Invited to the home of chemical company CEO Rueben Astwell for dinner and to view Mr. Astwell's collection of Belgian miniatures, Poirot finds Astwell universally disliked and shortly thereafter murdered. But the murder is only one piece of the puzzle when Poirot discovers Astwell's chemical company has developed synthetic rubber so precious that someone has broken into the company to try and steal the formula. Astwell himself is more than willing to sell it to the highest bidder, even the Nazi's.