“You had no idea, I suppose, of the identity of the possible assailant?”
“Well, I knew what he looked like. Mr. Ratchett described him to me.”
“What?”
All three men leaned forward eagerly.
Hardman went on.
“A small man—dark—with a womanish kind of voice. That’s what the old man said. Said, too, that he didn’t think it would be the first night out, More likely the second or third.”
“He knew something,” said M. Bouc.
“He certainly knew more than he told his secretary,” commented Poirot thoughtfully. “Did he tell you anything about this enemy of his? Did he, for instance, say why his life was threatened?”
“No, he was kinda reticent about that part of it. just said the fellow-was out for his blood and meant to get it.”
“A small man—dark—with a womanish voice,” repeated Poirot thoughtfully. Then, fixing a sharp glance on Hardman, he asked: “You knew who he really was, of course?”
“Which, Mister?”
“Ratchett. You recognised him?”
“I don’t get you.”
“Ratchett was Cassetti, the Armstrong murderer.”
Mr. Hardman gave vent to a prolonged whistle.
“That certainly is some surprise!” he said. “Yes, sir! No, I didn’t recognise him. I was away out West when that case came on. I suppose I saw photos of him in the papers, but I wouldn’t recognise my own mother when a newspaper photographer got through with her. Well, I don’t doubt that a few people had it in for Cassetti all right.”
Do you know of anyone connected with the Armstrong case who answers to that description: small—dark—womanish voice?”
Hardman reflected a minute or two. “It’s hard to say. Pretty nearly everyone connected with that case is dead.”
“There was the girl who threw herself out of the window, remember.”
“Sure. That’s a good point, that. She was a foreigner of some kind. Maybe she had some Wop relations. But you’ve got to remember that there were other cases besides the Armstrong one. Cassetti had been running this kidnapping stunt for some time. You can’t concentrate on that only.”
Ah, but we have reason to believe that this crime is connected with the Armstrong case.”
Mr. Hardman cocked an inquiring eye. Poirot did not respond. The American shook his head.
“I can’t call to mind anybody answering that description in the Armstrong case,” he said slowly. “But of course I wasn’t in it and didn’t know much about it.”
“Well, continue your narrative, Mr. Hardman.”
“There’s very little to tell. I got my sleep in the daytime and stayed awake on the watch at night. Nothing suspicious happened the first night. Last night was the same, as far as I was concerned. I had my door a little ajar and watched. No stranger passed.”
“You are sure of that, Mr. Hardman?”
“I’m plumb certain. Nobody got on that train from outside, and nobody came along the train from the rear carriages. I’ll take my oath on that.”
“Could you see the conductor from your position?”
“Sure. He sits on that little seat almost flush with my door.”
“Did he leave that seat at all after the train stopped at Vincovci?”
“That was the last station? Why, yes, he answered a couple of bells—that would be just after the train came to a halt for good. Then, after that, he went past me into the rear coach—was there about a quarter of an hour. There was a bell ringing like mad and he came back running. I stepped out into the corridor to see what it was all about—felt a mite nervous, you understand—but it was only the American dame. She was raising hell about something or other, I grinned. Then he went on to another compartment and came back and got a bottle of mineral water for someone. After that he settled down in his seat till he went up to the far end to make somebody’s bed up. I don’t think he stirred after that until about five o’clock this morning.”
“Did he doze off at all?”
“That I can’t say. He may have.”
Poirot nodded. Automatically his hands straightened the papers on the table. He picked up the official card once more.
“Be so good as just to initial this,” he said.