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Murder on the Orient Express Part 2, Chapter 5 Summary

  • Who's next? The Swedish lady, Greta Ohlsson. She's the one with yellow hair who Poirot thinks looks kind of like a sheep.
    • The conversation takes place in French. Here's what goes down:
    • Greta Ohlsson is a trained nurse who worked in a missionary school in Stamboul.
    • She did indeed open the door on Mr. Ratchett, just like Mrs. Hubbard said. And yes, he said something inappropriate to her.
    • Greta also confirms that Mrs. Hubbard's bolt on the communicating door was locked when she checked it.
    • She then got into bed at 10:55 p.m.
    • Greta's roommate is Mary Debenham, and Greta says she did not leave the compartment. Greta's a light sleeper, so she would have heard.
    • She does not have a scarlet kimono.
    • Greta has been in America with a woman who was an invalid, but she has not heard of the Armstrong case.
  • After Ohlsson leaves, Poirot makes a timetable of the events to date (2.5.65-72). The way M. Bouc sees it, it's pretty clear that the crime was committed at 1:15 in the morning. Poirot's not so sure; he thinks there's something funny about this case. (Do you?)
  • M. Bouc suspects the Italian man, and declares that "an Italian's weapon is the knife, and he stabs not once but several times" (2.5.76).
  • Poirot says no, it's not that simple. Plus, Ratchett's valet gave the Italian an alibi.