The A B C Murders / Убийство по алфавиту. Книга для чтения на английском языке

�Is your mother within?’

�Ay?’ said the child.

It stared at us with disfavour and deep suspicion.

�Your mother,’ said Poirot.

This took some twelve seconds to sink in, then the child turned and, bawling up the stairs �Mum, you’re wanted,’ retreated to some fastness in the dim interior.

A sharp-faced woman looked over the balusters and began to descend.

�No good[93 - No good – бесполезно] you wasting your time —’ she began, but Poirot interrupted her.

He took off his hat and bowed magnificently.

�Good evening, madame. I am on the staff of the Evening Flicker. I want to persuade you to accept a fee of five pounds and let us have an article on your late neighbour, Mrs Ascher.’

The irate words arrested on her lips, the woman came down the stairs smoothing her hair and hitching at her skirt.

�Come inside, please—on the left there. Won’t you sit down, sir.’

The tiny room was heavily over-crowded with a massive pseudo-Jacobean suite[94 - pseudo-Jacobean suite – мебельный гарнитур в псевдо-Якобинском стиле (стиль назван в честь короля Якова I Английского (1566–1625); для стиля характерно использование ярких цветов и флористического декора)], but we managed to squeeze ourselves in and on to a hard-seated sofa.

�You must excuse me,’ the woman was saying.

�I am sure I’m sorry I spoke so sharp just now, but you’d hardly believe the worry one has to put up with—fellows coming along selling this, that and the other—vacuum cleaners, stockings, lavender bags[95 - lavender bag – мешочек с сушеной лавандой] and such-like foolery—and all so plausible and civil spoken. Got your name, too, pat they have. It’s Mrs Fowler this, that and the other.’

Seizing adroitly on the name, Poirot said:

�Well, Mrs Fowler, I hope you’re going to do what I ask.

’

�I don’t know, I’m sure.’ The five pounds hung alluringly before Mrs Fowler’s eyes. �I knew Mrs Ascher, of course, but as to writing anything.’

Hastily Poirot reassured her. No labour on her part was required. He would elicit the facts from her and the interview would be written up.

Thus encouraged, Mrs Fowler plunged willingly into reminiscence, conjecture and hearsay.