all, she's not an addict. There are no marks of injections. She didn't sniff snow. Someone or other, perhaps the boy, perhaps someone else, was administering drugs to her without her knowledge. Not just a purple heart or two in the modern fashion. A rather interesting medley of drugs - L.S.D. giving vivid dream sequences - nightmares or pleasurable.

Hemp distorting the time factor, so that she might believe an experience has lasted an hour instead of a few minutes. And a good many other curious substances that I have no intention of letting any of you know about. Somebody who was clever with drugs played merry hell with that girl.

Stimulants, sedatives, they all played their part in controlling her, and showing her to herself as a completely different person." Restarick interrupted: "That's what I say. Norma wasn't responsible! Someone was hypnotising her to do these things." "You still haven't got the point! Nobody could make the girl do what she didn't want to do\ What they could do, was make her think she had done it. Now we'll have her in and make her see what's been happening to her." He looked enquiringly at Chief Inspector Neele, who nodded.

Stillingfleet spoke over his shoulder to Claudia, as he went out of the sitting-room. "Where'd you put that other girl, the one you took away from Jacobs, gave a sedative to? In her room on her bed? Better shake her up a bit, and drag her along, somehow.

We'll need all the help we can get." Claudia also went out of the sittingroom.

Stillingfleet came back, propelling Norma, and uttering rough encouragement.

"There's a good gill… Nobody's going to bite you. Sit there." She sat obediently. Her docility was still rather frightening.

The policewoman hovered by the door looking scandalised.

"All I'm asking you to do is to speak the truth. It isn't nearly as difficult as you think." Claudia came in with Frances Cary.

Frances was yawning heavily. Her black hair hung like a curtain hiding half her mouth as she yawned and yawned again.

"You need a pick-me-up," said Stillingfleet to her.

"I wish you'd all let me go to sleep," murmured Frances indistinctly.

"Nobody's going to have a chance of sleep until I've done with them! Now, Norma, you answer my questions- That woman along the passage says you admitted to her that you killed David Baker.

Is that right?" Her docile voice said: "Yes. I killed David." "Stabbed him?" "Yes." "How do you know you did?" She looked faintly puzzled. "I don't know what you mean. He was there on the floor - dead." "Where was the knife?" "I picked it up." "It had blood on it?" "Yes. And on his shirt." "What did it feel like - the blood on the knife? The blood that you got on your hand and had to wash off- Wet? Or more like strawberry jam." "It was like strawberry jam - sticky." She shivered. "I had to go and wash it off my hands." "Very sensible. Well, that ties up everything very nicely. Victim, murder-you - all complete with the weapon. Do you remember actually doing it?" "No… I don't remember that… But I must have done it, mustn't I?" "Don't ask me! I wasn't there. It's you are the one who's saying it. But there was another killing before that, wasn't there?

An earlier killing." "You mean - Louise?" "Yes. I mean Louise… When did you first think of killing her?" "Years ago. Oh, years ago." "When you were a child." "Yes." "Had to wait a long time, didn't you?" "I'd forgotten all about it." "Until you saw her again and recognised her?" "Yes." "When you were a child, you hated her.

Why?" "Because she took Father, my father, away." "And made your mother unhappy?" "Mother hated Louise. She said Louise was a really wicked woman." "Talked to you about her a lot, I suppose?" "Yes. I wish she hadn't… I didn't want to go on hearing about her." "Monotonous - I know. Hate isn't creative.