Причуда мертвеца / Dead Man's Folly. Книга для чтения на английском языке

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Poirot thought to himself that the solver would indeed have been clever. In fact, he doubted very much that there would be a solver. The whole plot and action of the Murder Hunt seemed to him to be wrapped in impenetrable fog[54 - wrapped in impenetrable fog – окутана непроницаемым туманом].

�Well,’ said Captain Warburton cheerfully, glancing at his wrist-watch, �I’d better be off to the printers and collect.’

Mrs Oliver groaned.

�If they’re not done—’

�Oh, they’re done all right.

He left the room.

Mrs Oliver immediately clutched Poirot by the arm and demanded in a hoarse whisper:

�Well?’

�Well—what?’

�Have you found out anything? Or spotted anybody?’

Poirot replied with mild reproof in his tones:

�Everybody and everything seems to me completely normal.’

�Normal?’

�Well, perhaps that is not quite the right word.

�Oh, he’s all right,’ said Mrs Oliver impatiently. �He’s had a nervous breakdown.’

Poirot did not question the somewhat doubtful wording of this sentence but accepted it at its face value.

�Everybody appears to be in the expected state of nervous agitation, high excitement, general fatigue, and strong irritation, which are characteristic of preparations for this form of entertainment.

�Sh!’ Mrs Oliver grasped his arm again. �Someone’s coming.’

It was just like a bad melodrama, Poirot felt, his own irritation mounting.

The pleasant mild face of Miss Brewis appeared round the door.

�Oh, there you are, M. Poirot. I’ve been looking for you to show you your room.’

She led him up the staircase and along a passage to a big airy room looking out over the river.

�There is a bathroom just opposite. Sir George talks of adding more bathrooms, but to do so would sadly impair the proportions of the rooms. I hope you’ll find everything quite comfortable.’

�Yes, indeed.’ Poirot swept an appreciative eye over the small bookstand, the reading-lamp and the box labelled �Biscuits’ by the bedside. �You seem, in this house, to have everything organized to perfection.