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

His hands automatically straightened an object or two that I had inadvertently pushed awry[19 - I had inadvertently pushed awry – я ненароком задел].

�I am not sure,’ he said slowly.

There was something so odd about his tone that I looked at him in surprise.

The frown still lingered.

Suddenly with a brief decisive nod of the head he crossed the room to a desk near the window. Its contents, I need hardly say, were all neatly docketed and pigeon-holed[20 - docketed and pigeon-holed – промаркировано и разложено по ящикам] so that he was able at once to lay his hand upon the paper he wanted.

He came slowly across to me, an open letter in his hand. He read it through himself, then passed it to me.

�Tell me, mon ami,’ he said. What do you make of this?’

I took it from him with some interest.

It was written on thickish white notepaper in printed characters:

Mr Hercule Poirot,—You fancy yourself, don’t you, at solving mysteries that are too difficult for our poor thickheaded British police? Let us see, Mr Clever Poirot, just how clever you can be.

Perhaps you’ll find this nut too hard to crack. Look out for Andover[21 - Andover – город в Юго-Восточной Англии, графство Гэмпшир], on the 21st of the month.

В В В В Yours, etc.,

В В В В A B РЎ.

I glanced at the envelope. That also was printed.

�Postmarked WC1[22 - WC1 = Western Central – почтовый индекс центрального района Лондона],’ said Poirot as I turned my attention to the postmark.

�Well, what is your opinion?’

I shrugged my shoulders as I handed it back to him.

�Some madman or other, I suppose.’

�That is all you have to say?’

�Well—doesn’t it sound like a madman to you?’

�Yes, my friend, it does.’

His tone was grave. I looked at him curiously.

�You take this very seriously, Poirot.

’

�A madman, mon ami, is to be taken seriously. A madman is a very dangerous thing.’

�Yes, of course, that is true… I hadn’t considered that point… But what I meant was, it sounds more like a rather idiotic kind of hoax. Perhaps some convivial idiot who had had one over the eight[23 - some convivial idiot who had had one over the eight – какой-нибудь идиот навеселе хватил лишнего].