Agatha Christie's Poirot1989

Hercule Poirot:
Monsieurs, Madames. What I am about to do might surprise you a little. You'll probably think of me as eccentric-perhaps mad. You might say, "the little Belgian is taking leave from his rocker", huh? But I must assure you, that behind my madness is, what you English say... method.

[Poirot lifts the cover of the hidden object on the table; revealing a small, simple, leather suitcase]

Hercule Poirot:
[sotto voce] Voila! A suitcase!

[slightly sarcastic]

Hercule Poirot:
How interesting!

[normal]

Hercule Poirot:
Of course, nothing's interesting about suitcases. [chuckles] But you may know that suitcases... have contents.

[Poirot opens the suitcase very slowly but full of anticipation; the audience of the passengers watch in expectation. Poirot opens the lid, gasps slightly and slowly lifts up the object in the suitcase... which is revealed to be a cute, porcelain doll]

Mrs Tolliver:
[smiling; recognizing] Why... It's a doll!

Hercule Poirot:
Ah! Yes, a doll. Now, this doll... is an important witness to the truth of the death of Madame Clapperton. [pause] But how does it know? It is a doll. But THIS is a doll...

[sotto voce]

Hercule Poirot:
...That can speak!

[Poirot makes the doll turn towards him, so that their faces are parallel from one another and their noses are two inches apart; the passengers look at him as if he had lost his mind, slightly disturbed]

Hercule Poirot:
[he senses the passengers disbelief and quickly turns to them; rapid fire speech] You never seen dolls that could speak?

[normal voice]

Hercule Poirot:
Of course, you have!

Hercule Poirot:
[as he slowly and gently puts the doll back in the suitcase] All we need to do is to put the doll back into the suitcase, where she cannot be seen... She doesn't want to be seen; this little lady.

[to the concealed doll in the suitcase]

Hercule Poirot:
Can you hear me, mon poup?e?

Ismene:
[as the doll's voice] Aye!

Hercule Poirot:
[speaking loudly yet slowly] Now, Can you tell us... about the death... of Madame Clapperton?

Ismene:
[imitating Madame Clapperton] What is it, John? The Door's locked... I don't want to be disturbed by the stewards.

Colonel John Clapperton:
[he begins to twitch his eyes and hyperventilate; he glares at Poirot, who glares at him back sternly; revealing the Col. Clapperton is the murderer] You! [He bolts forward]

Captain Hastings:
[as he and Bates stop the enraged Col. Clapperton from reaching Poirot] Stop him!

Colonel John Clapperton:
[after being restrained; he glares at the stern Poirot; finally caught; snarling with hatred] YES.