Убийство на поле для гольфа
6. The Scene of the Crime
“Ihadnoideathatyouhadarrived,even.Theexaminingmagistratehasbeenawaitingyouwiththeutmostimpatience.”
Ashespoke,Iwasscanningthenew-comerwiththekeenestcuriosity.ThefamousdetectivefromtheParisSûretéwasfamiliartomebyname,andIwasextremelyinterestedtoseehimintheflesh.Hewasverytall,perhapsaboutthirtyyearsofage,withauburnhairandmoustache,andamilitarycarriage.Therewasatraceofarroganceinhismannerwhichshowedthathewasfullyalivetohisownimportance.Bexintroducedus,presentingPoirotasacolleague.Aflickerofinterestcameintothedetective’seye.
“Iknowyoubyname,M.Poirot,”hesaid.“Youcutquiteafigureintheolddays,didn’tyou?Butmethodsareverydifferentnow.”
“Crimes,though,areverymuchthesame,”remarkedPoirotgently.
IsawatoncethatGiraudwaspreparedtobehostile.Heresentedtheotherbeingassociatedwithhim,andIfeltthatifhecameacrossanyclueofimportancehewouldbemorethanlikelytokeepittohimself.
“Theexaminingmagistrate—”beganBexagain.ButGiraudinterruptedhimrudely:
“Afigfortheexaminingmagistrate!Thelightistheimportantthing.Forallpracticalpurposesitwillbegoneinanotherhalf-hourorso.Iknowallaboutthecase,andthepeopleatthehousewilldoverywelluntiltomorrow,but,ifwe’regoingtofindacluetothemurderers,hereisthespotweshallfindit.Isityourpolicewhohavebeentramplingallovertheplace?Ithoughttheyknewbetternowadays.”
“Assuredlytheydo.
