Murder on the Orient Express

Agatha Christie 
™
 MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS 
102
PART III 
HERCULE POIROT SITS BACK AND THINKS 
1 
WHICH OF THEM? 
M. Bouc. and Dr. Constantine were talking together when Poirot entered the dining-car. M. Bouc 
was looking depressed. 
“
Le voilà
,” said the latter when he saw Poirot. Then he added, as his friend sat down, “If you 
solve this case, 
mon cher
, I shall indeed believe in miracles!” 
“It worries you, this case?” 
“Naturally it worries me. I cannot make head or tail of it.” 
“I agree,” said the doctor. He looked at Poirot with interest. “To be frank,” he said, “I cannot 
see what you are going to do next.” 
“No!” said Poirot thoughtfully. 
He took out his cigarette case and lit one of his tiny cigarettes. His eyes were dreamy. 
“That, to me, is the interest of this case,” he said. “We are cut off from all the normal routes 
of procedure. Are these people whose evidence we have taken speaking the truth, or lying? We 
have no means of finding out—except such means as we can devise ourselves. It is an exercise, 
this, of the brain.” 
“That is all very fine,” said M. Bouc. “But what have you to go upon?” 
“I told you just now. We have the evidence of the passengers and the evidence of our own 
eyes.” 
“Pretty evidence—that of the passengers! It told us just nothing at all.” 
Poirot shook his head. 
“I do not agree, my friend. The evidence of the passengers gave us several points of interest.” 
“Indeed,” said M. Bouc sceptically. “I did not observe it.” 
“That is because you did not listen.” 
“Well, tell me, what did I miss?” 
“I will just take one instance—the first evidence we heard, that of the young MacQueen. He 
uttered, to my mind, one very significant phrase.” 
“About the letters?” 
“No, not about the letters. As far as I can remember, his words were: ‘
We travelled about. Mr. 
Ratchett wanted to see the world. He was hampered by knowing no languages. I acted more as a 
courier than a secretary
.’ ” 
He looked from the doctor’s face to that of M. Bouc. 
“What? You still do not see? That is inexcusable—for you had a second chance again just 
now when he said, ‘
You’re likely to be out of luck if you don’t speak anything but good 
American
.’ ” 
“You mean—?” M. Bouc still looked puzzled. 

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