The New Investigations of Hercule Poirot

The New Investigations of

Hercule Poirot

The New Investigations of

Hercule Poirot A TRIBUTE TO

BY

VARIOUS AUTHORS

Think English A FanFiction Collection

Copyleft

2011 by Think English

The illustration on the cover and the images in the e-book: the Internet Think English claims no rights to the characters created by Agatha Christie.

All parts of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher as long as the credits are given to the respective authors and the publisher. No further rights reserved. Published by the Think English website.

Think English Zespół Szkół nr 2 im. W. Korfantego in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Poland http://zs2konkursy.wordpress.com

Contents Foreword by Ryszard Oślizło …………………………………...9 1. The Mystery of the Haunted Hotel by Martyna Krosta ……………………………………11 2. The Adventure of Poirot’s Friend by Justyna Salamon & Gosia Cichecka ………………17 3. The Mysterious Kidnapping by Martyna Kosmala & Aleksandra Perkowska ……...21 4. The Tragedy at Greensville by Ania Juszczyk ……………………………………..29 5. The Body in the Bathroom by Zuzanna Kozłowska & Anna Miech ………………37 6. The Case of the Gold Hairpin by Patrycja Krawczyk & Agata Doleżych ……………41 7. The Baby on the Church Steps by Emilia Kowalska & Natalia Kapała ………………45 8. The Missing Brooch by Magdalena Dzierża ……………………………….49 9. The Red Herring by Przemysław Śliwa & Krzysztof Grzelak …………55

Foreword The short stories included in this collection were written by the 2a LO and 2d LO students at Wojciech Korfanty High School in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Poland, as a tribute to the Queen of Crime. The task of writing a detective story was a classwork assignment and it took three consecutive English classes to plot, complete and revise the stories. The students were given the opening paragraph and the closing sentence of the story which they could use, change or replace to their liking. The parts suggested were the following: Hercule Poirot frowned/brightened up. He had never investigated such a(n) interesting/surprising/shocking/dramatic/easy/difficult case before. At the moment he was… (where? with whom? doing what?)... and remembering the whole story. It all began when… „As always,‟ he thought boastfully, „Hercule Poirot proved to be the greatest detective in the world!‟

Moreover, the students were asked to focus on some specific grammar structures, including direct and reported speech and modal verbs of deduction. As for the target vocabulary, they were supposed to employ both body verbs, such as “frown”, “giggle” or “gasp”, and adjectives describing places, e.g. “shabby”, “luxurious” or “cramped”. The great enthusiasm and commitment which all the students brought to this project will certainly make up for any possible shortcomings that may be found within these covers. Hopefully, you will enjoy reading the stories as much as the authors enjoyed writing them! – Ryszard Oślizło An English Teacher at Wojciech Korfanty High School

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The Mystery of the Haunted Hotel by Martyna Krosta

The Mystery of the Haunted Hotel

H

ercule Poirot brightened up. He had never investigated such a

surprising case before. At the moment he was in the park with his dog, walking across the bridge and remembering the whole story. It all began when he was travelling around Scotland with his friend Gemma. On the first day they reached the hotel. Gemma was happy. 'I have never been to Scotland earlier,' she said. 'I'm going to have fun!' But she became very depressed when they saw that the hotel was shabby and uninhabited. 'Oh, come on, Gemma,' Hercule said, 'it's too late to look for another hotel. We should stay here.'

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The New Investigations of Hercule Poirot

So they decided to go inside. When the two friends went into the old building, they saw a middle-aged woman. During a quick talk, Hercule and Gemma heard a lot about the hotel and its history. The woman said that her name was Georgina and she had inherited the building 5 years before from her grandmother. 'In 1864 my grandma lived here, exactly in this hotel. She was a lonely type of person. People were scared of her, and accused her of being a witch. They took her for interrogation and after all that they burnt her at the stake!' explained Georgina. 'Oh, that was terrible what they did!' said Gemma. 'Yes, it was, but really scary was what she said on her death day,' Georgina added. 'What was that?' Hercule asked. 'She said: "I'll come back from the other side and get my revenge!"' Georgina answered. 'And that is the reason why people don't want to sleep here. At the beginning a few people came, but they didn't spend much time here. They said that they were hearing weird noises at night. Now nobody wants to arrive,' Georgina added. 'OK, but what about those noises?' Gemma asked. 'Yes, I heard them too,' explained Georgina, 'but this is not important. The night is coming. Goodbye.' 'But we are going to stay here!' Hercule protested. 'Really? OK. If you want to,' Georgina said. While Gemma was sleeping, Hercule was thinking about that witch all the time. Then he heard some yelling from the cellar. He decided to check it.

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The Mystery of the Haunted Hotel

In the cellar Hercule saw something that looked like a woman, but he wasn't sure. 'Who are you?' he asked. But then suddenly the woman disappeared. Next day Hercule went to the cellar again, but this time it was empty. On the spot where he had seen something earlier, now he saw a shovel and a hole in the ground. Hercule decided to go back to his room to fetch a flashlight and check the hole. When he went inside, he was shocked. He saw a long, dark tunnel, but it wasn't finished. Suddenly he stepped on something. It was an excavation plan. 'Someone wants to rob a bank!' Hercule thought. That was true. The plan explained how to dig an underground tunnel to the local bank. He only just came back to the cellar when he saw a radio in the corner. Hercule switched on the radio and then he heard the same noises as in the night. 'This is suspicious,' he said. 'Georgina needs to know about that.' He ran to look for her, walked around the whole hotel but he couldn't find her. 'Maybe she is outside,' Hercule thought and left the building. 'Excuse me, could you give it to the owner?' asked the postman. 'Oh, sure!' Hercule answered and glanced at the card from Ireland and read it. 'Oh my God, that card is from her grandma,' he thought. 'I think I know where she is.'

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Hercule called the police, took them to the cellar and then everyone saw Georgina with a shovel and they heard the strange sounds from the radio. 'Ladies and gentlemen, that woman faked a haunted house story just to scare people away from here and get money from the bank!' Hercule said. 'How could you think that nobody will catch you?' he added. 'Damn it, that was a perfect plan. How did you know?' Georgina asked. 'I always know!' he answered. 'As always,' he thought boastfully, 'Hercule Poirot proved to be the greatest detective in the world!'

The Adventure of Poirot’s Friend by Justyna Salamon & Gosia Cichecka

The Adventure of Poirot’s Friend

H

ercule Poirot frowned. He had never investigated such a shocking

case before. At the moment, he was alone in a café looking at the castle through the window and remembering the whole story. It all began when he was on holiday with his friends in the old town. They visited there a lot of places. One of them was an old, deserted castle, where it all happened. Hercule and his friends were walking around the castle, when they heard a loud shout. They turned back. „Where is Hastings?‟ said Hercule.

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Their friend had disappeared. All friends were frightened. They started looking for him nervously, but finally they didn‟t find him. Some of them thought that Hastings might have been killed. Hercule‟s holiday changed into his detective work. He began an investigation. Hercule kept visiting the castle every day looking for any signs of Hastings‟s presence. He interviewed each of the castle‟s workers. The most mysterious worker, Hercule thought, was a cleaning lady. He decided to find out more about her and he spied her. After a few days something happened. That day the cleaning lady‟s behaviour was weird. In the evening, when the castle wasn‟t crowded with visitors, the woman opened a secret door and she came inside. Detective Poirot followed her. The room inside was dark and spacious. Suddenly, Hercule heard a groan. He switched on his torch and he saw some people who were tied to chairs. Among them was also his friend, Hastings. Hercule was shocked. When the cleaning lady saw the detective, she wanted to escape but he stopped her and called the police. It turned out that she had escaped from a psychiatric hospital some months ago. The woman‟s prisoners were exhausted, but also happy, because they were free. Hastings was grateful. „As always,‟ he thought boastfully, „Hercule Poirot proved to be the greatest detective in the world!‟

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The Mysterious Kidnapping by Martyna Kosmala & Aleksandra Perkowska

The Mysterious Kidnapping

H

ercule Poirot frowned. He had never investigated such a dramatic

case before. At the moment, he was in the forest looking at a dramatic scene. It all began when that kid went missing. It happened in the summer. Seven-year-old Tom went to the playground and he didn‟t come back home. His scared parents called the private detective, Hercule Poirot, to investigate the case. He started to search for evidence and clues suggesting where the little boy might have been. „Maybe he went to his best friend, Mark?‟ he asked the frightened parents. „No, we called Mark‟s mom and she hadn‟t seen him,‟ they answered. The detective sighed and decided to look for more information. He started to ask people in the neighbourhood. After a couple of days he met a boy who had seen Tom on the day he went missing.

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„Yes, I saw him,‟ he said. „He was walking through the forest with an old woman.‟ „How did she look like?‟ Poirot asked. The boy described the woman‟s appearance and the police artist made a composite drawing of her. „Oh, she looks like Mary!‟ Tom‟s father said. „Who‟s Mary?‟ Poirot asked. „She‟s my mother and Tom‟s grandmother.‟ The detective frowned. He thought that this case may not be that difficult. How was it possible that he hadn‟t thought about it earlier. „Have you got any contact with her? Is it possible that the old woman might be her?‟ he asked. „Yes, we have got her phone number, but it can‟t be her because she has been in France for five years!‟ the frightened parents said. „But we must check that!‟ Poirot answered. After that they tried to call Mary – Tom‟s grandmother – but her telephone was off the hook. Poirot was looking for something more but nobody had seen Tom. A couple of days later a strange woman called the detective and said that she had seen the missing boy whose photograph was displayed on posters around the city. To check the information, Poirot went to the restaurant where the boy had been seen. Fortunately, the restaurant had a CCTV system and the manager allowed the detective to watch the recordings. The truth came out soon.

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„It was her!‟ Tom‟s mother said. „Oh my God! Why did she kidnap him?!‟ she started to panic and cry in agony. „We must find him,‟ she added. Next two days passed and it didn‟t seem that the case would soon be solved. Until Sunday morning. The woman who had called a couple of days earlier, called again. „I saw them once more,‟ she whispered on the phone. Poirot was really excited. „Could you come to my office, Ms...?‟ „Ms Smith,‟ she said. „I‟ll be there soon.‟ He was waiting for an hour and he started to worry but finally somebody knocked at the door. „Come in,‟ he said. Ms Smith came into the office and started to describe everything she had seen. While she was talking, suddenly somebody entered the room. It was Tom‟s mother. „Mary called us!‟ she screamed. „She has got him and she‟s going to hurt him but I don‟t know why!‟ The detective froze motionless. „Wait a minute,‟ he said. „Where did you see them, Ms Smith?‟ „Near Central Park,‟ Ms Smith answered. „Oh my God! Mary had bought an old cottage in the forest near Central Park!‟ Tom‟s mother said.

25


Poirot frowned. „We must go there!‟ They drove to Central Park and found the cottage in the forest. „Wait here,‟ the detective said. „I will go alone.‟ He broke into the cottage. It was really shabby inside and there was nothing except rubbish and a big fridge in the corner. „It‟s really weird,‟ he thought. Slowly he walked towards the fridge and opened it carefully. „Oh my God!‟ he screamed and froze. In the fridge he saw parts of Mary‟s body. He ran outside and whispered to Tom‟s parents: „I found Mary but she‟s dead. Somebody killed her.‟ The parents froze in horror. „But where is Tom?‟ they asked. Suddenly, they all heard derisive laughter of a child. They turned around and saw Tom with a hatchet in his hand. „I will kill you too!‟ he shouted and ran towards the frightened parents and the detective. But Poirot was faster. He knocked Tom to the ground and took the murderous weapon away from him. „Take him to the police! They will decide what should be done about him!‟ he said. 26


The woeful father tied Tom up and took him to the car. „As always,‟ Poirot thought boastfully, „Hercule Poirot proved to be the greatest detective in the world!‟

The Tragedy at Greensville by Ania Juszczyk

The Tragedy at Greensville

H

ercule Poirot frowned. At the moment he was sitting in his favourite

armchair and drinking coffee. He was alone. He remembered that this case was funny and surprising. It all began this sunny afternoon, when Hercule Poirot visited his old friend John in his house. John seemed to be troubled and sad. Hercule frowned and continued his observations. John became more and more anxious with each minute of the conversation. Suddenly, Hercule Poirot asked: „John, my friend, what is wrong? I see that you are worried about something, why don‟t you tell me about your problems?‟ „Well, it‟s really nothing. Oh, I just need to go on vacation…‟ continued John. „Hercule, what do you think about a trip to Greensville? I am a little tired of this London‟s weather; we have unusually hot summer this year. I am thinking of a few days of vacation in the small, quiet village. You

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know: no patients, no obligations, no papers…‟ „No bills,‟ ended Poirot. „Well, you‟re right,‟ said John. „I really would like to spend a few days far away from the crowded city, and I need a break, so I decided to accept Miss Wilson‟s invitation. I am going to Greensville for a few days, just to relax…‟ „Wait a second,‟ Hercule Poirot stopped his explanations. „Aren‟t you hiding something?‟ he asked. „Miss Wilson? Your beloved, charming Miss Wilson? And you have just decided to spend your precious time in the middle of nowhere, just to relax? I know you very well, John. You can‟t live without your job and your patients,‟ said Poirot. „Oh, you‟ve got me,‟ answered John. „Well, you remember that Miss Wilson and I had been good friends before I went to India. It was a few years ago. I never forgot her and I still remember her beautiful face. She never married and she stayed with her parents, Lord and Lady Wilson. I am worried about her life right now. I think she is in real danger. Miss Wilson visited my office last Monday and she told me a very interesting story about her house in Greensville. Her father had bought this property a few weeks before he died. “It was a bargain,” she said. “A beautiful, old and large mansion for a really cheap price.”‟ „Hmm, an old mansion for a cheap price? Something is fishy here…‟ said Poirot quietly. „Yes, you‟re right,‟ answered John. „They moved into Greensville last month. A week later they started to hear strange noises in their cellar. Next day their maid was so scared that she decided to quit. She was really frightened. Mrs. Wilson tried to convince her to stay, even for a much higher salary, but the old woman refused. She said that the house was cursed, because the previous owner, Lord Black, had died there. She repeated all the time: “It‟s him! It‟s him! The old Master! He is upset, because a new family lives in his home! He hated people when he was alive! Now, he wants his house back again!” Lord Wilson was confused. 32


He had heard the story about the old owner, Lord Black. There were rumours that he had become wealthy in Africa, where he traded blood diamonds. Many people died to make him rich. Lord Wilson didn‟t believe in any curses, but honestly, this curse was the main reason for such low price for that mansion. Mrs. Wilson wanted to move out immediately, but her husband refused. He was stubborn and didn‟t believe in any curses or ghosts. A few days later, in the middle of the night, they were alarmed again by the strange noises. Mr. Wilson took a rifle and decided to check that cellar. A few minutes later, Mrs. and Miss Wilson heard a shot and Mr. Wilson‟s scream. They found Mr. Wilson on the cellar floor. He was dead. Mr. Wilson fell off the stairs and broke his neck. But what was this strange noise? What really happened in the cellar? After this accident, everything seemed to be OK in the mansion. No more strange noises coming from the cellar until this week. Miss Wilson came to my office and desperately asked for help. She told me that this time her mother or she herself may become the victim. She started to believe in that curse. That‟s the whole story,‟ said John. „OK, John. It is an interesting case. I will go with you to help Mrs. Wilson. Let‟s go my friend,‟ said Poirot. The trip wasn‟t long. Early in the evening they stopped by at the front door of the old mansion in Greensville. „Oh, this is a beautiful place!‟ said John. „Look at this garden and forest. They are amazing!‟ he continued. The house and garden were really charming. Both ladies Wilson were waiting impatiently for the men. A moment later they were all sitting in a luxurious living-room and drinking tea. Mrs. Wilson said: „I am so happy to see you both; especially I am grateful for your help, Mr. Poirot. I live here with my daughter but I am so scared, because last night I heard a noise coming from the cellar, the same as a month ago, in the night of my husband‟s death.‟

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„We are at your service, madam,‟ said Poirot. „Would you like to show me that cellar now?‟ he asked. „Oh yes, of course. I have to bring the key, because since that terrible day the cellar has been locked and nobody dared even to take a short glance at that place,‟ answered Mrs. Wilson. „Here, please, take it,‟ she said and gave the key to Poirot. „Thank you, madam,‟ said Poirot. „I am going to make an inspection of that cellar and I will be back in a few minutes,‟ he said again. Soon, he appeared back in the living room. „Well, I think we should wait until the night. I am going to catch this ghost. I suggest that both ladies Wilson go to bed. You may feel safe, madam, John and I will stay here and guard you,‟ said Poirot. „Have a good night.‟ Poirot and John played chess for the next few hours. Suddenly, the quiet living-room was filled with some noises. „Did you hear this? whispered John. „Yes,‟ answered Poirot. „Take your gun, John, and let‟s go.‟ They opened the door very carefully. In the cellar‟s darkness they saw a dark shadow and big shiny eyes. Poirot switched on the flashlight instantly. A white beam of light stopped on… a small bear. It looked surprised; it froze for a moment, then instantly ran away. „Oh,‟ said John weakly. „It was…‟ „…a small bear,‟ finished Poirot. „And now, I see the doorway to a secret passage,‟ he said again. „It‟s here, look at this wall. I don‟t think the bear will come back tonight. It was scared more than we were,‟ said Poirot. „Let‟s go to sleep.‟

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Next day Poirot invited Mrs. and Miss Wilson into the cellar and explained to them what had happened. „This is an old house,‟ said Poirot. „Old houses are full of old stories and secret passages. Such a passage with a hidden door is located in your cellar and leads into the garden and then to the forest. This small bear probably got lost from its mother and had to take care of itself. It accidently found the passage leading into your cellar and visited your house every time when it became hungry. That was the reason for the noises. Your cellar, full of food, was an attractive place for this lost animal. Unfortunately, this small bear doesn‟t have good manners and it didn‟t keep quiet during its visits in the middle of the night. Your husband, alarmed at the strange noises, tried to check the cellar and fell off the high stairs. It wasn‟t murder; it was an accident. You have to lock the doorway to the secret passage and you will avoid any unwanted guests. And what about the story about ghosts and curses?‟ Hercule Poirot giggled quietly. „Well, all old houses have their stories. This one had nothing to do with all these events. So your mother‟s or your own life is not in danger, Miss Wilson. You don‟t need to be afraid anymore, especially, that you have a new guard – my friend John. Am I right, Miss Wilson?‟ Hercule Poirot left Greensville next day. He was alone because his friend, John, decided to stay with the lady of his heart and soon – his wife. „As always,‟ he thought boastfully, „Hercule Poirot proved to be the greatest detective in the world.‟

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The Body in the Bathroom by Zuzanna Kozłowska & Anna Miech

The Body in the Bathroom

H

ercule Poirot frowned. He had never investigated such a dramatic

case before. At the moment, he was alone in his office remembering the whole story. Everything started when a twenty-year-old man called him. This young man studied in London and decided to visit his family in Bristol. He found the body of his forty-year-old mother in the bathroom. The woman had a lot of cuts on the head and everything implied that she was the victim of murder. However, from the garage the car was stolen that she had bought not so long ago. 'We found the car abandoned by the road a couple of miles away,' said the policeman who was investigating the case.

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The investigation took too long and the young man became desperate to find help from Hercule Poirot. The detective decided to take care of this case. He looked further into the victim's husband to check if he had had something to do with this case. He watched the suspected man and found the weapon and bullets inside his house. He informed the police about this fact and they found out that since the son had left the family home, the man had abused his wife several times. 'As always,' the detective thought boastfully, 'Hercule Poirot proved to be the greatest detective in the world.'

The Case of the Gold Hairpin by Patrycja Krawczyk & Agata Doleżych

The Case of the Gold Hairpin

H

ercule Poirot brightened up. He had never investigated such an easy

case before. At the moment he was in the park with his friends having breakfast and remembering the whole story. It all began one day when he was asked to find a gold hairpin which had been stolen from his friends‟ house. He thought it would be difficult to find the person who might have stolen it. One day he went to a café to have some cake when suddenly he saw a charming woman sitting at the table next to his. He remembered that he had seen her before. They had met at his friends‟ house the day the jewelry box went missing. He looked at her head and saw… a luxurious gold hairpin in her hair. It looked exactly like the one he was looking for. He thought that the lady must have stolen it from her neighbours. He felt a thrill of excitement

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because he was sure of that. He called the police and told them what he had discovered. His conjectures soon proved correct when he saw how the woman was scared looking at the two policemen coming up to her. Poirot approached to the woman and told her: 'I am a detective and I am looking for the gold hairpin which is now in your hair. I‟m afraid it was stolen.' At first the woman didn't want to admit to what she had done but then she sighed and told the men that she had been in that house and she had stolen the jewelry box with the gold hairpin inside. She was embarrassed and stressed. Poirot never thought that it would be so easy to solve the case but the moment he saw the woman he knew that she must have been guilty because her face said that she was hiding something. 'As always,' he thought boastfully, 'Hercule Poirot proved to be the greatest detective in the world!'

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The Baby on the Church Steps by Emilia Kowalska & Natalia Kapała

The Baby on the Church Steps

H

ercule Poirot brightened up. He had never investigated such an

interesting case before. At the moment, he was in a tranquil church with his friend, a priest. They were talking about the baby and remembering the whole story. It all began when one cloudy day the sexton heard a baby crying and saw a little charming person who was lying on the church steps. Hercule Poirot said: 'I promise to find the baby's mother.' When he came back to his office he came up with an idea. He wanted to know who had given birth to babies that month and so he went immediately to the hospital to find it out. Because of the privacy issues, the nurse couldn't tell him about it. He had to check the information himself without being noticed. Poirot discovered that two women had given birth to babies in November and he went to visit those women at once.

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When he was near the door of one of them, Hercule heard a baby crying. A young woman with a baby in her arms opened the door. 'Good evening. I come with some questions,' Mr Poirot said. 'Come in,' she invited Hercule inside. He explained everything. She told him that when she had been in hospital she saw a pregnant teenage girl who was sad and was crying every night. The detective thanked for the information and went to see the other woman. When he was near her house, he heard some screams. He ran inside and saw an old woman who screamed: 'Help my daughter, help my daughter...' Hercule came in and saw blood everywhere. The girl was hanged. Mr Poirot gave her first aid. But she died. At the police station the girl's mother explained that her daughter had abandoned the baby because they didn't have any money. The priest promised to find a new mother for the baby. The woman was in mourning. 'As always,' the detective thought boastfully, 'Hercule Poirot proved to be the greatest detective in the world.' But he was also disappointed because the girl had died.

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The Missing Brooch by Magdalena Dzierża

The Missing Brooch

O

n a dull and gloomy day, thirty-year-old Mrs. Odish was sitting in a

comfortable armchair and she was knitting. Her small kitty was sleeping on her lap and was purring sweetly. She was feeling bereaved. She looked through the window at the rain. This ugly and rainy weather caused depression in her. She felt tired and sleepy so she decided to go to sleep. The next day was sunny and beautiful and she came up with an idea to go somewhere in her car. She simply wanted to have fun and spend a nice time driving. She took only the necessary things such as clothes, another pair of shoes, a camera and some food. She got into her car and along with her kitty she set off. She drove and drove listening to loud music and she smiled to herself. She went along crowded streets all day long. When the night came, she

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decided to look for a night‟s lodging. She stopped at the Rose hotel. It wasn‟t a luxurious hotel but it was cosy and warm. It had tacky furniture, though. While staying at the Rose hotel, she lost there a valuable thing. It was a big brooch which her grandmother had once given her. On that day she had dinner in the restaurant. It was most delicious. After she got back to her room, she changed into more comfortable clothes and she went out to town. She had left her brooch on the dressing table. She got back to the hotel at about ten o‟clock p.m. and went to sleep. In the morning she noticed that her brooch was not on the dressing table. She looked for it everywhere but she couldn‟t find it. She was very sad and tears flooded her eyes. She cuddled her kitty which purred sweetly. In the afternoon she called a private detective, Hercule Poirot. The detective soon turned up in the Rose hotel. This case of the missing brooch interested him very much and he started his investigation. First, he interrogated all the people present at the hotel. He had an eye on every person he was interrogating. Unfortunately, nobody behaved suspiciously. Next, he asked Mrs. Odish to tell him everything about the previous day. He looked at her and listened to her carefully. He wrote down the most important information in his notebook. „After dinner, madam, you went to town, yes? Did you lock the door after you left?‟ „Yes, I always remember to do it.‟ „And thereafter you got back to your room at about ten o‟clock p.m., correct?‟ „Yes.‟ 52

The Missing Brooch

„Were you a bit tipsy, perhaps?‟ „Well, I was a little, I admit.‟ „Hmm… and you went to sleep?‟ „Not exactly. I had a bath first.‟ „Was the brooch on the dressing table then?‟ „Yes, it was.‟ „What happened later?‟ „Later I sat at the dressing table and combed my hair. My brooch was there all the time. When I had combed my hair, I went to sleep.‟ „I see. Maybe the brooch fell down somewhere. Let‟s look for it now, yes?‟ „But I had already looked for it. I couldn‟t find it anywhere.‟ „Madam, you said you had been slightly tipsy last night. And first thing in the morning you noticed that the brooch was not on the dressing table. You could still have been a bit sleepy and may not have remembered everything clearly. Secondly, madam, you did not look for the brooch properly. Let‟s do it now.‟ „All right.‟ Detective Poirot started his methodical search. He soon found the brooch on the bottom of the wardrobe. „There you are, this is your brooch, madam.‟

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„Thank you. Now I remember! I looked for my pyjamas in the wardrobe. I had the brooch in my hand. I always keep it on me. It‟s very valuable for me.‟ „No problem. It happens. I am glad that I could help.‟ „Once again thank you!‟ Detective Poirot said good-bye to Mrs. Odish and left. The kitty jumped on Mrs. Odish‟s lap and purred sweetly. He was happy that his mistress felt cheerful again. „As always,‟ he thought boastfully, „Hercule Poirot proved to be the greatest detective in the world!‟

The Red Herring by Przemysław Śliwa & Krzysztof Grzelak

The Red Herring

H

ercule was sitting at home and sipping tea, when suddenly he heard

car tires squeal somewhere outside. He looked out of the window and saw a little girl in the street. The girl was crying, so he went out to check what had happened. „Hey, little girl, what‟s wrong?‟ he asked but the girl couldn‟t speak English. Hercule deduced that her mother had just been kidnapped. He decided to take up this case. He brought in an interpreter to the nearby Puaro café but in the meantime the girl was kidnapped too. When he was having coffee, he saw a little Romanian boy who gave him a packet. Hercule frowned – in the packet he found a cut off finger and a red fish head. He had never investigated such a dramatic case before. He went to the USA by airplane where the clue was leading. In Connecticut he met Robert Barnlike, a famous strongman and Poirot's friend. Robert promised to help him and soon he found a good clue. It was the French address of the person who had sent the Romanian boy to bring Poirot the packet. So they immediately flew to Saint Tropez. 57


At the airport they met a crook, Adrian, who took them to one place. They found there a dangerous gang. Fortunately, Robert had his favourite supplement to improve strength. He took a pill and grabbed the gang. The gangsters gave them the next clue which led them to the town of Zebrzydowice in Poland. When they arrived in the countryside, a scruffy boy gave them a strange sheet of paper with an address on it. They went to the suspicious address and they found a house with an open door. When they got into this house they finally found the kidnapped little girl, but she looked very bad. The girl was crying but she managed to tell them the whole story. Soon Adrian, who had taken Poirot to the gang‟s house, was convicted to prison for kidnapping but a local policeman let him out. The criminal escaped to the nearby town of Jastrzębie-Zdrój and hid at Wojciech Korfanty High School. From this time on, Adrian became a good student and never missed any classes. Hercule came back home and tried to forget about what had happened. Fifteen years later he got a letter where Adrian apologized to him for what he had done and confirmed that he gave himself up and went to prison. „As always you were right and I‟m sure that we will meet again sometime,‟ he wrote. Now Hercule Poirot is waiting for a new case to solve and is still regarded as the best detective in the world.

58

Agatha Christie

is the best-selling Agatha is books the best-selling novelist in theChristie world and her have been novelist in the her foreign books have been translated into world nearlyand every language. translated into nearly every foreign works language. Only the Bible and Shakespeare’s sell Only the Bible and Shakespeare’s works sell better than her 79 detective-stories which made better than her Hercule 79 detective-stories which made her detectives, Poirot and Miss Marple, her detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, as famous as their creator. as famous as their creator.

Hercule made his first appearance in The Mysterious Hercule Poirot Poirot made his first appearance in The Mysterious

Affair called upon upon by by his his friend friend Hastings, Hastings, to to solve solve aa most most Affair at at Styles, Styles, called mysterious murder. Poirot Poirot would would be be the the first first to to call call himself himself mysterious murder. the detective in in the the world world -- he he has has never never been been known known the greatest greatest detective for but with with such such success success in in his his career career he he isis quite quite for his his modesty modesty -- but justified in his opinion. But not even Christie could ever have imagined how popular popular Poirot Poirot would become, nor how many stories she would write about about him. him. He would star in thirty-three novels and fifty-four short short stories, stories, including some some of including of Christie’s Christie’s best best such such as as Murder Murder on on the the Orient Orient Express, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Death on the Nile. Express, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Death on the Nile. All the short stories included in this collection were written This exclusive collection of short stories has been written by the 2a LO and 2d LO students at Wojciech Korfanty High School by the 2a LO and 2d LO students at Wojciech Korfanty High School in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Poland, as a tribute to the Queen of Crime. in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Poland, as a tribute to the Queen of Crime. Hercule Poirot makes a splendid return and his “little grey cells” Hercule Poirot makes a splendid return and his “little grey cells” are challenged once again by another bunch of mysterious cases. are challenged again by kidnapping another bunch mysterious cases. In these storiesonce of murder, andofinsanity, he never In these to stories of murder, kidnapping insanity, he never hesitates visit haunted places or even goand around the world. And hesitates to visit haunted places or even go around the world. as always, he proves to be the greatest detective in the world. And as always, he proves to be the greatest detective in the world.

Think English http://zs2konkursy.wordpress.com Think English Zespół Szkół nr 2 im. W. Korfantego w Jastrzębiu-Zdroju

http://zs2konkursy.wordpress.com 60 Zespół Szkół nr 2 im. W. Korfantego w Jastrzębiu-Zdroju

The New Investigations of Hercule Poirot

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