Агата Кристи - Dumb Witness / Безмолвный свидетель. Книга для чтения на английском языке

‘Perfectly, sir.’

Poirot attacked the omelette.

‘This business complicates itself,’ he said. ‘We must step very carefully. If not—the murderer will strike again.’

‘If he did you might get him.’

‘Quite possibly, but I prefer the life of the innocent to the conviction of the guilty. We must go very, very carefully.’

We found Theresa Arundell just preparing to go out.

She was looking extraordinarily attractive. A small hat of the most outrageous fashion descended rakishly over one eye. I recognized with momentary amusement that Bella Tanios had worn a cheap imitation of such a hat yesterday and had worn it—as George had put it—on the back of the head instead of over the right eye. I remembered well how she had pushed it farther and farther back on her untidy hair.

Poirot said, politely:

‘Can I have just a minute or two, mademoiselle, or will it delay you too much?’

Theresa laughed.

‘Oh, it doesn’t matter. I’m always three-quarters of an hour late for everything. I might just as well make it an hour.’

She led him into the sitting-room. To my surprise Dr Donaldson rose from a chair by the window.

‘You’ve met M. Poirot already, Rex, haven’t you?’

‘We met at Market Basing,’ said Donaldson, stiffly.

‘You were pretending to write the life of my drunken grandfather, I understand,’ said Theresa. ‘Rex, my angel, will you leave us?’

‘Thank you, Theresa, but I think that from every point of view it would be advisable for me to be present at this interview.’

There was a brief duel of eyes. Theresa’s were commanding. Donaldson’s were impervious. She showed a quick flash of anger.

‘All right, stay then, damn you [545] damn you – черт тебя подери !’

Dr Donaldson seemed unperturbed.

He seated himself again in the chair by the window, laying down his book on the arm of it. It was a book on the pituitary gland [546] pituitary gland – гипофиз (мозговой придаток) , I noticed.

Theresa sat down on her favourite low stool and looked impatiently at Poirot.

‘Well, you’ve seen Purvis? What about it?’

Poirot said in a non-committal voice:

‘There are—possibilities, mademoiselle.’

She looked at him thoughtfully. Then she sent a very faint glance in the direction of the doctor. It was, I think, intended as a warning to Poirot.

‘But it would be well, I think,’ went on Poirot, ‘for me to report later when my plans are more advanced.’

A faint smile showed for a minute on Theresa’s face.

Poirot continued:

‘I have today come from Market Basing and while there I have talked to Miss Lawson. Tell me, mademoiselle, did you on the night of April 13 th (that was the night of the Easter Bank Holiday) kneel upon the stairs after everyone had gone to bed?’

‘My dear Hercule Poirot, what an extraordinary question. Why should I?’

‘The question, mademoiselle, is not why you should , but whether you did .’

‘I’m sure I don’t know. I should think it most unlikely.’

‘You comprehend, mademoiselle, Miss Lawson says you did.’

Theresa shrugged her attractive shoulders.

‘Does it matter?’

‘It matters very much.’

She stared at him. In a perfectly amiable fashion, Poirot stared back.

‘Loopy!’ said Theresa.

‘ Pardon?

‘Definitely loopy!’ said Theresa. ‘Don’t you think so, Rex?’

Dr Donaldson coughed.

‘Excuse me, M. Poirot, but what is the point of the question?’

My friend spread out his hands.

‘It is most simple! Someone drove in a nail in a convenient position at the head of the stairs. The nail was just touched with brown varnish to match the skirting board.’

‘Is this a new kind of witchcraft?’ asked Theresa.

‘No, mademoiselle, it is much more homely and simple than that. On the following evening, the Tuesday, someone attached a string or thread from the nail to the balusters with the result that when Miss Arundell came out of her room she caught her foot [547] to catch one’s foot – спотыкаться in it and went headlong down the stairs.’

Theresa drew in her breath sharply.

‘That was Bob’s ball!’

‘Pardon, it was not.’

There was a pause. It was broken by Donaldson who said in his quiet, precise voice:

‘Excuse me, but what evidence have you in support of this statement?’

Poirot said quietly:

‘The evidence of the nail, the evidence of Miss Arundell’s own written words, and finally the evidence of Miss Lawson’s eyes.’

Theresa found her voice [548] to find voice – вновь обрести дар речи .

‘She says I did it, does she?’

Poirot did not answer except by bending his head a little.

‘Well, it’s a lie! I had nothing to do with [549] to have nothing to do with – не иметь никакого отношения к… it!’

‘You were kneeling on the stairs for quite another reason?’

‘I wasn’t kneeling on the stairs at all!’

‘Be careful, mademoiselle.’

‘I wasn’t there! I never came out of my room after I went to bed on any evening I was there.’

‘Miss Lawson recognized you.’

‘It was probably Bella Tanios or one of the maids she saw.’

She says it was you.’

‘She’s a damned liar!’

‘She recognized your dressing-gown and a brooch you wear.’ ‘A brooch—what brooch?’

‘A brooch with your initials.’

‘Oh, I know the one! What a circumstantial liar she is!’

‘You still deny that it was you she saw?’

‘If it’s my word against hers—’

‘You are a better liar than she is—eh?’

Theresa said, calmly:

‘That’s probably quite true. But in this case I’m speaking the truth. I wasn’t preparing a booby trap [550] a booby trap – ловушка , or saying my prayers, or picking up gold or silver, or doing anything at all on the stairs.’

‘Have you this brooch that was mentioned?’

‘Probably. Do you want to see it?’

‘If you please, mademoiselle.’

Theresa got up and left the room. There was an awkward silence. Dr Donaldson looked at Poirot much as I imagined he might have looked at an anatomical specimen.

Theresa returned.

‘Here it is.’

She almost flung the ornament at Poirot. It was a large rather showy chromium or stainless steel brooch with T.A. enclosed in a circle. I had to admit that it was large enough and showy enough to be easily seen in Miss Lawson’s mirror.

‘I never wear it now. I’m tired of it,’ said Theresa. ‘London’s been flooded with them. Every little skivvy wears one.’

‘But it was expensive when you bought it?’

‘Oh, yes. They were quite exclusive to begin with [551] to begin with – на первых порах .’

‘When was that?’

‘Last Christmas, I think it was. Yes, about then.’

‘Have you ever lent it to anyone?’

‘No.’

‘You had it with you at Littlegreen House?’

‘I suppose I did. Yes, I did. I remember.’

‘Did you leave it about at all? Was it out of your possession while you were there?’

‘No, it wasn’t. I wore it on a green jumper. I remember. And I wore the same jumper every day.’

‘And at night?’

‘It was still in the jumper.’

‘And the jumper.’

‘Oh, hell, the jumper was sitting on a chair.’

‘You are sure no one removed the brooch and put it back again the next day?’