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

47 страница из 172

‘Sheppard, you attended Ashley Ferrars in his last illness, didn’t you?’

‘Yes, I did.’

he seemed to find even greater difficulty in framing his next question.

‘Did you ever suspect – did it ever enter your head – that – well, that he might have been poisoned?’

I was silent for a minute or two. Then I made up my mind what to say. Roger Ackroyd was not Caroline.

‘I’ll tell you the truth,’ I said. ‘At the time I had no suspicion whatever, but since – well, it was mere idle talk on my sister’s part that first put the idea into my head. Since then I haven’t been able to get it out again. But, mind you, I’ve no foundation whatever for that suspicion.’

‘He was poisoned,’ said Ackroyd.

He spoke in a dull heavy voice.

‘Who by?’ I asked sharply.

‘His wife.’

‘How do you know that?’

‘She told me so herself.’

‘When?’

‘Yesterday! My god! Yesterday! It seems ten years ago.’

I waited a minute, then he went on.

‘You understand, Sheppard, I’m telling you this in confidence. It’s to go no further. I want your advice – I can’t carry the whole weight by myself. As I said just now, I don’t know what to do.’