Убийство Роджера Экройда
Poirot’s Little Reunion
Ackroyddidpurchaseadictaphonefromtheirrepresentative.Whyheconcealedthematterfromyou,Idonotknow.""Hemusthavemeanttosurprisemewithit,"murmuredRaymond."Hehadquiteachildishloveofsurprisingpeople.
Meanttokeepituphissleeveforadayorso.Probablywasplayingwithitlikeanewtoy.Yes,itfitsin.You’requiteright–noonewouldusequitethosewordsincasualconversation.’
"Itexplains,too,"saidPoirot,"whyMajorBluntthoughtitwasyouwhowereinthestudy.Suchscrapsascametohimwerefragmentsofdictation,andsohissubconsciousminddeducedthatyouwerewithhim.Hisconsciousmindwasoccupiedwithsomethingquitedifferent–thewhitefigurehehadcaughtaglimpseof.HefancieditwasMissAckroyd.
Really,ofcourse,itwasUrsulaBourne’swhiteapronhesawasshewasstealingdowntothesummerhouse."Raymondhadrecoveredfromhisfirstsurprise.
"Allthesame,"heremarked,"thisdiscoveryofyours,brilliantthoughitis(I’mquitesureIshouldneverhavethoughtofit),leavestheessentialpositionunchanged.Mr.Ackroydwasaliveatnine-thirty,sincehewasspeakingintothedictaphone.ItseemsclearthatthemanCharlesKentwasreallyoffthepremisesbythen.AstoRalphPaton-?"Hehesitated,glancingatUrsula.
Hercolourflaredup,butsheansweredsteadilyenough.
"RalphandIpartedjustbeforeaquartertoten.Heneverwentnearthehouse,Iamsureofthat
