Убийство на поле для гольфа
4. The Letter Signed “Bella”
Inthemiddleofittherewasaslitinthecloth.Poirotexamineditnarrowly.
“Haveyouanyideawithwhatweaponthecrimewascommitted?”
“Itwasleftinthewound.”Thecommissaryreacheddownalargeglassjar.Initwasasmallobjectthatlookedtomemorelikeapaper-knifethananythingelse.Ithadablackhandle,andanarrowshiningblade.Thewholethingwasnotmorethantenincheslong.Poirottestedthediscolouredpointgingerlywithhisfingertip.
“Mafoi!butitissharp!Aniceeasylittletoolformurder!”
“Unfortunately,wecouldfindnotraceoffingerprintsonit,”remarkedBexregretfully.“Themurderermusthaveworngloves.”
“Ofcoursehedid,”saidPoirotcontemptuously.“EveninSantiagotheyknowenoughforthat.TheveriestamateurofanEnglishMeesknowsit—thankstothepublicitytheBertillonsystemhasbeengiveninthePress.Allthesame,itinterestsmeverymuchthattherewerenofinger-prints.Itissoamazinglysimpletoleavethefinger-printsofsomeoneelse!Andthenthepolicearehappy.”Heshookhishead.“Iverymuchfearourcriminalisnotamanofmethod—eitherthatorhewaspressedfortime.Butweshallsee.”
Heletthebodyfallbackintoitsoriginalposition.
“Heworeonlyunderclothesunderhisovercoat,Isee,”heremarked.
“Yes,theexaminingmagistratethinksthatisratheracuriouspoint.”
AtthisminutetherewasataponthedoorwhichBexhadclosedafterhim.Hestrodeforwardandopenedit.Françoisewasthere.Sheendeavouredtopeepinwithghoulishcuriosity
