The Benson Murder Case / Дело Бенсона. Книга для чтения на английском языке

”

“That’s very kind of you, sir,” Heath returned. “But it looks to me as though there’d be enough work for all parties. … Suppose I get to work on running down the owner of the hand-bag, and send some men out scouting among Benson’s night-life cronies,—I can pick up some names from the housekeeper, and they’ll be a good starting point. And I’ll get after that Cadillac, too… Then we ought to look into his lady friends—I guess he had enough of ’em.”

“I may get something out of the Major along that line,” supplied Markham.

“He’ll tell me anything I want to know. And I can also look into Benson’s business associates through the same channel.”

“I was going to suggest that you could do that better than I could,” Heath rejoined. “We ought to run into something pretty quick that’ll give us a line to go on. And I’ve got an idea that when we locate the lady he took to dinner last night and brought back here, we’ll know a lot more than we do now.”

“Or a lot less,” murmured Vance.

Heath looked up quickly, and grunted with an air of massive petulance.

“Let me tell you something, Mr. Vance,” he said, “—since I understand you want to learn something about these affairs: when anything goes seriously wrong in this world, it’s pretty safe to look for a woman in the case.”

“Ah, yes,” smiled Vance. “Cherchez la femme[34 - Cherchez la femme (фр.) —ищите женщину; это частое клише в детективной литературе, которое означает, что нужно найти роковую женщину, замешанную в преступление или являющуюся его причиной.

Выражение стало крылатым благодаря роману Александра Дюма-отца «Могикане Парижа», в котором оно повторяется несколько раз.]—an aged notion. Even the Romans labored under the superstition,—they expressed it with Dux femina facti[35 - Dux femina facti. (лат.) —Женщина совершила действо.].”

“However they expressed it,” retorted Heath, “they had the right idea. And don’t let ’em tell you different.”

Again Markham diplomatically intervened.

“That point will be settled very soon, I hope.

… And now, Sergeant, if you’ve nothing else to suggest, I’ll be getting along. I told Major Benson I’d see him at lunch time; and I may have some news for you by to-night.”

“Right,” assented Heath. “I’m going to stick around here a while and see if there’s anything I overlooked. I’ll arrange for a guard outside and also for a man inside to keep an eye on the Platz woman. Then I’ll see the reporters and let them in on the disappearing Cadillac and Mr.