Crooked House / Скрюченный домишко. Книга для чтения на английском языке

)– резко махнуть (рукой)] an arm—the cigarette fell out of the holder on to the polished mahogany of Philip’s desk and began to burn it. Impassively he reached for it and dropped it into the wastepaper basket.

�And then,’ whispered Magda Leonides, her eyes suddenly widening, her face stiffening, �just terror…’

The stark fear stayed on her face for about twenty seconds, then her face relaxed, crumpled, a bewildered child was about to burst into tears.

Suddenly all emotion was wiped away as though by a sponge and, turning to me, she asked in a businesslike tone:

�Don’t you think that would be the way to play Edith Thompson?’

I said I thought that would be exactly the way to play Edith Thompson.

�Rather like Brenda, really, wasn’t she?’ said Magda. �D’you know, I never thought of that. It’s very interesting.

The man behind the desk frowned very slightly.

�There’s really no need, Magda,’ he said, �for you to see him at all. I can tell him anything he wants to know.’

�Not see him?’ Her voice went up. �But of course I must see him! Darling, darling, you’re so terribly unimaginative! You don’t realize the importance of details. He’ll want to know exactly how and when everything happened, all the little things one noticed and wondered about at the time—’

�Mother,’ said Sophia, coming through the open door, �you’re not to tell the inspector a lot of lies.

�Sophia—darling…’

�I know, precious, that you’ve got it all set and that you’re ready to give a most beautiful performance. But you’ve got it wrong. Quite wrong.’

�Nonsense. You don’t know—’

�I do know. You’ve got to play it quite differently, darling. Subdued—saying very little—holding it all back—on your guard—protecting the family.

Magda Leonides’ face showed the naive perplexi ty of a child.

�Darling,’ she said, �do you really think—’

�Yes, I do. Throw it away. That’s the idea.’

Sophia added, as a little pleased smile began to show on her mother’s face:

�I’ve made you some chocolate. It’s in the drawing-room.’

�Oh—good—I’m starving—’

She paused in the doorway.