Part 26 (2/2)

hand, I'm not prepared to give chapter and verse. Such information as I've got

came to me privately.”

”Meaning a woman or women are concerned?”

”Yes. Shaitana, like the dirty dog he was, preferred to deal with women.”

”You think he was a blackmailer? That is interesting.”

Despard shook his head.

”No, no, you've misunderstood me. In a way, Shaitana was a blackmailer, but

not the common or garden sort. He wasn't after money. He was a spiritual

blackmailer, if there can be such a thing.”

”And he got out of it--what?”

”He got a kick out of it. That's the only way I can put it. He got a thrill out of

seeing people quail and flinch. I suppose it made him feel less of a louse and more

of a man. And it's a very effective pose with women. He'd only got to hint that he

knew everything--and they'd start telling him a lot of things that perhaps he didn't

know. That would tickle his sense of humour. Then he'd strut about in his

Mephistophelian att.i.tude of 'I know everything! I am the great Shaitana!' The man

was an ape!”

”So you think that he frightened Miss Meredith that way,” said Poirot slowly.

”Miss Meredith?” Despard stared. ”I wasn't thinking of her. She isn't the kind

to be afraid of a man like Shaitana.”

”Pardon. You meant Mrs. Lorrimer.”

”No, no, no. You misunderstand me. I was speaking generally. It wouldn't be

easy to frighten Mrs. Lorrimer. And she's not the kind of woman who you can

imagine having a guilty secret. No, I was not thinking of any one in particular.”

”It was the general method to which you referred?”

”.Exactly.”

”There is no doubt,” said Poirot slowly, ”that what you call a Dago often has a

very clever understanding of women. He knows how to approach them. He worms secrets out of {hem ”

He paused.

Despard broke in impatiently: ”It's absurd. The man was a mountebank--nothing, really dangerous about him. And yet women were afraid of him. Ridiculously so.

<script>