Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
3. Certain Suggestive Points
Theyare,infact,simplyintendedforthepolice.Whatwehavetoaskourselvesis,‘DidtheydeceiveRatchett?’Onthefaceofit,theanswerseemstobe,‘No.’HisinstructionstoHardmanseemtopointtoadefinite‘private’enemyoftheidentityofwhomhewaswellaware.ThatisifweacceptHardman’sstoryastrue.ButRatchettcertainlyreceivedoneletterofaverydifferentcharacter—theonecontainingareferencetotheArmstrongbaby,afragmentofwhichwefoundinhiscompartment.IncaseRatchetthadnotrealizeditsooner,thiswastomakesurethatheunderstoodthereasonofthethreatsagainsthislife.Thatletter,asIhavesaidallalong,wasnotintendedtobefound.Themurderer’sfirstcarewastodestroyit.This,then,wasthesecondhitchinhisplans.Thefirstwasthesnow,thesecondwasourreconstructionofthatfragment.
“Thatnotebeingdestroyedsocarefullycanonlymeanonething.TheremustbeonthetrainsomeonesointimatelyconnectedwiththeArmstrongfamilythatthefindingofthatnotewouldimmediatelydirectsuspicionuponthatperson.
“Nowwecometotheothertwocluesthatwefound.Ipassoverthepipecleaner.Wehavealreadysaidagooddealaboutthat.Letuspassontothehandkerchief.Takenatitssimplest,itisacluewhichdirectlyincriminatessomeonewhoseinitialisH,anditwasdroppedthereunwittinglybythatperson.”
“Exactly,”saidDr.Constantine.“ShefindsoutthatshehasdroppedthehandkerchiefandimmediatelytakesstepstoconcealherChristianname.”
“Howfastyougo.
