Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Warning

"I still think so," said Poirot. "We are good friends, and we can talk to each other about everything." There was a low serious tone in his voice, which Caterina had never heard from him. They are sitting in a park in Monte Carlo.Ms. Templin captured Knighton again, and Knighton was moved again after reminiscing about the past. It seemed that Knighton would become her new love again.She and the young man disappeared on a small avenue in the park. "Of course, we're friends," Caterina said. "Do you remember when you told me that there are detective novels in real life?"

"What? Did I miss the point? You have become the central character of this novel." She gave Poirot a keen eye.She seems to have received an invisible warning from Poirot's words, telling her that she is facing a danger, which she has not yet been aware of. "Why do you say that I have become the central character of this novel? I have nothing to do with this case." "Can you say: 'I have nothing to do with this or that person?'" "My dear friend, what do you mean? I see that you seem to be hinting at me, but I have no genius for riddles. Please tell me all that is in your heart."

Poirot looked at her hesitantly. "My God, what an English temper!" he whispered. "You islanders only have black and white in your heart. But life is completely different. Some things in life may not have shown up, but they have seen their shadows." He wiped his forehead vigorously with a handkerchief, and said slowly: "I believe that what I said seems a little mysterious. Let's get back to the facts. For example, please tell me, do you like Major Knighton?" "I like him very much," said Caterina enthusiastically. "He's charming." Poirot sighed.

"What's the matter with you?" Caterina asked. "Your answer was so heartfelt and enthusiastic," said Poirot. "If you just half-heartedly say, 'Well, he's fine,' then I'm a little happier." Caterina did not answer.She felt a little uncomfortable.Poirot continued romantically: "However, who knows what will happen. Women have many tricks to hide their feelings, and loyalty may be one of them." He sighed again. "I don't understand at all..." Caterina stared at him stupidly. Her words were interrupted. "I am an old man, now here and now there. Sometimes, but not often, I meet someone whose happiness and fate are always in my heart. We are friends, you just said , we are friends. Therefore, I very much wish you happiness."

Caterina stared into the distance.She used the tip of her umbrella to draw the shape of her feet on the ground. "I've asked you a question about Major Knighton. I'll ask you something now. Do you like Mr. Derek Kettering?" "I don't know him yet." "That's not an answer." "I think I like him." He looks at Caterina.There was hardly anything detectable in her voice.Poirot nodded slowly. "Perhaps you are right. I am an old man who has experienced many vicissitudes, and I have summed up a lesson: a good man can also be ruined by the love of a bad woman. The reverse is also true. A bad man can also be ruined by the love of a good woman Save me."

Caterina looked at him in bewilderment. "How do you understand the word 'destroy'?" "I understand it from the meaning of the word itself, if a person is a criminal, then he should be a complete criminal." "You want to warn me about something," said Caterina. "I can't see what's in your heart. Of course, you can completely disbelieve what I say. I just want to tell you that some men have an invisible attraction for women." "For example, Earl Roger." Caterina said with a smile. "There are other men who are more dangerous than the count. These men have the characteristics that work well for women: courage, ruthlessness, and adventurous spirit. You may not feel it now, but you are actually under the influence of a man. and……"

"what?" He stood up and looked at Caterina.Then said in a low voice, but very clearly: "You may love a thief, but never a murderer!" When Caterina looked up at Poirot, he was no longer there. Derek came out of the club, saw Katerina sitting alone in a chair, and leaned over to her. "I took a gamble." He smiled and said relaxedly. "Of course I didn't win again. I lost all my money, of course I mean the money I had with me." Caterina glanced at him.His excitement was a little unusual.She just felt that way, and of course she didn't notice the change in Derek's heart.She said thoughtfully:

"Yes, I think you are a natural gambler, a gambler who has taken it to his heart." "You may be quite right! Don't you see that there is a great, indescribable power in gambling? Everything depends on one card—the rest is nothing!" She had always seen herself as a cold and unenthusiastic person, and now she felt that she was resonating with the psychology of a gambler. "I want to speak to you," went on Kettering, "who knows when I'll have another chance. People are whispering that I killed my wife. No, please don't interrupt." My words. Of course, these arguments are meaningless." He paused for a moment and then continued in a decisive tone. "In front of the police, of course I have to put on a serious face. In front of you, I don't have to perform that comedy. At the beginning, I thought this way, marrying for money. With this idea, I first Met Ruth. She was like a gentle and lovely Madonna. Of course, I tried to show my superiority. But after a while, hope was shattered. My wife loved me while marrying me. She never took a liking to me. But alas, I don't complain about myself, it's a real deal. She married me for my future title of nobility, and I married her for her Rich. If Ruth didn't have American blood in her veins, everything would be fine. I'm like air to her, but she wants me to pretend to be a suave gentleman all the time. She More and more brazenly threatening in front of me that I was bought by her and that I belong to her. What she did caused me to do some bad things tit for tat. Of course my father-in-law told you all this , he was absolutely right. Before Ruth died, I was almost on the verge of breaking down." He laughed. "Yes, anyone who takes on Rufus von Alding will be crushed."

"What about the future?" Katerina asked in a low voice. Derek shrugged. "Then Ruth was murdered. She died just in time." He laughed again.Caterina cringed in terror as his laughter tore her heart. "No fun, so to speak, is it?" Derek went on. "But it's true. I'm going to confess to you now. From the moment we first met, I knew that you were the only woman I was looking for. I'm a little scared in your presence. I'm afraid of bringing you To be unlucky." "Unlucky?" "Why do you always speak in that tone?" "I'm thinking about what someone said to me today."

Derek chuckled. "People tell a lot about me, and some of it is true. I've been a gambler all my life, and I don't just mean a gambler at the poker table. I don't try to make myself better. But, I can tell you I swear, I didn't kill my wife!" His words sounded serious, but there was also a bit of drama in them.Caterina's eyes rested on his face.He found this out.continued: "Of course, I lied. I was in my wife's box." He paused for a moment. "You will understand that I was stalking my wife. I hid in the carriage during the journey. Miret told me that my wife might be dating the Count in Paris. It seems that this did not happen. I was There was a sense of shame, and suddenly I had an idea to open up with my wife. So I opened the door and went into her box."

"What did you see?" Caterina asked nervously. "Ruth was asleep. Her face was turned to the wall, and of course I could wake her. But all of a sudden, my desire to talk to her disappeared, or the courage to talk to her. Was it between us?" Is there anything else to talk about? We have talked about those things more than a hundred times. She lay there peacefully. I left the box as gently as I came in." "Why don't you tell the police what you really want?" "Because I am not crazy. I knew from the very beginning that the suspicion of murder must fall on me. If I admit to having been in my wife's box, and it was not long before she was murdered, I would be tantamount to putting The knife was placed on his own neck." "I know." But did she really understand?She didn't know it herself.She felt that Derek had a magnet-like attraction to her, but there was another force deep in her heart that was pulling her back. ... "You know, I love you, Caterina! And what about you? Tell me, it doesn't matter to me." "I... I don't know." She looked around, as if calling for help.At this time, a tall, thin young man with a limp walked towards her, and her cheeks flushed immediately.It was Major Knighton who came. She greeted Knighton lightly and cheerfully, with a warmth in her affection which she herself was not aware of. Derek stood up.Knighton's face was dark, but his voice was sharp. "Ms. Templin was trying to take her chances at the table," he said, "and I'll stick with it to the end. I'm impeccable in my game, at least: almost impeccable." Derek turned and left, leaving her and Knighton.Caterina quickly regained her composure.Just now, her heart was still beating so uneasy, but now, when she saw this peaceful and timid man sitting beside her, she felt that she could control her emotions again. As Knighton approached, it became clearer to her: Knighton's inner workings were easier to show, while Derek showed his inner workings in another way.Knighton stammered: "From the moment I saw you, I, I... I didn't want to say it. But, you know that Mr. von Alding may leave at any time, and at that time, he may never have the opportunity to be with you again. Talked. I know, you can't feel anything from me yet—it's impossible. I'm a little too much. I've only got a little fortune—not much—no, please don't answer me, I know what your answer is. I just wanted to say that I might get out of here soon, and I just wanted to let you know, know, that I love you." His incoherent speech did not disturb her peace of mind.His demeanor is still so gentle, so cute. "One more confession to you. If you need help, I'm here for you." He took Caterina's hand and held it for a long time.Then he let her go and walked quickly to the casino without looking back. Caterina sat there quietly.Derek Kettering and Richard Knighton, two different people, two completely different men.Knighton seemed genial, loyal, and trustworthy, while Derek was the opposite... At this moment, Katerina suddenly had a strange feeling, like a hallucination.It seemed to her that she was not sitting alone on the chair in the casino park, but there seemed to be a person standing beside her, this person looked like a dead person... It was Ruth Kettering, she seemed to have a strong desire , wanted to tell Caterina something.This strange feeling was so strong and vivid that Caterina could not shake it off.It must have been the spirit of Ruth Kettering, she felt, trying to tell Caterina a message that meant life or death to Caterina.The illusion slowly faded away.Caterina stood up.She trembled a little.Ruth Kettering must have something to say to her.What is she going to say?