Загадочное происшествие в Стайлзе
Chapter IV. Poirot Investigates
Asmallquantityofadarkfluidremainedinthesaucepan,andanemptycupandsaucerthathadbeendrunkoutofstoodnearit.
IwonderedhowIcouldhavebeensounobservantastooverlookthis.Herewasaclueworthhaving.Poirotdelicatelydippedhisfingerintoliquid,andtasteditgingerly.Hemadeagrimace.
“Cocoa—with—Ithink—ruminit.”
Hepassedontothedebrisonthefloor,wherethetablebythebedhadbeenoverturned.Areading-lamp,somebooks,matches,abunchofkeys,andthecrushedfragmentsofacoffee-cuplayscatteredabout.
“Ah,thisiscurious,”saidPoirot.
“ImustconfessthatIseenothingparticularlycuriousaboutit.”
“Youdonot?Observethelamp—thechimneyisbrokenintwoplaces;theyliethereastheyfell.Butsee,thecoffee-cupisabsolutelysmashedtopowder.”
“Well,”Isaidwearily,“Isupposesomeonemusthavesteppedonit.”
“Exactly,”saidPoirot,inanoddvoice.“Someonesteppedonit.”
Herosefromhisknees,andwalkedslowlyacrosstothemantelpiece,wherehestoodabstractedlyfingeringtheornaments,andstraighteningthem—atrickofhiswhenhewasagitated.
“Monami,”hesaid,turningtome,“somebodysteppedonthatcup,grindingittopowder,andthereasontheydidsowaseitherbecauseitcontainedstrychnineor—whichisfarmoreserious—becauseitdidnotcontainstrychnine!”
Imadenoreply.Iwasbewildered,butIknewthatitwasnogoodaskinghimtoexplain.Inamomentortwoherousedhimself,andwentonwithhisinvestigations.
