Убийство Роджера Экройда
Dinner at Fernly
ButIratherwonderedbecauseDrSheppard""–Doesnotaskforloansforhimselforsubscriptionsforothers,"Ifinished.
"Ademandformoney,"saidtheinspectormusingly."Itmaybethatherewehaveaveryimportantclue."Heturnedtothebutler."Yousay,Parker,thatnobodywasadmittedbythefrontdoorthisevening?""That’swhatIsay,sir.""ThenitseemsalmostcertainthatMr.Ackroydhimselfmusthaveadmittedthisstranger.ButIdon’tquitesee"Theinspectorwentintoakindofday-dreamforsomeminutes.
"Onething’sclear,"hesaidatlength,rousinghimselffromhisabsorption,"Mr.Ackroydwasaliveandwellatnine-thirty.
Thatisthelastmomentatwhichheisknowntohavebeenalive."Parkergaveventtoanapologeticcoughwhichbroughttheinspector’seyesonhimatonce.
"Well?"hesaidsharply.
"Ifyou’llexcuseme,sir.MissFlorasawhimafterthat.""MissFlora?""Yes,sir.Aboutaquartertotenthatwouldbe.ItwasafterthatthatshetoldmeMr.Ackroydwasn’ttobedisturbedagaintonight.""Didhesendhertoyouwiththatmessage?""Notexactly,sir.IwasbringingatraywithsodaandwhiskywhenMissFlora,whowasjustcomingoutofthisroom,stoppedmeandsaidheruncledidn’twanttobedisturbed."Theinspectorlookedatthebutlerwithrathercloserattentionthanhehadbestowedonhimuptonow.
"You’dalreadybeentoldthatMr.
