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

�It does not seem to you important, that? Yet, pour une femme[130 - pour une femme (фр.) – для женщины], it is of the first importance. Often it decides her destiny!’

Another silence fell.

It was not until we were nearing Sevenoaks that Poirot opened the conversation again.

�Were you informed, by any chance, how and with what the girl was strangled?’

Inspector Crome replied briefly.

�Strangled with her own belt—a thick, knitted affair, I gather.’

Poirot’s eyes opened very wide.

�Aha,’ he said. �At last we have a piece of information that is very definite. That tells one something, does it not?’

�I haven’t seen it yet,’ said Inspector Crome coldly.

I felt impatient with the man’s caution and lack of imagination.

�It gives us the hallmark of the murderer,’ I said. �The girl’s own belt. It shows the particular beastliness of his mind!’

Poirot shot me a glance I could not fathom. On the face of it[131 - On the face of it – На первый взгляд] it conveyed humorous impatience.

I thought that perhaps it was a warning not to be too outspoken in front of the inspector.

I relapsed into silence.

At Bexhill we were greeted by Superintendent Carter. He had with him a pleasant-faced, intelligent-looking young inspector called Kelsey. The latter was detailed to work in with Crome over the case.

�You’ll want to make your own inquiries, Crome,’ said the superintendent.

�So I’ll just give you the main heads of the matter and then you can get busy right away.’

�Thank you, sir,’ said Crome.

�We’ve broken the news to her father and mother,’ said the superintendent. �Terrible shock to them, of course. I left them to recover a bit before questioning them, so you can start from the beginning there.’

�There are other members of the family—yes?’ asked Poirot.

�There’s a sister—a typist in London.

She’s been communicated with. And there’s a young man—in fact, the girl was supposed to be out with him last night, I gather.’

�Any help from the ABC guide?’ asked Crome.

�It’s there,’ the superintendent nodded towards the table. �No fingerprints. Open at the page for Bexhill. A new copy, I should say—doesn’t seem to have been opened much. Not bought anywhere round here. I’ve tried all the likely stationers.