Убийство Роджера Экройда

           Followingthepointingfinger,IsawasmallcrossmarkedinpenciloppositethenameUrsulaBourne.

           "Youmaynothavenoticeditatthetime,mygoodfriend,buttherewasonepersononthislistwhosealibihadnokindofconfirmation.UrsulaBourne.""Youdon’tthink-?""DrSheppard,Idaretothinkanything.UrsulaBournemayhavekilledMr.Ackroyd,butIconfessIcanseenomotiveforherdoingso.Canyou?"Helookedatmeveryhard–sohardthatIfeltuncomfortable.

           "Canyou?"herepeated.

           "Nomotivewhatsoever,"Isaidfirmly.

           Hisgazerelaxed.Hefrownedandmurmuredtohimself:"Sincetheblackmailerwasaman,itfollowsthatshecannotbetheblackmailer,then"Icoughed.

           "Asfarasthatgoes-"Ibegandoubtfully.

           Hespunroundonme.

           "What?Whatareyougoingtosay?""Nothing,Nothing.Onlythat,strictlyspeaking,Mrs.Ferrarsinherlettermentionedaperson–shedidn’tactuallyspecifyaman.Butwetookitforgranted,AckroydandI,thatitwasaman."Poirotdidnotseemtobelisteningtome.Hewasmutteringtohimselfagain.

           "Butthenitispossibleafterall–yes,certainlyitispossible–butthen–ah!Imustrearrangemyideas.

           Method,order,neverhaveIneededthemmore.Everythingmustfitin–initsappointedplace–otherwiseIamonthewrongtrack."Hebrokeoff,andwhirledrounduponmeagain