Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
9. Poirot Propounds Two Solutions
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“Nowwhenwastherealtimeofthecrime?Andwhokilledhim?
“Inmyopinion,andthisisonlyanopinion,Ratchettwaskilledatsometimeverycloseupontwoo’clock,thelatesthourthedoctorgivesusaspossible.
“Astowhokilledhim—”
Hepaused,lookingathisaudience.Hecouldnotcomplainofanylackofattention.Everyeyewasfixeduponhim.Inthestillnessyoucouldhaveheardapindrop.
Hewentonslowly:
“IwasparticularlystruckbytheextraordinarydifficultyofprovingacaseagainstanyonepersononthetrainandontherathercuriouscoincidencethatineachcasethetestimonygivinganalibicamefromwhatImightdescribeasan‘unlikely’person.ThusMr.MacQueenandColonelArbuthnotprovidedalibisforeachother—twopersonsbetweenwhomitseemedmostunlikelythereshouldbeanyprioracquaintanceship.ThesamethinghappenedwiththeEnglishvaletandtheItalian,withtheSwedishladyandtheEnglishgirl.Isaidtomyself,‘Thisisextraordinary—theycannotallbeinit!’
“Andthen,Messieurs,Isawlight.Theywereallinit.ForsomanypeopleconnectedwiththeArmstrongcasetobetravellingbythesametrainbyacoincidencewasnotonlyunlikely,itwasimpossible.Itmustbenotchance,butdesign.IrememberedaremarkofColonelArbuthnot’sabouttrialbyjury.Ajuryiscomposedoftwelvepeople—thereweretwelvepassengers—Ratchettwasstabbedtwelvetimes.Andthethingthathadworriedmeallalong—theextraordinarycrowdtravellingintheStamboul—Calaiscoachataslacktimeofyearwasexplained.
