Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
8. The Armstrong Kidnapping Case
“Icannotregretthatheisdead—notatall!”
“Iagreewithyou.”
“Toutdemême,itisnotnecessarythatheshouldbekilledontheOrientExpress.Thereareotherplaces.”
Poirotsmiledalittle.HerealizedthatM.Boucwasbiasedinthematter.
“Thequestionwehavenowtoaskourselvesisthis,”hesaid.“IsthismurdertheworkofsomerivalgangwhomCassettihaddouble-crossedinthepast,orisitanactofprivatevengeance?”
Heexplainedhisdiscoveryofthefewwordsonthecharredfragmentofpaper.
“IfIamrightinmyassumption,thentheletterwasburntbythemurderer.Why?Becauseitmentionedtheword‘Armstrong,’whichisthecluetothemystery.”
“ArethereanymembersoftheArmstrongfamilyliving?”
“That,unfortunately,Idonotknow.IthinkIrememberreadingofayoungersisterofMrs.Armstrong’s.”
PoirotwentontorelatethejointconclusionsofhimselfandDr.Constantine.M.Boucbrightenedatthementionofthebrokenwatch.
“Thatseemstogiveusthetimeofthecrimeveryexactly.”
“Yes,”saidPoirot.“Itisveryconvenient.”
Therewasanindescribablesomethinginhistonethatmadeboththeothertwolookathimcuriously.
“YousaythatyouyourselfheardRatchettspeaktotheconductorattwentyminutestoone?”
Poirotrelatedjustwhathadoccurred.
“Well,”saidM.Bouc,“thatprovesatleastthatCassetti—orRatchett,asIshallcontinuetocallhim—wascertainlyaliveattwentyminutestoone.”
“Twenty-threeminutestoone,tobeprecise.”
“Thenattwelvethirty-seven,toputitformally,M
