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

It had little tables covered with orange-checked cloths and basket-work chairs[134 - basket-worked chairs – плетеные стулья] of exceeding discomfort with orange cushions on them. It was the kind of place that specialized in morning coffee, five different kinds of teas (Devonshire, Farmhouse, Fruit, Carlton and Plain), and a few sparing lunch dishes for females such as scrambled eggs and shrimps and macaroni au gratin[135 - macaroni au gratin – макароны, запеченные под сыром].

The morning coffees were just getting under way[136 - to get under way – начинаться]. The manageress ushered us hastily into a very untidy back sanctum.

�Miss—eh—Merrion?’ inquired Crome.

Miss Merrion bleated out in a high, distressed-gentle-woman voice:

�That is my name. This is a most distressing business. Most distressing. How it will affect our business I really cannot think!’

Miss Merrion was a very thin woman of forty with wispy orange hair (indeed she was astonishingly like a ginger cat herself).

She played nervously with various fichus and frills that were part of her official costume.

�You’ll have a boom,’ said Inspector Kelsey encouragingly.

�You’ll see! You won’t be able to serve teas fast enough!’

�Disgusting,’ said Miss Merrion. �Truly disgusting. It makes one despair of human nature.’

But her eyes brightened nevertheless.

�What can you tell me about the dead girl, Miss Merrion?’

�Nothing,’ said Miss Merrion positively.

�Absolutely nothing!’

�How long had she been working here?’

�This was the second summer.’

�You were satisfied with her?’

�She was a good waitress—quick and obliging.’

�She was pretty, yes?’ inquired Poirot.

Miss Merrion, in her turn, gave him an �Oh, these foreigners’ look.

�She was a nice, clean-looking girl,’ she said distantly.

�What time did she go off duty last night?’ asked Crome.

�Eight o’clock.

We close at eight. We do not serve dinners. There is no demand for them. Scrambled eggs and tea (Poirot shuddered) people come in for up to seven o’clock and sometimes after, but our rush is over by 6.30.’

�Did she mention to you how she proposed to spend her evening?’

�Certainly not,’ said Miss Merrion emphatically. �We were not on those terms[137 - to be on (a kind of) terms – быть в каких-либо отношениях].