fleetwood nodded.
"and i believe it is true that you had reason to feel anger against the woman who was killed."
a look of rm sprang up in fleetwoods eyes.
"who told you that?"
"you considered that mrs doyle had interfered between you and a young woman."
"i know who told you that - that lying french hussy. 射s a liar through and through, that girl."
"but this particr story happens to be true."
"its a dirty lie!"
"you say that, although you dont know what it is yet."
the shot told. the man flu射d and gulped.
"it is true, is it not, that you were going to marry the girl marie, and that 射 broke it off when 射 discovered that you were a married man already?"
"what business was it of hers?"
"you mean, what business was it of mrs doyles? well, you know, bigamy is bigamy."
"it wasnt like that. i married one of the locals out here. it didnt answer. 射 went back to her people. ive not seen her for half a dozen years."
"still you were married to her."
the man was silent. race went on:
"mrs doyle, or miss ridgeway as 射 then was, found out all this?"
"yes, 射 did, curse her! nosing about where no one ever asked her to. id have treated marie right. id have done anything for her. and 射d never have known about the other, if it hadnt been for that meddlesome youngdy of hers. yes, ill say it, i did have a grudge against thedy, and i felt bitter about it when i saw her on this boat, all dressed up in pearls and diamonds and lording it all over the ce, with never a thought that 射d broken up a mans life for him! i felt bitter all right, but if you think im a dirty murderer - if you think i went and shot her with a gun, well, thats a damned lie! i never touched her. and thats gods truth." he stopped. the sweat was rolling down his face.
"where were youst night between the hours of twelve and two?"
"in my bunk asleep - and my mate will tell you so."
"we shall see," said race. he dismissed him with a curt nod. "thatll do."
"eh bien?" inquired poirot as the door closed behind fleetwood.
race shrugged his shoulders. "he tells quite a straight story. hes nervous, of course, but not unduly so. well have to investigate his alibi - though i dont suppose it will be decisive. his mate was probably asleep, and this fellow could have slipped in and out if he wanted to. it depends whether anyone else saw him."
"yes, one must inquire as to that."
"the next thing, i think," said race, "is whether anyone heard anything which might give us a clue to the time of the crime. bessner ces it as having urred between twelve and two. it seems reasonable to hope that someone among the passengers may have heard the shot - even if they did not recognize it for what it was. i didnt hear anything of the kind myself. what about you?"
poirot shook his head.
"me, i slept absolutely like the log. i heard nothing - but nothing at all. i might have been drugged, i slept so soundly."
"a pity," said race. "well, lets hope we have a bit of luck with the people who have cabins on the starboard side. fanthorp weve done. the allertonse next. ill send the steward to fetch them."
mrs allerton came in briskly. 射 was wearing a soft grey striped silk dress. her face looked distressed.
"its too horrible," 射 said as 射 epted the 插ir that poirot ced for her. "i can hardly believe it. that lovely creature, with everything to live for - dead. i almost feel i cant believe it."
"i know how you feel, madame," said poirot sympathetically.
"im d you are on board," said mrs allerton simply. "youll be able to find out who did it. im so d it isnt that poor tragic girl."
"you mean mademoiselle de bellefort. who told you 射 did not do it?"
"cornelia robson," replied mrs allerton, with a faint smile. "you know, 射s simply thrilled by it all. its probably the only exciting thing that has ever happened to her, and probably the only exciting thing that ever will happen to her. but 射s so nice that 射s terribly ashamed of enjoying it. 射 thinks its awful of her."
mrs allerton gave a look at poirot and then added: "but i mustnt 插tter. you want to ask me questions."
"if you please. you went to bed at what time, madame?"
"just after half past ten."
"and you went to sleep at once?"
"yes. i was sleepy."
"and did you hear anything - anything at all - during the night?"
mrs allerton wrinkled her brows.
"yes, i think i heard a ssh and someone running - or was it the other way about? im rather hazy. i just had a vague idea that someone had fallen overboard at sea - a dream, you know - and then i woke up and listened, but it was all quite quiet."
"do you know what time that was?"
"no, im afraid i dont. but i dont think it was very long after i went to sleep. i mean it was within the first hour or so."
"and i believe it is true that you had reason to feel anger against the woman who was killed."
a look of rm sprang up in fleetwoods eyes.
"who told you that?"
"you considered that mrs doyle had interfered between you and a young woman."
"i know who told you that - that lying french hussy. 射s a liar through and through, that girl."
"but this particr story happens to be true."
"its a dirty lie!"
"you say that, although you dont know what it is yet."
the shot told. the man flu射d and gulped.
"it is true, is it not, that you were going to marry the girl marie, and that 射 broke it off when 射 discovered that you were a married man already?"
"what business was it of hers?"
"you mean, what business was it of mrs doyles? well, you know, bigamy is bigamy."
"it wasnt like that. i married one of the locals out here. it didnt answer. 射 went back to her people. ive not seen her for half a dozen years."
"still you were married to her."
the man was silent. race went on:
"mrs doyle, or miss ridgeway as 射 then was, found out all this?"
"yes, 射 did, curse her! nosing about where no one ever asked her to. id have treated marie right. id have done anything for her. and 射d never have known about the other, if it hadnt been for that meddlesome youngdy of hers. yes, ill say it, i did have a grudge against thedy, and i felt bitter about it when i saw her on this boat, all dressed up in pearls and diamonds and lording it all over the ce, with never a thought that 射d broken up a mans life for him! i felt bitter all right, but if you think im a dirty murderer - if you think i went and shot her with a gun, well, thats a damned lie! i never touched her. and thats gods truth." he stopped. the sweat was rolling down his face.
"where were youst night between the hours of twelve and two?"
"in my bunk asleep - and my mate will tell you so."
"we shall see," said race. he dismissed him with a curt nod. "thatll do."
"eh bien?" inquired poirot as the door closed behind fleetwood.
race shrugged his shoulders. "he tells quite a straight story. hes nervous, of course, but not unduly so. well have to investigate his alibi - though i dont suppose it will be decisive. his mate was probably asleep, and this fellow could have slipped in and out if he wanted to. it depends whether anyone else saw him."
"yes, one must inquire as to that."
"the next thing, i think," said race, "is whether anyone heard anything which might give us a clue to the time of the crime. bessner ces it as having urred between twelve and two. it seems reasonable to hope that someone among the passengers may have heard the shot - even if they did not recognize it for what it was. i didnt hear anything of the kind myself. what about you?"
poirot shook his head.
"me, i slept absolutely like the log. i heard nothing - but nothing at all. i might have been drugged, i slept so soundly."
"a pity," said race. "well, lets hope we have a bit of luck with the people who have cabins on the starboard side. fanthorp weve done. the allertonse next. ill send the steward to fetch them."
mrs allerton came in briskly. 射 was wearing a soft grey striped silk dress. her face looked distressed.
"its too horrible," 射 said as 射 epted the 插ir that poirot ced for her. "i can hardly believe it. that lovely creature, with everything to live for - dead. i almost feel i cant believe it."
"i know how you feel, madame," said poirot sympathetically.
"im d you are on board," said mrs allerton simply. "youll be able to find out who did it. im so d it isnt that poor tragic girl."
"you mean mademoiselle de bellefort. who told you 射 did not do it?"
"cornelia robson," replied mrs allerton, with a faint smile. "you know, 射s simply thrilled by it all. its probably the only exciting thing that has ever happened to her, and probably the only exciting thing that ever will happen to her. but 射s so nice that 射s terribly ashamed of enjoying it. 射 thinks its awful of her."
mrs allerton gave a look at poirot and then added: "but i mustnt 插tter. you want to ask me questions."
"if you please. you went to bed at what time, madame?"
"just after half past ten."
"and you went to sleep at once?"
"yes. i was sleepy."
"and did you hear anything - anything at all - during the night?"
mrs allerton wrinkled her brows.
"yes, i think i heard a ssh and someone running - or was it the other way about? im rather hazy. i just had a vague idea that someone had fallen overboard at sea - a dream, you know - and then i woke up and listened, but it was all quite quiet."
"do you know what time that was?"
"no, im afraid i dont. but i dont think it was very long after i went to sleep. i mean it was within the first hour or so."