Убийство Роджера Экройда
The Whole Truth
Ifyouhaditwithyouthisminuteyouwouldseethat–thechairbeingdrawnoutinthepositionindicatedbyParker–itwouldstandinadirectlinebetweenthedoorandthewindow.""Thewindow!"Isaidquickly.
"You,too,havemyfirstidea.Iimaginedthatthechairwasdrawnoutsothatsomethingconnectedwiththewindowshouldnotbeseenbyanyoneenteringthroughthedoor.ButIsoonabandonedthatsupposition,forthoughthechairwasagrandfatherwithahighback,itobscuredverylittleofthewindow–onlythepartbetweenthesashandtheground.No,monami–butrememberthatjustinfrontofthewindowtherestoodatablewithbooksandmagazinesuponit.Nowthattablewascompletelyhiddenbythedrawn-outchair–andimmediatelyIhadmyfirstshadowysuspicionofthetruth.
"Supposingthattherehadbeensomethingonthattablenotintendedtobeseen?Somethingplacedtherebythemurderer?AsyetIhadnoinklingofwhatthatsomethingmightbe.ButIknewcertainveryinterestingfactsaboutit.
Forinstance,itwassomethingthatthemurdererhadnotbeenabletotakeawaywithhimatthetimethathecommittedthecrime.Atthesametimeitwasvitalthatitshouldberemovedassoonaspossibleafterthecrimehadbeendiscovered.Andso–thetelephonemessage,andtheopportunityforthemurderertobeonthespotwhenthebodywasdiscovered.
"Nowfourpeoplewereonthescenebeforethepolicearrived.Yourself,Parker,MajorBlunt,andMr.Raymond.