Rosalie reflected a minute.
"Mother and I went to bed early - before eleven.
We didn't hear anything in particular, except a bit of fuss outside Dr Bessner's cabin.
I heard the old man's German voice booming away.
Of course I didn't know want it was all about till this morning."
"You didn't hear a shot?"
"No."
"Did you leave your cabin at all last night?"
"No."
"You are quite sure of that?"
Rosalie stared at him.
"What do you mean?
Of course I'm sure of it."
"You did not, for instance, go round to the starboard side of the boat and throw something overboard?"
The colour rose in her face.
"Is there any rule against throwing things overboard?"
"No, of course not.
Then you did?"
"No, I didn't.
I never left my cabin, I tell you."
"Then if anyone says that they saw you -" She interrupted him.
"Who says they saw me?"
"Miss Van Schuyler."
"Miss Van Schuyler?" She sounded genuinely astonished.
"Yes. Miss Van Schuyler says she looked out of her cabin and saw you throw something over the side."
Rosalie said clearly, "That's a damned lie."
Then, as though struck by a sudden thought, she asked, "What time was this?"
It was Poirot who answered. "It was ten minutes past one, Mademoiselle."
She nodded her head thoughtfully.
"Did she see anything else?"
Poirot looked at her curiously. He stroked his chin.
"See - no," he replied, "but she heard something."
"What did she hear?"
"Someone moving about in Madame Doyle's cabin."
"I see," muttered Rosalie.
She was pale now - deadly pale.
"And you persist in saying that you threw nothing overboard, Mademoiselle?"
"What on earth should I run about throwing things overboard for in the middle of the night?"
"There might be a reason - an innocent reason."
"Innocent?" repeated the girl sharply.
"That's what I said.
You see, Mademoiselle, something was thrown overboard last night - something that was not innocent."
Race silently held out the bundle of stained velvet, opening it to display its contents.
Rosalie Otterbourne shrank back.
"Was that - what - she was killed with?"
"Yes, Mademoiselle."
"And you think that I - I did it?
What utter nonsense!
Why on earth should I want to kill Linnet Doyle?
I don't even know her!" She laughed and stood up scornfully. "The whole thing is too ridiculous."