Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
6. The Evidence of the Russian Princess
”
“Therearetwocoursesopentoourmysteriousassassin,”saidPoirotslowly.“Hecouldretreatintoeitherofthetoiletsorhecoulddisappearintooneofthecompartments.”
“Buttheywerealloccupied.”
“Yes.”
“Youmeanthathecouldretreatintohisowncompartment?”
Poirotnodded.
“Itfits,itfits,”murmuredM.Bouc.“Duringthattenminutes’absenceoftheconductor,themurderercomesfromhisowncompartment,goesintoRatchett’s,killshim,locksandchainsthedoorontheinside,goesoutthroughMrs.Hubbard’scompartmentandisbacksafelyinhisowncompartmentbythetimetheconductorarrives.”
Poirotmurmured:
“Itisnotquitesosimpleasthat,myfriend.Ourfriendthedoctorherewilltellyouso.”
WithagestureM.Boucsignifiedthatthethreeconductorsmightdepart.
“Wehavestilltoseeeightpassengers,”saidPoirot.“Fivefirst-classpassengers—PrincessDragomiroff,CountandCountessAndrenyi,ColonelArbuthnotandMr.Hardman.Threesecond-classpassengers—MissDebenham,AntonioFoscarelliandthelady’smaid,FräuleinSchmidt.”
“Whowillyouseefirst—theItalian?”
“HowyouharponyourItalian!No,wewillstartatthetopofthetree.PerhapsMadamelaPrincessewillbesogoodastospareusafewmomentsofhertime.Conveythatmessagetoher,Michel.”
“Oui,Monsieur,”saidtheconductor,whowasjustleavingthecar.
“Tellherwecanwaitonherinhercompartmentifshedoesnotwishtoputherselftothetroubleofcominghere,”calledM.Bouc.
ButPrincessDragomiroffdeclinedtotakethiscourse.
