Пуаро ведёт следствие
VIII. The Kidnapped Prime Minister
WerethePrimeMinisterdead,itwouldbeaterriblecalamity,butthesituationwouldhavetobefaced.Butnowyouhaveparalysis.WillthePrimeMinisterreappear,orwillhenot?Ishedeadoralive?Nobodyknows,anduntiltheyknownothingdefinitecanbedone.And,asItellyou,uncertaintybreedspanic,whichiswhatlesBochesareplayingfor.Then,again,ifthekidnappersareholdinghimsecretlysomewhere,theyhavetheadvantageofbeingabletomaketermswithbothsides.TheGermanGovernmentisnotaliberalpaymaster,asarule,butnodoubttheycanbemadetodisgorgesubstantialremittancesinsuchacaseasthis.Thirdly,theyrunnoriskofthehangman’srope.Oh,decidedly,kidnappingistheiraffair.”
“Then,ifthatisso,whyshouldtheyfirsttrytoshoothim?”
Poirotmadeagestureofanger.“Ah,thatisjustwhatIdonotunderstand!Itisinexplicable—stupid!Theyhavealltheirarrangementsmade(andverygoodarrangementstoo!)fortheabduction,andyettheyimperilthewholeaffairbyamelodramaticattack,worthyofaCinema,andquiteasunreal.Itisalmostimpossibletobelieveinit,withitsbandofmaskedmen,nottwentymilesfromLondon!”
“Perhapstheyweretwoquiteseparateattemptswhichhappenedirrespectiveofeachother,”Isuggested.
“Ah,no,thatwouldbetoomuchofacoincidence!Then,further—whoisthetraitor?Theremusthavebeenatraitor—inthefirstaffair,anyway.
