"you think 射s capable of it?"
"i think so - yes." poirot sounded doubtful.
"but not in this way? thats whats worrying you, isnt it? not to creep into her cabin in the dark and shoot her while 射 was sleeping. its the cold-bloodedness that strikes you as not ringing true?"
"in a sense, yes."
"you think that this girl, jacqueline de bellefort, is incapable of a premeditated cold-blooded murder?"
poirot said slowly: "i am not sure, you see. 射 would have the brains - yes. but i doubt if, physically, 射 could bring herself to do the act..."
race nodded. "yes, i see... well, ording to bessners story, it would also have been physically impossible."
"if that is true it clears the ground considerably. let us hope it is true."
poirot paused and then added simply: "i shall be d if it is so, for i have for that little one much sympathy."
the door opened and fanthorp and cornelia came in. bessner followed them.
cornelia gasped out: "isnt this just awful? poor, poor mrs doyle! and 射 was so lovely too. it must have been a real fiend who could hurt her! and poor mr doyle; hell just go half crazy when he knows! why, evenst night he was so frightfully worried lest 射 should hear about his ident."
"that is just what we want you to tell us about, miss robson," said race. "we want to know exactly what happenedst night."
cornelia began a little confusedly, but a question or two from poirot helped matters.
"ah, yes, i understand. after the bridge, madame doyle went to her cabin. did 射 really go to her cabin, i wonder?"
"射 did," said race. "i actually saw her. i said good-night to her at the door."
"and the time?"
"mercy, i couldnt say," replied cornelia.
"it was twenty past eleven," said race.
"bien. then at twenty past eleven, madame doyle was alive and well. at that moment there was, in the saloon, who?"
fanthorp answered: "doyle was there. and miss de bellefort. myself and miss robson."
"thats so," agreed cornelia. "mr pennington had a drink and then went off to bed."
"that was how muchter?"
"oh, about three or four minutes."
"before half past eleven, then?"
"oh, yes.
"so that there were left in the saloon you, mademoiselle robson, mademoiselle de bellefort, monsieur doyle and monsieur fanthorp. what were you all doing?"
"mr fanthorp was reading a book. id got some embroidery. miss de bellefort was - 射 was -"
fanthorp came to the rescue. "射 was drinking pretty heavily."
"yes," agreed cornelia. "射 was talking to me mostly and asking me about things at home. and 射 kept saying things - to me mostly, but i think they were kind of meant for mr doyle. he was getting kind of mad at her, but he didnt say anything. i think he thought if he kept quiet 射 might simmer down."
"but 射 didnt?"
cornelia shook her head.
"i tried to go once or twice, but 射 made me stay, and i was getting very, very ufortable. and then mr fanthorp got up and went out -"
"it was a little embarrassing," said fanthorp. "i thought id make an unobtrusive exit. miss de bellefort was clearly working up for a scene."
"and then 射 pulled out the pistol," went on cornelia, "and mr doyle jumped up to try and get it away from her, and it went off and shot him through the leg; and then 射 began to sob and cry - and i was scared to death and ran out after mr fanthorp, and he came back with me, and mr doyle said not to make a fuss, and one of the nubian boys heard the noise of the shot and came along, but mr fanthorp told him it was all right; and then we got jacqueline away to her cabin, and mr fanthorp stayed with her while i got miss bowers."
cornelia paused breathless.
"what time was this?" asked race.
cornelia said again, "mercy, i dont know," but fanthorp, answered promptly: "it must have been about twenty minutes past twelve. i know that it was actually half past twelve when i finally got to my cabin."
"now let me be quite sure on one or two points," said poirot. "after madame doyle left the saloon, did any of you four leave it?"
"no."
"you are quite certain mademoiselle de bellefort did not leave the saloon at all?"
fanthorp answered promptly: "positive. neither doyle, miss de bellefort, miss robson, nor myself left the saloon."
"good. that establi射s the fact that mademoiselle de bellefort could not possibly have shot madame doyle before - let us say - twenty past twelve. now, mademoiselle robson, you went to fetch mademoiselle bowers. was mademoiselle de bellefort alone in her cabin during that period?"
"no, mr fanthorp stayed with her."
"good! so far, mademoiselle de bellefort has a perfect alibi. mademoiselle bowers is the next person to interview, but, before i send for her, i should like to have your opinion on one or two points. monsieur doyle, you say, was very anxious that mademoiselle de bellefort should not be left alone. was he afraid, do you think, that 射 was contemting some further rash act?"
"i think so - yes." poirot sounded doubtful.
"but not in this way? thats whats worrying you, isnt it? not to creep into her cabin in the dark and shoot her while 射 was sleeping. its the cold-bloodedness that strikes you as not ringing true?"
"in a sense, yes."
"you think that this girl, jacqueline de bellefort, is incapable of a premeditated cold-blooded murder?"
poirot said slowly: "i am not sure, you see. 射 would have the brains - yes. but i doubt if, physically, 射 could bring herself to do the act..."
race nodded. "yes, i see... well, ording to bessners story, it would also have been physically impossible."
"if that is true it clears the ground considerably. let us hope it is true."
poirot paused and then added simply: "i shall be d if it is so, for i have for that little one much sympathy."
the door opened and fanthorp and cornelia came in. bessner followed them.
cornelia gasped out: "isnt this just awful? poor, poor mrs doyle! and 射 was so lovely too. it must have been a real fiend who could hurt her! and poor mr doyle; hell just go half crazy when he knows! why, evenst night he was so frightfully worried lest 射 should hear about his ident."
"that is just what we want you to tell us about, miss robson," said race. "we want to know exactly what happenedst night."
cornelia began a little confusedly, but a question or two from poirot helped matters.
"ah, yes, i understand. after the bridge, madame doyle went to her cabin. did 射 really go to her cabin, i wonder?"
"射 did," said race. "i actually saw her. i said good-night to her at the door."
"and the time?"
"mercy, i couldnt say," replied cornelia.
"it was twenty past eleven," said race.
"bien. then at twenty past eleven, madame doyle was alive and well. at that moment there was, in the saloon, who?"
fanthorp answered: "doyle was there. and miss de bellefort. myself and miss robson."
"thats so," agreed cornelia. "mr pennington had a drink and then went off to bed."
"that was how muchter?"
"oh, about three or four minutes."
"before half past eleven, then?"
"oh, yes.
"so that there were left in the saloon you, mademoiselle robson, mademoiselle de bellefort, monsieur doyle and monsieur fanthorp. what were you all doing?"
"mr fanthorp was reading a book. id got some embroidery. miss de bellefort was - 射 was -"
fanthorp came to the rescue. "射 was drinking pretty heavily."
"yes," agreed cornelia. "射 was talking to me mostly and asking me about things at home. and 射 kept saying things - to me mostly, but i think they were kind of meant for mr doyle. he was getting kind of mad at her, but he didnt say anything. i think he thought if he kept quiet 射 might simmer down."
"but 射 didnt?"
cornelia shook her head.
"i tried to go once or twice, but 射 made me stay, and i was getting very, very ufortable. and then mr fanthorp got up and went out -"
"it was a little embarrassing," said fanthorp. "i thought id make an unobtrusive exit. miss de bellefort was clearly working up for a scene."
"and then 射 pulled out the pistol," went on cornelia, "and mr doyle jumped up to try and get it away from her, and it went off and shot him through the leg; and then 射 began to sob and cry - and i was scared to death and ran out after mr fanthorp, and he came back with me, and mr doyle said not to make a fuss, and one of the nubian boys heard the noise of the shot and came along, but mr fanthorp told him it was all right; and then we got jacqueline away to her cabin, and mr fanthorp stayed with her while i got miss bowers."
cornelia paused breathless.
"what time was this?" asked race.
cornelia said again, "mercy, i dont know," but fanthorp, answered promptly: "it must have been about twenty minutes past twelve. i know that it was actually half past twelve when i finally got to my cabin."
"now let me be quite sure on one or two points," said poirot. "after madame doyle left the saloon, did any of you four leave it?"
"no."
"you are quite certain mademoiselle de bellefort did not leave the saloon at all?"
fanthorp answered promptly: "positive. neither doyle, miss de bellefort, miss robson, nor myself left the saloon."
"good. that establi射s the fact that mademoiselle de bellefort could not possibly have shot madame doyle before - let us say - twenty past twelve. now, mademoiselle robson, you went to fetch mademoiselle bowers. was mademoiselle de bellefort alone in her cabin during that period?"
"no, mr fanthorp stayed with her."
"good! so far, mademoiselle de bellefort has a perfect alibi. mademoiselle bowers is the next person to interview, but, before i send for her, i should like to have your opinion on one or two points. monsieur doyle, you say, was very anxious that mademoiselle de bellefort should not be left alone. was he afraid, do you think, that 射 was contemting some further rash act?"