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In the "Poirot: The Theft of the Royal Ruby" there's a side plot of Desmond Lee-Wortley calling someone (later revealed by Poirot to be repair service at the nearby airfield) and being surprised that something (later revealed to be an airplane) will not be fixed by December 23rd.

There's even I phrase (not direct cite):

What? How? You've said it will be done at 23rd

However the call takes place on Christmas Morning.

How can be calling repair service at that time (wouldn't it be closed, as the entire airfield)? And how can he be surprised asking about data that was two days earlier?

Am I missing something or is there a hole in a plot here?

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The timeline you imply does not seem valid.

The phone call takes place, at the earliest, on the day after Christmas Day, since Poirot reveals that he has found the ruby to the prince at night after it is found in the Christmas Day meal (in the pudding).

There is no reason why the repair service would not at least take a call on that day even if they were not officially working (Boxing Day is usually a national holiday) especially for a well paying customer.

Finally, he's complaining that he was promised that the repairs would be completed by the 23rd which he has only just found out have been delayed.

There is no inconsistency here.

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  • Yes, that makes sense. I suspect that a past tense was used in the phone call ... like "You said it would be done by the 23rd".
    – iandotkelly ♦
    Nov 14, 2021 at 18:25
  • I have upvoted your answer as a gratitude for your time you've spent writing it, by I completely disagree. The original Desmond Lee-Wortley's plan was to get the ruby and "vanish". A person with such a plan would call the repair shop at 23rd early morning to confirm that plane is fixed as promised. I don't see -- neither in your answer nor in the plot itself -- any explanation on reason on why someone with such a hurry would wait until (as you clarified) three days after promised date. You are of course completely free to disagree with me.
    – trejder
    Nov 14, 2021 at 21:10

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