Death On The Nile

Mrs. Allerton tells Tim she has invited Poirot to join them for dinner, and Tim reacts with uncharacteristic shock and irritation. Poirot appears to sense Tim’s reluctance to dine with him but says nothing. Mrs. Allerton attempts, with Poirot’s help, to identify everyone on the passenger list. When she comes to Poirot’s name, she remarks that his talents are being wasted and jokes that Tim ought to commit a crime in order to give Poirot something to do. Tim responds with annoyance.

Mrs. Allerton, noting Miss Van Schuyler’s snobbishness, conceives a plan to manipulate the latter into speaking with her: she will mention, as if by accident and within earshot of Miss Van Schuyler, that the Duke of Glasgow is one of her relations.

After an evening on board that gives him ample opportunity to observe the social dynamics among the passengers, Poirot runs into Jackie on the way back to his room. Her face wears a “look of acute misery” lacking any trace of “insouciance...malicious defiance...[or] dark flaming triumph” (129). Poirot tells Jackie that he is sorry to see her on the boat, since it means that she has chosen a course of action that will lead to disaster: “You have cut the bonds that moored you to safety.