Murder on the Orient Express

[Pages:137]Agatha Christie MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

Agatha Christie is the world's best known mystery writer. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in 44 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare.

Her writing career spanned more than half a century, during which she wrote 79 novels and short story collections, as well as 14 plays, one of which, The Mousetrap, is the longest-running play in history. Two of the characters she created, the brilliant little Belgian Hercule Poirot and the irrepressible and relentless Miss Marple, went on to become world-famous detectives. Both have been widely dramatized in feature films and made-for-TV movies.

Agatha Christie also wrote six romantic novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. As well, she wrote four nonfiction books including an autobiography and an entertaining account of the many expeditions she shared with her archaeologist husband Sir Max Mallowan.

Agatha Christie died in 1976.

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Agatha Christie MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

HarperPaperbacks by Agatha Christie

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS THE SEVEN DIALS MYSTERY POSTERN OF FATE CROOKED HOUSE ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE THE CLOCKS

Coming Soon

THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS POIROT INVESTIGATES THE MIRROR CRACK'D ENDLESS NIGHT

BY THE PRICKING OF MY THUMBS MURDER WITH MIRRORS FUNERALS ARE FATAL

NEMESIS DEAD MAN'S FOLLY DEATH COMES AS THE END DESTINATION UNKNOWN MRS. McGINTY'S DEAD A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY DEATH ON THE NILE PASSENGER TO FRANKFURT

THE MOUSETRAP AND OTHER PLAYS MURDER IS EASY

4:50 FROM PADDINGTON AT BERTRAMS HOTEL SPARKLING CYANIDE THE PALE HORSE

HICKORY DICKORY DOCK SLEEPING MURDER

THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY THIRD GIRL

HERCULE POIROT'S CHRISTMAS CURTAIN

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Agatha Christie MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Murder on the Orient

Express

HarperPaperbacks

A Division of HarperCollinsPublishers

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Agatha Christie MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed' to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book.' This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. HarperPaperbacks A Division of HarperCollinsPublishers 10 East 53rd Street, New York, N.Y. 10022 Copyright ? 1933, 1934 by Agatha Christie Copyright ? renewed 1960,1961 by Agatha Christie Mallowan All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address G. P. Putnam's Sons, a division of The Putnam Berkley Group, Inc., 200 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016. This book is published by arrangement with G. P. Putnam's Sons, a division of The Putnam Berkley Group, Inc. This book was previously published under the title "Murder in the Calais Coach.' Cover illustration by Jenny Tylden-Wright First HarperPaperbacks printing: November 1991 Printed in the United States of America HarperPaperbacks and colophon are trademarks of HarperCollinsPublishers 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Agatha Christie MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

CONTENTS

CONTENTS.................................................................................................................................... 5 PART I ............................................................................................................................................ 7

THE FACTS ............................................................................................................................... 7 1............................................................................................................................................... 7 AN IMPORTANT PASSENGER ON THE TAURUS EXPRESS.................................... 7 2............................................................................................................................................. 12 THE TOKATLIAN HOTEL............................................................................................. 12 3............................................................................................................................................. 17 POIROT REFUSES A CASE........................................................................................... 17 4............................................................................................................................................. 21 A CRY IN THE NIGHT ................................................................................................... 21 5............................................................................................................................................. 23 THE CRIME ..................................................................................................................... 23 6............................................................................................................................................. 29 A WOMAN....................................................................................................................... 29 7............................................................................................................................................. 33 THE BODY ...................................................................................................................... 33 8............................................................................................................................................. 39 THE ARMSTRONG KIDNAPPING CASE .................................................................... 39

PART II......................................................................................................................................... 41 THE EVIDENCE...................................................................................................................... 41 1............................................................................................................................................. 41 THE EVIDENCE OF THE WAGON LIT CONDUCTOR ............................................. 41 2............................................................................................................................................. 46 THE EVIDENCE OF THE SECRETARY....................................................................... 46 3............................................................................................................................................. 49 THE EVIDENCE OF THE VALET................................................................................. 49 4............................................................................................................................................. 53 THE EVIDENCE OF THE AMERICAN LADY ............................................................ 53 5............................................................................................................................................. 58 THE EVIDENCE OF THE SWEDISH LADY ................................................................ 58 6............................................................................................................................................. 61 THE EVIDENCE OF THE RUSSIAN PRINCESS ......................................................... 61 7............................................................................................................................................. 65 THE EVIDENCE OF COUNT AND COUNTESS ANDRENYI.................................... 65 8............................................................................................................................................. 68 THE EVIDENCE OF COLONEL ARBUTHNOT .......................................................... 68 9............................................................................................................................................. 73 THE EVIDENCE OF MR. HARDMAN.......................................................................... 73 10........................................................................................................................................... 77 THE EVIDENCE OF THE ITALIAN.............................................................................. 77 11........................................................................................................................................... 79 THE EVIDENCE OF MISS DEBENHAM...................................................................... 79

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Agatha Christie MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

12........................................................................................................................................... 82 THE EVIDENCE OF THE GERMAN LADY'S-MAID................................................. 82

13........................................................................................................................................... 86 SUMMARY OF THE PASSENGERS' EVIDENCE....................................................... 86

14........................................................................................................................................... 90 THE EVIDENCE OF THE WEAPON............................................................................. 90

15........................................................................................................................................... 94 THE EVIDENCE OF THE PASSENGERS' LUGGAGE ............................................... 94

PART III ..................................................................................................................................... 102 HERCULE POIROT SITS BACK AND THINKS ................................................................ 102 1........................................................................................................................................... 102 WHICH OF THEM?....................................................................................................... 102 2........................................................................................................................................... 106 TEN QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................... 106 3........................................................................................................................................... 109 CERTAIN SUGGESTIVE POINTS .............................................................................. 109 4........................................................................................................................................... 114 THE GREASE SPOT ON A HUNGARIAN PASSPORT............................................. 114 5........................................................................................................................................... 118 THE CHRISTIAN NAME OF PRINCESS DRAGOMIROFF...................................... 118 6........................................................................................................................................... 121 A SECOND INTERVIEW WITH COLONEL ARBUTHNOT..................................... 121 7........................................................................................................................................... 123 THE IDENTITY OF MARY DEBENHAM .................................................................. 123 8........................................................................................................................................... 126 FURTHER SURPRISING REVELATIONS ................................................................. 126 9........................................................................................................................................... 130 POIROT PROPOUNDS TWO SOLUTIONS ................................................................ 130

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Agatha Christie MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

PART I

THE FACTS

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AN IMPORTANT PASSENGER ON THE TAURUS EXPRESS

It was five o'clock on a winter's morning in Syria. Alongside the platform at Aleppo stood the train grandly designated in railway guides as the Taurus Express. It consisted of a kitchen and dining-car, a sleeping-car and two local coaches.

By the step leading up into the sleeping-car stood a young French lieutenant, resplendent in uniform conversing, with a small man muffled up to the ears of whom nothing was visible but a pink-tipped nose and the two points of an upward-curled moustache.

It was freezingly cold, and this job of seeing off a distinguished stranger was not one to be envied, but Lieutenant Dubosc performed his part manfully. Graceful phrases fell from his lips in polished French. Not that he knew what it was all about. There had been rumours, of course, as there always were in such cases. The General's--his General's--temper had grown worse and worse. And then there had come this Belgian stranger--all the way from England, it seemed. There had been a week--a week of curious tensity. And then certain things had happened. A very distinguished officer had committed suicide, another had suddenly resigned, anxious faces had suddenly lost their anxiety, certain military precautions were relaxed. And the General, Lieutenant Dubosc's own particular General, had suddenly looked ten years younger.

Dubosc had overheard part of a conversation between him and the stranger. "You have saved us, mon cher," said the General emotionally, his great white moustache trembling as he spoke. "You have saved the honour of the French Army--you have averted much bloodshed! How can I thank you for acceding to my request? To have come so far--"

To which the stranger (by name M. Hercule Poirot) had made a fitting reply including the phrase--"But indeed, do I not remember that once you saved my life?" And then the General had made another fitting reply to that, disclaiming any merit for that past service; and with more mention of France, of Belgium, of glory, of honour and of such kindred things they had embraced each other heartily and the conversation had ended.

As to what it had all been about, Lieutenant Dubosc was still in the dark, but to him had been delegated the duty of seeing off M. Poirot by the Taurus Express, and he was carrying it out with all the zeal and ardour befitting a young officer with a promising career ahead of him.

"To-day is Sunday," said Lieutenant Dubosc. "Tomorrow, Monday evening, you will be in Stamboul."

It was not the first time he had made this observation. Conversations on the platform, before the departure of a train, are apt to be somewhat repetitive in character.

"That is so," agreed M. Poirot.

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Agatha Christie MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

"And you intend to remain there a few days, I think?" "Mais oui. Stamboul, it is a city I have never visited. It would be a pity to pass through-- comme ?a." He snapped his fingers descriptively. "Nothing presses--I shall remain there as a tourist for a few days." "La Sainte Sophie, it is very fine," said Lieutenant Dubosc, who had never seen it. A cold wind came whistling down the platform. Both men shivered. Lieutenant Dubosc managed to cast a surreptitious glance at his watch. Five minutes to five--only five minutes more! Fancying that the other man had noticed his glance, he hastened once more into speech. "There are few people travelling this time of year," he said, glancing up at the windows of the sleeping-car above them. "That is so," agreed M. Poirot. "Let us hope you will not be snowed up in the Taurus!" "That happens?" "It has occurred, yes. Not this year, as yet." "Let us hope, then," said M. Poirot. "The weather reports from Europe, they are bad. "Very bad. In the Balkans there is much snow." "In Germany, too, I have heard." "Eh bien," said Lieutenant Dubosc hastily as another pause seemed to be about to occur. "Tomorrow evening at seven-forty you will be in Constantinople." "Yes," said M. Poirot, and went on desperately, "La Sainte Sophie, I have heard it is very fine." "Magnificent, I believe." Above their heads the blinds of one of the sleeping-car compartments was pushed aside and a young woman looked out. Mary Debenham had had little sleep since she left Baghdad on the preceding Thursday. Neither in the train to Kirkuk, nor in the Rest House at Mosul, nor last night on the train had she slept properly. Now, weary of lying wakeful in the hot stuffiness of her overheated compartment, she got up and peered out. This must be Aleppo. Nothing to see, of course. Just a long, poorly lighted platform with loud, furious altercations in Arabic going on somewhere. Two men below her window were talking French. One was a French officer, the other was a little man with enormous moustaches. She smiled faintly. She had never seen anyone quite so heavily muffled up. It must be very cold outside. That was why they heated the train so terribly. She tried to force the window down lower, but it would not go. The Wagon Lit conductor had come up to the two men. The train was about to depart, he said. Monsieur had better mount. The little man removed his hat. What an egg-shaped head he had! In spite of her preoccupations Mary Debenham smiled. A ridiculous-looking little man. The sort of little man one could never take seriously. Lieutenant Dubosc was saying his parting speech. He had thought it out beforehand and had kept it till the last minute. It was a very beautiful, polished speech. Not to be outdone, M. Poirot replied in kind. ... "En voiture, Monsieur," said the Wagon Lit conductor. With an air of infinite reluctance M. Poirot climbed aboard the train. The conductor climbed after him. M. Poirot waved his hand. Lieutenant Dubosc came to the salute. The train, with a terrific jerk, moved slowly forward. "Enfin!" murmured M. Hercule Poirot.

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