Death on the Nile
With a quick gesture she fumbled in a little silk bag that lay on the seat. Then she held out her hand. On the palm of it was a small pearl-handled pistol–a dainty toy it looked.
‘Nice little thing, isn’t it? she said. ‘Looks too foolish to be real, but it is real! One of those bullets would kill a man or a woman. And I’m a good shot.’ She smiled a faraway, reminiscent smile.
‘When I went home as a child with my mother, to South Carolina, my grandfather taught me to shoot. He was the old-fashioned kind that believes in shooting–especially where honour is concerned. My father, too, he fought several duels as a young man. He was a good swordsman. He killed a man once. That was over a woman. So you see, Monsieur Poirot’–she met his eyes squarely–‘I’ve hot blood in me! I bought this when it first happened. I meant to kill one or other of them–the trouble was I couldn’t decide which. Both of them would have been unsatisfactory. If I’d thought Linnet would have looked afraid–but she’s got plenty of physical courage. She can stand up to physical action. And then I thought I’d–wait! That appealed to me more and more. After all, I could do it any time; it would be more fun to wait and–think about it! And then this idea came to my mind–to follow them! Whenever they arrived at some faraway spot and were together and happy, they should see Me! And it worked. It got Linnet badly–in a way nothing else could have done! It got right under her skin…That was when I began to enjoy myself…And there’s nothing she can do about it! I’m always perfectly pleasant and polite! There’s not a word they can take hold of! It’s poisoning everything–everything–for them.’ Her laugh rang out, clear and silvery.
Poirot grasped her arm.
‘Be quiet. Quiet, I tell you.’
Jacqueline looked at him.
‘Well?’ she asked. Her smile was definitely challenging.
‘Mademoiselle, I beseech you, do not do what you are doing.’
‘Leave dear Linnet alone, you mean!’
‘It is deeper than that. Do not open your heart to evil.’
Her lips fell apart; a look of bewilderment came into her eyes.
Poirot went on gravely: ‘Because–if you do–evil will come…Yes, very surely evil will come…It will enter in and make its home within you, and after a little while it will no longer be possible to drive it out.’
Jacqueline stared at him. Her glance seemed to waver, to flicker uncertainly.
She said: ‘I–don’t know–’ Then she cried out definitely, ‘You can’t stop me.’
‘No,’ said Hercule Poirot. ‘I cannot stop you.’ His voice was sad.
‘Even if I were to–kill her, you couldn’t stop me.’
‘No–not if you were willing to pay the price.’
Jacqueline de Bellefort laughed.
‘Oh, I’m not afraid of death! What have I got to live for, after all? I suppose you believe it’s very wrong to kill a person who has injured you–even if they’ve taken away everything you had in the world?’
Poirot said steadily: ‘Yes, Mademoiselle. I believe it is the unforgivable offence–to kill.’
Jacqueline laughed again.
‘Then you ought to approve of my present scheme of revenge; because, you see, as long as it works, I shan’t use that pistol…But I’m afraid–yes, afraid sometimes–it all goes red–I want to hurt her–to stick a knife into her, to put my dear little pistol close against her head and then–just press with my finger–Oh!’
The exclamation startled him.
‘What is it, Mademoiselle!’
She turned her head and was staring into the shadows.
‘Someone–standing over there. He’s gone now.’
Hercule Poirot looked round sharply.
The place seemed quite deserted.
‘There seems no one here but ourselves, Mademoiselle.’ He got up. ‘In any case I have said all I came to say. I wish you good night.’
Jacqueline got up too. She said almost pleadingly, ‘You do understand–that I can’t do what you ask me to do?’
Poirot shook his head.
‘No–for you could do it! There is always a moment! Your friend Linnet–there was a moment, too, in which she could have held her hand…She let it pass by. And if one does that, then one is committed to the enterprise and there comes no second chance.’
‘No second chance…’ said Jacqueline de Bellefort.
She stood brooding for a moment; then she lifted her head defiantly.
‘Good night, Monsieur Poirot.’
He shook his head sadly and followed her up the path to the hotel.
Chapter 6
On the following morning Simon Doyle joined Hercule Poirot as the latter was leaving the hotel to walk down to the town.
‘Good morning, Monsieur Poirot.’
‘Good morning, Monsieur Doyle.’
‘You going to the town? Mind if I stroll along with you?’
‘But certainly. I shall be delighted.’
The two men walked side by side, passed out through the gateway and turned into the cool shade of the gardens. Then Simon removed his pipe from his mouth and said, ‘I understand, Monsieur Poirot, that my wife had a talk with you last night?’
‘That is so.’
Simon Doyle was frowning a little. He belonged to that type of men of action who find it difficult to put thoughts into words and who have trouble in expressing themselves clearly.
‘I’m glad of one thing,’ he said. ‘You’ve made her realize that we’re more or less powerless in the matter.’
‘There is clearly no legal redress,’ agreed Poirot.
‘Exactly. Linnet didn’t seem to understand that.’ He gave a faint smile. ‘Linnet’s been brought up to believe that every annoyance can automatically be referred to the police.’
‘It would be pleasant if such were the case,’ said Poirot.
There was a pause. Then Simon said suddenly, his face going very red as he spoke:
‘It’s–it’s infamous that she should be victimized like this! She’s done nothing! If anyone likes to say I behaved like a cad, they’re welcome to say so! I suppose I did. But I won’t have the whole thing visited on Linnet. She had nothing whatever to do with it.’
Poirot bowed his head gravely but said nothing.
‘Did you–er–have you–talked to Jackie–Miss de Bellefort?’
‘Yes, I have spoken with her.’
‘Did you get her to see sense?’
‘I’m afraid not.’
Simon broke out irritably: ‘Can’t she see what an ass she’s making of herself? Doesn’t she realize that no decent woman would behave as she is doing? Hasn’t she got any pride or self-respect?’
Poirot shrugged his shoulders.
‘She has only a sense of–injury, shall we say?’ he replied.
‘Yes, but damn it all, man, decent girls don’t behave like this! I admit I was entirely to blame. I treated her damned badly and all that. I should quite understand her being thoroughly fed up with me and never wishing to see me again. But this following me round–it’s–it’s indecent! Making a show of herself! What the devil does she hope to get out of it?’
‘Perhaps–revenge!’
‘Idiotic! I’d really understand better if she’d tried to do something melodramatic–like taking a pot shot at me.’
‘You think that would be more like her–yes?’
‘Frankly I do. She’s hot-blooded–and she’s got an ungovernable temper. I shouldn’t be surprised at her doing anything while she was in a white-hot rage. But this spying business–’ He shook his head.
‘It is more subtle–yes! It is intelligent!’
Doyle stared at him.
‘You don’t understand. It’s playing hell with Linnet’s nerves.’
‘And yours?’
Simon looked at him with momentary surprise.
‘Me? I’d like to wring the little devil’s neck.’
‘There is nothing, then, of the old feeling left?’
‘My dear Monsieur Poirot–how can I put it? It’s like the moon when the sun comes out. You don’t know it’s there any more. When once I’d met Linnet–Jackie didn’t exist.’
‘Tiens, c’est drôle, ça!’ muttered Poirot.
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘Your simile interested me, that is all.’
Again flushing, Simon said: ‘I suppose Jackie told you that I’d only married Linnet for her money? Well, that’s a damned lie! I wouldn’t marry any woman for money! What Jackie doesn’t understand is that it’s difficult for a fellow when–when–a woman cares for him as she cared for me.’
‘Ah?’
Poirot looked up sharply.
Simon blundered on: ‘It–it–sounds a caddish thing to say, but Jackie was too fond of me!’
‘Une qui aime et un qui se laisse aimer,’ murmured Poirot.
‘Eh? What’s that you say? You see, a man doesn’t want to feel that a woman cares more for him than he does for her.’ His voice grew warm as he went on. ‘He doesn’t want to feel owned, body and soul. It’s the damned possessive attitude! This man is mine–he belongs to me! That’s the sort of thing I can’t stick–no man could stick! He wants to get away–to get free. He wants to own his woman; he doesn’t want her to own him.’
He broke off, and with fingers that trembled slightly he lit a cigarette.
Poirot said: ‘And it is like that that you felt with Mademoiselle Jacqueline?’
‘Eh?’ Simon stared and then admitted: ‘Er–yes–well, yes, as a matter of fact I did. She doesn’t realize that, of course. And it’s not the sort of thing I could ever tell her. But I was feeling restless–and then I met Linnet, and she just swept me off my feet! I’d never seen anything so lovely. It was all so amazing. Everyone kowtowing to her–and then her singling out a poor chump like me.’
His tone held boyish awe and astonishment.
‘I see,’ said Poirot. He nodded thoughtfully. ‘Yes–I see.’
‘Why can’t Jackie take it like a man?’ demanded Simon resentfully.
A very faint smile twitched Poirot’s upper lip.
‘Well, you see, Monsieur Doyle, to begin with she is not a man.’
‘No, no–but I meant take it like a good sport! After all, you’ve got to take your medicine when it comes to you. The fault’s mine, I admit. But there it is! If you no longer care for a girl, it’s simply madness to marry her. And, now that I see what Jackie’s really like and the lengths she is likely to go to, I feel I’ve had rather a lucky escape.’
‘The lengths she is likely to go to,’ Poirot repeated thoughtfully. ‘Have you an idea, Monsieur Doyle, what those lengths are?’
Simon looked at him rather startled.
‘No–at least, what do you mean?’
‘You know she carries a pistol about with her?’
Simon frowned, then shook his head.
‘I don’t believe she’ll use that–now. She might have done so earlier. But I believe it’s got past that. She’s just spiteful now–trying to take it out of us both.’
Poirot shrugged his shoulders.
‘It may be so,’ he said doubtfully.
‘It’s Linnet I’m worrying about,’ declared Simon, somewhat unnecessarily.
‘I quite realize that,’ said Poirot.
‘I’m not really afraid of Jackie doing any melodramatic shooting stuff, but this spying and following business has absolutely got Linnet on the raw. I’ll tell you the plan I’ve made, and perhaps you can suggest improvements on it. To begin with, I’ve announced fairly openly that we’re going to stay here ten days. But tomorrow the steamer Karnak starts from Shellal to Wadi Halfa. I propose to book passages on that under an assumed name. Tomorrow we’ll go on an excursion to Philae. Linnet’s maid can take the luggage. We’ll join the Karnak at Shellal. When Jackie finds we don’t come back, it will be too late–we shall be well on our way. She’ll assume we have given her the slip and gone back to Cairo. In fact I might even bribe the porter to say so. Inquiry at the tourist offices won’t help her, because our names won’t appear. How does that strike you?’
‘It is well imagined, yes. And suppose she waits here till you return?’
‘We may not return. We would go on to Khartoum and then perhaps by air to Kenya. She can’t follow us all over the globe.’
‘No; there must come a time when financial reasons forbid. She has very little money, I understand.’
Simon looked at him with admiration.
‘That’s clever of you. Do you know, I hadn’t thought of that. Jackie’s as poor as they make them.’
‘And yet she has managed to follow you so far?’
Simon said doubtfully:
‘She’s got a small income, of course. Something under two hundred a year, I imagine. I suppose–yes, I suppose she must have sold out the capital to do what she’s doing.’
‘So that the time will come when she has exhausted her resources and is quite penniless?’
‘Yes…’
Simon wriggled uneasily. The thought seemed to make him uncomfortable. Poirot watched him attentively.
‘No,’ he remarked. ‘No, it is not a pretty thought…’
Simon said rather angrily, ‘Well, I can’t help it!’ Then he added, ‘What do you think of my plan?’
‘I think it may work, yes. But it is, of course, a retreat.’
Simon flushed.
‘You mean, we’re running away? Yes, that’s true…But Linnet–’
Poirot watched him, then gave a short nod.
‘As you say, it may be the best way. But remember, Mademoiselle de Bellefort has brains.’
Simon said sombrely: ‘Some day, I feel, we’ve got to make a stand and fight it out. Her attitude isn’t reasonable.’
‘Reasonable, mon Dieu!’ cried Poirot.
‘There’s no reason why women shouldn’t behave like rational beings,’ Simon asserted stolidly.
Poirot said dryly: ‘Quite frequently they do. That is even more upsetting!’ He added, ‘I, too, shall be on the Karnak. It is part of my itinerary.’
‘Oh!’ Simon hesitated, then said, choosing his words with some embarrassment: ‘That isn’t–isn’t–er–on our account in any way? I mean I wouldn’t like to think–’
Poirot disabused him quickly:
‘Not at all. It was all arranged before I left London. I always make my plans well in advance.’
‘You don’t just move on from place to place as the fancy takes you? Isn’t the latter really pleasanter?’
‘Perhaps. But to succeed in life every detail should be arranged well beforehand.’
Simon laughed and said: ‘That is how the more skilful murderer behaves, I suppose.’
‘Yes–though I must admit that the most brilliant crime I remember and one of the most difficult to solve was committed on the spur of the moment.’
Simon said boyishly: ‘You must tell us something about your cases on board the Karnak.’
‘No, no; that would be to talk–what do you call it?–the shop.’
‘Yes, but your kind of shop is rather thrilling. Mrs Allerton thinks so. She’s longing to get a chance to cross-question you.’
‘Mrs Allerton? That is the charming grey-haired woman who has such a devoted son?’
‘Yes. She’ll be on the Karnak too.’
‘Does she know that you–?’
‘Certainly not,’ said Simon with emphasis. ‘Nobody knows. I’ve gone on the principle that it’s better not to trust anybody.’
‘An admirable sentiment–and one which I always adopt. By the way, the third member of your party, the tall grey-haired man–’
‘Pennington?’
‘Yes. He is travelling with you?’
Simon said grimly: ‘Not very usual on a honeymoon, you were thinking? Pennington is Linnet’s American trustee. We ran across him by chance in Cairo.’
‘Ah, vraiment! You permit a question? She is of age, Madame your wife?’
Simon looked amused.
‘She isn’t actually twenty-one yet–but she hadn’t got to ask anyone’s consent before marrying me. It was the greatest surprise to Pennington. He left New York on the Carmanic two days before Linnet’s letter got there telling him of our marriage, so he knew nothing about it.’
‘The Carmanic–’ murmured Poirot.
‘It was the greatest surprise to him when we ran into him at Shepheard’s in Cairo.’
‘That was indeed the coincident!’
‘Yes, and we found that he was coming on this Nile trip–so naturally we foregathered; couldn’t have done anything else decently. Besides that, it’s been–well, a relief in some ways.’ He looked embarrassed again. ‘You see, Linnet’s been all strung up–expecting Jackie to turn up anywhere and everywhere. While we were alone together, the subject kept coming up. Andrew Pennington’s a help that way, we have to talk of outside matters.’
‘Your wife has not confided in Mr Pennington?’
‘No.’ Simon’s jaw looked aggressive. ‘It’s nothing to do with anyone else. Besides, when we started on this Nile trip we thought we’d seen the end of the business.’
Poirot shook his head.
‘You have not seen the end of it yet. No–the end is not yet at hand. I am very sure of that.’
‘I say, Monsieur Poirot, you’re not very encouraging.’
Poirot looked at him with a slight feeling of irritation. He thought to himself: ‘The Anglo-Saxon, he takes nothing seriously but playing games! He does not grow up.’
Linnet Doyle–Jacqueline de Bellefort–both of them took the business seriously enough. But in Simon’s attitude he could find nothing but male impatience and annoyance. He said: ‘You will permit me an impertinent question? Was it your idea to come to Egypt for your honeymoon?’
Simon flushed.
‘No, of course not. As a matter of fact I’d rather have gone anywhere else, but Linnet was absolutely set upon it. And so–and so–’
He stopped rather lamely.
‘Naturally,’ said Poirot gravely.
He appreciated the fact that, if Linnet Doyle was set upon anything, that thing had to happen.
He thought to himself: ‘I have now heard three separate accounts of the affair–Linnet Doyle’s, Jacqueline de Bellefort’s, Simon Doyle’s. Which of them is nearest to the truth?’
Chapter 7
Simon and Linnet Doyle set off on their expedition to Philae about eleven o’clock the following morning. Jacqueline de Bellefort, sitting on the hotel balcony, watched them set off in the picturesque sailing-boat. What she did not see was the departure of the car–laden with luggage, and in which sat a demure-looking maid–from the front door of the hotel. It turned to the right in the direction of Shellal.
Hercule Poirot decided to pass the remaining two hours before lunch on the island of Elephantine, immediately opposite the hotel.
He went down to the landing-stage. There were two men just stepping into one of the hotel boats, and Poirot joined them. The men were obviously strangers to each other. The younger of them had arrived by train the day before. He was a tall, dark-haired young man, with a thin face and a pugnacious chin. He was wearing an extremely dirty pair of grey flannel trousers and a high-necked polo jumper singularly unsuited to the climate. The other was a slightly podgy middle-aged man who lost no time in entering into conversation with Poirot in idiomatic but slightly broken English. Far from taking part in the conversation, the younger man merely scowled at them both and then deliberately turned his back on them and proceeded to admire the agility with which the Nubian boatman steered the boat with his toes as he manipulated the sail with his hands.
It was very peaceful on the water, the great smooth slippery black rocks gliding by and the soft breeze fanning their faces. Elephantine was reached very quickly and on going ashore Poirot and his loquacious acquaintance made straight for the museum. By this time the latter had produced a card which he handed to Poirot with a little bow. It bore the inscription: ‘Signor Guido Richetti, Archeologo.’
Not to be outdone, Poirot returned the bow and extracted his own card. These formalities completed, the two men stepped into the Museum together, the Italian pouring forth a stream of erudite information. They were by now conversing in French.
The young man in the flannel trousers strolled listlessly round the Museum, yawning from time to time, and then escaped to the outer air.
Poirot and Signor Richetti at last found him. The Italian was energetic in examining the ruins, but presently Poirot, espying a green-lined sunshade which he recognized on the rocks down by the river, escaped in that direction.
Mrs Allerton was sitting on a large rock, a sketchbook by her side and a book on her lap.
Poirot removed his hat politely and Mrs Allerton at once entered into conversation.
‘Good morning,’ she said. ‘I suppose it would be quite impossible to get rid of some of these awful children.’
A group of small black figures surrounded her, all grinning and posturing and holding out imploring hands as they lisped ‘Bakshish’ at intervals, hopefully.
‘I thought they’d get tired of me,’ said Mrs Allerton sadly. ‘They’ve been watching me for over two hours now–and they close in on me little by little; and then I yell “Imshi” and brandish my sunshade at them and they scatter for a minute or two. And then they come back and stare and stare, and their eyes are simply disgusting, and so are their noses, and I don’t believe I really like children–not unless they’re more or less washed and have the rudiments of manners.’
She laughed ruefully.
Poirot gallantly attempted to disperse the mob for her, but without avail. They scattered and then reappeared, closing in once more.
‘If there were only any peace in Egypt, I should like it better,’ said Mrs Allerton. ‘But you can never be alone anywhere. Someone is always pestering you for money, or offering you donkeys, or beads, or expeditions to native villages, or duck shooting.’
‘It is the great disadvantage, that is true,’ said Poirot.
He spread his handkerchief cautiously on the rock and sat somewhat gingerly upon it.
‘Your son is not with you this morning?’ he went on.
‘No, Tim had some letters to get off before we leave. We’re doing the trip to the Second Cataract, you know.’
‘I, too.’
‘I’m so glad. I want to tell you that I’m quite thrilled to meet you. When we were in Majorca, there was a Mrs Leech there, and she was telling us the most wonderful things about you. She’d lost a ruby ring bathing, and she was just lamenting that you weren’t there to find it for her.
‘Ah, parbleu, but I am not the diving seal!’
They both laughed.
Mrs Allerton went on.
‘I saw you from my window walking down the drive with Simon Doyle this morning. Do tell me what you make of him! We’re so excited about him.’
‘Ah? Truly?’
‘Yes. You know his marriage to Linnet Ridgeway was the greatest surprise. She was supposed to be going to marry Lord Windlesham and then suddenly she gets engaged to this man no one had ever heard of!’
‘You know her well, Madame?’
‘No, but a cousin of mine, Joanna Southwood, is one of her best friends.’
‘Ah, yes, I have read that name in the papers.’ He was silent a moment and then went on, ‘She is a young lady very much in the news, Mademoiselle Joanna Southwood.’
‘Oh, she knows how to advertise herself all right,’ snapped Mrs Allerton.
‘You do not like her, Madame?’
‘That was a nasty remark of mine.’ Mrs Allerton looked penitent. ‘You see I’m old-fashioned. I don’t like her much. Tim and she are the greatest of friends, though.’
‘I see,’ said Poirot.
His companion shot a quick look at him. She changed the subject.
‘How very few young people there are out here! That pretty girl with the chestnut hair and the appalling mother in the turban is almost the only young creature in the place. You have talked to her a good deal, I notice. She interests me, that child.’
‘Why is that, Madame?’
‘I feel sorry for her. You can suffer so much when you are young and sensitive. I think she is suffering.’
‘Yes, she is not happy, poor little one.’
‘Tim and I call her the “sulky girl”. I’ve tried to talk to her once or twice, but she’s snubbed me on each occasion. However, I believe she’s going on this Nile trip too, and I expect we’ll have to be more or less all matey together, shan’t we?’
‘It is a possible contingency, Madame.’
‘I’m very matey really–people interest me enormously. All the different types.’ She paused, then said: ‘Tim tells me that that dark girl–her name is de Bellefort–is the girl who was engaged to Simon Doyle. It’s rather awkward for them–meeting like this.’