Читать книгу The Murder of Roger Ackroyd / Убийство Роджера Экройда онлайн

152 страница из 172

Then, after a minute’s silence, he took something from his pocket and handed it to me.

‘See, my friend, I will show you something. Look there.’

The paper he had handed me was that compiled by the inspector and given by him to Poirot that morning. following the pointing finger, I saw a small cross marked in pencil opposite the name Ursula Bourne.

‘You may not have noticed it at the time, my good friend, but there was one person on this list whose alibi had no kind of confirmation. Ursula Bourne.’

‘You don’t think-?’

‘Dr Sheppard, I dare to think anything. Ursula Bourne may have killed Mr Ackroyd, but I confess I can see no motive for her doing so. Can you?’

He looked at me very hard – so hard that I felt uncomfortable.

‘Can you?’ he repeated.

‘No motive whatsoever,’ I said firmly.

His gaze relaxed. He frowned and murmured to himself:

‘Since the blackmailer was a man, it follows that she cannot be the blackmailer, then-’ I coughed.

‘As far as that goes-’ I began doubtfully.

He spun round on me.