“Yes, Monsieur.
I had made it up while he was at dinner.”
“What time was all this?”
“I could not say exactly, Monsieur.
Not later thantwo o’clock certainly.”
“And after that?”
“After that, Monsieur, I sat in my seat till morning.”
“You did not go again into the Athens coach?”
“No, Monsieur.”
“Perhaps you slept?”
“I do not think so, Monsieur.
The train being at a standstill prevented me from dozing off as I usually do.”
“Did you see any of the passengers moving up or down the corridor?”
The man reflected.
“One of the ladies went to the toilet at the far end, I think.”
“Which lady?”
“I do not know, Monsieur.
It was far down the corridor and she had her back to me.
She had on a kimono of scarlet with dragons on it.”
Poirot nodded.
“And after that?”
“Nothing, Monsieur, until the morning.”
“You are sure?”
“Ah, pardon – you yourself, Monsieur, opened your door and looked out for a second.”
“Good, my friend,” said Poirot. “I wondered whether you would remember that.
By the way, I was awakened by what sounded like something heavy falling against my door.
Have you any idea what that could have been?”
The man stared at him.
“There was nothing, Monsieur.
Nothing, I am positive of it.”
“Then I must have had the cauchemar,” said Poirot philosophically.
“Unless,” put in M. Bouc, “it was something in the compartment next door that you heard.”
Poirot took no notice of the suggestion.
Perhaps he did not wish to before the Wagon Lit conductor.
“Let us pass to another point,” he said. “Supposing that last night an assassin joined the train.
Is it quite certain that he could not have left it after committing the crime?”
Pierre Michel shook his head.
“Nor that he can be concealed on it somewhere?”
“It has been well searched,” said M. Bouc. “Abandon that idea, my friend.”
“Besides,” said Michel, “no one could get on to the sleeping-car without my seeing them.”
“When was the last stop?”
“Vincovci.”
“What time was that?”
“We should have left there at 11:58, but owing to the weather we were twenty minutes late.”
“Someone might have come along from the ordinary part of the train?”
“No, Monsieur.
After the service of dinner, the door between the ordinary carriages and the sleeping-cars is locked.”
“Did you yourself descend from the train at Vincovci?”
“Yes, Monsieur.
I got down onto the platform as usual and stood by the step up into the train.