Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 607 This is what they call a secret room!

Charles de Frésiné, playing the Greek doctor Constantine, takes out the new cards that Sophie just distributed, steps forward, and approaches the "Poirots."

He was clearly not used to this kind of "role-playing," but as a former prime minister, he tried to maintain his composure.

[Dr. Constantine (Frecine): "Based on the condition of the body, the time of death is between midnight and 2 a.m., most likely around 1 a.m. He was drugged."]

He continued looking at the card, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

[Dr. Constantine (Frecine): "The condition of the body... is very strange. Le Chaté has been stabbed twelve to fifteen times. The wounds vary in depth; some only graz the skin, while others are deep enough to expose the bone. Also... there is a wound on the groin of his right arm, clearly caused by a left-handed knife. But most of the other wounds were caused by his right hand."]

He looked up, a puzzled expression on his face: "The knife technique is chaotic. It looks like it was done by a woman who lost control of her emotions, but there are also wounds that require strength. It's also possible that someone deliberately faked it."

The three "Poirots" gathered around. James Rothschild spoke on behalf of the group.

[Poirot (James Rothschild): "What's the situation on the ground?"]

Chief flight attendant Ferdinand Dubois also received a new card.

[Pursuer (Ferdinand Dubois): "The windows are wide open. But there are no footprints in the snow outside. The door is locked from the inside and has a chain. The door to the next compartment is also bolted shut from the other side. It's a closed room!"]

"Poirot," Henry Browitz immediately pressed for an answer.

[Poirot (Henry Browitz): "Completely sealed off? No other exits?"]

[Train conductor (Ferdinand Dubois): "No, sir. There are only doors and windows. The snow outside is flat."]

Georges Nagelmarx, playing Poirot, strokes his chin—he seems to be mimicking the pose of an imagined detective.

[Poirot (Georges Nagelmarques): "So how did the killer leave? Or did he never leave at all?"]

Lionel added, "Generally speaking, this kind of room can be called a 'secret room'."

The three Poirots exchanged glances, memorized the word, and then began to "investigate the scene" according to the clues on the card.

Sophie then handed over some "evidence" cards—prepared in advance by Lionel, which included simple diagrams and descriptions of the items.

James Rothschild picked up the first one.

[Poirot (James Rothschild): "A woman's handkerchief. Very delicate, with the letter 'H' embroidered in the corner."]

Henry Browitz picked up another one.

[Poirot (Henry Browitz): "A pipe cleaner. Not from the dead man; he had no tobacco in his pocket."]

George Nagelmarx picked up the third one.

[Poirot (Georges Nagelmarx): "A revolver, under the pillow. Fully loaded."]

[Dr. Constantine (Frecine) added: "There was also a gold watch. The case was dented, and the hands were stopped at one-eighth."]

The other "passengers" in the salon carriage listened with bated breath.

Although everyone knew it was a game, the progression of the plot and the appearance of clues drew everyone in.

Mrs. Rothschild—Mrs. Hubbard—interrupted.

Mrs. Hubbard (Mrs. Rothschild): "A handkerchief? That means the murderer is a woman! I told you, I heard a woman's voice next door last night!"

Louis Bertin, the painter who played the Italian carriage salesman, refuted this.

[Foscarelli (Louis Bertin): "But the pipe cleaner is a man's thing! That means the murderer is a man!"]

[McQueen (Georges Boyer): "It could all be misleading. Someone left it there intentionally."]

Lionel, as the host, then interjected. He was no longer the "dead man," but the game's facilitator.

“Mr. Poirot, there’s one more thing here,” he gestured to Sophie.

Sophie took out a special card with several pieces of charred paper drawn on it.

[Poirot (James Rothschild): "There was a charred piece of paper in the ashtray. The remaining writing on the paper was... 'Little Daisy Armstrong.'"]

There was a moment of silence in the salon carriage; it was an unfamiliar female name.

At this point, Lionel no longer plays the role of "Le Chaté," but instead narrates the news behind the name in a storytelling style—

“‘Le Chaté’ is not my real name. My real name is Kessetie. I was the mastermind behind the Armstrong kidnapping case that shocked the United States several years ago.”

"Colonel Armstrong was British and the son-in-law of an American tycoon. His wife was the daughter of the famous tragedian Linda Arden. They had a three-year-old daughter, Daisy Armstrong."

“The crime syndicate led by Kessetie kidnapped little Daisy. They demanded a huge ransom. The Armstrong family paid two hundred thousand dollars. But the little girl had already been murdered, and her body was not discovered until two weeks later.”

The carriage was deathly silent. Even the passengers who had been joking just moments before had stopped laughing.

"That's not all. Mrs. Armstrong was pregnant at the time. Devastated by this, she went into premature labor, lost the baby, and died. Colonel Armstrong committed suicide in despair."

"There was also a French nanny. The police suspected she knew something. She repeatedly denied it, but no one believed her. In the end, she jumped off a building and committed suicide. It was later proven that she was completely innocent."

Mrs. Rothschild covered her mouth with her fan: "My God...this is terrible."

James Rothschild then pressed on, "And what about Kessetie? Was he arrested?"

Lionel nodded. “He was arrested. But thanks to his enormous wealth and loopholes, he escaped legal punishment. Public outrage ensued, and he was nearly lynched. So he changed his name, left the United States, and went into exile as Le Chatelier, living a comfortable life off his savings.” He looked at the three “Poirots.” “Now, back to our case. Poirot realized that this was likely not a simple murder for money, but revenge. Revenge related to the Armstrong case.”

The three "Poirots" huddled together, discussing in hushed tones. The other passengers also looked at their new cards, updated with information their characters should know at this stage.

Georges Boyer's character, McQueen, stands up. The new card he received instructs him to answer Poirot's questions and tell him everything he knows about his boss.

Other passengers were also "interrogated" in turn or provided information about what they "saw." Based on the card prompts, each person provided some information, some useful, some potentially irrelevant, and some possibly even lies.

The clues are becoming increasingly complex—

The handkerchief points to the woman; the pipe cleaner points to the man; the pocket watch is stopped at one and a half o'clock, seemingly indicating the time of the crime; the window is open but there are no footprints, an obvious disguise; the closed room is puzzling; the wounds show a contradiction between the killer's strength and hand habits...

More importantly, the deceased was Kessetie, a criminal who had escaped punishment, which immediately complicated the case.

The three "Poirots" began to argue.

[Poirot (Henry Browitz): "Revenge was a strong motive. Someone in the car might be connected to the Armstrong family case."]

[Poirot (James Rothschild): "But there are so many people in the car, we have to check them one by one, which will take a lot of time."]

[Poirot (Georges Nagelmarques): "The clues were too messy. The handkerchief and pipe cleaner seemed deliberately left to mislead us."]

Lionel listened to their discussion, occasionally interjecting with "official information," but never revealing the truth.

The atmosphere in the game grew increasingly heated. The passengers were no longer just reading cards; they began to add their own analysis and guesses.

[Colonel Abathnott (Paul Morrow): "I've seen similar cases when I served in the colonies. Hatred can make people act irrationally."]

[Miss Deberham (Émile Durand): "That poor child...and that nanny. I can understand if someone wants revenge for them."]

His long beard, coupled with his "gentle" tone, made several people chuckle, but the atmosphere quickly returned to seriousness.

Mrs. Hubbard (Mrs. Rothschild): "I heard a woman's voice! It must have been a woman! The handkerchief is proof!"

Count André (Jean-Baptiste Nodon): "The lady and I were in the room all night. We can vouch for each other. But what about the others?"

When this question was posed, everyone immediately looked at their cards, searching for clues about what they had been doing "last night".

The answers varied widely: some people were sleeping, some were reading, some heard strange noises but didn't pay attention, and some said they didn't leave their rooms all night.

No one’s account can be fully verified.

Time flew by amidst the intense discussion and reasoning.

The real scenery outside the window keeps receding, but the train in the game remains "stuck in the snow".

Lionel glanced at his pocket watch, then clapped his hands. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's getting late. Our first phase of the investigation into the 'Murder on the Orient Express' ends here for now."

The crowd, still wanting more, expressed their regret.

"That's it?"

"We haven't found the murderer yet!"

"Poirots, have you reached a conclusion?"

The three "Poirots" looked at each other, speechless.

Lionel smiled and said, “Give the gentlemen Poirot a moment. It’s lunchtime now. Let’s move to the dining car and enjoy the real food.”

Everyone laughed, stood up, and headed to the dining car. Once seated, the conversation continued to revolve around "Murder on the Orient Express."

"Who do you think is the murderer? Is it that Russian duchess? She looks very stern."

"It could also be that secretary, McQueen, who knew the deceased."

"I believe it was Colonel Abbasnott and Miss Deberham who did it together!"

“Don’t forget Mrs. Hubbard, she keeps saying she hears sounds.”

"Those clues were definitely deliberately set up to confuse people."

The guesses were varied and numerous. Everyone became an amateur detective, analyzing things with great insight.

The three "Poirots" sat together, eating and continuing to discuss the case in hushed tones, clearly already immersed in their roles.

The elites who used to talk about politics, railways, and their experiences in the East have now all become "detectives" and "suspects" who are keen on reasoning.

This entirely new way of telling stories excited them.

When dessert was served, Charles Fressine raised his glass and proposed: "A toast to Lionel's wonderful story, and to all of us for our excellent 'performance'!"

Everyone laughed and raised their glasses in response.

George Nagelmax said sincerely at this moment, "Mr. Sorel, I must admit, this is more interesting than any story. I really want to know now who the murderer is."

Lionel smiled and clinked glasses with him: "Be patient, Mr. Nagelmarx. The best is yet to come."

(Second update complete, thank you everyone. I'll start making up for missed updates tomorrow. Please vote with your monthly tickets!)

(End of this chapter)