蓝色特快上的秘密-蓝色列车之谜-蓝色列车(英文版)-第47部分

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Poirot　came　to　them　in　a　moment　or　two；　full　of　abject　apologies　and　clearly　so　crestfallen　that　harsh　words　would　have　been　superfluous。　

Van　Aldin　received　his　apologies　gravely；　but　managed　to　restrain　himself　from　making　acid　ments。　

They　had　dinner　on　the　train；　and　afterwards；　somewhat　to　the　surprise　of　the　other　two；　Poirot　suggested　that　they　should　all　three　sit　up　in　Van　Aldin's　partment。　

The　millionaire　looked　at　him　curiously。　

〃Is　there　anything　that　you　are　keeping　back　from　us；　Monsieur　Poirot？〃　

〃I？〃　Poirot　opened　his　eyes　in　innocent　surprise。　〃But　what　an　idea。〃　

Van　Aldin　did　not　answer；　but　he　was　not　satisfied。　The　conductor　was　told　that　he　need　not　make　up　the　beds。　Any　surprise　he　might　have　felt　was　obliterated　by　the　largeness　of　the　tip　which　Van　Aldin　handed　to　him。　The　three　men　sat　in　silence。　Poirot　fidgeted　and　seemed　restless。　Presently　he　turned　to　the　secretary。　

〃Major　Knighton；　is　the　door　of　your　partment　bolted？　The　door　into　the　corridor；　I　mean。〃　

〃Yes；　I　bolted　it　myself　just　now。〃　

〃Are　you　sure？〃　said　Poirot。　

〃I　will　go　and　make　sure；　if　you　like；〃　said　Knighton　smiling。　

〃No；　no；　do　not　derange　yourself。　I　will　see　for　myself。〃　

He　passed　through　the　connecting　door　and　returned　in　a　second　or　two；　nodding　his　head。　

〃Yes；　yes；　it　is　as　you　said。　You　must　pardon　an　old　man's　fussy　ways。〃　

He　closed　the　connecting　door　and　resumed　his　place　in　the　right…hand　corner。　

The　hours　passed。　The　three　men　dozed　fitfully；　waking　with　unfortable　starts。　

Probably　never　before　had　three　people　booked　berths　on　the　most　luxurious　train　available；　then　declined　to　avail　themselves　of　the　acmodation　they　had　paid　for。　

Every　now　and　then　Poirot　glanced　at　his　watch；　and　then　nodded　his　head　and　posed　himself　to　slumber　once　more。　On　one　occasion　he　rose　from　his　seat　and　opened　the　connecting　door；　peered　sharply　into　the　adjoining　partment；　and　then　returned　to　his　seat；　shaking　his　head。　

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　whispered　Knighton。　〃You　are　expecting　something　to　happen；　aren't　you？〃　

〃I　have　the　nerves；〃　confessed　Poirot。　〃I　am　like　the　cat　upon　the　hot　tiles。　Every　little　noise　it　makes　me　jump。〃　

Knighton　yawned。　

〃Of　all　the　darned　unfortable　journeys；〃　he　murmured。　〃I　suppose　you　know　what　you　are　playing　at；　Monsieur　Poirot。〃　

He　posed　himself　to　sleep　as　best　he　could。　Both　he　and　Van　Aldin　had　succumbed　to　slumber；　when　Poirot；　glancing　for　the　fourteenth　time　at　his　watch；　leant　across　and　tapped　the　millionaire　on　the　shoulder。　

〃Eh？　What　is　it？〃　

〃In　five　or　ten　minutes；　Monsieur；　we　shall　arrive　at　Lyons。〃　

〃My　God！〃　Van　Aldin's　face　looked　white　and　haggard　in　the　dim　light。　〃Then　it　must　have　been　about　this　time　that　poor　Ruth　was　killed。〃　

He　sat　staring　straight　in　front　of　him。　His　lips　twitched　a　little；　his　mind　reverting　back　to　the　terrible　tragedy　that　had　saddened　his　life。　

There　was　the　usual　long　screaming　sigh　of　the　brake；　and　the　train　slackened　speed　and　drew　into　Lyons。　Van　Aldin　let　down　the　window　and　leant　out。　

〃If　it　wasn't　Derek　…　if　your　new　theory　is　correct；　it　is　here　that　the　man　left　the　train？〃　he　asked　over　his　shoulder。　

Rather　to　his　surprise　Poirot　shook　his　head。　

〃No；〃　he　said　thoughtfully；　〃no　man　left　the　train；　but　I　think　…　yes；　I　think；　a　woman　may　have　done　so。〃　

Knighton　gave　a　gasp。　

〃A　woman？〃　demanded　Van　Aldin　sharply。　

〃Yes；　a　woman；〃　said　Poirot；　nodding　his　head。　〃You　may　not　remember；　Monsieur　Van　Aldin；　but　Miss　Grey　in　her　evidence　mentioned　that　a　youth　in　a　cap　and　overcoat　descended　on　to　the　platform　ostensibly　to　stretch　his　legs。　Me；　I　think　that　that　youth　was　most　probably　a　woman。〃　

〃But　who　was　she？〃　

Van　Aldin's　face　expressed　incredulity；　but　Poirot　replied　seriously　and　categorically。　

〃Her　name　…　or　the　name　under　which　she　was　known；　for　many　years　…　is　Kitty　Kidd；　but　you；　Monsieur　Van　Aldin；　knew　her　by　another　name　…　that　of　Ada　Mason。〃　

Knighton　sprang　to　his　feet。　

〃What？〃　he　cried。　

Poirot　swung　round　to　him。　

〃Ah！　…　before　I　forget　it。〃　He　whipped　something　from　a　pocket　and　held　it　out。　

〃Permit　me　to　offer　you　a　cigarette　…　out　of　your　own　cigarette…case。　It　was　careless　of　you　to　drop　it　when　you　boarded　the　train　on　the　ceinture　at　Paris。〃　

Knighton　stood　staring　at　him　as　though　stupefied。　Then　he　made　a　movement；　but　Poirot　flung　up　his　hand　in　a　warning　gesture。　

〃No；　don't　move；〃　he　said　in　a　silky　voice；　〃the　door　into　the　next　partment　is　open；　and　you　are　being　covered　from　there　this　minute。　I　unbolted　the　door　into　the　corridor　when　we　left　Paris；　and　our　friends　the　police　were　told　to　take　their　places　there。　As　I　expect　you　know；　the　French　police　want　you　rather　urgently；　Major　Knighton　…　or　shall　we　say　…　Monsieur　le　Marquis？〃

Chapter　35　

EXPLANATIONS

〃Explanations？〃　

Poirot　smiled。　He　was　sitting　opposite　the　millionaire　at　a　luncheon　table　in　the　latter's　private　suite　at　the　Negresco。　Facing　him　was　a　relieved　but　very　puzzled　man。　Poirot　leant　back　in　his　chair；　lit　one　of　his　tiny　cigarettes；　and　stared　reflectively　at　the　ceiling。　

〃Yes；　I　will　give　you　explanations。　It　began　with　the　one　point　that　puzzled　me。　You　know　what　that　point　was？　The　disfigured　face。　It　is　not　an　unmon　thing　to　find　when　investigating　a　crime　and　it　rouses　an　immediate　question；　the　question　of　identity。　That　naturally　was　the　first　thing　that　occurred　to　me。　Was　the　dead　woman　really　Mrs　Kettering？　But　that　line　led　me　nowhere；　for　Miss　Grey's　evidence　was　positive　and　very　reliable；　so　I　put　that　idea　aside。　The　dead　woman　was　Ruth　Kettering。〃　

〃When　did　you　first　begin　to　suspect　the　maid？〃　

〃Not　for　some　time；　but　one　peculiar　little　point　drew　my　attention　to　her。　The　cigarette…case　found　in　the　railway　carriage　and　which　she　told　us　was　one　which　Mrs　Kettering　had　given　to　her　husband。　Now　that　was；　on　the　face　of　it；　most　improbable；　seeing　the　terms　that　they　were　on。　It　awakened　a　doubt　in　my　mind　as　to　the　general　veracity　of　Ada　Mason's　statements。　There　was　the　rather　suspicious　fact　to　be　taken　into　consideration；　that　she　had　only　been　with　her　mistress　for　two　months。　Certainly　it　did　not　seem　as　if　she　could　have　had　anything　to　do　with　the　crime　since　she　had　been　left　behind　in　Paris　and　Mrs　Kettering　had　been　seen　alive　by　several　people　afterwards；　but　…〃　

Poirot　leant　forward。　He　raised　an　emphatic　forefinger　and　wagged　it　with　intense　emphasis　at　Van　Aldin。　

〃But　I　am　a　good　detective。　I　suspect。　There　is　nobody　and　nothing　that　I　do　not　suspect。　I　believe　nothing　that　I　am　told。　I　say　to　myself：　how　do　we　know　that　Ada　Mason　was　left　behind　in　Paris？　And　at　first　the　anspletely　satisfactory。　There　was　the　evidence　of　your　secretary；　Major　Knighton；　a　plete　outsider　whose　testimony　might　be　supposed　to　be　entirely　impartial；　and　there　was　the　dead　woman's　own　words　to　the　conductor　on　the　train。　But　I　put　the　latter　point　aside　for　the　moment；　because　a　very　curious　idea　…　an　idea　perhaps　fantastic　and　impossible　…　was　growing　up　in　my　mind。　If　by　any　outside　chance　it　happened　to　be　true；　that　particular　piece　of　testimony　was　worthless。　

〃I　concentrated　on　the　chief　stumbling…block　to　my　theory。　Major　Knighton's　statement　that　he　saw　Ada　Mason　at　the　Ritz　after　the　Blue　Train　had　left　Paris。　That　seemed　conclusive　enough；　but　yet；　on　examining　the　facts　carefully；　I　noted　two　things。　First；　that　by　a　curious　coincidence　he；　too；　had　been　exactly　two　months　in　your　service。　Secondly；　his　initial　letter　was　the　same　…　'K。'　Supposing　…　just　supposing　…　that　it　was　his　cigarette　case　which　had　been　found　in　the　carriage。　Then；　if　Ada　Mason　and　he　were　working　together；　and　she　recognized　it　when　we　showed　it　to　her；　would　she　not　act　precisely　as　she　had　done？　At　first；　taken　aback；　she　quickly　evolved　a　plausible　theory　that　would　agree　with　Mr　Kettering's　guilt。　Bien　entendu；　that　was　not　the　original　idea。　The　te　de　la　Roche　was　to　be　the　scapegoat；　though　Ada　Mason　would　not　make　her　recognition　of　him　too　certain；　in　case　he　should　be　able　to　prove　an　alibi。　Now；　if　you　will　cast　your　mind　back　to　that　time；　you　will　remember　a　s