Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
2. Ten Questions
Thatleavesthevalet,MissDebenham,PrincessDragomiroffandCountessAndrenyi—andnoneofthemsoundslikely!GretaOhlssoninonecaseandAntonioFoscarelliintheotherbothswearthatMissDebenhamandthevaletneverlefttheircompartments,HildegardeSchmidtswearstothePrincessbeinginhers,andCountAndrenyihastoldusthathiswifetookasleepingdraught.Thereforeitseemsimpossiblethatitcanbeanybody—whichisabsurd!”
“AsouroldfriendEuclidsays,”murmuredPoirot.
“Itmustbeoneofthosefour,”saidDr.Constantine.“Unlessitissomeonefromoutsidewhohasfoundahidingplace—andthat,weagreed,wasimpossible.”
M.Bouchadpassedontothenextquestiononthelist.
“No.5—whydothehandsofthebrokenwatchpointto1:15?Icanseetwoexplanationsofthat.Eitheritwasdonebythemurderertoestablishanalibiandafterwardshewaspreventedfromleavingthecompartmentwhenhemeanttodosobyhearingpeoplemovingabout,orelse—wait—Ihaveanideacoming—”
TheothertwowaitedrespectfullywhileM.Boucstruggledinmentalagony.
“Ihaveit,”hesaidatlast.“ItwasnottheWagonLitmurdererwhotamperedwiththewatch!ItwasthepersonwehavecalledtheSecondMurderer—theleft-handedperson—inotherwordsthewomaninthescarletkimono.Shearriveslaterandmovesbackthehandsofthewatchinordertomakeanalibiforherself.”
“Bravo,”saidDr.Constantine.“Itiswellimagined,that.
