Убийство на поле для гольфа
12. Poirot Elucidates Certain Points
ButnotawordtoGiraud,c’estentendu?Hetreatsmeasanoldoneofnoimportance!Weshallsee!IncommonfairnessIgavehimahint.Ifhedoesnotchoosetoactuponit,thatishisownlookout.”
IassuredPoirotthathecouldrelyuponmydiscretion.
“C’estbien!Letusthenemployourlittlegreycells.Tellme,myfriend,atwhattime,accordingtoyou,didthetragedytakeplace?”
“Why,attwoo’clockorthereabouts,”Isaid,astonished.“Youremember,Mrs.Renauldtoldusthatsheheardtheclockstrikewhilethemenwereintheroom.”
“Exactly,andonthestrengthofthat,you,theexaminingmagistrate,Bex,andeveryoneelse,acceptthetimewithoutfurtherquestion.ButI,HerculePoirot,saythatMadameRenauldlied.Thecrimetookplaceatleasttwohoursearlier.”
“Butthedoctors—”
“Theydeclared,afterexaminationofthebody,thatdeathhadtakenplacebetweentenandsevenhourspreviously.Monami,forsomereason,itwasimperativethatthecrimeshouldseemtohavetakenplacelaterthanitactuallydid.Youhavereadofasmashedwatchorclockrecordingtheexacthourofacrime?SothatthetimeshouldnotrestonMrs.Renauld’stestimonyalone,someonemovedonthehandsofthatwristwatchtotwoo’clock,andthendasheditviolentlytotheground.But,asisoftenthecase,theydefeatedtheirownobject.Theglasswassmashed,butthemechanismofthewatchwasuninjured.
