Убийство Роджера Экройда
The Goose Quill
""Whatisit?"Iasked.
"HewantstoknowwhetherRalphPaton’sbootswereblackorbrown,"saidCarolinewithtremendoussolemnity.
Istaredather.IseenowthatIwasunbelievablystupidabouttheseboots.Ifailedaltogethertograspthepoint.
"Theywerebrownshoes,"Isaid."Isawthem.""Notshoes,James,boots.M.PoirotwantstoknowwhetherapairofbootsRalphhadwithhimatthehotelwerebrownorblack.Alothangsonit."Callmedenseifyoulike.Ididn’tsee.
"Andhowareyougoingtofindout?"Iasked.
Carolinesaidtherewouldbenodifficultyaboutthat.OurAnnie’sdearestfriendwasMissGannett’smaid,Clara.AndClarawaswalkingoutwiththeBootsattheThreeBoars.
Thewholethingwassimplicityitself,andbytheaidofMissGannett,whoco-operatedloyally,atoncegivingClaraleaveofabsence,thematterwasrushedthroughatexpressspeed.
ItwaswhenweweresittingdowntolunchthatCarolineremarked,withwould-beunconcern:"AboutthosebootsofRalphPaton’s.""Well,"Isaid,"whataboutthem?""M.Poirotthoughttheywereprobablybrown.Hewaswrong.They’reblack."AndCarolinenoddedherheadseveraltimes.SheevidentlyfeltthatshehadscoredapointoverPoirot.
Ididnotanswer.IwaspuzzlingoverwhatthecolourofapairofRalphPaton’sbootshadtodowiththecase.
