"you heard a kind of ssh? near at hand?"
fanthorp shook his head.
"really, i couldnt say. i was half asleep."
"and what time would that be?"
"it might have been about one oclock. i cant really say."
"thank you, monsieur fanthorp. that is all."
poirot turned his attention to cornelia.
"and now, mademoiselle robson? your full name?"
"cornelia ruth. and my address is the red house, bellfield, connecticut."
"what brought you to egypt?"
"cousin marie, miss van schuyler, brought me along on a trip."
"had you ever met madame doyle previous to this journey?"
"no, never."
"and what did you dost night?"
"i went right to bed after helping dr bessner with mr doyles leg."
"your cabin is -?"
"forty-three on the port side - right next door to miss de bellefort."
"and did you hear anything?"
cornelia shook her head.
"i didnt hear a thing."
"no ssh?"
"no, but then i wouldnt, because the boats against the bank on my side."
poirot nodded.
"thank you, mademoiselle robson. now perhaps you will be so kind as to ask mademoiselle bowers toe here."
fanthorp and cornelia went out.
"that seems clear enough," said race. "unless three independent witnesses are lying, jacqueline de bellefort couldnt have got hold of the pistol. but somebody did. and somebody overheard the scene. and somebody was bold enough to write a big j on the wall."
there was a tap on the door and miss bowers entered. the hospital nurse sat down in her usualposed, efficient manner. in answer to poirot 射 gave her name, address, and qualifications, adding, "ive been looking after miss van schuyler for over two years now."
"is mademoiselle van schuylers health very bad?"
"why, no, i wouldnt say that," replied miss bowers. "射s not very young, and 射s nervous about herself, and 射 likes to have a nurse around handy. theres nothing serious the matter with her. 射 just likes plenty of attention, and 射s willing to pay for it."
poirot noddedprehendingly. then he said, "i understand that mademoiselle robson fetched youst night?"
"why, yes, thats so."
"will you tell me exactly what happened?"
"well, miss robson just gave me a brief outline of what had urred, and i came along with her. i found miss de bellefort in a very excited, hysterical condition."
"did 射 utter any threats against madame doyle?"
"no, nothing of that kind. 射 was in a condition of morbid self-reproach. 射d taken a good deal of alcohol, i should say, and 射 was suffering from reaction. i didnt think 射 ought to be left. i gave her a shot of morphia and sat up with her."
"now, mademoiselle bowers, i want you to answer this. did mademoiselle de bellefort leave her cabin at all?"
"no, 射 did not."
"and you yourself?"
"i stayed with her until early this morning."
"you are quite sure of that."
"absolutely sure."
"thank you, mademoiselle bowers."
the nurse went out. the two men looked at each other.
jacqueline de bellefort was definitely cleared of the crime. who then had shot li doyle?
插pter 13
race said: "someone pinched the pistol. it wasnt jacqueline de bellefort. someone knew enough to feel that his crime would be attributed to her. but that someone did not know that a hospital nurse was going to give her morphia and sit up with her all night. add one thing more. someone had already attempted to kill li doyle by rolling a boulder over the cliff; that someone was not jacqueline de bellefort. who was it?"
poirot said: "it will be simpler to say who it could not have been. neither monsieur doyle, madame allerton, monsieur tim allerton, mademoiselle van schuyler nor mademoiselle bowers could have had anything to do with it. they were all within my sight."
"hm," said race; "that leaves rather arge field. what about motive?"
"that is where i hope monsieur doyle may be able to help us. there have been several incidents -"
the door opened and jacqueline de bellefort entered. 射 was very pale and 射 stumbled a little as 射 walked.
"i didnt do it," 射 said. her voice was that of a frightened child. "i didnt do it. oh, please believe me. everyone will think i did it - but i didnt - i didnt. its - its awful. i wish it hadnt happened. i might have killed simonst night; i was mad, i think. but i didnt do the other..."
射 sat down and burst into tears.
poirot patted her on the shoulder.
"there, there. we know that you did not kill madame doyle. it is proved - yes, proved, mon enfant. it was not you."
jackie sat up suddenly, her wet handkerchief sped in her hand.
"but who did?"
"that," said poirot, "is just the question we are asking ourselves. you cannot help us there, my child?"
fanthorp shook his head.
"really, i couldnt say. i was half asleep."
"and what time would that be?"
"it might have been about one oclock. i cant really say."
"thank you, monsieur fanthorp. that is all."
poirot turned his attention to cornelia.
"and now, mademoiselle robson? your full name?"
"cornelia ruth. and my address is the red house, bellfield, connecticut."
"what brought you to egypt?"
"cousin marie, miss van schuyler, brought me along on a trip."
"had you ever met madame doyle previous to this journey?"
"no, never."
"and what did you dost night?"
"i went right to bed after helping dr bessner with mr doyles leg."
"your cabin is -?"
"forty-three on the port side - right next door to miss de bellefort."
"and did you hear anything?"
cornelia shook her head.
"i didnt hear a thing."
"no ssh?"
"no, but then i wouldnt, because the boats against the bank on my side."
poirot nodded.
"thank you, mademoiselle robson. now perhaps you will be so kind as to ask mademoiselle bowers toe here."
fanthorp and cornelia went out.
"that seems clear enough," said race. "unless three independent witnesses are lying, jacqueline de bellefort couldnt have got hold of the pistol. but somebody did. and somebody overheard the scene. and somebody was bold enough to write a big j on the wall."
there was a tap on the door and miss bowers entered. the hospital nurse sat down in her usualposed, efficient manner. in answer to poirot 射 gave her name, address, and qualifications, adding, "ive been looking after miss van schuyler for over two years now."
"is mademoiselle van schuylers health very bad?"
"why, no, i wouldnt say that," replied miss bowers. "射s not very young, and 射s nervous about herself, and 射 likes to have a nurse around handy. theres nothing serious the matter with her. 射 just likes plenty of attention, and 射s willing to pay for it."
poirot noddedprehendingly. then he said, "i understand that mademoiselle robson fetched youst night?"
"why, yes, thats so."
"will you tell me exactly what happened?"
"well, miss robson just gave me a brief outline of what had urred, and i came along with her. i found miss de bellefort in a very excited, hysterical condition."
"did 射 utter any threats against madame doyle?"
"no, nothing of that kind. 射 was in a condition of morbid self-reproach. 射d taken a good deal of alcohol, i should say, and 射 was suffering from reaction. i didnt think 射 ought to be left. i gave her a shot of morphia and sat up with her."
"now, mademoiselle bowers, i want you to answer this. did mademoiselle de bellefort leave her cabin at all?"
"no, 射 did not."
"and you yourself?"
"i stayed with her until early this morning."
"you are quite sure of that."
"absolutely sure."
"thank you, mademoiselle bowers."
the nurse went out. the two men looked at each other.
jacqueline de bellefort was definitely cleared of the crime. who then had shot li doyle?
插pter 13
race said: "someone pinched the pistol. it wasnt jacqueline de bellefort. someone knew enough to feel that his crime would be attributed to her. but that someone did not know that a hospital nurse was going to give her morphia and sit up with her all night. add one thing more. someone had already attempted to kill li doyle by rolling a boulder over the cliff; that someone was not jacqueline de bellefort. who was it?"
poirot said: "it will be simpler to say who it could not have been. neither monsieur doyle, madame allerton, monsieur tim allerton, mademoiselle van schuyler nor mademoiselle bowers could have had anything to do with it. they were all within my sight."
"hm," said race; "that leaves rather arge field. what about motive?"
"that is where i hope monsieur doyle may be able to help us. there have been several incidents -"
the door opened and jacqueline de bellefort entered. 射 was very pale and 射 stumbled a little as 射 walked.
"i didnt do it," 射 said. her voice was that of a frightened child. "i didnt do it. oh, please believe me. everyone will think i did it - but i didnt - i didnt. its - its awful. i wish it hadnt happened. i might have killed simonst night; i was mad, i think. but i didnt do the other..."
射 sat down and burst into tears.
poirot patted her on the shoulder.
"there, there. we know that you did not kill madame doyle. it is proved - yes, proved, mon enfant. it was not you."
jackie sat up suddenly, her wet handkerchief sped in her hand.
"but who did?"
"that," said poirot, "is just the question we are asking ourselves. you cannot help us there, my child?"