Убийство Роджера Экройда
Dinner at Fernly
Butnowitseemsthatthedoctorhadalreadyleft?"Inodded.
"Iwasathomebyaquarterpastnine,"Isaid."Ididn’tgooutagainuntilIreceivedthetelephonecall.""Whocouldhavebeenwithhimathalf-pastnine?"queriedtheinspector."Itwasn’tyou,Mr.–er""MajorBlunt,"Isaid.
"MajorHectorBlunt?"askedtheinspector,arespectfultonecreepingintohisvoice.
Bluntmerelyjerkedhisheadaffirmatively.
"Ithinkwe’veseenyoudownherebefore,sir,"saidtheinspector."Ididn’trecognizeyouforthemoment,butyouwerestayingwithMr.AckroydayearagolastMay.""June,"correctedBlunt.
"Justso,Juneitwas.Now,asIwassaying,itwasn’tyouwithMr.Ackroydatnine-thirtythisevening?"Bluntshookhishead.
"Neversawhimafterdinner,"hevolunteered.
TheinspectorturnedoncemoretoRaymond.
"Youdidn’toverhearanyoftheconversationgoingon,didyou,sir?""Ididcatchjustafragmentofit,"saidthesecretary,"and,supposingasIdidthatitwasDrSheppardwhowaswithMr.Ackroyd,thatfragmentstruckmeasdistinctlyodd.AsfarasIcanremember,theexactwordswerethese.Mr.Ackroydwasspeaking."Thecallsonmypursehavebeensofrequentoflate"–thatiswhathewassaying–"oflate,thatIfearitisimpossibleformetoaccedetoyourrequest…"Iwentawayagainatonce,ofcourse,soIdidnothearanymore.
