"The only thing I was glad about was that I hadn't got to do it. I simply couldn't have! Not go along in cold blood and kill her when she was asleep! You see, I hadn't forgiven her - I think I could have killed her face to face, but not the other way...
"We worked everything out carefully. Even then, Simon went and wrote a J in blood, which was a silly melodramatic thing to do. It's just the sort of thing he would think of! But it went off all right."
Poirot nodded.
"Yes. It was not your fault that Louise Bourget could not sleep that night... And afterward, Mademoiselle?"
She met his eyes squarely.
"Yes," she said, "it's rather horrible, isn't it? I can't believe that I did that! I know now what you meant by opening your heart to evil... You know pretty well how it happened. Louise made it clear to Simon that she knew. Simon got you to bring me to him. As soon as we were alone together he told me what had happened. He told me what I'd got to do. I wasn't even horrified. I was so afraid - so deadly afraid... That's what murder does to you. Simon and I were safe - quite safe - except for this miserable blackmailing French girl. I took her all the money we could get hold of. I pretended to grovel. And then, when she was counting the money, I - did it! It was quite easy. That's what's so horribly, horribly frightening about it... It's so terribly easy...
"And even then we weren't safe. Mrs Otterbourne had seen me. She came triumphantly along the deck looking for you and Colonel Race. I'd no time to think. I just acted like a flash. It was almost exciting. I knew it was touch or go that time. That seemed to make it better..."
She stopped again.
"Do you remember when you came into my cabin afterward? You said you were not sure why you had come. I was so miserable - so terrified. I thought Simon was going to die..."
"And I - was hoping it," said Poirot.
Jacqueline nodded.
"Yes, it would have been better for him that way."
"That was not my thought."
Jacqueline looked at the sternness of his face.
She said gently: "Don't mind so much for me, Monsieur Poirot. After all, I've lived hard always, you know. If we'd won out, I'd have been very happy and enjoyed things and probably should never have regretted anything. As it is - well, one goes through with it."
She added: "I suppose the stewardess is in attendance to see I don't hang myself or swallow a miraculous capsule of prussic acid as people always do in books. You needn't be afraid! I shan't do that. It will be easier for Simon if I'm standing by."
Poirot got up. Jacqueline rose also. She said with a sudden smile: "Do you remember when I said I must follow my star? You said it might be a false star. And I said, 'That very bad star, that star fall down.'"
He went out onto the deck with her laughter ringing in his ears.
Chapter 30
It was early dawn when they came into Shellвl. The rocks came down grimly to the water's edge.
Poirot murmured, "Quel pays sauvage!"
Race stood beside him. "Well," he said, "we've done our job. I've arranged for Richetti to be taken ashore first. Glad we've got him, He's been a slippery customer, I can tell you. Given us the slip dozens of times."
He went on: "We must get hold of a stretcher for Doyle. Remarkable how he went to pieces."
"Not really," said Poirot. "That boyish type of criminal is usually intensely vain. Once prick the bubble of their self-esteem and it is finished! They go to pieces like children."
"Deserves to be hanged," said Race. "He's a cold-blooded scoundrel. I'm sorry for the girl - but there's nothing to be done about it."
Poirot shook his head.
"People say love justifies everything, but that is not true. Women who care for men as Jacqueline cares for Simon Doyle are very dangerous. It is what I said when I saw her first. 'She cares too much, that little one!' It is true."
Cornelia Robson came up beside him.
"Oh," she said, "we're nearly in."
She paused a minute or two then added, "I've been with her."
"With Mademoiselle de Bellefort?"
"Yes. I felt it was kind of awful for her boxed up with that stewardess. Cousin Marie's very angry though, I'm afraid."
Miss Van Schuyler was progressing slowly down the deck toward them. Her eyes were venomous.
"Cornelia," she snapped, "you've behaved outrageously. I shall send you straight home."
Cornelia took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Cousin Marie, but I'm not going home. I'm going to get married."
"So you've seen sense at last," snapped the old lady.
Ferguson came striding round the corner of the deck. He said: "Cornelia, what's this I hear? It's not true!"
"It's quite true," said Cornelia. "I'm going to marry Dr Bessner. He asked me last night."
"And why are you going to marry him?" asked Ferguson furiously. "Simply because he's rich."
"No, I'm not," said Cornelia indignantly. "I like him. He's kind, and he knows a lot. And I've always been interested in sick folks and clinics, and I shall have just a wonderful life with him."
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