“Use your little gray cells,” he said. “There is always a reason behind my

actions.”

 

I hesitated for a moment, and then I said slowly:

 

“The first one that occurs to me is that you yourself do not know who the guilty

person is, but that you are sure that he is to be found amongst the people here

to-night. Therefore your words were intended to force a confession from the

unknown murderer?”

 

Poirot nodded approvingly.

 

“A clever idea, but not the truth.”

 

“I thought, perhaps, that by making him believe you knew, you might force him

out into the open—not necessarily by confession. He might try to silence you as

he formerly silenced Mr. Ackroyd—before you could act to-morrow morning.”

 

“A trap with myself as the bait! _Merci, mon ami_, but I am not sufficiently

heroic for that.”

 

“Then I fail to understand you. Surely you are running the risk of letting the

murderer escape by thus putting him on his guard?”

 

Poirot shook his head.