POIROT INVESTIGATES: Playbook 4 · The Kidnapped Prime Minister, The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim, & The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman

POIROT INVESTIGATES

Playbook 4 · The Kidnapped Prime Minister, The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim, & The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman

Adapted from the Original work by Agatha Christie · Public domain (1924)

Hercule Poirot investigates a kidnapped Prime Minister, a banker's disappearance, and the death of an Italian nobleman.

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1 — The Kidnapped Prime Minister · Part I
• Chapter 2 — The Kidnapped Prime Minister · Part II
• Chapter 3 — The Kidnapped Prime Minister · Part III
• Chapter 4 — The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim · Part I
• Chapter 5 — The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim · Part II
• Chapter 6 — The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim · Part III
• Chapter 7 — The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman · Part I
• Chapter 8 — The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman · Part II

Chapter 1 — The Kidnapped Prime Minister · Part I

Summary: During a critical international conference, the British Prime Minister is kidnapped. Poirot is called upon to find him and avert an international crisis.

It was a day of great national anxiety. The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable David MacAdam, had been kidnapped on his way to a peace conference in Versailles. The nation was in a state of shock, and the government was desperate to find him before the conference began.

I was in Poirot's rooms when the summons came. A telephone call from the Home Secretary himself, asking Poirot to come to Downing Street at once.

Poirot: "It is a grave matter, my friend. A very grave matter. The Prime Minister has been kidnapped, and I am called upon to find him."

Hastings: "But how could such a thing happen? Surely there was security?"

Poirot: "The car was stopped on the road to Dover. The driver was found unconscious, and the Prime Minister was gone. It is a mystery that defies explanation."

We arrived at Downing Street and were shown into the Cabinet Room, where the Home Secretary and several high-ranking officials were waiting.

Home Secretary: "Monsieur Poirot, we have sent for you because you are the only one who can help us. The Prime Minister has been kidnapped, and we have received a ransom demand. The kidnappers want us to sabotage the peace conference."

Poirot: "And what is your response?"

Home Secretary: "We will pay the ransom. But we must find him before the conference begins. That is only three days away."

Poirot nodded thoughtfully. "I will need all the facts. Everything that has happened since the kidnapping."

References:
Poirot Investigates - Project Gutenberg

Chapter 2 — The Kidnapped Prime Minister · Part II

Summary: Poirot investigates the kidnapping, examining the scene of the crime and interviewing witnesses. He discovers a clue that points towards a traitor within the Prime Minister's entourage.

Poirot began his investigation in earnest. He visited the scene of the kidnapping, a desolate stretch of road near Dover. He examined the car, the ground, and the surrounding area.

Poirot: "The car was stopped, and the driver was knocked unconscious. The Prime Minister was then taken away in another vehicle. But there is one thing that puzzles me."

Hastings: "What is that?"

Poirot: "The driver. He was left alive. Why would the kidnappers take the risk of leaving a witness?"

Poirot then interviewed the driver, a man named O'Murphy, who was still recovering from his injuries. He was a loyal servant of the Prime Minister, and he was deeply distressed by what had happened.

O'Murphy: "I don't know what happened, Monsieur. I was driving along, and suddenly there was a car in front of us. A man jumped out and knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, the Prime Minister was gone."

Poirot: "Did you see the man's face? Could you describe him?"

O'Murphy: "It all happened so quickly. But I remember one thing—he was wearing a glove on his left hand, but not on his right."

Poirot's eyes lit up. "Aha! That is a vital clue. The man was left-handed, and he was wearing a glove to hide a scar or a birthmark."

References:
Poirot Investigates - Project Gutenberg

Chapter 3 — The Kidnapped Prime Minister · Part III

Summary: Poirot uncovers the truth behind the kidnapping. The Prime Minister was not kidnapped at all—he staged his own disappearance to gain sympathy and advance his political agenda.

Poirot spent the next two days making inquiries and piecing together the evidence. He interviewed everyone connected with the Prime Minister—his personal secretary, his bodyguards, and even his wife.

Finally, he called a meeting at Downing Street. The Home Secretary and the other officials were present, along with the Prime Minister's wife, Lady MacAdam.

Poirot: "I have solved the mystery of the Prime Minister's kidnapping. The truth is that there was no kidnapping. The Prime Minister arranged the whole thing himself."

Home Secretary: "What? That is impossible. Why would he do such a thing?"

Poirot: "For political gain. The peace conference is deeply unpopular. The Prime Minister wanted to create a crisis that would force the public to rally behind him. He intended to be 'rescued' at the last moment, emerging as a national hero."

Lady MacAdam burst into tears. "It is true," she said. "My husband told me everything. He planned it all."

Poirot: "The clue was the driver. He was left alive, and he was wearing a glove on his left hand. That told me that he was an accomplice, not a victim. The whole thing was a carefully staged deception."

Poirot had saved the nation from a scandal. The Prime Minister was quietly persuaded to retire, and the peace conference went ahead without him.

References:
Poirot Investigates - Project Gutenberg

Chapter 4 — The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim · Part I

Summary: Poirot makes a bet with Inspector Japp that he can solve the mysterious disappearance of a banker without leaving his armchair.

It was a quiet evening in Poirot's rooms. Inspector Japp had come to visit us, and we were enjoying a comfortable chat. The conversation turned to the recent disappearance of Mr. Matthew Davenheim, a wealthy banker who had vanished from his country house.

Inspector Japp: "It's a baffling case, Monsieur Poirot. Mr. Davenheim arrived home from the city on Saturday. He said he was expecting a visitor, Mr. Gerald Lowen, a business rival. He went out to post some letters, and he never returned. Mr. Lowen arrived and waited in the study for over an hour, but Mr. Davenheim never came back."

Poirot: "And there has been no trace of him?"

Japp: "None at all. His clothes were found in the boating lake, but no body."

Poirot: "It is a fascinating case. I could solve it without leaving this chair."

Japp laughed. "I bet you five pounds you can't."

Poirot: "Done! You are on, Inspector. I will solve the case within a week."

I was astonished. Poirot had not even visited the scene of the disappearance. How could he possibly solve the case from his armchair?

References:
Poirot Investigates - Project Gutenberg

Chapter 5 — The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim · Part II

Summary: Poirot questions Japp about the case and gradually pieces together the truth. He discovers a link between the disappearance and a known pickpocket.

Over the next few days, Poirot asked Japp a series of questions about the case. He seemed particularly interested in the details of Mr. Davenheim's appearance and habits.

Poirot: "Tell me, Inspector, did Mr. Davenheim wear his hair long? Did he have a beard?"

Japp: "Yes, he wore his hair rather long, and he had a full beard and a moustache."

Poirot: "And what about the man, Gerald Lowen? Was he also bearded?"

Japp: "No, he was clean-shaven."

Poirot: "And what about the boating lake? Was it searched?"

Japp: "It was searched thoroughly. We found Mr. Davenheim's clothes, but nothing else."

Poirot nodded thoughtfully. "And the safe in his study? Was it forced open?"

Japp: "Yes, it was. It had been forced open and the contents removed—cash, bearer bonds, and jewelry."

Poirot: "I see. And what about the pickpocket you mentioned, Billy Kellett?"

Japp: "He was arrested a few days ago. He was caught pawning a ring that belonged to Mr. Davenheim."

Poirot smiled. "I think, Inspector, that I am ready to reveal the truth."

References:
Poirot Investigates - Project Gutenberg

Chapter 6 — The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim · Part III

Summary: Poirot reveals the truth: Mr. Davenheim staged his own disappearance to escape his financial troubles. He assumed the identity of the pickpocket Billy Kellett.

Poirot gathered Japp, Hastings, and Mrs. Davenheim in the study. He was looking extremely pleased with himself.

Poirot: "The case is solved, my friends. Mr. Davenheim is not dead. He is alive and well, and he is currently in police custody."

Japp: "What? That is impossible! We have no such person in custody."

Poirot: "But you do, Inspector. He is in custody under another name—the name of Billy Kellett."

Japp stared at Poirot in disbelief. "But Billy Kellett is a known pickpocket. He has been in and out of prison for years."

Poirot: "Exactly, Inspector. Mr. Davenheim knew that his bank was about to fail. He planned his disappearance carefully. He grew a beard and a moustache, and he assumed the identity of Billy Kellett. He had himself arrested for a petty crime, and he has been in prison ever since."

Mrs. Davenheim: "But why would he do such a thing?"

Poirot: "To escape his creditors, Madame. He took all the money and jewelry from his own safe and staged his own disappearance. Mr. Lowen was innocent. He was just a convenient scapegoat."

Japp was amazed. "You solved the whole thing from your armchair!"

Poirot: "It was the little grey cells, Inspector. They told me that a man cannot disappear without a trace. He must be somewhere, and the most logical place was in plain sight."

Poirot had won his bet, and Japp paid him the five pounds with a smile.

References:
Poirot Investigates - Project Gutenberg

Chapter 7 — The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman · Part I

Summary: Poirot and Hastings investigate the suspicious death of Count Foscatini, an Italian nobleman found dead in his apartment with three dinner plates laid out.

I was enjoying a quiet evening in my flat when I received a telephone call from Poirot. He was excited and asked me to come to his rooms at once.

Poirot: "Ah, my friend, you have arrived. We have a most interesting case. Count Foscatini, an Italian nobleman, has been found dead in his apartment. The police suspect murder."

Hastings: "How was he killed?"

Poirot: "He was hit on the head with a marble bust. But there is something strange about the case."

Poirot told me the details. The Count had been entertaining two guests, both known to him. They had been seen leaving the building separately. The body was found later that night, with three dinner plates on the table.

Poirot: "Three dinner plates, my friend. That is the key to the mystery. There were three people at the dinner. But only two guests were seen leaving."

We arrived at the Count's apartment, a grand flat in Regent's Court. The police were already there, and they had questioned the two guests, a man named Signor Ascanio and another named Signor Brunelli. Both men had alibis.

References:
Poirot Investigates - Project Gutenberg

Chapter 8 — The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman · Part II

Summary: Poirot unravels the mystery of the three dinner plates and exposes the killer. The case is solved through a clever deduction involving the roles of the guests.

Poirot examined the apartment carefully. He studied the position of the body, the marble bust, and the dinner table. He then questioned the valet, who had found the body.

Valet: "I found the Count at 10 o'clock. He was dead, and the two guests were gone."

Poirot: "And the three dinner plates? Were they there when you arrived?"

Valet: "Yes, Monsieur. Three plates, three glasses, and three chairs. But only the Count's plate had been used."

Poirot's eyes lit up. "That is the clue, my friend. Three plates were laid, but only one was used. The Count was expecting two guests, but they never arrived. The murderer was someone who knew the Count's habits—someone who could have been the third person at the table."

Hastings: "But who?"

Poirot: "The valet, my friend. He was the third person. He knew the Count's plans, and he murdered him to steal something of value. The two guests were innocent—they were just pawns in his game."

The valet confessed to the crime. He had indeed killed the Count and tried to frame the two guests. Poirot had once again solved the mystery using his little grey cells.

References:
Poirot Investigates - Project Gutenberg

📖 Read the full series

Playbook 1 Playbook 2 Playbook 3 Playbook 4 Playbook 5

← Previous Playbook Next Playbook →

📚 You Might Also Want to Read

⚡ Nick Carter at Western Union Junction Playbook 1 · The Telegram from Nowhere

Adapted from the Original work by Agatha Christie
Public domain (1924) · This adaptation follows the playbook series format