Пуаро ведёт следствие
V. The Million Dollar Bond Robbery
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“Suppose,MissFarquhar,thatyourecounttomethewholestory?”
“Verywell.Asyouknow,theBankwishedtoextendtheircreditsinAmerica,andforthispurposedecidedtosendoveramilliondollarsinLibertyBonds.Mr.Vavasourselectedhisnephew,whohadoccupiedapositionoftrustintheBankformanyyearsandwhowasconversantwithallthedetailsoftheBank’sdealingsinNewYork,tomakethetrip.TheOlympiasailedfromLiverpoolonthe23rd,andthebondswerehandedovertoPhiliponthemorningofthatdaybyMr.VavasourandMr.Shaw,thetwojointgeneralmanagersoftheLondonandScottishBank.Theywerecounted,enclosedinapackage,andsealedinhispresence,andhethenlockedthepackageatonceinhisportmanteau.”
“Aportmanteauwithanordinarylock?”
“No,Mr.ShawinsistedonaspeciallockbeingfittedtoitbyHubbs’s.Philip,asIsay,placedthepackageatthebottomofthetrunk.ItwasstolenjustafewhoursbeforereachingNewYork.Arigoroussearchofthewholeshipwasmade,butwithoutresult.Thebondsseemedliterallytohavevanishedintothinair.”
Poirotmadeagrimace.
“Buttheydidnotvanishabsolutely,sinceIgatherthattheyweresoldinsmallparcelswithinhalfanhourofthedockingoftheOlympia!Well,undoubtedlythenextthingisformetoseeMr.Ridgeway.”
“Iwasabouttosuggestthatyoushouldlunchwithmeatthe‘CheshireCheese.’Philipwillbethere.Heismeetingme,butdoesnotyetknowthatIhavebeenconsultingyouonhisbehalf.”
Weagreedtothissuggestionreadilyenough,anddrovethereinataxi.
Mr.
