Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
9. Poirot Propounds Two Solutions
SomeIhavealreadyelucidated—suchasagreasespotonapassport,etc.Iwillrunoverthepointsthatremain.ThefirstandmostimportantisaremarkmadetomebyM.BoucintherestaurantcaratlunchonthefirstdayafterleavingStamboul—totheeffectthatthecompanyassembledwasinterestingbecauseitwassovaried—representingasitdidallclassesandnationalities.
“Iagreedwithhim,butwhenthisparticularpointcameintomymind,Itriedtoimaginewhethersuchanassemblywereeverlikelytobecollectedunderanyotherconditions.AndtheanswerImadetomyselfwas—onlyinAmerica.InAmericatheremightbeahouseholdcomposedofjustsuchvariednationalities—anItalianchauffeur,andEnglishgoverness,aSwedishnurse,aFrenchlady’smaidandsoon.Thatledmetomyschemeof‘guessing’—thatis,castingeachpersonforacertainpartintheArmstrongdramamuchasaproducercastsaplay.Well,thatgavemeanextremelyinterestingandsatisfactoryresult.
“Ihadalsoexaminedinmyownmindeachseparateperson’sevidencewithsomecuriousresults.TakefirsttheevidenceofMr.MacQueen.Myfirstinterviewwithhimwasentirelysatisfactory.Butinmysecondhemaderatheracuriousremark.IhaddescribedtohimthefindingofanotementioningtheArmstrongcase.Hesaid,‘Butsurely—’andthenpausedandwenton,‘Imean—thatwasrathercarelessoftheoldman.’
“NowIcouldfeelthatthatwasnotwhathehadstartedouttosay.
