Убийство на поле для гольфа
20. An Amazing Statement
“NowletusgocarefullyovertheRenauldCasefromthebeginning,settingdowneachsignificantpointinitschronologicalorder.Youhaveanotebookandpencil?Good.Nowwhatistheearliestpointtonotedown?”
“Thelettertoyou?”
“Thatwasthefirstweknewofit,butitisnottheproperbeginningofthecase.Thefirstpointofanysignificance,Ishouldsay,isthechangethatcameoverM.RenauldshortlyafterarrivinginMerlinville,andwhichisattestedtobyseveralwitnesses.WehavealsotoconsiderhisfriendshipwithMadameDaubreuil,andthelargesumsofmoneypaidovertoher.Fromthencewecancomedirectlytothe23rdMay.”
Poirotpaused,clearedhisthroat,andsignedtometowrite.
“23rdMay.M.Renauldquarrelswithhissonoverlatter’swishtomarryMartheDaubreuil.SonleavesforParis.
“24thMay.M.Renauldaltershiswill,leavingentirecontrolofhisfortuneinhiswife’shands.
“7thJune.Quarrelwithtrampingarden,witnessedbyMartheDaubreuil.
“LetterwrittentoM.HerculePoirot,imploringassistance.
“TelegramsenttoJackRenauld,biddinghimproceedbytheAnzoratoBuenosAyres.
“Chauffeur,Masters,sentoffonaholiday.
“Visitofalady,thatevening.Asheisseeingherout,hiswordsare‘Yes,yes—butforGod’ssakegonow. …’ ”
Poirotpaused.
“There,Hastings,takeeachofthosefactsonebyone,considerthemcarefullybythemselvesandinrelationtothewhole,andseeifyoudonotgetnewlightonthematter.”
Iendeavouredconscientiouslytodoashehadsaid.
