Notes

: Mother, you always get things wrong. I was there when they discovered that the diamonds she was wearing were false. The real ones had probably been stolen months before. Some people even thought she had sold them herself
: Did Joanna suggest that?
Tim : She wasn't there that weekend, Mother,
— Tim พูดอย่างเบาๆ —
— Poirot politely changed the subject and talked about sending some gifts back to England —
: Can I depend on the post between here and England? Have you had any experience of it
: Tim gets books sometimes and has no trouble with them.
Poirot : Ah, no, books are different
— After coffee had been served, Colonel Race stood up, explained that Mrs Doyle's pearls were missing and asked everyone to stay in the dining-room while the boat was searched —
— Race and Poirot waited on the deck. They expected someone to come out, but were surprised a few minutes later when Miss Bowers came to the door of the dining-room and asked to speak to them. They went to the office —
: I want to return these
— She took out a string of pearls and laid them on the table —
Colonel : This is most extraordinary
— Colonel พูดขณะหยิบไข่มุกขึ้นมา —
Colonel : Will you kindly explain, Miss Bowers?
Bowers : of course. I hesitated because I had to think of the family, but I could not be found with the pearls in my possession
Colonel : Did you take the pearls from Mrs Doyle's cabin?
Bowers : Me? Oh, no. Miss Van Schuyler did. She can't help it, and she never admits that she's taken anything. She usually takes Jewellery and pearls are her favourite. It's my job to watch her. She always hides the things she takes in her underwear drawer, so I check the drawer every morning and return things to their owners. I found these this morning, but when I tried to return them to Mrs Doyle's cabin, there was a guard and it was impossible
— Bowers looked worried —
Poirot : Thank you for coming to us so quickly
Poirot : but please, one more question. Miss Van Schuyler has problems, you say? Is it possible for her to commit murder?
Bowers : Oh, no! Nothing of that kind. The old lady wouldn't hurt a fly
— Bowers ตอบทันที —
Poirot : Is Miss Van Schuyler at all deaf Do you think, for example, that she could hear someone moving about in the cabin next to hers in Mrs Doyle's cabin?
Bowers : As a matter of fact, she is quite deaf Monsieur Poirot. I don't think she could hear anything at all
— When Miss Bowers had returned to the dining-room —
Colonel : Miss van Schuyler must be a suspect now. Did she murder Mrs Doyle to get the pearls? I doubt it, but
Colonel : I think she did see Rosalie Otterbourne, but I don't think she heard anything in Linnet Doyle's cabin. I think she was just watching for her chance to go in and take the pearls
: But if Mrs Doyle was shot at about ten minutes past one, when the boat was very quiet, I am amazed that no one heard the shot. Of course her husband's cabin was empty and Miss Van Schuyler is deaf. That leaves only the cabin next to her on the other side of the boat. In other words Pennington
: I am promising myself the pleasure of asking him a few more questions, said Poirot. But first, the pearls
— Poirot examined the pearls carefully. He held them up to the light: he even bit one of them. Then he threw them on the table —
: Another complication, my friend
: These pearls are not real. They are only a clever copy
: Are you positive
— asked Race, picking them up —
: Yes, I am certain. I was admiring Madame Doyle's pearls the first evening on the boat they were beautiful and very real
: Could Miss Bowers and Miss Van Schuyler be clever jewel thieves pretending to be part of a rich American family?
: It is difficult to say, but it would take careful planning and skill to copy Madame Doyle's pearls. It could not be done in a hurry. The person who made the copy had a good opportunity of studying the original
: So now we've got to find the real pearls
— Poirot and Race searched the cabins carefully, even their own. Most cabins contained what they had expected, but there were a few surprises. Mr Ferguson's outer clothing was torn and dirty, but his underwear and handkerchiefs were of very good quality. Tim Allerton's cabin contained several pieces of religious art, including a big wooden rosary
— The two men searched both Simon's and Linnet's cabins very carefully for clues to the theft, but also to the murder. In Linnet's room, Poirot noticed two little bottles of fingernail polish one, labelled Rose', had only a drop or two of dark red liquid at the bottom, the other, labelled Cardinal', was nearly full. Poirot opened both bottles and the smell of pear drops filled the room —
Poirot : There is something a little curious here
Poirot : I must ask the maid
Colonel : I wonder where she is