Убийство Роджера Экройда
An Evening at Mah Jong
"Cranchester,MissCaroline?"saidColonelCarter."SurelynotCranchester!It’ssonear.""That’sexactlyit,"criedCarolinetriumphantly."Itseemsquiteclearbynowthathedidn’tgetawayfromherebytram.HemustsimplyhavewalkedintoCranchester.AndIbelievehe’stherestill.Noonewoulddreamofhisbeingsonearathand."Ipointedoutseveralobjectionstothetheory,butwhenonceCarolinehasgotsomethingfirmlyintoherhead,nothingdislodgesit.
"AndyouthinkM.Poirothasthesameidea,"saidMissGannettthoughtfully."It’sacuriouscoincidence,butIwasoutforawalkthisafternoonontheCranchesterroad,andhepassedmeinacarcomingfromthatdirection."Wealllookedateachother.
"Why,dearme,"saidMissGannettsuddenly,"I’mMahJongallthetime,andInevernoticedit."Caroline’sattentionwasdistractedfromherowninventiveexercises.ShepointedouttoMissGannettthatahandconsistingofmixedsuitsandtoomanyChowswashardlyworthgoingMahJongon.MissGannettlistenedimperturbablyandcollectedhercounters.
"Yes,dear,Iknowwhatyoumean,"shesaid."Butitratherdependsonwhatkindofahandyouhavetostartwith,doesn’tit?""You’llnevergetthebighandsifyoudon’tgoforthem,"urgedCaroline.
"Well,wemustallplayourownway,mustn’twe?"saidMissGannett.Shelookeddownathercounters."Afterall,I’mup,sofar."Caroline,whowasconsiderablydown,saidnothing.
