17. Poirot, the Genius Solutions

 17. Poirot, the Genius Solutions

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A. Think Quick

1. The handbag had mysteriously disappeared.
2. Even after hours of questioning, the suspect refused to confess to the crime.
3. Did you notice anything peculiar in his behavior?
4. All the places and characters in the novel are fictitious.
5. There is a cavity in one of my molars that needs to be filled.
6. My mother bought the necklace as a souvenir of her trip to Greece.

B. Write Short Answers

1. What is Poirot’s profession?

Poirot is a private detective.

2. Why was Poirot dissatisfied and restless?

Poirot was dissatisfied and restless because he hadn't had a challenging case to solve recently, leading to boredom.

3. In your own words, describe the young lady who came to Poirot.

The young lady who approached Poirot Had covered her face with a veil but she was extremely pretty and had blue eyes. Her clothes were simple, but expensive. She looked as if she belonged to upper class of society.

4. Why had the lady come to see Poirot?

The lady sought Poirot's help to recover her A letter that she had written when she was 16 a man called Lavington was asking for a lot of money in return for the letter.

5. Why was Poirot’s suit dirty and ‘ruined’?

Poirot's suit became dirty and 'ruined' during his investigation when he had to crawl through a narrow, coal bin to retrieve the stolen Chinese puzzle box.

6. What did Poirot find inside the Chinese box?

Inside the Chinese box, Poirot pirate found four large glittering stones and two big milky white pearls inside the Chinese box.

C. Think and Answer

1. Why does Poirot sound impatient at the beginning of the story?

Poirot sounds impatient at the beginning because he had no interesting cases of late. There was no case that would test his intelligence and remarkable power of deduction.

2. Why do you think the lady had veiled her face?

The lady veiled her face to conceal her identity, possibly to avoid recognition as she has something to hide.

3. Who was Lavington? Was he really a ‘horrible man’?

Lavington was a blackmailer. The veiled lady had said that he was a horrible man. When he came to see Poirot, it seemed that she had been right. He was a bully.

4. Why did Poirot call himself an ‘imbecile’?

Poirot and Hasting had been searching for that little Chinese puzzle box in Lavington’s house. They searched everywhere, but could not find it. Then pirate thought of the kitchen. He called himself an embassy because he had not thought of the kitchen earlier. It was the only place where people would think that nothing could be hidden as the servants would be present there.

5. The woman and her partner who posed as Mr. Lavington were professional thieves and cheats. Explain their plan in eight to ten sentences.

The woman and her partner, who poses as Mr Lavington were professional thieves and cheats. They had robbed the jewellery store on Bond Street. Lavington was trying to double cross the other gang members. They knew that the jewels and the false letters were hidden inside the puzzle box. Lavington had kept the box hidden in the house somewhere. The gang members searched for it, but failed to find it. They had no way of knowing where the jewels were. Gertie went to him posing as Lady Millicent and asking him to recover an old letter for her, for which she was now being blackmailed.

6. At the end of the story, Poirot’s companion Hastings calls him a ‘genius’. What do you think made him reach this conclusion?

Poirot’s companion called him a 'genius' because This case was not everyone’s piece of cake. If Poirot hadn’t put his attention to all those minute details, then the fraud lady and the man would have taken those precious stones and milky pearls.

D. Reference to Context

1. ‘I have heard such wonderful things about you that I come with a last hope to beg you to do the impossible.’

a. Who is the speaker?

The speaker is the young lady who visited Poirot.

b. Who is the speaker speaking to?

She is speaking to Hercule Poirot.

c. Who else is there at that time?

Poirot's companion, Captain Hastings, is also present.

d. Why is the speaker here?

The speaker is seeking Poirot's assistance in recovering her stolen handbag containing valuable items.

e. What is the ‘impossible’ task that the speaker is referring to?

The 'impossible' task refers to locating and retrieving her stolen handbag, which she believes is a daunting challenge.

f. Is the person the speaker is speaking to able to do the impossible? How?

Yes, Poirot is able to accomplish the task. Through his sharp investigative skills, he uncovers the deception, identifies the culprits, and recovers the stolen handbag and its contents.

2. “Well, Gertie, my dear,” said Japp. “The game’s up this time, I think. Fancy seeing you again so soon! We’ve got your pal too…”

a. Who is Japp?

Japp is a police inspector and an acquaintance of Poirot.

b. Who is Gertie?

Gertie is the alias of the woman who posed as the distressed lady seeking Poirot's help; she is a professional thief.

c. What are they?

Japp is a law enforcement officer, and Gertie is a criminal involved in theft and deception.

d. What is meant by ‘the game’s up this time’?

'The game's up this time' means that Gertie's deceptive activities have been uncovered, and she has been caught by the authorities.

e. Who is the ‘pal’ who is being referred to?

The ‘pal’ being referred to is Gertie’s accomplice in crime.

f. What had the pal done?

The pal had participated in criminal activities along with Gertie, possibly involving fraud or impersonation.

g. Who had Gertie impersonated? Why?

Gertie had impersonated another person to deceive others and commit fraud, possibly for financial gain.