Norton Kane

In the short story Double Sin, Norton Kane was a fellow passenger on the bus from Ebermouth to Charlock Bay with Poirot, Hastings and Mary Durrant. Poirot noticed him particularly because he had attempted to grow a moustache without much success. Poirot had, he told Hastings, "sympathy for all who attempt it."

When Mary Durrant later reported that her valuable set of miniatures had gone missing, Norton became a suspect. Although he had paid the full fare to Charlock Bay, he had got off the bus halfway at Monkhampton. Moreover, Mary had seen him at Monkhampton taking out a suitcase from the bus which looked like hers. She had rushed out to stop him but discovered the suitcase was actually his but looked similar.

Norton however had an alibi. He had gone straight to the George Hotel at Monkhampton and had been there the whole afternoon.

Portrayals
Norton Kane was played by Adam Kotz in the film adaptation of Double Sin in Series 3 of ITV's Agatha Christie's Poirot drama series. There he was made to behave more suspiciously than in the original story. He appeared nervous and acted in an unfriendly manner to Poirot and Hastings. He was also seen to be making arrangements for a secret meeting. When Hastings and the police encountered him, he ignored an instruction to stop his car and raced on, and so was only caught after a car chase. It was later revealed that he was a novelist and planning to meet in secret Lady Amanda Manderley and elope with her. This explained his edgy behaviour.