Убийство Роджера Экройда

           NotCharlesKent,whohadalreadyleft.Who,then?Iposedmycleverest–mymostaudaciousquestion:Wasanyonewithhim?"Poirotleanedforwardandshotthelastwordstriumphantlyatus,drawingbackafterwardswiththeairofonewhohasmadeadecidedhit.

           Raymond,however,didnotseemimpressed,andlodgedamildprotest.

           "Idon’tknowifyou’retryingtomakemeoutaliar,M.Poirot,butthematterdoesnotrestonmyevidencealoneexceptperhapsastotheexactwordsused.Remember,MajorBluntalsoheardMr.Ackroydtalkingtosomeone.Hewasontheterraceoutside,andcouldn’tcatchthewordsclearly,buthedistinctlyheardthevoices."Poirotnodded.

           "Ihavenotforgotten,"hesaidquietly."ButMajorBluntwasundertheimpressionthatitwasyoutowhomMr.Ackroydwasspeaking."ForamomentRaymondseemedtakenaback.Thenherecoveredhimself.

           "Bluntknowsnowthathewasmistaken,"hesaid.

           "Exactly,"agreedtheotherman.

           "Yettheremusthavebeensomereasonforhisthinkingso,"musedPoirot."Oh!no,"hehelduphishandinprotest,"Iknowthereasonyouwillgive–butitisnotenough.Wemustseekelsewhere.Iwillputitthisway.FromthebeginningofthecaseIhavebeenstruckbyonething–thenatureofthosewordswhichMr.Raymondoverheard.Ithasbeenamazingtomethatnoonehascommentedonthemhasseenanythingoddaboutthem.