Collision

Chapter 4

Mr. Ratchett lay on his bed, eyes wide open. The ashtray next to him was full of different, strange things. I stepped closer to the body, and saw something strange. " Detective, his pupils are dilated. He was drugged." I told him. His eyes widened at my knowledge as the doctor who had mended my head who I now learned was Dr. Arbuthnot came inside. " This is no place for a young lady. The doctor can take it from here. Go to the dining car. " the detective told me. " I'd like to stay." I told him. " Go." he said curtly. " I wasn't asking, detective." I said equally curt as I stayed knelt next to the body. I lifted the blankets back before standing up in horror. I mentally counted in her head- twelve. " Detective, he was stabbed 12 times, and at different levels of fatality." I said. Suddenly a dizzy spell washed over me." I think I will let the doctor take care of the rest. Excuse me." I mumbled, leaving the car.

I sat next to Miss Debenham who looked at me sternly. " You didn't stay." she stated. " No I did not." I told her, shrugging. " How do you feel?" she asked. " Terrible. Though at least I can get extra days away from boarding school because of the snow." I told her, and Miss Debenham smiled. At that moment the doctor came back in, and I walked up to him, " What's the deal?" I whispered, looking around skeptically. " Long straight edged knife. Probably died between 12 and 2 am. What's weird is that some wounds were barely scratches while others were lethal." he told me, and I scrunched her eyebrows. " Thanks Doctor." I said. " How's your head?" he asked. " In pain." I replied. " That's to be expected. I do want someone with you however for the next couple of days. Concussions can cause dizzying spells, and fainting as well as nausea. And I'll come to change your bandages tomorrow." he told me. " I have no one in my cabin." I told him. " Which is why I have asked Pierre to move Miss Debenham's things into your cabin, so she can watch you." the doctor told me. I looked at Miss Debenham before turning back to the doctor. " And she is alright with this?" I asked him, and the doctor nodded. " Well then. Not much I can do is there." I said grumpily before going to sit down at a corner table away from the doctor and Miss Debenham.

I sat, eating breakfast in solitude when Mr. Bouc and the detective came in. I knew what they were about to say, and continued to read my book without a care in the world. The detective told them that Mr. Ratchett had been murdered. I looked up for a quick second to see their reactions, and was not surprised to see shock on every one of their faces. The conversation continued until the professor asked why he was qualified to take the case. " My name is Hercule Poirot and I am probably the greatest detective in the world." he tells the car. He then proceeds to warn us to lock our doors, and stay in our compartments. " I feel like a prisoner here." the woman who looked like my grandmother complained. " It's better than dying isn't it?" I shot back, making everyone look at me. " What?" I ask snarkily, and they immediately look elsewhere. " If there was a murder, then there was a murderer. the murderer is with us on the train now." Poirot told them. " Yippee, another murder I have to deal with." I mumble from my seat, not looking up from my book.