In what seems like a normal everyday situation in which people travel by means of public transportation turns into something out of the ordinary. A murder has taken place aboard a train, the suspects have been narrowed down to twelve potential people and the feeling of uneasiness roams around the whole train, for a murderer walks among them. This is the setting in the book Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. In the middle of all this chaos is a man by the name of Colonel Arbuthnot who tries to protect his love Mary Debenham throughout the story.
It's a frosty, chilly day as the passengers wait for the train to start on its route once again. You could hear a pin drop in the back round and off in the distance is the protagonist of our story, Hercule Poirot, as he eves drops in what is going on around him.
Then he hears one of the passengers who we find out to be Colonel Arbuthnot, talking to a woman by the name of Mary Debenham. Clearly it seems as they are strangers but then you hear Mary say "Not now, Now now. When it's behind us-then-." Now Mr. Poirot starts to wonder whether or not they are actually strangers. This, even though it's early on in the book, brings us to a clue on what leads on to the events that later take place. Our character, Colonel Arbuthnot, seems to be trying to hide something. In this scene it looks like he has strong feelings for Mary and its causing him to worry about the certain task that lies ahead of them.
Once all the passengers have boarded the train and they are all cozy as they go around doing their business, once again another odd moment...