Chapter 25 Summary

Poirot motions for James to stay behind after the meeting. James asks Poirot why he chose to give the murderer this elaborate warning. Poirot tells him to use his grey cells. James guesses, to make the real killer confess because Poirot is not really sure who it is. Then he guesses that Poirot is setting a trap by provoking the real killer to try to silence Poirot. Poirot says no to both guesses. James asks who Poirot thinks the killer is. Poirot begins to explain to James how he cracked the case.

Poirot explains that Ralph had no motive to make that the telephone call and so he is not the killer. The telephone call must have been made by an accomplice and not someone from the household. The motive for the call was difficult to guess, but Poirot realized that the effect...