[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

being seen entering the room and leaving it - with Emmott and the boy in the courtyard most of the
time."
"The boy. I'd forgotten the boy," said Dr. Leidner. "A sharp little chap. But surely, Maitland, the boy
must have seen the murderer go into my wife's room?"
"We've elucidated that. The boy was washing pots the whole afternoon with one exception. Somewhere
around half-past one - Emmott can't put it closer than that - he went up to the roof and was with you for
ten minutes - that's right, isn't it?"
"Yes. I couldn't have told you the exact time but it must have been about that."
"Very good. Well, during that ten minutes, the boy, seizing his chance to be idle, strolled out and joined
the others outside the gate for a chat. When Emmott came down he found the boy absent and called him
angrily, asking him what he meant by leaving his work. As far as I can see, your wife must have been
murdered during that ten minutes."
With a groan, Dr. Leidner sat down and hid his face in his hands.
Dr. Reilly took up the tale, his voice quiet and matter-of-fact.
"The time fits in with my evidence," he said. "She'd been dead about three hours when I examined her.
The only question is - who did it?"
There was a silence. Dr. Leidner sat up in his chair and passed a hand over his forehead.
"I admit the force of your reasoning, Reilly," he said quietly. "It certainly seems as though it were what
people call 'an inside job.' But I feel convinced that somewhere or other there is a mistake. It's plausible
but there must be a flaw in it. To begin with, you are assuming that an amazing coincidence has
occurred."
"Odd that you should use that word," said Dr. Reilly.
Without paying any attention Dr. Leidner went on:
"My wife receives threatening letters. She has reason to fear a certain person. Then she is - killed. And
you ask me to believe that she is killed - not by that person - but by some one entirely different! I say
that that is ridiculous."
"It seems so - yes," said Dr. Reilly meditatively.
He looked at Captain Maitland. "Coincidence - eh? What do you say, Maitland? Are you in favour of
the idea? Shall we put it up to Leidner?"
Captain Maitland gave a nod.
"Go ahead," he said shortly.
"Have you ever heard of a man called Hercule Poirot, Leidner?"
Dr. Leidner stared at him, puzzled.
"I think I have heard the name, yes," he said vaguely. "I once heard a Mr. Van Aldin speak of him in
very high terms. He is a private detective, is he not?"
"That's the man."
"But surely he lives in London, so how will that help us?"
"He lives in London, true," said Dr. Reilly, "but this is where the coincidence comes in. He is now, not
in London, but in Syria, and he will actually pass through Hassanieh on his way to Baghdad tomorrow!"
"Who told you this?"
"Jean Berat, the French consul. He dined with us last night and was talking about him. It seems he has
been disentangling some military scandal in Syria. He's coming through here to visit Baghdad, and
afterwards returning through Syria to London. How's that for a coincidence?"
Dr. Leidner hesitated a moment and looked apologetically at Captain Maitland.
"What do you think, Captain Maitland?"
"Should welcome co-operation," said Captain Maitland promptly. "My fellows are good scouts at
scouring the countryside and investigating Arab blood feuds, but frankly, Leidner, this business of your
wife's seems to me rather out of my class. The whole thing looks confoundedly fishy. I'm more than
willing to have the fellow take a look at the case."
"You suggest that I should appeal to this man Poirot to help us?" said Dr. Leidner. "And suppose he
refuses?"
"He won't refuse," said Dr. Reilly.
"How do you know?"
"Because I'm a professional man myself. If a really intricate case of say - cerebrospinal meningitis
comes my way and I'm invited to take a hand, I shouldn't be able to refuse. This isn't an ordinary crime,
Leidner."
"No," said Dr. Leidner. His lips twitched with sudden pain.
"Will you then, Reilly, approach this Hercule Poirot on my behalf?"
"I will."
Dr. Leidner made a gesture of thanks.
"Even now," he said slowly, "I can't realize it - that Louise is really dead."
I could bear it no longer.
"Oh! Dr. Leidner," I burst out. "I - I can't tell you how badly I feel about this. I've failed so badly in my
duty. It was my job to watch over Mrs. Leidner - to keep her from harm."
Dr. Leidner shook his head gravely.
"No, no, nurse, you've nothing to reproach yourself with," he said slowly. "It's I, God forgive me, who
am to blame... I didn't believe - all along I didn't believe... I didn't dream for one moment that there was
any real danger..."
He got up. His face twitched.
"I let her go to her death... Yes, I let her go to her death - not believing -"
He staggered out of the room.
Dr. Reilly looked at me.
"I feel pretty culpable too," he said. "I thought the good lady was playing on his nerves."
"I didn't take it really seriously either," I confessed.
"We were all three wrong," said Dr. Reilly gravely.
"So it seems," said Captain Maitland.
Chapter 13
HERCULE POIROT ARRIVES
I don't think I shall ever forget my first sight of Hercule Poirot. Of course, I got used to him later on, but
to begin with it was shock, and I think every one else must have felt the same! [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

  • zanotowane.pl
  • doc.pisz.pl
  • pdf.pisz.pl
  • szkla.opx.pl

    •