Пуаро веде слідство
VI. The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb
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“Whatarewegoingtodoaboutit?”
“Toujourspratique,thegoodHastings!Ehbien,tobeginwithwearegoingtocabletoNewYorkforfullerdetailsofyoungMr.Bleibner’sdeath.”
Hedulysentoffhiscable.Thereplywasfullandprecise.YoungRupertBleibnerhadbeeninlowwaterforseveralyears.Hehadbeenabeach-comberandaremittancemaninseveralSouthSeaislands,buthadreturnedtoNewYorktwoyearsago,wherehehadrapidlysunklowerandlower.Themostsignificantthing,tomymind,wasthathehadrecentlymanagedtoborrowenoughmoneytotakehimtoEgypt.“I’veagoodfriendthereIcanborrowfrom,”hehaddeclared.Here,however,hisplanshadgoneawry.HehadreturnedtoNewYorkcursinghisskinflintofanunclewhocaredmoreforthebonesofdeadandgonekingsthanhisownfleshandblood.ItwasduringhissojourninEgyptthatthedeathofSirJohnWillardoccurred.RuperthadplungedoncemoreintohislifeofdissipationinNewYork,andthen,withoutwarning,hehadcommittedsuicide,leavingbehindhimaletterwhichcontainedsomecuriousphrases.Itseemedwritteninasuddenfitofremorse.Hereferredtohimselfasaleperandanoutcast,andtheletterendedbydeclaringthatsuchashewerebetterdead.
Ashadowytheoryleaptintomybrain.IhadneverreallybelievedinthevengeanceofalongdeadEgyptianking.Isawhereamoremoderncrime.Supposingthisyoungmanhaddecidedtodoawaywithhisuncle—preferablybypoison.Bymistake,SirJohnWillardreceivesthefataldose.TheyoungmanreturnstoNewYork,hauntedbyhiscrime.
