16岁的美丽少女阿贝尔(琳达·达内尔 Linda Darnell 饰)离开了让她倍感压抑的原生家庭,前往伦敦,投奔一个名叫布鲁斯(Jefferson Pascal 饰)男人。很快,这对小情侣就花光了所有的积蓄,为了维持生计,布鲁斯出海成为了一名走私犯,而阿贝尔则在误打误撞之中进了监狱,此时她震惊的发现,腹中已经怀上了布鲁斯的孩子。 在强盗杰克(约翰·拉塞尔 John Russell 饰)的帮助之下,阿贝尔从监狱里逃了出来,之后被杰克卖到了剧院。在那里,阿贝尔邂逅了拉德克里夫公爵(理查德·格林尼 Richard Greene 饰),很快,两人结了婚,阿贝尔一跃成为了公爵夫人。就在这个节骨眼上,布鲁斯再度出现在了阿贝尔的面前,并且向她索要那个属于自己的孩子。
When a series of apparently minor thefts plagues a university hostelry run by Miss Lemon's sister, Poirot is recruited to investigate. Celia Austin, a pharmacological major, confesses that she is a kleptomaniac and responsible for most of the thefts but denies stealing several objects including a stethoscope, light bulbs, and a student rucksack. Furthermore, she claims to know the other thief and vows to help return the missing items. Unfortunately someone substitutes an overdose of morphine for one of her sleeping powders, and she takes the identity of the thief to the grave. Japp connects the murderer's m.o. with a cold case he had investigated ten years earlier, but the prime suspect in that crime, a powerful statesman, now lies dying in a local hospital. Despite numerous obstacles, Poirot is able to link the killing to an international diamond smuggling ring but not before the murderer claims more victims.