A Mrs Ernestine Todd, from Clapham, asks Poirot to help her find her cook, Eliza, who has disappeared. Poirot, who aims to accept only really significant cases, is at first insulted by such a trivial request. However, after he sees the contents of the missing cook's trunk, he decides the case could prove to be worthy of his talents.

Within hours of the Bonfire Night fireworks beginning Poirot finds himself investigating a violent death in Hastings' mews garage.

Country squire Marcus Waverly calls on Poirot for help in dealing with kidnap threats against his son. Hastings is appalled by the thought of someone going around kidnapping children and it becomes a race against time to find the identity of the mystery letter writer.