Убийство Роджера Экройда
Poirot’s Little Reunion
"Ihopeyouwon’tmind,"Istammered."Imayhavebeenalittle–er–personalnowandthen.""Oh!Icomprehendperfectly;youhavereferredtomeascomic–as,perhaps,ridiculousnowandthen?Itmattersnotatall.Hastings,healsowasnotalwayspolite.Me,Ihavethemindabovesuchtrivialities."Stillsomewhatdoubtful,IrummagedinthedrawersofmydeskandproducedanuntidypileofmanuscriptwhichIhandedovertohim.Withaneyeonpossiblepublicationinthefuture,Ihaddividedtheworkintochapters,andthenightbeforeIhadbroughtituptodatewithanaccountofMissRussell’svisit.Poirothadthereforetwentychapters.
Ilefthimwiththem.
Iwasobligedtogoouttoacaseatsomedistanceawayanditwaspasteighto’clockwhenIgotback,tobegreetedwithaplateofhotdinneronatray,andtheannouncementthatPoirotandmysisterhadsuppedtogetherathalf-pastseven,andthattheformerhadthengonetomyworkshoptofinishhisreadingofthemanuscript.
"Ihope,James,"saidmysister,"thatyou’vebeencarefulinwhatyousayaboutmeinit?"Myjawdropped.Ihadnotbeencarefulatall.
"Notthatitmattersverymuch,"saidCaroline,readingmyexpressioncorrectly."M.Poirotwillknowwhattothink.Heunderstandsmemuchbetterthanyoudo."Iwentintotheworkshop.Poirotwassittingbythewindow.Themanuscriptlayneatlypiledonachairbesidehim.Helaidhishandonitandspoke.