Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Poirot's Explanation

"Explanation?" Poirot smiled.At this time, he was having lunch with von Alding at the Negrescu restaurant.From von Alding's expression, one can see that he is both relaxed and curious.Poirot sat comfortably in the armchair, lit a thin cigar, and stared blankly at the ceiling. "Explanation?" he repeated. "I would like to explain. You know what is the first thing that makes me rack my brains? It's the deformed face! In such crimes, the instinctive Opinion counts a lot. Of course the first thought comes up: Was the dead really Mrs. Kettering? But this clue is of little value, since Miss Grey's statement is positive and absolutely credible. Therefore, this There is no idea. Yes, the dead is Ruth Kettering."

"When did you first become suspicious of maids?" "Just a little while ago, a trivial incident came to my attention. It was a cigarette case found in a railway compartment. According to her, it was probably Derek's gift to his wife. That, I think. It's not possible at all. They've separated long ago! Then I had a little doubt about Masson's reliability. And then some more: she'd only been working with Mrs. Kettering for two months. Of course, I wasn't sure at the time that she had anything to do with the crime, because she was left behind in Paris, and Mrs. Kettering was seen alive after she stayed. But..."

Poirot straightened up, pointed his index finger to the sky, and continued with a rich expression: "But I have been a detective for many years. I doubt everyone and everything. I don't believe what people tell me. I ask myself: How could we possibly know that Ida Masson was left in Paris? The preliminary answer to this question satisfies me. This is the conversation of your secretary, who, though he is a complete outsider, is completely reliable. Apart from that In addition, your daughter also spoke to the flight attendant herself, which further confirmed this point. The last point, which I didn't pay much attention to at the time, I had a very good idea. This idea may be purely subjective, and it is unlikely to meet the Actually. However, if this idea is true, then their argument is meaningless. I concentrated on analyzing the situation that the "Blue Express" had just left when Major Knighton met Masson at the Ritz Hotel in Paris. Paris. Therefore, my little idea went bankrupt. But after careful observation, I got two more inspirations. First, Major Knighton came to work with you only two months ago; Second, I found the cigarette case with the same initials as his name. I temporarily made a hypothesis. If a person is good at hypothesizing, then he can see everything. Suppose the cigarette case belongs to Knighton. If This assumption is true. If he and Masson worked together, shouldn't she have the same expression on her face when we showed her the cigarette case? Of course they both tried to put Roger in the first place. The Earl as a scapegoat. Please recall that when I asked Masson whether it was possible that the man she had seen was Mr. Derek Kettering, she hesitated at first; Called me and said she recalled again and was convinced that the gentleman she saw was Derek Kettering. I'd expected her to do this, and to me it was just a confession .After I left your hotel, she met with someone for consultation. With whom? With Major Knighton! Now that leaves one trifle, which may or may not mean much. In In an unintentional conversation, he mentioned a case of gem theft in a country house in York State. Of course, the above statement may be purely accidental, but it may also be a link that I want to prove."

"But, Poirot, there is one thing I don't understand. Perhaps my understanding is too poor, otherwise, I should have realized it long ago. Who is the man who got on the bus in Paris? Derek Kettering or Roger count?" "The answer is astonishingly simple: there is no such a man. You see, the plot is quite a scheming one, isn't it? On whose account do we think there is such a man? Of course, according to Ma. Why do we always believe in Masson's statement? It is because Knighton has proved that Masson was left in Paris." "But Ruth herself told the stewardess that she left the maid in Paris," interrupted von Arden.

"I was just trying to make the point. Of course, we've heard Lady Kettering say something like that; but it wasn't really her word, a dead man can't talk. As for the conductor's statement, that's quite another matter." .” "Is the flight attendant lying?" "Absolutely not! He himself thinks what he's telling the truth. But the woman who spoke to him, who said she had left her maid in Paris, was not Madame Kettering." Von Alden looked at him in bewilderment. "Lady Ruth Kettering was dead when the train arrived at Gare de Lyon in Paris. It was Ida Masson who bought a dinner box in hostess clothes and said the crucial words to the conductor."

"It's unbelievable!" "No, no, Herr von Alding. It's not impossible. Women today resemble each other mostly because of the same clothes and less because of the same shape of the face. Ida Masson is the same size as your daughter." Pretty much. Wearing such an expensive fur coat and that red lacquered cap that covers half of the face, one can only see a lock or two of blond curls from the side, which is easy to be sloppy. Haven't spoken to Ms. Kettering, maybe seen a maid once or twice, and all he has left in his memory is a serious-eyed maid dressed in black. Unless there's someone extremely intelligent, it's impossible Found out that the hostess looks so much like the maid. Please don't forget that Ida Masson's real name is Kitty Kidd, an actress, so she changes her voice. No, no, the flight attendant put There is no danger of being recognized by a maid pretending to be the master. What if he later recognizes that the body is not the lady who spoke to him the night before? That is why they disfigure the dead. To the gang The only danger a criminal can pose is Mademoiselle Caterina Grey. This danger could arise if Mademoiselle Grey, after the train leaves Paris, visits her again in the ladies' box. For this reason, the criminal She thought of a trick, she bought a lunch box and locked the box so she couldn't get out."

"Who the hell killed my poor Ruth? When did it happen?" "The crime was conspired by two men. Knighton did a deal for you in Paris that day. He was hiding in a corner near the ring railway in the suburbs of Paris, because the train travels slowly on the ring railway, sometimes He had to stop, and he took the opportunity to jump on the train. Lady Kaitlyn was surprised by Knighton's presence, but she would not suspect that he had other ideas. He might use some excuse to make her look out of the window Go, and then he put the rope around her neck from behind, and in an hour or two it was over. The door was locked, the body was carried into the next compartment, and Knighton jumped off the train with the jewelry box. As the death is believed to have occurred around twelve o'clock at night, he was perfectly safe. His account and the alleged conversation Ms Kettering had with the flight attendant created an infallible 'alibi' for his crime .”

"At Gare de Lyon in Paris, Ida Masson returned to the box after buying her lunch box, changed into the hostess's clothes as quickly as possible, and put on two strands of golden curly hair that she had prepared on her temples. Then the flight attendant To make the bed, she told the well-known story that she had left her maid in Paris. All the while she was making the bed, she had been leaning on the glass and looking out of the window, with her back turned to the corridor, to the people who came and went there. Travellers, this is a very important precaution. For among those who go about, there may be Miss Gray; alive."

"Please go on," said von Arden in great astonishment. "As soon as the train arrived in Lyon, Ida Masson put the hostess's body into a sleeping position at night, stripped off the deceased's clothes, and put them carefully on the bed, then she herself changed into a men's suit and was ready to go to bed. car. When Derek Kettering entered his wife's box, he thought his wife was sleeping, but Masson hid in the next box and waited for an opportunity to get off. At the Gare de Lyon, she pretended to be A traveler went out to get some fresh air. When no one was looking, she hurried to another platform and boarded a train that was about to leave for Paris at Ritz. Her name had been given by Knighton the day before. One of his girlfriends checked in at the Ritz. She arrived at the Ritz without much trouble. Of course the jewelry was not in her possession. Knighton took it quietly to Niza. Delivered the goods to Pat The matter of Popolus, of course, had been discussed long ago. He passed it on through Ida Masson. On the whole, the conspiracy was well done. Only the Marquis is an expert in such operations. It is well deserved!"

"You believe Knighton is a criminal?" Poirot nodded. "This gentleman is deliberately acting as if he possessed the most valuable qualities of honesty, loveliness, and modesty. Because of this, you have been deceived, Herr von Alding, and although you have only known him for two days, you have put him in the wrong place." Accepted as secretary." "He never said at the time that it was a job he wanted," exclaimed the millionaire. "He is a cunning, far-sighted man who can fool you for a long time, and who is probably as good at relations as you are. Herr von Alding."

"I've also looked into his history, and everyone attests to him being a good guy." "Of course it did. Richard Knighton lived in ease and happiness. His bravery and devotion to duty in war seemed justifiable. When I began to analyze the material of the mysterious Marquess, I found something consistent with his Knighton spoke French as well as a real Frenchman, and spent exactly as much time in America, France, and England as the Marquis's 'working time'. Finally, it was talked about The great jewel theft in Switzerland, and it was there that you, sir, met Major Knighton, and it was at that time that some insider broke the news that you were going to buy the precious stone." "But why kill?" muttered von Alding to himself. "If it's a case of superb theft, it's absolutely possible to steal the gems without risking murder." Poirot shook his head. "This is not the first time the Marquis has committed a murder. He is a bloodthirsty murderer. In addition, for the sake of safety, he does not want to leave evidence, and the dead cannot speak." "The Marquis has an irresistible taste for precious and historic gems. When he got into your secretary's position, he had already plotted to kill your daughter. The gems must go to Ruth Kettering, that's all." He knows it all too well. Also, it's in his nature to try to save some distance on the long and arduous road. So he's hired a couple of rogue thugs to try and raid you on the night you bought the gem The plan fell through, but the Marquis was not surprised or disappointed by it. No one doubted that Knighton had done it. Like all great men (and the Marquis, it should be said, was a great man of his type), they Everyone has their own weaknesses. He was really fascinated by Miss Grey, and when he found out that she liked Derek Kettering a little bit, he couldn't help but instinctively tried to blame Derek. This time, von Alden I have a very interesting thing to tell you, sir. Miss Gray is no mystery, but she is sure that it was not long before she felt your daughter alive one night in the park of the Monte Carlo casino. She had just had a conversation with Knighton, and she did feel that the dead man was trying to tell her, she even felt that what the dead man was going to say was: Knighton was the murderer! At that time, the idea was so strong and deep. engraved on her mind, and though she told no one of it, she was convinced of the reality of the illusion. She purposely made Knighton pursue her more strongly, and gave him the illusion that the crime Derek did it." "How fantastic!" said von Alding. "Very queer! Such things are always difficult to explain. Yes, there was one other little incident which disturbed my clue at the time. Your secretary was a little limp. But the Marquis did not walk with a limp. About This I did not find out for a long time. Miss Reynolds Templin chanced one day to remark that the surgeon at her mother's hospital was curious about Knighton's lameness. This shows that his The lameness was feigned. I had a specialist surgeon in London and had special papers to prove my idea. As you recall, I mentioned this in front of Knighton. The name of the doctor. It is logical that Knighton should have mentioned that it was the doctor who treated his wounds during the war. But he said nothing about it, and this trivial circumstance deepened my suspicion. Besides, Greg Miss Ray also showed me a newspaper clipping which mentioned a theft of gemstones from Ms. , she realized for the first time that we were following in the same direction. It took a lot of effort, but I finally got my evidence, strong evidence, that Ida Masson was only at the time of the crime Arrived at the hotel that morning, not the day before." The two were silent for a long time.Then the millionaire held out his hand and shook Poirot's across the table: "You can imagine what this means to me, Poirot," he said in a low voice, very moved. "I will send you a check to-morrow, but no check in the world can express my gratitude to you. You are a great man, and Poirot will always be a great man." Poirot rose to his feet. "I am Hercule Poirot," he said modestly. "But as you say, I'm as great a man in my line of work as you are in yours. I'm glad I can be of your service." In the hall entered the majestic Papopolus and his daughter Zia. "I believe you are leaving Nizha, Poirot," the Greek whispered to the detective, taking the hand which was extended to him. "Business calls me back, my dear Papopolus." "Business?" "Yes, on business. We just talked on business... I hope you are getting better, Papopolos." "Thank God. It's even improved markedly and we can all go back to Paris together tomorrow." "Great, very rare. Hope you didn't completely screw over the Prime Minister of Greece." "I?" "I heard that you sold him a jewel that is very rare nowadays, but only the two of us know that, and Miss Millet, that dancing girl is carrying this jewel." "But..." Papopolos murmured. "A gemstone similar to the 'Fireheart Gem'." "There's a big difference," said the Greek indifferently. "You are a very good gemologist, Papopolos! I am particularly sorry, Mademoiselle Zia, that you will be returning to Paris so soon. I had hoped that we would be alone together after my business was over. Stay a little longer." "Excuse me, what is your business?" Papopolos asked. "You are not presumptuous at all. We have successfully captured the Marquis just now." Papopolos gazed into the distance dreamily. "Marquis, Marquis?" he whispered. "I seem to know him. No, I really don't remember." "Of course I can't remember," said Poirot. "I'm talking about a dangerous jewel theft. He seems to have met you once? Besides, he's been arrested for the murder of Ms. Kettering." "What did you say? Interesting!" They said goodbye to each other very politely, and when Poirot had gone away, Papopolous said to his daughter: "Zia, this man is a devil." "I like him." "I like him too," admitted Papopolos. "Even so, he's a devil."