Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
3. Poirot Refuses a Case
”Shelookeddistastefullyattheheapofsmallchangeonthetableinfrontofher.“Lookatallthispeculiarstuffhe’sgivenme.Dinarsorsomething.Justalotofrubbish,itlooks.Mydaughtersaid—”
MaryDebenhampushedbackherchairandleftwithaslightbowtotheothertwo.ColonelArbuthnotgotupandfollowedher.Gatheringupherdespisedmoney,theAmericanladyfollowedsuit,followedbytheladylikeasheep.TheHungarianshadalreadydeparted.TherestaurantcarwasemptysaveforPoirotandRatchettandMacQueen.
Ratchettspoketohiscompanion,whogotupandleftthecar.Thenherosehimself,butinsteadoffollowingMacQueenhedroppedunexpectedlyintotheseatoppositePoirot.
“Canyouobligemewithalight?”hesaid.Hisvoicewassoft—faintlynasal.“MynameisRatchett.”
Poirotbowedslightly.Heslippedhishandintohispocketandproducedamatchboxwhichhehandedtotheotherman,whotookitbutdidnotstrikealight.
“Ithink,”hewenton,“thatIhavethepleasureofspeakingtoM.HerculePoirot.Isthatso?”
Poirotbowedagain.
“Youhavebeencorrectlyinformed,Monsieur.”
Thedetectivewasconsciousofthosestrangeshrewdeyessumminghimupbeforetheotherspokeagain.
“Inmycountry,”hesaid,“wecometothepointquickly.Mr.Poirot,Iwantyoutotakeonajobforme.”
HerculePoirot’seyebrowswentupatrifle.
“Myclientèle,Monsieur,islimitednowadays.Iundertakeveryfewcases.”
“Why,naturally,Iunderstandthat.Butthis,Mr.Poirot,meansbigmoney.”Herepeatedagaininhissoft,persuasivevoice,“Bigmoney.
