:42:00
And I was trying to collect oil
concessions, you know,
:42:02
with so little success
that I went bankrupt,
:42:02
The initial is wrong.
:42:04
What is the princess's first name?
:42:04
and he offered me the job. I took it.
:42:06
- And since then?
- Well, we've traveled around.
:42:07
Natalia, mein Herr.
It is a Russian name.
:42:10
He was hampered
by not knowing any languages.
:42:11
In the Russian, or Cyrillic, alphabet,
:42:12
I acted more as his courier
than as his secretary.
:42:13
their capital N
:42:14
It was a pleasant enough job.
:42:15
is written like our capital H.
:42:16
What part of America
did Ratchett come from?
:42:19
I don't know.
:42:20
The fact is, he never talked
about his background.
:42:21
Madame la Princess,
:42:22
should this costly handkerchief
cease to remain an exhibit,
:42:24
- Why, do you think?
- Well, I used to...
:42:25
it will be returned to your
loyal maid for laundering.
:42:27
Well, I began to believe
that he had left America
:42:29
Or is Hildegarde Schmidt
really your maid?
:42:30
to escape something, you know.
:42:32
I have, perhaps, a nose for the aura
of fine food and laid a trap.
:42:32
Or someone. And until a couple
of weeks ago, I think he succeeded.
:42:36
And then?
:42:37
Well, he began to get these
anonymous letters,
:42:37
You are a good cook,
are you not?
:42:40
All my ladies have said so. I...
:42:40
threatening letters, like these.
:42:43
If you are a lady's maid,
:42:45
"I kill killers."
:42:45
your ladies never have a chance
of discovering if you are a good cook.
:42:49
As good a cook as
Hildegarde Schmidt must have been
:42:50
"Prepare to die."
:42:51
to the Armstrong household.
:42:52
- How brief.
- But in a sense, how complicated.
:42:56
Enfin.
:42:56
Last night, I noticed you dispatching
a telegram from Belgrade Station.
:42:58
Who do we now
have here in this car...
:43:01
That's right.
Let's see, he sent for me
:43:03
to see the text
right after we left Belgrade.
:43:03
...that could have known
or could have been involved
:43:06
And then he went...
Yeah, it was the last I ever saw of him.
:43:07
with the Armstrong household?
:43:10
Were there any other
threatening letters?
:43:11
We have, one, Mr. McQueen,
:43:13
who became boyishly
devoted to Mrs. Armstrong
:43:13
Yeah, but none that
I was allowed to read.
:43:15
He used to... He used to burn them.
:43:16
at the time of the kidnapping.
:43:17
That explains...
:43:18
Two, the Princess Dragomiroff,
:43:19
What?
:43:20
who was Mrs. Armstrong's
devoted godmother.
:43:22
My interest in hatboxes.
:43:22
Three, the Countess Andrenyi,
:43:24
who was Mrs. Armstrong's
devoted younger sister.
:43:26
Four, the Count Andrenyi,
:43:28
who is Helena's devoted husband
:43:28
Precisely what I needed.
:43:29
and Mrs. Armstrong's
devoted brother-in-law.
:43:32
Five, Hildegarde Schmidt, who was
Mrs. Armstrong's devoted cook.
:43:33
Five, Hildegarde Schmidt, who was
Mrs. Armstrong's devoted cook.
:43:33
Doctor, first the wounds.
:43:35
- You counted a dozen?
- Yes.
:43:36
Six, Mary Debenham, who was
Mrs. Armstrong's devoted secretary.
:43:37
Five are deep,
of which three are lethal.
:43:41
Miss Debenham's inclusion
is pure conjecture.
:43:43
I did not have to ask Miss Debenham
:43:45
The rest are shallow.
:43:46
if she had ever lived in America,
:43:47
And two...
:43:48
because during her
interrogation, she said...
:43:49
...are so slight as to be
mere scratches.
:43:51
I can always call my lawyers
long-distance.
:43:53
What does that suggest?
:43:55
An Englishwoman who had never
lived in America would have said,
:43:55
That there were two murderers,
a strong man and a weak man?
:43:59
"I can always make a trunk call
to my solicitors."