第35部分(第1/7 頁)

hat　she　had　only　been　with　her　mistress　for　two　months。　Certainly　it　did　not　seem　as　if　she　could　have　had　anything　to　do　with　the　crime　since　she　had　been　left　behind　in　Paris　and　Mrs　Kettering　had　been　seen　alive　by　several　people　afterwards；　but　…〃

Poirot　leant　forward。　He　raised　an　emphatic　forefinger　and　wagged　it　with　intense　emphasis　at　Van　Aldin。

〃But　I　am　a　good　detective。　I　suspect。　There　is　nobody　and　nothing　that　I　do　not　suspect。　I　believe　nothing　that　I　am　told。　I　say　to　myself：　how　do　we　know　that　Ada　Mason　was　left　behind　in　Paris？　And　at　first　the　anspletely　satisfactory。　There　was　the　evidence　of　your　secretary；　Major　Knighton；　a　plete　outsider　whose　testimony　might　be　supposed　to　be　entirely　impartial；　and　there　was　the　dead　woman's　own　words　to　the　conductor　on　the　train。　But　I　put　the　latter　point　aside　for　the　moment；　because　a　very　curious　idea　…　an　idea　perhaps　fantastic　and　impossible　…　was　growing　up　in　my　mind。　If　by　any　outside　chance　it　happened　to　be　true；　that　particular　piece　of　testimony　was　worthless。

〃I　concentrated　on　the　chief　stumbling…block　to　my　theory。　Major　Knighton's　statement　that　he　saw　Ada　Mason　at　the　Ritz　after　the　Blue　Train　had　left　Paris。　That　seemed　conclusive　enough；　but　yet；　on　examining　the　facts　carefully；　I　noted　two　things。　First；　that　by　a　curious　coincidence　he；　too；　had　been　exactly　two　months　in　your　service。　Secondly；　his　initial　letter　was　the　same　…　'K。'　Supposing　…　just　supposing　…　that　it　was　his　cigarette　case　which　had　been　found　in　the　carriage。　Then；　if　Ada　Mason　and　he　were　working　together；　and　she　recognized　it　when　we　showed　it　to　her；　would　she　not　act　precisely　as　she　had　done？　At　first；　taken　aback；　she　quickly　evolved　a　plausible　theory　that　would　agree　with　Mr　Ketter