Убийство на поле для гольфа
4. The Letter Signed “Bella”
Poirothandeditbackwithagraveface.
“Andtheassumptionis,M.lejuge—?”
Theexaminingmagistrateshruggedhisshoulders.
“ObviouslyM.RenauldwasentangledwiththisEnglishwoman—Bella.Hecomesoverhere,meetsMadameDaubreuil,andstartsanintriguewithher.Hecoolsofftotheother,andsheinstantlysuspectssomething.Thislettercontainsadistinctthreat.M.Poirot,atfirstsightthecaseseemedsimplicityitself.Jealousy!ThefactthatM.Renauldwasstabbedinthebackseemedtopointdistinctlytoitsbeingawoman’scrime.”
Poirotnodded.
“Thestabintheback,yes—butnotthegrave!Thatwaslaboriouswork,hardwork—nowomandugthatgrave,monsieur.Thatwasaman’sdoing.”
Thecommissaryexclaimedexcitedly:“Yes,yes,youareright.Wedidnotthinkofthat.”
“AsIsaid,”continuedM.Hautet,“atfirstsightthecaseseemedsimple,butthemaskedmen,andtheletteryoureceivedfromM.Renauldcomplicatematters.Hereweseemtohaveanentirelydifferentsetofcircumstances,withnorelationshipbetweenthetwo.Asregardstheletterwrittentoyourself,doyouthinkitispossiblethatitreferredinanywaytothis‘Bella,’andherthreats?”
Poirotshookhishead.
“Hardly.AmanlikeM.Renauld,whohasledanadventurouslifeinout-of-the-wayplaces,wouldnotbelikelytoaskforprotectionagainstawoman.”
Theexaminingmagistratenoddedhisheademphatically.
“Myviewexactly.Thenwemustlookfortheexplanationoftheletter—”
“InSantiago,”finishedthecommissary.
