Cast of Characters

Roderick Alleyn…Chief Detective-Inspector, Criminal Investigation Department, New Scotland Yard

Agatha Troy Alleyn…his wife

Ricky…their son

Miss Truebody…their fellow-passenger

Dr. Claudel…a French physician

Raoul Milano…of Roqueville. Owner-driver

Dr. Ali Baradi…a surgeon

Mahomet…his servant

Mr. Oberon…of the Château de la Chèvre d’Argent

his guests

Ginny Taylor

Robin Herrington

Carbury Glande

Annabella Wells

Teresa…the fiancée of Raoul

M. Dupont…of the Sûreté. Acting Commisaire at the Prefecture, Roqueville

M. Callard…Managing Director of the Compagnie Chimique des Alpes Maritimes

M. and Madame Milano…the parents of Raoul

Marie…a maker of figurines

M. Malaquin…proprietor of the Hôtel Royal

P. E. Garbel…a chemist

i

Without moving his head, Ricky slewed his eyes round until he was able to look slantways at the back of his mother’s easel.

“I’m getting pretty bored, however,” he announced.

“Stick it a bit longer, darling, I implore you, and look at Daddy.”

“Well, because it’s just about as boring a thing as a person can have to do. Isn’t it, Daddy?”

“When I did it,” said his father, “I was allowed to look at your mama, so I wasn’t bored. But as there are degrees of boredom,” he continued, “so there are different kind of bores. You might almost say there are recognizable schools.”

“To which school,” said his wife, stepping back from her easel, “would you say Mr. Garbel belonged? Ricky, look at Daddy for five minutes more and then I promise we’ll stop.”