Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
1. Which of Them?
Itissafe,Ithink,tosaythatatthattime,twenty-threeminutestoone,someotherpersonwasinRatchett’scompartmentandthatthatpersonwaseitherFrench,orcouldspeaktheFrenchlanguagefluently.”
“Youareverycautious,monvieux.”
“Oneshouldadvanceonlyastepatatime.WehavenoactualevidencethatRatchettwasdeadatthattime.”
“Thereisthecrythatawakenedyou.”
“Yes,thatistrue.”
“Inoneway,”saidM.Boucthoughtfully,“thisdiscoverydoesnotaffectthingsverymuch.Youheardsomeonemovingaboutnextdoor.ThatsomeonewasnotRatchett,buttheotherman.Doubtlessheiswashingbloodfromhishands,clearingupafterthecrime,burningtheincriminatingletter.Thenhewaitstillallisstill,andwhenhethinksitissafeandthecoastisclearhelocksandchainsRatchett’sdoorontheinside,unlocksthecommunicatingdoorthroughintoMrs.Hubbard’scompartmentandslipsoutthatway.Infactitisexactlyaswethought—withthedifferencethatRatchettwaskilledabouthalfanhourearlier,andthewatchputontoaquarterpastonetocreateanalibi.”
“Notsuchafamousalibi,”saidPoirot.“Thehandsofthewatchpointedto1:15—theexacttimewhentheintruderactuallyleftthesceneofthecrime.”
“True,”saidM.Bouc,alittleconfused.“What,then,doesthewatchconveytoyou?”
“Ifthehandswerealtered—Isayif—thenthetimeatwhichtheyweresetmusthaveasignificance.Thenaturalreactionwouldbetosuspectanyonewhohadareliablealibiforthetimeindicated—inthiscase1:15.
