Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
15. The Evidence of the Passengers’ Luggage
IhadgotoutofthetraintodowhattheEnglishcall‘stretchthelegs’atthestationofKonya.YourvoiceandtheColonel’s,Mademoiselle,theycametomeoutofthenight.Yousaidtohim,‘Notnow.Notnow.Whenit’sallover.Whenit’sbehindus.’Whatdidyoumeanbythosewords.Mademoiselle?”
Shesaidveryquietly:
“DoyouthinkImeant—murder?”
“ItisIwhoamaskingyou,Mademoiselle.”
Shesighed—waslostaminuteinthought.Then,asthoughrousingherself,shesaid:
“Thosewordshadameaning,Monsieur,butnotonethatIcantellyou.IcanonlygiveyoumysolemnwordofhonourthatIhadneverseteyesonthismanRatchettinmylifeuntilIsawhimonthistrain.”
“And—yourefusetoexplainthosewords?”
“Yes—ifyouliketoputitthatway—Irefuse.Theyhadtodowith—withataskIhadundertaken.”
“Ataskthatisnowended?”
“Whatdoyoumean?”
“Itisended,isitnot?”
“Whyshouldyouthinkso?”
“Listen,Mademoiselle,Iwillrecalltoyouanotherincident.TherewasadelaytothetrainonthedayweweretoreachStamboul.Youwereveryagitated,Mademoiselle.You,socalm,soself-controlled.Youlostthatcalm.”
“Ididnotwanttomissmyconnection.”
“Soyousaid.But,Mademoiselle,theOrientExpressleavesStambouleverydayoftheweek.Evenifyouhadmissedtheconnectionitwouldonlyhavebeenamatteroftwenty-fourhours’delay.”
MissDebenhamforthefirsttimeshowedsignsoflosinghertemper.
