Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot, #41)

by Agatha Christie

“He has not got ’flu,” said Hercule Poirot. “He has only a nasty cold. Everyone always thinks they have ’flu. It sounds more important. One gets more sympathy. The trouble with a catarrhal cold is that it is hard to glean the proper amount of sympathetic consideration from one’s friends.”

“But there was no evidence of sexual assault, or so I understand?” “No, but people like to think these things happen. It makes it more exciting. You know what people are like.” “One thinks one does—but sometimes—well—we do not really know at all.”

“It does not seem so unlikely to me,” said Poirot. “Children do see things. They are so often, you see, not expected to be where they are.”