Убийство Роджера Экройда

           "Youmeanablindalley?"Isaid.

           "Thatisit–theblindstreetthatleadsnowhere.Soitmaybewiththosefingerprints–theymayleadyounowhere.""Idon’tseehowthatcanwellbe,"saidthepoliceofficer."Isupposeyou’rehintingthatthey’refaked?I’vereadofsuchthingsbeingdone,thoughIcan’tsayI’veevercomeacrossitinmyexperience.Butfakeortrue–they’reboundtoleadsomewhere."Poirotmerelyshruggedhisshoulders,flingingouthisarmswide.

           Theinspectorthenshowedusvariousenlargedphotographsofthefingerprints,andproceededtobecometechnicalonthesubjectofloopsandwhorls.

           "Comenow,"hesaidatlast,annoyedbyPoirot’sdetachedmanner,"you’vegottoadmitthatthoseprintsweremadebysomeonewhowasinthehousethatnight?""Bienentendu,"saidPoirot,noddinghishead.

           "Well,I’vetakentheprintsofeverymemberofthehousehold,everyone,mindyou,fromtheoldladydowntothekitchenmaid."Idon’tthinkMrs.Ackroydwouldenjoybeingreferredtoastheoldlady.Shemustspendaconsiderableamountoncosmetics.

           "Everyone’s,"repeatedtheinspectorfussily.

           "Includingmine,"Isaiddrily.

           "Verywell.Noneofthemcorrespond.Thatleavesustwoalternatives.RalphPaton,orthemysteriousstrangerthedoctorheretellsusabout.Whenwegetholdofthosetwo""Muchvaluabletimemayhavebeenlost,"brokeinPoirot.