Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
9. Poirot Propounds Two Solutions
ButtheColonelwasonlysupposedtohavemetherafewdayspreviously—andIknowEnglishmenoftheColonel’stype.Evenifhehadfalleninlovewiththeyoungladyatfirstsight,hewouldhaveadvancedslowlyandwithdecorum—notrushingthings.ThereforeIconcludedthatColonelArbuthnotandMissDebenhamwereinrealitywellacquainted,andwereforsomereasonpretendingtobestrangers.AnothersmallpointwasMissDebenham’seasyfamiliaritywiththeterm‘longdistance’foratelephonecall.YetMissDebenhamhadtoldmethatshehadneverbeenintheStates.
“Topasstoanotherwitness.Mrs.Hubbardhadtoldusthatlyinginbedshewasunabletoseewhetherthecommunicatingdoorwasboltedornot,andsoaskedMissOhlssontoseeforher.Now,thoughherstatementwouldhavebeenperfectlytrueifshehadbeenoccupyingcompartmentsNos.2,4,12,oranyevennumber—wheretheboltisdirectlyunderthehandleofthedoor—intheunevennumbers,suchascompartmentNo.3,theboltiswellabovethehandleandcouldnotthereforebemaskedbythespongebagintheleast.IwasforcedtotheconclusionthatMrs.Hubbardwasinventinganincidentthathadneveroccurred.
“Andhereletmesayjustawordortwoabouttimes.Tomymind,thereallyinterestingpointaboutthedentedwatchwastheplacewhereitwasfound—inRatchett’spyjamapocket,asingularlyuncomfortableandunlikelyplacetokeepone’swatch,especiallyasthereisawatch‘hook’providedjustbytheheadofthebed.Ifeltsure,therefore,thatthewatchhadbeendeliberatelyplacedinthepocketandfaked.
