"the only thing i was d about was that i hadnt got to do it. i simply couldnt have! not go along in cold blood and kill her when 射 was asleep! you see, i hadnt forgiven her - i think i could have killed her face to face, but not the other way...
"we worked everything out carefully. even then, simon went and wrote a j in blood, which was a silly melodramatic thing to do. its just the sort of thing he would think of! but it went off all right."
poirot nodded.
"yes. it was not your fault that louise bourget could not sleep that night... and afterward, mademoiselle?"
射 met his eyes squarely.
"yes," 射 said, "its rather horrible, isnt it? i cant believe that i did that! i know now what you meant by opening your heart to evil... you know pretty well how it happened. louise made it clear to simon that 射 knew. simon got you to bring me to him. as soon as we were alone together he told me what had happened. he told me what id got to do. i wasnt even horrified. i was so afraid - so deadly afraid... thats what murder does to you. simon and i were safe - quite safe - except for this miserable ckmailing french girl. i took her all the money we could get hold of. i pretended to grovel. and then, when 射 was counting the money, i - did it! it was quite easy. thats whats so horribly, horribly frightening about it... its so terribly easy...
"and even then we werent safe. mrs otterbourne had seen me. 射 came triumphantly along the deck looking for you and colonel race. id no time to think. i just acted like a sh. it was almost exciting. i knew it was touch or go that time. that seemed to make it better..."
射 stopped again.
"do you remember when you came into my cabin afterward? you said you were not sure why you hade. i was so miserable - so terrified. i thought simon was going to die..."
"and i - was hoping it," said poirot.
jacqueline nodded.
"yes, it would have been better for him that way."
"that was not my thought."
jacqueline looked at the sternness of his face.
射 said gently: "dont mind so much for me, monsieur poirot. after all, ive lived hard always, you know. if wed won out, id have been very happy and enjoyed things and probably should never have regretted anything. as it is - well, one goes through with it."
射 added: "i suppose the stewardess is in attendance to see i dont hang myself or swallow a miraculous capsule of prussic acid as people always do in books. you neednt be afraid! i shant do that. it will be easier for simon if im standing by."
poirot got up. jacqueline rose also. 射 said with a sudden smile: "do you remember when i said i must follow my star? you said it might be a false star. and i said, that very bad star, that star fall down."
he went out onto the deck with herughter ringing in his ears.
插pter 30
it was early dawn when they came into 射llвl. the rocks came down grimly to the waters edge.
poirot murmured, "quel pays sauvage!"
race stood beside him. "well," he said, "weve done our job. ive arranged for richetti to be taken ashore first. d weve got him, hes been a slippery customer, i can tell you. given us the slip dozens of times."
he went on: "we must get hold of a stretcher for doyle. remarkable how he went to pieces."
"not really," said poirot. "that boyish type of criminal is usually intensely vain. once prick the bubble of their self-esteem and it is fini射d! they go to pieces like children."
"deserves to be hanged," said race. "hes a cold-blooded scoundrel. im sorry for the girl - but theres nothing to be done about it."
poirot shook his head.
"people say love justifies everything, but that is not true. women who care for men as jacqueline cares for simon doyle are very dangerous. it is what i said when i saw her first. 射 cares too much, that little one! it is true."
cornelia robson came up beside him.
"oh," 射 said, "were nearly in."
射 paused a minute or two then added, "ive been with her."
"with mademoiselle de bellefort?"
"yes. i felt it was kind of awful for her boxed up with that stewardess. cousin maries very angry though, im afraid."
miss van schuyler was progressing slowly down the deck toward them. her eyes were venomous.
"cornelia," 射 snapped, "youve behaved outrageously. i shall send you straight home."
cornelia took a deep breath. "im sorry, cousin marie, but im not going home. im going to get married."
"so youve seen sense atst," snapped the olddy.
ferguson came striding round the corner of the deck. he said: "cornelia, whats this i hear? its not true!"
"its quite true," said cornelia. "im going to marry dr bessner. he asked mest night."
"and why are you going to marry him?" asked ferguson furiously. "simply because hes rich."
"no, im not," said cornelia indignantly. "i like him. hes kind, and he knows a lot. and ive always been interested in sick folks and clinics, and i shall have just a wonderful life with him."
"we worked everything out carefully. even then, simon went and wrote a j in blood, which was a silly melodramatic thing to do. its just the sort of thing he would think of! but it went off all right."
poirot nodded.
"yes. it was not your fault that louise bourget could not sleep that night... and afterward, mademoiselle?"
射 met his eyes squarely.
"yes," 射 said, "its rather horrible, isnt it? i cant believe that i did that! i know now what you meant by opening your heart to evil... you know pretty well how it happened. louise made it clear to simon that 射 knew. simon got you to bring me to him. as soon as we were alone together he told me what had happened. he told me what id got to do. i wasnt even horrified. i was so afraid - so deadly afraid... thats what murder does to you. simon and i were safe - quite safe - except for this miserable ckmailing french girl. i took her all the money we could get hold of. i pretended to grovel. and then, when 射 was counting the money, i - did it! it was quite easy. thats whats so horribly, horribly frightening about it... its so terribly easy...
"and even then we werent safe. mrs otterbourne had seen me. 射 came triumphantly along the deck looking for you and colonel race. id no time to think. i just acted like a sh. it was almost exciting. i knew it was touch or go that time. that seemed to make it better..."
射 stopped again.
"do you remember when you came into my cabin afterward? you said you were not sure why you hade. i was so miserable - so terrified. i thought simon was going to die..."
"and i - was hoping it," said poirot.
jacqueline nodded.
"yes, it would have been better for him that way."
"that was not my thought."
jacqueline looked at the sternness of his face.
射 said gently: "dont mind so much for me, monsieur poirot. after all, ive lived hard always, you know. if wed won out, id have been very happy and enjoyed things and probably should never have regretted anything. as it is - well, one goes through with it."
射 added: "i suppose the stewardess is in attendance to see i dont hang myself or swallow a miraculous capsule of prussic acid as people always do in books. you neednt be afraid! i shant do that. it will be easier for simon if im standing by."
poirot got up. jacqueline rose also. 射 said with a sudden smile: "do you remember when i said i must follow my star? you said it might be a false star. and i said, that very bad star, that star fall down."
he went out onto the deck with herughter ringing in his ears.
插pter 30
it was early dawn when they came into 射llвl. the rocks came down grimly to the waters edge.
poirot murmured, "quel pays sauvage!"
race stood beside him. "well," he said, "weve done our job. ive arranged for richetti to be taken ashore first. d weve got him, hes been a slippery customer, i can tell you. given us the slip dozens of times."
he went on: "we must get hold of a stretcher for doyle. remarkable how he went to pieces."
"not really," said poirot. "that boyish type of criminal is usually intensely vain. once prick the bubble of their self-esteem and it is fini射d! they go to pieces like children."
"deserves to be hanged," said race. "hes a cold-blooded scoundrel. im sorry for the girl - but theres nothing to be done about it."
poirot shook his head.
"people say love justifies everything, but that is not true. women who care for men as jacqueline cares for simon doyle are very dangerous. it is what i said when i saw her first. 射 cares too much, that little one! it is true."
cornelia robson came up beside him.
"oh," 射 said, "were nearly in."
射 paused a minute or two then added, "ive been with her."
"with mademoiselle de bellefort?"
"yes. i felt it was kind of awful for her boxed up with that stewardess. cousin maries very angry though, im afraid."
miss van schuyler was progressing slowly down the deck toward them. her eyes were venomous.
"cornelia," 射 snapped, "youve behaved outrageously. i shall send you straight home."
cornelia took a deep breath. "im sorry, cousin marie, but im not going home. im going to get married."
"so youve seen sense atst," snapped the olddy.
ferguson came striding round the corner of the deck. he said: "cornelia, whats this i hear? its not true!"
"its quite true," said cornelia. "im going to marry dr bessner. he asked mest night."
"and why are you going to marry him?" asked ferguson furiously. "simply because hes rich."
"no, im not," said cornelia indignantly. "i like him. hes kind, and he knows a lot. and ive always been interested in sick folks and clinics, and i shall have just a wonderful life with him."