Mr Ferguson got rather red.
"I can stick by my friends anyway," he said gruffly.
"Well, Mr Ferguson, I think that's all we need for the present," said Race. As the door closed behind Ferguson he remarked unexpectedly, "Rather a likable young cub, really."
"You don't think he is the man you are after?" asked Poirot.
"I hardly think so. I suppose he is on board. The information was very precise. Oh, well, one job at a time. Let's have a go at Pennington."
Chapter 17
Andrew Pennington displayed all the conventional reactions of grief and shock. He was, as usual, carefully dressed. He had changed into a black tie. His long clean-shaven face bore a bewildered expression.
"Gentlemen," he said sadly, "this business has got me right down! Little Linnet - why, I remember her as the cutest little thing you can imagine. How proud of her Melhuish Ridgeway used to be, too! Well, there's no point in going into that. Just tell me what I can do; that's all I ask."
Race said, "To begin with, Mr Pennington, did you hear anything last night?"
"No, sir, I can't say I did. I have the cabin right next to Dr Bessner's, number forty - forty-one, and I heard a certain commotion going on in there round about midnight or so. Of course I didn't know what it was at the time."
"You heard nothing else? No shots?"
Andrew Pennington shook his head.
"Nothing whatever of that kind."
"And you went to bed at what time?"
"Must have been some time after eleven."
He leant forward.
"I don't suppose it's news to you to know that there's plenty of rumours going about the boat. That half French girl - Jacqueline de Bellefort - there was something fishy there, you know. Linnet didn't tell me anything, but naturally I wasn't born blind and deaf. There'd been some affair between her and Simon, some time, hadn't there? Cherchez la femme - that's a pretty good sound rule, and I should say you wouldn't have to cherchez far."
"You mean that in your belief Jacqueline de Bellefort shot Madame Doyle?" Poirot asked.
"That's what it looks like to me. Of course I don't know anything..."
"Unfortunately we do know something!"
"Eh?" Mr Pennington looked startled.
"We know that it is quite impossible for Mademoiselle de Bellefort to have shot Madame Doyle."
He explained carefully the circumstances. Pennington seemed reluctant to accept them.
"I agree it looks all right on the face of it - but this hospital nurse woman, I'll bet she didn't stay awake all night. She dozed off and the girl slipped out and in again."
"Hardly likely, Monsieur Pennington. She had administered a strong opiate, remember. And anyway a nurse is in the habit of sleeping lightly and waking when her patient wakes."
"It all sounds rather fishy to me," declared Pennington.
Race said, in a gently authoritative manner: "I think you must take it from me, Mr Pennington, that we have examined all the possibilities very carefully. The result is quite definite - Jacqueline de Bellefort did not shoot Mrs Doyle. So we are forced to look elsewhere. That is where we hope you may be able to help us."
"I?" Pennington gave a nervous start.
"Yes. You were an intimate friend of the dead woman's. You know the circumstances of her life, in all probability, much better than her husband does, since he only made her acquaintance a few months ago. You would know, for instance, of anyone who had a grudge against her. You would know, perhaps, whether there was anyone who had a motive for desiring her death."
Andrew Pennington passed his tongue over rather dry looking lips.
"I assure you, I have no idea... You see Linnet was brought up in England. I know very little of her surroundings and associations."
"And yet," mused Poirot, "there was someone on board who was interested in Madame Doyle's removal. She had a near escape before, you remember, at this very place, when that boulder crashed down. Ah! but you were not there, perhaps?"
"No. I was inside the temple at the time. I heard about it afterward, of course. A very near escape. But possibly an accident, don't you think?"
Poirot shrugged his shoulders.
"One thought so at the time. Now - one wonders."
"Yes - yes, of course." Pennington wiped his face with a fine silk handkerchief.
Colonel Race went on: "Mrs Doyle happened to mention someone being on board who bore a grudge - not against her personally, but against her family. Do you know who that could be?"
Pennington looked genuinely astonished.
"No, I've no idea."
"She didn't mention the matter to you?"
"No."
"You were an intimate friend of her father's - you cannot remember any business operations of his that might have resulted in ruin for some business opponent?"
Pennington shook his head helplessly.
"No outstanding case. Such operations were frequent, of course, but I can't recall anyone who uttered threats - nothing of that kind."
"In short, Mr Pennington, you cannot help us?"
"It seems so. I deplore my inadequacy, gentlemen."
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