He claims the poisons were carefully disposed of, but cannot be sure that the morphine was not stolen from him while it was in his possession. Nigel Chapman admits to having stolen the stethoscope to pose as a doctor and steal some morphine tartrate from the hospital dispensary as part of a bet to acquire three deadly poisons (the other two being digitalin and hyoscine). Inspector Sharpe solves the mystery of the stolen stethoscope during his interviews with the inhabitants of the hostel. It does not take investigators long to see that her death is murder. Celia is discovered dead the following morning from an overdose of morphine. The more important incidents remain unsolved. She makes restitution for the crimes and reconciles with her victims. She committed the lesser thefts to attract the attention of Colin McNabb, a psychology student who then becomes engaged to her. She denies, however, the following: stealing Nigel Chapman's green ink and using it to deface Elizabeth Johnston's work taking the stethoscope, the light bulbs and boracic powder and cutting up and concealing a rucksack. Poirot's solution of the petty thefts is unsubtle but effective: once he has threatened to call in the police, Celia Austin quickly confesses to the pettier incidents. These include a stethoscope, some lightbulbs, some old flannel trousers, a box of chocolates, a slashed rucksack, some boracic powder and a diamond ring later found in a bowl of soup – he congratulates the warden, Mrs Hubbard, on a 'unique and beautiful problem'. 5.2 References to actual history, geography and current scienceĪn outbreak of apparent kleptomania at a student hostel arouses Hercule Poirot's interest when he sees the bizarre list of stolen and vandalised items.

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