MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS by Agatha Christie | Classic Mystery | Full Audiobook

One an important passenger on the Taurus express it was 5:00 on a Winter's morning in Syria alongside the platform at Aleppo stood the train grandly designated in Railway guides as the Taurus express it consisted of a kitchen and dining car a sleeping car and two local coaches by the step leading up into the sleeping car stood a young French Lieutenant resplendent in uniform Conversing with a small man muffled up to the ears of whom nothing was visible but a pink tipped nose and the two points of an upward curled mustache it was freezingly cold and

this job of seeing off a distinguished stranger was not one to be envied but Lieutenant Dubose performed his part manfully graceful phrases fell from his lips in polished French not that he knew what it was all about there had been rumors of course as There always were in such cases the generals his generals temper had grown worse and worse and then there had come this Belgian stranger all the way from England it seemed there had been a week a week of curious tensity and then certain things had happened a very distinguished officer had committed suicide

another had suddenly resigned anxious faces had Suddenly lost their anxiety certain military precautions were relaxed and the general Lieutenant dubose's own particular General had suddenly looked 10 years younger Dubose had overheard part of a conversation between him and the stranger you have saved us manare said the general emotionally his great white mustache trembling as he spoke you have saved the honor of the French army you have averted much Bloodshed how can I thank you for exceeding to my request to have come so far to which The Stranger by name m hercul poo had made a

fitting reply including the phrase but indeed do one not remember that once you saved my life and then the general had made another fitting reply to that disclaiming any Merit for that past service and with more mention of France of Belgium of Glory of honor and of such Kindred things they had embraced each Other heartily and the conversation had ended as to what it had all been about Lieutenant dubos was still in the dark but to him had been delegated the duty of seeing off M poo by the Taurus Express and he was carrying it

out with all the Zeal and ardor befitting a young officer with a promising career ahead of him today is Sunday said lieuten tenant dubos tomorrow Monday evening you will be in stul it was not the first time he had Made this observation conversations on the platform before the departure of a train are apt to be somewhat repetitive in character that is so agreed M poro and you intend to remain there a few days I think maywe stul it is a city I have never visited it would be a Pity to pass through come 9A he

snapped his fingers descriptively nothing presses I shall Remain there as a tourist for a few days La St Sophie it is very fine said Lieutenant Dubose who had never seen it a cold wind came whistling down the platform both men shivered lieutenant dubos managed to cast a surreptitious glance at his watch 5 minutes to 5 only 5 minutes more fancying that the other man had noticed his glance he hastened once more into speech there are few people traveling this time of year he said glancing up at The windows of the sleeping car above them that

is so agreed M poo let us hope you will not be snowed up in the Taurus that happens it has occurred yes not this year as yet let us hope then said M poro the weather reports from Europe they are bad very bad in the Balkans there is much snow in Germany too I have heard Aban said Lieutenant Dubose Hastily as another pause seemed to be about to occur tomorrow evening at 7:40 you will be in Constantinople yes said M poo and went on desperately La St Sophie I have heard it is very fine magnificent

I believe above their heads the blinds of one of the sleeping car compartments was pushed aside and a young woman looked out Mary debenham had had little sleep since she left Baghdad on the preceding Thursday day neither in the train to kir cook nor in the rest house at mosul nor last night on the train had she slept properly now weary of lying wakeful in the hot stuffiness of her overheated compartment she got up and peered out this must be a leppo nothing to see of course just a long poorly lighted platform with loud Furious

altercations in Arabic going on somewhere two men below her window were Talking French one was a French officer the other was a little man with enormous mustaches she smiled faintly she had never seen anyone quite so heavily muffled up it must be very cold outside that was why they heated the train so terribly she tried to force the window down lower but it would not go the wagon lit conductor had come up to the two men The train was about to depart he said mure had better Mount the little man removed his hat what an

egg-shaped head he had in spite of her preoccupations Mary debenham smiled a ridiculous looking little man the sort of little man one could never take seriously Lieutenant Dubose was saying his parting speech he had thought it out beforehand and had kept it till the last minute it was a very beautiful polished Speech not to be outdone M poo replied in kind en vur missure said the wagon lit conductor with an air of infinite reluctance M poo climbed aboard the Train the conductor climbed after him M poo waved his hand Lieutenant dubos came to the salute

the train with a terrific jerk moved slowly forward enin murmured M hercu porro brrr said Lieutenant Dubose Realizing to the full how cold he was voila missure the conductor displayed too with a dramatic gesture the beauty of his SLE sleeping compartment and the neat arrangement of his luggage the little V of missure I have put it here his outstretched hand was suggestive hercu poo placed in it a folded note Mercy mure the conductor became brisk and businesslike I have the tickets of Missure I will also take the passport please mure breaks his journey in stul

I understand M poo ascented there are not many people traveling I imagine he said no mure I have only two other passengers both English a colonel from India and a young English lady from Baghdad mure requires anything mure demanded a small bottle of perer 5:00 in the morning is an awkward Time to board a train there were still 2 hours before Dawn conscious of an inadequate night's sleep and of a delicate Mission successfully accomplished M poo curled up in a corner and fell asleep when he awoke it was half 9 he sallied forth to the

restaurant car in search of hot coffee there was only one occupant at the moment obviously the Young English lady referred to by the Conductor she was tall slim and dark perhaps 28 years of age there was a kind of cool efficiency in the way she was eating her breakfast and in the way she called to the attendant to bring her more coffee which bespoke a knowledge of the world and of traveling she wore a dark colored traveling dress of some Thin material eminently suitable for the heated atmosphere of the train M herculo having nothing better

to do amused himself by Studying her without appearing to do so she was he judged the kind of young woman who could take care of herself with perfect ease wherever she went she had Poise and efficiency he rather liked the severe regularity of her features and the delicate palor of her skin he liked the burnished black head with its neat waves of hair and her eyes cool impersonal and gray but she was he decided just a little too efficient to Be what he called Jolie fem presently another person entered the restaurant car this was a

tall man of between 40 and 50 lean of figure Brown of skin with hair slightly grizzled round the temples the colonel from India said poro to himself the newcomer gave gave a little bow to the girl morning Miss deham good morning Colonel arbouet the colonel was standing with a hand on the chair opposite her any Objections he asked of course not sit down well you know breakfast isn't always a chatty meal I should hope not but I don't bite the colonel sat down boy he called in peremptory fashion he gave an order for eggs and

coffee his eyes rested for a moment on hercu PUO but they passed on indifferently poo reading the English Mind correctly knew that he had said to himself only some damned Foreigner true to their nationality the two English people were not chatty they exchang changed a few brief remarks and presently the girl Rose and went back to her compartment at lunchtime the other two again shared a table and again they both completely ignored the third passenger their conversation was more animated than at Breakfast Colonel arbouet talked of the Punjab and occasionally asked the girl a few

questions about Baghdad where it became clear she had been in a post as governess in the course of conversation they discovered some mutual friends which had the immediate effect of making them more friendly and less stiff they discussed Old Tommy somebody and old Reggie someone else the colonel inquired whether she was going straight through To England or whether she was stopping in stul no I'm going straight on isn't that rather a Pity I came out this way 2 years ago and spent 3 days in stul then oh I see well I may say I'm very

glad you are going right through because I am he made a kind of clumsy little bow flushing a little as he did so he is susceptible our Colonel thought hercu poro to himself with some Amusement the train it is as dangerous as a sea Voyage Miss debbenham said said evenly that that would be very nice her manner was slightly repressive the colonel hercu poro noticed accompanied her back to her compartment later they passed through the Magnificent scenery of the Taurus as they looked down towards the cian gates standing in the corridor side by side a

sigh came suddenly from the Girl poo was standing near them and heard her murmur it's so beautiful I wish I wish yes I wish I could enjoy it arbet did not answer the square line of his jaw seemed a little Sterner and Grimmer I wish to Heaven you were out of all this he said hush please hush oh it's all right he shot a slightly annoyed glance in Poo's Direction then he went on but I don't like the idea of your being a govern us at the beck and call of tyrannical mothers and their tiresome

brats she laughed with just a hint of uncontrol in the sound oh you mustn't think that the downtrod in governess is quite an exploded myth I can assure you that it's the parents who are afraid of being bullied by me they said no more Our bunet was perhaps ashamed of his Outburst rather an odd little comedy that I watch here said porro to himself thoughtfully he was to remember that thought of his later they arrived at Kana that night about half 11: the two English Travelers got out to stretch their legs pacing up and down

the snowy platform M poo was content to watch the teaming activity of the station through A window pane after about 10 minutes however he decided that a breath of air would not perhaps be a bad thing after all he made careful preparations wrapping himself in several coats and mufflers and encasing his neat boots in gashes thus attired he descended gingerly to the platform and began to Pace its length he walked out beyond the engine it was the voices which gave him the Clue to the two indistinct figures standing in the shadow of a traffic van

our bunet was speaking Mary the girl interrupted him not now not now when it's all over when it's behind us then M discreetly M poo turned away he wondered he would hardly have recognized the cool official ient voice of Miss debenham curious he said to himself the next day he wondered whether Perhaps they had quarreled they spoke little to each other the girl he thought looked anxious there were dark circles under her eyes it was about half 2 in the afternoon when the train came to a halt heads were poked out of Windows a little

knot of men were clustered by the side of the line looking and pointing at something under the dining car poo leaned out and spoke to the Wagon lit conductor who was hurrying past the man answered and poo Drew back his head and turning almost collided with Mary debbenham who was standing just behind him what is the matter she asked rather breathlessly in French why are we stopping it is nothing madelle it is something that has caught fire under the dining car nothing serious it is put out they are now repairing the Damage there is no

danger I assure you she made a little abrupt gesture as though she were waving the idea of danger aside as something completely unimportant yes yes I understand that but the time the time yes this will delay us it is possible yes agreed poro but we can't afford delay this train is due in at 6.55 and one has to cross the Bosphorus and catch the simplon Orient Express on The other side at 9:00 if there is an hour or two of delay we shall miss the connection it is possible yes he admitted he looked at her

curiously the hand that held the window bar was not quite steady her lips too were trembling does it matter to you very much madelle he asked yes yes it Does I I must catch that train she turned away from him and went down the corridor to join colonel arbouet her anxiety however was needless 10 minutes later the train started again it arrived at hadap passer only 5 minutes late having made up time on the journey the boss forus was rough and M poo did not enjoy the crossing he was separated from his Traveling companions on

the boat and did not see them again on arrival at the galada bridge he drove straight to the Tok to lean Hotel two the toat lean hotel at the toat lean herculo asked for a room with bath then he stepped over to the concierge's desk and inquired for letters there were three waiting for him and a telegram his eyebrows Rose a little at The sight of the telegram it was unexpected he opened it in his usual neat unhurried fashion the printed words stood out clearly development you predicted in castner case has come unexpectedly please return

immediately VOA C ident muttered poro vexedly he glanced up at the clock I shall have to go on tonight he said to the Concierge at what time does the simplon Orient leave at 9:00 missure can you get me a sleeper assuredly missure there is no difficulty this time of year the trains are almost empty first class or second first Trace bi missure how far are you going to London bien missure I will get you a ticket to London and reserve your sleeping car accommodation in the stul La coach porro glanced at the clock again it

was 10 minutes to 8 I have time to dine but assuredly mure the little Belgian nodded he went over and cancelled his room order and crossed the hall to the restaurant as he was giving his order to the waiter a hand was placed on his shoulder ah man view but this is an unexpected pleasure said a voice behind Him the speaker was a short Stout elderly man his hair cut and Brass he was smiling delightedly quet sprang up M book M poo M book was a Belgian a director of the company International the wagon lits

and his acquaintance with the former star of the Belgian police force dated back many years you find yourself far from home mshare setm book a little Affair in Syria ah and you return home when Tonight Splendid I too that is to say I go as far as loan where I have affairs you travel on the simplon Orient I presume yes I have just asked them to get me a sleeper it was my intention to remain here some days but I have received a telegram recalling me to England on important Business ah sidm book less Affairs

less Affairs but you you are at the top of the tree nowadays man view some little success I have had perhaps hercul poo tried to look modest but failed signally M book laughed we will meet later he said hercu poo addressed himself to the task of keeping his mustaches out of the soup that difficult task accomplished he glanced around him whilst waiting for The next course there were only about half a dozen people in the restaurant and of those half dozen there were only two that interested hercu porro these two sat at a table not

far away the younger was a likable looking young man of 30 clearly an American it was however not he but his companion who had attracted the little detective's attention he was a man perhaps of Between 60 and 70 from a little distance he had the Bland aspect of a philanthropist his slightly bald head his domed forehead the smiling mouth that displayed a very white set of false teeth all seemed to speak of a benevolent personality only the eyes belii this assumption they were small deep set and crafty not only that as the man making some

remark to his young companion Glanced across the room his gaze stopped on poo for a moment and just for that second there was a strange malevolence an unnatural tensity in the glance then he rose pay the bill Hector he said his voice was slightly husky in tone it had a queer soft dangerous quality when poo rejoined his friend in the lounge the other two men were just leaving the hotel their luggage was being brought Down the younger was supervising the process presently he opened the glass door and said quite ready now Mr ratchet the elder

man grunted an ascent and passed out Aban said porro what do you think of those two they are Americans said M book assuredly they are Americans I meant what did you think of their personalities the young man seemed quite Agreeable and the other to tell you the truth my friend I did not care for him he produced on me an unpleasant impression and you hercu poo was a moment in replying when he passed me in the restaurant he said at last I had a curious impression it was as though a wild animal an animal Savage

but Savage you understand had passed me by And yet he looked altogether of the most respectable precisement the body the cage is everything of the most respectable but through the bars the wild animal looks out you are fanciful man view said M book it may be so but I could not rid myself of the impression that evil had passed me by very close that respectable American gentleman that respectable American Gentleman well said M book cheerfully it may be so there is much evil in the world at that moment the door opened and the concierge came

towards them he looked concerned and apologetic it is extraordinary mure he said to poro there is not one first class sleeping birth to be had on the train comment cried M book at this time of year ah without doubt there is some party of journalists of Politicians I don't know sir said the concierge turning to him respectfully but that's how it is well well M book turned to porro have no fear my friend we will arrange something there is always is one compartment the no 16 which is not engaged the conductor sees to that he

smiled then glanced up at the clock come he said it is time we Started at the station M book was greeted with respectful on presson by the brown uniformed wagon lit conductor good evening mure your compartment is the number one he called to the porters and they wheeled their load halfway along the carriage on which the tin plates proclaimed its destination Istanbul triest Cal you are full up tonight I hear it is incredible Mure all the world elects to travel tonight all the same you must find room for this gentleman here he is a friend

of mine he can have the number 16 it is is taken mure what the number 16 a glance of understanding passed between them and the conductor smiled he was a tall salow man of middle age but yes mure as I told you we are full full everywhere but what passes itself Demanded M book angrily there is a conference somewhere it is a party no missure it is only chance it just happens that many people have elected to travel tonight M book made a clicking sound of annoyance at Belgrade he said there will be the slip

coach from Athens there will also be the Bucharest Paris Coach but we do not reach Belgrade until tomorrow evening the problem is for tonight there is no second class birth free there is a second class birth mure well then but it is a lady's birth there is already a German woman in the compartment a lady's maid la la that is awkward said M book do not distress yourself my friend said poro I must travel in an ordinary Carriage not at all Not at all he turned once more to the conductor everyone has arrived it is

true said the man that there is one passenger who has not yet arrived he spoke slowly with hesitation but speak then number seven birth a second class the gentleman has not yet come and it is 4 minutes to 9 who who is it an Englishman the conductor consulted his list am Harris a name of good omen said Porro I read my Dickens M Harris he will not arrive put Miss's Luggage in number seven said M book if this m Harris arrives we will tell him that he is too late that births cannot be retained so

long we will arrange the matter one way or another what do I care for am Harris as Miss pleases said the conductor he spoke to Poo's Porter directing him where to go then he stood Aside from the steps to let PUO enter the train tout of fedo bout mure he called the end compartment but one poo passed along the corridor a some somewhat slow progress since most of the people traveling were standing outside their carriages his polite pardons were uttered with the regularity of clockwork at last he reached the compartment indicated inside it reaching up

to a Suitcase was the tall Young American of the tokat lean he frowned as PUO entered excuse me he said I think you've made a mistake then laboriously in French J croq Vu a an eror poo replied in English you are Mr Harris no my name is McQueen I but at that moment the voice of the wagon lit conductor spoke from over Poo's shoulder an apologetic rather breathless Voice there is no other birth on the train missure the gentleman has to come in here he was hauling up the corridor window as he spoke and began

to lift in Poo's luggage poro noticed the apology in his tone with some amusement doubtless the man had been promised a good tip if he could keep the compartment for the sole use of the other Traveler however even the most munificent of tips lose their effect when a director of the company is on board and issues his orders the conductor emerged from the compartment having swung the suitcases up onto the racks voila M he said all is arranged yours is the upper birth the number seven we start in 1 minute he hurried off down the

Corridor poo re-entered the compartment a phenomenon I have seldom seen he said cheerfully a wagon lit conductor himself puts up the luggage it is unheard of his fellow traveler smiled he had evidently got over his annoyance had probably decided that it was no good to take the matter otherwise than philosophically the Train's remarkably Full he said a whistle blew there was a long Melancholy cry from the engine both men stepped out into the corridor outside a voice shouted en vur we're off said McQueen but they were not quite off the whistle blew again I say

Sir said the young man suddenly if you'd rather have the lower birth easier and all that well that's All right by me a likable young fellow no no protested poro I would not dep Rive you that's all right you are too amiable polite protests on both sides it is for one night only explained PUO at Belgrade oh I see you're getting out at Belgrade not exactly you see there was a sudden jerk both men swung round to the window looking out at the long lighted platform as it slid slowly pass them the Orient Express had

started on its 3-day journey across Europe three PUO refuses a case M hercu poo was a little late in entering the luncheon car on the following day he had risen early had breakfasted almost alone and had spent the morning going over the notes of the case that was recalling him to London he had seen little of his traveling companion M book who was already seated gated a greeting and summoned his friend to the Empty Place opposite him poo sat down and soon found himself in the favored position of being at the table which was served

first and with the choicest morsels the food too was unusually good it was not till they were eating a delicate cream cheese that M book allowed his attention to wander to matters other than nourishment he was at the stage of a meal when one becomes philosophic ah he Sighed if one had but the pen of a ballzack I would depict this scene he waved a hand it is an idea that said poro ah you agree it has not been done I think and yet it lends itself to romance my friend all around us are people

of all classes of all nationalities of all ages for 3 Days these people these strangers to one another are brought together they sleep and eat Under One Roof they cannot get away from each other at the end of three days they part they go their several ways never perhaps to see each other again and yet said PUO supposed an accident uh no my friend from your point of view it would be regrettable I agree but nevertheless let us just for one moment suppose it then perhaps all these here are linked together by death some more

wine said M book hastily pouring it out you are morbid man Share it is perhaps the digestion it is true agreed poro that the food in Syria was not perhaps quite suited to my stomach he sipped his wine then leaning back he ran his eye thoughtfully around the dining car there were 13 people seated there and as M book had said of all classes and nationalities he began to study them at the table opposite them were three men They were he guested single Travelers grad and placed there by the uniring Judgment of the restaurant attendants

a big swore the Italian was picking his teeth with gusto opposite him a spare neat Englishman had the expressionless disapproving face of the well-trained servant next to the Englishman was a big American in a loud suit possibly a commercial traveler you've got to put it over big He was saying in a loud nasal voice the Italian removed his toothpick to gesticulate with it freely sure he said that W I say Ali at a time the Englishman looked out of the window and coughed quo I passed on at a small table sitting very upright was one

of the ugliest old ladies he had ever seen it was an ugliness of Distinction it fascinated rather than repelled she sat very Upright round her neck was a collar of very large pearls which improbable though it seemed were real her hands were covered with rings her Sable coat was pushed back on her shoulders a very small and expensive black to was hideously Unbecoming to the yellow toadlike face beneath it she was speaking now to the restaurant attendant in a clear CT but completely autocratic Tone you will be sufficiently amiable to place in my compartment a

bottle of mineral water and a large glass of orange juice you will arrange that I shall have chicken cooked without sauces for dinner this evening also some boiled fish the attendant replied respectfully that it should be done she gave a slight gracious nod of the head and Rose her glance caught arose and swept over him with the nonchalance of the Uninterested Aristocrat that is Princess dramov said M book in a low tone she is a Russian her husband realized all his money before the Revolution and invested it abroad she is extremely rich a Cosmopolitan quo

nodded he had heard of Princess dragir off she is a personality said M book ugly as Sin but she makes herself felt you agree Poo agreed at another of the large tables Mary debbenham was sitting with two other women one of them was tall and middle-aged in a plaid blouse and Tweed skirt she had a mass of faded yellow hair unbecomingly arranged in a large bun wore glasses and had a long mild amiable face rather like a sheep she was listening to the Third Woman a stout pleasant-faced elderly person who was talking in a slow

Clear monotone which showed no signs of pausing for breath or coming to a stop and so my daughter said why she said you just can't apply American methods in this country it's natural to the folks here to be indolent she said they just haven't got any hustle in them but all the same you'd be surprised to know what our College there is doing they've got a fine staff of teachers I guess there's nothing like Education we've got to apply our Western ideals and teach the East to recognize them my daughter says the train plunged into

a tunnel the calm monotonous voice was drowned at the next table a small one sat Colonel arbouet alone his gaze was fixed upon the back of Mary Debon Ham's head they were not sitting together yet it could easily have been managed why perhaps porro thought Mary Debenham had demurred a governance learns to be careful appearances are [Music] important a girl with her living to get has to be discreet his glance shifted to the other side of the carriage at the far end against the wall was a middle-aged woman dressed in black with a broad expressionless

face German or Scandinavian he thought probably the German ladyes made Beyond her were a couple leaning forward and talking animatedly together the man wore English clothes of loose Tweed but he was not English though only the back of his head was visible to PUO the shape of it and the set of the shoulders betrayed him a big man wellmade Tai turned his head suddenly and poo saw his profile a very handsome man of 30 odd With a big Fair mustache the woman opposite him was a mere girl 20 at a guess a tight fitting little

black coat and skirt white satin blouse small Chic black to perched at the fashionable outrageous angle she had a beautiful foreign looking face dead white skin large brown eyes jet black hair she was smoking a cigarette in a long holder her manicured hands had deep red nails she wore one large Emerald set in Platinum there was catry in her glance and voice lsj Lee eik murmured poro husband and wife M book nodded Hungarian Embassy I believe he said a handsome couple there were only two more lunchers Poo's fellow traveler McQueen and his employer Mr ratchet

the L sat facing poo and for the second time poo studied that unprepossessing face noting the false Benevolence of the brow and the small cruel eyes doubtless M book saw a change in his friend's expression it is at your wild animal you look he asked PUO nodded as his coffee was brought to him M book Rose to his feet having started before PUO he had finished some time ago I returned to my compartment he said come along Pres presently in Converse with me with pleasure poo sipped his coffee and Ordered a lure the attendant was

passing from table to table with his box of money accepting payment for bills the elderly American lady's voice Rose shrill and plaintiff my daughter said take a book of food tickets and you'll have no trouble no trouble at all now that isn't so seems they have to have a 10% tip and then there's that bottle of mineral Water and a queer sort of water too they didn't have any Evan or vichi which seems queer to me it is they must how do you say serve the water of the country explained the Sheepfold at the Heap

of small change on the table in front of her look at all this peculiar stuff he's given me Dinars or something just a lot of rubbish it looks like my daughter said Mary debbenham pushed back her chair and left with a Slight bow to the other two Colonel arbouet got up and followed her Gathering up her despised money the American woman followed suit followed by the other one like a sheep the hungarians had already Departed the restaurant car was empty save for poo and Ratchet and McQueen ratchet spoke to His companion who got up and

left the car then he rose himself but instead of following McQueen he dropped Unexpectedly into the seat opposite poro can you oblige me with a light he said his voice was soft faintly nasal my name is ratchet poo bowed slightly He Slipped his hand into his pocket and produced a matchbox which he handed to the other man who took it but did not strike a light I think he went on that I have the pleasure of speaking to Mis hercu poo is that so poo bowed again you have Been correctly informed mure the detective was

conscious of those strange shrewd eyes summing him up before the other spoke again in my country he said we come to the point quickly Mr Poo I want you to take on a job for me hercu Poo's eyebrows went up a trifle my clientele mure is limited nowadays I undertake very few cases why naturally one understand that But this Mr poro means big money he repeated again in his soft persuasive voice big money hercul porro was silent a minute or two then he said what is it you wish me to do for you mure ratchet

Mr porro I am a rich man a very rich man men in that position have enemies one have an enemy only one enemy just what do you mean by that question asked ratchet Sharply mure in my experience when a man is in a position to have as you say enemies then it does not usually resolve itself into one enemy only ratchet seemed relieved by Poo's answer he said quickly why yes I appreciate that point enemy or enemy it doesn't matter what does matter is my safety safety my life has been threatened Mr porro now I'm

a man who can take pretty good care of Himself from the pocket of his coat his hand brought a small automatic into sight for a moment he continued grimly I don't think I'm the kind of man to be caught napping but as I look at it I might as well make Assurance doubly sure I fancy you're the man for my money Mr porro and remember big money poro looked at him thoughtfully for some Minutes his face was completely expressionless the other could have had no clue as to what thoughts were passing in that mind I

regret mure he said at length that I cannot oblige you the other looked at him shrewdly name your figure then he said poo shook his head you do not understand mure I have been very fortunate in my profession I have made enough money to satisfy both my needs and my Caprices I take now only such cases as Interest me you've got a pretty good nerve said ratchet will $20,000 tempt you it will not if you're holding out for more you won't get it I know what a thing's Worth to me I also am ratchet what's

wrong with my proposition poo Rose if you will forgive me for being personal one do not like your face M ratchet he said and with that he left the restaurant car for a cry in the Night the simplon Orient Express arrived at Belgrade at A4 to 9 that evening it was not due to depart again until 9.15 so poro descended to the platform he did not however remain there long the cold was bitter and though the platform itself was protected heavy snow was falling outside he returned to his compartment the conductor who was on the

platform stamping his feet and waving his arms to keep warm spoke to him your VES have Been moved missure to the compartment no one the compartment of M book but where is missure book then he has moved into the coach from Athens which has just been put on porro went in search of his friend M book wav his protestations aside it is nothing it is nothing it is more convenient like this you are going through to England so it is better that you should stay in the through coach to Cal me I am very well

here it is most Peaceful this coach is empty save for myself and one little greek doctor ah my friend what a night they say there has not been so much snow for years let us hope we shall not be held up I am not too happy about it I can tell you at 9.15 punctually the train pulled out of the station and shortly afterwards poro got up said good night to his friend and made his way along the corridor back into his own coach which was in front next to the dining car on This this

the second day of the journey barriers were breaking down colonel arbouet was standing at the door of his compartment talking to McQueen when McQueen saw poro he broke off something he was saying he looked very much surprised why he cried I thought you'd left us you said you were getting off at Belgrade you misunderstood me said poo smiling I remember now the train started from Stul just as we were talking about it but man your baggage it's gone it has been moved into another compartment that is all oh I see he resumed his conversation with

our bunet and poo passed on down the corridor two doors from his own compartment the elderly American misses hubard was standing talking to the sheeplike lady who was a swed Mrs hubard was pressing a magazine on the other no do take it my dear she Said I've got plenty of other things to read my isn't the cold something frightful she nodded amicably to poro you are most kind said the Swedish lady not at all I hope you'll sleep well and that your head will be better in the morning it is the cold only I make

now myself a cup of tea have you got some aspirin are you sure now I've got plenty well good night my dear she turned to poo conversationally as the Other woman departed poor creature she's a swed as far far as I can make out she's a kind of missionary a teaching one a nice creature but doesn't talk much English she was most interested in what I told her about my daughter quro by now knew all about Mrs Hubbard's daughter everyone on the train who could understand English did how she and her husband were on the

staff of a big American college in Smyrna and how this was Mrs Hubbard's first journey to the East and what she thought of the Turks and their slipshod ways and the condition of their roads the door next to them opened and the thin pale manservant stepped out inside poo caught a glimpse of Mr ratchet sitting up in bed he saw PUO and his face changed darkening with anger then the door was shut Mrs hubard Drew PUO a little wide you know PM dead Scared of that man oh not the valet the other his master master

indeed there's something wrong about that man my daughter always says I'm very intuitive when Mama gets a hunch she's dead right that's what my daughter says and I've got a hunch about that man he's next door to me and I don't like it I put my grips against the communicating door last night I thought I heard him Trying the handle Duo you know I shouldn't be a bit surprised if that man turned out to be a murderer one of these Train Robbers you read about I dare say I'm foolish but there it is I'm absolutely

scared to death of the man my daughter said I'd have an easy Journey but somehow I don't feel happy about it it may be foolish but I feel as if anything might happen anything at all and how that nice young fellow can bear to be his secretary I can't think Colonel arbouet and McQueen were coming towards them down the corridor come into my Carriage McQueen was saying it isn't made up for the night yet now what I want to get right about your policy in India is this the Two Men passed and went on down

the corridor to McQueen's Carriage Mrs hubard said good night to porro I guess I'll go right to bed and read she said good night good night Madam poo passed into his own Compartment which was the next one Beyond ratchets he undressed and got into bed read for about half an hour and then turned out the light he awoke some hours later awoke with a start he knew what it was that had wakened him a loud groan almost a cry somewhere close at hand at the same moment The Ting of a bell sounded sharply poo sat

up and switched on the light he noticed that the train was at a Standstill presumably at a station that cry had startled him he remembered that it was ratchet who had had the next compartment he got out of bed and opened the door just as the wagon lit conductor came hurrying along the corridor and knocked on ratchet's door porro kept his door open a crack and watched the conductor tapped a second time a bell rang and a light showed over another door farther down the conductor Glanced over his shoulder at the same moment a voice

from with in the next compartment called out sunen J me sweet Trump bien missure the conductor scurried off again to knock at the door where the light was showing poo returned to bed his mind relieved and Switched Off the Light he glanced at his watch it was just 23 minutes to one five the crime he found it difficult to go to Sleep again at once for one thing he missed the motion of the train if it was a station outside it was curiously quiet by contrast the noises on the train seemed unusually loud he could

hear ratchet moving about next door a click as he pulled down the wash basin the sound of the tap running a splashing noise then another click as the Basin shut to again footsteps passed up the corridor outside the shuffling footsteps of someone in Bedroom slippers hercu poo lay awake staring at the ceiling why was the station outside So Silent his throat felt dry he had forgotten to ask for his usual bottle of mineral water he looked at his watch again just after A4 1 he would ring for the conductor and ask ask for some mineral

water his finger went out to the Bell but he paused as in the Stillness he Heard a Ting the man couldn't answer every Bell at once Ting Ting Ting it sounded again and again where was the man somebody was getting impatient TNG whoever it was was keeping a finger solidly on the push button suddenly with a rush his footsteps echoing up the aisle the man came he knocked at a door not far from Poro own then came voices the conductors differential apologetic and a woman's insistent and valuable Mrs hubard poo smiled to himself the altercation

if it was one went on for some time its proportions were 90% of Mrs Hubbard's to a soothing 10% of the conductors finally the matter seemed to be adjusted poo heard distinctly of Bon new Madam and a closing door he pressed his own finger on the Bell the conductor arrived promptly he looked hot and worried the low minor ale Vu plate bien missure perhaps a twinkle in pooi led him to unburden himself L A Mary Kan yes he wiped his forehead imagine to yourself the time I have had with her she insists but insists that

there is a man in her compartment figure to Yourself mure in a space of this size he swept hand round where would he conceal himself I argue with her I point out that it is impossible she insists she woke up and there was a man there and how I ask did he get out and leave the door bolted behind him but she will not listen to reason as though there were not enough To worry us already this snow snow but yes mure mure has not noticed the train has stopped we have run into a snow

drift heaven knows how long we shall be here I remember once being snowed up for 7 days where are we between vinova and Broad Lala said quo vexedly the man withdrew and returned Turned with the water Bon swar mure poo drank a glass of water and composed himself to sleep he was just dropping off when something again woke him this time it was as though something heavy had fallen with a thud against the door he sprang up opened it and looked out nothing but to his right some distance down the corridor a woman wrapped in

a Scarlet mono was retreating from Him at the other end sitting on his little seat the conductor was entering up figures on large sheets of paper everything was deathly quiet decidedly I suffer from the nerves said quo and retired to bed again this time he slept till morning when he awoke the train was still at a standstill he raised a blind and looked out heavy Banks of snow surrounded the train He glanced at his watch and saw that it was past 9:00 at A4 to 10 neat Spruce and dandified as ever he made his way

to the restaurant car where a corus of Woe was going on any barriers there might have been between the passengers had now quite broken down all were United by a common Misfortune misses hubard was loudest in her Lamentations my daughter said it would Be the easiest way in the world just sit in the train until I got to parms and now we may be here for days and days she wailed and my boat sails day after tomorrow how am I going to catch it now why I can't even wire to cancel my passage PM just

too mad to talk talk about it the Italian said that he had urgent business himself in Milan the large American said that that was too bad ma'am and soothingly Expressed a hope that the train might make up time my sister her children wait me said the Swedish lady and wept I get no word to them what they think they will say bad things have happened to me how long long shall we be here demanded Mary debenham doesn't anybody know her voice sounded impatient but poro noted that there were no signs of that almost feverish anxiety

which she had displayed during the check to the Taurus Express Mrs hubard was off again there isn't anybody knows a thing on this train and nobody's trying to do anything just a pack of useless foreigners why if this were at home there'd be someone at least trying to do something AR bunet turned to poo and spoke in careful British French Vu eats UND director de laa J Croy missure Vu P new D smiling poo corrected Him no no he said in English it is not I you confound me with my friend m book oh I'm

sorry not at all it is most natural I am now in the compartment that he had formerly M book was not present in the restaurant car porro looked about to notice who else was absent princess dramov was missing and the Hungarian couple also ratchet his valet and the German ladyes maid the Swedish lady wiped her eyes I am foolish she said I am bad to cry all is for the best whatever happened this Christian Spirit however was far from being shared that's all very well said McQueen restlessly we may be here for days what is

this country anyway demanded Mrs hubard tearfully on being told it was Yugoslavia she said oh one of these bulkan Things what can you expect you are the only patient one madame Melle said PUO to miss debbenham she Shrugged her shoulders slightly what can one do you are a philosopher madelle that implies a detached attitude I think my attitude is more selfish I have learned to save myself useless emotion she was speaking more to herself than to him she was not even looking at Him her gaze went past him out of the window to where the

snow lay in heavy masses you are a strong character madelle said poro gently you are I think the strongest character amongst us oh no no indeed I know one far far stronger than I am and that is she seemed suddenly to come to herself to realize that she was talking to a stranger and Foreigner with Whom until this morning she had exchanged only half a dozen sentences she laughed a polite but estranging laugh well that old lady for instance you have probably noticed her a very ugly old lady but rather fascinating she has only to

lift a little finger and ask for something in a polite voice and the whole train runs it runs also for my friend in book said Poo but that is because he is a director of the line not because he has a strong character Mary debbenham smiled the morning wore away several people poo amongst them remained in the dining car the communal life was felt at the moment to pass the time better he heard a good deal more about Ms Hubbard's daughter and he heard the lifelong habits of Mr hubard deceased from his rising in the

morning and commencing breakfast with a cereal to His final rest at night in the bed socks that misses hubber herself had been in the habit of knitting for him it was when he was listening to a confused account of the missionary aims of the Swedish lady that one of the wagon lit conductors came into the car and stood at his elbow pardon missure yes the compliments of M book and he would be glad if you would be so kind as to come to him for a few Minutes poro Rose uttered excuses to the Swedish lady

and followed the man out out of the dining car it was not his own conductor but a big fair man he followed his guide down the corridor of his own carriage and along the corridor of the next one the man tapped at a door then stood aside to let poo enter the compartment was not M books own it was a second class one chosen presumably because of its slightly larger size it certainly gave the impression of Being crowded M book himself was sitting on the small seat in the opposite corner in the corner next the

window facing him was a small dark man looking out at the snow standing up and quite preventing poo from advancing any farther were a big man in blue uniform the chef to train and his own wagon lit conductor ah my good friend cried M book come in we have need of you the little Man in the window shifted along the seat and PUO squeezed past the other two men and sat down facing his friend the expression on him book's face gave him as he would have expressed it furiously to think it was clear that something

out of the common had happened what has occurred he asked you may well ask that first this snow this stoppage and now he paused and a sort of strangled gasp came from the wagon lit Conductor and now what and now a passenger lies dead in his birth stabbed M book spoke with a kind of calm desperation a passenger which passenger an American a man called called he consulted some notes in front of him ratchet that is right ratchet yes missure the wagon lit man gulped porro looked at him he was as white as chalk you

had better let that Man sit down he said he may faint otherwise the chef to train moved slightly and the wagon lit man sank down in the corner and buried his face in his hands brr said PUO this is serious certainly it is serious to begin with a murder that in itself is a Calamity of the first water but not only that the circumstances are unusual here we are brought to a standstill we may be here for hours and Not only hours days another circumstance passing through most countries we have the police of that country

on the train but in Yugoslavia no you comprehend it is a position of great difficulty said PUO there is worse to come Dr Constantine I forgot I have not introduced you Dr Constantine M poo the little dark man bowed and poo returned the bow Dr Constantine is of the opinion that death occurred at about 1:00 a.m. it is difficult to speak exactly in these matters said the doctor but I think I can say definitely that death occurred between midnight and 2 in the morning when was this m ratchet last seen alive asked porro he is

known to have been alive at about 20 minutes to 1 when he spoke to the conductor said him book that is quite correct said Poro I myself heard what passed that is the last thing known yes poo turned toward the Doctor Who continued the window of M ratchet's compartment was found wide open leading one to suppose that the murderer escaped that way but in my opinion that open window is a blind anyone depart ing that wey would have left distinct traces in the snow there were none the crime was Discovered when asked porro Michelle the

wagon lit conductor sat up his face still looked pale and frightened tell this gentleman exactly what occurred ordered M the book The Man spoke somewhat jerkily the valet of this m ratchet he tapped several times S at the door this morning there was no answer then half an hour ago the restaurant car attendant came he wanted To know if mure was taking dejan it was 11:00 you comprehend I open the door for him with my key but there is a chain too and that is fastened there is no answer and it is very still in

there and cold but cold old with the window open and snow drifting in I thought the gentleman had had a fit perhaps I got the chef to train we broke the chain and went in he Was ah C Tate terrible he buried his face in his hands again the door was locked and chained on the inside said poo thoughtfully it was not not suicide the Greek doctor gave a sardonic laugh does a man who commits suicide stab himself in 10 12 15 places he asked Poo's eyes opened that is great ferocity he said it is

a woman said the chef to train speaking for the first time depend upon It it was a woman only a woman would stab like that that Dr Constantine screwed up his face thoughtfully she must have been a very strong woman he said it is not my desire to speak technically that is only confusing but I can assure you that one or two of the blows were delivered with such Force as to drive them through hard belts of bone and muscle it was clearly not a scientific crime said PUO it was most unscientific returned Dr Constantine

the blows seem to have been delivered halfhazard and at random some have glanced off doing hardly any damage it is as though somebody had shut his eyes and then in a frenzy struck blindly again and again say un fem said the chef to train again women are like that when they are enraged they have great strength he nodded so sagely that everyone suspected a personal experience Of his own I have perhaps something to contribute to your store of knowledge said poo M ratchet spoke to me yesterday he told me as far as I was able

to understand him that he was in danger of his life bumped off that is the American expression is it not asked M book then it is not a woman it is a gangster or a gunman the chef to train looked pained at seeing his theory come to not if so Said porro it seems to have been done very amateurishly his tone expressed professional disapproval there is a large American on the train said M book pursuing his idea a commonl looking man with terrible clothes he chews the gum which I believe is not done in good

circles you know whom I mean the wagon lit conductor to whom he had appealed Nodded we missure the number 16 but it cannot have been he I should have seen him enter or leave the compartment you might not you might not but we will go into that presently the question is what to do he looked at PUO poo looked back at him come my friend said him book you comprehend what I am about to ask of you I know your powers take command of this investigation no no do not Refuse see to us it is

serious I speak for the company International the wagon lits by the time the Yugoslavian police arrive how simple if we can present them with the solution otherwise delays annoyances a million and one inconveniences perhaps who knows serious annoyance to innocent persons instead you solve the mystery we say a murder has occurred This is the criminal and suppose I do not solve it ah man share M book's voice became positively caressing I know your reputation I know something of your methods this is the ideal case for you to look up the antant of all these people

to discover their Bona tiddes all that takes time and endless inconvenience but have I not heard you say often that to solve a case a man has Only to lie back in his chair and think do that interview the passengers on the train view the body examine what Clues there are and then well I have faith in you I am assured that it is no Idol boast of yours lie back and think use as one have heard you say so often the little gray cells of the mind and you will know he leaned forward looking

affectionately at the detective Your faith touches me my friend said poro emotionally as you say this cannot be a difficult case I myself last night but we will not speak of that now in truth this problem intrigues me I was reflecting not half an hour ago that many hours of boredom lay ahead whilst we are stuck here and now a problem lies ready to my hand you accept then said M book eagerly say Anandu you place the matter in my hands good we are all at your service to begin with I should like a plan

of the Istanbul Cala coach with a note of the people who occupied the several compartments and I should also like to see their passports and their tickets Michelle will get you those the wagon lit conductor left the compartment what other passengers are there on the train asked porro in this coach Dr Constantine and I Are the only Travelers in the coach from Bucharest is an old gentleman with a lame leg he is well known to the conductor beyond that are the ordinary carriages but these do not concern us since they were locked after dinner had

been served last night forward of the Istanbul Cal coach there is only the dining car then it seems said poo slowly as though we must look for our murderer in The Istanbul Cal coach he turned to the doctor that is what you were hinting one think the Greek nodded at half an hour after midnight we ran into the snowdrift no one can have left the train since then M book said solemnly the murderer is with us on the train now six a woman first of all said poro I should like a word or two with

young Mister McQueen he may be able to give us valuable information certainly said M book he turned to the chef to train get Mister McQueen to come here the chef to train left the carriage the conductor returned with a bundle of passports and tickets M book took them from him thank you Michelle it would be best now I think if You were to go back to your post we will take your evidence formally later very good mure said Michelle and in his turn left the carriage after we have seen young McQueen said porro perhaps m

l doctur will come with me to the Dead Man's Carriage certainly after we have finished there but at this moment the chef to train returned with Hector McQueen M book Rose we are a little cramped here he said pleasantly take my seat Mr McQueen M poo will sit opposite you so he turned to the chef to train clear all the people out of the restaurant car he said and let it be left free for M porro you will conduct your interviews there manare it would be the most convenient yes agreed Porro McQueen had stood looking

from one to the other not quite following the rapid flow of French chce CH l y a he began laboriously poor Koy with a vigorous gesture porro motioned him to the seat in the corner he took it and began once more poroy then checking himself and relapsing into his own tongue what's up on the train has anything happened he looked From one man to another poo nodded exactly something has happened prepare yourself for a shock your employer M ratchet is dead McQueen's mouth pursed itself into a whistle except that his eyes grew a shade brighter

he showed no signs of shock or distress so they got him after all he said what exactly do you mean by that phrase Mr McQueen McQueen hesitated you are assuming said porro that him ratchet was murdered wasn't he this time McQueen did show surprise why yes he said slowly that's just what I did think do you mean he just died in his sleep why the old man was as tough as as tough he stopped at a loss for a simile no no said PUO your assumption was quite right M ratchet was Murdered stabbed but I

should like to know why you were so sure it was murder and not just death McQueen hesitated I must get this clear he said who exactly are you and where do you come in I represent the company International de wagon lits poo paused then added I am a detective my name is herul poo if he expected an effect he did not get one McQueen said merely Oh yes and waited for him to go on you know the name perhaps why it does seem kind of familiar only I always thought it was a woman's dress maker

hercu poo looked at him with distaste it is incredible he said what's incredible nothing let us Advance with the matter in hand I want you to tell me m McQueen all that you know about the dead man you Were not related to him no I am was his secretary for how long have you held that post just over a year please give me all the information you can well I met Mr ratchet just over a year ago when I was in Persia poro interrupted what were you doing there I had come over from New York

to look into an oil concession I don't suppose you want to hear all about that my friends and one Had been let in rather badly over it Mr ratchet was in the same Hotel he had just had a row with his secretary he offered me the job and I took it I was at a loose end and glad to find a well-paid job readymade as it were and since then we've traveled about Mr ratchet wanted to see the world he was hampered by knowing no languages I acted more as a courier than as a Secretary

it was a pleasant life now tell me as much as you can about your employer the Young man Shrugged his shoulders a perplexed expression passed over his face that's not so easy what was his full name Samuel Edward ratchet he was an American citizen yes what part of America did he come from I don't know well tell me what you do know the actual truth is Mr porro That I know nothing at all Mister ratchet never spoke of himself or of his life in America why do you think that was I don't know one imagined

that he might be ashamed of his Beginnings some men are does that strike you as a satisfactory solution frankly it doesn't has he any relatives he never mentioned any PUO pressed the point you must have formed some Theory Mr McQueen well yes I did for one thing I don't believe ratchet was his real name one think he left America definitely in order to escape someone or something I think he was successful until a few weeks ago and then fi began to get letters threatening letters did you see them yes it was my business to attend

to his correspondence the first letter came a Fortnight ago were these letters destroyed no I think I've got a couple still in my files one I know ratchet tore up in a rage shall I get them for you if you would be so good McQueen left the compartment he returned a few minutes later and laid down two sheets of rather dirty notep paper before PUO the first letter ran as follows thought you'd doublecross us and get away with it did you not on your life We're out to get you ratchet and we will get you

there was no signature with no comment Beyond raised eyebrows poo picked up the second letter we're going to take you for a ride ratchet sometime soon we're going to get you see poo laid the letter down the style is monotonous he said more so than the handwriting McQueen stared at him you would not observe said poo pleasantly it requires the eye of one Used to such things this letter was not written by one person M McQueen two or more persons wrote it each writing one letter of a word at a time also the letters are

printed that makes the task of identifying the handwriting much more difficult he paused then said did you know that M ratchet had applied for help to me to you McQueen's astonished tone told PUO quite certainly that the young Man had not known of it the detective nodded yes he was alarmed tell me how did he act when he received the first letter McQueen hesitated it's difficult to say he he passed it off with a laugh in that quiet way of his but somehow he gave a slight shiver one felt that there was a good deal

going on underneath the quietness poo nodded then he asked an unexpected question Mr McQueen will you tell me Quite honestly exactly how you regarded your employer did you like him Hector McQueen took a moment or two before replying no he said at last I did not why I can't exactly say he was always quite Pleasant in his manner he he paused then said I'll tell you the truth Mr porro I disliked and distrusted him he was I am sure a cruel and Dangerous man I must admit though that I have no reasons to advance for

my opinion thank you Mr McQueen one further question when did you last see Mr ratchet alive last evening about he thought for a minute 10:00 I should say I went into his compartment to take down some memoranda from him on what subject some tiles and antique pottery that he bought in Persia what had been delivered was not What he had purchased there has been a long vexatious correspondence on the subject and that was the last time Mr ratchet was seen alive yes I suppose so do you know when Mr ratchet received the last threatening letter

on the morning of the day we left Constantinople there is one more question I must ask you Mr McQueen were you on good terms with your Employer the young man's eyes twinkled suddenly this is where I'm supposed to go all Goose flushy down the back in the words of a bestseller you've nothing on me ratchet and I were on perfectly good terms perhaps Mr McQueen you will give me your full name and your address in America McQueen gave his name Hector Willard McQueen and an address in New York poo leaned back against the cushions that

is all for the present Mr McQueen he said I should be obliged if you would keep the matter of Mr ratchet's death to yourself for a little time his valet masterman will have to know he probably knows already said poo drill if so try to get him to hold his tongue that oughtn't to be difficult he's a britisher and as he calls it he keeps to himself he has a low opinion of Americans and no opinion at all of any Other nationality thank you m Mr McQueen the American left the carriage well demanded M book

you believe what he says this young man he seems honest and straightforward he did not pretend to any affection for his employer as he probably would have done had he been involved in any way it is true Mr ratchet did not tell him that he had tried to enlist my services and failed But I do not think that that is really a suspicious circumstance I fancy Mr ratchet was a gentleman who kept his own counil on every possible occasion so you pronounce one person at least innocent of the crime said M book jovially poo cast

on him a look of reproach me I suspect everybody till the last minute he said all the same I must admit that I cannot see this sober long-headed McQueen losing his head and Stabbing his victim 12 or 14 times it is not in accord with his psychology not at all no said M book thoughtfully that is the act of a man driven almost crazy with a frenzied hate it suggests rather the Latin temperament or else it suggests as our friend the chef D train insisted a woman seven the body followed by Dr Constantine poo made

his way to the next coach and to the compartment occupied by the murdered man The conductor came and unlocked the door for them with his key the two men passed inside poo turned inquiringly to His companion how much has been disarranged in this compartment nothing has been touched I was careful not to move the body in making my examination poo nodded he looked around him the first thing that struck the senses was the intense Cold the window was pushed down as far as it would go and the blind was drawn up B observed porro the

other smiled appreciatively I did not like to close it he said poo examined the window carefully you are right he announced nobody left the carriage this way possibly the open window was intended to suggest that somebody did but if so the snow has defeated the Murderer's intention he examined the frame of the window carefully taking a small case from his pocket he blew a little powder over the frame no fingerprints at all he said that means it has been wiped well if there had been fingerprints they would have told us very little they would have

been those of Mr ratchet or his valet or the conductor criminals do not make mistakes Of that kind nowadays and that being so he added cheerfully we might as well shut the window positively it is the Cold Storage in here he suited the action to the word and then turned his attention for the first time to the motionless figure lying in the bunk ratchet lay on his back his pajama jacket stained with Rusty patches had been unbuttoned and thrown back I had to see the nature of the wounds you see explained the doctor Poo nodded

he bent over the body finally he straightened himself with a slight Grimace it is not pretty he said someone must have stood there and stabbed him again and again how many wounds are there exactly I make it 12 one or two are so slight as to be practically scratches on the other hand at least Three would be capable of causing death something in the doctor's tone caught Poo's attention he looked at him sharply the Little Greek was standing staring down at the body with a puzzled frown something strikes you as odd does it not he

asked gently speak my friend there is something here that puzzles you you are right acknowledged the other what is it you see these two Wounds here and here he pointed they are deep each cut must have severed blood vessels and yet the edges do not gape they have not bled as one would have expected which suggests that the man was already dead some little time dead when they were delivered but that is surely absurd it would seem so said PUO thoughtfully unless our murderer figured to himself that he had not accomplished His job properly and

came back to make quite sure but that is manifestly absurd anything else well just one thing and that you see this wound here under the right arm near the right shoulder take this pencil of mine could you deliver such a blow poo poised his hand precisement he said I see with the right hand it is exceedingly difficult almost impossible one would have to strike Backhanded as it were but if the blow were struck with the left hand exactly M [Music] poro that blow was almost certainly struck with the left hand so that our murderer is

Left-Handed no it is more difficult than that is it not as you say m poro some of these other blows are just as obviously right-handed two people we are back at two people again Murmured the detective he asked abruptly was the electric light on it is difficult to say you see it is turned off by the conductor every morning about 10:00 the switches will tell us said poro he examined the switch of the top light and also the roll back bed headlight the former was turned off the ladder was closed Ean he said thoughtfully we

have here a hypothesis Of the first and the second murderer as the great Shakespeare would put it the first murderer stabbed his victim and left the compartment turning off the light the second murderer came in in the dark did not see that his or her work had been done and stabbed at least twice at a dead body penses Vu Den magnificent said the little doctor with enthusiasm the others eyes Twinkled you think so I am glad it sounded to me a little like the nonsense what other explanation can there be that is just what I

am asking myself have we here a coincidence or what are there any other inconsistencies such as would point to two people being concerned I think I can say yes some of these blows as I have already said point to a weakness a lack of strength or a lack of determination they are feeble glancing Blows but this one here and this one again he pointed great strength was needed for those blows they have penetrated the muscle they were in your opinion delivered by a man most certainly they could not have been delivered by a woman a

young vigorous athletic woman might have struck them especially if she were in the grip of a strong emotion but it is in my opinion Highly unlikely porro was silent a moment or two the other asked anxiously you understand my point perfectly said poro the matter begins to clear itself up wonderfully the murderer was a man of great strength he was feeble it was a woman it was a right-handed person it was a left-handed person ah say rigalo tout 5A he spoke with sudden anger and the victim what does he do in all this does He

cry out does does he struggle does he defend himself he slipped his hand under the pillow and Drew out the automatic pistol which ratchet had shown him the day before fully loaded you see he said they looked around them ratchet's day clothing was hanging from the hooks on the wall on the small table formed by the lid of the wash basin were various objects false teeth in a glass of water another glass Empty a bottle of mineral water a large flask an ashtray containing the butt of a cigar and some charred fragments of paper also

two burnt matches the doctor picked up The Empty Glass and sniffed it here is the explanation of the victim's inera he said quietly drugged yes PUO nodded he picked up the two matches and scrutinized them Carefully you have a clue then demanded the little doctor eagerly those two matches are of different shapes said PUO one is flatter than the other you see it is the kind you get on the train said the doctor in paper covers porro was feeling in the pockets of ratchet's clothing presently he pulled out a box of matches he compared them

carefully with the burnt Ones the rounder one is a match struck by Mr ratchet he said let us see if he had also the flatter kind but a further search showed no other matches Poo's eyes were darting about the compartment they were bright and sharp like a birds one felt that nothing could Escape their scrutiny with a little exclamation He bent and picked up something from the Floor it was a small square of cambri very dainty in the corner was an embroidered initial h a woman's handkerchief said the doctor our friend the chef to train

was right there is a woman concerned in this and most conveniently she leaves her handkerchief behind said poor exactly as it happens in the books and on the films and to make things even easier for us it is marked with an Initial what a stroke of luck for us exclaimed the doctor is it not said poo something in his tone surprised the doctor but before he could ask for elucidation PUO had made another dive onto the floor this time he held out on the palm of his hand a pipe pipe cleaner it is perhaps the

property of Mr ratchet suggested the doctor there was no pipe in any of his Pockets and no tobacco or tobacco pouch then it is a clue oh decidedly and again dropped most conveniently a masculine clue this time you note one cannot complain of having no clues in this case there are Clues here in abundance by the way what have you done with the weapon there was no sign of any weapon the murderer must have taken it away with him I wonder why mused Poro ah the doctor had been delicately exploring the pajama pockets of the

dead man I overlooked this he said I unbuttoned the jacket and threw it straight back from the breast pocket he brought out a gold watch the case was dented savagely and the hands pointed to A4 1 you see cried Constantine eagerly this gives us the hour of the crime it agrees with my Calculations between midnight and 2: in the morning is what I said and probably about 1:00 though it is difficult to be exact in these matters Ean here is confirmation A4 1 that was the hour of the crime it is possible yes it is

certainly possible the doctor looked at him curiously you will pardon me m poro but I do not quite understand you I do not understand myself said Porro I understand nothing at all and as you perceive it worries me he sighed and bent over the little table examining the charred fragment of paper he murmured to himself what I need at this moment is an old-fashioned woman's hatbox Dr Constantine was at a loss to know what to make of this singular remark in any case PUO gave him no time for questions opening the door into the Corridor

he called for the conductor the man arrived at a run how many women are there in this coach the conductor counted on his fingers 1 2 3 6 missure the old American lady a Swedish lady the young English lady the Countess andren and Madame La Princess dragir off and her maid poo considered they all have had hat boxes yes yes Missure then bring me let me see yes the Swedish ladies and that of the ladies made those two are the only hope you will tell them it is a customs regulation something anything that occurs to

you that will be all right mure neither lady is in her compartment at the moment then be quick the conductor departed he returned with the two hat boxes poro opened that of the maid and Tossed it aside then he opened the Swedish ladies and uttered an exclamation of satisfaction removing the hats carefully he disclosed round humps of wi netting ah here is what we need about 15 years ago hat boxes were made like this you skew through the hat with a hat pin on to this hump of wire netting as he spoke he was skillfully

removing two of the attached [Music] Humps then he repacked the hat box and told the conductor to return both boxes where they belonged when the door was shut once more he turned to His companion see you my dear doctor me I am not one to rely upon the expert procedure it is the psych ology I seek not the fingerprint or the cigarette Ash but in this case I would welcome a little scientific assistance this compartment is full of Clues but can I be sure that those Clues are really what they seem to be I do

not quite understand you m poro well to give you an example we find a woman's hankerchief did a woman drop it or did a man committing the crime say to himself I will make this look like a woman's crime I will stab my enemy an unnecessary number of times making some of the blows feeble and ineffective and I will drop this handkerchief where no One can miss if that is one possibility then there is another did a woman kill him and did she deliberately drop a pipe cleaner to make it look like a man's work

or are we seriously to suppose that two people a man and a woman were separately concerned and that each was so careless as to drop a clue to his or her identity it is a little too much of a coincidence that but where does the hatbox come in asked the doctor still Puzzled ah I am coming to that as I say these Clues the watch stopped at a quarter p last one the handkerchief the pipe cleaner they may be genuine or they may be faked as to that I cannot yet tell but there is one

clue here which though again I may be wrong I believe has not been faked I mean this flat match M lud doctor I believe that that match was used by the murderer not by Mr Ratchet it was used to bomb an incriminating paper of some kind possibly a note if so there was something in that note some mistake some error that left a possible clue to the as salant I am going to try to discover what that something was he went out of the compartment and returned a few moments later with a small Spirit stove

and a pair of curling tongs I use them for the mustaches he Said referring to the latter the doctor watched him with great interest poo flattened out the two humps of wire and with great care wriggled the charred scrap of paper onto one of them he clapped the other on top of it and then holding both pieces together with the tongs held the whole thing over the flame of the spirit lamp it is a very makeshift Affair this he said over his shoulder let us hope that it will answer our Purpose the doctor watched the

proceedings attentively the metal began to Glow suddenly he saw faint indications of letters words formed themselves slowly words of fire it was a very tiny scrap only three words and part of another showed remember little Daisy Armstrong ah poo gave a sharp Exclamation it tells you something asked the doctor Poo's eyes were shining he laid down the tongs carefully yes he said I know the Dead Man's real name I know why he had to leave America what was his name cassetti cassetti Constantine knitted his brows it brings back to me something some years ago I

cannot Remember it was a case in America was it not yes said poro a case in America further than that poro was not disposed to be communicative fi looked around him as he went on we will go into all that presently let us first make sure that we have seen all there is to be seen here quickly and deafly he went once more through the pockets of the dead man's clothes but found nothing there of Interest fi tried the communicating door which led through to the next compartment but it was bolted on the other side

there is one thing that I do not understand said Dr Constantine if the murderer did not Escape through the window and if this communicating door was bolted on the other side and if the door into the corridor was not only locked on the inside but chained how then did the murderer leave the Compartment that is what the audience says when a person bound hand and foot is shut into a cabinet and disappears you mean I mean explained poro that if the murderer intended us to believe that he had escaped by way of the window he

would naturally make it appear that the other two exits were impossible like the disappearing person in the cabinet it is the trick it is our business to find out how the trick is done F locked the communicating door on Their side in case he said the excellent Mrs Flubber should take it into her head to acquire firsthand details of the crime to write to her daughter fi looked round once more there is nothing more to do here one think let us rejoin M book eight the Armstrong kidnapping case they found him book finishing an omelet

one thought it best to have lunch served immediately in the restaurant car he said afterwards it will be cleared and mro can conduct his examination of The passengers there in the meantime one have ordered them to bring us three some food here an excellent idea said poro none of the three men was hungry and the meal was soon eaten but not till they were sipping their coffee did M book mentioned the subject that was occupying all their minds Aban he asked Aban I have discovered the identity of the victim I know why it was imperative

he Should leave America who was he do you remember reading of the Armstrong baby this is the man who murdered little Daisy the Armstrong cassetti I recall it now a shocking Affair though I cannot remember the details Colonel Armstrong was an Englishman a VC he was half American his mother having been a daughter of WK Vander halt The Wall Street millionaire he married the daughter of Linda Arden the most famous tragic American actress of her day they lived in America and had one child a girl whom they idolized when she was 3 years old she

was kidnapped and an impossibly high sum demanded as the price of her return I will not weary you with all the intricacies that followed I will come to the moment when After the parents had paid over the enormous sum of $200,000 the child's dead body was discovered it had been dead for at least a fortnight public indignation Rose to Fever point and there was worse to follow Mrs Armstrong was expecting another baby following the shock of the discovery she gave birth prematurely to a dead child and herself died flare Brokenhearted husband shot himself Mandu what

a tragedy I remember now said him book there was also another death if I remember rightly yes an unfortunate French or swiss nursemaid the police were convinced that she had some knowledge of the crime they refused to believe her hysterical denials finally in a fit of Despair the poor girl threw herself from a window And was killed it was proved afterwards that she had been absolutely innocent of any complicity in the crime it is not good to think of said him book about 6 months later this man cassetti was arrested as the head of the

gang who had kidnapped the child they had used the same methods in the past if the police seemed likely to get on their Trail they killed their prisoner hid the body and continued to Extract as much money as possible before the crime was discovered now I will make clear to you this my friend cassetti was the man but by means of the enormous wealth he had piled up and owing to the secret hold he had over various persons he was acquitted on some technical inaccuracy not withstanding that he would have been lynched by the populace

had he not been clever enough to give Them the slip it is now clear to me what happened he changed his name and left America since then he has been a Gentleman of Leisure traveling abroad and living on his rant ah quell animal M book's tone was rolent of heartfelt disgust I cannot regret that he is dead not at all I agree with you tout to it is not necessary that he should be Killed on the Orient Express there are other places poo smiled a little he realized that M book was biased in the matter

the question we have now to ask ourselves is this he said is this murder the work of some rival gang whom cassetti had double crossed in the past or is it an act of private Vengeance he explained his discovery of the few words on the chaired fragment of paper if I am right in my assumption Then the letter was burnt by the murderer why because it mentioned the name Armstrong which is the clue to the mystery are there any members of the Armstrong family living that unfortunately I do not know I think I remember reading

of a younger sister of Mrs Armstrong's poo went on to relate The Joint conclusions of himself and Doctor Constantine M book brightened At The Mention Of The Broken watch that seems to give us the time of the crime very exactly yes said porro it is very convenient there was an Indescribable something in his tone that made both the other two look at him curiously you say that you yourself heard ratchet speak to the conductor at 20 minutes to one asked him book poo Related just what had occurred well said book that proves at least that

cassetti or ratchet as I shall continue to call him was certainly alive at 20 minutes to 1 23 minutes to 1 to be precise then at 12:37 to put it formally Mr ratchet was alive that is one fact at least porro did not reply he sat looking thoughtfully in front of him there was a tap on the door And the restaurant attendant entered the restaurant car is free now missure he said we will go there said M book Rising I may accompany you asked Constantine certainly my dear doctor unless M poo has any objection not

at all not at all said poro after a little politeness in the matter of Precedence a pre Vu missure ma Nan a pre Vu they left the compartment part two the evidence one the evidence of the wagon Lit conductor in the restaurant car all was in Readiness PUO and M book sat together on one side of a table the doctor sat across the aisle on the table in front of poro was was a plan of the Istanbul CA coach with the names of the passengers marked in red ink the passports and tickets were in a

pile at one side there was writing paper ink pen and Pencils excellent said [Music] poro we can open our court of inquiry without more Ado first one think we should take the evidence of the wagon lit conductor you probably know some something about the man what character has he is he a man on Whose word you would Place Reliance I should say so most assuredly Pierre Michelle has been Employed by the company for over 15 years he is a Frenchman lives near Cala thoroughly respectable and honest not perhaps remarkable for brains poo nodded comprehending good

he said let us see him Pierre Michelle had recovered some of his Assurance but he was still extremely nervous I hope missure will not think that there has been any negligence on my part he said anxiously his eyes going from PUO to M book it is a terrible Thing that has happened I hope missure does not think that it reflects on me in any way having soothed the Man's fears poro began his questions he first elicited Michelle's name and address his length of service and the length of time he had been on this particular route

these particulars he already knew but the routine question served to put the man at his ease and now went on poo let us come to The events of last night M ratchet retired to bed when almost immediately after dinner missure actually before we left Belgrade so he did on the previous night he had directed me to make up the bed while he was at dinner and I did so did anybody go into his compartment afterwards his valet mure and the young American gentleman his secretary anyone Else no missure not that one know of good and

that is the last you saw or heard of him no mure you forget he rang his Bell about 20 to1 soon after we had stopped what happened exactly I knocked at the door but he called out and said he had made a mistake in English or in French in French what were his words exactly so they rain J me sweet Trump quite right said poro that is what I heard and then you went away yes missure did you go back to your seat no missure I went first to answer another Bell that had just rung

now Michelle I am going to ask you an important question where were you at a quarter 1 hi missure I was at my little seat at the End facing up the corridor you are sure may we at least I went into the next coach the Athens coach to speak to my colleague there we spoke about the snow that was at sometime soon after 1:00 I cannot say exactly and you returned when one of my bells rang mure I remember one told you it was the American lady she had rung several Times I recollect said [Music]

porro and after that after that mure I answered your bell and brought you some mineral water then about half an hour later I made up the bed in one of the other compartments that that of the young American gentleman Mr ratchet's secretary was Mr McQueen alone in his compartment when you went to make up his bed the English colonel from number 15 Was with him they had been sitting talking what did the colonel do when he left Mr McQueen he went back to his own compartment number 15 that is quite close to your seat is

it not yes mure it is is the second compartment from that end of the corridor his bed was already made up yes missure I had made it up while he was at dinner what time was all this I could not say exactly Missure not later than 2:00 certainly and after that after that mure I sat in my seat till morning you did not go again into the Athens coach no missure perhaps you slept I do not think so mure the train being at a standstill prevented me from dozing off as one usually do did you

see any of the passengers moving up or down the Corridor the man reflected one of the ladies went to the toilet at the far end I think Which lady I do not know missure it was far down the corridor and she had her back to me she had on a kimono of scarlet with dragons on it poo nodded and after that nothing missure until the morning you are sure ah pardon you yourself missure Opened your door and looked out for a second good my friend said Toro I wondered whether you would remember that by the

way I was awakened by what sounded like something heavy falling against my door have you any idea what that could have been the man stared at him there was nothing mure nothing I am positive of it then I must have had the cachar said poo philosophically unless put in M book it was something in the compartment next Door that you heard poo took no notice of the [Music] suggestion perhaps he did not wish to before the wagon lit conductor let us pass to another point he said supposing that last night an assassin joined the train

is it quite certain that he could not have left it after committing the crime Pier Michelle shook his head nor that he can be concealed on it Somewhere it has been well searched said M book abandon that idea my friend besides said Michelle no one could get on to the sleeping car without my seeing them when was the last stop vinova what time was that we should have left there at 11:58 but owing to the weather we were 20 minutes late someone might have come along from the the ordinary part of the train no mure

after the service of dinner the Door between the ordinary carriages and the sleeping cars is locked did you yourself descend from the train at vovi yes missure one got down onto the platform as usual and stood by the step up into the Train the other conductors did the same what about the forward door the one near the restaurant car it is always fastened on the inside it is not so fastened now the man looked surprised then his face Cleared doubtless one of the passengers opened it to look out on the snow probably said porro he

tapped thoughtfully on the table for a minute or two missure does not blame me said the man timidly poo Smiled On Him kindly you have had the evil chance my friend he said ah one other point while I remember it you said that another bell rang just As you were knocking at him ratchet's door in fact I heard it myself whose was it it was the bell of Madame La Princess dragir off she desired me to summon her maid and you did so yes missure poo studied the plan in front of him thoughtfully then he

inclined his head that is all he said for the moment thank you mure the man Rose he looked at him book do not distress yourself said the latter kindly I cannot see that there has been any negligence on your part Gra ified Pierre Michelle left the compartment two the evidence of the secretary for a minute or two porro remained lost in thought one think he said at last that it would be well to have a further word with Mr McQueen in view of what we now know the young American appeared Promptly well he said how

are things going not too badly since our last conversation I have learned something the identity of Mr ratchet Hector McQueen leaned forward interestedly yes he said ratchet as you suspected was merely an alias the man's ratchet was cassetti who ran the celebrated kidnapping stunts including the famous Affair of little Daisy Armstrong an expression of utter Astonishment appeared on McQueen's face then it darkened the Damned skunk he exclaimed you had no idea of this Mr McQueen no sir said the young American decidedly if one had I'd have cut off my right hand before it had a

chance to do secretarial work for him you feel strongly about the matter Mr McQueen I have a particular reason for for doing so my father was the district attorney who handled the case Mr Porro I saw Mrs Armstrong more than once she was a lovely woman so gentle and heartbroken his face darkened if ever a man deserved what he got ratchet or cassetti is the man I'm rejoiced at his end such a man wasn't fit to live you almost almost feel as though you would have been willing to do the good deed yourself I do

one he paused then added rather guiltily seems I'm kind of incriminating Myself I should be more inclined to suspect you Mr McQueen if you displayed an inordinate sorrow at your employer's decease I don't think I could do that even to save myself from the chair said McQueen grimly then he added if I'm not being unduly curious just how did you figure this out cassetti's identity I mean by a fragment of a letter found in his compartment but surely I mean that was rather careless of the old man that Depends said PUO on the point of

view the young man seemed to find this remark rather baffling he stared at PUO as though trying to make him out the task before me said porro is to make sure of the movements of everyone on the train no offense need be taken you understand it is only a matter of routine sure get right on with it and let me clear my character if one can I need Hardly ask you the number of your compartment said poo smiling since I shared it with you for a night it is the second class compartment numbers 6 and

seven and after my departure you had it to yourself that's right now Mr McQueen I want you to describe your movements last night from the time of leaving the dining car that's quite easy I went back to my compartment read A bit got out on the platform at Belgrade decided it was too cold and got in again I talked for a while to a young English lady who is in the compartment next to mine then I fell into conversation with that Englishman Colonel arbouet as a matter of fact I think you passed us as we

were talking then I went into Mr ratchet and as I told you took down some memoranda Of letters he wanted written I said good tight to him and left him colonel arbouet was still standing in the corridor his compartment was already made up for the night so I suggested that he should come along to mine I ordered a couple of drinks and we got right down to it discussed world politics and the government of India and our own troubles with prohibition and the Wall Street crisis I don't as a rule cotton to Britishers they're a

stiff necked lot but I like this one do you know what time it was when he left you pretty late nearly 2:00 should say you noticed that the train had stopped oh yes we wondered a bit looked out and saw the snow lying very thick but we didn't think it was serious what happened when Colonel arbouet finally said good night he went along to his compartment and I called to The conductor to make up my bed where were you whilst he was making it standing just outside the door in the corridor smoking a cigarette and

then and then I went to bed and slept till morning during the evening did you leave the train at all our bunet and I thought we'd get out at what was the name of the place vincovi to stretch our legs a bit but it was bitterly cold a blizzard on WE soon hopped Back Again by by which Door did you leave the Train by the one nearest to our compartment the one next to the dining car yes do you remember if it was bolted McQueen considered why yes I seem to remember it was at least

there was a kind of bar that fitted across the handle is that what you mean yes on getting back into the train did you replace the that bar why no I don't think I did I got in Last no I don't seem to remember doing so he added suddenly is that an important point it may be now I presume missure that while you and Colonel AR bunet were sitting talking the door of your compartment into the corridor was open Hector McQueen nodded I want you if you can to tell me if anyone passed along that

Corridor after the train left vinova up to the time you parted company for the night McQueen drew his brows Together I think the conductor passed along once he said coming from the direction of the dining car and a woman passed the other way going towards it which woman I couldn't say I didn't really notice you see I was arguing a point with our bunet I just seemed to remember a glimpse of some Scarlet silk Affair passing the door I didn't look and anyway I wouldn't have seen the person's face as you know my Carriage faces

the Dining car end of the train so a woman going along the corridor in that direction would have her back to me as soon as she'd passed poo nodded she was going to to the toilet I presume I suppose so and you saw her return well no now that you mention it I didn't notice her returning but I suppose she must have done so one more question do you smoke a pipe Mr McQueen no sir I do not poo paused a moment I think that is all at Present I should now like to see the

the valet of Mr ratchet by the way did both you and he always travel second class he did but I usually went first if possible in the compartment adjoining Mr ratchets then he had most of his baggage put in my compartment and yet could get at both it and me easily whenever he chose but on this occasion all the first class births were booked except the one That he took I comprehend thank you Mr McQueen three the evidence of the valet the American was succeeded by the pale Englishman with the inexpressive face whom poro had

already noticed on the day before he stood waiting very correctly poro motioned to him to sit down you are one understand the valet of M ratchet yes sir Your name Edward Henry masterman your age 39 and your home address 21 frier Street Clark andwell you have heard that your master has been murdered yes sir a very shocking occurrence will you now tell me please at what hour you last saw m ratchet the valet considered it must have been about 9:00 sir last Night that or a little after tell me in your own words exactly what

happened I went into Mr ratchet as usual sir and attended to his wants what were your duties exactly to fold or hang up his clothes sir put his Dental plate in water and see that he had everything wanted for the night was his manner much the same as usual the valet considered a moment well sir I think he was upset in what way Upset over a letter he'd been reading he asked me if it was I who had put it in his compartment of course I told him I hadn't done any such thing but he

swore at me and found fault with everything I did was that unusual oh no sir he lost his temper easily as I say it just depended what had happened to upset him did your master ever take a sleeping Draft Dr Constantine leaned forward a little always when traveling by train sir he said he couldn't sleep otherwise do you know what drug he was in the habit of taking I couldn't say I'm sure sir there was no name on the bottle just the sleeping draft to be taken at bedtime did he take it last night yes

sir I poured it into a glass and put it on top of the toilet table ready for him You didn't actually see him drink it no sir what happened next I asked if there was anything further and also asked what time he would like to be called in the morning he said he didn't want to be disturbed till he rang was that usual quite usual sir when he was ready to get up he used to ring the bell for the conductor and then send him for me was he usually an early or a late Riser

it depended sir on his mood sometimes he'd get up for breakfast sometimes he wouldn't get up till just on lunchtime so that you weren't alarmed when the morning wore on and no summons came no sir did you know that your master had enemies yes sir the man spoke quite unemotionally how did you know I had heard him discussing some letters Sir With Mr McQueen had you an affection for your employer m masterman masterman's face became if possible even more inexpressive than it was normally I should hardly like to say that sir he was a generous

employer but you didn't like him shall we put it that I don't care very much for Americans sir have you ever been in America no sir do you remember reading in the paper of the AR Armstrong kidnapping case a little color came into the man's cheeks yes indeed sir a little baby girl wasn't it a very shocking Affair did you know that your employer Mr ratchet was the principal instigator in that Affair no indeed sir the valet tone held positive warmth and feeling for the first time I can hardly believe it Sir nevertheless it is

true now to pass to your own movements last night a matter of routine you understand what did you do after leaving your master I told Mr McQueen sir that the master wanted him then I went to my own compartment and read your compartment was the N second class one sir next to the dining car poro was looking at his plan I see and you had which birth the lower one Sir that is number four yes sir is there anyone in with you yes sir a big Italian fellow does he speak English well a kind of

English sir the Val's tone was deprecating he's been in America Chicago one understand do you and he talk together much no sir I prefer to read poo smiled he could visualize the scene the Large valuable Italian and the snub direct administered by the gentleman's gentleman and what may I ask are you reading he inquired at present sir I am reading Love's captive by Mrs Arabella Richardson a good story I find it highly enjoyable sir well let us continue you returned to your compartment and red loves captive till when at about 10:30 sir this Italian Wanted

to go to bed so the conductor came and made the beds up and then you went to bed and to sleep I went to bed sir but one didn't sleep why didn't you sleep I had the toothache sir oh L that is painful most painful sir did you do anything for it I applied a little oil of cloves sir which relieved the pain a little but I was still not able to get to sleep I turned the light on above my Head and continued to read to take my mind off as it were and did

you not go to sleep at all yes sir I dropped off about 4: in the morning and your companion the Italian [Music] fellow oh he just snored he did not leave the compartment at all during the night no sir did you no sir did you hear anything during the night I don't think so Sir nothing unusual I mean the train being at a standstill made it all very quiet porro was silent a moment or two then he spoke well I think there is very little more to be said you cannot throw any light upon the

tragedy I'm afraid not I'm sorry sir as far as you know was there any quarrel or bad blood between your master and Mr McQueen oh no Sir Mr McQueen was a very pleasant gentleman where were you in service before you came to Mr ratchet with Sir Henry Tomlinson sir in groer square why did you leave him him he was going to East Africa sir and did not require my services any longer but I am sure he will speak for me sir I was with him some years and you have been with Mr ratchet How long

just over 9 months sir thank you masterman by the way are you a pipe smoker no sir I only smoke cigarettes gaspers sir thank you that will do poo gave him a nod of dismissal the valet hesitated a moment you'll excuse me sir but the elderly American lady is in what I might describe as a state sir she's saying she knows all about the Murderer she's in a very excitable condition sir in that case said porro smiling we had better see her next shall I tell her sir she's been demanding to see someone in Authority

for a long time the conductor's been trying to pacify her send her to us my friend said poro we will listen to her story now for the evidence of the American lady Mrs hubard arrived in the dining car in such a state of breathless Excitement that she was hardly able to articulate her words now just tell me this who's in Authority here I've got some very important information very important indeed and I'm going to tell it to someone in Authority just as soon as I can if you gentlemen her wavering glance fluctuated between the three

men poo leaned forward tell it to me Madam he said but first pray be Seated Mrs hubard plumped heavily down onto the seat opposite to him what I've got to tell you is just this there was a murder on the train last night and the murderer was right there in my compartment she paused to give dramatic emphasis to her words you are sure of this Madam of course I'm sure the idea I know what I'm talking about I'll tell you everything there is to Tell I'd gotten into bed and gone to sleep and suddenly I

woke up everything was dark and I knew there was a man in my compartment I was just so scared I couldn't scream if you know what I mean I just lay there and thought Mercy I'm going to be killed I just can't describe to you how I felt these n y trains I thought and all the outrages I'd read of and I thought well anyway he won't get my Jewelry because you see I'd put that in a stocking and hidden it under my pillow which isn't any too comfortable by the way kind of bumpy if

you know what I mean but that's neither here nor there where was I you realized Madam that there was a man in your compartment yes well I just lay there with my eyes closed and wondered what I'd do and one thought well I'm just thankful that my daughter doesn't know the plight I'm in and then somehow I got my wits about Me and I felt about with my hand and one pressed the bell for the conductor I pressed it and I pressed it but nothing happened and I can tell you I thought my heart was

going to stop beating Mercy I said to myself maybe they've murdered every single soul on the train it was at a standstill anyhow and there was a nasty quiet feel in the air but one just went on pressing that Bell and O the relief when I heard footsteps coming running down the Corridor and a knock on the door come in I screamed and I switched on the lights at the same time and would you believe it there wasn't a soul there this seemed to Mrs hubard to be a dramatic climax rather than an anticlimax and

what happened next Madam why I told the man what had happened and he didn't seem to believe me seemed to imagine I'd dreamed the whole thing I made him look under the seat though he said there wasn't room For a man to squeeze himself in there it was plain enough that the man had got away but there had been a man there and it just made me mad the way the conductor tried to soothe me down I'm not one to imagine things mister I don't think I know your name porro Madam and this is M

book a director of the company and Dr Constantine Mrs hubard murmured pleased to meet you I'm sure to all three of them in an abstracted Manner and then Plunged once more into her recital now I'm just not going to pretend I was as bright as I might have been I got it into my head that it was the man from next door the poor fellow who's been killed I told the conductor to look at the door between the compartments and sure enough it wasn't bolted well I soon saw to that I told him to bolt

it then and there and after he'd gone out I got up and put a Suitcase against it to make sure what time was this Mrs hubard well I'm sure I can't tell you I never looked to see I was so upset and what is your theory now why I should say it was just as plain as plain could be the man in my compartment was the murderer who else could he be and you think he went back into the adjoining compartment how do I know where he went I had my eyes tight shut he might

have Slipped out through the door into the corridor well I couldn't say you see one had my eyes tight shut Mrs hubard sighed convulsively Mercy I was scared if my daughter only knew you do not think Madam that what you heard was the noise of someone moving about next door in the murdered man's compartment no I do not Mis what is it poro the man was right there in the same compartment with me and what's more I've got proof of it triumphantly she hauled A large handbag into view and proceeded to burrow in its interior

she took out in turn two large clean handkerchiefs a pair of horn rimmed glasses a bottle of aspirin a packet of globber salts a celluloid tube of bright green peppermints a bunch of keys a pair of scissors a book of American Express checks a snapshot of an extraordinarily plain looking child some letters five strings of pseudo Oriental beads and a small metal object a button You see this button well it's not one of my buttons it's not off anything I've got I found it this morning when I got up as she placed it on the

table M book leaned forward and gave an exclamation but this is a button from the tunic of a wagon lit attendant there way be a natural explanation for that said [Music] poo he turned gently to the Lady this button Madam may have dropped from the conductor's uniform either when he searched your cabin or when he was making the bed up last night I just don't know what's the matter with all you people seems as though you don't want to do anything but make objections now listen here I was reading a magazine last night before I

went to sleep before I turned the light out I placed that Magazine on a little case That was standing on the floor near the window have you got that they assured her that they had very well then the conductor looked under the seat from near the door and then he came in and bolted the door between me and the next compartment but he never went near the window well this morning that button was lying right on top of the magazine what do you call that I should like to Know that Madam I call evidence said

porro the answer seemed to appease the lady it makes me matter than a hornet to be disbelieved she explained you have given us most interesting and valuable evidence said poo soothingly now may I ask you a few questions why certainly how was it since you were nervous of this man ratchet that you hadn't already bolted the door between The compartments I had returned Mrs hubber promptly oh you had well as a matter of fact I asked that Swedish creature a pleasant Soul if it was bolted and she said it was how was it you couldn't

see for yourself because I was in bed and my sponge bag was hanging on the door handle what time was it when you asked her to do this for you now let me think It must have been round about half 10 or A4 to 11: she'd come along to see if I had an AS I told her where to find it and she got it out of my grip you yourself were in bed yes suddenly she laughed poor soul she was so upset you see she'd opened the door of the next compartment by mistake Mr

ratchets Yes you know how difficult it is as you come along the train and all the doors are are shut she opened his by mistake she was very distressed about it he'd laughed it seemed and I guess he said something not quite nice poor thing she certainly was upset oh I make mistake she said I ashamed make mistake not nice man she said he say you too old Dr constant sniggered and Mrs hubard Immediately froze him with a glance he wasn't a nice kind of man she said to say a thing like that to a

lady it's not right to laugh at such things Dr Constantine hastily apologized did you hear any noise from Mr ratchet's compartment after that asked [Music] porro well not exactly what do you mean by that Madam well she Paused he snored ah he snored did he terribly the night before it kept me awake you didn't hear him snore after you had had the scare about a man being in your compartment why Mr poro how could I he was dead ah yes truly said poro he appeared appeared confused do you remember the affair of the Armstrong kidnapped

ping Mrs hubard he asked yes indeed I do and how the wretch that did it escaped scotf free my I'd have liked to get my hands on him he has not escaped he is dead he died last night you don't mean Mrs Hubbert half Rose from her chair in excitement but yes I do ratchet was the man well well to think of that I must write and tell my Daughter now didn't I tell you last night that that man had an evil face I was right you see my daughter always says When Mama's got a

hunch you can bet your bottom dollar it's okay were you acqu Ed with any of the Armstrong family Mrs hubard no they moved in a very exclusive Circle but I've always heard that Mrs Armstrong was a perfectly lovely woman and that her husband woried her well Mrs Hubard you have helped us very much very much indeed perhaps you will give me your full name why certainly Caroline Martha hubard will you write your address down here Mrs hubard did so without ceasing to speak I just can't get over it cassetti on this train I had a

hunch about that man didn't I Mr Poo yes indeed Madam by the way have you a Scarlet silk dressing gown Mercy what a funny question why no I've got two dressing gowns with me a pink flannel one that's kind of cozy for on board ship and one my daughter gave me as a present a kind of local Affair in purple silk but what in creation do you want to know about my dressing gowns For well you see Madam someone in a Scarlet kimono entered either your or Mr ratchet's compartment last night it is as you

said just now very difficult when all the doors are shut to know which compartment is which well no one in a Scarlet dressing gown came into my compartment then she must have gone into Mr ratchets Mrs hubard pursed her lips together and said grimly that wouldn't Surprise me any poo leaned forward so you heard a woman's voice next door I don't know how you guessed that Mr porro I don't really but well as a matter of fact I did but when I asked you just now if you heard anything next door you only said you

heard Mr ratchet snoring well that was true enough he did snore part of the time as for the other Mrs hubard got rather Embarrassed it isn't a very nice thing to speak about what time was it when you heard a woman's voice I can't tell you one just woke up for a minute and heard a woman talking and it was plain enough where she was so I just thought well that's the kind of man he is I'm not surprised and then I went to sleep again and I'm sure I should never have mentioned anything of

the kind to Three Strange gentlemen If you hadn't dragged it out of me was it before the scare about the man in your compartment or after why that's like what you said just now he wouldn't have had a woman talking to him if he were dead would he pardon you must think me very stupid Madam I guess even you get kind of muddled now and then I just can't get over its being that monster cassetti what my daughter will say poro Managed ad dryly to help the good lady to replace the contents of her handbag

and he then shephered her towards the door at the last moment he said you have dropped your handkerchief Madam Mrs hubard looked at the little scrap of cambrick he held out to her that's not mine Mr porro I've got mine right here pardon I thought as it had the initial h on it well now that's funny but it's certainly not mine mine are marked CMH And they're sensible things not expensive Paris fellows what good is a handkerchief like that to anybody's nose none of the three men seemed to have an answer to this question and

Mrs hubard sailed out triumphantly five the evidence of the Swedish Lady M book was handling the button that Mrs hubard had left behind her this button I cannot understand it does it Mean that after all Pierre Michelle is involved in some way he asked he paused then continued as poro did not reply what have you to say my friend that button it suggests possibilities said PUO thoughtfully let us interview next the Swedish lady before we disc discover us the evidence that we have heard he sorted through the pile of passports in front of him ah

here we Are Greta Olsen age 49 M book gave directions to the restaurant attendant and presently the lady with the yellowish gray bun of hair and the long mild sheeplike face was ushered in she peered shortsightedly at poo through her glasses but was quite calm it transpired that she understood and spoke French so the conversation took place in that language poo first asked her the questions to which he already knew the Answers her name age and address he then asked her her occupation she was she told him matron in a missionary school near stul she

was a trained nurse you know of course of what took place last night madelle naturally it is very Dreadful and the American lady tells me that the murderer was actually in her compartment I hear madelle that you were The last person to see the murdered man alive I do not know it may be so I opened the door of his compartment by mistake I was much ashamed it was a most awkward mistake you actually saw him yes he was reading a book I apologized quickly and withdrew did he say anything to you a slight flush

showed on the worthy lady's cheek he laughed and said a few Words one I did not quite catch them and what did you do after that madelle asked poo passing from the subject tactfully I went into the American lady Mrs hubard I asked her for some aspirin and she gave it to me did she ask you whether the communicating door between her compartment and that of Mr ratchet was bolted yes and was it yes and after that after that I went back to my compartment Took the aspirin and laid down what time was all this

when I got into bed it was 5 minutes to 11: I know because I looked at my watch before I wounded up did you go to sleep quickly not very quickly my head got better but one lay awake sometime had the train come to a stop before you went to sleep I do not think so we stopped I think at a station just as I was getting Drowsy that would be vinova now your compartment madelle is this one he indicated it on the plan that is so yes you had the upper or the lower birth

the lower birth number 10 and you had a companion yes a young English lady very nice very amiable she had traveled from Baghdad after the train left vovi did she leave the compartment no I am sure she did not why Are you sure if you were asleep I sleep very lightly I am used to waking at a sound 1:00 a.m. sure that if she had come down from the birth above I should have awakened did you yourself leave the compartment not until this morning have you a Scarlet silk kimono madelle no indeed I have a

good comfortable dressing gown of Jagger Material and the lady with you miss deham what color is her dressing gown a pale move ABA such as you buy in the East poo nodded then he asked in a friendly tone why are you taking this journey a holiday yes I am going home for a holiday but first I am going to Loon to stay with a sister for a week or so perhaps you will be so amiable as to write me down the name and address of your Sister with pleasure she took the paper and pencil he

gave her and wrote down the name and address as requested have you ever been in America madelle no I very nearly went once I was to go with an invalid lady but the plan was cancelled at the last moment I much regretted this they are very good the Americans they give much money to found schools and Hospitals and they are very practical do you remember hearing of the Armstrong kidnapping in case no what was that poo explained Greta Olsen was indignant her yellow bun of hair quivered with her emotion that there are in the world

such evil men it tries one's Faith the poor mother my heart aches for her the amiable swed departed her kindly face flushed her eyes suffused with Tears poor was writing busily on a sheet of paper what is it you write there my friend asked him book man share it is my Habit to be neat and orderly I make here a little chronological table of events he finished writing and passed the paper to M book 9.15 train leaves Belgrade about 9.40 valet leaves ratchet with sleeping draft beside him about 10.0 McQueen leaves ratchet about 10.40 Greta

Olsen sees ratchet last seen alive NB he was awake reading a book 0.10 train leaves vinova late 0.30 train runs into a snow drift 0.37 ratchets bell ring conductor answers it ratchet says Sun rain J me sweet Trump about 1.17 Mrs hubard thinks man is in her carriage rings for Conductor M book nodded approval that is very clear he said there is nothing there that strikes you as at all odd no it's seems all quite clear and aboveboard it seems quite plain that the crime was committed at 1.15 the evidence of the watch shows us

that and Mrs hub's story fits in for my mind I will make a guess at the identity of the murderer I say my friend that it is the Big Italian he comes from America from Chicago and remember an Italian's weapon is the knife and he stabs not once but several times that is true without a doubt that is the solution of the mystery doubtless he and this ratchet were in this kidnapping business together cassetti is an Italian name in some way ratchet did on him what they Call the double cross the Italian tracks him down

sends him warning letters first and finally Revenge es himself upon him in a brutal way it is all quite simple poo shook his head doubtfully it is hardly so simple as that I fear he murmured me I am convinced it is the truth said M book becoming more and more enamored of his theory and what about the valet with the Toothache who swears that the Italian never left the compartment that is the difficulty poo twinkled yes it is annoying that unlucky for your theory and extremely lucky for our Italian friend that M ratchet's valet should

have had the toothache it will be explained said M book with magnificent certainty porro shook his head again no it is hardly so simple as that he murmured Again six the evidence of the Russian princess let us hear what Pierre Michelle has to say about this button he said the wagon lit conductor was recalled he looked at them inquiringly M book cleared his throat Michelle he said here is a button from your tunic it was found in the American lady's compartment what have you to say for yourself about it the conductor's hand Went automatically to

his tunic I have lost no button mure he said there must be some mistake that is very odd I cannot account for it mure the man seemed astonished but not in any way guilty or confused M book said meaningly owing to the circumstances in which it was found it seems fairly certain that this button was dropped by the man who was in Mrs huard's compartment last night when she Rang the bell but mure there was no one there the lady must have imagined it she did not imagine it Michelle the Assassin of M ratchet passed

that way and dropped that button as the significance of M books words became plain to him Pierre Michelle flew into a violent state of agitation it is not true mure it is not true he cried you are accusing me of the crime me I am Innocent I am absolutely innocent why should I want to kill a mure whom one have never seen before where were you when mrss hub's bell rang I told you missure in the next coach talking to my colleague we will send for him do so missure I implore you do so the

conductor of the next coach was summoned he immediately confirmed Pierre Michelle's statement he added that the conductor From the Bucharest coach had also been there the three of them had been discussing the situation caused by the snow they had been talking some 10 minutes when Michelle fancied he heard Bell as he opened the doors connecting the two coaches they had all heard it plainly a bell ringing repeatedly Michelle had run post haste to answer it so you see missure I am not guilty cried Michelle anxiously and this button from a wagon Lit tunic how do

you explain it I cannot mure it is a mystery to me all my buttons are intact both of the other conductors also declared that they had not lost a button also that they had not been inside Mrs huard's compartment at any time calm yourself Michelle said him book and cast your mind back to the moment when you ran to answer Mrs huard's Bell did you meet anyone at all in the Corridor no missure did you see anyone going away from you down the corridor in the other direction again no missure odd said him book not

so very said porro it is a question of Time Mrs hubard wakes to find someone in her compartment for a minute or two she lies paralyzed her eyes shut probably it was then that the man slipped out into the Corridor then she starts ringing the bell but the conductor does not come at once it is only the third or fourth peel that he hears I should say myself that there was ample time for what for what man share remember there are thick drifts of snow all around the train there are two courses open to Our

Mysterious assassin said poo slowly he could Retreat into either of the toilet or he could disappear into One of the compartments but they were all occupied yes you mean that he could Retreat into his own compartment poo nodded it fits it fits murmured M book during that 10 minutes absence of the conductor the murderer comes from his own compartment goes into ratchets kills him locks and chains the door on the inside goes out through Mrs Hubbard's compartment and is back safely In his own compartment by the time the conductor arrives poro murmured it is not

quite so simple as that my friend our friend the doctor here will tell you so with a gesture M book signified that the three conductors might depart we have still to see eight passengers said PUO five first class passengers princess dramov count and Countess andren Colonel arbouet and Mr Hardman three second class passengers Miss deham Antonio foscarelli and the ladies maid frine Schmidt whom will you see first the Italian how you harp on your Italian no we will start at the top of the tree perhaps madam princess will be so good as to spare us

a few moments of her time convey that message to her Michelle we missure said the conductor who was just leaving the car tell her we can wait on her in her compartment if she does not wish to put herself to the Trouble of coming here call them book but Princess dragir off declined to take this course she appeared in the dining car inclined her head slightly and sat down opposite [Music] porro her small toadlike face looked even yellower than the day before she was certainly ugly and yet like the toad she had eyes like Jewels

dark and imperious revealing ladent Energy and an intellectual force that could be felt at once her voice was deep very distinct with a slight grating quality in it she cut short a flowery phrase of apoll ol ology from M book you need not offer apologies messers one understand a murder has taken place naturally you must interview all the passengers I shall be glad to give you All the assistance in my power you are most amiable Madam said poo not at all it is a duty what do you wish to know your full Christian name an

address Madam perhaps you would prefer to write them yourself poo proferred a sheet of paper and pencil but the princess waved them aside you can write it she said there is nothing difficult Natalia dragir off 17 Avenue kber Paris you are traveling home from Constantinople Madam yes I have been staying at the Austrian Embassy my maid is with me would you be so good as to give me a brief account of your movements last night from dinner onwards willingly I directed the conductor to make up my bed whilst I was in the dining car I

retired to bed immediately after Dinner I read until the hour of 11 when I turned out my light I was unable to sleep going to certain romatic pains from which I suffer at about A4 to 1 I rang for my maid she massaged me and then read aloud till I felt sleepy I cannot say exactly when she left me it may have been half an hour afterward it may have been later the train had stopped then the train had stopped you heard nothing Nothing unusual during the time madam I heard nothing unusual what is your

maid's name Hildegard Schmidt she has been with you long 15 years you consider her trustworthy absolutely her people come from an estate of my late husbands in Germany you have been in America I presume Madam the abrupt change of subject made the old lady raise her eyebrows many Times were you at any time acquainted with a family of the name of Armstrong a family in which a tragedy occurred with some emotion in her voice the old lady said you speak of friends of mine missure you knew Colonel Armstrong well then I knew him slightly but

his wife Sonia Armstrong was my goddaughter I was on terms of Friendship with her her mother the actress Linda Arden Linda ardan was a great genius one Of the greatest tragic actresses in the world as lady McBeth as Magda there was no one to touch her I was not only an admirer of her art I was a personal friend she is dead no no she is alive but she lives in complete retirement her health is very delicate and she has to lie on a sofa most of the time there was one think a second daughter

yes much younger than Mrs Armstrong and she is Alive certainly where is she the old woman bent an acute glance at him I must ask you the reason for these questions what have they to do with the matter in hand the murder on this train they are connected in this way Madam the man who was murdered was the man responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Mrs Armstrong's child ah the straight brows came together Princess dragir off Drew Herself a little more erect in my view then this murder is an entirely admirable happening you will

pardon my slightly biased point of view it is most natural Madam and now to return to the question you did not answer where is the younger daughter of Linda Arden the sister of Mrs Armstrong I honestly cannot tell you mure I have lost touch with the younger generation I believe she married an Englishman some years ago and went to England but at the moment I cannot recollect the name she paused a minute and then said is there anything further you want to ask me gentlemen only one thing Madam a somewhat personal question the color of

your dressing gown she raised her eyebrows slightly I must suppose you have a reason for such a question my dressing gown is of black satin there is nothing more Madam I am much obliged to you for answering my questions so promptly she made a slight gesture with her heavily beared hand then as she Rose and the others rose with her she stopped you will excuse me mure she said but may I ask your name your face is somehow familiar to me my name Madam is hercul poro At Your Service she was silent a minute then

Eller kilo she Said yes I remember now this is Destiny she walked away very erect a little stiff in her movements voila an grande dame said him book what do you think of her my friend but herul poo merely shook his head I am wondering he said what she meant by Destiny seven the evidence of count and Countess andren count and Countess andren were next summoned the count however entered the Dining car alone there was no doubt that he was a fin looking man seen face to face he was at least 6 feet in height

with broad shoulders and slender hips he was dressed in very well-cut English Tweeds and might have been taken for an Englishman had it not been for the length of his mustache and something in the line of the cheekbone well messers he said what can I do for you you understand missure said Poo that in view of what has occurred I am obliged to put certain questions to all the passengers perfectly perfectly said the count easily I quite understand your position not one fear that my wife and I can do much to assist you you we

were asleep and heard nothing at all are you aware of the identity of the deceased mure I understood it was the big American a man with a decidedly Unpleasant face he sat at that table at meal times he indicated with a nod of his head the table at which ratchet and McQueen had sat yes yes mure you are perfectly correct I'm meant did you know the name of the man no the C looked thoroughly puzzled by Poo's queries if you want to know his name he said surely it is on his passport the name on

his passport is Ratchet said porro but that mure is not his real name he is the man casset who was responsible for a celebrated kidnapping outrage in America he watched the count closely as he spoke but the latter seemed quite unaffected by this piece of news he merely opened his eyes a little ah he said that certainly should throw light upon the matter an extraordinary country America you have been there perhaps Miss lant I was in Washington for a year you knew perhaps the army Armstrong family Armstrong Armstrong it is difficult to recall one met

so many he smiled Shrugged his shoulders but to come back to the matter in hand gentlemen he said what more can I do to assist you you retired to rest when mure lant hercu Poo's eyes stole to his plan count and countess andren occupied Compartment numbers 12 and 13 adjoining we had one compartment made up for the night whilst we were in the dining car on returning we sat in the other for a while which number would that be number 13 we played pette together at about 11:00 my wife retired for the night the conductor

made up my compartment and I also went to bed I slept soundly until morning did you notice the stopping of The train I was not aware of it till this morning and your wife the count smiled my wife always takes a sleeping Draft when traveling by train she took her usual dose of trianal he paused I am sorry I am not able to assist you in any way poo passed him a sheet of paper and a pen thank you missure lant it is a formality but will you just let me have your name and Address

the count wrote slowly and carefully it is just as well that I should write this for you he said pleasantly the spelling of my country estate is a little difficult for those unacquainted with the language he passed the paper across to PUO and Rose it will be quite unnecessary for my wife to come here he said she can tell you nothing more than I have a little gleam came into Poo's eye doubtless Doubtless he said but all the same I think I should like to have just one little word with Madame lacontes I assure you

it is quite unnecessary the Count's voice rang out authoritatively poor Aro blinked gently at him it will be a mere formality he said but you understand it is necessary for my report as you please the count gave way grudgingly he made a short foreign bow And left the dining car poo reached out a hand to a passport it set out the Count's names and titles he passed on to the further information information accompanied by wife Christian name Elena Maria maiden name Goldenberg age 20 a spot of Grease had been dropped on it at some time

by a careless official a diplomatic passport said M book we must Be careful my friend to give no offense these people can have nothing to do with the murder be easy man view I will be most tactful a mere formality his voice dropped as the Countess andren entered the dining car she looked timid and extremely Charming you wish to see me messers a mere formality Madame lacontes poo Rose gallantly bowed her into the seat opposite him it is only to Ask you if you saw or heard anything last night that may throw light upon this

matter nothing at all mure I was asleep you did not hear for instance a commotion going on in the compartment next to yours the American lady who occupies it had quite an attack of hysterics and rang for the conductor I heard nothing mure you see I had taken a sleeping Draft ah I comprehend well I need not detain you further then as she Rose swiftly just one little minute these particulars your maiden name age and so on they are correct quite correct missure perhaps you will sign this memorandum to that effect then she signed quickly

in a graceful slanting handwriting Elena andren did you accompany your husband to America Madam no missure she smiled flushed a little we were not married then we have been married only a year ah yes thank you madam by the way does your husband smoke she stared at him as she stood poised for departure yes a pipe no cigarettes and cigars ah thank you she lingered her eyes watching him Curiously lovely eyes they were dark and almond shaped with very long black lashes that swept the Exquisite palor of her cheeks her lips very Scarlet in the

foreign fashion were parted just a little she looked exotic and beautiful why why did you ask me that Madam poro waved an Airy hand detectives have to ask all sorts of questions for instance perhaps you will tell me the color of your dressing gown She stared at him then she laughed it is corn colored chiffon is that really important very important Madam she asked curiously are you really a detective then At Your Service Madam I thought there were no detectives on the train when it passed through Yugoslavia not until one got to Italy I am

not a Yugoslavian detective Madam I am an international detective you belong to the League of Nations I belong to the world Madam said PUO dramatically he went on I work mainly in London you speak Engish English he added in that language I speak a little yes her accent was Charming poo bowed once more we will not detain you further Madam you see it was not so very terrible she smiled inclined her head and Departed LS Jolie FM said M book appreciatively he sigh well that did not Advance us much no said poro two people who

saw nothing and heard nothing shall we now see the Italian porro did not reply for a moment he was studying a gree spot on a Hungarian diplomatic passport eight the evidence of Colonel arbouet porro roused himself with a slight Start his eyes twinkled a little as they met the eager ones of M book ah my dear old friend he said you see I have become what they call the snob the first class one feel it should be attended to before the second class next I think we will interview the good-looking Colonel arbouet finding the Colonel's

French to be of a severely limited description poo conducted his interrogatory in English our bunet name age home address And exact military standing were all ascertained poo proceeded it is that you come home from India on what is called the leave what we can call and permission Colonel arbouet uninterested in what a pack of foreigners called anything replied with true British brevity yes but you do not come home on the p and o boat no why not I chose to come by the Overland route for reasons of my own and that his manner seemed to

say is one for You you interfering little jackanapes you came straight through from India the colonel replied drill I stopped for one night to see you are of the Calis and for 3 Days in Baghdad with the AOC who happens to be an old friend of mine you stopped three days in Baghdad I understand that the young English lady Miss deham also comes from Baghdad perhaps you met her there no I did Not I first met miss debenham when she and I shared the railway Convoy car from kir cook to Nissan poo leaned forward he

became persuasive and a little more foreign than he need have been missure I am about to appeal to you you and Miss deham are the only two English people on the train it is necessary that I should ask you each your opinion of the other highly irregular said Colonel arbouet Coldly not so you see this crime it was most probably committed by a woman the man was stabbed no fewer than 12 times even the chef to train said at once it is a woman well then what is my first task to give all the women

traveling on the Istanbul CA coach what Americans call the once over but to judge of an englishwoman is difficult they are very reserved the English so I appeal to you mure in the Interest of Justice what sort of person is this Miss Deon what do you know about her Miss debenham said the colonel with some warmth is a lady ah said poro with every appearance of being much gratified so you do not think that she is likely to be implicated in this crime the idea is absurd said AR bunet the man was a perfect stranger

she had never seen him before did she tell You so she did she commented at once upon his somewhat unpleasant appearance if a woman is concerned as you seem to think to my mind without any evidence but on a mere assumption I can assure you that Miss debenham could not possibly be implicated you feel warmly in the matter said poro with a smile Colonel arbouet gave him a cold stare I really don't know what you mean he said the stare seemed to A bash Porro he dropped his eyes and began fiddling with the papers in

front of him all this is by the way he said let us be practical and come to facts this crime we have reason to believe took place at A4 1 last night it is part of the necessary routine to ask everyone on the train what he or she was doing at that time quite so at A4 1 to the best of my belief I was talking to the young American fellow secretary to the dead Man ah were you in his compartment or was he in yours I was in his that is the young man of

the name of McQueen yes he was a friend or acquaintance of yours no I never saw him before this journey we fell into casual conversation yesterday and both became interested I don't as a rule like Americans haven't any use for M porro Smiled remembering McQueen strictures on britishers but one liked this young fellow he'd got hold of some Tom fool idiotic ideas about the situation in India that's the worst of Americans they're so Sen sental and idealistic well he was interested in what I had to tell him I've had nearly 30 years experience of the

country and I was interested in what he had to tell me about the working of Prohibition in America then we got down to World politics in general I was quite surprised to look at my watch and find it was a quarter to two that is the time you broke up this conversation yes what did you do then walked along to my own compartment and turned in your bed was made up ready yes that is the compartment let me see number 15 the one next but one to the End away from the dining car yes where

was the conductor when you went to your compartment sitting at the end at a little table as a matter of fact McQueen called him just as I went into my own compartment why did he call him to make up his bed I suppose the compartment hadn't been made up for the night now Colonel arbouet I want you to think carefully during the time you were Talking to Mr McQueen did anyone pass along the corridor outside the door a good many people I should think I I wasn't paying attention ah but I am referring to let

us say the last hour and a half of your conversation you got out at vavi didn't you yes but only for about a minute there was a blizzard on the cold was something frightful made one quite thankful to get back to the fug though as a rule I think The way these trains are overheated is something scandalous M bookside it is very difficult to please everybody he said the English they open everything then others they come along and shut everything it is very difficult neither pooa nor Colonel arbouet paid any attention to him now missure

cast your mind back said PUO encouragingly it was cold outside You have returned to the train you sit down again you smoke perhaps a cigarette perhaps a pipe he paused for the fraction of a second a pipe for me McQueen Smoked Cigarettes the train starts again you smoke your pipe you discuss the state of Europe of the world it is late now most people have retired for the night does anyone pass the door think our bunet frowned in the effort of Remembrance difficult to say he said you see I wasn't paying any attention but you

have the solders observation for detail you notice without noticing so to speak the colonel thought again but shook his head I couldn't say I don't remember any one passing except the conductor wait a minute and there was a woman I think you saw her was she old young didn't see her wasn't looking that way just a rustle and a sort of smell of Scent scent a good scent well rather fruity if you know what I mean I mean you'd smell it 100 yards away but mind you the colonel went on hastily this may have been

earlier in the evening you see as you said just now it was just one of those things you notice without noticing so to speak sometime that evening I said to myself woman scent got it on pretty Thick but when it was I can't be sure except that why yes it must have been after vov I why because I remember sniffing you know just when I was talking about the utter washout Stalin's 5-year plan was turning out I know the idea woman brought the idea of the position of women in Russia into my mind and I

know we hadn't got on to Russia until pretty near the end of our talk you can't pin it down more definitely than that and no It must have been rough within the last half hour it was after the train had stopped the other nodded yes I'm almost sure it was well we will pass from that have you ever been in America Colonel arbouet never don't want to go did you ever know a colonel Armstrong Armstrong Armstrong I've known two or three Armstrongs there was Tommy Armstrong in The 60th you don't mean him and Selby Armstrong

he was killed on the psalm I mean the colonel Armstrong who married an American Wife and whose only child was kidnapped and killed ah yes I remember reading about that shocking Affair I don't think I actually ever came across the fellow though of course I knew of him Toby Armstrong wrong nice fellow everybody liked him he had a very distinguished Career got the VC the man who was killed last night was the man responsible for the murder of Colonel Armstrong's child ARB Net's face grew rather Grim then in my opinion the swine deserved what he

got though I would have preferred to see him properly hanged or electrocuted I suppose over there in fact Colonel arbouet you prefer Law and Order to private Vengeance well you can't go about having Blood feuds and stabbing each other like corsicans or the mafia said the colonel say what you like trial by jury is a sound system poo looked at him thoughtfully for a minute or two yes he said I am sure that would be your view well Colonel arbouet I do not think there is anything more I have to ask you there is nothing

you yourself can recall last night that in any way snuck you or shall we say strikes you now looking Back as suspicious are bunet considered for a moment or two no he said nothing at all unless he hesitated but yet yes continue I pray of you well it's nothing really said the colonel slowly but you said anything yes yes go on oh it's nothing a mere detail but as I got back to my compartment I noticed that the door of The one Beyond mine the end one you know yes number 16 well the the door

of it was not quite closed and the fellow inside peered out in a furtive sort of way then he pulled the door to quickly of course I know there's nothing in that but it just struck me as a bit odd I mean it's quite usual to open a door and stick your head out if you want to see anything but it was the furtive way he Did it that caught my attention yees said poor gr doubtfully I told you there was nothing to it said AR bunet apologetically but you know what it is early hours

of the morning everything very still the thing had a Sinister look like a detective story all nonsense really he rose well if you don't want me anymore thank you Colonel arbouet there is Nothing else the soul Soldier hesitated for a minute his first natural distaste for being questioned by foreigners had evaporated about Miss debenham he said rather awkwardly you can take it from me that she's all right she's a pucka sahib flushing a little he withdrew what asked Dr Constantine with interest does a Paka mean it means said porro that Miss Deon Ham's father and

brothers were at the same kind of school as colel AR bunet was oh said Dr Constantine disappointed then it has nothing to do with the crime at all exactly said poo fi fell into a Rey beating a light tattoo on the table then he looked up Colonel arbouet smokes a pipe he said in the compartment of Mr ratchet one found a pipe cleaner Mr ratchet smoked only Cigars you think he is the only man so far who admits to smoking a pipe and he knew of Colonel Armstrong perhaps actually did know him though he won't

admit it so you think it possible poo shook his head violently that is just it it is impossible quite impossible that an honorable slightly stupid upright Englishman should stab an enemy 12 times with a knife do you not feel my friends how impossible it is that is the Psychology said M book and one must respect the psychology this crime has a signature and it is certainly not the signature of Colonel arbu but now to our next interview this time M book did not mention the Italian but he thought of him nine the evidence of Mr

Hardman the last of the first class passengers to be interviewed Mr Hardman Was the big flamboyant American who had shared a table with the Italian and the valet he wore a somewhat loud check suit a pink shirt and a FL asy tie pin and was rolling something round his tongue as he entered the dining car he had a big fleshy coarse featured face with a good humored expression morning gentlemen he said what can I do for you you have heard of this murder Mr Hardman Sure he shifted the chewing gum deafly we are of necessity

inter interviewing all the passengers on the train that's all right by me guess that's the only way to tackle the job poo consulted the passport lying in front of him you are Cyrus bethman Hardman United State subject 41 years of age traveling salesman for typewriting ribbons okay that's me you are traveling from stul to Paris that's so reason business do you always travel first class Mr Hardman yes sir The Firm pays my traveling expenses he winked now Mr Hardman we come to the events of last night the American nodded what can you tell us about

the matter exactly nothing at all ah that is a Pity perhaps Mr Hardman you will tell us exactly what you did last night from dinner onwards For the First Time The American did not seem ready with his reply at last he said excuse me gentlemen but just who are you put me wise this is M book a director of the company the wagon lits this gentleman is the Doctor Who examined the body and you yourself I am hercu Porro I am engaged by the company to investigate this matter I've heard of you said Mr Hardman

he reflected a minute or two longer guess I'd better come clean it will certainly be advisable for you to tell us all you know said poro drill you'd have set a mouthful if there was anything I did know but I don't I know nothing at all just as I said but I ought to know Something that's what makes me sore I ought to please explain Mr Hardman Mr Hardman side removed the chewing gum and dived into a pocket at the same time his whole personality seemed to undergo a change he became less of a stage

character and more of a real person the resonant nasal tones of his voice became modified that passports a bit of bluff he said that's who I really am Poo scrutinized the card flipped across to Him M book peered over his shoulder poo knew the name as that of one of the best known and most reputable private detective agencies in New York now Mr Hardman he said let us hear the meaning of this sure things came about this way I'd come over to Europe trailing a couple of crooks nothing to do with this business the chase

ended in stul I wired the chief and got his instructions to return and I would have Been making my tracks back to little old New York when I got this he pushed across a letter the to Catlin Hotel Dear Sir you have been pointed out to me as an operative of the mcneel detective agency kindly report at my suite at 4:00 this afternoon s e ratchet ebian I reported at the time stated and Mr ratchet put me wise to the situation he showed me a couple of letters he'd got he was Alarmed pretended not to

be but he was rattled all right he put up a proposition to me I was to travel by the same train as he did to Paris and see that nobody got him well gentlemen I did travel by the same train and in spite of me somebody did get him I certainly feel sore about it it doesn't look any too good for me did he give you any indication of the line you were to take sure he had it all taped out it was his idea That I should travel in the compartment alongside his well that

blew up right at the start the only place I could get was birth number 16 and I had a job getting that I guess the conductor likes to keep that compartment up his sleeve but that's neither here nor there when I looked all around the situation it seemed to me that number 16 was a pretty good strategic position there was only the dining car in front of the stul sleeping car and The door onto the platform at the front end was barred at night the only way a thug could come was through the rear end

door to the platform or along the train from the rear and in either case he'd have to pass right by my compartment you had no idea I suppose of the identity of the possible as salant well I knew what he looked like Mr ratchet described him to me what all three men leaned forward eagerly Hardman went On a small man dark with a womanish kind of voice that's what the old man said said too that he didn't think it would be the first night out more likely the second or third he knew something said him

book he certainly knew more than he told his secretary commented poo thoughtfully did he tell you anything about this enemy of his did he for instance say why his life was threatened no he was kind of reticent About that part of it just said the fellow was out for his blood and meant to get it a small man dark with a womanish voice repeated poo thoughtfully then fixing a sharp glance on Hardman he asked you knew who he really was of course which Mr ratchet you recognized him I don't get you ratchet was cassetti the

Armstrong murderer Mr Hardman gave vent to a prolonged Whistle that certainly is some surprise he said yes sir no I didn't recognize him I was a way out west when that case came on I suppose I saw photos of him in the papers but I wouldn't recognize my own mother when a newspaper photographer got through with her well I don't doubt that a few people had it in for cassetti all right do you know of anyone connected with the Armstrong case who answers to That description small dark womanish voice Hardman reflected a minute or two

it's hard to say pretty nearly everyone connected with that case is dead there was The Girl Who Threw herself out of the window remember sure that's a good point that she was a foreigner of some kind maybe she had some [ __ ] relations but you've got to remember that there were other cases besides the Armstrong one cassetti had been running this kidnapping stunt for some time you can't concentrate on that only ah but we have reason to believe that this crime is connected with the Armstrong case Mr Hardman cocked an inquiring eye porro did

not respond the American shook his head I can't call to mind anybody answering that description in the Armstrong case he said Slowly but of course I wasn't in it and didn't know much about it well continue your narrative Mr Hardman there's very little to tell I got my sleep in the daytime and stayed awake on the watch at night nothing suspicious happened the first night last night was the same as far as I was concerned one had my door a little a jar and watched No Stranger Passed you are sure of that Mr Hardman I'm

Plum certain nobody got on that train from outside and nobody came along the train from the rear carriages I'll take my oath on that could you see the conductor from your position sure he sits on that little seat almost flush with my door did he leave that seat at all after the train stopped at vovi that was the last Station why yes he answered a couple of bells that would be just after the train came to a halt for good then after that he went past me into the rear coach was there about a quarter

of an hour there was a bell ringing like mad and he came back running I stepped out into the corridor to see what it was all about felt a might nervous you understand but it was only the American Dame she was raising hell about something or other I Grinned then he went on to another compartment and came back and got a bottle of mineral water for someone after that he settled down in his seat till he went up to the far end to make somebody's bed up I don't think he stirred after that until about

5:00 this morning did he doze off at all that I can't say he may have poo nodded automatically his hands straightened the papers on the table he picked up the official card once more be So good as just to initial this he said the other complied there is no one I suppose who can confirm your story of your identity Mr Hardman on this train well not exactly unless it might be young McQueen I know him well enough I've seen him in his father's office in New York but that's not to say he'll remember me from

a crowd of other operatives no Mr porro you'll have to Wait in Cable New York when the snow lets up but it's okay I'm not telling the tale well so long gentlemen pleased to have met you Mr PUO porro proferred his cigarette case but perhaps you prefer a pipe not me he helped himself then stroe briskly off the three men looked at each other you think he is genuine asked Dr Constantine yes yes I know the type besid besides it is a story that would Be very easy to disprove he has given us a piece

of very interesting evidence said M book yes indeed a small man dark with a high pitched voice said M book thoughtfully a description which applies to no one on the train said [Music] poo 10 the evidence of the Italian and now said poo with a twinkle in his eye we will Delight the heart of M book and see the Italian Antonio foscarelli came into the dining car with a swift cat-like tread his face beamed it was a typical Italian face Sunny looking and swarthy he spoke French well and fluently with only a slight accent your

name is Antonio foscarelli yes missure you are I see a naturalized American subject the American Grinned yes mure it is better for my business you are an agent for Ford Motorcars yes you see a valuable Exposition followed at the end of it anything that the three men did not know about fos carelli's business methods his journeys his income come and his opinion of the United States and most European countries seemed a negligible Factor this was not a man who had to Have information dragged from him it gushed out his good-natured childish face beamed with satisfaction

as with a last eloquent gesture he paused and wiped his forehead with a handkerchief so you see he said I do big business I am up to date I understand salesmanship you have been in the United States then for the last 10 years on and off yes missure ah well do I remember the day I First took the boat to go to America so far away my mother my little sister poo cut short the flood of reminiscence during your sojourn in the United States states did you ever come across the deceased never but I know

the type oh yes he snapped his fingers expressively it is very respectable very well-dressed but underneath it is all wrong out of my experience I should say He was the big crook I give you my opinion for what it is worth your opinion is quite right said poro drill ratchet was cassetti the kidnapper what did I tell you I have learned to be very acute to read the face it is necessary only in America do they teach you the proper way to sell I you remember the Armstrong case I do not quite Remember the name

yes it was a little girl a baby was it not not yes a very tragic Affair the Italians seemed the first person to Demmer to this view ah well these things they happen he said philosophically in a great civilization such as America PUO cut him short did you ever come across any members of the Armstrong family no I do not think so it is difficult to say I will give you some Figures last year alone I sold mure pray confine yourself to the point the Italian hands flung themselves out in a gesture of apology a

thousand pardons tell me if you please your exact movements last night from dinner onwards with pleasure I stay here as long as I can it is more amusing I talk to the American gentleman at my table he sells typewriter Ribbons then I go back to my compartment it is empty the miserable John bull who shares it with me is a way attending to his master at last he comes back very long face as usual he will not talk says yes and no a miserable race the English not sympathetic IC he sits in the corner very

stiff reading a book then the conductor comes and makes our Beds numbers four and five murmured porro exactly the end compartment mine is the upper birth I get up there I smoke in red the little Englishman has I think the toothache he gets out a little bottle of stuff that smells very strong he lies in bed and groans presently I sleep whenever I wake I hear him groaning do you know if he left the carriage at all during the night I do Not think so that should hear the light from the corridor one wakes up

automatically thinking it is the Customs examination at some Frontier did he ever speak of his master ever express any animus against him I tell you he did not speak he was not sympathetic a fish you smoke you say a pipe cigarettes cigar cigarettes only poo proferred one Which he accepted have you ever been to Chicago inquired M book oh yes a fine City but I know best New York Cleveland Detroit you have been to the states no you should go it poro pushed a sheet of paper across to him if you will sign this and

put your permanent address please the Italian wrote with a flourish then he rose his smile as Engaging as ever that is all you you do not require me further good day to you messers I wish we could get out of the snow I have an appointment in Milan he shook his head sadly I shall lose the business he departed porro looked at his friend he has been a long time in America said M book and he is an Italian and Italians Use the knife and they are great Liars I do not like Italians pound void

said porro with a smile well it may be that you are right but one will point out to you my friend that there is absolutely no evidence against the man and what about the psychology do not Italian stab assuredly said poro especially in the heat of a quarrel but this this is a different kind of Crime I have the little idea my friend that this is a crime very carefully planned and staged it is a farsighted long-headed crime it is not how shall I express it a Latin crime it is a crime that shows traces

of a cool resourceful deliberate brain I think an Anglo-Saxon brain he picked up the last two passports let us now he said see Miss Mary debbenham 11 the evidence of Miss debbenham when Mary debbenham entered the dining car she confirmed Poo's previous estimate of her she was very neatly dressed in a little black suit with a French gray shirt and the smooth waves of her dark head were neat and unruffled her manner was as calm and unruffled as her hair she sat down opposite poo and M book and looked at them inquiringly your name is

Mary Hermione Debenham and you are 26 years of age began poro yes English yes will you be so kind madelle as to write down your permanent address on this piece of paper she complied her writing was clear and legible and now Madame Melle what have you to tell us of the affair last night I am afraid I have nothing to tell you I went to bed and Slept does it distress you very much Madame Melle that a crime has been committed on this train the question was clearly unexpected her gray eyes widened a little I

don't quite understand you it was a perfectly simple question that one asked you Madame Melle I will repeat it are you very much distressed that a crime should have been committed on this train I have not really thought about it from that point Of view no I cannot say that I am at all distressed a crime it is all in the day's work to you at it is naturally an unpleasant thing to have happened said Mary debenham quietly you are very anglosaxon madelle Vu and a emotion she smiled a little I am afraid I cannot

have hysterics to prove my sensibility after all people die every day they die yes but murder is a little More rare oh certainly you were not acquainted with the dead man I saw him for the first time when lunching here yesterday and how did he strike you I hardly noticed him he did not impress you as an evil personality she Shrugged her shoulders slightly really I cannot say I thought about it porro looked at her keenly you are one think a little bit contemptuous of the way I prosecute my Inquiries he said with a twinkle

not so you think would an English inquiry be conducted there everything would be cut and dried it would be all kept to the facts a well-ordered business but I madelle have my little originalities I look first at my witness I sum up his or her character and I frame my questions accordingly just a little minute ago I am asking questions of a gentleman who wants to tell me all His ideas on every subject well him I keep strictly to the point I want him to answer yes or no this or that and then you come

I see at once that you will be orderly and methodical you will confine yourself to the matter in hand your answers will be brief and to the point and because madelle human nature is perverse I ask of you quite different questions I ask what you feel what you Think it does not please you this method if you will forgive my saying so it seems somewhat of a waste of time whether or not I liked Mr ratchet's face does not seem likely to be helpful in finding out who killed him do you know who the man

ratchet really was madelle she nodded Mrs Hubbert has been telling everyone and what do you think of the Armstrong Affair it was quite abominable said the girl Crisply porro looked at her thoughtfully you are traveling from Baghdad I Believe Miss debenham yes to London yes what have you been doing in Baghdad I have been acting as govern us to two children are you returning to your post after your holiday I am not sure why is that Bagdad is rather out of things I think I should prefer a post in London if I can hear of

a suitable one I see I thought perhaps you might be going to be married Miss debbenham did not reply she raised her eyes and looked poo full in the face the glance said plainly you are impertinent what is your opinion of the lady who shares your compartment Miss Olsen she seems a pleasant simple creature what color is her dressing gown Mary deham Stared a kind of brownish color natural wool ah I may mention without indiscretion I hope that I noticed the color of your dressing gown on the way from Aleppo to stul a pale mve

I believe yes that is right have you any other dressing gown madelle a Scarlet dressing gown for example no that is not mine poo lent forward he was like a cat pouncing on a mouse who's then the girl Drew back a Little startled I don't know what do you mean you do not say no I have no such thing you say that is not mine meaning that such a thing does belong to someone else she nodded somebody else on this train yes who is it I told you just now I don't know I woke up

this morning about 5:00 with the feeling that the train had been standing still for a long time I opened the door and looked out Into the corridor thinking we might be at a station I saw someone in a Scarlet kimono some way down the corridor and you don't know who it was was she fair or dark or gray-haired I can't say she had on a shingle cap and I only saw the the back of her head and in build talish and slim one should judge but it's difficult to say the kimono was embroidered with Dragons

yes yes that is right dragons he was silent a minute he murmured to himself I cannot understand I cannot understand none of this makes sense then look looking up he said I need not keep you further madelle oh she seemed rather taken a back but Rose promptly in the doorway however she hesitated a minute and then came back The Swedish lady Miss Olen is it seems rather worried she says you told her she was the last person to see this man alive she thinks I believe that you suspect her on that account can't I tell

her that she has made a mistake really you know she is the kind of creature who wouldn't hurt a fly she smiled a little as she spoke what time was it that she went to Fetch the aspirin from Mrs hubard just after half 10 she was away how long about 5 minutes did she leave the compartment again during the night no porro turned to the doctor could ratchet have been killed as early as that the doctor shook his head then I think you can reassure your friend madelle thank you she smiled Suddenly at him a

smile that invited Sympathy she's like a sheep you know she gets anxious and bleeds she turned and went out 12 the evidence of the German ladies made M book was looking at his friend curiously I do not quite understand you man view you were trying to do what I was searching for a flaw my friend a flaw yes in the armor of a young lady's self-possession I wish to shake her sang Freud did I Succeed I do not know but I know this she did not expect me to tackle the matter as I did you

suspect her said M bow slowly but why she seems a very Charming young lady the last person in the world to be mixed up in a crime of this kind I agree said Constantine she is cold she has not emotion she would not stab a man she would sue him in the Law Courts poo side you must both of you get rid of your obsession that this is an unpremeditated and sudden crime as for the reasons why I suspect Miss debbenham there are two one is because of something that I overheard and that you do

not as yet know he retailed to them the curious interchange of phrases he had overheard on the journey from Aleppo that is curious certainly said M Book when he had finished it needs explaining if it means what you suspect it means then they are both of them in it together she and the stiff Englishman poo nodded and that is just what is not borne out by the facts he said see you if they were both in this together what should we expect to find that each of them would provide an alibi for the other is

not that so but No that does not happen Miss Debenhams Alibi is provided by a Swedish woman whom she has never seen before and Colonel arbu Net's Alibi is vouched for by McQueen the Dead Man's secretary no that solution of the puzzle is too easy you said there was another reason for your suspicions of her M book reminded him poo smiled ah but that is only psychological I ask myself is it possible for Miss deham to have planned This crime behind this business I am convinced there is a cool intelligent resourceful brain Miss debbenham answers

to that description M book shook his head I think you are wrong my friend I do not see that young English girl as a criminal ah well said PUO picking up the last passport to the final name on our list Hildegard Schmidt ladies maid summoned By the attendant Hildegard Schmidt came into the restaurant car and stood waiting respectfully poro motioned her to sit down she did so folding her hands and waiting placidly till he questioned her she seemed a Placid creature altogether eminently respectable perhaps not over intelligent Poo's methods with hildegart Schmidt were a complete

contrast to his handling of Mary debbenham he was at his kindest and most genial setting the Woman at her ease the then having got her to write down her name and address he slid gently into his questions the interview took place in German we want to know as much as possible about what happened last night he said we know that you cannot give us much information bearing on the crime itself but you may have seen or heard something that while conveying nothing to you may be valuable to us you Understand she did not seem to

her broad kindly face remained set in its expression of placid stupidity as she answered I do not know anything mure well for instance you know that your mistress sent for you last night that yes do you remember the time I do not mure I was asleep you see when the attendant came and told me yes yes yes was it usual for you to be sent for In this way it was not unusual mure the gracious lady often required attention at night she did not sleep well Aban then you received the summons and you got up

did you put on a dressing gown no missure I put on a few clothes I would not like to go into Her Excellency in my dressing gown and yet it is a very nice dressing gown Scarlet is it not she stared at him it is a dark blue flannel dressing Gown mure ah continue a little pleasantry on my part that is all so you went along to Madame La princess and what did you do when you got there I gave her massage mure and then I read aloud I do not read aloud very well but

Her Excellency says that is all the better so it sends her better to sleep when she became sleepy missure she told Me to go so I closed the book and I returned to my own compartment do you know what time that was no missure well how long had you been with Madame La princess about half an hour hour mure good continue first I fetched Her Excellency an extra rug for my compartment it was very cold in spite of The heating I arranged the mg over her and she wished me good night I poured her out

some mineral water then I turned out the light and left her and then there is nothing more missure I returned to my carriage and went to sleep and you met no one in the corridor no mure you did not for instance see a lady In a Scarlet kimono with dragons on it her mild eyes bulged at him no indeed missure there was nobody about except the attendant everyone was asleep but you did see the conductor yes missure what was he doing he came out of one of the compartments missure what M book leaned forward which

one Hildegard Schmidt Looked frightened again and PUO cast a reproachful glance at his friend naturally he said the conductor often has to answer Bells at night do you remember remember which compartment it was it was about the middle of the coach mure two or three doors from Madame La princess ah tell us if you please exactly where this was and what happened he nearly ran into me Missure it was when I was returning from my compartment to that of the princess with the mg and he came out of a compartment and almost collided with you

in which direction was he going towards me missure he apologized and passed on down the corridor towards the dining car a bell began ringing but I do not think he answered it she paused and then said I do not Understand how is it poo spoke reassuringly it is just a question of time he said all matter of routine this poor conductor he seems to have had a busy night first waking you and then answering Bells it was not the same conductor who woke me mure it was another one ah another one had you seen him

before no missure ah do you think you would Recognize him if you saw him one thinks so mure poo murmured something in M books ear the latter got up and went to the door to give an order poro was continuing his questions in an easy friendly manner have you ever been to America frein Schmidt never missure it must be a fine country you have heard perhaps who this man who was killed really was that he was responsible for the death of a little Child yes I have heard mure it was abominable Wicked the good God

should not allow such things we are not so wicked as that in Germany tears had come into the woman's eyes her strong motherly Soul was moved it was an abominable crime said PUO Gravely he drew a scrap of cambrick from his pocket and handed it to her is this your handkerchief frine Schmidt there was a moment's silence as The woman examined it she looked up after a minute the color had mounted a little in her face ah no indeed it is not mine mure it has the initial H you see that is why I thought

it was yours ah missure it is a lady's handkerchief that a very expensive handkerchief embroidered by hand it comes from Paris I should say it is not yours and you do not know whose it is I Oh no missure of the three listening only poo caught the Nuance of hesitation in the reply m book whispered in his ear poro nodded and said to the woman the three sleeping car attendants are coming in will you be so kind as to tell me which is the one you met last night as you were going with the mg

to the princess the three men entered Pierre Michelle the big blonde conductor of the Athens Paris coach and The Stout Burley conductor of the Bucharest one Hildegard Schmidt looked at them and immediately shook her head no mure she said none of these is the man I saw last night but these are the only conductors on the train you must be mistaken I am quite sure mure these are all tall big men the one I saw was small and dark he had a little mustache his voice when he said pardon was weak like a Woman's indeed

I remember him very well mure 13 summary of the passenger's evidence a small dark man with a womanish voice said M book The Three conductors and Hildegard Schmidt had been dismissed M book made a despairing gesture but I understand nothing but nothing of all of this the enemy that this ratchet spoke of he was then on the train after all but where is he now how can he have vanished Into Thin Air my Head it whirls say something then my friend one implore you show me how the impossible can be possible it is a good

phrase that said poro The Impossible cannot have happened therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances explain to me then quickly what actually happened on the train last night I am not a magician manare I am like you a very puzzled man This affair advances in a very strange manner it does not Advance at all it stays where it was quo shook his head no that is not true we are more advanced we know certain things we have heard the evidence of the passengers and what has that told us nothing at all I

would not say that my friend I exaggerate perhaps the American Hardman and the German maid yes they have added something to our knowledge That is to say they have made the whole business more unintelligible than it was no no no said poro soothingly M book turned upon him speak then let us hear the wisdom of hercu porro did I not tell you that I was like you a very puzzled man but at least we can face our problem we can arrange such facts as we have with order and Method pray continue mure said Dr Constantine

poo cleared his throat and Straightened a piece of blotting paper let us review the case as it stands at this moment first there are certain indisputable facts this man ratchet or cassetti was stabbed in 12 places and died last night that is Fact one I granted you I grant it man view said M book with a gesture of irony herul poro was not at all put out he continued Calmly I will pass over for the moment certain rather peculiar appearances which Dr Constantine and I have already discussed together I will come to them presently the

next fact of importance to my mind is the time of the crime that again is one of the few things we do know said M book the crime was committed at a quarter past one this morning everything goes to show that that was so not everything you Exaggerate there is certainly a fair amount of evidence to support that view I am glad you admit that at least poro went on calmly unperturbed by the interruption we have before us three possibilities one that the crime was committed as you say at a quarter 1 this is supported

by the evidence of the watch by the evidence of Mrs hubard and by the evidence of the German woman Hildegard Schmidt it agrees with the evidence of Dr Constantine two that the crime was committed later and that the evidence of the watch was deliberately faked in order to mislead three that the crime was committed earlier and the evidence faked for the same reason as above now if we accept possibility one as the most likely to have occurred and the one supported by most evidence we Must also accept certain facts arising from it if the crime

was committed at a quarter 1 the murderer cannot have left the train and the questions arise where is is he and who is he to begin with let us examine the evidence carefully we first hear of the existence of this man the small dark man with a womanish voice from the man Hardman he says that ratchet told him of this person and employed him to watch out for the man there is no evidence to Support this we have only hardman's word for it let us next examine the question is Hardman the person he pretends to

be an operative of a New York detective agency what to my mind is so interesting in this case is that we have none of the facilities afforded to the police we cannot investigate the Bona fiies of any of these people we have to rely solely on deduction that to me makes the matter very much more Interesting there is no routine work it is all a matter of the SCT I ask myself can we accept hardman's account of himself I make my decision and I answer yes I am of the opinion that we can accept hardman's

account of himself you rely on the intuition what the Americans call the hunch asked Dr Constantine not at all I regard the probabilities hard man is traveling with A false passport that will at once make him an object of Suspicion the first thing that the police will do when they do arrive upon the scene is to detain Hardman and cable as to whether his account of himself is true in the case of many of the passengers to establish their Bona fiies will be difficult in most cases it will probably not be attempted especially since there

seems nothing in the way of Suspicion attaching to them But in hardman's case it is simple either he is the person he represents himself to be or he is not therefore I say that all will prove to be in order you acquit him of Suspicion not at all you misunderstand me for all I know any American detective might have his own private reasons for wishing to murder ratchet no what I am saying is that I think we can accept hardman's own account of Himself this story then that he tells of Ratchet seeking him out and

employing him is not unlikely and is most probably though not of course certainly true if we are going to accept it as true we must see if there is any confirmation of it we find it in rather an unlikely place in the evidence of Hildegard Schmidt her description of the man she saw in wagon lit uniform tallies exactly is there any further confirmation of these two Stories there is there is the button that Mrs hubard found in her compartment and there is also another corroborating statement which you may not have noticed what is that the

fact that both Colonel AR bunet and Hector McQueen mentioned that the conductor passed their Carriage they attached no importance to the fact but messers Pierre Michelle has Declared that he did not leave his seat except on certain specified occasions none of which would take him down to the far end of the coach past the compartment in which AR bunet and McQueen were sitting therefore this story the story of a small dark man with a womanish voice dressed in wagon lit uniform rests on the testimony direct or indirect of four Witnesses one small Point said Dr

Constantine if Hildegard Schmidt's story is true how is it that the real conductor did not mention having seen her when he came to answer Mrs huard's Bell that is explained I think when he arrived to answer Mrs hubard the maid was in with her mistress when she finally returned to her own compartment the conductor was in with Miss is hubard M book had been waiting with difficulty until they had finished yes yes my friend he said Impatiently to poro but whilst I admire your caution your method of advancing a step at a time I submit

that you have not yet touched the point at issue we are all agreed that this person exists the point is where did he go poo shook his head reprovingly you are in error you are inclined to put the cart before the horse before I asked myself where did this man vanish to I asked myself did Such a man really exist because you see if the man were an invention a fabrication how much easier to make him disappear so I try to establish first that there really is such a flesh and blood person and having arrived

at the fact that there is Ean where is he now there are only two answers to that mshare either he is still hidden on the train in a place of such extraordinary Ingenuity that we cannot even think of it or else he is as one might say two persons that is he is both himself the man feared by him ratchet and a passenger on the train so well disguised that M ratchet did not recognize him it is an idea that said M book his face lighting up then it clouded over again but there is one

objection poo took the words out of his mouth the height of the man it is that you would say with the exception of Mr ratchet's valet all the Passengers are big men the Italian Colonel arbouet Hector McQueen count andren well that leaves us the valet not a very likely [Music] supposition but there is another possibility remember the womanish voice that gives us a choice of Alternatives the man may be disguised as a woman or alternatively he may actually be a woman a tall woman dressed in men's clothes would look small but surely Ratchet would have

known perhaps he did know perhaps already this woman had attempted his life wearing amar's clothes the better to accomplish her purpose ratchet may have guessed that she would use the same trick again so he tells Hardman to look for a man but he mentions however a womanish voice it is a possibility said him book but but listen my friend one think that I should now tell you of certain inconsistencies noticed by Dr Constantine he retailed at length the conclusions that he and the doctor had arrived at together from the nature of the Dead Man's wounds

M book groaned and held his head again I know said quo sympathetically I know exactly how you feel the head spins does it not the whole whole thing is a fantasy cried M book exactly it is absurd improbable it cannot be so I myself have said and yet My friend there it is one cannot escape from the facts it is madness is it not it is so mad my friend that sometimes I am haunted by The Sensation that really it must be very simple but that is only one of my little ideas two murderers groaned

him book and on the Orient Express the thought almost made him weep and now let us make the fantasy more fantastic said poo cheerfully last night on the train there Are two mysterious strangers there is the wagon lit attendant answering to the description given us by m Hardman and seen by Hildegard Schmidt Colonel AR bunet and M McQueen there is also a woman in a red kimono a tall slim woman seen by Pierre Michelle miss deham m McQueen and myself and smelt I may say by Colonel arbouet who was she no one on the train

admits to having a Scarlet kimono she too has vanished Was she one and the same with the spous wagon lit attendant or was she some quite distinct personality where are they these two and incidentally where are the wagon lit uniform and the Scarlet kimono ah that is something definite m book sprang up eagerly we must search all the passengers luggage yes that will be something poo Rose Also I will make a prophecy he said you know where they are I have a little idea where then you will find the Scarlet kimono in the baggage of

one of the men and you will find the uniform of the wagon lit conductor in the baggage of Hildegard Schmidt Hildegard Schmidt you think not what you are thinking I will put it like this if Hildegard Schmidt is guilty the uniform may be found in her Baggage but if she is innocent it certainly will be but how began M book and stopped what is this noise that approaches he cried it resembles a locomotive in motion the noise Drew nearer it consisted of shrill cries and protests in a woman 's voice the door at the end

of the dining car burst open misses hubard burst in it's too horrible she Cried it's just too horrible in my sponge bag my sponge bag a great knife all over blood and suddenly toppling forward She fainted heavily on M book's shoulder 14 the evidence of the weapon with more Vigor than chivalry a book deposited the fainting lady with her head on the table Dr Constantine yelled for one of the restaurant attendants who came at a run keep her head so said the Doctor if she revives give her a little conac you understand then he hurried

off after the other two his interest lay wholly in the crime swooning middle-aged ladies did not interest him at all it is possible that Mrs hubard revived rather more quickly by these methods than she might otherwise have done a few minutes later she was sitting up sipping conac from a glass proferred by the attendant and Talking once more I just can't tell you how terrible it was I don't suppose anybody on this train can understand my feelings I've I've always been very very sensitive ever since I was a child the mere sight of blood ug

why even now I get faint when I think about it the attendant proferred the glass again anoran Madam do you think I'd better I'm a lifelong te toer I never touch Spirits or wine at Any time all my family are abstainers still perhaps as this is only medicinal she sipped once more in the meantime poro and M book closely followed by doctor Constantine had hurried out of the restaurant car and along the corridor of the stul coach towards Mrs Hubbard's compartment every traveler on the train seemed to be congregated outside the door the conductor a

harassed look on his face was keeping them Back ma i l n Yen ofir he said and repeated the sentiment in several other languages let me pass if you please said him book squeezing his rotundity passed the obstructing passengers he entered the compartment poo close behind him I am glad you have come mure said the conductor with a sigh of relief everyone has been trying to enter the American lady such screams as she gave Ma foi I thought she too had been murdered I came at a run and there she Was screaming like a mad

woman and she cried out that she must fetch you and she departed screeching at the top of her voice and telling everybody whose Carriage she passed what had occurred he added with a gesture of the hand it is in there mure I have not touched it hanging on the handle of the door that gave access to the next compartment was a large checked rubber sponge bag below it on the floor just where it had fallen from Mrs huard's hand was a straight bladed dagger a cheap Affair sham Oriental with an embossed Hilt and a tapering

Blade the blade was stained with patches of what looked like rust poo picked it up delicately yes he murmured there is no mistake here is our missing weapon all right H doctor the doctor examined it you need not be so careful said PUO there will be no fingerprints on it save those of Mrs hubard Constantine's examination did not take long it is the weapon all right he said it would account for any of the wounds I am implore you my friend do not say that the doctor looked astonished already we are heavily overburdened by coincidence

two people decided to stab M ratchet last night it is too much of a good thing that both of them should Select the same weapon as to that the coincidence is not perhaps so great as it seems said the doctor thousands of these sham Eastern daggers are made and shipped to the bazaars of Constantinople you can so me a little but only a little said PUO he looked thoughtfully at the door in front of him then lifting off the sponge bag he tried the handle the door did not Budge about a foot above the handle

was the door bolt poo drew it back and tried again but still the door remained fast we locked it from the other side you remember said the doctor that is true said poo absently he seemed to be thinking about something else his brow was furrowed as though in perplexity it agrees does it not said him book the man passes through this Carriage as he shuts the communicating Door behind him he feels the sponge bag a thought comes to to him and he quickly slips The Blood Stained knife inside then all unwitting that he has awakened

misses hubard he slips out through the other door into the corridor as you say murmured poro that is how it must have happened but the puzzled look did not leave his face but what is it demanded M book there is something is there not that Does not satisfy you poo darted a quick Tu at him the same point does not strike you no evidently not well it is a small matter the conductor looked into the carriage the American lady is coming back Dr Constantine looked rather guilty he had he felt treated misses hubber rather cavalierly

but she had no reproaches for him her energies were concentrated on another matter I'm going to say one thing right Out she said breathlessly as she arrived in the doorway I'm not going on any longer in this compartment why I wouldn't sleep in it tonight if you paid me a million dollar but Madam I know what you are going to say and I'm telling you right now that I won't do any such thing why I'd rather sit up all night in the corridor she began to cry oh if my daughter could only know if She

could see me now why poro interrupted firmly you misunderstand Madam your demand is most reasonable your baggage shall be changed at once to another compartment Mrs hubard lowered her handkerchief is that so oh I feel better right away but surely it's all full unless one of the gentleman M book spoke your baggage Madam shall be moved Out of this coach altogether you shall have a compartment in the next coach which was put on at Belgrade why that's Splendid I'm not an extra nervous woman but to sleep in that compartment next door to a dead man

she shivered it would drive me plum crazy Michelle call them book move this baggage into a vacant compartment in the Athens Paris Coach yes missure the same one as this the number three no said porro before his friend could reply one think it would be better for Madam to have a different number altogether the number 12 for instance bien missure the conductor seized the luggage Mrs hubard turned gratefully to porro that's very kind and delicate of You I appreciate it I assure you do not mention it Madam we will come with you and see you

comfortably installed Mrs hubard was escorted by the three men to her new home she looked around her happily this is fine it suits you madam it is you see exactly like the compartment you have left that's so only it faces the other way but that doesn't matter for these trains go first one way and then the Other I said to my daughter I want a carriage facing the engine and she said why mama that'll be no good to you for if you go to sleep one way when you wake up the Train's going the other

and it was quite true what she said why last evening we went into Belgrade one way and out the other at any rate Madam you are quite happy and contented now well no I wouldn't say that here we are stuck in a snow drift and nobody doing anything about it and My boat's sailing the day after tomorrow Madam said M book we are all in the same case every one of us well that's true admitted Mrs hubard but nobody else has had a murderer walking right through her compartment in the middle of the night what

still puzzles me Madam said poo is how the man got into your compartment if the communicating door was bolted as you say you are sure that it was Bolted why the Swedish lady tried it before my eyes let us just reconstruct that little scene you were lying in your bunk so and you could not see for yourself you say no because of the sponge bag oh my I shall have to get a new sponge bag it makes me feel sick at my stomach to look at this one waro picked up the sponge bag and hung

it on the handle of the communicating door into the next Carriage precisement I see he said the bolt is just underneath the handle the sponge bag masks it you could not see from where you were lying whether the bolt was turned or not why that's just what I've been telling you and the Swedish lady Miss Olsen stood so between you and the door she tried it and told you it was bolted that's so all the same Madam she may have made an error you see what I Mean poo seemed anxious to explain the bolt is

just a projection of metal so when it is turned to the right the door is locked when it is left straight the door is unlocked possibly she merely tried the door and as it was locked on the other side she may have assumed that it was locked on your side well I guess that would be rather stupid of her Madam the most kind the most amiable are not always the Cleverest that's so of course by the way Madam did you travel out to smrna this way no I sailed right to stul and a friend of

my daughters Mister Johnson a perfectly lovely man I'd like to have you know him met me and showed me all around stul but it was a very disappointing City all tumbling down and as for those mosques and putting on those great shuffling things over your shoes where was I you were saying that Mr Johnson Met you that's so and he saw me on board of French messager boat for Smyrna and my daughter's husband was waiting right on the Quay what he'll say when he hears about all this my daughter said this would be just the

safest easiest way imaginable you just sit in your Carriage she said and you land right in Paris and there the American Express will meet you and oh dear what am I to do about Canceling my steamship passage I ought to let them know I can't possibly make it now this is just too terrible Mrs hubard showed signs of Tears once more porro who had been fidgeting slightly seized his opportunity you have had a shock Madam the restaurant attendant shall be instructed to bring you along some tea and some biscuits I don't know that I'm so

set on Tea said Mrs hub tearfully that's more an English habit coffee then Madam you need some stimulant that cnacs made my head feel mighty funny I think one would like some coffee excellent you must revive your forces my what a funny expression but first Madam a little matter of routine you permit that I make a search Of your baggage what for we are about to commence a search of all the passengers luggage I do not want to remind you of an unpleasant experience but your sponge bag remember Mercy perhaps you'd better I just couldn't

bear to get any more surprises of that kind the examination was quickly over Mrs hubard was traveling with the Minimum of luggage a hatbox a cheap suitcase and a well burdened traveling bag the contents of all three were simple and straightforward and the examination would not have taken more than a couple of minutes had not Mrs hubard delayed Matters by insisting on due attention being paid to photographs of my daughter and of two rather ugly children my daughter's children aren't they cunning 15 the evidence of the Passenger's luggage having delivered himself of various polite insincerity

and having told Mrs hubard that he would order coffee to be brought to her porro was able to take his leave accompanied by his two friends well we have made a start and drawn a blank observed them book Whom Shall We attack next it would be simplest I think just to proceed along the train Carriage by carriage that means that we start with number 16 The amiable Mr Hardman Mr Hardman who was smoking a cigar welcomed them affably come right in gentlemen that is if it's humanly possible it's just a might cramped in here for

a party M book explained the object of their visit and the big detective nodded comprehending that's okay to tell the truth I've been wondering you didn't get down to it Sooner here are my keys gentlemen and if you like to search my pockets too why you're welcome shall I reach the grips down for you the conductor will do that Michelle the contents of Mr hardman's two grips were soon examined and passed they contained perhaps an undue proportion of spirituous liquor Mr Hardman winked it's not often they search your grips at the Frontiers not if you

fix the Conductor I handed out a wad of Turkish notes right away and there's been no trouble so far and at Paris Mr Hardman winked Again by the time I get to Paris he said what's left over of this little lot will go into a bottle labeled hair wash you are not a believer in prohibition Miss Hardman said M book with a smile well said Hardman I can't say prohibition has ever worried me any ah said him book the Speak Easy he Pronounced the word with care savoring it your American terms are so quaint so

expressive he said me I would much like to go to America America said poro you'd learn a few go-ahead methods over there said Hardman Europe needs waking up she's half asleep it is true that America is the country of progress agreed PUO there is much that I admire about Americans only I am perhaps Old-fashioned but me I find the American women less Charming than my own country women the French or the Belgian girl CSH Charming I think there is no one to touch her Hardman turned away to peer out at the snow for a minute

perhaps you're right M poro he said but I guess every nation likes its own girls best he blinked as though the snow hurt his eyes kind of dazzling isn't it he remarked say gentlemen this business is Getting on my nerves murder and the snow and all and nothing doing just hanging about and killing time I'd like to get busy after someone or something the true Western Spirit of hustle said poro with a smile the conductor replaced the bags and they moved on to the next compartment colonel arbouet was sitting in a corner smoking a pipe

and reading a Magazine porro explained their errand the colonel made no Demmer he had two heavy leather suitcases the rest of my kit has gone by long sea he explained like most army men the colonel was a neat Packer the examination of his baggage took only a few minutes poro noted a packet of pipe cleaners you always use the same kind he asked Usually if I can get M ah poo nodded these pipe cleaners corresponded exactly with the one he had found on the floor of the Dead Man's compartment Dr Constantine remarked as much when

they were out in the corridor again tout to M murmured porro I can hardly believe it it is not dawn Sun character and when you have have said that you have said everything the door of the next compartment was Closed it was that occupied by Princess dragir off they knocked on the door and the princess's deep voice called andr M book was spokesman he was very deferential and polite as he explained their errand the princess listened to him in silence her small toadlike face quite impassive if it is necessary messers she said quietly when he

had finished that is all there is to it my maid has the keys she will attend to it with you does Your maid always carry your keys Madam asked poo certainly missure and if during the night at one of the Frontiers the Customs officials should require a piece of luggage to be opened the old old lady Shrugged her shoulders it is very unlikely but in such a case the conductor would fetch her you trust her then implicitly Madam I have told you so already said the princess Quietly I do not employ people whom I do

not trust yes said quo thoughtfully trust is indeed something in these days it is perhaps better to have a homely woman whom one can trust than a more Chic maid for example some smart perisian he saw the dark intelligent eyes come slowly round and fasten themselves upon his face what exactly are you implying M Poo nothing Madam I nothing but yes you think do you not that I should have a smart French woman to attend to my toilet it would be perhaps more usual Madam she shook her head Schmid is devoted to me her voice

dwelt lingeringly on the words devotion say imparable the German woman had arrived with the Keys the princess spoke to her in her own language telling her to open the VES and help the gentlemen in their search she herself remained in the corridor looking out at the snow and poo remained with her leaving M book to the task of searching the luggage she regarded him with a grim smile well missure do you not wish to see what my VES contain he shook his head Madam it is a formality that is all are you so sure in

Your case yes and yet I knew and loved Sonia Armstrong what do you think then that I would not soil my hands with killing such can as that man cassetti well perhaps you are right she was silent a minute or two then she said with such a man as that do you know what I should have liked to do I should have liked to call to my servants flog this man to death and Fling him out on the rubbish Heap that is the way things were done when I was young missure still he did not

speak just listened attentively she looked at him with a sudden impetuosity you do not say anything M poo what is it that you are thinking I wonder he looked at her with a very direct glance I think Madam that your strength Is in your will not in your arm she glanced down at her thin black clad arms ending in those claw like yellow hands with the rings on the fingers it is true she said I have no strength in these none I do not know whether I am sorry or glad then she turned abruptly back

towards her carriage where the maid was busily packing up the cases the princess cut short M books aoll Apologies there is no need for you to apologize missure she said a murder has been committed certain actions have to be performed that is all there is to it Vu eats be aimable Madam she inclined her head slightly as they Departed the doors of the next two carriages were shut M book paused and scratched his head diable he said this may be awkward these are diplomatic Passports their luggage is exempt from Customs examination yes but a murder

is different I know all the same we do not want to have complications do not distress yourself my friend the count and Countess will be reasonable see how amiable princess dramov was about it she is truly grande dame these two are also of the same position but The count impressed me as a man of somewhat truculent disposition he was not pleased when you insisted on questioning his wife and this will annoy him still further suppose H we omit them after all they can have nothing to do with the matter why should I stir up needless

trouble for myself I do not agree with you said poro I feel sure that count andren will Be reasonable at any rate let us make the attempt and before M book could reply he wrapped sharply on the door of number 13 a voice from within cried and res the count was sitting in the corner near the door reading a newspaper the Countess was curled up in the opposite corner near the window there was a pillow behind her head and she seemed to have been asleep pardon missure lant began poro Pray forgive this intrusion it is

that we are making a search of all the baggage on the train in most cases a mere formality but it has to be done M book suggests that as you have a diplomat passport you might reasonably claim to be exempt from such a search the count considered for a moment thank you he said but I do not think that I care to have an exception made in my Case I should prefer that our baggage should be examined like that of the other passengers he turned to his wife you do not object I hope Elena not

at all said the Countess without hesitation a rapid and somewhat perfunctory search followed poo seemed to be trying to mask an embarrassment by making various small pointless remarks such as here is a Label all wet on your suitcase Madam as he lifted down a blue Morocco case with initials on it and a Coronet the Countess did not reply to this [Music] observation she seemed indeed indeed rather bored by the whole proceeding remaining curled up in her corner and staring dreamily out through the window whilst the men searched her luggage in the compartment next door poo

finished His search by opening the little cupboard above the wash basin taking a rapid glance at its contents a sponge face cream powder and a small bottle labeled trianal then with polite remarks on either side the search party withdrew Mrs huard's compartment that of the dead man and pororo's own came next they now came to the second class carriages the first one numbers 10 and 11 was occupied by Mary Debenham who was reading a book and Greta Olen who was fast asleep but woke with a start at their entrance porro repeated his formula the Swedish

lady seemed agitated Mary deham calmly indifferent he addressed himself to the Swedish lady if you permit Madame Melle we will examine your baggage first and then perhaps you would be so good as to see how the American lady is getting on we have moved her into one of the Carriages in the next coach but she is still very much upset as the result of her Discovery I have ordered coffee to be sent to her but I think she is of those to whom someone to talk to is a necessity of the first order the good

lady was instantly sympathetic she would go immediately it must have been indeed a terrible shock to the nerves and already the poor lady was upset by the journey And leaving her daughter ah yes certainly she would go at once her case was not locked and she would take with her some salamonia back she bustled off her possessions were soon examined they were meager in the extrem she had evidently not yet noticed the missing wires from the hatbox Miss debbenham had put her book down she was watching poro when he asked her she handed over Her

keys then as he lifted down a case and opened it she said why did you send her away M poo I madelle why to minister to the American lady an excellent pretext but a pretext all the same I don't understand you Madame Melle one think you understand me very well she smiled you wanted to get me Alone wasn't that it you are putting words into my mouth Madame Melle and ideas into your head no I don't think so the ideas are already there that is right isn't it madelle we have a proverb s excuse accuse

is that what you were going to say you must give me the credit for a certain amount of observation and Common Sense for some reason or other you have got it into your head that I know something about this sorted business This murder of a man I never saw before you are imagining things Madame Melle no I am not imagining things at all but it seems to me that a lot of time is wasted by not speaking the truth by beating about the bush instead of coming straight out with things and you do not like

the waste of time no you like to come straight to the point you like the direct method Aban I will give it to you the direct Method I will ask you the meaning of certain words that I overheard on the journey from Syria one had got out of the train to do what the English call stretched the legs at the station of Kana your voice and the colonels madelle they came to me out of the night you said to him not now not now when it's all over when it's behind us what did you mean

by those words Madame Iselle she asked very quietly do you think I meant murder it is I who am asking you Madame Melle she sighed was lost a minute in thought then as though rousing herself she said those words had a meaning year but not one that I can tell you I can only give you my solemn word of Honor that I had never set eyes on this man ratchet in my life until I saw him on this train and you refuse to explain those Words yes if you like to put it that way I

refuse they had to do with with a task I had undertaken a task that is now ended what do you mean it is ended is it not why should you think so listen madelle I will recall to you another incident there was a delay to the Train on the day we were to reach stul you were very agitated Madelle you so calm so self-controlled you lost that calm I did not want to miss my connection so you said but Madame Melle the Orient Express leaves stul every day of the week even if you had missed

the connection it would only have been a matter of 24 hours delay Miss debbenham for the first time showed signs of losing her temper you do not seem to realize that One may have friends awaiting one's arrival in London and that a day's delay upsets arrangements and causes a lot of annoyance ah it is like that there are friends awaiting your arrival you do not want to cause them inconvenience naturally and yet it is curious what is curious on this train again we have a delay and this time a more serious delay since there is

no possibility of sending a telegram to your friends or of getting Them on the long the long long distance the T telephone you mean ah yes the portmanto call as you say in England Mary debbenham smiled a little in spite of herself trunk call she corrected yes as you say it is extremely annoying not to be able to get any word through either by telephone or by Telegraph and yet Madame Melle this time your manner is quite different you no Longer betray the impatience you are calm and philosophical Mary debbenham flushed and bit her lip

she no longer felt inclined to smile you do not answer madelle I am sorry I did not know that there was anything to answer your change of attitude madelle don't you think that you are making rather a fuss about nothing m Poo poo spread out his hands in an apologetic gesture it is perhaps a fault with us detectives we expect the behavior to be always consistent we do not allow for changes of mood Mary debbenham made no reply you know Colonel arbouet well madelle he fancied that she was relieved by the change of subject I

met him for the first time on this journey have you any reason to suspect That he may have known this man ratchet she shook her head decisively I am quite sure he didn't why are you sure by the way he spoke and yet madelle we found a pipe cleaner on the floor of the Dead Man's compartment and Colonel arbouet is the only man on the train who smokes a pipe he watched her narrowly but she displayed neither surprise nor emotion merely said Nonsense it's absurd Colonel arbouet is the last man in the world to be

mixed up in a crime especially a theatrical kind of crime like this it was so much what poro himself thought that he found himself on the point of agreeing with her he said instead I must remind you that you do not know him very well madelle she Shrugged her shoulders I know the type well enough he said very gently you still Refuse to tell me the meaning of those words when it's behind us she replied coldly I have nothing more to say it does not matter said herul poro I shall find out he bowed and

left the compartment closing the door after him was that wise my friend asked him book you have put her on her guard and through her you have put the colonel on his guard also manami if you wish to catch a rabbit you put a feret into the hole and If the rabbit is there he runs that is all one have done they entered the compartment of Hildegard Schmidt the woman was standing in ready iness her face respectful but unemotional poo took a quick glance through the contents of the small case on the seat then he

motioned to the attendant to get down the bigger suitcase from the rack the keys he said it is not locked mure poo undid the hasps and lifted the Lid aha he said and turning to M book you remember what I said look here a little moment on the top of the suitcase was a hastily rolled up brown wagon lit uniform the stolidity of the German woman underwent a sudden change AC she cried that is not mine I did not put it there I have never looked in that case since we left stul indeed indeed it

is true she looked For from one to another of the men pleadingly poo took her gently by the arm and soothed her no no all is well we believe you do not be agitated I am sure you did not hide the uniform there as I am sure that you are a good cook see you are a good cook are you not bewildered the woman smiled in spite of herself yes in indeed all my ladies have said so one she stopped her mouth open Looking frightened again no no said poro I assure you all is well

see I will tell you how this happened this man the man you saw in wagon lit uniform comes out of the Dead Man's compartment he collides with you that is bad luck for him he has hoped that no one will see him what to do next he must get rid of his uniform it is now not a safeguard but a danger his glance went to M bow and Dr Constantine who were listening attentively there is the snow you see the snow which confuses all his plans where can he hide these clothes all the compartments are

are full no he passes one whose door is open showing it to be unoccupied it must be the one belonging to the woman with whom he has just collided he slips in removes the uniform and jams it hurriedly into a suitcase on the rack it may be some time before it Is discovered and then said him book that we must discuss poo said with a warning glance he held up the tunic a button the third down was missing Paro slipped his hand into the pocket and took out a conductor's pass key used to unlock the

doors of the compartments here is the explanation of how one man was able to pass through locked doors said M book your questions to Mrs hubard were Unnecessary locked or not locked the man could easily get through through the communicating door after all if a wagon lit uniform why not a wagon lit key why not indeed returned poro we might have known it really you remember that Michelle said that the door into the corridor of Mrs huard's compartment was locked when he came in answer to her Bell that is so missure said the Conductor that

is why one thought the lady must have been dreaming but now it is easy continued M book doubtless He meant to relock the communicating door also but perhaps he heard some movement from the bed and it startled him we have now said PUO only to find the Scarlet kimono true and these last two compartments are occupied by men we will search all the same oh Assuredly besides I remember what you said Hector McQueen acquest willingly in the search I just as soon you did he said with a ruul smile I feel I'm definitely the most

suspicious character on the train you've only got to find a will in which the old man left me all his money and that'll just about fix things M book bent a suspicious glance upon him him that's only my fun added McQueen Hastily he'd never have left me a scent really I was just useful to him languages and so on you're likely to be out of luck you know if you don't speak anything but good American I'm no linguist myself but I know what I call shopping and hotel Snappy bits in French and German and Italian

his voice was a little louder than usual it was as though he were slightly uneasy over the search in spite of his Expressed willingness poo emerged nothing he said not even a compromising bequest McQueen sighed well that's a load off my mind he said humorously they moved on to the last compartment the examination of the luggage of the big Italian and of the valet yielded no result the three men stood at the end of The coach looking at each other what next said him book we will go back to the dining car said PUO we

know now all that we can know we have the evidence of the passengers the evidence of their baggage the evidence of our eyes we can expect no further help it must be our part now to use our brains he felt in his pocket for his cigarette case it was Empty I will join you in a moment he said I shall need the cigarettes this is a very difficult a very curious Affair who wore that Scarlet kimono where is it now I wish I knew there is something in this case some factor that escap ESC capes

me it is difficult because it has been made difficult but we will discuss it paron me a moment he went hurriedly along the corridor to his own Compartment he had he knew a further supply of cigarettes in one of his vales he got it down and snapped back the lock then he sat back on his heels and stared neatly f fed on the top of the case was a thin Scarlet silk kimono embroidered with Dragons so he murmured it is like that a Defiance very well I take it up part three hercul poo sits back

and Thinks one which of them M book and Dr Constantine were talking together when poo entered the dining car M book was looking depressed Lala said the latter when he saw PUO then he added as his friend sat down if you solve this case man share I shall indeed believe in miracles it worries you this case naturally it worries me I cannot make head or tale of it I agree said the Doctor he he looked at poo with interest to be frank he said I cannot see what you are going to do next no said

poro thoughtfully he took out his cigarette case and lit one of his tiny cigarettes his eyes were dreamy that to me is the interest of this case he said we are cut off from all the normal roots of procedure are these people whose evidence we have taken speaking the Truth or lying we have no means of finding out except such means as we can devise ourselves it is an exercise this of the brain that is all very fine said M book but what have you to go upon I told you just now we have the

evidence of the passengers and the evidence of our own eyes pretty evidence that of the passengers it told us just nothing at all poo shook his head I do not agree my Friend the evidence of the passengers gave us several points of interest indeed said him book skeptically I did not observe it that is because you did not listen well tell me what did I miss I will just take one instance the first evidence we heard that of the young McQueen he uttered to my mind one very significant phrase about the letters no not about

the Letters as far as I can remember his words were we traveled about Mr ratchet wanted to see the world he was hampered by knowing no languages I acted more as a courier than a secretary he looked from the doctor's face to that of M book what you still do not see that is inexcusable for you had a second chance again just now when he said you're likely to be out of luck if You don't speak anything but good American you mean M book still looked puzzled ah it is that you want it given to

you in words of one syllable well here it is M ratchet spoke no French yet when the conductor came in answer to his Bell last night it was a voice speaking in French that told him that it was a mistake and that he was not wanted it was moreover a perfectly Idiomatic phrase that was used not one that a man knowing only a few words of French would have selected Sun rain J meu trump it is true cried Constantine excitedly we should have seen that I remember your laying stress on the words when you repeated

them to us now one understand your reluctance to rely upon the evidence of the dented watch already at 23 minutes to 1 ratchet was dead and it was his murderer Speaking finished M book impressively poo raised a deprecating hand let us not go too fast and do not let us assume more than we actually know it is safe I think to say that at that time 23 minutes to one some other person was in ratchet's compartment and that that person either was French or could speak the French language fluently you are very cautious man view

one should Advance only a step at a time We have no actual evidence that ratchet was dead at that time there is the cry that awakened you yes that is true in one way said M book thoughtfully this discovery does not affect things very much you heard someone moving about next door that someone was not ratchet but the other man doubtless he is washing blood from his hands clearing up after the crime burning the incriminating letter then he waits till all is still and when He thinks it is safe and the coast is clear he

locks and chains ratchet's door on the inside unlocks the communicating door through into Mrs huard's compartment and slips out that way in fact it is exactly as we thought with the difference that ratchet was killed about half an hour earlier and the watch put on to a quarter past one to create an alibi not such a famous Alibi said poor the hands of the watch pointed to 1.15 the exact time when the Intruder actually left the scene of the crime true said M book a little confused what then does the watch convey to you if

the hands were altered I say if then the time at which they were set must have a significance the natural reaction would be to suspect anyone who had a reliable Alibi for the time indicated in this case 1.15 yes yes said the Doctor that reasoning is good we must also pay a little attention to the time the Intruder entered the compartment when had he an opportunity of doing so unless we are to assume the complicity of the real conductor there was only one time when he could have done so during the time the train stopped

at vovi after the train left vov side the conductor was sitting facing the corridor and whereas any one of the Passengers would pay little attention to a wagon lit attendant the one person who would notice an impostor is the real conductor but during the halt at vovs side the conductor is out on the platform the coast is clear and by our former reasoning it must be one of the passengers said him book we come back to where we were which of them poo smiled I have made a list he said if you like to see

it it will perhaps refresh your Memory the doctor and M book poured over the list together it was written out neatly in a methodical manner in the order in which the passengers had been interviewed Hector McQueen American subject object birth number six second class motive possibly arising out of association with Deadman Alibi from Midnight to 2 a.m. midnight to 1.30 vouched for by Colonel R bunet and one 15-2 vouched for by conductor evidence against him None suspicious circumstances none conductor Pierre Michelle friend subject motive none Alibi from Midnight to 2: a.m. seen by HP in

Corridor at same time as voice spoke from ratchet's compartment at 12.37 from 1:00 a.m to 1.16 vouched for by other two conductors evidence against him none suspicious circumstances the wagon lit uniform found is a point in his favor since it seems to have been Intended to throw suspicion on him Edward masterman English subject birth number four second class motive possibly arising out of connection with deceased whose valet he was Alibi from Midnight to 2: a.m. vouched for by Antonio foscarelli evidence against him of suspicious circumstances none except that he is the only man of the

right height or size to have worn the wagon lit uniform on the other hand it is unlikely That he speaks French wellis hubard American subject birth number three first class motive none Alibi from Midnight to 2: a.m. none evidence against her or suspicious circumstances story of man in her compartment is subst substantiated by the evidence of Hardman and that of the woman Schmidt Greta Olsen Swedish subject birth number 10 second Class motive none Alibi from Midnight to 2 a.m. vouched for by Mary debbenham note was last to see ratchet alive Princess dragir off naturalized French

subject birth number 14 first class motive was intimately acquainted with Armstrong family and godmother to Sonia Armstrong Alibi from Midnight to 2: a.m. vouched for by conductor and Maid evidence against her or suspicious Circumstances none count andren Hungarian subject diplomatic passport birth number 13 first class motive none Alibi midnight to 2:00 a.m. vouched for by conductor this does not cover period from 1 to 1.15 Countess andren as above birth 12 motive none Alibi midnight to 2 a.m. took trianal and Slept vouched for by husband trianal bottle in her cupboard Colonel arbouet British subject birth number

15 first class motive none Alibi midnight to 2: a.m. talked with McQueen till 1.30 went to own compartment and did not leave it substantiated by McQueen and conductor evidence against him or suspicious circumstances pipe cleaner Cyrus Hardman American Subject birth number 16 motive none known Alibi midnight to 2: a.m. did not leave compartment substantiated by conductor except for period 1 to 1.15 evidence against him or suspicious circumstances none Antonio foscarelli American subject Italian by birth birth number number five second class motive none known Alibi midnight To 2: a.m. vouched for by Edward masterman evidence against

him or suspicious circumstances none except that weapon used might be said to suit his temperament VM book Mary debbenham British subject birth number 11 second class motive nun Alibi midnight to 2: a.m. vouched for by Greta Olen evidence against him or suspicious circumstances conversation overheard by HP and her refusal to explain it hild Deard Schmidt German subject birth number eight second class motive none Alibi midnight to 2: a.m. vouched for by conductor and her mistress went to bed was aroused by conductor at 12.38 approximate and went to mistress note the evidence of the passengers is

supported by the statement of the conductor that no one entered or left Mr ratchet's compartment from Midnight to 1:00 when he himself went Into the next coach and from 1:15 to 2:00 that document you understand said PUO is a mere pray C of the evidence we heard arranged in that way for convenience with a Grimace M book handed it back it is not Illuminating he said perhaps you may find this more to your taste said poo with a slight Smile as he handed him a second sheet of paper two 10 questions on the paper was

written things needing Explanation one the handkerchief marked with the initial H who is it two the pipe cleaner was it dropped by Colonel arbouet or by someone else three who wore the Scarlet kimono four who was the man or woman masquerading in wagon lit uniform five why do the hands of the watch point to 1.15 six was the murder committed at that time seven was it Earlier eight was it later nine can we be sure that ratchet was stabbed by more than one person 10 what other explanation of his wounds can there be well let

us see what we can do said M book brightening a little at this challenge to his wits the handkerchief to begin with Let Us by all means be orderly and methodical assured said PUO nodding his head in a satisfied fashion M book continued somewhat Didactically the initial H is connected with three people Mrs hubard Miss deham whose second name is hermion and the mate Hildegard Schmidt ah and of those three it is difficult to say but I think I should vote for Miss debbenham for all one knows she may be called by her second name

and not her first also there is already some suspicion attaching to her that conversation you overheard man share was Certainly a little curious and so is her refusal to explain it as for me I plump for the American said Dr Constantine it is a very expensive handkerchief that and Americans as all the world knows do not care what they pay so you both eliminate the maid asked porro yes as she herself said it is the handkerchief of a member of the upper classes and the second question the pipe cleaner did Colonel arbouet drop it or

Somebody else that is more difficult the English they do not stab you are right there I inclin to the view that someone else dropped the pipe cleaner and did so to incriminate the long-legged Englishman as you said mro put in the doctor two Clues is too much carelessness I agree with him book the handkerchief was a genuine oversight hence none of the women will admit that It is hers the pipe cleaner is a faked clue in support of that theory you notice that Colonel arbouet shows no embarrassment and admits freely to smoking a pipe and

using that type of cleaner you reason well said porro question number three who wore the Scarlet kimono went on M book as to that I will confess I have not the slightest idea have you any views on the subject Dr Constantine none then we confess ourselves beaten there the next question has at any rate possibilities who was the man or the woman masquerading in wagon lit uniform well one can list with certainty a number of people that it could not have been Hardman Colonel arbouet foscarelli count andren and Hector McQueen are all Too Tall misses

hubard Hill deard Schmidt and Greta Olen are too Broad that leaves the valet Miss debenham princess dramov and ctis andren and none of them sounds likely Greta Olen in one case and Antonio foscarelli in the other both swear that Miss debenham and the valet never left their compartments Hildegard Schmidt swears that the princess was in hers and count andren has told us that his wife took a sleeping draft therefore it seems impossible that it can be anybody which is Absurd as our old friend uket says murmured PUO it must be one of those four said

Dr Constantine unless it is someone from outside who has found a hiding place and that we agreed was impossible M book had passed on to the next question on the list number 5 why do the hands of the broken watch point to 1.15 I can see two explanations of that either it was done by the murderer to Establish an alibi and afterwards when he meant to leave the compartment he was prevented by hearing people moving about or else wait one have an idea coming the other two waited respectfully while M book struggled in mental Agony

I have it he said at last it was not the wagon lit murderer who tampered with the watch it was the person we have called the second murderer the left-handed person in other words the woman in the Scarlet kimono she arrives later and moves back the hands of the watch in order to make an alibi for herself Bravo said Dr Constantine It is Well imagined that in fact said porro she she stabbed him in the dark not realizing that he was dead already but somehow deduced that he had a watch in his pajama pocket took

it out put back the hands blindly and gave it the requisite Dent M book looked at him Coldly have you anything better to suggest yourself he asked at the moment no admitted poro all the same he went on I do not think you have either of you appreciated the most interesting point about that watch does question number six deal with it asked the doctor to that question was the murder committed at that time 1.15 I answer no I agree said M book was it earlier is the next question I say Yes you too doctor the

doctor nodded yes but the question was it later can also be answered in the affirmative I agree with your theory M book and so I think does m poro although he does not wish to commit himself the first murderer came earlier than one 15 but the second murderer came after 1.15 and as regards the question of left-handedness ought we not to take Steps to to ascertain which of the passengers is lefthanded I have not completely neglected that point said poro you may have noticed that I made each passenger write either a signature or an address

that is not conclusive because some people do certain actions with the right hand and others with the left some write right-handed but play golf left-handed still it is Something every person questioned took the pen in his or her right hand with the exception of princess dramov who refused to write Princess dragir off impossible said M book I doubt if she would have had the strength to inflict that left-handed blow said Dr Constantine dubiously that particular wound had been inflicted with considerable Force more Force than a woman could use no I would not say that but

one think More Force than an elderly woman could display and Princess dragar off's physique is particularly frail it might be a question of the influence of Mind Over body said poro princess dramov has great personality and immense willpower but let us pass from that for the moment to questions numbers 9 and 10 can can we be sure that ratchet was stabbed by more than one person and what other explanation of the wounds can There be in my opinion medically speaking there can be no other explanation of those wounds to suggest that one man struck first

feebly and then with violence first with the right hand and then with the left and after an interval of perhaps half an hour inflicted fresh wounds on a dead body well it does not make sense no said Porro it does not make sense and you think that two murderers do make sense as you yourself have said what other explanation can there be poo stared straight ahead of him that is what one ask myself he said that is what I never cease to ask myself he leaned back in his seat from now on it is all

here he tapped himself on the forehead we have thrashed it all Out the facts are all in front of us neatly arranged with order and Method the passengers have sat here one by one giving their evidence we know all that can be known from outside he gave them book an affectionate smile it has been a little joke between us has it not this business business of sitting back and thinking out the truth well I am about to put my theory Into practice here before your eyes you two must do the same let us all three

close our eyes and think one or more of those passengers killed ratchet which of them three certain suggestive points it was quite a quarter of an hour before anyone spoke M book and Dr Constantine had started by trying to obey pororo's instructions they had endeavored to see through a maze of conflicting Particulars to a clear and outstanding solution M book's thoughts had run something as follows assuredly I must think but as far as that goes I have already thought poo obviously thinks that this English girl is mixed up in the matter I cannot help feeling

that that is most unlikely the English are extremely cold probably it is because they have no figures but that is not the point it seems that the Italian could not have Done it a pity I suppose the English valet is not lying when he said the other never left the compartment but why should he it is not easy to bribe the English they are so unapproachable the whole thing is most unfortunate I wonder when we shall get out of this there must be some rescue work in progress they are so slow in these countries it

is hours before anyone Thinks of doing anything and the police of these countries they will be most trying to deal with puffed up with importance touchy on their dignity they will make a grand Affair of all this it is not often that such a chance comes their way it will be in all the newspapers and from there on M book's thoughts went along a well-worn course which they had already traversed some Hundred times Dr Constantine's thoughts ran thus he is queer this little man a genius or a crank will he solve this mystery impossible I

can see no way out of of it it is all too confusing everyone is lying perhaps but even then that does not help one if they are all lying it is just as confusing as if they were speaking the truth odd about those wounds I cannot understand it it would Be easier to understand if he had been shot after all the term gunman must mean that they shoot with a gun a curious country America I should like to go there it is so Progressive when I get home I must get hold of Demetrius seoni he

has been to America he has all the modern ideas I wonder what Zia is doing at this moment if my wife ever finds out his thoughts went on to entirely private Matters hercu poro sat very still one might have thought he was asleep and then suddenly after a quarter of an hour's complete immobility his eyebrows began to move slowly up his forehead a little sigh escaped him he murmured beneath his breath but after all why not and if so why if so that would explain everything his eyes opened they were green like a cats he

said softly Ebian I have thought and you lost in their Reflections both men started violently I have thought also said M book just as shade guiltily but one have arrived at no conclusion the elucidation of crime is your mateer not mine my friend I too have reflected with great earnestness said the doctor unblushingly recalling his thoughts from certain pornographic details I have thought of many possible Theories but not one that really satisfies me poo nodded amiably his nod seemed to say quite right that is the proper thing to say you have given me the cue

I expected he sat very upright threw out his chest caressed his mustache and spoke in the manner of a practiced speaker addressing a public meeting my friends I have reviewed the facts in my mind and have also gone over to myself the evidence of the passengers With this result I see nebulously as yet a certain explanation that would cover the facts as we know them it is a very curious explanation and I cannot be sure as yet that it is the true one to find out definitely I shall have to make certain experiments I would

like first to mention certain points which appear to me suggestive let us start with a remark made to me by m book in this very place On the occasion of our first lunch together on the train he commented on the fact that we were surrounded by people of all classes of all ages of all nationalities that is a fact somewhat rare at this time of year the Athens Paris and the Bucharest Paris coaches for instance are almost empty remember also the passenger who failed to turn up he is I think significant then there are some

minor points that strike me as suggestive for Instance the position of Misses hubard sponge bag the name of Mrs Armstrong's mother the detective methods of M Hardman the suggestion of M McQueen that ratchet himself destroyed the charred note we found princess dragar off's Christian name and a gree spot on a Hungarian passport the two men stared at him do they suggest anything to you those points asked poo not a thing said M book Frankly and M L doctor I do not understand in the least what you are talking of M book meanwhile seizing upon the

one tangible thing his friend had mentioned was sorting through the passports with a grunt he picked up that of count and count as andren and opened it is this what you mean this dirty Mark yes it is a fairly fresh grease spot you notice where it occurs at the beginning of the Description of the Count's wife her Christian name to be exact but I confess that I still do not see the point I am going to approach it from another angle let us go back to the handkerchief found at the scene of the crime as

we stated not long ago three people are associated with the letter H misses hubard Miss debbenham and the maid Hildegard Schmidt now let us regard that handkerchief from another point of view It is my friends an extremely expensive handkerchief an OB Deluxe handmade embroidered in Paris which of the passengers apart from the initial was likely to own such a handkerchief not Mrs hubard a worthy woman with no pretensions to Reckless extravagance in dress not miss deham that class of englishwoman has a dainty linen handkerchief not an expensive whisper of cambri costing perhaps 200 Franks and

certainly not the maid but there are two women on the tram who would be likely to own such a handkerchief let us see if we can connect them in any way with the letter H the two women I refer to are princess dramov whose Christian name is Natalia put in M book ironically exactly and her Christian name as I said just now is decidedly suggestive The Other Woman is Countess Andren and at once something strikes us you me then her Christian name on her passport is disfigured by a blob of Grease just an accident anyone

would say but consider that Christian name Elena suppose that instead of Elena it were Helena that Capital H could be turned into a capital E and then run over the small e next to it quite easily and then a spot of Grease dropped to cover up the alteration Helena cried M book it is an Idea that certainly it is an idea one lookout for any confirmation however slight of my idea and one find it one one of the luggage labels on the countess's baggage is slightly damp it is one that happens to run over the

first initial on top of the case that label has been soaked off and put on again in a different place you begin to convince me said him book but the Countess andren surely ah now man view you must turn yourself round and Approach an entirely different angle of the case how was this murder intended to appear to everybody do not forget that the snow has upset all the murderers original plan let us imagine for a little minute that there is no snow that the train proceeded on its normal course what then would have happened the

murder let us say would still have been discovered in all probability at the Italian Frontier early this morning much of the same evidence would have been given to the Italian police the threatening letters would have been produced by m McQueen M Hardman would have told his story Mrs hubard would have been eager to tell how a man passed through her compartment the button would have been found one imagined that two things only would have been different the man would have passed Through Mrs hub's compartment just before 1:00 and the wagon lit uniform would have been

found cast off in one of the toilets you mean I mean that the murder was planned to look like an outside job it would have been presumed that the Assassin had left the train at Broad where it is time to arrive at 0.58 somebody would probably have passed a strange wagon lit conductor in the corridor the uniform would be left in a Conspicuous place so as to show clearly just how the trick had been played no suspicion would have attached to the passengers that my friends was how the affair was intended to appear to the

outside world but the accident to the train changes everything doubtless we have here the reason why the man remained in the compartment with his victim so long he was waiting for the train to go on but At last he realized that the train was not going on different plans would have to be made the murderer would now be known to be still on the train yes yes said him book impatiently I see all that but where does the handkerchief come in I am returning to it by a somewhat circuitous route to begin with you must

realize that the threatening letters were in the nature of a blind they might have been lifted bodily Out of an indifferently written American Crime novel they are not real they are in fact simply intended for the police what we have to ask ourselves is did they deceive ratchet on the face of it the answer seems to be no his instructions to Hardman seemed to point to a definite private enemy of whose identity he was well Aware that is if we accept hardman's story as true but ratchet certainly received one letter of a very different character

the one containing a reference to the Armstrong baby a fragment of which we found in his compartment in case ratchet had not realized it sooner this was to make sure that he understood the reason of the threats against his life that letter as I have said all Along was not intended to be found the murderer's First Care was to destroy it this then was the second hitch in his plans the first was the snow the second was our reconstruction of that fragment that the note was destroyed so carefully can mean only one thing there must

be on the train someone so intimately connected with the Armstrong family that the finding of that note would immediately direct suspish upon That person now we come to the other two clues that we found I pass over the pipe cleaner we have already said a good deal about that let us pass on to the handkerchief taken at its simplest it is a clue which directly incriminates someone whose initial is H and it was dropped there unwittingly by that person exactly said Dr Constantine she finds out that she has dropped the handkerchief and immediately Takes steps

to conceal her Christian name how fast you go you arrive at a conclusion much sooner than I would permit myself to do is there any other alternative certainly there is suppose for instance that you have committed a crime and wished to cast the blame for it on someone else well there is on the train a certain person connected intimately with the Armstrong family a woman suppose then that you leave there a Handkerchief belonging to that woman she will be questioned her connection with the Armstrong family will be brought out adiva motive and an incriminating article

of evidence but in such a case objected the doctor the person indicated being innocent would not take steps to conceal her identity ah really that is what you think that is truly the opinion of the police Court but I know human nature my friend and I tell you that suddenly confronted with the possibility of being tried for murder the most innocent person will lose his head and do the most absurd things no no the grease spot and the changed label do not prove guilt they only prove that the Countess andren is anxious for some reason

to conceal her identity what do you think her connection with the Armstrong family can be she has Never been in America she says exactly and she speaks English with a foreign accent and she has a very foreign appearance which she exaggerates but it should not be difficult to guess who she is I mentioned just now the name of Mrs Armstrong's mother it was Linda Arden and she was a very celebrated actress among other things a Shakespearean actress think of as you like it with the Forest of Arden and Rosalind it was there she got the

inspiration for her acting name Linda Arden the name by which she was known all over the world was not her real name it may have been Goldenberg it is quite likely that she had central European blood in her veins a strain of Jewish perhaps many nationalities drift to America I suggest to you gentlemen that that young sister of Ms Armstrong's little more than a child at the time of the tragedy was Helena Goldenberg the younger daughter of Linda Arden and that she married count andren when he was an atese in Washington but princess dramov says

that the girl married an Englishman whose name she cannot remember I ask you my friends is that really likely princess dramov loved Linda ardan as great ladies do love great Artists she was godmother to one of the actress's daughters would she forget so quickly the married name of the other daughter it is not likely no I think we can safely say that princess dramov was lying she knew Helena was on the train she had seen her she realized at once as soon as she heard who ratchet really was that Helena would be suspected and so

when we question her as To the sister she promptly lies is vague cannot remember but thinks Helena married an Englishman a suggestion as far away from the truth as possible one of the restaurant attendants came through the door at the end and approached them he addressed him book the dinner mure shall I serve it it is ready some little time M book looked at poro the latter Nodded by all means let dinner be served the attendant vanished through the doors at the other end his Bell could be heard ringing in his voice appraised Premier Service

L Diner EST servy Premier Diner first service four the grease spot on a Hungarian passport poo shared a table with M book and the doctor the company assembled in the Restaurant car was a very subdued one they spoke little even the loquacious Mrs hubard was unnaturally quiet she murmured as she sat I don't feel as though I had the heart to eat anything and then partook of everything offered her encouraged by the Swedish lady who seemed to regard her as a special charge before the meal was served porro had caught the chief attendant by the

sleeve and murmured something to him Constantine made a pretty good guess as to what the instructions had been when he noticed that the count and Countess andren were always served last and that at the end of the meet there was a delay in making out their bill it therefore came about that the count and Countess were the last left in the restaurant car when they Rose at length and moved in the direction of the door porro sprang up and followed them pardon Madam You have dropped your handkerchief he was holding out to her the tiny

monogrammed Square she took it glanced at it then handed it back to him you are mistaken missure that is not my handkerchief not your handkerchief are you sure perfectly sure mure and yet Madam it has your initial the initial H the count made a sudden Movement poo ignored him his eyes were fixed on the countess's face looking steadily at him she replied I do not understand mure my initials are EA I think not your name is Helena not Elena Helena Goldenberg the younger daughter of Linda Arden Helena Goldenberg the sister of Mrs Armstrong there was

a dead silence for a minute or two both the count and the ctis had gone deadly white poo said in a Gentler tone it is of no use denying that is the truth is it not the count burst out furiously I demand missure by what write you she interrupted him putting up a small hand towards his mouth no Rudolf let me speak it is useless to deny what this gentleman says we had better sit down and talk the matter out her voice had changed it still still had the southern Richness of tone but it had

become suddenly more clearcut and incisive it was for the first time a definitely American Voice the count was silenced he obeyed the gesture of her hand and they both sat down opposite porro your statement mure is quite true said the Countess I am Helena Goldenberg the younger sister of Mrs Armstrong you did not acquaint me with That fact this morning Madame lacontes No in fact all that your husband and you told me was a tissue of Lies mure cried the count angrily do not be angry Rudolph M poo puts the fact rather brutally but what

he says is undeniable I am glad you admit the fact so freely Adam will you now tell me your reasons for that and also for altering your Christian name on your passport that was my doing entirely put in the count Helena said quietly surely M poro you can guess my reason our reason this man who was killed is the man who murdered my baby niece who killed my sister who broke my brother-in-law's heart three of the people one loved best and who made up my home my world her voice rang out passionately she was a

true daughter of That mother the emotional force of whose acting had moved huge audiences to tears she went on more quietly of all the people on the train I alone had probably the best motive for killing him and you did not kill him Madam I swear to you m quo and my husband knows and will swear also that much as I may have been tempted to do so one never lifted a hand against that man I too gentlemen said the count I give you my word of Honor that last night Helena never left her compartment

she took a sleeping draft exactly as I said she is utterly and entirely innocent poro looked from one to the other of them on my word of Honor repeated the count poo shook his head slightly and yet you took it upon yourself to alter the name and the passport mure PUO the count said earnestly and passionately consider my position do you think I could stand the Thought of my wife dragged through a sorted police case she was innocent I knew it but what she said was true because of her connection with the arm Armstrong family

she would have been immediately suspected she would have been questioned attested perhaps since some evil chance had taken us on the same train as this man ratchet there was I felt sure but one thing for it I Admit mure that I lied to you all that is save in one thing my wife never left her compartment last night he spoke with an earnestness that it was hard to gain say I do not say that I disbelieve you mure said PUO slowly your family is I know a proud and Ancient One it would be bitter indeed

for you to have your wife dragged into an unpleasant police case with that I can sympathize but how then do you explain The presence of your wife's handkerchief actually in the Dead Man's compartment that handkerchief is not mine mure said the Countess in spite of the initial H in spite of the initial one have handkerchiefs not unlike that but not one that is exactly of that pattern I know of course that I cannot hope to make you believe me but I assure you that it is so that handkerchief is Not mine it may have been

placed there by someone in order to incriminate you she smiled a little you are enticing me to admit that after all it is mine but indeed M poo it isn't she spoke with great earnestness then why if the handkerchief was not yours did you alter the name in the passport the count answered this because we heard that a handkerchief had been found with the ini h on it we talked the Matter over together before we came to be interviewed I pointed out to Helena that if it were seen that her Christian name began with an

H she would immediately be subjected to much more rigorous questioning and the thing was so simple to alter Helena to Elena was easily done you have M lant the makings of a very fine criminal remarked poro dryly a great natural Ingenuity and an apparently remorseless determination to Mislead Justice oh no no the girl leaned forward M porro he's explained to you how it was she broke from French into English I was scared absolutely dead scared you understand it had been so awful that time and to have it all raked up again and to be suspected

and perhaps thrown into prison I was just scared stiff M [Music] Pororo can't you understand it all her Voice was lovely deep rich pleading the voice of the daughter of Linda ardan the actress porro looked Gravely at her if 1 a to believe you madam and I do not say that I will not believe you then you must help help me help you yes the reason for the murder lies in the past in that tragedy which broke up your home and saddened your young life take me back into the past madelle that may first find

there the link that explains the whole thing what can there be to Tell you they are all dead she repeated mournfully all dead all dead Robert Sonia darling darling Daisy she was so sweet so happy she had such lovely curls we were all just crazy about her there was another victim Madam an indirect victim you might say poor Suzanne yes I had forgotten about her the police questioned her they were convinced that she had something to do with it perhaps she had but if so only Innocently she had I believe chatted idly with someone giving

information as to the time of Daisy's outings the poor thing got terribly rough up she thought she was being held responsible she shuddered she threw herself out of the window oh it was horrible she buried her face in her hands what nationality was she Madam she was French what was her last name it's Absurd but I can't remember we all called her Suzanne a pretty laughing girl she was devoted to Daisy she was the nursery maid was she not yes who was the nurse she was a trained Hospital nurse stangle BG her name was she

too was devoted to Daisy and to my sister now Madam I want you to think carefully before you answer this Question have you since you were on this train seen anyone that you recognized she stared at him I no no one at all what about Princess dragir off oh her I know her of course I thought you meant anyone anyone from from that time so I did Madam now think carefully some years have passed remember the person might have altered his or her Appearance Helena pondered deeply then she said no I am sure there is

no one you yourself you were a young girl at the time did you have no one to superintend your studies or to look after you oh yes I had a dragon a sort of governance to me and secretary to Sonia combined she was English or rather Scotch a big red-haired woman what was her name Miss Freebody young or old she seemed frightfully old to me I suppose she couldn't have been more than 40 Suzanne of course used to look after my clothes and made me and there were no other inmates of the house only servants

and you are certain quite certain Madam that you have recognized no one on the train she replied earnestly no one mure no one at all five the Christian Name of Princess dragir off when the count and Countess had departed poro looked across at the other two you see he said we make progress excellent work said M book cordially on my part I should never have dreamed of suspecting count and Countess andren I will admit I thought them quite or to combat I suppose there is no doubt that she committed the crime it is rather sad

still they will not Guillotine her There are extenuating circumstances a few years imprisonment that will be all in fact you are quite certain of her guilt my dear friend surely there is no doubt of it I thought your reassuring manner was only to smooth things over till we are dug out of the snow and the police take charge you do not believe the Count's positive assertion on his word of Honor that his wife is innocent man share naturally what else Could he say he adores his wife he wants to save her he tells his lie

very well quite in the grand Senor manner but what else than a lie could it be well you know I had the Preposterous idea that it might be the truth no no the handkerchief remember the handkerchief clinches the matter oh I am not so sure about the handkerchief you remember I always told you that there were two possibilities as to the ownership of the Handkerchief all the same M book broke off the door at the end had opened and Princess dragir off entered the dining car she came straight to them and all three men Rose

to their feet she spoke to poo ignoring the others I believe missure she said that you have a handkerchief of mine poo shot a glance of Triumph at the other two is this it Madam he produced the little square of fine Cambrick that is it it has my initial in the corner but Madame La princess that is the letter H said M book your Christian name pardon me is Natalia she gave him a cold stare that is correct massure my handkerchiefs are always ined in the Russian characters H is n in Russian M book was

somewhat taken Aback there was something about this in domitable old lady which made him feel flustered and uncomfortable you did not tell us that this handkerchief was yours at the inquiry this morning you did not ask me said the princess drill pray be seated Madam said poro she sighed I may as well I suppose she sat down you need not make a long business of this Messers your next question will be how did my handkerchief come to be lying by a murdered man's body my reply to that is that I have no idea you have

really no idea none whatever you will excuse me Madam but how much can we rely upon the truthfulness of your replies poo said the words very softly princess dramov answered contemptuously I suppose you mean because I did not Tell you that Helena and dreni was Mrs Armstrong sister in fact you deliberately lied to us in the matter certainly I would do the same again her mother was my friend I believe messers in loyalty to one's friends and one's family and one's cast you do not believe in doing your utmost to First further the ends of

Justice in this case I consider that Justice strict justice has been done poo leaned forward you see my difficulty Madam in this matter of the handkerchief even am I to believe you or are you shielding your friend's daughter oh I see what you mean her face broke into a grim smile well Messer this statement of mine can be easily proved I will give you the address of the people in Paris who make my Handkerchiefs you have only to show them the one in question and they will inform you that it was made to my order

over a year ago the handkerchief is mine messers she Rose have you anything further you wish to ask me your maid Madam did she recognize this handkerchief when we showed it to her this morning she must have done so she saw it and said nothing ah well that shows that she too Can be loyal with a slight inclination of her head she passed out of the dining car so that was it murmured poro softly I noticed just a trifling hesitation when I asked the maid if she knew to whom the handkerchief belonged she was uncertain

whether or not not to admit that it was her mistress's but how does that fit in with that strange central idea of mine yes it might well be ah said M book With a characteristic gesture she is a terrible old lady that could she have murdered ratchet asked poro of the doctor he shook his head those blows the ones delivered with great force penetrating the muscle never never could anyone with so frail a physique inflict them but the feebler ones the feebler ones yes I am thinking said porro of the incident this morning when I

said to her that the strength was in her will rather Than in her arm it was in the nature of a trap that remark I wanted to see if she would look down at her right or her left arm she did neither she looked at them both but she made a strange reply she said no I have no strength in these I do not know whether to be sorry or glad a curious remark that it confirms me in my belief about the crime it did not settle the point about the Left-handedness no by the way

did you notice that count andren keeps his handkerchief in his right hand breast pocket M book shook his head his mind reverted to the astonishing Revelations of the last half hour he murmured lies and again lies it amazes me the number of Lies We had told to us this morning there are more still to discover said PUO cheerfully you think so I shall be very Much disappoint pointed if it is not so such duplicity is terrible said M book but it seems to please you he added [Music] reproachfully it has this Advantage said poro if

you confront anyone who has lied with the truth he will usually admit it often out of sheer surprise it is only necessary to guess right to produce your effect that is the only way to conduct this Case I select each passenger in turn consider his or her evidence and say to myself if so and so is lying on what point is he lying and what is the reason for the lie and I answer if he is lying if you mark it could only be for such a reason and on such a point we have done

that once very successfully with Countess [Music] andren we shall now proceed to try the same method on several other Persons and supposing my friend that your guess happens to be wrong then one person at any rate will be completely freed from suspicion ah a process of elimination exactly and whom do we tackle next we are going to tackle that Paka sahib Colonel arbouet six a second interview with colonel arbouet colonel arbouet was clearly Annoyed at being summoned to the dining car for a second interview his face wore a most forbidding expression as he sat down

and said well all my apologies for troubling you a second time said poo but there is still some information that I think you might be able to give us indeed I hardly think so to begin with you see this pipe cleaner yes is it one of Yours don't know I don't put a private mark on them you know are you aware Colonel arbet that you are the only man amongst the passengers in the stul Cal Carriage who smokes a pipe in that case it probably is one of mine do you know where it was found

not the least idea it was found by the body of the murdered man Colonel arbouet raised his eyebrows can you tell us Colonel arbouet how it is likely to Have got there if you mean did I drop it there myself no I didn't did you go into Mr ratchet's compartment at any time I never even spoke to the man you never spoke to him and you did not murder him the Colonel's eyebrows went up again sardonically if one had I should hardly be likely to acquaint you with the fact as a matter of fact one

didn't murder the fellow ah well murmured poro it is of no Consequence I beg your pardon I said that it was of no consequence oh our bunet looked taken aback he eyed warrow uneasily because you see continued the little man the pipe cleaner it is of no importance I can myself think of 11 other excellent explanations of its presence our bunet stared at him what I really wish to see you about was quite another matter went on poo Miss debenham may have told you Perhaps that I overheard some words spoken to you at the station

of Kana arbet did not reply she said not now when it's all over when it's behind us do you know to what those words referred I am sorry M poro but I must refuse to answer that question poroy the colonel said stiffly I suggest that you ask Miss debbenham herself for the meaning of those words I have done so and she refused to tell You yes then I should think it would have been perfectly plain even to you that my lips are sealed you will not give away a Lady's Secret you can put it that

way if you like Miss debbenham told me that they referred to a private matter of her own then why not accept her word for it because colonel arbouet Miss deham is what one might call a highly suspicious character nonsense said the colonel with Warmth it is not nonsense you have nothing whatever against her not the fact that Miss deham was companion govern Us in the Armstrong household at the time of the kidnapping of little Daisy Armstrong there was a minute's Dead Silence poo nodded his head gently you see he said we know more than you

think if Miss debenham is innocent why did she conceal that fact why did she tell me that she had never been in America the colonel cleared his throat aren't you possibly making a mistake I am making no mistake why did Miss deham lie to me Colonel arbouet Shrugged his shoulders you had better ask her I still think that you are wrong poo raised his voice and called one of the restaurant attendants came from the far end of the car go and ask the English Lady in Number 11 if she will be good enough to come

here bien Missure the man Departed the four men sat in silence colonel arbouet face looked as though it were carved out of wood rigid and impassive the man returned the lady is just coming missure thank you a minute or two later Mary debbenham entered the dining car seven the identity of Mary debbenham she wore no hat her head was thrown back as though in Defiance the sweep of her hair back from her face the curve of her nostril suggested the figurehead of a ship plunging gallantly into a rough sea in that moment she was beautiful

her eyes went to our bunet for a minute just a minute she said to poo you wish to see me I wish to ask you Madame Iselle why you lied to us this morning lied to you I don't know what you mean you concealed the fact that at the time of the Armstrong tragedy you Were actually living in the house you told me that you had never been in America he saw her Flinch for a moment and then recover herself yes she said that is true no madelle it was false you misunderstood me I mean

that it is true that I lied to you ah you admit it her lips curved into a smile certainly since you have found me out you are at least Frank Madame Melle there does not seem anything else for me to be well of course that is true and now madelle may I ask you the reason for these evasions I should have thought the reason leap to the i m poo it does not leap to mine madelle she said in a quiet even voice with a trace of hardness in it I have my living to get

you mean she raised her eyes and looked him full in the face how much do you know M poo of the fight to Get and keep decent employment do you think that a girl who had been detained in connection with a murder case whose name and perhaps photograph were reproduced in the English papers do you think that any nice ordinary middleclass woman would want to engage that girl as governess to her daughters I do not see why not if no blame attached to you oh blame it is not blame it is the Publicity so far

M poro I have succeeded in life one have had well-paid Pleasant posts I was not going to risk the position I had attained when no good end could have been served I will venture to suggest Madame Melle that I would have been the best judge of that not you she Shrugged her shoulders for instance you could have helped me in the matter of identification what do you mean is it possible madelle that you did not Recognize in the Countess andren Mrs Armstrong's young sister whom you taught in New York count andr any ey no she

shook her head it may seem extraordinary to you but one did not recognize her she was not grown up you see when I knew her that was over 3 years ago it is true that the Countess reminded me of someone it puzzled me but she looks so foreign I never connected her with the little American school girl I only glanced at at her casually when coming into the Restaurant car and I noticed her clothes more than her face she smiled faintly women do and then well one had my own preoccupations you will not tell me

your secret madelle Poo's voice was very gentle and persuasive she said in a low voice I can't one can't and suddenly without warning she broke down dropping her face down upon her outstretched arms and Crying as though her heart would break the colonel sprang up and stood awkwardly beside her one look here he stopped and turning round scowled fiercely at poro I'll break every bone in your damned body you dirty little whipper snapper he said mure protested M book our bunet had turned back to the girl Mary for God's sake she sprang up it's nothing

I'm all right you don't need me anymore do you m Poo if you do you must come and find me oh what an idiot what an idiot I'm making of myself she hurried out of the car AR bunet before following her turned once more more on porro Miss Deon Ham's got nothing to do with this business nothing do you hear and if she's worried and interfered with you'll have me to deal with he stro out I like to see an angry Englishman said porro they are very Amusing the more emotional they feel the less command

they have of language but M book was not interested in the emotional reactions of Englishman he was overcome by admiration of his friend man share Vu eats epitent he cried another miraculous guess it is incredible how you think of these things said Dr Constantine admiringly oh I claim no credit this time it was not a guess Countess andren I practically told me comment surely not you remember I asked her about her governance or companion I had already decided in my mind that if Mary debbenham were mixed up in the matter she must have figured in

the household in some such capacity yes but the Countess andren described a totally different person exactly a tall middle-aged woman with red hair in fact the exact opposite in Every respect of Miss deham so much so as to be quite remarkable but then she had to invent a name quickly and there it was that the unconscious Association of ideas gave her away she said Miss free body you remember yes Ean you may not know it but there is a shop in London that was called until recently debbenham and free body with the name debenham running

in her head the Countess clutches at Another name quickly and the first that comes is free body naturally I understood immediately that is yet another lie why did she do it possibly more loyalty it makes things a little difficult ma foi said M book with violence but does everybody on this train tell lies that said poo is what we are about to find out eight further surprising Revelations nothing would surprise me now said M book nothing even if everybody in the train proved to have been in the Armstrong household I should not express surprise that

is a very profound remark said poo would you like to see what your favorite suspect the Italian has to say for himself you are going to make another of these famous guesses of Yours precisely it is really a most extraordinary case said Constantine no it is most natural M book flung up his arms in comic despair if this is what you call Natural manami words failed him poo had by this time requested the dining car attendant to fetch Antonio foscarelli the big Italian had a wary look in his eye as he came In he shot

nervous glances from side to side like a trapped animal what do you want he said I have nothing more to tell you nothing do you hear pero he struck his hand on the table yes you have something more to tell us said PUO firmly the truth the truth he shot an uneasy glance at porro all the assurance and geniality had gone out of his manner may we it may Be that I know it already but it will be a point in your favor if it comes from you spontaneously you talk like the American police come

clean that is what they say come clean ah so you have had experience of the New York police No No never they could not prove a thing against me but it was not for want of trying poo said quietly that was in the Armstrong case was it not you were the chauffeur his eyes met those of the Italian the Bluster went out of the big man he was like a pricked balloon since you know why ask ask me why did you lie this morning business reasons besides I do not trust the Yugoslav police they hate

the Italians they would not have given me Justice Perhaps it is exactly Justice that they would have given you no no I Had nothing to do with this business last night I never left my Carriage the long-faced Englishman he can tell you so it was not I who killed this pig this ratchet you cannot prove anything against me PUO was writing something on a sheet of paper he looked up and said quietly very good you can go foscarelli lingered uneasily you realized that it was not I that I could have had nothing to do with

It I said said that you could go it is a conspiracy you are going to frame me all for a pig of a man who should have gone to the chair it was an infamy that he did not if it had been me if I had been arrested but it was not you you had nothing to do with the kidnapping of the child what is that you are saying why that little one she was the Delight of the house Tony she called me and she would sit in the car and pretend to hold the Wheel

all the household worshiped her even the police came to understand that ah the beautiful little one his voice had softened the tears came into his eyes then he wheeled round abruptly on his heel and stroe out of the dining car Petro called poo the dining car attendant came at a run the number 10 the Swedish lady bienen mure another cried M book ah no it is not Possible I tell you it is not possible man share we have to know even if in the end everybody on the train proves to have had a motive for

killing ratchet we have to know once we know we can settle once for all where the guilt lies my head is spinning groaned him book Greta Olsen was ushered in sympathetically by the attendant she was weeping bitterly she collapsed on the seat facing PUO and wept steadily into a Large handkerchief now do not distress yourself Madame Melle do not distress yourself poro patted her on the shoulder just a few little words of truth that is all you were the nurse who was in charge of little Daisy Armstrong it is true it is true wept The

Wretched woman ah she was an angel a little sweet trustful Angel she knew nothing but kindness and love and she was taken away by that Wicked man cruy treated and her poor mother and the other little one who never lived at all all you cannot understand you cannot know if you had been there as I was if you had seen the whole terrible tragedy I ought to have told you the truth about myself this morning but I was afraid afraid I did so Rejoice that that evil Man was dead that he could not anymore kill

or torture little children ah I cannot speak I have no words words she wept with more veh than ever poo continued to Pat her gently on the shoulder there there I comprehend I comprehend everything everything I tell you I will ask you no more questions it is enough that you have admitted what I know to be the truth I understand I tell you by now Inarticulate with sobs Greta Olsen Rose and roped her way towards the door as she reached it she collided with a man coming in it was the valet masterman he came straight

up to PUO and spoke in his usual quiet unemotional voice I hope PM not intruding sir I thought it best to come along at once sir and tell you the truth I was Colonel Armstrong's Batman in the war sir and afterwards I was his valet in New York he am afraid I concealed that Fact this morning it was very wrong of me sir and I thought I'd better come and make a clean breast of it but I hope sir that you're not suspecting Tonio in any way old Tonio sir wouldn't hurt a fly and I

can swear positively that he never left the carriage all last night so you see sir he couldn't have done it Tonio may be a foreigner sir but he's a very gentle creature not like those nasty murdering Italians one reads about he Stopped porro looked steadily at him is that all you have to say that is all sir he paused then as poo did not speak he made an apologetic little bow and after a momentary hesitation left the dining car in the same quiet unobtrusive fashion as he had come this said Dr Constantine is more wildly

improbable than any Roman policier I have ever read I agree said M book of the 12 passengers in that coach nine have been proved to have had a Connection with the Armstrong case what next I ask you or should I say who next I can almost give you the answer to your question said PUO Here Comes our American sleuth Mr Hardman is he too coming to confess before Paro could reply the American had reached their table he cocked an alert eye at them and sitting down he drawled out just exactly what's up on this train

it seems Bug House to Me poo twinkled at him are you quite sure Mr Hardman that you yourself were not the gardener at the Armstrong home they didn't have a garden replied Mr Hardman literally or the butler haven't got the fancy manners for a place like that no I never had any connection with the Armstrong house but I'm beginning to believe I'm about the only one on this train who hadn't can you beat it That's what I say can you beat it it is certainly a little surprising said PUO mildly say rigalo burst from M

book have you any ideas of your own about the crime Mr Hardman inquired porro no sir it's got me beat I don't know how to figure it out they can't all be in it but which one is the guilty part is beyond me how did you get wise to all this that's what I want to know I just Guessed then believe me you're a pretty slick guesser yes I'll tell the world you're a slick guesser Mr Hardman leaned back and looked at poo admiringly you'll excuse me he said but no one would believe it to

look at you I take off my hat to you I do indeed you are too kind M Hardman not at all I've got to hand it to you all the same said porro the Problem is not yet quite solved can we say with authority that we know who killed him ratchet count me out said Mr Hardman I'm not saying anything at all I'm just full of natural admiration what about the other two you haven't had a guess at yet the old American Dame and the ladies maid I suppose we can take it that they're the

only innocent parties on the train unless said poro smiling we can Fit them into our little collection as shall we say housekeeper and cook in the Armstrong household well nothing in the world would surprise me now said mister Hardman with quiet resignation bug house that's what this business is Bug House ah man share that would be indeed stretching coincidence a little too far said M book they cannot all be in it porro looked at him you do not Understand he said you do not understand at all tell me do you know who killed ratchet do

you countered them book poo nodded oh yes he said I have known for some time it is so clear that I wonder you have not seen it also he looked at Hardman and asked and you the detective shook his head he stared at Paro curiously I don't know he said I don't know at all Which of them was it porro was silent a minute then he said if you will be so good M Hardman assemble everyone here there are two possible solutions of this case I want to lay them both before you all nine poo

propounds two solutions the passengers came crowding into the restaurant car and took their seats round the tables they all bore more or less the same expression one of expectancy mingled with Apprehension the Swedish lady was still weeping and Mrs hubard was comforting her now you must just take a hold on yourself my dear everything's going to be perfectly all right you mustn't lose your grip on yourself if one of us is a nasty murderer we know quite well it isn't you why anyone would be crazy even to think of such a thing you sit here

and I'll stay right by you and don't you worry any her voice died away as poo stood up The wagon lit conductor was hovering in the doorway you permit that I stay mure certainly Michelle poo cleared his throat mess zimam I will speak in English since one think all of you know a little of that language we are here to investigate the death of Samuel Edward ratchet Alias cassetti there are two possible solutions of the crime I shall put them both before you And I shall ask M book and Dr Constantine here to judge which

solution is the right one now you all know the facts of the case Mr ratchet was found stabbed this morning he was last known to be alive at 12.37 last night when he spoke to the wagon lit conductor through the door a watch in his pajama pocket was found to be badly dented and it had stopped at A4 1 Dr Constantine who examined the body when found puts the time of death as Having been between midnight and 2: in the morning at half an hour after midnight as you all know the train ran into a

snowdrift after that time it was impossible for anyone to leave the Train the evidence of Mr Hardman who is a member of a New York detective agency several heads turned to look at Mr Hardman shows that no one could have passed his compartment number 16 at the extreme end without being seen by him we Are therefore forced to the conclusion that the murderer is to be found among the occupants of one particular coach the stul Cal coach that I will say was our Theory comment ejaculated M book startled but I will put before you an

alternative Theory it is very simple Mr ratchet had a certain enemy whom he feared he gave Mr Hardman a description of this enemy And told him that the attempt if made at all would most probably be made on the second night out from stul now I put it to you ladies and gentlemen that Mr ratchet knew a good deal more than he told the enemy as Mr ratchet expected joined the train at Belgrade or else at vovi by the door left open by Colonel AR bunet and Mr McQueen who had just descended to the platform

he was provided with a suit of Wagon lit uniform which he wore over his ordin AR clothes and a pass key which enabled him to gain access to Mr ratchet's compartment in spite of the doors being locked Mr ratchet was under the influence of a sleeping draft this man stabbed him with great ferocity and left the compartment through the communicating door leading to Mrs huard's compartment that's so said Mrs hubard nodding her head he Thrust the dagger he had used into Mrs hubard sponge bag in passing without knowing it he lost a button of his

uniform then he slipped out of the compartment and along the corridor he hastily thrust the uniform into a suitcase in an empty compartment and a few minutes later dressed in ordinary clothes he left the train just before it started off using the same means for egress the door near the Dining car everybody gasped what about that watch demanded Mr Hardman there you have the explanation of the whole thing Mr ratchet had omitted to put his watch back an hour as he should have done at zarabad his watch still registered Eastern European time which is 1

hour ahead of Central European Time it was A4 12 when Mr ratchet was stabbed not A4 1 But it is absurd that explanation cried M book what of the voice that spoke from the compartment at 23 minutes to 1 it was either the voice of Ratchet or else that of his murderer not necessarily it might have been well a third person one who had gone in to speak to ratchet and found him dead he rang the bell to summon the conductor then as you express it the Wind rose in him he was afraid of being

accused of the crime and he spoke pretending to be ratchet say possible admitted M book grudgingly quro looked at Mrs hubard yes Madam you were going to say well I don't quite know what I was going to say do you think I forgot to put my watch back too no Madam I think you heard the man pass through but unconscious Iously later you had a nightmare of a man being in your compartment and woke up with a start and rang for the conductor well I suppose that's possible admitted Mrs hubard princess dramov was looking at

poo with a very direct glance how do you explain the evidence of my maid mure very simply Madam your maid recognized the handkerchief I showed her as Yours she somewhat clumsily tried to Shield you she did encounter the man but earlier while the train was at vinova station she pretended to have seen him at a later hour with a confused idea of giving you a watertight Alibi the princess bowed her head you have thought of everything missure one one admire you there was a silence then everyone jumped as Dr Constantine suddenly hit the table a

blow with his Fist but no he said no no and again no that is an explanation that will not hold water it is deficient in a dozen minor points the crime was not committed so M poo must know that perfectly well porro turned a curious glance on him I see he said that I shall have to give you my second solution but do not abandon this one too abruptly you may agree with it later he turned back again to face the Others there is another possible solution of the crime this is how I arrived at

it when I had heard all the evidence I leaned back and shut my eyes and began to think certain points presented themselves to me as worthy of attention I enumerated these points to my two colleagues some I have already elucidated such as a grease spot on a passport and so on I will run over the Points that remain the first and most important is a remark made to me by m book in the restaurant car at lunch on the first day after leaving stul to the effect that the company assembled was interesting because it was

so varied representing as it did all classes and nationalities I agreed with him but when this particular Point came into my mind I tried to imagine whether such an assembly was ever likely to be collected Under any other conditions and the answer I made to myself was only in America in America there might be a household composed of just such varied nationalities an Italian chauffeur an an English governess a Swedish nurse a German ladyes maid and so on that led me to my scheme of guessing that is casting each person for a certain part in

the Armstrong drama much as a producer casts a play well that Gave me an extremely interesting and satisfactory result I had also examined in my own mind each separate person's evidence with some Curious results take first the evidence of Mister McQueen my first interview with him was entirely satisfactory but in my second he made rather a curious remark I had described to him the Finding of a note mentioning the Armstrong case he said but surely and then paused and went on I mean that was rather careless of the old man now I could feel that

that was not what he had started out to say supposing what he had meant to say was but surely that was burnt in which case McQueen knew of the note and of its destruction in other words he was either the murderer or an Accomplice of the murderer very good then the valet he said his master was in the habit of taking a sleeping Draft when traveling by train that might be true but would ratchet have taken one last night the automatic under his pillow gave the lie to that statement ratchet intended to be on the

alert last night whatever narcotic was administered to him must have been given Without his knowledge by whom obviously by McQueen or the valet now we come to the evidence of Mr Hardman I believed all that he told me about his own identity but when it came to the actual methods he had employed to guard Mr ratchet his story was neither more nor less than absurd the only way to have protected ratchet effectively was to pass the night actually in his compartment or in Some spot where he could watch the door the one thing that his

evidence did show plainly was that no one in any other part of the train could possibly have murdered ratchet it drew a clear Circle round the stul Cala Carriage that's seemed to me a rather curious and inexplicable fact and I put it aside to think over you probably all know by now of the few words I overheard between Miss debbenham and Colonel Arbouet the interesting thing to my mind was the fact that Colonel arbouet called her Mary and was clearly on terms of intimacy with her but the colonel was supposed to have met her only

a few days previously and I know Englishman of the the Colonel's type even if he had fallen in love with the young lady at First Sight he would have advanced slowly and with decorum not rushing things therefore I concluded that Colonel AR bunet and Miss deham were in Reality well acquainted and were for some reason pretending to be strangers another small point was Miss Deon Ham's easy familiarity with the term long distance for a telephone call yet miss debenham had told me that she had never been in the states to pass to another witness Mrs

Hubbert had told us that lying in bed she had been unable to see whether the communicating door was bolted or not and so had asked Miss Olsen to see for her now though her statement would have been perfectly true if she had been occupying compartment number two for 12 or any even number in which the bolt is directly under the handle of the door in the UN even numbers such as compartment number three the bolt is well above the handle and could not therefore be masked by the sponge bag in the least I was forced

to the conclusion that Mrs hubard was inventing an Incident that had never occurred and here let me say just a word or two about times to my mind the really interesting point about the dented watch is the place where it was found in ratchet's pajama pocket a sing singularly uncomfortable and unlikely place to keep one's watch especially as there is a watch hook provided just by the head of the bed I felt sure therefore that the watch had been deliberately placed in The pocket faked the crime then was not committed at A4 1 was it

then committed earlier to be exact at 23 minutes to 1 my friend M book Advanced as an argument in favor of it the loud cry which awoke me from sleep but if ratchet had been heavily drugged he could not have cried out if he had been capable of crying out he would have been capable of making some kind of struggle to defend himself and there were no signs of any such Struggle I remembered that McQueen had called attention not once but twice and the second time in a very blatant manner to the fact that ratchet

could speak no French I came to the conclusion that the whole business at 23 minutes to one was a comedy played for my benefit anyone might see through the watch business it is a common enough device in detective [Music] stories they assumed that I should see Through it and that pluming myself on my own cleverness I would go on to assume that since ratchet spoke no French the voice I heard at 23 minutes to one could not have have been his and that ratchet must have been already dead but I am convinced that at 23

minutes to one ratchet was still lying in his drugged sleep but the device has succeeded one have opened my door and looked out I have actually heard the French phrase Used if 1 a so unbelievably dense as not to realize the significance of that phrase it must be brought to my attention if necessary McQueen can come right out in the [Music] open he can say excuse me m poro that can't have been Mr ratchet speaking he couldn't speak French now what was the real time of the crime and who killed him in my opinion and

this is only an opinion ratchet was Killed at sometime very close upon 2:00 the latest hour the doctor gives us as possible as to who killed him he paused looking at his audience he could not complain of any lack of attention every eye was fixed upon him in the Stillness you could have heard a pin drop he went on slowly I was particularly struck by the extraordinary Difficulty of proving a case against any one person on the train and by the rather curious coincidence that in each case the test testimony giving an alibi came from

what I might describe as an unlikely person thus Mr McQueen and Colonel AR bunet provided aliis for each other two persons between whom it seemed most unlikely there should have been any prior acquaintanceship the same thing happened With the English valet and the Italian and with the Swedish lady and the English girl I said to myself this is extraordinary they cannot all be in it and then messers I saw light they were all in it for so many people connected with the Armstrong case to be traveling by the same train through coincidence was not only

unlikely it was impossible it must be not chance but Design I remembered a remark of Colonel AR bunet about trial by jury a jury is composed of 12 people there were 12 passengers ratchet was stabbed 12 times and the thing that had worried me all along the extraordinary crowd traveling in the stul Cal coach at a slack time of year this was explained ratchet had escaped Justice in America there was no question as to his guilt I visualized a self-appointed jury Of 12 people who had condemned him to death and who by the exigencies of

the case had themselves been forced to be his executioners and immediately on that assumption the whole case fell into beautiful shining order I saw it as a perfect Mosaic each person playing his or her allotted part it was so arranged that if suspicion should fall on any one person the evidence of one or more of the others Would clear the accused person and confuse the issue hardman's evidence was necessary in case some Outsider should be suspected of the crime and be unable to prove an alibi the passengers in the stul carriage were in no danger

every minute detail of their evidence was worked out beforehand the whole thing was a very cleverly planned jigsaw puzzle so arranged that every fresh piece of Knowledge that came to light made the solution of the whole more difficult as my friend M book remarked the case seemed fantastically impossible that was exactly the impression intended to be conveyed did this solution explain everything yes it did the nature of the wounds each inflicted by a different person the artificial threatening letters artificial since they were unreal written only to be produced as Evidence doubtless there were real letters

warning ratchet of his fate which McQueen destroyed substituting for them these others then hardman's story of being called in by ratchet a lie of course from beginning to end the description of the mythical small dark man with a womanish voice a convenient description since it had the Merit of not incriminating any of the actual wagon lit conductors and would apply equally Well to a man or a woman the idea of stabbing is at first sight a curious one but on reflection nothing else would fit the circumstances so well a dagger was a weapon that could

be used by everyone strong or weak and it made no noise I fancy though I may be wrong that each person in turn entered ratchet's darken compartment through that of M hubber and struck they themselves would never know which blow actually killed him the final Letter which ratchet had probably found on his pillow was carefully burnt with no clue pointing to the Armstrong case there would be absolutely no reason for suspecting any of the passengers on the train it would be put down as an outside job and the small dark man with the womanish voice

would actually have been seen by one or more of the passengers leaving the train at Broad I do not know exactly what happened and The conspirators discovered that this part of their plan was impossible owing to the accident to the train there was I imagine a hasty consultation and then they decided to go through with it it was true that now one and all of the passengers were bound to come under suspicion but that possibility had already been foreseen and provided for the only additional thing to be done was to confuse the issue even [Music]

further two so-called Clues were dropped in the Dead Man's compartment one incriminating Colonel arbouet who had the strongest Alibi and whose connection with the Armstrong family was probably the hardest to prove and the second clue the handkerchief incriminating Princess dragir off who by virtue of her social position her particularly frail physique and The Alibi given her by her maid and the conductor was practically in an Unassailable position further to confuse the issue a red herring was drawn across the trail the mythical woman in the red kimono again I am to Bear witness to This Woman's

existence there is a heavy bang at my door I get up and look out and see the Scarlet kimono disappearing in the distance a judicious selection of people the conductor Miss debbenham and McQueen will also Have seen her it was one think someone with a sense of humor who thoughtfully placed the Scarlet kimono on the top of my suitcase whilst I was interviewing people in the dining car where the Garment came from in the first place I do not know one suspected is the property of CEST andren since her luggage contained only a chiffon negl

so elaborate as to be rather a tea gown than a dressing gown when McQueen first learned that the letter which had been So carefully burnt had in part escaped destruction and that the word Armstrong was exactly the word remaining he must at once have communicated his news to the others it was at this minute that the position of ctis andren became acute and her husband immediately took steps to alter the passport it was their second piece of bad luck they W and all agreed to deny utterly any connection with the Armstrong family they knew I

had no immediate means of finding out the truth and they did not believe that I should go into the matter unless my suspicions were aroused against one particular person now there was one further point to consider allowing that my theory of the crime was the correct one and I believe that it must be the correct one then obviously L the wagon lit conductor Himself must be privy to the plot but if so that gave us 13 persons not 12 instead of the usual formula of so many people one is guilty I was faced with the

problem that of 13 persons one and one only was innocent which was that person I came to a very odd conclusion I came to the conclusion that the person who had taken no part in the crime was the person who would be considered the most likely to do so I Refer to ctis andren I was impressed by the earnestness of her husband when he swore to me solemnly on his honor that his wife never left her compartment that night I decided that count andren I took so to speak his wife's place if so then Pierre

Michelle was definitely one of the 12 but how could one explain his complicity he was a decent man who had been many Years in the employ of the company not the kind of man who could be bribed to assist in a crime then Pierre Michelle must be involved in the Armstrong case but that seemed very improbable then I remembered that the dead Nursery maid had been French supposing that that unfortunate girl had been Pierre Michelle's daughter that would explain everything it would also explain the place chosen for the staging of the crime were there Any

others whose part in the drama was not clear Colonel arbouet I put down as a friend of the Armstrongs they had probably been through the war together the maid Hildegard Schmidt I could guess her place in the Armstrong household I am perhaps overg greedy but I sense a good cook instinctively I laid a trap for her she fell into it I said I knew she was a good cook she answered yes indeed all my Ladies have said so but if you are employed as a ladyes made your employer seldom have a chance of learning whether

or not you are a good cook then there was Hardman he seemed quite definitely not to belong to the Armstrong household I could only imagine that he had been in love with the French girl I spoke to him of the charm of foreign women and again I obtained the reaction one was looking For sudden tears came into his eyes which he pretended were dazzled by the snow there remains Mrs hubard now Mrs hubard let me say played the most important part in the drama by occupying the compartment communicating with that of ratchet she was more

open to suspicion than anyone else in the nature of things she could not have an alibi to fall back upon to play the part she played the Perfectly Natural slightly ridiculous American fond mother an artist was needed but there was an artist connected with the Armstrong family Mrs Armstrong's mother Linda Arden the actress he stopped then in a soft rich dreamy voice quite unlike the one she had used throughout the journey Mrs Hubbert said I always fancied myself in comedy Parts she went on still dreamily that slip about the sponge bag was Silly it shows

that you should always rehearse property we tried it on the way out I was in an even number compartment then I suppose I never thought of the bolts being in different places she shifted her position a little and looked straight at porro you know all about it m porro you're a very wonderful man but even you can't quite imagine what it was like that awful day in New York I was Just crazy with grief so were the servants and colonel arbouet was there too he was John Armstrong's best friend he saved my life in in

the war said our bunet we decided then and there perhaps we were mad I don't know that the sentence of death that cassetti had escaped had got to be carried out there were 12 of us or rather 11 suzan's father was over in France of course first we thought we'd draw Lots as to who should do it but in the end we Decided on this way it was the chauffeur Antonio who suggested it Mary worked out all the details later with Hector McQueen he'd always adored Sonia my daughter and it was he who explained to

us exactly how cassetti's money had managed to get him off it took a long time to perfect our plan we had first to track ratchet down Hardman managed that in the end then we had to try and get masterman and Hector into his employment or at any Rate one of them well we managed that then we had a consultation with Suzanne's father colonel arbouet was very keen on having 12 of us he seemed to think it made it more in order he didn't like the stabbing idea much but he agreed that it did solve most

of our difficulties well Suzanne's father was willing Suzanne had been his only child we knew from Hector that ratchet would be coming back from the East Sooner or Later by the Orient Express with Pierre Michelle actually working on that train the chance was too good to be missed besides it would be a good way of not incriminating any Outsiders my daughter's husband had to know of course and he insisted on coming on the train with her Hector wangled it so that ratchet selected the right day for traveling when Michelle would be on duty we meant

to engage every carriage In the stul Cala coach but unfortunately there was one Carriage we couldn't get it had been reserved long beforehand for a director of the company Mr Harris of course was a myth but it would have been awkward to have any stranger in Hector's compartment and then at the last minute you came she stopped well she said you know everything now M Poro what are you going to do about it if it must all come out can't you lay the blame upon me and me only I would have stabbed that man 12

times willingly it wasn't only that he was responsible for my daughter's death and her child and that of the other child who might have been alive and happy now it was more than that there had been other children kidnapped before Daisy and there might be others in the future Society had condemned him we were Only carrying out the sentence but it's unnecessary to bring all these others into it all these good faithful souls and poor Michelle and Mary and Colonel AR bunet they love each other her voice was wonderful echoing through the crowded space that

deep emotional heart stirring voice that had thrilled Many a New York audience porro looked at his friend you are a director of the company mbook he said what do you say m book Cleared his throat in my opinion M porro he said the first Theory you put forward was the correct one decidedly so I suggest that that is the solution we offer to the Yugoslavian police when they arrive you agree doctor certainly I agree said Dr Constantine as regards the medical evidence I think that I made one or two fantastic suggestions then said PUO having

placed My solution before you I have the honor to retire from the case for