Смерть на Ниле / Death on the Nile - стр. 38

starts from Shellal to Wadi Halfa. I propose to book passages on that under an assumed name. Tomorrow we’ll go on an excursion to Philae. Linnet’s maid can take the luggage. We’ll join the Karnak at Shellal. When Jackie finds we don’t come back, it will be too late – we shall be well on our way. She’ll assume we have given her the slip and gone back to Cairo. In fact I might even bribe the porter to say so. Enquiry at the tourist offices won’t help her, because our names won’t appear. How does that strike you?’

‘It is well imagined, yes. And suppose she waits here till you return?’

‘We may not return. We would go on to Khartoum and then perhaps by air to Kenya. She can’t follow us all over the globe.’

‘No, there must come a time when financial reasons forbid. She has very little money, I understand.’

Simon looked at him with admiration.

‘That’s clever of you. Do you know, I hadn’t thought of that. Jackie’s as poor as they make them.’

‘And yet she has managed to follow you so far?’

Simon said doubtfully:

‘She’s got a small income, of course. Something under two hundred a year, I imagine. I suppose – yes, I suppose she must have sold out the capital to do what she’s doing.’

‘So that the time will come when she has exhausted her resources and is quite penniless?’

‘Yes…’

Simon wriggled uneasily. The thought seemed to make him uncomfortable. Poirot watched him attentively.

‘No,’ he remarked. ‘No, it is not a pretty thought…’

Simon said rather angrily:

‘Well, I can’t help it!’ Then he added, ‘What do you think of my plan?’

‘I think it may work, yes. But it is, of course, a retreat.’

Simon flushed.

‘You mean, we’re running away? Yes, that’s true… But Linnet-’

Poirot watched him, then gave a short nod.

‘As you say, it may be the best way. But remember, Mademoiselle de Bellefort has brains.’

Simon said sombrely:

‘Some day, I feel, we’ve got to make a stand and fight it out. Her attitude isn’t reasonable.’

‘Reasonable, mon Dieu!’ cried Poirot.

‘There’s no reason why women shouldn’t behave like rational beings,’ said Simon stolidly.

Poirot said dryly:

‘Quite frequently they do. That is even more upsetting!’ He added, ‘I, too, shall be on the Karnak. It is part of my itinerary.

‘Oh!’ Simon hesitated, then said, choosing his words with some embarrassment: ‘That isn’t – isn’t – er – on our account in any way? I mean I wouldn’t like to think-’

Poirot disabused him quickly.

‘Not at all. It was all arranged before I left London. I always make my plans well in advance.’

‘You don’t just move on from place to place as the fancy takes you? Isn’t the latter really pleasanter?’