Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 608 The real deduction begins!

Lunch ended much faster than usual.

The passengers' eyes were filled with anticipation as the waiter cleared away the plate of the last dessert.

“Let’s begin the second phase now!” Georges Boiser was the first to speak.

The Le Figaro reporter was completely in character, still clutching the card of the "McQueen" character he was playing.

“Yes, let’s not wait any longer!” Louis Bertin chimed in, having found the joy of the performance. “My head is overflowing with clues!”

Mrs. Rothschild laughed and said, "Lyon, you can't keep us in suspense like this. Who is the murderer? I bet it's not Mrs. Hubbard—though she is indeed a bit of an overreacter."

Her husband, James Rothschild, laughed: "Darling, you can't make excuses for yourself in the game."

“That’s a reasonable deduction!” Madame Rothschild raised her chin. Everyone laughed.

Charles de Frésiné couldn't help but say, "Indeed, this is much more interesting than parliamentary debates. I agree to continue."

The group of politicians, bankers, artists, and journalists before me all seemed like children waiting to hear a story.

Lionel laughed: "Since everyone is in such a hurry, let's go to the salon carriage. But I must remind you all that the second phase requires more preparation and will test your wisdom even more."

"No problem!" everyone responded in unison, and then returned to the salon carriage.

The train was passing through the hilly region of southern Germany, with rolling pastures and red-roofed farmhouses visible outside the window, but no one was paying attention to the scenery.

Lionel stood in the middle of the carriage, with Sophie standing beside him holding a stack of new cards.

"In the second phase, all participants except the three 'Poirots' will receive new cards. But this time, the contents of the cards cannot be revealed to anyone else. After you have read them, you can take some time to ponder and prepare."

Leonard paused, then looked around at everyone: "At this stage, your roles will involve more 'secrets.' You will need to use your wisdom to decide how to reveal these secrets, or how to hide them."

The atmosphere became subtle. The passengers exchanged glances, some curious, some wary, but mostly eager.

Sophie began handing out cards, the words on which were smaller and denser than before.

Mrs. Rothschild took the card and unfolded it to read. Her expression gradually changed from curiosity to surprise, and her eyes widened.

Then she looked up at the other people around her—especially her husband, James Rothschild.

Georges Boiser's reaction was more pronounced. He glanced at the card, gasped, and then quickly closed it as if it were something burning hot.

He looked around, his gaze lingering on each person's face for a moment before finally settling on Lionel, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Paul Moreau, the archaeologist who plays Colonel Abathnott, frowned and then fell into thought.

After reading the card, Louis Bertin immediately whistled: "My God..."

He immediately realized he shouldn't have made a sound and quickly covered his mouth, but his eyes were shining with excitement.

The most interesting is Emil Durand. This bearded Orientalist plays the young governess, Miss Deberham.

After looking at the new card, he subconsciously touched his beard, his expression showing confusion, surprise, and a hint of nervousness.

Jean-Baptiste Nodon and his wife exchanged a glance, and Nodon couldn't help but whisper, "This... is truly unexpected."

Ferdinand Dubois—the train conductor, who plays the role of a train attendant in the game—had the calmest expression after looking at the cards.

He simply nodded, carefully folded the card, put it in his pocket, then straightened up and resumed his professional posture.

Lionel observed everyone's reactions and nodded with satisfaction; this was largely as he had expected.

The shock and subsequent psychological changes experienced by the passengers when they learn the "true identities" of the characters they are playing are the most exciting part of the game.

In the first phase in the morning, he had to give a lot of hints in order to get these 19th-century elites, who had never been exposed to "murder mystery games" before, into the zone.

Not only were the contents of the cards simple and straightforward, almost guiding everyone on what to say and do; he even directly presented the kidnapping case as background to the participants, as well as how to obtain the name "Little Daisy".

The kidnapping of Daisy in the original novel of "Murder on the Orient Express" is based on a historical event, namely the Lindbergh kidnapping in 1920.

This kidnapping case garnered worldwide attention, making it a natural step to explore the background as a motive for the murder.

However, no major criminal case of similar significance occurred in Europe or the United States in 1883, so the case could only be presented to the participants as a fictional event. Otherwise, mere speculation about the motive would have been enough to make Poirot's mind race.

If this were placed more than 130 years later, in an era where "scripted murder mystery games" and various board games are ubiquitous, there would certainly be problems with giving information so directly instead of letting participants gradually discover it; but in the present context, it is a method that has to be adopted out of necessity.

Lionel didn't want to set too high a barrier to entry in terms of rules and reasoning from the outset.

But the situation was different in the second phase. Everyone was already immersed in the story of "Murder on the Orient Express," and each person had a preliminary understanding of the role they were playing.

It's time to give them more "freedom" so that, knowing the "dual identities" of their characters, they can use their wisdom, words, and performances to push the story in a certain direction.

The salon carriage fell silent. Passengers found their own corners, some sitting on chairs, others standing by the window, each head down, engrossed in their cards.

The three Poirots then gathered together. They had no new cards, because at this stage, they needed to rely on reasoning and questioning to obtain information.

“It seems the second phase will be a major turning point,” James Rothschild murmured. Henry Browitz nodded. “Everyone’s reaction is quite intriguing. Especially Boyer; he seems to know something incredible.”

George Nagelmarx, however, expressed some concern: "What if we can't find the killer in the end?"

James Rothschild patted him on the shoulder: “Relax, George, it’s just a story. Imagine, in the future people will say, ‘That was the train where Lionel Sorel recounted his most famous murder!’”

Nagelmas thought for a moment, his expression softening slightly: "You have a point."

Lionel glanced at his pocket watch and walked to the center of the carriage. "It's time, everyone. The second phase is about to begin. Hercule Poirot will begin questioning the passengers."

The atmosphere now is completely different from the relaxed and playful atmosphere of the first phase; everyone appears serious and focused.

When their eyes meet, it's no longer a friendly nod, but rather a scrutiny and suspicion, even between friends and spouses.

It only becomes truly fun when people start taking the game seriously.

James Rothschild, Henry Browitz, and George Nagelmarx whispered for a few moments, then James spoke on behalf of the group: "We think we should start with the train conductor. He is the one who knows the train situation and the schedule best."

Ferdinand Dubois walked to the center of the carriage and stood ramrod straight.

[Poirot (Henry Browitz): "Mr. Dubois, please tell me in detail what happened last night—what you did and saw between dinner and when you discovered the body?"]

Train conductor (Ferdinand Dubois): "After dinner, most of the passengers returned to their compartments. I was responsible for checking the carriages to make sure everything was in order. Around 10 p.m., I saw Monsieur Le Chaté for the last time—he was reading in his compartment."

Poirot (George Nagelmarx): "And then?"

Train conductor (Ferdinand Dubois): "After that, I sat at the small table at the end of the carriage and filled out the duty log. Around 12:30, Mr. Le Chaté rang the bell."

Poirot (James Rothschild): "The exact time?"

Train conductor (Ferdinand Dubois): "12:40. I've noted it down in the logbook. I went to knock on the door, and Monsieur Le Chaté said from inside—"

He paused, then mimicked a muffled voice in French, "'It's nothing, I made a mistake.'"

Poirot (Henry Browitz): "He spoke French?"

Train conductor (Ferdinand Dubois): "Yes, sir. Authentic French."

Poirot (George Nagelmarx): "And then?"

Train conductor (Ferdinand Dubois): "Then I went back to my seat. Around 1:15, I was sitting at the end of the carriage, facing the aisle."

At this point, Mrs. Hubbard, played by Mrs. Rothschild, interjected.

Mrs. Hubbard (Madame Rothschild): "But conductor! At 1:15, there was someone in my room! I rang the bell to call you, you came, and then that person escaped through the connecting door to Le Chatelier's room!"

Train conductor (Ferdinand Dubois): "Madam, I was indeed sitting in my seat at 1:15. Later, when you rang the bell and I went over, there was no one in your room. The connecting door was locked."

Mrs. Hubbard (Mrs. Rothschild): "Impossible! I saw it with my own eyes! That man was wearing a train conductor's uniform!"

This sentence silenced the carriage for a moment.

Lionel added at the opportune moment: "Mrs. Hubbard insists that she saw a man in a train conductor's uniform flee from her room to Le Chaté's room, leaving behind a button. But Monsieur Dubois says he was sitting in his seat at 1:15."

A contradiction has emerged! The three "Poirots" seem to have grasped something, and they exchange excited glances.

[Poirot (Henry Browitz): "Mr. Dubois, are you sure you didn't leave your seat at 1:15?"]

Train conductor (Ferdinand Dubois): "I may have left for a short while. I went to the back carriage after one o'clock, but I can't remember the exact time."

Poirot (James Rothschild): "How long have you been gone?"

Train conductor (Ferdinand Dubois): "Not long after. Then Mrs. Hubbard rang the bell, and I came back."

Poirot (George Nagelmarx): "So, it's possible that you're not in your seat between 1:00 and 1:15?"

Train conductor (Ferdinand Dubois): "Yes, possibly."

At this point, the passenger playing the German maid "Hildegard Schmidt" spoke up, saying that around 12:30 last night, she bumped into a short man with a dark face who spoke like a woman in the corridor.

The man, dressed in a train conductor's uniform, emerged from a compartment near the Duchess's, a compartment she had never seen before.

The three "Poirots" fell into deep thought, then huddled together and whispered for a while, before James Rothschild summarizing:

"So, a fake train conductor appeared around 12:30. And at 1:15, Mrs. Hubbard claimed to have seen a man in a train conductor's uniform escape from her room."

But Mr. Dubois said he was sitting in his seat at 1:15 – though he admitted he may have left for a short while.

Could the fake train conductor have appeared at 12:30 and then reappeared in Mrs. Hubbard's room at 1:15? Or were there two people in uniform?

Lionel watched this scene and smiled: The real deduction has finally begun.

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(End of this chapter)