Poirot - Chapter 7 The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan

Poirot - Chapter 7 The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
The jewel robbery at the Grand Metropolitan. Poirot, I said, a change
of air would do you good,don't you think so? Mon Ami,
I am sure of it. Eh, eh, said my friend, smiling.
It is all arranged. Then youwill come. Where do you propose
to take me? Brighton? Asa matter of fact, a friend of
mine in the city put me onto a very good thing. And well,

(00:22):
I have money to burn. Asthe saying goes, I think a
week end at the Grand Metropolitan woulddo us all the good in the world.
Thank you, I accept most gratefully. You have the good heart to
think of an old man, andthe good heart it is, in the
end worth all the little gray cells. Yes, yes, I who speak
to you, am in danger offorgetting that. Sometimes I did not quite

(00:45):
relish the implication. I fancy thatPoirot is sometimes a little inclined to underestimate
my mental capacities. But his pleasurewas so evident that I put my slight
annoyance aside. Then that's all right, I said hastily. Saturday evening saw
us dining at the Grand Metropolitan inthe midst of a gay throng all the
world, and his wife seemed tobe at Brighton. The dresses were marvelous,

(01:08):
and the jewels, worn sometimes withmore love of display than good taste,
were something magnificent. Hein, itis a sight, this, murmured
Puaro. This is the home ofthe propheteer. Is it not so Hastings
I supposed to be? I replied, But we'll hope they aren't all tarred
with the profiteering brush. Poirot gazedround him placidly. The sight of so

(01:30):
many jewels makes me wish I hadturned my brains to crime instead of to
its detection. What a magnificent opportunityfor some thief of distinction. Regard Hastings.
That stout woman by the pillar,she is, as you would say,
plastered with gems. I followed hiseyes. Why, I exclaimed,
it's missus Opelson. You know herslightly. Her husband is a rich stockbroker

(01:53):
who made a fortune in the recentoil boom. After dinner, we ran
across the opal Sin in the lounge, and I introduced Poirot to them.
We chatted for a few minutes andended by having our coffee together. Poio
said a few words in praise ofsome of the costlier gems displayed on the
lady's ample bosom, and she brightenedup at once. It's a perfect hobby

(02:14):
of mine, mister Poirot, Ijust love jewelry. Ed knows my weakness,
and every time things go well,he brings me something new. You
are interested in precious stones. Ihave had a good deal to do with
them one time and another, Madame. My profession has brought me into contact
with some of the most famous jewelsin the world. He went on to

(02:35):
narrate, with discreet pseudonyms, thestory of the historic jewels of a reigning
house, and missus Opleson listened withbated breath. There now, she exclaimed,
as he ended, If it isn'tjust like a play, you know,
I've got some pearls of my ownthat have a history attached to them.
I believe it's supposed to be oneof the finest necklaces in the world.
The pearls are so beautifully matched andso perfect in color. I declare,

(02:59):
I really must just run up andget it. Oh, Madame,
protested Poirot, you are too amiable. Pray, do not derange yourself.
Oh but I'd like to show itto you. The buxom. Dame waddled
across to the lift briskly enough.Her husband, who had been talking to
me, looked at Poirot, inquiringly. Madame, your wife is so amiable

(03:19):
as to insist on showing me herpearl necklace, explained the latter. Oh,
the pearls, Opalson smiled in asatisfied fashion. Well they are worth
seeing. Cost a pretty penny too. Still the money's there, all right.
I could get what I paid forthem any day. Perhaps more may
have to too, if things goon as they are now. Money's confoundedly
tight in the city. All thisinfernal epd. He rambled on, launching

(03:45):
into technicalities where I could not followhim. Yet he was interrupted by a
small page boy who approached and murmuredsomething in his ear. Ah, what
I'll come at once? Not takean ill? Is she excuse me?
Gentlemen? He left us abruptly backand lit one of his tiny Russian cigarettes.
Then carefully and meticulously he arranged theempty coffee cups in a neat row

(04:06):
and beamed happily on the result.The minutes passed, the Opalsns did not
return. Curious, I remarked atlength, I wonder when they will come
back. Poirot watched the ascending spiralsof smoke, and then said, thoughtfully,
they will not come back. Whybecause my friend, something has happened.

(04:28):
What sort of thing? How doyou know? I asked curiously,
Poirot smiled. A Few moments agothe manager came hurriedly out of his office
and ran upstairs. He was muchagitated. The lift boy is deep in
talk with one of the pages.The lift bell has rung three times,
but he heeds it. Not Thirdly, even the waiters are distrait. And
to make a waiter distrait, Puirotshook his head with an air of finality.

(04:53):
The affair must indeed be of thefirst magnitude. Ah, it is,
as I thought, Here come thepolice. Two men had just entered
the hotel, one in uniform,the other in plain clothes. They spoke
to a page and were immediately usheredupstairs. A few minutes later, the
same boy descended and came up towhere we were sitting. Mister Opleson's compliments,

(05:14):
and would you step upstairs? Puarosprang nimbly to his feet. One
would have said that he awaited thesummons. I followed with no less alacrity.
The Oplesen's apartments were situated on thefirst floor. After knocking on the
door, the page boy retired andwe answered the summons come in A strange
scene met our eyes. The roomwas Missus Oplelson's bedroom, and in the

(05:35):
center of it, lying back inan armchair, was the lady herself,
weeping violently. She presented an extraordinaryspectacle, with the tears making great furrows
in the powder with which her complexionwas liberally coated. Mister Opleson was striding
up and down angrily. The twopolice officials stood in the middle of the
room, one with a notebook inhand. An hotel chambermaid, looking frightened

(05:57):
to death, stood by the fireplace, and on the other side of the
room, a frenchwoman, obviously MissusOpleson's maid, was weeping and wringing her
hands with an intensity of grief thatrivaled that of her mistress. Into this
pandemonium step Poirot, neat and smilingimmediately with an energy surprising in one of
her bulk. Missus Oplelson sprang fromher chair towards him. There now ed

(06:20):
may say what he likes, butI believe in luck I do. It
was faded. I should meet youthe way I did this evening, and
I have a feeling that if youcan't get my pearls back for me,
nobody can. Calm yourself. Ipray of you, Madame. Poirot patted
her hands soothingly. Reassure yourself.All will be well. Hercule Poirot will

(06:41):
aid you. Then, mister Oplesonturned to the police inspector. There will
be no objection to my er callingin this, gentleman, I suppose none
at all, sir, replied theman civilly, but with complete indifference.
Perhaps now your lady's feeling better,she'll just let us have the facts.
Missus Oplelson looked helplessly at Poirot.He led her back to her chair.
Seat yourself, madame, and recountto us the whole history without agitating yourself.

(07:06):
Thus abjured, Missus Oplesen dried hereyes gingerly and began. I came
upstairs after dinner to fetch my pearlsfor mister Poirot here to see the chambermaid
and Celestine were both in the roomas usual. Excuse me, madame,
but what do you mean by assusual? Mister Opleson explained. I make
it a rule that no one isto come into this room unless Celestine,

(07:27):
the maid is there. Also,the chambermaid does the room in the morning
while Celestine is present, and comesin after dinner to turn down the beds
under the same conditions. Otherwise shenever enters the room. Well, as
I was saying, continued Missus Opelsen. I came up. I went to
the drawer here, she indicated,the bottom right hand drawer of the knee
hole dressing table. Took out myjewel case and unlocked it. It seemed

(07:49):
quite as usual, but the pearlswere not there. The inspector had been
busy with his notebook. When hadyou last see them? He asked?
They were there when I went downto dinner. You're sure, quite sure.
I was uncertain whether to wear themor not, But in the end
I decided on the emeralds and putthem back in the jewel case. Who
locked up the jewel case? Idid I wear the key on a chain

(08:11):
around my neck. She held itup as she spoke. The inspector examined
it and shrugged his shoulders. Thethief must have had a duplicate key.
No difficult matter. The lock isquite a simple one. What did you
do after you'd locked the jewel case. I put it back in the bottom
drawer where I always keep it.You didn't lock the drawer, No,
I never do. My maid remainsin the room till I come up,

(08:35):
so there's no need. The inspector'sface grew graver. Am I to understand
that the jewels were there when youwent down to dinner, and that since
then the maid has not left theroom. Suddenly, as though the horror
of her own situation for the firsttime burst upon her, Celestine uttered a
piercing shriek and flinging herself upon.Poirot poured out a torrent of incoherent French.

(08:58):
The suggestion one was infamous, thatshe should be suspected of robbing Madame.
The police were well known to beof a stupidity incredible. But Monsieur,
who was a Frenchman a Belgian,interjected Poirot. But Celestine paid no
attention to the correction. Monsieur wouldnot stand by and see her falsely accused,

(09:18):
while that infamous chambermaid was allowed togo scot free. She had never
liked her, a bold, redfaced thing, a born thief. She
had said from the first that shewas not honest and had kept a sharp
watch over her too when she wasdoing Madame's room. Let those idiots of
policemen search her, and if theydid not find Madame's pearls on her,
it would be very surprising. Althoughthis harangue was uttered in rapid and virulent

(09:43):
French, Celestine had interlarded it witha wealth of gesture, and the chambermaid
realized at least a part of hermeaning. She reddened angrily. If that
foreign woman saying I took the pearls, it's a lie, she declared heatedly.
I never so much as saw themsearch her, screamed the you will
find it is as I say.You're a liar, do you hear,

(10:03):
said the chambermaid, advancing upon her. Stole him yourself, and want to
put it on me? Why Iwas only in the room about three minutes
before the lady come up, andthen you were sitting here the whole time,
as you always do, like acat watching a mouse. The inspector
looked across, inquiringly at Celestine.Is that true? Didn't you leave the

(10:24):
room at all? I did notactually leave her alone, admitted Celestine reluctantly.
But I went into my own roomthrough the door here twice, once
to fetch a reel of cotton,and once for my scissors. She must
have done it. Then you wasn'tgone a minute, retorted the chambermaid angrily,
just popped out and in again.I'd be glad if the police would

(10:45):
search me. I've nothing to beafraid of. At this moment, there
was a tap at the door.The inspector went to it. His face
brightened when he saw who it was. Ah, he said, that's rather
fortunate. I sent for one ofour females searchers, and she's just arrived.
Perhaps if you wouldn't mind going intothe room next door. He looked
at the chambermaid, who stepped acrossthe threshold with a toss of her head,

(11:09):
The searcher following her closely. TheFrench girl had sunk, sobbing into
a chair. Puarot was looking roundthe room, the main features of which
I have made clear by a sketch.