The Case of the Distressed Lady

A young lady confesses to Parker Pyne that she was reduced to theft by her own crippling debt. Wracked with guilt she now wishes to return to diamond ring to the friend who it belongs to and it is up to Parker Pyne to figure out just how.

This is the second story in the Parker Pyne collection to feature Miss Felicity Lemon – the lady who would go on to become an indispensible aid to Hercule Poirot. This particular puzzle proves a challenge for Parker Pyne but he more than rises to the challenge.

This story first appeared in the US in Cosmopolitan magazine, and later in the 1934 collection of short stories, Parker Pyne Investigates. It has never been adapted.