Агата Кристи - Hercule Poirot's Christmas / Рождество Эркюля Пуаро. Книга для чтения на английском языке

‘None.’

Johnson shook his head. Then he said: ‘Well, let’s get on with it.’

Superintendent Sugden resumed his official manner.

‘I returned to the house, sir, at nine-fifteen precisely. Just as I was about to ring the front door bell, I heard a scream from inside the house, and then a confused sound of shouts and a general commotion. I rang several times and also used the knocker. It was three or four minutes before the door was answered. When the footman at last opened it I could see that something momentous had occurred. He was shaking all over and looked as though he was about to faint [150] as though he was about to faint – ( разг. ) будто готов хлопнуться в обморок . He gasped out that Mr Lee had been murdered. I ran hastily upstairs. I found Mr Lee’s room in a state of wild confusion. There had evidently been a severe struggle. Mr Lee himself was lying in front of the fire with his throat cut in a pool of blood.’

The chief constable said sharply: ‘He couldn’t have done it himself?’

Sugden shook his head. ‘Impossible, sir. For one thing [151] For one thing – ( разг. ) Во-первых , there were the chairs and tables overturned, and the broken crockery and ornaments, and then there was no sign of the razor or knife with which the crime had been committed.’

The chief constable said thoughtfully: ‘Yes, that seems conclusive. Anyone in the room?’

‘Most of the family were there, sir. Just standing round.’

Colonel Johnson said sharply: ‘Any ideas, Sugden?’ The superintendent said slowly: ‘It’s a bad business, sir. It looks to me as though one of them must have done it. I don’t see how anyone from outside could have done it and got away in time.’

‘What about the window? Closed or open?’

‘There are two windows in the room, sir. One was closed and locked. The other was open a few inches at the bottom – but it was fixed in that position by a burglar screw, and moreover, I’ve tried it and it’s stuck fast – hasn’t been opened for years, I should say. Also the wall outside is quite smooth and unbroken – no ivy or creepers. I don’t see how anyone could have left that way.’

‘How many doors in the room?’

‘Just one. The room is at the end of a passage. That door was locked on the inside. When they heard the noise of the struggle and the old man’s dying scream, and rushed upstairs, they had to break down the door to get in.’

Johnson said sharply: ‘And who was in the room?’

Superintendent Sugden replied gravely:

‘Nobody was in the room, sir, except the old man who had been killed not more than a few minutes pre viously.’

Colonel Johnson stared at Sugden for some minutes before he spluttered: ‘Do you mean to tell me, Superintendent, that this is one of those damned cases you get in detective stories where a man is killed in a locked room by some apparently supernatural agency [152] by some apparently supernatural agency – ( разг. ) какой-то сверхъестественной силой ?’

A very faint smile agitated the superintendent’s moustache as he replied gravely: ‘I do not think it’s quite as bad as that, sir.’

Colonel Johnson said: ‘Suicide. It must be suicide!’

‘Where’s the weapon, if so? No, sir, suicide won’t do.’

‘Then how did the murderer escape? By the window?’

Sugden shook his head. ‘I’ll take my oath [153] I’ll take my oath – ( разг. ) Могу поклясться he didn’t do that.’

‘But the door was locked, you say, on the inside.’

The superintendent nodded. He drew a key from his pocket and laid it on the table.

‘No fingerprints,’ he announced. ‘But just look at that key, sir. Take a look at it with that magnifying glass there.’

Poirot bent forward. He and Johnson examined the key together. The chief constable uttered an exclamation. ‘By Jove, I get you. Those faint scratches on the end of the barrel. You see ’em, Poirot?’

‘But yes, I see. That means, does it not, that the key was turned from outside the door – turned by means of a special implement that went through the keyhole and gripped the barrel – possibily an ordinary pair of pliers would do it.’

The superintendent nodded. ‘It can be done all right.’

Poirot said: ‘The idea being, then, that the death would be thought to be suicide, since the door was locked and no one was in the room?’

‘That was the idea, M. Poirot, not a doubt of it, I should say.’

Poirot shook his head doubtfully. ‘But the disorder in the room! As you say, that by itself wiped out the idea of suicide. Surely the murderer would first of all have set the room to rights [154] have set the room to rights – ( разг. ) привел бы комнату в порядок .’

Superintendent Sugden said: ‘But he hadn’t time, Mr Poirot. That’s the whole point. He hadn’t time. Let’s say he counted on catching the old gentleman unawares. Well, that didn’t come off. There was a struggle – a struggle heard plainly in the room underneath; and, what’s more, the old gentleman called out for help. Everyone came rushing up. The murderer’s only got time to nip out of the room [155] to nip out of the room – ( разг. ) выскользнуть из комнаты and turn the key from the outside.’

‘That is true,’ Poirot admitted. ‘Your murderer, he may have made the bungle. But why, oh why, did he not at least leave the weapon? For naturally, if there is no weapon, it cannot be suicide! That was an error most grave.’

Superintendent Sugden said stolidly: ‘Criminals usually make mistakes. That’s our experience.’

Poirot gave a light sigh. He murmured: ‘But all the same, in spite of his mistakes, he has escaped this criminal.’

‘I don’t think he has exactly escaped.’

‘You mean he is in the house still?’

‘I don’t see where else he can be. It was an inside job. [156] It was an inside job. – ( разг. ) Это сделал кто-то из своих. ’

‘But, tout de même [157] tout de même – ( фр. ) тем не менее; все же; все так ,’ Poirot pointed out gently, ‘he has escaped to this extent: You do not know who he is.’

Superintendent Sugden said gently bur firmly: ‘I rather fancy that we soon shall. We haven’t done any questioning of the household yet.’

Colonel Johnson cut in: ‘Look here, Sugden, one thing strikes me. Whoever turned that key from the outside must have had some knowledge of the job. That’s to say, he probably has had criminal experience. These sort of tools aren’t easy to manage. [158] These sort of tools aren’t easy to manage. – ( разг. ) Такими инструментами надо еще уметь пользоваться. ’

‘You mean it was a professional job, sir?’

‘That’s what I mean.’

‘It does seem like it,’ the other admitted. ‘Following that up, it looks as though there were a professional thief among the servants. That would explain the diamonds being taken and the murder would follow on logically from that.’

‘Well, anything wrong with that theory?’

‘It’s what I thought myself to begin with. But it’s difficult. There are eight servants in the house; six of them are women, and of those six, five have been here for four years and more. Then there’s the butler and the footman. The butler has been here for close on forty years – bit of a record that, I should say. The footman’s local, son of the gardener, and brought up here. Don’t see very well how he can be a professional. The only other person is Mr Lee’s valet attendant. He’s comparatively new, but he was out of the house – still is – went out just before eight o’clock.’