Убийство на поле для гольфа
14. The Second Body
“Howdareyouinsultmebysuchawildaccusation!Itisinfamous.”
“Infamous,isit?Whataboutthis?”Stooping,heagaindetachedthehair,andhelditup.“Doyouseethis,madame?”Headvancedtowardsher.“YoupermitthatIseewhetheritmatches?”
Withacryshestartedbackwards,whitetothelips.
“Itisfalse—Iswearit.Iknownothingofthecrime—ofeithercrime.AnyonewhosaysIdolies!Ah!monDieu,whatshallIdo?”
“Calmyourself,madame,”saidGiraudcoldly.“Noonehasaccusedyouasyet.Butyouwilldowelltoanswermyquestionswithoutmoreado.”
“Anythingyouwish,monsieur.”
“Lookatthedeadman.Haveyoueverseenhimbefore?”
Drawingnearer,alittleofthecolourcreepingbacktoherface,MadameDaubreuillookeddownatthevictimwithacertainamountofinterestandcuriosity.Thensheshookherhead.
“Idonotknowhim.”
Itseemedimpossibletodoubther,thewordscamesonaturally.Girauddismissedherwithanodofthehead.“Youarelettinghergo?”Iaskedinalowvoice.“Isthatwise?Surelythatblackhairisfromherhead.”
“Idonotneedteachingmybusiness,”saidGirauddryly.“Sheisundersurveillance.Ihavenowishtoarrestherasyet.”
Then,frowning,hegazeddownatthebody.
“ShouldyousaythatwasaSpanishtypeatall?”heaskedsuddenly.
Iconsideredthefacecarefully.
“No,”Isaidatlast.“IshouldputhimdownasaFrenchmanmostdecidedly.”
Giraudgaveagruntofdissatisfaction.
“Samehere.
