“Not until this morning.”
“Have you a scarlet silk kimono, Mademoiselle?”
“No, indeed.
I have a good comfortable dressing-gown of Jaeger material.”
“And the lady with you, Miss Debenham?
What colour is her dressing-gown?’
“A pale mauve aba such as you buy in the East.”
Poirot nodded.
Then he asked in a friendly tone: “Why are you taking this journey? A holiday?”
“Yes, I am going home for a holiday.
But first I am going to Lausanne to stay with a sister for a week or so.”
“Perhaps you will be so amiable as to write me down the name and address of your sister?’
“With pleasure.” She took the paper and pencil he gave her and wrote down the name and address as requested.
“Have you ever been in America, Mademoiselle?”
“No.
I very nearly went once.
I was to go with an invalid lady, but the plan was cancelled at the last moment. I much regretted this.
They are very good, the Americans.
They give much money to found schools and hospitals.
And they are very practical.”
“Do you remember hearing of the Armstrong kidnapping case?”
“No, what was that?”
Poirot explained.
Greta Ohlsson was indignant.
Her yellow bun of hair quivered with her emotion.
“That there are in the world such evil men!
It tries one’s faith.
The poor mother – my heart aches for her.”
The amiable Swede departed, her kindly face flushed, her eyes suffused with tears.
Poirot was writing busily on a sheet of paper.
“What is it you write there, my friend?” asked M. Bouc.
“Mon cher, it is my habit to be neat and orderly.
I make here a little chronological table of events.”
He finished writing and passed the paper to M. Bouc.
9.15 Train leaves Belgrade.
about 9.40 Valet leaves Ratchett with sleeping draught beside him.
about 10.00 MacQueen leaves Ratchett.
about 10.40 Greta Ohlsson sees Ratchett (last seen alive).
N.B.
He was awake reading a book.
0.10 Train leaves Vincovci (late).
0.30 Train runs into a snowdrift.
0.37 Ratchett’s bell rings.
Conductor answers it.
Ratchett says:
“Ce n’est rien.
Je me suis trompe.”
about 1.17 Mrs. Hubbard thinks man is in her carriage.
Rings for conductor.
M. Bouc nodded approval.