Notes

Chapter 4: Mr Poirot and Colonel Race interview all
the passengers on board. Linnet’s maid, Louise Bourget, who found Linnet’s body that morning, doesn’t know whether Linnet’s pearls, which have disappeared, were
in the cabin the night before. She tells Poirot that an engineer on board, Mr Fleetwood, was probably angry
at Linnet for having advised her former maid, Marie, to break off her engagement to him. But Fleetwood says he is innocent and has spent the night in his cabin. So have Mrs Allerton and Tim, Mrs Otterbourne and Rosalie, Miss Van Schuyler, Mr Richetti, Mr Pennington and Mr Ferguson
– one more passenger who is permanently expressing his dislike of the wealthy, whom he finds useless. Miss Van
Schuyler, however, says she saw Rosalie throw something overboard at about one o’clock in the morning which Rosalie denies. Mr Fanthorp and Cornelia’s recollection of the events in the lounge the night before provides Jackie and Simon with alibis. Simon mentions George Wode’s anger at Linnet for having bought his house, and Lord Windleham’s possible annoyance at having been rejected by Linnet. He adds that there is a passenger on board whose father lost money while doing business with Linnet’s father. The pistol, which had disappeared from the lounge, is found in the water, wrapped in a velvet shawl through which it has been shot. Several passengers had heard a splash during the night.