Chapter 5: V

V Mrs. Renauld’s Story We found M. Hautet awaiting us in the hall, and we all proceeded upstairs together, Françoise marching ahead to show us the way. Poirot went up in a zigzag fashion which puzzled me, until he whispered with a grimace: “No wonder the servants heard M. Renauld mounting the stairs; not a board of them but creaks fit to wake the dead!” At the head of the staircase, a small passage branched off. “The servants’ quarters,” explained Bex. We continued along a cor…