Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
1. An Important Passenger on the Taurus Express
Thenhewenton:“ButIdon’tliketheideaofyourbeingagoverness—atthebeckandcalloftyrannicalmothersandtheirtiresomebrats.”
Shelaughedwithjustahintofuncontrolinthesound.
“Oh!youmustn’tthinkthat.Thedowntroddengovernessisquiteanexplodedmyth.Icanassureyouthatit’stheparentswhoareafraidofbeingbulliedbyme.”
Theysaidnomore.Arbuthnotwas,perhaps,ashamedofhisoutburst.
“RatheranoddlittlecomedythatIwatchhere,”saidPoirottohimselfthoughtfully.
Hewastorememberthatthoughtofhislater.
TheyarrivedatKonyathatnightabouthalf-pasteleven.ThetwoEnglishtravellersgotouttostretchtheirlegs,pacingupanddownthesnowyplatform.
M.Poirotwascontenttowatchtheteemingactivityofthestationthroughawindowpane.Afterabouttenminutes,however,hedecidedthatabreathofairwouldnotperhapsbeabadthing,afterall.Hemadecarefulpreparations,wrappinghimselfinseveralcoatsandmufflersandencasinghisneatbootsingoloshes.Thusattiredhedescendedgingerlytotheplatformandbegantopaceitslength.Hewalkedoutbeyondtheengine.
Itwasthevoiceswhichgavehimthecluetothetwoindistinctfiguresstandingintheshadowofatrafficvan.Arbuthnotwasspeaking.
“Mary—”
Thegirlinterruptedhim.
“Notnow.Notnow.Whenit’sallover.Whenit’sbehindus—then—”
DiscreetlyM.Poirotturnedaway.Hewondered.
Hewouldhardlyhaverecognizedthecool,efficientvoiceofMissDebenham….
“Curious,”hesaidtohimself.
Thenextdayhewonderedwhether,perhaps,theyhadquarrelled.
