Murder On The Orient Express Page #7

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Did you know Colonel Armstrong?

Not to speak to.

You see, his outfit and mine

wouldn't have mixed much.

I'm Indian army.

He was British army, serving in India.

Royal Scots.

- How did you know?

- It was in the papers

when he shot himself

after the kidnapping.

Rotten show.

Thought he'd been tougher than that.

After all, he got a D.S.O.

And an M.C. In France.

Distinguished Service Order.

Military Cross.

Mon colonel,

Ratchett was responsible

for five deaths:

The suicide

of the falsely accused maid.

The murder of the Armstrong child.

The death of Mrs. Armstrong,

while giving premature birth

to a stillborn baby.

And the ultimate suicide

of Colonel Armstrong,

in the face of multiple

and intolerable bereavements!

I would have understood his action

if, in addition to the D.S.O. And M.C.,

he had been awarded the V.C.

Which stands, as you may know,

for Victoria Cross

and is awarded for valor.

Then, in my opinion,

Ratchett deserved what he got.

Though I'd sooner have seen him

properly tried by jury.

Trial by 12 good men and true

is a sound system.

We believe the murder

was committed at 1:15.

What were you doing then?

I was yarning with young...

What's his name?

McQueen, in his compartment.

He was interested in the future

of India, a bit impractical.

He thought the British

ought to move out.

How long did you stay yarning

after that?

Till 1:
30. It's...

It's what I call a three-pipe yarn.

Colonel Arbuthnott, you are the only

passenger in the Calais coach

who smokes a "pipe".

- So it would appear.

- Then this...

...must be your "pipe" cleaner.

- It's the same brand.

- It was found in an ashtray

by the dead man's bedside.

Then someone planted it there.

It's a used "pipe" cleaner.

Or are you suggesting

that I'm fool enough

to have entered Ratchett's cabin,

murdered him,

cleaned my "pipe" and dropped it

in the ashtray before leaving?

No, Colonel Arbuthnott.

Miss Debenham.

- Can I stay?

- No, Colonel Arbuthnott.

Please be seated.

Forgive me, Miss Debenham,

I must be brief.

You met Colonel Arbuthnott and fell

in love with each other in Baghdad.

Why must the English conceal

even their most impeccable emotions?

To answer your observations

in order,

of course, yes, yes,

and I don't know.

Then let me tell you what you do know,

that on the Bosporus Ferryboat

I overheard a part of your conversation

with the colonel.

Not now, not now. When it's all over.

When it's behind us, then.

When what was all over,

Miss Debenham?

And when what was behind you?

Was it some task

that had to be performed?

Some ordeal that

had to be endured?

Some dark deed

that had to be dispatched?

Mr. Poirot, I'm not at liberty

to answer any of those questions.

Not here on this train, perhaps.

But when the Yugoslav police take

over an unsolved murder case at Brod,

you will not remain at liberty

unless you answer the questions.

I can always call my lawyers

long-distance.

This is a private matter

between the colonel and myself.

Miss Debenham, in a murder case,

no matter is private

and evasion breeds suspicion,

so answer my question.

When what was all over?

When what was behind you?

Please answer the question.

You will remain here

until I get an answer from you.

Mon colonel, please, Monsieur Poirot

has expressly forbidden...

Poirot has no right, he's out of order.

This is a private matter.

Je vous en prie, mon colonel.

- Mon colonel.

- Out of my way.

So answer my question.

When what was all over?

When what was behind?

Answer my question.

Get your hands off

Miss Debenham.

I was not aware that I was keeping

my hands on Miss Debenham.

I asked her a simple question

- which she refused to answer.

- So I heard.

Then perhaps you can

answer it for her.

Can you give me your solemn oath,

as a foreigner,

that if the answer

has nothing to do with the murder,

you'll treat it confidentially?

I will.

Six months ago,

before I'd even met Miss Debenham,

- my memsahib...

- Come again?

My wife

expressed herself bored,

not only at living in India,

but at living with me.

And asked me to provide her

with a divorce.

In view of my position, commanding

officer, 12th Gurkhas, I refused.

Well, had I not,

I should have lost my command.

My wife returned to England,

where there is irrefutable evidence

that she has been persistently

unfaithful to me.

I have therefore instituted

divorce proceedings

in which she is cited

as the guilty party.

And when those proceedings

are behind us,

when those proceedings

are all over...

...I propose

to marry Miss Debenham.

Meanwhile,

it is of vital importance,

under English law, that our...

...behavior...

...should not provide evidence

for counter-proceedings

by my wife.

Does that answer your question?

Well...

...it is certainly an answer.

Doctor, is Pierre

sufficiently recovered?

- Fully.

- May we go?

You may, with my assurance that

our foreigners' lips shall be sealed.

Sorry if I hurt the lad.

Provocation.

They could have done it together. She

has hidden fires. She is very strong.

Why did you not ask her

if she had been to America?

Because I did not need to.

Pierre, le colonel

s'excuse de son geste.

Merci, monsieur.

Signor Foscarelli.

You are a naturalized

American subject?

- You bet.

- For how long?

Seven years. Mi ricordo del

giorno preciso quando...

Faccia di rispondere

alle domande.

Otherwise, he will detain you

longer than you would detain him.

You are a motorcar salesman.

You bet.

American automobiles to Italians.

Did you know Cassetti?

Not on your sweet life.

Era Mafioso.

He says he was Mafia.

- Really?

- Yes.

Who do you?

Who do you think killed him?

- Un altro Mafioso.

- He says another Mafia.

They are always killing each

other with a knife or with a gun...

Why did you bring

this dagger from the place?

Because I found it

in my makeup bag.

Ecco, what did I say?

Knives or guns. It's a vendetta

between two Mafiosi.

Give me the dagger.

When did you last open

your makeup bag?

Yesterday evening,

when I took everything out.

If you took everything out,

why did you need to reopen it?

Because I was putting

something back in.

You may set your mind at rest,

Mrs. Hubbard.

- The missing button.

- Precisely,

and I can assure you the owner

of the tunic is not now on the train.

Are you going back

to the dining car?

I'll say I am. Do you think

I could face my compartment

so soon after that?

Would you kindly ask

the chief attendant

to arrange the tables and chairs

so that Signor Bianchi,

Dr. Constantine and myself

can confront the passengers

with the solution of the murder?

I... I help with the risoluzione.

Yes, if you will briefly

answer two more questions.

Shoot.

On the night of the murder,

did Mr. Beddoes

leave the compartment?

No. No, he grunt like a pig

with the pain in his teeth.

And have you ever

been in private service?

No.

Thank you. That is all.

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